Category: Spiritual Growth

Spiritual Growth

You May Touch the (Miss) Anointed

You have heard it often. I mean the statement “Touch not the Lord’s anointed,” which stands ready and steady to silence the biblical call for necessary discernment. Many followers will rebuff calls to examine the teaching or lifestyle of their modern ‘apostles,’ ‘prophets,’ or pastors by warning one not to touch the anointed. Such an examination, they say, would be opposition to God and a secure judgment for oneself. But who are the Lord’s anointed in the Bible? Could we have miss-anointed our leaders by misapplying the title ‘anointed one’?

… You May Touch the (Miss) Anointed
Salvation Sin Spiritual Growth

Our Meaningful Sorrow

Dark clouds hang over our souls like vultures vying for flesh in this broken world. The Adamic curse brought toil and torture, darkness, and death with it. Some souls see this more, others less. But let not sickness and sadness send you to dispair. Let them bring you to the cross of Christ. There, on the cross, died the life of humanity, and there, in the dark, hung the light of the world. Christ knows your sorrow more than you can imagine, yet he redefines and repurposes it too.

… Our Meaningful Sorrow
Jesus Christ Salvation Spiritual Growth

Cruciformed Disciples and the Prosperity Gospel

Cruciformed disciples reject the Prosperity Gospel. By “cruciformed” I refer to a life shaped by the cross. And what I am saying is that we cannot be shaped by the cross and adhere to the Prosperity Gospel. At least that is what Mark’s Gospel teaches us. Now, if this makes you a bit uneasy, please bear with me. You will soon see why I say these things.

… Cruciformed Disciples and the Prosperity Gospel
Apologetics God Jesus Christ Spiritual Growth Worship

Mercenaries or Disciples?

 “𝑰𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑱𝒐𝒃 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈.” Job 1:22

Recently, thieves stole a friend’s laptop, phone, documents, bank cards, driving permit, and some cash. He was on his way from work. It was nighttime. He escaped with his life only after relinquishing his material belongings. As he put it, thieves took his ‘entire work.’

… Mercenaries or Disciples?
Christian Thought Salvation Sin Spiritual Growth

Cursed Christians?: Answering Objections

Christians cannot be cursed. I argued so in my previous article.  If to be a Christian is to be God’s son and daughter, then who can bring a curse against God’s elect (Rom 8:33)? Nay. We are free in Christ, no longer Satan’s prisoners (Jn 8:36, Gal 5:1). God himself ‘delivered us from the domain of darkness’ (Col 1:13), and who can turn it back (Is 43:13)?

… Cursed Christians?: Answering Objections

Spiritual Growth

Tummy Time as Grace

Who of us remembers screaming their lungs out, as kids, protesting their tummy time? I don’t. But we hated it, didn’t we? I know because our son hates his tummy time. It’s tough, and ‘unnecessarily’ tires him. Or so he thinks (or feels?)!

… Tummy Time as Grace