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The Relationship Between Jesus and Sophia

Now you may be wondering about the title, or thinking “who the heck is Sophia??” — well, bear with me, and all will be revealed. It’s not as sinister or weird as it may first appear. I saw a post on my Instagram feed the other day that just got me a little riled up. I’ll admit it, I can be a little short-tempered at times, especially around the subject of Jesus and seeing him/the Christian faith misrepresented to such a degree that it could mislead others down the wrong path. I don’t normally write responses to things like this, but I felt this one deserved it, mainly just to add some clarity to a somewhat confusing topic, and so there’s a pla...

7 things the Lord hates (spoiler: questioning doctrine isn't one of them)

...s akin to women's suffrage. — Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 21, 2014   Plus many, many, more tweets as time went on, with the whole twitter/blogosphere alight with this madness. Apparently even some radio stations had pulled Jars of Clay's music because of this assumed support of gay marriage by Dan, and by association, the band too. Dan has since issued an apology on his blog, and expanded on his thoughts in ways which the twitter character limitations wouldn't allow him to previously. But as much of a hot-button topic as gay rights within the Church is, it is not what I want to talk about now. No, what got me was the way in which the Christ...

The Coming of Jesus: The Olivet Discourse – Part 1

...h men and women and putting them in prison, In Paul's letter to Timothy, he speaks of those who were working with him in the faith now falling away back to their old lives, and in the Revelation of John, Jesus encourages the churches to hold onto their first love and to not let it go cold (Rev 2:4; Rev 3:16). 2 Tim 4:9-11 Do your best to come to me soon, for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. Coming to the end of the "birth pangs" are the warnings of false prophets ari...

Before the Pumpkins: The Barbecued Deacon

...In our last post, we walked with Perpetua and Felicity through the sands of the amphitheatre, their faith outshining Rome’s cruelty. Now for the final part in this series, we turn to another of the Church’s earliest heroes — one whose courage was matched by an unexpected wit. His name was Lawrence, a deacon of Rome, remembered across centuries as the man who kept his humour even while lying on the griddle. The Setting: Rome, AD 258 Under Emperor Valerian, a fresh persecution of Christians swept through the Empire. Bishops, priests, and deacons were hunted down, their property seized, and their churches closed. The bishop of Rome at that time was Six...

Armageddon Is Not A Battle Plan: What Revelation Actually Says — And Why It Matters Right Now

...g men and women to die not merely for their country, but for a cosmic script they cannot question. History offers us no shortage of examples of where that leads. Revelation, rightly read, should make us deeply suspicious of exactly such claims — because that is what it was written to do. What Revelation’s Ending Actually Says One more thing is worth noting, because it is so often overlooked in these discussions. The final word of Revelation is not war. It is not even judgement.  It is renewal. In Revelation 21, John sees a new heaven and a new earth. The New Jerusalem descends — and I have written at greater length elsewhere about why this...

Was Jesus worshipped in the New Testament?

...rrection, women, and disciples alike encountered the risen Christ, seizing his feet in worship. Even amidst doubt, worship persisted, displaying that even in disbelief, Jesus accepted worship. 3. Luke 24:52 and John 9:38 - Worshiping with Joy and Belief Luke 24:52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy John 9:38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. In Luke we see that the disciples all worshipped Jesus at his ascension, and in the instance in John, the man born blind who had been healed turned and worshipped Jesus when he realised who he was. Another example where Jesus didn't turn away worship towards himself fr...