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Onesimus and Perfection

The letter to Philemon is one of the most fascinating books in the New Testament. It’s among the shortest books in the Bible, but it’s incredibly dense in terms of practical applications. It’s also a book that stirs my curiosity; there’s so much unspoken backstory that I really want to understand. But there’s only one Continue reading
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Tossed To and Fro By Every Controversy

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head — Christ. – Ephesians 4:14 – 15 Continue reading
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Sell Your Cloak to Buy a Sword
Radically Christian: Luke 22:36 Re-Examined: Sell Your Cloak to Buy a Sword As soon as they finished the discussion about the swords, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and where a group of armed soldiers came to arrest Him. When the apostles saw that Jesus was about to be arrested, they asked, Continue reading
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Stones
The Morning Drive: Stones The leaders bring her to Jesus and remind Him of the Law of Moses and the command to stone those guilty of adultery. They want to know what Jesus thinks should be done. They are trying to place Him in a moral, ethical, spiritual, and legal juxtaposition. Would Jesus agree with Continue reading
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Prosperity Gospel at the Top
Huffington Post: Trump Spiritual Advisor Wants You To Send Her Up To 1 Month’s Pay Or Face ‘Consequences’ I hesitate to post this since it almost guarantees some kind of partisan reaction, but I have to admit that I never thought the prosperity gospel would wind up being so big. To me, Jesus’s words are clear Continue reading
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Slavery, the Civil War, and Why It Still Matters
Radically Christian: Slavery, the Civil War, and Why It Still Matters to Me I hear people say, “We can’t judge the actions of people 150 years ago by today’s standards.” I would say I’m judging American slavery not by today’s standards, but by the standard of Scripture. Most of these men not only claimed to be Christians Continue reading
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What U.S. Christians Miss About North — and South — Korea
Sojourners: What U.S. Christians Miss About North — and South — Korea Sitting on the 28th floor of the Lotte Hotel World in downtown Seoul having breakfast with a long-time ecumenical friend from Korea, I asked him what the churches in his country were thinking about the present crisis. He immediately responded, “We’re asking, ‘What are Continue reading
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3 Reasons to Fast
Wes McAdams: 3 Reasons Christians Need to Be Fasting I’ve written about fasting before, so it’s nice to see another Christian writer touch on the subject in a practical and accessible way. Especially after a season usually given to excess, it’s good to consider denying self. I realize the subject of fasting is not a popular Continue reading
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The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light Continue reading
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Removing the Sword from Our Words
When Jesus told Peter to lay down his sword, he instructed us all to reject violence and unnecessary conflict. This is not restricted to my refraining from physically attacking you for differing beliefs; it must, by extension, affect our words and attitudes toward those outside the body. If I unthinkingly hurt you with my words, Continue reading