What is God’s Nature?

nature1Modern spiritual leaders appear to be confused when it comes to the most important question they have to answer – The nature of God. Is He a God of love? Is He a God of Judgment? Can we know?

I once watched a lecture from a well-known university. Although the subject had no direct connection with theology, the Professor decided to venture there anyway. He advocated that the god of the Old Testament was a god of Anger and Judgment and that the god of the New Testament is a god of Love and Mercy. I’m not certain where his information came from, but many modern Christians seem to agree with him.

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Much Ado About Love

trueloveFrom pulpits to social media, the world is saturated with talk of love. By contemporary measures it would seem that there is more love today than ever before, but what does the Bible really say, have we really been misreading it for two-thousand years?

The Apostle John discusses love in this way, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7 NLT)

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The Search of True and Lasting Love

LoveFrom the Board Rooms of New York advertising agencies to school locker rooms, it is clear that we are all searching for true and lasting love. Billions of dollars, yen, sterling and other currencies trade hands every year in hopes that a product or service will somehow be the key to this elusive and priceless heart-cry.

In the process of this search, we have all been sold a bill of goods. The actors who portray perfect couples on television and movies, are often some of the worst at achieving lasting love. All too often, their home lives are a train wreck, plagued with unfaithfulness, abuse, divorce and brokenness. Their children often grow up confused and unloved – repeating the same mistakes in another generation.

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11 Reasons Why Faith Is Not a Private Matter

privatefaithHow many times have you heard the refrain, “Faith is a private matter?” It has been repeated so often that it has become sacrosanct to many. The truth however is far removed from the rhetoric. It doesn’t matter how many times a lie is repeated or how profound it may sound, a lie is still a lie.

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“We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Church”

12 Biblical Reasons Why We Still Need Church

 

churchAccording to polls, per capita church attendance may be lower than any time in American history. Has the church-age run its course? Is church no longer needed except for the occasional wedding, funeral or concert?

If God has anything to say about it – and He does – church attendance is as important as ever.

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Think Inside the Box

insidetheboxNo, it’s not a typo. The fact that you thought maybe it was, shows that you are thinking inside the box that says you should always think outside the box.

Likewise, some so-called sacred cows are not sacred cows at all, (a sacred cow being a false god) instead they are immutable principles of God’s universe that should not and cannot be violated without severe consequences.

Confused on the metaphors yet? Let’s break it down.

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I’m a Freak!

iamafreakOK, this is probably not big news to those who know me. I learned something while attending a Conference last week. One definition of a freak is something that is often unusual and unexpected. Who knows, maybe you are a freak too.

My beautiful, wonderful and long-suffering wife ,Teri, is probably tired of hearing it, but I frequently say to her, “I must be a weirdo!” or “I feel like I was born in the wrong century.”

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Riots and Religion–Four Things the Church Can Do

riotsandreligionAs our cities burn, I am straining to hear the voice of God speaking clearly through His church. While there are a lot of church leaders speaking, much of what is being said is not helpful and therefore is obviously not the voice of God.

In Romans 12:18, Paul the Apostle wrote, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (NIV) Some will quickly argue that it was written to a different time, with different people and different conditions. Indeed it was. It was written to a church that was ostracized from a pluralistic society that blamed natural disasters and other unfortunate events on the people Paul was writing to. Just a few years after this letter, Paul himself would die at the hands of Roman executioners, Peter would be crucified upside down and Nero would blame the city fire on Christians. This is the same guy – by the way – that liked to wrap Christians in oil soaked cloth and set them on fire to light his gardens in the evening.

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