During this election season, I have hope.
The Church for most of its life had no power over who came into power.
The Church through the Spirit renewed wherever they were exiled.
They filled the world with new creation in the midst of the old
That’s still true if we embark on it.
Pastor.
Remember that what we get the mercy to do in the morning, is a grace-gift.
Preaching is grace.
Our people, grace.
The Scriptures, a grace.
The gospel of renewal— grace.
We don’t deserve such gifts.
Glory in their goodness as the sun rises.
@CardiAllAccess@iamcardib Happy 5th Anniversary! It was an honor co-producing and helping create something historic like Bodak Yellow. I would absolutely love to be apart of more! Of course, I vote Bodak.
@AdrielTweets Agree! But I do have a question about that passage (not Catholic): doesn’t it seem contextually like what is said has to do with gnostics coming behind John to introduce heresy, a new kind of Jesus under the guise of “more teaching”? Not general teaching authority in view here?
It hurts & infuriates me that we who call for doctrinal purity, at the same time embrace, coddle, and create church cultures of abuse and impurity. We must repent. We must reset. We need a new, more faithful resurgence of gospel safety. #SBCtoo
The church is a covenant community who in their lives together, reflect the covenant God to the world. It’s not like NASDAQ, where we invest based on value and once it falls we divest, sell our stocks, & cut our losses. We invest ourselves unto eternity together in one another.
Many times, we opt for “solo” Christianity because the unspoken expectations we placed on our communities were too great for them to bear and we leave. They weren’t what we expected. Yet, what if it was what we needed? Christ died for that. #Church
So, if our theology is centered around our eventual exit, then we will forfeit our joyous cause of cultivating this world for new creation’s entrance. We engage in mission not because the ultimate end is our leaving but His coming and renewing. It shapes how we view the world.
The hope of a new humanity should so capture our hearts, so enrapture our lives as the Church that we joyfully show the world a new way to be human— the local church is a glimpse of God’s new creation. We fill our communities with the life of heaven as heaven is ever coming in.
Therefore, we must be about gospel proclamation & gospel good. If Christ is redeeming creation in all of its humanness and material, if He is moving toward heaven and earth coming together again, then we must be heaven & earth people— not escapists. That’s hope in the world.
Christ accomplished what Adam failed to do. Yet, He doesn’t leave the Garden behind. In fact, He redeems our Edenic call to be fruitful, multiply, cultivate, tend, and subdue— in this present creation. Christ now takes His Bride by the hand and says “join Me”— the new Adam & Eve.
The reality of new humanity & creation, that Christ is making all things new, should compel us to strive to give glimpses of all things new in our lives, world & communities rather than forsaking it. Our good works in the world are signposts to what is soon coming and will last.
May we as men joyfully, selflessly, affectionately, sacrificially, humbly, unwaveringly, fruitfully, mercifully, passionately and graciously give ourselves over to the honoring, affirming, defending, protecting, embracing, flourishing and caring of women in every sphere of life.
Pastor,
The Woman before you is not a means to your end. She’s not here to be dominated, used, ignored. She is not a temptation to avoid but a person to respect.
Woman bears God’s Image equally with Man.
If Women aren’t honored fully in your congregation, then reform your Men.
Even though I disagree with alot of Bethel's theology, I'm super excited about Jeremy Riddle's new album. Like really excited. Few albums I'll wait until midnight for, this will be one of them.