Chrysostom wrote about the importance of allowing the Spirit to enlighten the things of God, as we need the Spirit to understand spiritual things.
But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. (1 Corinthians 2:14 CSB)
I am a little bit of a perfectionist. Maybe I have a touch of OCD. I like to get things right and it kills me a little every time I find out that I have it wrong. This leads me to pick at details.
It is interesting to note how both God and the devil are attributed to being “in the details.” I do not know if there is any psychology behind which phrase you utilize, but the main point is the value and virtue of getting details right. So, honestly, I can get a little nitpicky when it comes to God and the Bible, or life in general. It is one of things my wife and daughters love about me.
Do you ever get that feeling where you know something and you have to get it out? That is where these “Nitpicky Pastor” posts are going to come from. They are kind of soap-boxy and may elicit strong feelings. Hopefully they encourage us to think about these concepts more. Like this first post…
Are you familiar with John 3:16? It is a staple of Bible memorization. “For God so loved the world …” Can you finish the quote? In this verse we find God’s unfathomable promise to those who choose to put their faith in Jesus.
I learned this verse in the mid-1980s from the King James Version. It was probably close to my first exposure to “thee” and “thou” and verbs ending in “eth”. I guess my brain dropped the King James-ness of the verse as I assumed my memory was of the New International Version (NIV1984) or New King James (NKJV). All three of these make use of one important word which newer versions swap out. Can you guess what it is?
Continue reading “The Nitpicky Pastor: Eternal vs Everlasting Life”
Paul told Christians to use the Armor of God to fight against the “evil tricks” of our spiritual enemy: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11, CSB).
It is always interesting to see how far preachers and teachers will go with their illustration of the armor. Will be it Medieval or Roman in style? Are they going to put it on piece by piece, or have someone else model it for us? I recently thought a preacher could use a Minecraft type of “armor stand” to help us see each element for more than a few seconds.
If we walked around, dressed in a visible set of the Armor of God, we would be an impressive sight. But what good will the Armor do us if we do not know how to attack or defend? What if we are short-circuiting the power of our primary weapon?
Continue reading “The Weakness in Our Weapon (Sword of the Spirit, Part 2)”
I first read The Hobbit when I was twelve years old and in 6th Grade. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and I dove head first into the world of Middle Earth.
A very cool element of that world is its swords (or “letter openers”), which often held significance and influence in the story. (I was going to name a few, but there are so many!)
The story of Christians includes a sword as well: the Word of God, the Bible. It is included in the “armour of God” described by Paul in Ephesians 6.
But this incredible collection of God’s messages to us is a bit like a hobbit trying use William Wallace’s sword. How do we wield it without making a mess or being ineffective?
Continue reading “Training with the Sword of the Spirit (Part 1)”
“Jesus loves me, this I know.” Did you read the words or sing them? Those of us who grew up in church are familiar with the song we learned a long time ago. It was probably the first thing we absorbed in church. Jesus loves me. God loves me.
God’s love is a one of the most central themes of Scripture. Some would say that without the love of God, He would not have created the universe or put humanity within it.
Another staple of early learning in Christianity is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” The path to true life is founded on Heaven’s love. Imagine what would not exist without the motivation of that love: forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, relationship, purpose, mission, spiritual gifts and fruit, hope, everlasting life.
But is it really enough that God loves us? Is this inexplicable connection which breaks through time and space enough to fill us with the “blessed assurance” that Jesus and His promises are mine? Will God’s love alone save me, or you?
Continue reading “What if God’s Love is NOT Enough (to save you)?”
Have you ever heard God described as a “gentleman”? When painting this picture pastors and teachers generally refer to how God is unwilling to force Himself on anyone. He will always allow the individual to choose whether or not to accept Him.
The same is true of God’s hopes for our daily lives. There are ideals He wants us to live by and goals to fulfill. Yet if we choose a different path than what He would have us choose, He allows us to go as far as we dare.
In a previous post I wrote about how God saw all of time before time began, and He recorded, finalized, the outcome of history. We call this predestination. But what does it really mean when God allows us to be creatures of free will, allowing us to choose and then sealing our decisions?
Continue reading “Our Free Will Choices and God’s Response”
Chris MacKinnon 