thelokey

I just finished the book "Jesus: A Novel" by Paul Wangerin. It is, you guessed it, the Gospels in the form of a novel. Since it is a work of fiction, some things were added to the story to deepen the character development, but all in good taste. My favorite character in the book turned out to be Judas Iscariot. Weird, right? The author puts a great spin on his character, making him a young idealist that longed to see Israel restored to its former glory. Throughout the book we see Judas as a man drawn to power and the idea of change. He is always well-intentioned. So through the whole book I'm waiting for some moment or encounter to "turn him to the dark side". There's a few times Jesus rebukes him for one reason or another, but the problem is Judas thinks too much and thinks this peace loving, peace making Jesus is just a front. By the time their final Passover comes, Judas is anxious to see Jesus' power unleashed on the Jewish leadership. When...

This is a totally different subject than what I planned on writing about so this will be a little short. Keep in mind that my goal is not to offend, but rather to inspire thought. Have you fulfilled the Great Commission in your own life? Now I know that some who read this may be ordained ministers so the answer could be "yes". I myself am an unordained minister (long story) and I can say with no hesitation that my answer to that question is "no, I haven't". To make sure we're all the same page (literally), here's the exact passage. Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Here's my problem that I'm trying to reconcile, Can I fulfill the Great Commission within the average Baptist church? My short answer is "no, I can...

Every now and then I get the urge to write a little commentary on a particular subject. It's nothing spectacular, but it helps my understand my own faith a little better. Here goes... To know the love of Christ is to know Christ. Not just the person, but also the heart behind the person. How does one come to understand this love, which surpasses all understanding (Eph. 3:18)? First you must know that you will never comprehend the love of Christ. It is the goal of the Christian life that can always be strived for but never attained. The depth of the love of Christ is what keeps Christians always searching for more of God. And the more God that is in your life, the less there will be of yourself, which is God's goal. God's dream is to fill you with His Holy Spirit so that you may be holy as He is Holy. Many times in the Old and New Testaments God gives us that command. In the Old Testament the example was the Holy sacrifices of the unblemished animals. But those animals lac...