549 results for tag: Brad Jersak
Cracked Jars and Golden Scars — by Brad Jersak
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There's a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
The religious ego -- our 'inner Pharisee' -- demands perfection, is embarrassed by our failings and punishes us for them with self-loathing. Co-opting the God-given conscience, it ascends to the judgment seat reserved for Christ alone and points the accusing finger of condemnation. The fruit is anxiety, shame and an intense desire to shrink back, to burrow into the mud and hide out our years. It reminds us of our inadequacy and sets up this ordinance of hypocrisy: "Your ...
“The Good Deed” Brad Jersak
artwork by: https://www.facebook.com/RichYoungRule
The Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-26 NLT)
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”18 “Which ones?” the man asked.And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as ...
Self-will vs Surrender: Gospel Language for Postmoderns – Brad Jersak with Laurence Singlehurst
“For if Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore, all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
I had the great privilege of chatting with Laurence Singlehurst, a seasoned British missiologist who has thought deeply about the language we use to share the Good News in our postmodern era. He’s addressed the problem of our lingo for years, in such books as The Gospel Message Today: Language That Connects in Communicating the Gospel.
What follows are ...
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “You yourselves cast out” (Luke 13:28)
Question:
In Luke 13 and the "narrow door" parable, Jesus says in verse 28, "but you yourselves cast out." What is He getting at? Is it what Jesus sees in the questioner verse 23?
Passage - Luke 13
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside ...
When “Every Eye Shall See Him…” The Salvation of the Human Will – Brad Jersak
Question
Christ's death saves humanity from hell as a place of eternal torment, but many people don’t realize it and live apart from God. When they cross over in death, I believe all deception will be removed, and they will know the truth. But they can still have the option to accept the gift or not. Then the purification begins. Is that generally right?
Response
I would personally tweak these thoughts a little bit:
1. You said, "Christ's death saved all humanity from hell as a place of eternal torment."
I don't believe Christ saved us from a non-existence place conceived in human imaginations by literalizing biblical imagery ...
Q & R with Brad: Doesn’t Isaiah 59 teach “separation” from God?
Question:
Hi Brad,I love the article you wrote on separation/alienation but I am having problems understanding the separation verses in scripture. The specific scripture I had trouble interpreting in light of your article on “separation” was Isaiah 59:1-2.
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Response:
Thanks for your question. In general, "separation" references are best interpreted ...
Q&R with Brad: What is joy?
Question:
Could you please describe or define the concept of joy as you've understood, witnessed, or experienced it?
Response:
Happiness
At first glance, that's a difficult question. As I thought about it, I began by contrasting it to the word "happiness." Bear in mind that there are a host of personal, traditional and dictionary definitions of happiness and joy. But I'll offer my own thoughts here.
First, I tend to associate happiness with a fleeting emotional reaction to the fulfillment of external pleasures. When I see a sunset or hear my grandchildren giggle or savor a delicious meal, there's a happy pleasure to it that I ...
More on Inviting our Everywhere-Present God – Brad Jersak
Awhile back, I wrote a post on why we ask Abba for gifts already given. In that article, I distinguished between problematic assumptions about our need to ask (e.g. needing to beg a stingy God) and healthier reasons why we Christ instructed us to ask (e.g. God honors our permission).
In this post, I will pick up on the important difference between alienation, separation and space as we conceive our relationship with God.
Alienation vs Separation
This weekend, I was thinking about the Prodigal Son's real experience of alienation from his father. That is, he felt the pain of turning from his father's love. Out of this alienation, he ...
Praying the Lord’s Prayer in Violent Times – Brad Jersak
You've noticed that we're living in very violent times. At home, abroad ... to the point of exhaustion, hopelessness and/or numbness. I see no reprieve in sight and every reason to expect further escalation. I find myself in daily need of prayers that guard my heart and mind from both despair and the vengeance fantasies of repressed rage.
In that context, I have begun to pray the Lord's Prayer in a focused way on a daily basis with some new (to me) understanding about Christ's strategy in ordering the phrases in series as he does. Here is the part that seems super-relevant to us all right now:
Forgive us our ...
Q&R – Were only WE ‘saints’ chosen from eternity? Ephesians 1:4 – Brad Jersak
Question
Brad, how do we counter the claim that Ephesians 1:4 was addressed to the “saints” in accordance with verse 1b and not everyone from before the foundation of the world?
Response
My first instinct is not to counter the claim at all.
Here's how I might approach it:
I would point out, first, that MAYBE we should say that while the letter is addressed to the saints in Ephesus (1b), the WE of verse 4 could EITHER refer to WE SAINTS, OR it could refer to the universal outcome anticipated in verse 10: "...as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on ...
Faith, Fiction, Fantasy & Truth – Brad Jersak
"Sometimes fairy stories may say best what’s to be said.” —C.S. Lewis
“C.S. Lewis taught me that in fiction, stepping into magical realms means encountering earthly concerns in transfigured form.” —Lev Grossman
CAN FICTION BE TRUE?
I frequently encounter surprise and even disdain when I recommend works of fiction as an essential element in one’s spiritual or theological diet. Indeed, as a professor of theology, I’ve contended with students who were intent on exemptions from the classics I assign as coursework!
“What’s the point? Novels aren’t true,” I’m told with incredulity. Or sometimes, I hear, “I only ...
Q & R: David’s Census – What was God up to? – Brad Jersak
Normally, our Q & R features begin with a reader's question followed by a response from Greg Albrecht or Brad Jersak. In this case, Brad asks the question of one of our readers.
Question from Brad
In 2 Samuel 24, we read that God was angry with David and therefore incited him to commission a census of his mighty men, so that he could then turn around and punish him for it! It's not that God was angry about the census, but that in God's anger, he incited the census!
Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he [God] incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” ...
Supersized Mercy: All the Goodness of God – Brad Jersak
At some point in my early Christian training, I inherited the memorable maxim on mercy,
Mercy is not getting what you do deserve,Grace is getting what you do not deserve.
It seemed clever, so I adopted and often repeated those lines when defining those two important words. As a young pastor, I even posted it as a slogan on the signboard outside our church for passersby to digest.
In that model, what we deserved was God’s wrath, so we had effectively reduced the word mercy to withholding punishment. Praying “Lord, have mercy” was akin to pleading, “God, please don’t condemn me!” We could ...
CWR Video – Jesus the King – by Brad Jersak
Short 3 minute video on Jesus the King.
Q&R: Why did Jesus only choose male disciples?
Question
Do you have any thoughts on why Jesus chose twelve men for his group, but no women in his inner circle?
Response
Excellent question! The short answer: he didn't! What helps me most on this question is examining the way the disciples wrote each of the four Gospels, noting where they are not identical.
I. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke - written early and at some points similar) do identify a group of twelve men ("the Twelve"). Given the array of other disciples in Jesus' entourage, why these twelve?
One reason made explicit in the text is that Christ is creating a conscious parallel to the twelve tribes of ...
“Let the Peace of Christ reign…” Brad Jersak
"Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts" - Colossians 3:15
This morning I'm feeling peaceful, despite the usual congenital temptation to pick up lurking worries. I've had some outside help... I've been enjoying a coffee on my deck, sitting with my baby grandson (who's singing to me sweetly), and feeding peanuts to some adolescent Steller's Jay visitors. I've also been editing an article titled "The Peace of Thanksgiving" by my friend and colleague Ed Dunn, well in advance of our November issue of Plain Truth magazine.
Ed is reflecting on the apostle Paul's counsel to the Colossians, "Let the peace of Christ reign ...
“If God…?” – Brad Jersak
“If God…?”
I had a wonderful conversation about God.
I suppose that’s already an “iffy” thing to say these days. High risk in some circles and forbidden in polite company. But this exchange was truly special. My conversation partners self-identified across the map—agnostics, pagans, heretics and yes, even a few Christians. Each of us were welcome to express our evolving or devolving faith without any fear of judgment. I heard stories of faith found, abandoned, and adapted. And, however different our convictions, we all shared a humble agreement that who or what God is or is not defies our comprehension. “Ineffable” ...
The Good News Banquet Invitation – Brad Jersak
A Pressurized Gospel
My earliest Christian formation taught me the urgency of “evangelism,” which in that stream of faith, focused heavily on Jesus’ “great commission,” which included the mandate to “…go and make disciples of all nations,…” (Matthew 28:19).
For us, that meant trying to “convert” people—convincing them to “ask Jesus into their hearts” by praying a “sinner’s prayer”—confessing their sinfulness and putting their trust in Christ’s saving work. The urgency came with an ultimatum to pluck souls from the fires of hell before it was too late.
Imagine the anxiety a sensitive ...
Q&R with Brad – “For God shut up all people”? Romans 11:32
Question
I wonder if I could pick your brain on something! I’m battling a severe form of CFS/ME and have been for almost 20 years. I am also going through deconstruction (an almost lethal combination!) and am questioning the goodness and fairness of God. I’ve got really stuck on Romans 11:32. Here’s my dilemma: I didn’t choose/consent to being created and as I read Gen 1-3 it feels like God set us up for failure (putting us near the tree, allowing the serpent in, etc). But then he sends Jesus as the solution to the problem he created. Allowing free will led to absolutely catastrophic consequences. The devastation this illness has ...
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