“I believe in God, but not religion.” This type of comment makes me think that our religious services aren’t offering God in a way that people can sit down at the spiritual table and feast. It means that God isn’t being presented, well, as God. Let’s be honest. We like to wrap God up in … Continue reading Jesus Uncensored
On Friday evening, December 3, 1999, my wife and I were on our way to the NC District Church of the Nazarene’s Christmas celebration. Before getting on the highway, we pulled into a gas station to fill up. The wind chill was below zero, which was unusually cool for North Carolina. Even though I wore … Continue reading Furnace Club
The Bible is the bestselling book of all time. Every year it sells more than 100 million copies. It has been translated into more than 700 languages. The Guinness Book of World Records estimates that the Bible has sold over five billion total copies. Many have tried to discredit it. All have failed. Followers of … Continue reading Biblical Worldview
When Jesus died on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” The Bible teaches that Jesus then descended to the center of the earth, which is the holding place that the Hebrew text refers to as “Sheol” (Greek: “Hades”). In this place, Jewish literature teaches that there is a compartment set aside for the wicked … Continue reading Submission To Authority (Part 3)
God ordains authority. If you’re not submitting to the authority structures in your life you are opposing God’s will for your life. As long as you oppose God’s will for your life you’ll never walk in the fullness of God’s promises for your life. We are all in a fight; it’s a spiritual battle. We … Continue reading Submission To Authority (Part 2)
When my son, Jake, was a teenager he and I took Brazilian Jujitsu; he loved it (and was naturally good at it). Jujitsu is a grappling sport; meaning it’s a lot like wrestling, except instead of pinning someone, you’re trying to submit them. The workouts were intense; the first several weeks I thought I was … Continue reading Submission To Authority (Part 1)
One year at Easter a pastor friend of mine showed a clip from, “The Passion of the Christ,” which is a very graphic movie portraying the crucifixion of Jesus. The scene depicted the Roman soldiers nailing Jesus to the cross. As the clip was being played a woman, who was a board member, got up, … Continue reading The Cross Works & Nothing Else Does
Political correctness in and of itself is not a bad thing. In the simplest of terms, it’s a way of treating people with respect regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, religion, socio-economic status, and other things that have the potential to divide. According to that definition, Jesus was politically correct. He treated everyone with dignity because … Continue reading Political Correctness
General Assembly is the quadrennial gathering of the global family that is the Church of the Nazarene. Every four years delegates from all over the world come together to celebrate what God has done, discern how the Holy Spirit is leading, and make decisions about how to faithfully advance the mission of Making Christlike Disciples … Continue reading General Assembly Resolutions
The Bible—it’s been a source of lively discussion for centuries. It’s a shame when it moves from being a source of healthy dialogue to a form of division, especially among those who claim to represent what is contained therein. I love the Bible. I trust the Bible. I believe the Bible is reliable. I believe … Continue reading I Believe—Literally
Brian L Powell 