655 results for author: Brad

Q: Has the Resurrection made Death our friend? (pt 1/4) Brad Jersak

QUESTION: Has Christ’s resurrection made death our “friend”? RESPONSE: I have reservations about calling death a friend. But I think it's worth doing an autopsy on death to explore the way Christ’s work changed not only our relationship to death, but changed the nature of death itself. I want to ask first, how is death not our friend, then how it might now be our friend and finally, how might we talk about death. So first, and easiest, why is the statement “death is our friend” not true? Most obviously, in 1 Cor. 15—dubbed “the resurrection chapter”—Paul calls death an enemy, and in fact, the last enemy to be destroyed, ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Should we fear God?

Rather, from Genesis (26:24) to Revelation (1:17), God consistently answers with a word of comfort, “Fear not!” His people “walked (i.e., lived daily) in the fear of the Lord AND the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). Note the both/and in that verse.   

When “Never” means Never-ever” Brad Jersak

On at least four occasions, the Scriptures record God's promise, "I will never leave you or forsake you." The first occurrences are specific to God's promise to Israel that they would find their place in "the Promised Land": Twice in Deuteronomy 31:6-8 "Be valiant and strong, do not fear nor be afraid of them [the Canaanites], nor be terrified before them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes before you and with you and among you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Then Moses called Joshua and said to him before all Israel, "Be valiant and strong, for you must go before this people to the land the Lord swore to ...

The Gospel According to A.I.* by Brad Jersak

The Gospel According to A.I.*  (*Artificial Intelligence) Well, I didn’t see that coming! For decades, science fiction has forecast the possibilities and perils of artificial intelligence, from do-it-all Jetsons maids to Terminator robots arising to wipe out the human race. But in real life, the sheer speed of online A.I. advances today are outpacing our ethics and promise to render my analysis obsolete even before I can blink—a quaint relic from yesterweek. I was relatively early to the game of computer-generated images (and their copyright issues). The basic concept is that you feed a verbal description into one of the many ...

Why we say ‘Christ IS risen’ – Brad Jersak

"Christ is Risen!"  In the aftermath of Easter celebrations across the globe, the phrase "Christ is risen!" has been expressed with enthusiasm, perhaps 100s of millions of times by Jesus' followers of innumerable languages, nations and cultures. I was particularly struck by an image I saw here on Instagram... the wooden candlestand to the right, carved by an artisan in Malawi, Africa. The main figure is the risen Christ, and his body is comprised of people ("the Body of Christ") united with Christ in his death and raised with him in his resurrection. Above them, Christ holds up the “celestial village” (the kingdom of God). From ...

Confessions of a Write-Off by Brad Jersak

I was a write-off - I know, I know. We don't like to descend into the dehumanizing "worm theology" of those degrading faith traditions that spout our "total depravity." I firmly believe we're all precious children of our heavenly Father and no matter how disordered, we still bear the image of God. By using the term "write-off," I'm not talking about our identity in Christ. I'm describing my subjective experience... how I have often felt in times when the human condition gets the best of me. In those periods of cloudy introspection, it's easy enough to conclude, like David (in Psalm 22), "I'm a worm and not a man." It's not a statement of reality but ...

Judgment & Restoration: Delivered Over & Delivered From – Brad Jersak

"In Isaiah 26.9-10, judgment is identified in terms that instruct the inhabitants of the world and reveal a greater purpose toward Israel and mankind. Judgment is not an end goal but a means towards the greater purpose of restoration and salvation. In Isaiah, the purpose of God’s judgments is revealed as instructive and redemptive rather than destructive. That judgment is unto salvation and redemption is a major theme in the book of Isaiah as well as other prophets... In Isaiah 26:9-10 judgment is unto restoration. Divine Judgment is meant to bring deliverance as well as teach righteousness to all the inhabitants of the world. " --Nico Deschner ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Did Paul silence women? Four Views.

Question I am reading 1 Corinthians 14:34-36, where Paul says that women should not speak in church but just ask their husbands questions afterward at home. (What if their husband is not so bright?)   Does this still apply today? And why? Response Glad you asked. Let's start by reading the passage: 34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Or did the ...

Q & R: After Easter: Is Death Now Our Friend? Brad Jersak

Question: I read that because of Easter, death can now be our friend. What do you think? Here is the actual statement: "Easter is God’s 'victory over death.'  Death is no longer the curse that it was.  It is no longer the power that rules.  It is no longer the enemy to be feared.  But here’s the twist.  In doing so, Jesus also reclaims death and befriends it – not death in its perverted form, but death in its state of grace. Jesus reclaims death as a natural blessing to the rhythm of life and shows us that it is possible to befriend it." Woman grieving after death of 70+ in Pakistan Response:  My first reaction to ...

CWR Video – Living a Resurrected Life – by Steve McVey

https://vimeo.com/115868680 McVey-Living a Resurrected Life from Plain Truth Ministries on Vimeo.

Q&R with Brad Jersak: Sweating our Sorrows

Question: My question is about what Jesus went through in the garden of Gethsemane, before his arrest. The texts say that his anguish was so intense that he was sweating blood, which apparently is a real medical phenomenon that happens in extreme stress. The most common explanation I’ve heard in the church for the stress Jesus was experiencing is that he was going to bear the sins of the entire world and because of that, God was going punish him in our place, which means that the full wrath of God was going to fell on Him. Also God was going to turn his back on him while doing it, because Jesus was basically going to become sin, and God ...

Logos, Light & Lamb – Brad Jersak

THE LOGOS (WORD) OF GOD In the beginning was the Word [Logos]. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things came into existence through him; not one thing that exists came into existence without him (John 1:1-3, NTE). John the Beloved opens his beautiful Gospel with an echo of the Jewish creation story: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). It’s important to note that “beginning” here means far more than “first” or “at the start.” This beginning is like laying a foundation on which everything is built and remains, or like an overture that ...

The Cross is the Epicenter of Reality – Brad Jersak

“The Cross of Jesus Christ is the Epicentre of Reality”

CWR Video – Triumphal Entry – by Brian Zahnd

https://player.vimeo.com/video/152020549 Short Video by Brian Zahnd

Does God Save Us from God? Brad Jersak

Twitter statement: “God saves us from God. The One who mercifully drags us out of the rebellious city is the same One who rains down fire upon it.” Thus wrote a popular tweeter whose handle I’ll withhold out of respect and concern. God saves us from God? How so? Penal substitution continues to be the most popular Western answer to the question, “Why did Christ die?” and is the default interpretation for Scripture’s assertion that “Christ died for our sins.” Rather than treating it as one of many atonement theories, major denominations are now doubling down, dogmatizing it as a non-negotiable essential to the gospel and ...