468 results for tag: Brad Jersak

Forgiveness is Scandalous Again – Brad Jersak

The Scandal...  Over several years, I have been tracking the results of a rolling survey by a Christian teacher, Dan White Jr. Although we've never met, I would call him an online friend. As Dan visits faith communities across America, he invites Christians to follow Jesus. But wait, isn't following Jesus the very definition of a Christian? You would hope so, but Dan's survey explores that question. Throughout his journeys, he presents active claimants of the "Christian" label with passages from Jesus' own "Sermon on the Mount" (from Matthew 5-7). Then Dan surveys the reaction of Christians to the very words of Jesus Christ, ...

Jesus on “What-About-ism” – Brad Jersak

"What is that to you?" - Jesus' final words from his final conversation, recorded in the final Gospel (John 21:23) were gentle rebuke to the apostle Peter. "What is that to you?" is the interrogative form of "None of your business!"  The same reply rings through the centuries to our current era, when our society has a knee-jerk reflex that some call "what-about-ism." "What-about-ism" is a typical form of deflection when we feel the discomfort of our complicity in some wrong. It is a defensive strategy where we are tempted to react, "What about them?" "What about them?" "What-about-ism" tries to redirect attention elsewhere, especially when our ...

Mental Health Care: A Christian Response – Brad Jersak

My dear friend is a good man and faithful Jesus-follower. Truly. Kind and uplifting—effusive in his encouragement—completely love-able. A generous human being and effective communicator of the good news. My friend is also in recovery from a very serious mental health crisis. It has been terrifying for him and his wife, for his children and his friends. His situation required urgent medical intervention. Hospitalization. Rigorous testing. Medication. One and the same man—a beautiful spirit tormented by a physiological meltdown that assaulted his mind and emotions. How is that possible? Aren’t people of good faith who love the Lord ...

“Follow Me”: Footprints in the Snow – Brad Jersak

Matthew 4:18-22 -- 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. "Follow Me" When Jesus called the core of his band of ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Leave your gift at the altar” (Matthew 5:24)

Question: In Matthew 5:24, Jesus says, "Leave your gift at the altar." What does that mean in context? Does it mean we need to go and apologize to those we've hurt, or God won’t talk to us? Response: Let's begin with the context, as you suggested. This is a section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) where he is citing the Law of Moses and explains how the spirit of the law goes deeper than external conformity to obvious rules against murder or adultery (for example). God's intent is to transform our hearts so that in following Jesus Christ, grace will weed out the roots of murder and adultery while they are still inward hatred or ...

Q&R with Brad – “Can God feel anger even if he’s not an ‘Angry God'”?

Question: I listened to a recent podcast on your thoughts, breaking down the "angry God" worldview. You couched it in the language of "worshiping Molech," which was a sharp wake-up call to me, even though I have been moving away from the "Angry God" view for some time. It got me wondering about something and I am hoping that you might be able to provide some context for it. Even though God is not the "Angry God" of modern Evangelicalism ... is it still possible for God to have the emotion of anger? Case in point ... the cleansing of the temple. What do Jesus' actions in the temple reveal to us about the nature of the Father? ...

July 2023

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Mental Health Care: A Christian Response – pg. 1 Show Your Cards, Not Your Trophies – pg. 2 Two Ships that Pass in the Night – pg. 5 Elevator Dogmatics – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

“Drop Your Stones” – Brad Jersak

“Drop your stones.”  Did you catch the reference? Many readers will recognize that phrase as an allusion to John 8, where Jesus’ opponents drag a woman into the Temple—they’ve caught her (or framed her) on the charge of adultery. Under the law, they could stone her to death. But in fact, the plan was to trap Jesus in a double bind. “Shall we stone her?” If he says no, he’s guilty of abolishing the Law of Moses. And if he says yes, he’s abandoned his prophetic stand for the law of mercy. You may remember his beautiful one-liner: “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Jesus kneels beside the woman and ...

Q & R: Does John 10:35 Teach Inerrancy?

Question: I am wondering what Jesus meant when he said, “The Scriptures cannot be broken” in John 10:35. I have heard this bit of a verse used as proof of inerrancy. I would like to hear an explanation of the context of Jesus’ words, and especially how it relates to Psalm 82:6.  Response: Such an important question! Let’s begin with the phrase itself. The “Scriptures” to which Jesus refers are indeed the Psalms, part of the Jewish holy books of his day. And these Scriptures, he says, “cannot be luthenai.” That precise word is used in this form three times in the New Testament: Luke 13:16 — ...

Healing Weary Words: Sin, Repentance and Justification – Brad Jersak

Healing Weary Words: Sin, Repentance and Justification We’re often told “sin” refers to “missing the mark” but then left to assume the mark has to do with moralistic perfection. Rather, the mark, goal or telos of human design and destiny is none other than love union with Trinity, with each other and with our world. To sin (every kind of sin) is to misuse our God-given freedom/energies to turn away from self-giving, other-welcoming love in favor of self-will. As it turns out, our forays into self-centeredness are also self-destructive—a turn from love and life into a wasting disease that would ultimately prove fatal apart from the ...

The Love that Raises Us from Slavery to Friendship with God – Brad Jersak

I recently stumbled upon an interesting quote by a certain George Calciu, which I'll cite and then follow up with an explanation of why it fascinates me: You have avoided choosing Jesus as your friend for too long... but Jesus has chosen you to hear his voice. He did so long ago: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). The choice was made long ago, for Jesus has always loved you, young friend, but now you have responded to his call. In responding you are ordained to go and bear fruit that will remain. To be a prophet of Christ in the world in ...

Invite Them—Bring Them—Compel Them: The Escalating Compulsion of Grace – Brad Jersak

The Parable of the Great Supper 15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’  18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask ...

“Shirley, Goodness & Mercy” by Brad Jersak

Psalm 23 (NKJV) 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. My Three ...

Q&R: When Jesus ‘Spews’ – Brad Jersak

Question: Some people in my life refer to the Bible verse about not being "lukewarm" in what feels like a really hurtful way. They leave me wondering if I am getting this faith thing right. Am I lukewarm? Will god spit me out? Is there perhaps a misunderstanding here? Can we read this in other ways that don't feel so discouraging, like either you're in or you're out? Response: That's such an important question. I recall the many times when it was used as a heavy-handed "clobber verse" used to contrive conviction and manipulate a response. It was a classic revivalist rhetorical technique. It might help if we start by reading it in ...

Q&R – When were the Gospels written? Brad Jersak

Question: When were the four Gospels written? And by whom? Some claim they were a late invention of the church, generations even after the apostles, discounting their reliability as trustworthy witnesses to the life and teachings of Christ. When I read them, is it just the religious fiction of people trying to make Jesus into a religion? Response: What I notice about those who set late dates for the Gospels and discount the authorship of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John is an underlying bias toward skepticism that wants or even needs to discredit the Gospels. But far from bringing an objective analysis to their discipline, they betray ...