February 17, 2016

Kingdom Citizenship

February 17, 2016/ Josh Cook

So, if you have been following the blog thus far, you have seen that the Kingdom of God is Jesus’s primary way of talking about what he was called to do, that this Kingdom is the rule and reign of God, that followers of Jesus are in the Kingdom, and that this Kingdom is here and also not yet here. Now we ask, how does knowing this affect the way that we live out our day-to-day lives?

First, let’s look at some flawed ways of understanding Christianity:

February 03, 2016

When Does this Kingdom Come About?

February 03, 2016/ Josh Cook

As a part of my Kingdom Series of blogs, which can be found here and here, we have been taking an intentional look at the Kingdom of God and what implications it has for our lives. In this blog, we will ask, when does this Kingdom come about?

The short answer is:

Now/Not Yet.

When Jesus first started teaching about the Kingdom of God, he would tell people that it was ἤγγικεν. That term is translated as “has come near.” Note that it is not has come, will come, is coming, is here, or has already been coming. Think of it not as the kingdom is on its way, but the Kingdom has come close to you.

January 28, 2016

Who Is in the Kingdom?

January 28, 2016/ Josh Cook

This is the second blog in a series about the Kingdom of God. In the first blog found here, you can see what the term, Kingdom, means. Next, we must ask, who is a part of this Kingdom?

January 27, 2016

What To Do When Evil Is Legal

January 27, 2016/ Joshua Blaylock

If I had to guess, most Americans have heard of the tyrannical government of Nazi Germany, along with its leader, Adolf Hitler. This was the regime that sought to overtake much of western Europe, and possibly the world, if it had not been stopped by the opposing forces. This same group not only was responsible for the deaths of the Allied forces but also for the mass killings of those unfortunates who were trapped within her own covetous borders. Genocide was present on a massive scale. A government program was in place that allowed for the execution of those deemed not fit to live, most notably the Jewish people, among others. You might ask yourself, how could such a thing happen? I hope to give you an answer that could prevent it from happening again.

January 20, 2016

The Word, Kingdom

January 20, 2016/ Josh Cook

In a sermon that I gave at Vintage Church that can be found here, I suggested that the gospel, or good news, that Jesus came to bring wasn’t simply that he was going to die. When Jesus talked about the good news, he was talking about the coming of the Kingdom of God.

I felt as though I should explore this concept a little further. This series of blogs gives me the opportunity to do just that. So buckle up and put on your thinking caps. Remember, there is absolutely no downside to learning more biblical knowledge about something that was important to Jesus. The first three blogs in this series will be more research and biblical study based, while the final three will be focused on how Kingdom-based thinking can change the way we look at Christianity.

Let’s see how and when this word is used and what it means.

December 22, 2015

Christmas and the End of Time

December 22, 2015/ Josh Cook

I am typically reluctant to talk about the second coming, that moment when Jesus returns to earth to set everything right. I guess it could have something to do with the fact that I very often think that people that talk about the second coming are whackos. They conjure up images of driving around in RVs and carrying signs. They often have a complex set of calculations that tell them when the world will come to an end. This line of thought also seems to attract bad haircuts, something I never want to be associated with.

However, if we are to take the Bible at its word, I believe that Jesus is coming back again. I don’t claim to understand everything about that climactic moment in time and I most assuredly don’t know when it will happen, but I do know a few things. First, no one knows when it will happen (Matthew 24:44). Second, while I don’t know the exact means or sequence of events, I know that the grand finale to all of this is that Jesus is victorious and that the entire earth is put under the rule and reign of God (Revelation 21-22). Finally, I know that this end of time event is inexorably connected with the event of Christmas.

August 31, 2015

From Coming to Becoming: Why We’re All Tabernacles

August 31, 2015/ Dustin Turner

When people study the Old and New Testaments, they often make sharp distinctions between the two groups of books. The God of the Old Testament is a harsh, angry God, whereas the God of the New Testament is a loving and forgiving God. Living for God in the Old Testament consists of following a set of rigid rules. In the New Testament, it’s all about love. In the Old Testament, God is only concerned about Israel, and in the New Testament God cares about all nations and people. Sadly, these dichotomies are poor representations of both the Old and New Testaments. While sometimes difficult to discern, no unreconcilable differences exist between the two testaments.

August 17, 2015

Offering Our Lives: How the Tabernacle Teaches Us to Worship

August 17, 2015/ Dustin Turner

Over the past two weeks, we’ve discovered two truths about the tabernacle: (1) the presence of God dwelt in the tabernacle and (2) God was worshipped in the tabernacle. As a part of that worship, we also briefly discussed how God allowed his people to participate in worship. Building upon the idea of participatory worship, we’re going to delve deeper into how the Israelites participated in worship and what their experience means for us today.

August 10, 2015

From Tabernacle to Spirit: How We Participate in Worshipping God

August 10, 2015/ Dustin Turner

The word “worship” conjures up all sort of images, experiences, and ideas in our minds. For some of us, the idea of worship takes us back to previous experiences in church. We think about prior worship services we have experienced. This might include the different styles of worship we’ve encountered, including the singing of hymns with a piano and organ or the singing of new, contemporary worship songs with a praise band. Each of our experiences are different and culturally defined. If you go somewhere else in the world, you might experience a very different worship service.

August 03, 2015

Tabernacling with God: Understanding the Blessing of God’s Presence in Our Midst

August 03, 2015/ Dustin Turner

One of the most unique and incredible things about the God of the Bible is his desire to relate to his creation.

In many religions, the god or gods are often distant and indifferent to their creation. This is not the case with the God of the Bible. In fact, God goes out of his way to be near his people.

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