“The kingdom of heaven is like..." Jesus begins many parables in this fashion, signaling us to pay attention and learn about our homeland. In these parables we can expect to learn at least one truth regarding either the realm inside of which God's authority is recognized, the people who enter that realm, and/or the effect that authority has upon the people and the realm. There are many "Kingdom Parables" in the New Testament, the majority of which are repeated between Matthew, Mark and Luke. Let us look at one in particular that happens to appear only in Matthew 13.24-30.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media: A church operating a school for disadvantaged youth with learning disabilities finds itself under attack by the state government, and Think-Biblically warns its readers of the dangers of socialism and socialist politicians.
"This [inheritance] brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. Such trials show the proven character of your faith,which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away – and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." — 1 Peter 1.6-7. In my regular reading of Scripture I came across the gem above, and it caused me to do a little more research and inspired me to write this follow-up to one of our most-read posts, Why Suffering?
The best athletes know a very deep truth. They practice regularly, of course, but sometimes they practice the plays in slow motion. Martial artists are famous for the slow, precise repetition of the mechanics. It develops muscle memory. Football players watch reels of their plays, examining the details in slow motion. Sometimes it is only in the frame-by-frame that one can detect the cause of a successful or derailed play. The truth these athletes know is that, sometimes, slowing down or being still is the key to success. Should we wonder, then, why God tells us to be still?
Dr. Samuel Lamerson, a professor at Knox Seminary, said something like, "There is no Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent politician that has the answers to the problems that plague humanity. Only Jesus has those answers and will one day resolve those problems when he ushers in his Kingdom." His statement started me thinking once more about the relationship Christians have with their fallen, earthly governments and the perfect (if incomplete) kingdom that we serve in Christ Jesus. It seems that while Jesus taught a lot about the Kingdom of God, to his followers today its barely an afterthought.
Back in 2003 I was, for the first time ever, excited about a Christian movie. I know that sounds odd for a guy who has been a Christian most of his life, but honestly, Christian movies from the 1980's and '90's were pretty cheesy. Most people believe the age of poorly produced Christian films ended with the release of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ in 2004. Not for me. For me it ended a year earlier with an MGM film titled Luther. It starred Joseph Fiennes as the "arrogant little monk" who started the Reformation. It is still one of my favorite movies.
We've published a number of articles over the last five and a half years to teach Christians about the historical, scientific, and philosophical reasons their faith is in a God that is real. With posts on the reliability of the Bible, understanding the Trinity, archaeological evidence, readers can be encouraged that their beliefs are based on real people and events. Even so, the number of Christians well versed in apologetics are falling. While we recognize the importance of apologetics and promise it will continue to be a focus of our writings, we've identified another problem in most Christian communities.
Jesus opened his sermon with the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them." I can't help think that maybe he was speaking about Kyung-ja, a woman whose family was so poor she risked sneaking from North Korea into China to earn a little money for food. After a full days work — and pay — she worked her way surreptitiously back across the boarder. That's when it happened. Crossing the border between two godless countries she was arrested and taken to a North Korean prison. It would be here she would first meet God.
I took the time to transcribe Ms. Borowicz prayer before the Pennsylvania congress word for word and in its entirety because some members of the house were offended and made outrageous claims regarding her prayer. Claims like "it's anti-Semitic" and "Islamophobic". Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the prayer is very pro-Israel, pro-Jerusalem and pro-Jewish in its nature. In what way is it anti-Semitic? I don't see it. As for Islamophobic, she never mentions anything remotely connected to Islam in the prayer. On it's face, there is nothing here about Islam.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media: The international assault on Christianity continues, with China closing churches, the UK prosecuting a reporter for her Catholic views and claiming Christianity is a religion of violence, and the European Union cracking down on people who insult Muhammad. There is good news for Israel, though.
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media: The shooting in Christchurch reminds Christians that everyone is a neighbor, Youtube's advertising department slams the door on Biblical values, a high school wrestler receives scholarships for sticking to Christian conduct, and China's anti-Christian rhetoric heats up calling it a "threat to society."
"Media" used to mean "print media" like books and newspapers, but the world has grown. Today media can also mean radio, television and movies delivered to personal computers, tablets and cell phones. As the world's best selling book of all time the Bible continues to make headlines, both good and bad, across all forms of media: The state of Washington wages abortion war against churches with the help of Planned Parenthood and NARAL, university professors prey on freshman to turn them into atheists, and America's first non-binary human makes a surprising admission: it was a sham.
