Many believers are being deceived by the teaching that no one will be left out of salvation in Christ, and the idea that there is no day of future judgment for those who do not obey the Gospel. Through careful research, Jon examines which words of Jesus and Paul in the New Testament are being ignored and denied, and explains how an unhealthy reliance on a 20th Century philosopher and sociologist—Rene Girard—has taken the place of the reliability of the Scriptures. Read the PDF here: Don't … [Read more...]
ALL I ONCE HELD — A Captivating Novel, et al.
Posted on July 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment
All I Once Held, Gaylynne Sword, Quoir Publishing, 2015 All I Once Held is officially being released today, July 1. Many great books weave actual events into a fictionalized story line. All I Once Held is such a novel. From one vantage point it can be viewed as a tale of how people trapped in the clutches of religious control and abuse find a glimmer of hope. The author does not flinch before the disturbing realities life can bring when religious authority asserts itself with a vengeance. … [Read more...]
THE ONE-PERSON SYSTEM STRIKES AGAIN
Posted on June 23, 2015 · 17 Comments
WHEN WILL WE HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO CHRIST’S BODY? The One-Person System Strikes Again Many loudly proclaim “the Scriptures are our rule of faith and practice,” yet their actions reveal that in crucial areas they don’t really care what the Lord says. People say that they care what the Bible says about their personal lives, but what the New Testament says about Christ’s life in His body is, practically speaking, disregarded and pushed aside. Only by turning a blind eye to the New … [Read more...]
A BRIDE FOR THE GROOM: The Missing Person in the Culture Wars About Marriage
Posted on May 18, 2015 · 20 Comments
Jesus made the jarring statement that in the age to come marriage among humans would come to an end: “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” What circumstances could possibly bring about the cessation of a long history of marriage among men and women? The answer is that after the resurrection a marriage will take place between Jesus Christ and His Bride – the marriage supper of the Lamb. All of history has been moving … [Read more...]
CHRIST EXPRESSED TOGETHER
Posted on March 16, 2015 · 5 Comments
Years ago we were in a gathering of saints where Christ blossomed in a totally unexpected way. His presence was for sure not connected to any human planning or human leadership. This group met in an old school building. That morning everything went wrong. People were standing outside on a cold, damp morning and waited for the janitor to show up with the key ― forty minutes late. Then, once inside, it was discovered that no one had a key to open the storage room that contained the chairs, … [Read more...]
The Day I Met Jesus – A Book You’ll Want to Read
Posted on March 3, 2015 · 2 Comments
The longer I read the New Testament, the more I see how much revelation there is in it about women. Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth have given us deep insight into the lives of some key women who encountered Jesus in their new book, The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels. After the reconstructive narrative of each woman follows helpful material concerning issues raised in the stories, such as "Jesus and Women," "Jesus and the Pharisees," and "A Tale of Two … [Read more...]
Frank Viola’s New RETHINKING SERIES
Posted on January 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Frank Viola has authored a new series of books called THE RETHINKING SERIES. Go here to read all about them including the Table of Contents for each volume in the series. … [Read more...]
Sola Scriptura: Does Following the Bible Equal Following The Lord?
Posted on January 7, 2015 · 25 Comments
Hi Jon! Have you done any writings on Sola Scriptura and how it relates to body life today? Although it seems like a good concept, I have seen it used to prevent the working of the Holy Spirit from being recognized. And it's clear we don't follow Sola Scriptura in either institutional churches (which say they are Sola Scriptura) or in organic groups. Is Sola Scriptura a good concept? Is it a godly principle or just man's logical thinking (Scripture is from God, God is good, Scripture is … [Read more...]
The Mind of Christ in Our Life Together: All of Christ Through All the Voices
Posted on December 1, 2014 · 6 Comments
The way church is usually practiced renders the “laity” passive. Those sitting in the pews are used to a select sub-group – the pastor, an elder board, a deacon board – making key decisions for the church and then telling the membership what was decided. But what happens when believers gather in settings where traditional leadership categories are absent? How are decisions made in groups where everyone participates in body-life? In order to respond to these questions we must take a closer … [Read more...]
Shocking Beliefs of Jonathan Edwards
Posted on November 25, 2014 · 9 Comments
My good friend Frank Viola is doing an interesting new series called "Shocking Beliefs of ..." His purpose is to show that the great Christians of the past all had blind spots, and we shouldn't throw out their entire contribution just because some of their views were flawed. We all have flawed views in some areas and we are all growing in our knowledge and understanding. His first post in the series was on the shocking beliefs of C.S. Lewis. Recently, he wrote another post on the … [Read more...]
Author, speaker, editor of Searching Together, itinerant encourager of relational communities.
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