Home / Archive: September, 2010
Sep
28
From The Inside Out
Today I have had an opportunity to sit back and truly think about what happened at City of Life through our Blink: The Door production. It is one of the largest evangelistic outreaches in the history of our county. Since Blink began I have been getting dozens of messages every day from people who have found hope in Christ and that truly makes me happy.
One mom wrote me and said that her daughter had been taking boxing lessons before she knew the Lord at Blink. She came home after practice the next day and said, “Something doesn’t feel right anymore. I don’t want to hurt anyone now, I’m different”. Now I’m not coming down on boxing or other violent sports, (like football =)) but I think it is such a powerful thing when God turns people’s hearts and their outward life begins to reflect the inward change they have experienced.
One young man said that he was addicted to pills for two years and he hasn’t even had the desire since he accepted Christ on opening night.
Another satisfying element of what …
Sep
21
Fear vs. Hope
Living life with a Biblical worldview can sometimes be uncomfortable when conversations with certain people reach a point of contention. Such a moment occurred with me the other day when I was asked, very frankly, by a self proclaimed atheist if I believed in a literal hell. My answer apparently enraged her. She considers the notion of hell to be a contrived means of manipulating weak minded people into following a bunch of made up rules so that organized religion can manipulate people to eventually drain them of all their money, intelligence, and free-will. (or something like that) Though it is not a very original argument, I was enjoying the conversation.
She told me that I can only compel others by fear because of the prospect of hell. This brings up an interesting point. Can we effectively preach the gospel without preaching hell?
A couple of points to ponder.
1. Jesus clearly taught on hell.
Matthew 8:11-12, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31
2. Since God is omnipresent, hell is the presence of God in His full judgment and wrath.
3. Hell is just because God is just.
4. Hell is …

