Posts

The Senior/Lead Pastor Myth

              The Senior/Lead Pastor Myth Disclaimer: This is not meant to shame anyone who has been a blessing to their church or to say they are in sin because they want to be a senior/lead pastor. God can make good things happen within broken systems. Nevertheless, being a senior/lead pastor has many consequences: burnout, financial problems, relational strain,etc. If you ever walk into a church today, one of your biggest questions would be who is the Pastor (referring to the one man who preaches every Sunday)? Today, the pastor office is a multi-functional role. You have the associate pastor, head of security pastor, missionary pastor, audio and video pastor, and parking lot pastor. This is just to name a few. My issue is not so much that there are multiple pastors. My issue is that the smaller, lower ranked pastors are reporting to the senior/lead pastor. Even if there is no title of senior/lead pastor for a church, the congregation should not be able to point to one person as th
Post a Comment
Read more

Misconceptions of the Armor of God

Image
 There has been many misunderstandings about the Armor of God especially in Sunday Schools. Many think that it is first introduced in Ephesians 6 as a Roman Soldier. However, I believe Paul alludes to various passages in the Book of Isaiah for its proper context. Christians are called to be like Phineas-the warrior priest in the Book of Numbers. See below. The Belt of Truth (Priestly Sash/Girdle)-equipping and disciplining the body for service. Secured and fastened to service. The Breast of Righteousness (The Ephod)-Interceding for others and carrying the burdens on their shoulders. Gospel of Peace (The Feet) - Making pathways to peace and victory towards/for the nations, putting enemies underfoot, illuminating places/declaring them as holy ground because you are a Temple of God. The Shield of Faith (Golden Censer)-The smoke represents the Glory of God shielding the High Priest. The Censer has a sweet fragrance/aroma. The Helmet of Salvation (Turban)-Holy to the Lord representative wit
Post a Comment
Read more

“Holy and Righteous” Are Not Exclusive Terms for Jesus

                         “ Holy and Righteous” Are Not Exclusive Terms for Jesus The terms “ Holy and Righteous” are not exclusive terms for Jesus. The Bible never says that Jesus was born perfect.   It says Jesus was made perfect through suffering in sanctification.   Biblical Perfection is defined by one’s lifestyle. Every human being sins, but one’s life must be characterized by following God or following their own desires. The following people are considered perfect in the Bible, yet they have sinned in some shape or form: Noah, Abraham, Noah, King Hezekiah, and King Asa. Below, I will demonstrate how the words “ Holy and Righteous” are used for common everyday faithful Jews and not the modern definition of perfection (flawless). As a result, this will demonstrate that Jesus was just a faithful Jewish man (not God as the second person of the Trinity). He didn’t have some kind of supernatural perfectionism before the Cross.   Luke 1:35 English Standard Version 35 And the angel ans
Post a Comment
Read more

Does 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Teach Partial Cessationism?

    Does 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 teach partial cessationism? In 1 Corinthians 13:8 -13, we see prophecies, tongues, and knowledge passing away at the perfect. The perfect is the fulfillment of 70AD. This can be seen in the Greek word Teleioo, which means to end a process in completion. So why are these three particular spiritual gifts  named? What about the other gifts? My take is that these three spiritual gifts are the ones that are causing a commotion in the Corinthian church resulting in people splitting into factions (1 Corinthians 3:1-23, 12:4-31). Paul is not teaching a partial cessationism.  In his letter, Paul is basically saying don't get so preoccupied with these particular spiritual gifts. Eventually, they will be gone, but God's agape love will last forever within our church community. Therefore, make God's New Covenant Love your focus over these temporary gifts of the Old Covenant . 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 English Standard Version 8 Love never ends. As for p
Post a Comment
Read more

The Rapture is Going Up a Mount Zion

Image
The Rapture is Going Up a Mount Zion What is the Rapture? Definitely, not the Left Behind Movies. I assure you that is imposing our American Sci-fi mentality into the text. To be in the "air" was to be on top of a mountain. See Exodus 19 and 24. Compare it to 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18. In the New Covenant believers, have a Moses-like access to God. Let scripture interpret scripture. 1 Thessalonians 4 is fulfilled in Revelation 14 for the living and Revelation 15 for the dead respectively. Exodus 19:13.... when the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up..... to the mountain Exodus 19:20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai , to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Exodus 24:1-2 then he said to Moses, " Come up to the Lord , you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the other
Post a Comment
Read more

Titus Vespasian-The Antichrist of the First Century

Image
  Titus Vespasian-The Antichrist of the First Century Who is the antichrist? There are many bizarre, unfalsifiable theories. For me, I like to look at the past before considering any future fulfillment. I believe it was fulfilled by Titus Vespasian in the 1st century. Daniel 7 covers both Revelation 12 and 13 in a general overview format. When reading these passages, we have to be careful not to be so strict with the sequence of events. Otherwise, we will miss out on very important details. In my chart, I have combined both elements of Daniel 7 and Revelation 17 to see how I came to this understanding. Below, I will discuss some of the most common objections (solutions as well) that a person would run into if they choose my perspective. Daniel 7:12 can be harmonized with the initial defeat of Rome in Revelation 13-when Cestius Gallus lost to the Jews. The restrainer, who I believe is King Agrippa 2 (1 Samuel 9:17 ESV) was removed from the city.   This resulted in Nero having a
Post a Comment
Read more

Seeing the Father through Jesus

                                     Seeing the Father through Jesus Like so many other passages, we tend to mistake Jesus as God. The image is a representation of the original not the exact  thing itself. I am a representation or  extension of my parents. I am not my mother or father. We need to be careful not to isolate passages. John 20:17 English Standard Version 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to MY GOD AND YOUR GOD. John 14:5-7 English Standard Version 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known ME, you would have known MY FATHER also. From now on you do KNOW HIM and have SEEN HIM.” Note: Notice it is doubting Thomas who is asking this question, which is answered in J
Post a Comment
Read more