Beyond Mediocrity Blog

(Image courtesy of RefToons.) When I was twelve years old, I went on a mission trip to Mexico with some of my family. When we were making our flight down there, my grandma got up to use the bathroom, but instead she accidentally opened the door to the cockpit. I remember seeing the pilots, with their headsets on, turn around in surprise. (I also remember seeing out of the windshield at the clouds ahead.) The flight attendants kindly and calmly shut the cockpit door and directed my grandma to the bathroom door, which was right around the corner. The year was 2000. Fast forward one more year to September 11, 2001, and everything changed for flight travel. Security checks took a lot longer, and if anyone would have opened the door to the cockpit in-flight, he might not make it to where he was going alive. History affects us.

(Image courtesy of learnreligions.com.)  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12). Paul wrote this to the church in Ephesus from prison. The humble apostle knew what it was to wage war against the powers of evil. He suffered while on earth, but was victorious through Christ in the end. Paul was a good man by all accounts. He didn’t mistreat anyone or hate anyone or bully anyone after his conversion. Actually, Paul loved people. So, why was he beaten, whipped, thrown in prison? It was because he told the truth. Paul told the truth of Christ to people who hated Christ. Thus, Paul’s problem was clearly a spiritual problem, as he so clearly ex

  (Image courtesy of https://www.thingsofthesort.com.) Jesus answered,  “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36). To the godless world around us, June is a month dedicated to “pride,” that most devious sin that led Lucifer to his rebellion (and coming judgment) and Adam and Eve to their banishment from God’s holy presence (and coming judgment). The church’s mission, however, remains steadfast, no matter what society or culture throw her way: the church is an alien organism living in an alien world.

(Image courtesy of davidjeremiah.blog).  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…” (1 Timothy 4:1). When I was a senior in high school, I went to an FCA football camp at Taylor University. My parents dropped me off; I didn’t know a single person, although the camp was filled with a couple hundred boys my age. The unique part of the experience is that I was one of maybe a handful of light-skinned folks. The rest of my fellow campers were from Chicago public school systems; someone had paid their way to attend. Many didn’t know the Lord, but it was a great opportunity for them – and for me.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7, ESV).  Depending on the translation, this verse reads differently. In the Literal Standard Version, for instance, this verse reads, "Some of chariots, and some of horses, | And we of the Name of our God YHWH | Make mention."

(Image courtesy of gettyimages.co.uk.) We must be faithful to the gospel. It is still God’s only message of salvation. Preaching the reality of God’s coming judgment is an essential element of the gospel. While many preachers feel that preaching “fire and brimstone” is a turn-off, it is essential to the gospel itself. Why else do we need salvation through Christ if there is no coming judgment?