Updates | Tactical Christianity

Twelve Favorites of 2015

by Staff | Dec 27, 2015 | Updates

During the course of this past year we published well over a hundred blog posts here and on our sister site.

This list of “Twelve Favorites” gives you the posts that were most popular on this site, so check out the list to see how it compares with your own favorites and to see if you missed any…

Six Word Memoir of Jesus Christ
The Second Step of Forgiveness
The Three Things that Define Us
Healthy Incompatibility
How Spies Are Turned
The Man from the Ends of the Earth
Walking Wisely with Others
Smuggled Pearls
Words for a Time of Persecution
We Are All in This Together
Blessings and Honor
IF Mentality

If you would like to check the favorites on our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org, you will be able to see them in a couple of days, on December 30th, here.

The Gifts the Wise Men Gave

by R. Herbert | Dec 20, 2015 | Giving, Relationships, Updates

Although many give gifts to each other at this time of year, supposedly in honor of the gifts the Magi or “wise men” gave to Jesus, perhaps we can find a timely reminder in that story of the focus of those individuals who gave gifts to Christ.

We really don’t know how many wise men brought gifts to the young Jesus (it’s only tradition that there were three of them), where they came from (other than “the East”), or even when they came (the New Testament shows it could have been up to two years after the actual birth of Jesus when they arrived at the house in which he was living). The one thing we do know for sure is what the gifts were that they gave to the young Jesus: “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

The three types of gift (the origin of the tradition that there were three wise men) were all illustrious ones, and perhaps the most expensive, by weight, that could be given in that ancient culture. It’s easy to understand that gold was considered a gift fit for kings. Frankincense was an expensive fragrance used in the making of incense offered in the Temple (Leviticus 2:1-2) and was thus a fitting gift to be given to a priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). Myrrh was another expensive fragrance which was often used in embalming the dead – as it was for Jesus (John 19:39-40). In that sense it was a fitting gift to one destined to die for humankind. Whether these symbolic aspects were realized by the wise men or not, the three gifts were all certainly appropriate for the king and priest who was born to die.

Although those physical gifts are not ones that we can give directly, the New Testament does show that just as the gold, frankincense and myrrh had symbolic associations, if we choose, we too can offer things in our own lives that are associated with the same gifts.

Faith: 1 Peter 1:7 tells us: “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Rather than gold, we can give the better gift of faith.

Relationship with God: The Book of Revelation refers to the prayers of the saints as fragrant incense before God: “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne” (Revelation 8:3-4). The incense offered to God on the heavenly altar is directly associated with the prayers that we can offer.

Relationship with others: 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 says, “But thanks be to God, who… uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.” Just as the pleasing fragrance of myrrh could be used in contexts of life and death, our walk before others can be a pleasing fragrance of life to those who can appreciate it.

So we can give, if we so choose, the symbolic equivalents of the gifts the wise men gave to Christ. If we let it, the story of their gift-giving can inspire us to develop, through God’s grace, our underlying faith, our relationship with God himself, and our relationship with others. Even those of us who might feel we have little to give can give even better gifts – that may please the Son of God even more – than the gifts the wise men gave.

*Reproduced from a December 2014 post on our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org

The Bible in Five Verses: New Free eBook

by Staff | Dec 1, 2015 | Bible Study, Updates

Our new free eBook, THE BIBLE IN FIVE VERSES: KEY SCRIPTURES ON 36 BIBLICAL TOPICS by R. Herbert, is now online and ready for download from our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org.

This eBook is a basic introduction to Christianity and was designed for personal study or missionary use. It explains thirty-six “key” Christian beliefs and principles of living in a straightforward, easy to understand manner, with introductory text and five key verses for each subject.

The book also includes a question for personal reflection on each topic and can be used to review key scriptures, for sermon and Bible Study preparation, or for inspirational reading.

As is the case with all our eBooks, THE BIBLE IN FIVE VERSES is completely free and you can download a copy for yourself without any kind of registration or hassle. Just download the book in the format you prefer here.

We Are All in This Together

by R. Herbert | Oct 4, 2015 | Discipleship, Great Commission, Updates

We must never fall into the trap of thinking that Christianity is something that missionaries and ministers do, and that the rest of us are observers to what they do.

The apostle Paul makes this fact clear in many of his writings, but perhaps nowhere clearer than in his epistle to the Philippians. In fact, Paul’s letter to that church might be called “the message of Christian involvement”!

Paul begins his letter: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons” (Philippians 1:1), and although Timothy is not the “coauthor” of the letter, his inclusion sets the tone continued in the mention of all the believers as well as the elders of the congregation. It is important to remember this stress on both members as well as ministers, laity as well as leaders, in reading what Paul continues to say. Throughout the letter we find the apostle makes many statements based on equal involvement in the work of the faith, as we see in the following examples (emphases added) and many others:

In Chapter 1, Paul gives thanks for the church’s (read “everyone’s) “partnership in the gospel“ (Philippians 1:5.), and says that “all of you share in God’s grace with me” (vs. 7). He states that because of his own captivity “most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear” (vs. 14), and that “through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance” (vs. 19). Paul also says “…I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (vs. 25), and that they should all be “striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (vs. 27) since they were going through “the same struggle you saw I had” (vs. 30).

Chapter 2 continues from exactly the same perspective. Paul speaks of the “…common sharing in the Spirit…” (Philippians 2:1), “having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (vs. 2). And he shows that this unity is expressed in all of the Philippians having the same goals and rejoicing in the same successes of the work: “… I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me” (vs. 17). In this chapter Paul also speaks of the work of Timothy, and of “… Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs” (vs. 26), clearly showing the direct involvement of Epaphroditus and the congregation in Paul’s work.

This ongoing pattern is found throughout the rest of the epistle. Paul mentions other members of the congregation who were deeply involved in his work – members such as certain women who “… have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3). He tells us that the Philippians shared in his troubles (4:14) and sent him help (4:16), and when Paul closes his letter with his blessing on the Philippians, he includes “all God’s people” – both all of them and all of his own group (4:21).

If you ever doubt the importance of every Christian’s involvement in the ongoing work of God as well as the personal acceptance of the gospel, read Philippians. You will see that Paul includes all of God’s people in this work – including you.

Books in Brief

by Staff | Aug 13, 2015 | Updates

We have uploaded three titles to our “Books in Brief” page – a classic, a recent title, and the soon to be released (and eagerly anticipated) new book by Eric Metaxas. You can check out the micro-reviews of these books here.

Choosing Freedom

by R. Herbert | Jul 2, 2015 | Updates

“….if you can gain your freedom, do so” (1 Corinthians 7:21).

Freedom is always a good idea. You don’t have to persuade Americans of that, especially around the fourth of July each year, and most every other place in this world either celebrates freedom or mourns its absence at any given time.

But freedom comes with a price, of course. It is always bought with a struggle, and in this country we can look back on the War of Independence and the abolition of slavery as only two examples of the value of freedom and the struggles necessary to obtain it.

The apostle Paul recognized the same truth applies in a spiritual sense. Writing to the Corinthians, he said “….if you can gain your freedom, do so,” and the context is interesting. Notice the whole sentence from which this quote is taken: “Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so” (1 Corinthians 7:21).

Paul tells us several things here. First, we must remember that slavery in the biblical world was not the evil of the racial slavery conducted at various times in history. It was more like indentured service from which people could often work their way to independence, and it was certainly nothing like the totally demeaning and dehumanizing types of slavery with which the world is sadly more familiar. So Paul tells his readers, “don’t worry about it if you were called without freedom.” Under the circumstances of his time, although it was not the best situation, slavery in that culture did not restrict many aspects of personal freedom and usually didn’t interfere with a person’s choice of religion or other things we would regard as essential rights.

Nevertheless, Paul still wrote to people in that situation: “… if you can gain your freedom, do so,” and the words are not given as advice to be considered, but a principle to be followed. It’s easy to read over them today as being antiquated and not applying to us in our modern age, but they do.

Many biblical verses show that when we are called we are all actually spiritually enslaved – enslaved to sin and our own human nature (John 8:34, etc.). But many other verses show that through the struggle fought on our behalf by the Son of God, we are given freedom from these things (2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 5:1, etc.).

Yet, just like physical freedom, spiritual freedom has to be recognized, appreciated, guarded and preserved. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). How can we lose our spiritual freedom? The New Testament shows that we can sink back into slavery through accepting false beliefs (Galatians 2:4), by not controlling our physical natures (Galatians 5:13), or through anything that takes control of our lives (2 Peter 2:19).

But it needn’t be that way. Just as celebrations of freedom, such as the Fourth of July, each time we observe them remind us of the need to protect our physical freedoms, every time we study the word of God it should be a reminder that we need to preserve our spiritual freedom, too. Look how the apostle James – the brother of Jesus – reminds us of this truth: “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:25). A little later in his letter, James also tells us: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom” (James 2:12), and it’s really the same principle.

Freedom is always a good idea, but whether it’s this Fourth of July or the next time we open our Bibles, it’s something we must remember: freedom must be chosen, and choosing freedom is always the right idea.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »