Tag: eikons
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Prosperity: Respect for the Individual
We hear much today about the destructiveness of individualism. It no doubt is a significant cultural issue. But only recently has such excessive focus on the individual emerged. Throughout history, individuals were considered subordinate to society or rulers. An individual's existence and liberty were maintained primarily at the pleasure of the societal elite. Elaborate religious…
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Flying into our Future with the Wright Brothers
Jesus Creed (Scot McKnight): Flying into our Future with the Wright Brothers …Question: If you had to name one or two authors or themes that will be at the forefront of the future of theology, what would you choose? No, not those Wright Brothers, but another set of Wrights (who aren’t even brothers, except in…
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Prosperity: “Your Kingdom Come…”
"Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Christians across the continents and the ages have continually prayed these words Jesus taught his disciples. They are central to the life and mission of the Church. But there are two important implications of this prayer. First, these words are an…
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Prosperity: The Mission of God
The mission of God is not to get people saved. Now that I likely have your attention, let me also acknowledge that getting people saved is an essential piece of God's present work in the world. However, we must view God's mission from God's vantage point rather than ours. Failure to do so inevitably results…
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Prosperity: Shalom Lost
Clearly, shalom does not prevail in the world today. That brings us to the portion of the biblical narrative that follows Genesis 2. Genesis 3 tells us how shalom was lost. A serpent engaged Eve in conversation, asking her if God really said she may not eat from any tree in the garden (knowing full…
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Prosperity: Shalom
What do we mean by the word shalom? We typically equate shalom with the English word "peace." Unfortunately, we often insufficiently equate peace to the absence of war or anxiety. Shalom means so much more. Here are just a few ways shalom is used in the Old Testament. The words representing shalom are in bold.…
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Theology and Economics: Prosperity and the Christian Ethos
Over the last several posts, we have reviewed William J. Bernstein's four factors that led to prosperity in the modern world. Property Rights Scientific Rationalism Capital Markets Technology and Infrastructure Various cultures have seen the emergence of one or more of these for some time. The ancient Greeks had a form of property rights for…
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Theology and Economics: Having the Mind and Heart of God. (Part 2)
Jesus gave vivid images in Matthew 25 to describe what he expects of his followers between his ascension and his return: We are to have the mind and heart of God in everything we do. We are to care passionately about the things God cares about and act on those passions. Paul wrote regularly about…
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Theology and Economics: Having the Mind and Heart of God. (Part 1)
We live in the era between Jesus' resurrection and Jesus' return. He left us with a vision of the future and told us to anticipate a future of shalom. However, Jesus did not leave us with an instructional manual for creating a government, an economy, or even a congregation. This presents a real challenge. Indeed,…