Articles

Christianity in a Nutshell - Part 1

At its heart, the Christian faith is not a religion. It is a Person. Rules and rituals may be important, but they are not at the heart of Christian discipleship or church life. It is the relationship with the Person of Jesus that is the soul of Christianity. Everything else is built on this. When we know Jesus, we also come to know the Father and be connected with His Spirit. Eternal life, as defined by Jesus, is the personal and relational knowledge of God the Father and God

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He Ascended into Heaven - Part 2

The bodily Ascension is most strongly emphasised by certain Christian denominations and traditions, such as the Calvinists. Karl Barth wrote that Christ’s humanity is “to all eternity … a clothing which He does not put off. It is His temple which He does not leave. It is the form which He does not lose.” What about Methodists? Article III of our Articles of Religion states that “Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things pertaining to

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He Ascended into Heaven - Part 1

Ascension day is celebrated in some churches, but tends to be largely forgotten or neglected in most others. How important is Ascension Day? A local preacher wrote to me with a theological question (“Does Jesus still have a human body today?”) and a liturgical question (“Why do Methodists seem to ignore the Ascension?”). This article is based on my reply. The Bible does say that Jesus had a resurrected body after His Resurrection. It was in this same body that He ascended to

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Taking Shelter in the Wounds of Jesus - Part 2

Secondly, the truth of God’s protection. The wounds of Jesus not only bring us forgiveness but also protect us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies. (Such protection is not necessarily measured in earthly or temporal terms.) Thus Paul who stated that “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:37-39) was cruelly martyred. Many others who affirmed that their spiritual safety was in Jesus were also put to death. But the fiery darts of the evil one cannot u

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Taking Shelter in the Wounds of Jesus - Part 1

A sudden storm will make people run for shelter – wherever they can be shielded from the pouring rain. In a hurricane the same thing happens; people desperately look for shelter and safety in an area where they hope to avoid being injured or even killed. What about spiritual shelters – where can people run to? Two days after his heart-warming Aldersgate experience in 1738, John Wesley recorded in his journal that he faced unexpected trials and struggles. When he asked a Morav

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