In our past three Q&A’s, we have discussed three highly important topics: the character of God, foundations of Christianity, and Scripture. Yet so far, none of these topics have been as important as the one to be discussed today.
God and man. Deus et Hominum. Theós kai ánthropos.
The center of Christianity.
Continue reading “Monday Q&A 6: God and Man”
Hey, and welcome back to another Monday Q&A! Today’s topic is “The Foundations of Christianity”, the second and last discussion here. Last week, we talked mostly about the depravity and utter sinfulness of man, but this week, our focus turns to Jesus and His effect upon man and sin.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!
8: What does the term “fall of man” mean and why is it important?
The term “fall of man” refers to the introduction of sin into the world. Described at the very beginning of the Bible, the Fall took place soon after the creation of the first man (Adam) and woman (Eve). The two lived in paradise and in perfect harmony with God, cherishing Him and fully submitting to His commandment- to not eat of “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, located in the middle of their Garden home.
Eventually, a fallen angel named Lucifer took on the shape of a serpent/snake and tempted Adam and Eve to break God’s commandment and eat the fruit. Lead by Adam, Eve took and ate the fruit, sinning for the first time in history and introducing sin into the very bloodstream of humanity.
Since then, man has been born in a fallen state, unable to not sin. We bear Adam’s curse and punishment for his failure, a punishment only removed by Jesus and His sacrifice.
Continue reading “Monday Q&A 4: Foundations of Christianity pt.2”
Today is my parents’ 19th anniversary. Since their wedding day on June 29th, 2001, they have constantly fought for each other, focusing their full and complete hearts on God and their marriage. Through this time, they have inspired many couples to live out a God-focused marriage, keeping the literal Center of the universe at the center of their marriage.
They are, without a doubt, the two most inspirational people in my life.
Continue reading “What Does a God-Focused Marriage Look Like?”
Inspiration can come from the strangest of places. I have, in my three years as a blogger, been inspired by a bagel, a cup of coffee, and other, non food-related objects.
In this case, our inspiration comes from the badly-received movie “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice”. The movie was quite predictable and, to nobody’s surprise, was another hard-hitting, sink-smashing DC film with over half the movie dedicated to action scenes.
But, to my complete surprise, the movie later delved into philosophy. As the plot nears the climax, Lex Luthor (the villain) has captured Superman’s mother, Martha, and is threatening to kill her. If Superman wants to see his mother alive, Luthor says, he must “bring me the head of the Bat”. Luthor will only release Martha if Superman kills Batman. But, before Superman leaves, Luthor says something extremely profound.
Continue reading “Lex Luthor’s Guide to the Goodness and Power of God”
Captain America: God’s Avenger was my first-ever guest blog post. Published on the Tesseract Times, a Marvel blog, it most certainly wasn’t my best work, but I was quite proud of it at the time. And so, expanding on what I wrote that day, I will do my best to show you that Captain America is a Christian’s superhero.
Continue reading “Captain America: Gods Avenger”
A lot of people question Christianity’s validity. They say, “Faith is useless! Trust in science and fact is the only truths in this life!” They question why Christianity is so popular in the first place. But I tell you this: Christianity has been the greatest religion because it’s the only one that is true.
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: Christianity’s Popularity”
It’s easy to get distracted during the Christmas season. With all the lights to be hung, chicken to be cooked, gifts to be bought, and trees to be decorated, we can sometimes feel almost glad when Christmas is over. We can all breathe a deep sigh, throw away the wrapping paper, and prop our feet up, because Christmas is here.
Oh wait. New Year’s is coming. Nope, you aren’t allowed to sit down. Get up and begin preparations for the party next week. Go go go, rush rush rush. Neverending business. Does this sound at all like you?
Continue reading “Christmas: The Most Hectic Time of Year”
A lot of people question Christianity’s validity. They say, “Faith is useless! Trust in science and fact is the only truths in this life!” They question why Christianity is so popular in the first place. But I tell you this: Christianity has been the greatest religion because it’s the only one that is true.
Continue reading “How did Christianity Become the Most Popular Religion Ever?”
I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.
I know, I know. I am WAY behind in this area, considering the final book was written in 2007, and the movie was filmed in 2010 (part 1) and 2011 (part 2). However, I recently realized something- Jesus is present in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the book).
Towards the end of the book, Harry sacrifices himself to Lord Voldemort in an effort to achieve two things: rid himself of the Horcrux Voldemort unwillingly left in Harry, and to protect the people he loves, who would otherwise be slaughtered by Voldemort. In accomplishing this selfless act of dying willingly at the hands of his enemy, Harry does even more than he had hoped for: even as he destroys the Horcrux inside his body, Harry’s loving sacrifice covers the people he sacrificed himself too.
“Haven’t you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can’t torture them. You can’t touch them” (Rowling 2007). Because Harry gave himself up to the Avada Kedavra curse, the people he sacrificed himself for were shielded from Voldemort’s attacks. Voldemort could not touch them, torture them, or even kill them. Does this remind you of anything?
Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Because He went willingly into the hands of death, He has covered those he sacrificed himself for. It’s almost scary how much similarity there is between the two scenes: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, chapter 36, and Luke 23. In Harry Potter, we see Harry sacrifice himself so his friends might live, and Voldemort’s immortality will be removed. In Luke, we see Jesus sacrifice himself so that anyone who calls on him will live, and Satan’s power will be broken. Voldemort’s power over Harry’s friends is broken, and Satan’s power of Jesus’ followers is broken. Harry’s willing sacrifice covers his friends, and Jesus’ willing sacrifice covers His followers.
1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (English Standard Version). In Harry Potter, we see that love can conquer death, as seen here: “Dumbledore’s favorite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death” (2007). In both stories, love can conquer death. Harry’s loving, willing sacrifice saved his friends, just as Jesus’ loving, willing, and ultimate sacrifice will save all those who believe, for ” if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans. 10.9). In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, redemption is only found in the death of Voldemort, the ultimate enemy. In real life, redemption is not only found in the destruction of Satan but also in Jesus Christ, whose blood covers us.
Even though the comparisons between Harry Potter and Jesus may seem to be isolated coincidences, I believe that all stories are part of the greater story- the story of Jesus.
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter, And the Deathly Hallows. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.’
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2001. Print.
I am a jokester, plain and simple. I love a good laugh, especially from a funny, well-placed joke. However, sometimes I joke so hard it becomes difficult for people to know exactly when I am kidding and when I am not. Is it even possible to be joking so much but then begin talking about Jesus and His work in me?
The problem that many of us discover is how to share about Jesus. Nowadays, a Christian would not be described as “normal”. The popular image for Christians is a person that walks around saying, “I forgive you. Bless you, child.” What many people don’t realize is that many “normal” children, leading normal lives, are Christians. We walk, joke, eat, and (mostly) talk like atheistic children. But when we turn it around and begin talking about Jesus, a brick wall seems to materialize out of thin air. The children that do not believe in Jesus become surprised when they hear that we are Christians, for they would have thought that we would act strangely. Regardless, they then label us as “strange” and will go out of their way to avoid talking with us. How can we remedy this?
Many of my friends struggle in their friendships with atheist children. How can they be expected to share Jesus and risk losing a friendship? This is something we must all decide at one point or the other, especially in today’s world. However, as Christians, what are we called to do? Matthew 5:15-16 states, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” We are called, as Christians, to share our faith with others, regardless of the cost. Now, if we are worried about losing a friendship, you can actually share Jesus without directly preaching. Let your actions be a lamp to others, so they may see you and wonder what makes you special. If they are sinning, call them out, but do so lovingly. Give them no reason to hate us! Also, if they ask whether you are a Christian, tell them the truth! You can tell them you are a Christian, but there is no need to rub it in their faces. You can still be friends with a non-believer but allow your actions to show them who you serve: Jesus.
The only problem remaining is attitude changes. Many people become shocked to hear that the class clown of the local public school is a Christian-who would have thought it? He jokes around, and you wouldn’t have thought he was a Christian, for he acts just like a “normal” kid! Well, we must still make sure that regardless of our attitude with normal people, we should ALWAYS be ready to share about Jesus. Do not be afraid, for He is here, and we are protected by His eternal mercy.
Elisha McFarland 