The Remnant Blog
Edited by Dawson JarrellDemons, Sickness and the Idolatrous Practices
The Jewish view of demonic and sickness began to be developed in the Second Temple period. They held ideas like, God permits human sickness and other disasters to occur. They also held that sometimes demons are involved, but in the end these powers will be overcome,...
How to Deal with Manipulative Christians (who sometimes prophesy)
Know your boundaries. Boundaries are guidelines, or limits that a person creates to identify for the person what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around them. In light of the doctrine of soul competency, remember God’s expectation...
Demons, Sickness and the Second Temple
In the cultural waters of Jesus and Paul, people already had an idea of the demonic. In Hellenistic Greek, “daimonia” were semi-divine beings with powers of various sorts who could be either good or evil. Basically, the same worldview as Ghosthunters on the Discovery...
Old Pictures & Renewed Vision
Years ago, in my grandfather’s living room, there were two little black-and-white pictures of him that my grandmother hung with pride. Both were true of him and were taken around the same time. One was him in his garden leaning on a rake, five o’clock shadow, hair...
Two Kinds of Leadership
In a blog on theology in the Gospel of Mark, renowned Greek professor and Pauline scholar David Allen Black wrote about a memory that still haunts him: “As a 10-year-old boy growing up in Hawaii, I clearly remember the day our pastor was fired. He was a gentle,...
Power and The Christian
In fourth grade, I found a way to cut through the prickly bushes at the end of recess which allowed me to always be first at the water fountain. I was first to drink down the cool refreshing water that always quenched my thirst after an hour of kickball. Not just the...
Gaming the System
Vacation Bible School, 1984. Me in my “I Love VBS” t-shirt, the leader blows a trumpet which means “get in line”. Every child runs as fast as they can to get in line for the march around a paper mesh Jericho wall. Rumor has it that the wall is going to come down at an...
THE GARDEN OF EDEN WAS A TEMPLE?
G.K. Beale, the name sounds like a superhero or a CEO media mogul, like Clark Kent or Josh Lewis. In reality, G.K. Beale is a biblical scholar, so he is neither rich nor has superpowers, but he is knowledgeable. Beale is known for his biblical theology and the unique...
Good Friday Meditations
Two meditations on the cross Isaiah 53:1-5 (KJV) Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see...
What Happened on Holy Week (Part 2)
Holy Monday The Cleansing of the Temple: Matt 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My...
What Happened on Holy Week
Holy Week among most modern evangelicals is little more than just another work week. Things don't get “alive and hopping” until Sunday or sometimes Friday night. Historically, the church has celebrated the whole week as set apart, ”Holy”, with practices and vespers...
God’s Guerrilla Marketing in China
After reading the stories coming out of china I questioned my own experience. Why is it so easy for people in China to pray for others? Whereas, here in the West, we don't have people seeking out a christian to pray for healing. In the West, many dismiss the idea,...
Holistic view of the healing as seen in China
Divine healing can also be understood biblically in a holistic sense. Some point to how the Greek word for save means wholeness. Others highlight the full scope of the meta-narrative to support the view. A holistic view affirms that God’s healing power is understood...
Testimonies of Healing in China
In China, the following testimonies are typical of the part healing prayers play in evangelism. Below are several testimonies from Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing, Oxford University Press, 2011. Each of these testimonies have been peer reviewed and verified...
Approach to a Theology of Healing in China
Normalizing healing is an aim here at Remnant. By this, we mean normalizing the practice of praying for healing, believing that God will meet His people if we seek, knock, and ask. It means believing God continues to bring His “kingdom in power.” We believe Jesus...
Healing in a Chinese Context
In Chapter 15 of “Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing” put out by Oxford University Press, in 2011, Gotthard Oblau writes on his research into the role divine healing had in the rapid growth of Christianity in China. From 1985 to 1997, Oblau was employed by a...
How could people think Penal Substitution is abuse?
In Christianity there is an idea, that is going around like a virus! Here is one formulation of this theological pandemic. “What kind of Father lets his beloved son be tortured and killed? If the crucifixion happened, then it was divine child-abuse” - Bishop John...
Prolegomena for the Atonement
Meaning of the Term: Atonement The theological meaning of the word can be explained by a simple cliché that is at the same time accurate, atonement means “at-one-ment”; to atone is to reconcile a broken relationship on behalf of another. The state of being at one or...
Seven Yellow Flags of a Toxic Leader (Part Two)
In the previous post we looked at the first three yellow flags. Flags that point in the direction of someone being a toxic leader. Here are the last four flags. 4. Fake Faith A toxic person can learn to talk the talk. They typically have been in christian circles long...
Seven Yellow flags of a Toxic Leader
Yellow Flags and Fake Flowers Today more than every, the American church needs a smell test for fake leaders. Some way to identify the phoniness. They're fake like the flowers on my friends table (see previous post). They look the part but they can’t pass the smell...
The Sign of a Toxic Leader
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Some initial observations of Jesus’ words. Everyone knows Jesus’ description of bad leaders (false prophets). They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The...
Identifying Toxic Church Cultures (Part Three)
In the book “A Church called Tov” by Scot McKnight, he gives eight false narratives that toxic churches often tell to protect themselves. In Part one we looked at the first four false narratives. In part two we looks at three more false narratives and in this post we...
Identifying Toxic Church Cultures (Part Two)
Scot McKnight gives Eight false narratives that toxic churches often tell to protect themselves. In Part one we looked at the first four false narratives. In this post, we will look at three more false narratives, leaving the last false narrative for the third post....
Poison in the Pound-cake: Identifying Toxic church cultures
Scot McKnight in his book “A Church called Tov” gives Eight false narratives that toxic churches often tell to protect themselves. The narratives are something like institutional defense mechanisms. When criticisms or crisis arise look for these false narratives. They...
Hidden Faithlessness
In Jeremiah chapters 37 though 39, it records the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. In chapters 37-38, just prior to the fall, Jeremiah is imprisoned for speaking about the coming judgment and claiming God's way to avoid such destruction was to surrender to Babylon....
Modern Martyr: Poet, Nun, Rebel
Did you know the Eastern Orthodox Church has its own list of saints? Until recently, I did not. For me and maybe you, these men and women of faith are new. People who are mostly unknown in our little corner of Christianity. I would hate for their stories to pass by us...
God’s Self-identification and Gender
The church today needs to recover a simple priority. In theology, it is called the priority of the Father–Son relation over the Creator–creature relation [1]. Simply put, it is the proposition that before God was creator he was Father. It’s one of those starting...
John Wesley, the Continuationist?
During the month of August 1739 in Bristol England, John Wesley had three separate interviews with Bishop Joseph Butler. Butler a towering intellect and presiding bishop. Wesley an upstart preacher of a burgeoning movement. The first interview lasted about 15...
Wesley on Authentic Experience of the Spirit.
Throughout his life, John Wesley held to an orthodox view of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Godhead. It was his trinitarian understanding of the God that informed his view of the Spirit's role in the Christian life. So adamant was Wesley’s conviction of...
Soften Your Heart to use your Head
A minister, about to write an article criticizing a fellow minister for his lack of orthodoxy, wrote to John Newton of his intention. Newton replied in a letter that has now become famous, called Letter 19 - on controversy. The letter is one Calvinist writing to...