Living and Powerful

A Christmas conundrum: How can Jesus be the promised Seed of David and Heir of his kingdom when God permanently cut off David’s royal line at Jeconiah? The Lord’s creative and wonderful solution: the virgin birth.

The ubiquitous Christmas phrase “Peace on earth” may be derived from Scripture, but it’s a difference in wording that’s significant enough to obscure the good tidings of great joy that the angels proclaimed the night Jesus was born.

Was it really an “inn”? This may be nitpicking, but a study of the Scriptures shows that the birth of Christ might not have happened the way it’s depicted in most traditions, nativity sets, plays, and movies.  

Some Christians say we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas because its origins and traditions are pagan. I used to think that way, but not anymore; here’s what changed my mind. 

Some Christians believe that when we want something, we can “claim,” “declare” or “decree” our desired outcomes. But overwhelmingly, the Bible teaches us to ask God like children ask their father.

In a four-chapter stretch in Luke, Jesus says several things that would shock the “winsome” sensibilities of those who think Christians should try not to offend anyone in order to attract as many people as possible. Was He being unwise, religious and divisive?

One issue in the debate over the extent of the atonement is the question of why unbelievers go to hell. Is it the penalty for our sins, or are everybody’s sins already forgiven and we can still refuse eternal life? The Bible seems to land pretty hard on one of those options.

There was a time when God’s people wanted a strongman to fight for them, and for their country to be great like the other nations of the world. God was not pleased with their desire for power.

A compilation of articles that discuss various Biblical and spiritual principles that should govern how Christians think about power, politics, government, winning, and the place of nations in God’s plans.

Some Christians don't think our tone is a big deal, or that it's too subjective to debate. But the Bible disproves both of those claims; God cares greatly about our tone, and His word has a lot to say about it.

Contentment isn't the most popular topic for some Christians. But it's taught by some of the most beloved Scriptures in the Bible, including where many Christians don't realize it.

Many Christians long for the church to have the world's power and strength. They want "winning." But in 1 Corinthians 1, God tells us what kind of Christians He's looking for: weak, lowly and foolish.

Yes, God created the nations. No, we shouldn't just ignore our nationality. But in Christ, from all nations He created a new nation, one without borders, that finds its identity in Him, a unity that transcends earthly nations.

When Christians debate who hardened Pharaoh’s heart and whether we have free will, we could miss the amazing, wonderful, ultimate purpose of that story: It points to Jesus Christ.

Christians have all kinds of ideas about how to resist the devil. But in the Bible we see a simple solution that beats him every time – humility.

What do you need to do to receive blessings from God, such as healing or a financial breakthrough? Nothing! Everything God does for us in this life is just as free as salvation. See where the Bible teaches that.

Ever hear people say things like we need to be more like Jesus so that more people will like us, because only the Pharisees hated Him? That’s not what we see in Scripture, including the words of Jesus Himself.

Imagine your most hated enemies slaughtering your countrymen. Would you want to fight? That happened in Jesus’ time, and His reaction was, you’re no better.

It’s been a year since Living and Powerful published its five-part review of “The Physics of Heaven,” in which authors from Bethel Church urge Christians to relate to God the way New Agers do. Here are links to all five parts, plus some more resources.