Category: Theological Thoughts

Jesus as a psychological ideal is easy to believe. The Jesus that is no more than a gifted rabbi, philanthropist, and inclusive in his beliefs; that’s a teacher any American can subscribe.

On Easter Sunday, the president of one of the most liberal theological institutions in the country said these words:

But what happens on Easter is the triumph of love in the midst of suffering… Those who claim to know whether or not it happened are kidding themselves.

Easter as the triumph of love? Sounds nebulous enough, right? What does that even mean? You see, even in the most potent element of the Christian faith, the resurrection, one can make Jesus fit into your way of thinking.

If Jesus is not raised from the dead by the Father, then Jesus is just an idea; a psychological detail that can mean anything you want.

Beloved, we do not come to worship today to claim the triumph of love, we come to worship today to claim Jesus’ triumph over the grave.

Dear dad,
you regret not spending enough time with your kids in their early years. And now, you have noticed that your teenager does not seem interested in being around you or talking to you much. This hurts you deeply and you long to reconnect but have no idea how to do so.

My first encouragement to you is to go to your teenager and ask for their forgiveness. “My son/daughter, I want to repent for not investing in our relationship over the years. I chose work and technology over you. I deeply regret how that decision affects our current relationship.” I am convinced that parents need to be repenters before anything else. I don’t know if repenting will change anything, but it is the first and most biblical place to begin any restoration.

Second, be wary of manipulating your children into liking you. Don’t treat them like they are tools in your garage that you use to fit your needs. They are human beings made in God’s image and need to see that they are loved by you for who they are and not who you wish or manipulate them to be.

Finally, if an opportunity opens for dialogue, use it to listen. It’s likely that your teenager has felt unheard for a long time. Be slow to speak (James 1:19). Inquire. Don’t expect a damaged relationship with your teenager to change overnight. God loves to reconcile family members. Be patient. May this journey bear good fruit.

Sincerely,
Pastor Brito

The story of God’s mission is to save humanity and restore human beings from their own self-destructive mission. We create missionary agendas that have nothing to do with God’s agenda. Sometimes we see our places in the world like alien tourists taking a little same of dirt here and there to take home with us. Rather, we are resident aliens actually taking the dirt, playing with it and building great things with it. Because everything you see: dirt, trees, birds, food will most certainly be a part of your reality in the new creation. You are here to stay whether you like it or not. When you die, your body will be buried on earth only to be raised again in a new earth, just like this one, except with no pain, sorrow, or sin. On that day we will acknowledge that God’s mission has never failed in history, no, not even once.

Remember that leftist ideology uses death as a hermeneutical principle. It is the interpretive grid for decision making. For leftism, the end result must always be the result that keeps me at the forefront of my self-interests. And if anyone dares interfere with the agenda, let them be anathema whether he be inside or outside the womb. Leftist ideology cares nothing about self-sacrifice but promulgates the institution of sacrificial systems where the weak are sacrificed for the sake of the strong.