Daniel Burton Archives - Page 33 of 47

The Parables of Mark: The Strongman

May 24, 2018

From all accounts of scripture, Jesus had just cast out demons from a man with multiple ailments. The man had been blind and unable to speak and had been healed by Jesus miraculously. After all, Jesus is a God who came to heal people and bring them to restoration. Most people would view this as a good thing for a man to have physical ailments be brought to restoration. Others, for whatever reason, viewed this as a threat to themselves and what they were doing.

To The Seven Churches – Ephesus – Revelation 2:1-7

May 23, 2018

The church is Ephesus was surrounded by a pluralistic society in which many gods were given temples and places for people to worship. As a major trade center, various different religions found a home in Ephesus with no one god being elevated above the other. Then there was the issue of the Nicolatians. The Nicolatians were marked by their flagrant indulgence of the self. They would engage in adulterous worship and commonly participated in religious services to other gods. They abandoned their witness and the church is Ephesus stood out as a major opponent of the Nicolatians. Yet, for all of the theological fervor of the church in Ephesus, they had grown increasingly cynical at the world rather than embodying what a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ looks like.

The Fruit of Joy: Experiencing Joy in The Hardship

The Fruit of the Joy: Experiencing Joy In The Hardship

May 21, 2018

The birth of a child is a miraculous blessing in the lives of people. It is viewed as a joyous occasion with much celebration that life should continue. Yet, for all of this blessing, the process of pregnancy and child birth is a long arduous process filled with pain. For nine months, the mother carries the child, caring for his or her needs as the child is entirely helpless and incredibly needy. Joints ache and fatigue runs rampant. Then, during the birth, the process is painful tonthe point where science has developed everything it can to dull the pain, and it still hurts. For all the problem of children, this is a moment of joy. Despite whatever pain or trials, the outcome and the end are sheer joy.

The Parables of Jesus: The Cloth and the Wineskin

The Parables of Mark: The Cloth and The Wineskin

May 17, 2018

Throughout the Gospels Jesus employed parables, or stories, to communicate the complex truths of the nature of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and what faith looks like expressed in the world. The parables allowed the complex, unfathomable truths of God to be simplified and understood by all people to bring them closer to God. In understanding the truth, the people could apply it to their lives and grow in their faith. In Mark’s Gospel, many of these parables are recorded as a part of the Gospel record.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapter 1:9-20

The Revelation of Jesus Christ – The Authority and Hope of Jesus Christ

May 15, 2018

John hears the voice of God calling first, and turns to see who stands behind him. The voice is described as a loud trumpet, heralding His coming. There is a strength and power behind its timbre. Jesus tells John to write down what he is encountering and to spread it to the churches. This is the God given word to be delivered to all the churches. Furthermore, Jesus amidst the seven lampstands, holding the seven stars. He is intimately involves in the details of the live of the church.

The Fruit of the Joy: Part 1

May 14, 2018

With the fruit of love being the leading fruit for the Spirit filled Christian, Paul continues that those claiming they are filled with the Spirit also display joy as an outward expression of the Spirit within them. A person who has no joy cannot rightly be said to be a Spirit filled individual. Yet, for all of our preconceived notions and ideas of joy, there is a misunderstanding of what it means to be filled with joy. Some mistake it that a person of faith must be smiling at all times in order to be joyful, to the dismay of the melancholic personalities. Smiling does not necessarily equate to joy, although it my certainly be expressed as such. Joy, rather than a temporary feeling is a longstanding state. Furthermore, this status is cementing by the work of Jesus Christ. Joy is not temporary. Joy is a lasting state because the works of Christ are cemented and secured.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ: Chapter 1:1-8

The Revelation of Jesus Christ – Redeemed By The Blood

May 9, 2018

For many people, the idea of apocalyptic literature is misunderstood. Our mind have become inundated with zombie apocalypse, dystopian futures, and loyal bands of survivors trying to make it amidst cinematically cataclysmic events. For biblical literature, however, the idea of apocalyptic literature comes form the idea of unveiling or revealing. Thus, the imagery of nuclear winter, war, or end of days type scenarios, while they may be part of what will be to come, are not the purpose. The main point of Revelation is to reveal the nature of God’s Sovereign rule throughout all human history through the empowerment of the church to minister to the world.

The Fruit of Love: Discipline and Accountability

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love Part 3

May 7, 2018

It seems that as some point people God the idea that loving someone meant an implicit acceptance of everything they do. A person is viewed as the summation of their actions and their desires. Thus to love a person was to be accepting of everything they are and everything they desire to be. Nothing could be further from the truth of the Gospel. The love of God is a multifaceted and complex love that surpasses understanding, comprehension, and ability. For those of us who have received the Spirit of God, the outpouring of love is a similar love for all mankind. Love does not mean a person will never experience any negative emotion because love does not limit itself to merely emotions. Instead, often times, love involves the rebuke and discipline of God because of His love for His people and His desire to not see them remain in their sin. Furthermore, our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the world as a whole, remains to speak up against injustice and sin as the mouthpiece of God and to hold one another account fo our actions. This love links arms with the rest of mankind and rushes towards the perfect relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Little Bit of Encouragement For Those Who Need It

A Bit of Encouragement For Those Who Need It

May 1, 2018

I look around me and see some of the most incredible people in my life with the same type of fatigue. These are people from all walks of life that inspire me to some degree or I am incredibly grateful for their presence. To be honest, it is weird to see your heroes fatigued and it is weirder to see people look to you for strength when you don’t even feel you have it together. But I think this is what it means to be the body of Christ, supporting one another in the love of God when we need it the most and to borrow strength from one another. Everyone, it seems, needs borrowed strength from one another regardless of position, place, or power.

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love Part 2

April 30, 2018

In seeking to understand a concept, it is often helpful to look at what that particular concept is not. Culturally, it goes without saying that there are numerous definitions and expectations of what love is and what love looks like. Everyone’s various expectations of what love looks like pressures each person to reflect different core values. In seeking to allow the Holy Spirit to express the love of God as a fruit of our transformation, love must be expressed through all that we do. Furthermore, the opposite of this same love should be ignored and avoided at all cost. From a biblical perspective, most would assume that the opposite of love of hate. Yet, hate has passion in common with love. Furthermore, in other areas, believers are encouraged to hate what is evil, which is a command from God, who is love. Both exhibit passion. The passion is, albeit misdirected, but present none of the less. Instead, the opposite of love is fear. Biblical authors use the greek word “phobos” to depict the complete incompatibility of love. Fear is a paralytic that causes us to cower, hide, and freeze. Love, however, drives a person to intense action as the outpouring of an undeserved love that we have already received.