Is it Finished?

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit (John 19:30).

Jesus had a singular purpose in life and that was to accomplish the will of Father (John 5:30; 6:38). The will of the Father is “that the world might be saved” through Christ (John 3:17).  The death of Christ on the cross was essential to God’s redemptive plan. 

For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him… He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Col 1:19–22).

The last words of Jesus on the cross were an acclamation of victory. With his final breath Jesus affirmed that he had accomplished the will of God.  But how can death on the cross be victorious? Is there nothing more? Is the redemption work of God really finished? In fact, there is more and it’s the more that makes the cross victorious.

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The Agony and the Glory

One of the greatest temptations for Christians is the sterilization of the faith. We are embarrassed,  sometimes even offended, by the brutal portrayals in Scripture. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ has been roundly criticized for its graphic portrayal of the crucifixion. Some Christian theologians are so scandalized by the brutality of the cross that they postulate a non-violent atonement in which the blood of Christ is not the agent of atonement.

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Not Angels, But Glorified Human Beings

One of the most common misunderstandings I have encountered in forty years of ministry is that at death humans are transformed into angels.  We have all heard silly sentimental statements like: “Well, now Grandmama is singing in God’s angelic choir;” or “Daddy got his angel’s wings today.” No, when we die we do not become angels. So, what happens when we die?

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An Undeconstructed Pentecostal – New Book

I am an undeconstructed Pentecostal. So, just what does that mean? Maybe we should ponder: What is deconstructed Pentecostalism? It seems to me that many Pentecostals are uncomfortable with their story. Maybe an emphasis on seeker-sensitive evangelicalism has domesticated Pentecostal spirituality.  Many Pentecostals in my tribe often testified to being “saved, sanctified, and baptized in the sweet Holy Ghost.” I believe that testimony offers the seeds of a robust Pentecostal spirituality.

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New Book is Available!

An Undeconstructed Pentecostal: Reflections, Articles, & Sermons – is now available at Amazon.com. 

Softcover @ $14.95         Kindle Edition @ $7.49

This book is a collection of essays, articles and sermons that I have written over the last decade (2011-2021). Includes reflections on Pentecostal spirituality, biblical and theological issues, cultural and political issues, and ministry leadership issues. 

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