Category: Gospel of Jesus

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Gospel of Jesus

Is the truth about Jesus fake news?

Has anyone ever told you that your faith is a “crutch?” Perhaps they’ve said that belief in God is a crutch for weak people who don’t have the strength to take responsibility for their own lives.

This idea that Christian faith is a psychological crutch for needy people is a popular one. 

These skeptics say that God is merely a psychological projection: he doesn’t actually exist in any factual sense, but exists only in the minds of his followers, who have created God out of their own need – a need for a father figure or a need to give significance to their existence.

The most famous proponent of this view was Sigmund Freud who theorized that your view of God springs from your view of your father.

Is Christianity true or is it just a fanciful myth or mental projection?  Does Christianity stand up to scrutiny or are we all simply implicit in a universal God delusion?  How do we know that certain hard doctrines, like the doctrine that Jesus is going to return to judge the world, are true?

Fake news websites deliberately publish hoaxes and propaganda, using social media. Fake news websites seek to mislead readers for financial or other gain.  Is the truth about Jesus fake news that Christians believe to make them feel better?

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Gospel of Jesus

Jesus is enough

In my first year of proper work after Bible college, I saved like mad and bought a ticket to Thailand for my summer holiday. I had no accommodation, no plan and very little money – yet it was a great holiday.  

In Thailand, I was amazed to find all kinds of very fashionable branded clothing, like Puma, Adidas, Nike and Ray Ban, for very, very cheap – a fraction of the normal cost. 

The problem was that the articles were not genuine and not authentic, they were counterfeit. The T-shirt or sunglasses may look good initially, but usually you soon discover that the product is inferior, substandard, deficient and second-rate.

The same is true when it comes to religion.  

The Bible tells us about Jesus, about his life, death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, heavenly rule and promised return.  It tells us that by trusting in Jesus we are forgiven of our sin and declared right with God.  It’s this gospel or momentous news about Jesus that saves us and it’s this gospel that keeps us growing as Christians.

We never move beyond the gospel of Jesus: the gospel is the genuine article.

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Gospel of Jesus Mark 2:14 Religion

A lesson from Haji

Haji, a practising Muslim from Zanzibar, came to stay at my place for a month a few years ago.  We had a super time sightseeing, eating, laughing, biting shopping malls (yes , I know its seems unbelievable!)  and enjoying Cape Town. Yet, often times we had to cut our trip short in order for Haji to get back to the house in time to ceremonially wash and recite the prayers.  Haji is a moral, honest, upright man who is seeking to live the best life possible to please Allah.  Haji’s worldview says, “I perform, in order to be accepted”.

 The gospel according to Jesus found in the Bible is totally opposite.  The gospel says, “I’m accepted, therefore I perform”.  We see this truth clearly in Mark 2:14 when Jesus calls a “sinner” to become a disciple.  The account reads:

As he (Jesus) walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

 Levi was a Jew who worked for the revenue service of the Romans.  We as ostracized hated and excluded.  He was not good, nor religious, nor upright.  Yet Jesus calls him to follow.  Levi followed.  He became known as Matthew and had a profound influence on generations of Christians through the book he authored (The Gospel of Matthew). He was accepted by Jesus, therefore he performed and obeyed and changed. 

 Haji’s religion (and all religion) says “You need to perform to be accepted”.  The Bible tells us to admit we can never perform enough to be accepted by God, but rather to confess our wrongs and sins, and to accept what Jesus has done for us.

 Do you constantly feel guilty that you are never performing quite enough?  Not praying enough? Not witnessing enough? Not working enough? Not preaching enough?  Perhaps you need to remind yourself of the gospel of Jesus.