Paul Ellis's Blog, page 20

I Will Come Like a Thief

Once upon a time, in the iron-age kingdom of Lydia, there was a river of gold called the Pactolus River. Whoever controlled the river was rich, and this explains why Croesus was one of the richest kings who ever lived.

Croesus, who lived about 550 years before Christ, built a citadel called Sardis to protect his wealth. The citadel sat atop sheer cliffs and was impregnable – or so Croesus thought.

But one night while the guards were dozing, a Persian soldier scaled the cliffs, opened ...

When Jesus Speaks Harshly

Since I preach grace, I am often hit with the accusation that I have not read the harsh words of Jesus. The argument seems to be that because Jesus spoke harshly to the Laodiceans, Sardians, etc., he’s not as gracious and loving as I make him out to be.

Like the Hulk, Jesus has an angry side that grace peeps seem to miss.

It’s true that Jesus rebukes the Laodiceans (“You are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”) and some of the Sardians (“You have a name that you are al...

No Grace for Michael Corleone

I recently watched all the Godfather movies again.

I started with Godfather 2, because it’s the best, then I watched Godfather 1, because it’s even better then best. Then I had a long break where I debated the merits of watching Godfather 3 and then I watched it, because hey, it’s still the Godfather.

Everyone says number 3 is inferior to 1 and 2, and it is. But Godfather 3 is still a good film with some memorable scenes – like the one where Michael confesses his sins.

[Spoilers ah...

5 Myths about God’s Forgiveness

No religion preaches the complete forgiveness of sins like Christianity. You might say it’s one of our unique selling points.

So why do we do such a bad job with it?

We tell people God may forgive them if they say the right words and keep on the straight and narrow, and then we try and pass off this awful message as though it were good news.

Newsflash: telling people they have to work for divine favor is neither news nor good. In fact, it’s bad news because there is nothing you can ...

Beware the Lord with a Sword

What will you do with the Lord with a sword? I am referring to the picture of Jesus found in his letter to the church in Pergamum. In it Jesus introduces himself as “The One who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Rev. 2:12).

Why is Jesus holding a sword? And what does he plan to do with it?

Should I be worried?

Why does Jesus have a sword?

Contrary to what you may think, the picture of Jesus-with-a-sword has nothing to do with punishment or anything like that, as we will see.

Fir...

Special Offer and the $250,000 Give Away!

Zoom. Live streaming. Online worship. Virtual meetings. Facebook groups. Drive-thru communion.

Churches and ministries are adapting to meet the realities of a post-Covid world. But while the emergence of new platforms and technologies has been a boon, one thing that has not changed is the need for top-notch content.

We can help.

Escape to Reality has become an arsenal for the gospel of grace. Our resources are regularly turned into sermons, seminars, social media soundbites, and teachin...

Is the Husband the Head of His Wife?

Since time immemorial, men and women have been trying to get along, and the results have been occasionally spectacular but often mixed.

Even if you accept that men and women are equal in grace, there are undeniable differences between the genders. What do these differences mean, and how do they affect the way we relate to each other? Do they illuminate that ancient question of who’s the boss?

Who’s the boss?

Indeed they do, said Aristotle.

Since women are excitable, while men are coo...

He Who Sows Sparingly

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The church does a lot of things well, but one area where we sometimes drop the ball is money.

I have seen rich leaders use threats to extort money from poor people. I’ve encountered churches that publicly name and shame non-tithers. And I know struggling families that borrow from loan sharks to pay their tithes and avoid being named and shamed.

None of this is new.

Remember how Jesus marvelled at the widow who gave her last two coins to the temple treasury? It wasn’t...

Three Treats for the Feast of Ascension

Forty days after Easter brings us to the Feast of Ascension. Which means that people all over the world are today celebrating the ascension of Jesus into heaven.

I’ve been thinking about the post-Easter period because I’ve recently added several hundred verses to the Grace Commentary, many of them having to do with the story of Christ’s crucifixion. This means I spent the better part of two weeks immersed in one of the Bible’s best known stories.

I learned so much! I discovered many gems that a...

Four People You Should Never Listen To

On the day Jesus died, he encountered opposition from four powerful men. These authority figures represent the types of people who will seek to frustrate God’s plan for your life.

We can learn a lot from how Jesus responded to these four men and his responses were different for each.

1. Annas the false father

The first powerful man Jesus faced, was Annas. Once upon a time, Annas had been the high priest, which meant he ran the ruling council of Israel, the 70-man Sanhedrin. He was no longer the...