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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

The Market for Bad Predictions

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During my lifetime there have been about 100 false predictions regarding the Lord’s return, and every one of them was made by someone who sincerely believed they were living in last of the last days. The end times, in other words (although the phrase “end times” is found nowhere in scripture). Every time Halley’s Comet comes around, or the planets align, or there’s a solar flare, or the stock market tanks, or Russia flexes its muscles, or Israel sneezes, these prognosticators come out of the woodwork to make their false and unsettling predictions. You may say, “I would never fall for such predictions.” Yet many do. When I was in college a book came out that was entitled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1988. Jesus would return in September of that year, said the book’s author. He didn’t yet the book is still available on Amazon, and I believe there was a sequel. The market for bad predictions knows no bounds. Where do these bad dates come from? They come from four sources. First, there are the visions or revelations that inspired such people as William Miller (who said the world would end in 1844), John Hinkle (1994), [...]

Does 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation?

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In this world of anxiety and fear, it is a radical thing to proclaim the eternal security of the believer: One with the Lord, your future is the same as his. No one can snatch you from his hand; nothing can separate you from his love. Yet every time I say things like this, someone will point to 2 Peter 2 as though this one chapter could undo the many promises of God and make Christ’s saving work of no effect. “Peter describes Christians who forsook the Lord and were condemned,” they say. “So much for once saved, always saved.” Hardly a month goes by when I don’t have occasion to talk about 2 Peter 2. In this chapter, Peter warns about false teachers who deny the Lord and teach heresy. Let there be no doubt he is not referring to Christians. These people are slaves of depravity (v.19) who never stop sinning (v.14). They are not saints but brute beasts who are condemned to perish (v.12). But were these sinners once saints? Were they Christians who lost the way, and fell beyond the reach of grace? This is an important question, because if they were once saved, then you [...]

Design a New Logo for E2R and Win!

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Short version: I’m running a logo design competition over at CrowdSpring. You don’t have to be an artistic genius to win. If you know what E2R is about and can convey that in a simple logo, you could shape the face of this website. Enter to win a prize of $200!

Longer version: When I started Escape to Reality I cast about for an image that conveyed what the new blog was about and came up with this…

If you’re younger than 40, that’s Steve McQueen from the film The Great Escape. The scene where Steve’s escaping from the Nazis is brilliant – except for one small detail. (You’ll have to watch the film to find out.)

As the blog grew it became apparent that I couldn’t make my mark with a stolen image of a dead actor, so I changed the header to this…

And then this…

As you can see, I was trying to convey the sense of a journey or adventure, the idea that we’re going places in grace. We’re exploring the uplands of God’s favor and freedom.

Another angle I have explored is the idea of breaking out (of dead works) into something bright and exciting (abundant life). You might remember this one:

But as logos go, none of these was very good. They were too detailed and couldn’t be easily put on the back of a book. So what to use?

I returned to the original escape theme. Of course the greatest escape artist of all time is Jesus – he escaped the tomb. That led to this:

That was another idea that looked better in my head than on paper. Eventually I settled on this:

You probably haven’t noticed, but that circle in the middle is meant to represent the open tomb. Pretty cool, huh? But the fact that I had to explain that to you reveals that it’s a poor logo. A good logo stands alone.

Do you have an idea for a logo, something that conveys a sense of escape or adventure or freedom or hope or rest?

If you have some thoughts, I’d love to hear them. If you’re able to sketch them out, even better! It doesn’t have to be perfect – at this stage a rough concept is good enough.

Submit your design over on the CrowdSpring page and you could win a big prize. Not only that, you will shape the face of Escape to Reality!

I look forward to seeing your designs.

Paul

PS: If you have artistic/creative friends, please let them know about the competition. Thanks!


Does God Love Me When I Sin?

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I heard a pastor of a large church tell his congregation, “God hates you, God is sick of you, God is frustrated with you, God is weary of you.” And why is God in such a dark mood? Because of our sin and apathy. Jesus went through hell for us, but we can’t even show up to church on time. I wish sermons like this were rare, but they are not. Religious manipulators love to frighten those Christ died for because those who are afraid are easier to control. The truth is God loves you like crazy. He loves you when you’re up and he loves you when you’re down. He loves you when you get it right and he loves you when you get it wrong. Whether you’re preaching condemnation from the pulpit or receiving it in the pew, he loves you. “But Paul, does he love me when I sin?” Aren’t you listening? Haven’t you seen the cross? The proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, Phillips) You need to settle this in your heart. God loves you. Period. Whether you’re in the zone [...]

Satan Desires to Sift You (Luke 22:31)

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Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. (Luke 22:31) Here are three conclusions people draw from these words of Jesus: Satan needs permission to attack us God gives Satan permission to attack us God and Satan are colleagues in the business of attacking you, hallelujah! To think that God and the devil are in cahoots is ridiculous. Believe this and you’ll believe that God is behind your illness or was complicit in the death of your child. Lose your job and you might say “God gives and takes away.” Phooey! With a God like that, who needs a devil? So what is Jesus really saying? Does the devil need permission? This has nothing to do with permission. Satan is a thief. If the thief had permission he wouldn’t be a thief. Jesus is talking about Satan’s agenda. “Satan desires you in the way that sin desired Cain” (see Gen 4:7). In other words, “Wise up. There’s a war going on. On one side is your heavenly Father who loves you; on the other is Satan who hates you.” Now this is a very uneven war. Satan doesn’t stand a chance. In fact, he’s already been [...]

Why Did Jesus Ask for Swords?

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He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one… The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied. (Luke 22:36-38) On the night he was betrayed, Jesus commanded his disciples to buy swords. Do you know why? According to some discussion threads I’ve read, it was to show his support for gun ownership and relaxed gun controls in America! I do not wish to wade into the quagmire of the US gun debate (and I won’t publish comments that do), but I do want to talk about the scripture above. It’s a good question: Why did Jesus, the Prince of Peace, ask for swords? And why were two enough? Israel was a dangerous place for travelers. (Remember what happened to the traveler in the story of the Good Samaritan?) Yet on several occasions Jesus sent out his disciples without the usual travel essentials. They didn’t take money, extra clothes, or even a staff (see Matt 10:9-10). They certainly took no swords, yet God took care of them. Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you [...]

“AD70 and the End of the World” – out today!

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My new book on the end times comes out today and many of you don’t care. You don’t care because you have been burned by bad end times preaching. Or you’ve had unpleasant conversations. You have found that discussing the end times is like discussing politics. No matter what you say, half the people in the room are going to jump on you. “End times? Who needs it? Jesus wins, that’s all I need to know.” This was certainly my view a few years ago. But then some of you began asking me about the year AD70 signaling a growing interest in preterism. (Preterism, in contrast with futurism, is the view that Biblical prophecy has largely been fulfilled.) In the past three to four years, I have been asked more questions about AD70 than any other subject. At first I was reluctant to join the eschatological conversation. But then I thought, “Why not?” Surely if there is any subject in need of grace, it is the traditionally scary topic of what the future may hold. Judgment Day, the rapture, the antichrist, and the great tribulation. The future is frightening apparently. Which is puzzling, because if grace is good news today, [...]

God Helps the Helpless

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Self-help religion says, “If you want God’s help, you have to work for it. You have to pull up your socks to impress the Lord.” But look at the people Jesus helped and you will see that God is not like this. Jesus helped handicapped people, powerless widows, sick children, and paralyzed servants. Jesus helped dead people. God doesn’t help those who have their acts together. He helps the helpless. He helps those whose lives are a mess. Their car won’t start, their kids are sick, and they haven’t brushed their hair in a week. He helps those who ask for help. God surely wants to help everyone, but only the helpless receive his help. On one occasion people were bringing their babies to Jesus for him to bless them. Jesus said, “Unless you change and become helpless as a babe, you’ll never enter the kingdom.” Another time he said, “Whoever humbles himself like a little child will make a big splash in the kingdom.” In this world success is sold as the product of hard work and perseverance. Success is for the self-made man. But in God’s kingdom the path to greatness is the one taken by the weak [...]

Whose Wrath has Come? (1 Thessalonians 2:16)

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(The Jews) killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone… they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16, NIV) This sounds like something you might read in the Old Testament yet it’s found in the New. It’s out of place. And it’s almost certainly a reference to the siege of Jerusalem. “Those troublesome Jews are sowing the wind and are about to reap the whirlwind,” says Paul. “The wrath of God has come on them at last!” Except it hasn’t. Paul never says this. Instead, he says, “The wrath has come.” Not the wrath of God, just the wrath. Certainly the addition of those two little words of God fits the vindictive theology that many of us have grown up with, but they’re not in the Bible. They were added by the translators who wrote the New International Version. Not for the first time the NIV editors have put their own dark spin on God’s word. Here’s how the phrase appears in Young’s Literal Translation: “the anger did come upon them – to the [...]

Myth 9: The Hyper-Grace Gospel Encourages Sin

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Preach the scandalous grace of God and some will misinterpret your message as an endorsement of sin. It’s practically inevitable. But those who dismiss grace as a license to sin merely show their ignorance of it. As John Calvin may have said, “How can the medicine that’s supposed to kill the disease (grace) feed the disease (sin)?” “Hyper-grace preachers are soft on sin. They don’t condemn the sin that’s right in front of them.” The same accusation could be leveled at Jesus. An adulterous woman was brought to him for judgment and he didn’t even mention her sin. Not once. Instead he said “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus wasn’t making a threat. He was saying, “Receive my gift of no condemnation and be set free from sin.” “Hyper-grace preachers are closet sinners who distort the message of grace to accommodate their ungodly lifestyles.” Grace preachers are sometimes compared to the licentious men of Jude 1:4. Because we stand with Jesus instead of the rock-throwers we are thought to be soft on sin and sinners. But this is a slanderous accusation made by the ignorant and graceless. For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to [...]

Human versus Divine Vengeance

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When Abel was murdered, his blood cried out to God for vengeance. Yet God did not kill Cain the murderer but protected him against those who would seek his life. Clearly, God’s idea of vengeance was different from Abel’s. The scriptures contrast human and divine vengeance. One seeks payback and retribution, the other pursues peace and restoration. One is vindictive, the other is vindicating. One punishes wrong, the other makes right. One is about revenge, the other is about righteousness. Human vengeance is codified in the old law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Divine vengeance, in contrast, is revealed in the grace that forgives, restores, and makes new. The former is based on your badness; the latter is based on God’s goodness. In Isaiah 29, the prophet paints a bleak picture of human vengeance, but in Isaiah 61, he describes divine vengeance. See if you can spot the difference: Human vengeance involves… Divine vengeance involves… Distress, being brought low, lamenting and mourning, destruction and death (Isaiah 29:2-4) Good news to the afflicted, healing to the brokenhearted, liberty to the captives, freedom to the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1-2) The first prophecy points to the Romans [...]

Days of Vengeance

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When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near… because these are days of vengeance. (Luke 21:20-23) When prophesying about the fall of Jerusalem, Jesus referred to the days of vengeance. But whose vengeance was it? Why was it brought about? And what does it mean for us? Many theologians say it was divine vengeance. Eusebius, the church historian, wrote that the Jews met “with destruction at the hands of divine justice.” John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, said the Jews experienced “wrath from God intolerable.” It’s a shocking tune yet there are many who sing it. Following these two ancient writers, many theologians have added their voices to the chorus of condemnation. In fact, this notion of divine punishment is now so widely accepted, it even appears in some Bible translations: This is the time when God will punish Jerusalem (Luke 21:22, NIrV) According to some theologians and Bible translators, days of vengeance means “days of God’s punishment of the Jews.” But God did not punish Jerusalem, the Romans did. God good, Romans bad. Sure, Jerusalem had heaped up its sins, but those sins were punished on the cross in AD30 and not in [...]

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