Re-published with Permission.   This is an article written by a friend and I appreciate this article on a couple of levels. Firstly, I appreciate the health of his thinking on Matthew 11:12 and secondly Steve’s  perspective on scholarship.   Hope you enjoy it and are encouraged!

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.[1]
.  .  . the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.[2]
.  .  . the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent men seize it.[3] Read the rest of this entry »

Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast -  Concluding from last week, the guys delve into the heart of mission and the message we are sending to those around us.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 23:28 — 10.7MB)

Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast – How much money, time and energy is consumed by the sundry events Christians put on each year?  From passing out evangelistic pamphlets to putting on massive shows, the church seems to spend a disproportionate amount of its resources creating events to attract people.  Mike and Mark discuss this, and wonder how many relationships are in our daily lives that we ignore because we’re too busy.  Are we missing the fields right in front of us?  Do these artificial events work?

Podcast: Download (Duration: 24:46 — 11.3MB)

Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast – Following some violent protests at the recent G20 summit in Toronto, the guys begin discussing non-violent protest vs. pacifism.  This leads into an exploration of the way we relate to each other in terms of power, and raises questions of how we choose to either lay down our rights (power) or cling to them, each day.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 23:14 — 10.6MB)

Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast – What is detachment?  Can it influence the way we live and love?  Mark and Mike examine how attachment and detachment shape the way we relate, use power, and minister to each other.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 19:47 — 9.1MB)