Jason Locke's Blog

Where is the kingdom of God? How can you spot it? And how can you get ready for it? As Jesus nears Jerusalem, some Pharisees ask him if the kingdom of God is coming soon. We can only guess their motives. Are they egging him on? Are they genuinely curious? It's common to assume, perhaps rightly, that they think Jesus will try to liberate Jerusalem. Some Jews no doubt hope for a strong leader who can make them great again. Others are spectators, hoping to see another failed conspirator crash and burn against the might of Rome. Perhaps there are a few genuinely drawn to the kingdom of God as described by Jesus—an upside-down kingdom in which the humble are great and the proud are humbled. But even these suffer from some confusion about Jesus' kingdom. The Pharisees are not typically among the genuine seekers. Luke makes this plain. "The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, ridiculed him" (Luke 16:14). And elsewhere: "The Pharisees and the scribes were ...

It's not easy to follow Jesus in a Kesha and Kanye world. Fame is the desired destination for many people, and self-promotion is the clear path to get there. How can you find the path of Jesus in a world filled with so many other roads? Christians are supposed to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. But too many people—even many so-called Christians—sadly know little to nothing about Jesus. They may like their own caricatures of Jesus: homie Jesus, homeboy Jesus, gangster Jesus, hipster Jesus or buddy Jesus on a dashboard bobble-head.  For these folks, following Jesus amounts to little more than believing in a fairy godmother or guardian angel who wants them to be happy. And therein lies the crux of the problem. Too many folks think Jesus is all about their personal happiness. Their fascination with Jesus is not actually about Jesus. It’s in fact a sign of self-absorption or of a desire for personal fame, glory and importance. Clearly, these folks have not paid caref...

In my effort to arm you for the good fight of faith, I'm pointing to the real tools needed for your spiritual battle. Today I want you to consider taking on the right attitude as an important tool in fighting the forces of darkness. I recognize there are many "fights" we face in life. Folks struggle with finances. They face conflict in the workplace or family. People fight to lose weight, to break free from addictions, or to earn a degree. Some feel as if life is one never-ending battle—and that they’re losing. On top of all that, it's tough to ignore the latent hostility in our country and in the world—people are fighting for various ideals and against one another. All these fights can makes us feel battle-weary. They may leave you unwilling to enter any new conflict. As a Christian, however, your primary battle is not against any one of these particular things. Rather, as Paul's words reveal in Ephesians 6:12, "our struggle is not against enemies...