Nat Crawford - Executive Coach, Speaker, Leader

A common statement to defend an atheistic world-view is “There have been more massacres in the name of Christianity than any other religion. Religion is the cause of all our problems.” This is a straw man argument.  It is illogical and frankly worn out. Let me explain: The term Christian is quite loose now days. The term Christian blankets a wide variety of denominations, cults, agnostics, universalists, and pluralists. So what am I saying? There are “Christians” and then there are Christians. I may say “I’m a vegetarian.” But if you see me eating bacon double cheeseburger, you will call me on my hypocrisy.  When a “Christian” creates a heinous crime, rarely is authentic Christianity into question, rather the baby is thrown out with the bath water. Jesus Christ Himself knew His follower’s life would be under radar. That’s why in John 15:8 He said, “ This is to my Father’s glory,   that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” In the same way Ja...

In light of some recent tragedies, I have heard this discussion come up again. This is a sad debate, but one that rages on.  So, can a Christian lose their salvation? Some Christians argue that believers can lose their salvation and they must be born again and again and again. . Remember the words Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:7 “…you must be born again.” It was not that you must be born again…and again…and again. Some use Matthew 10:22 “ You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Others quote John 15:6 , “ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ” There are other verses as well.  Let’s look at the Luke 13:27 “ and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers .’ ” What these verses are referring to are the false convert and not at true Chr...

Matthew 7:1, " Do not judge so that you will not be judged" is one of the most misunderstood and quoted used passages of Scripture by Christians and non-Christians alike. How many of us have either been told or have even said "Don't judge!" But what does that mean? For total perspective I encourage you to read the verses surrounding Matthew 7:1 to gain proper context. And for the sake of this conciseness of this blog, let me offer this insight. The term "judge" can mean " to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose." It can also be to the extreme as to condemn to hell. When Jesus said " Do not judge so that you will not be judged ", He was not saying to turn aside healthy discernment.  As John MacArthur states, "As the context reveals, this doe snot prohibit all types of judging (v. 16). There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise with careful discernment (John 7:24). Censorious, hypocrit...

Did you know that the area between Judea and Galilee was named after its prominent city: Samaria? It was a culturally diverse city; comprised of Gentiles and Jews. Many Jews avoided traveling through the area because they hated the people.  Jesus made a point of traveling there to meet the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well.  Also remember the story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. Jesus told a parable of the a man Jew who was beaten and robbed. Two Jews passed him by ignoring him and his distress. Then passes a Samaritan, an "enemy." The Samaritan not only cared for his wounds, but paid for his stay at an Inn to recover and promised to pay any and all expenses incurred during his recovery.  We ought to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:46-47 " If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?...

Well, How About That – The Sea of Galilee Did you know that the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee contained more miracles of Jesus’ ministry than any other place?  The Sea of Galilee is 7 miles wide by 13 miles long. It was here that Jesus called the first disciples in Matthew 4:18-22 “ Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.   And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.   Going on from there He saw two other brothers,   James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.   Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. ” Here Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount. At the Sea of Galilee, Jesus fed the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread....

The Jordan River Did you know the distance between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea measures only 65 miles?  However the winding Jordan River encompasses over 125 miles from the Sea of Galilee south to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 1,300 feet below sea level. It was in the Jordan River that Jesus was baptized in Matthew 3:13-17 " Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?' But Jesus answering said to him, 'Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'” The name ...

First, let me apologize for my tardiness! I recently was on a missions trip for two weeks and starting my final undergrad class. But I am glad to be blogging again! Today, I want to keep it brief. It is the Easter season. This is the time we remember the triumphant work of Jesus Christ. Christ took on Himself the sin of humanity. The sinless lamb was slain. But that is not where it ends. After three days in the grave He rose and exited the tomb. That is what I want to address today.  How do we know Jesus' resurrection is legit? An important starting point is that scholars, both Christian and non-Christian agree that Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. "When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him . And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in ...

           Jesus Christ taught and did many things during His life. But did He teach social justice?  What do we mean by social justice?  Social justice is giving each person what is rightfully theirs.  Most people would put say “It is helping those in need get the things they need.” Social justice is a hot topic both in the political and Christian realms.  Depending on who is talking, you may hear the terms redistribution of wealth, socialism, entitlement and communism.  I will not attempt to deal with whether food, clothing, shelter and healthcare are entitlements or whether or not it is the government’s role to fulfill these shortfalls. I will focus on the teachings of Christ in regards to the poor, the sick and taxes. In the synoptic gospels, there are over ten recurring records of teaching on the poor and over twenty on healing. The book of John contains similar passages. Clearly, Jesus had an opinion on ...