OTHER VOICES: John Mark Hicks

Some voices stir us to action. Some voices soothe us and comfort us. Other voices provoke us to think – and for some, this really does provoke them. One of the traits of the false prophets in Israel was that they said, “Peace! Peace!” – when there was no peace. The people preferred to hear that message than to confront how they had disappointed God and moved away from him.

John Mark Hicks is a man who provokes us to think. He takes familiar subjects and makes us look at them with fresh eyes. Three of his books deal with the Lord’s Supper, with Baptism, and with the Church. All are familiar subjects. Yet, he provokes us to think about what the Scripture really says about them. Granted, to some this is anathama. But before you dismiss what he says, you need to do two things: (1) understand what he is saying and (2) compare it carefully with the Scripture.

What he says is rooted in the Word of God. What he does with all of these subjects is to lead us deeper into them than we like to go. We do not like to go that deep because it challenges us to become real in our service to God instead of just going through the right motions.

Here is a sample of his blog. Read it and be challenged by it. You can see it here. His website is johnmarkhicks.wordpress.com/

The Church Has Left the Building

I like the idea.  It is a wonderful point to emphasize.