Steve Bezner Profile picture
Sep 22, 2020 4 tweets 1 min read Read on X
Today's Scripture reading is John 2.

One thing that has long fascinated me in this story: At what point did the water become wine?

The text is not clear. We simply discover in verse 9 that the master of the banquet has "tasted the water now become wine."

1/x
Was it wine in the stone ceremonial jars?

Or did it turn to wine when they drew it out?

Maybe it transformed at some point along the path to the master of the feast?

Or maybe it turned to wine when the master took his first sip?

We do not know. Much like our own lives.

2/x
We do not know when Jesus will redeem our pain and suffering, when what we struggle with will become victory.

Will it be this side of the Resurrection? Or will it be when Jesus descends in glory?

Truthfully, the answer is different for each of us, for our situations.

3/x
But we know that it happens.

Somewhere, from jar to lips, the water becomes wine.

Somewhere, from cradle to glory, Jesus does his work.

Keep trusting. Keep the faith. God's still turning water into wine.

Grace and peace.

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More from @Bezner

Oct 23
MASCULINITY: A THREAD. “The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”—1 Pet 4:7-8

Staring down the end, Peter commends two things:

Prayer and love.
If I have any advice to offer to other pastors today, it is this:

Prayer and love may appear weak and naïve, but they are the most effective weapons in the church’s arsenal.

Churches who forsake these for “telling it like it is” are no churches at all.
The cyclical obsession with “masculinity” in the church (this is *at least* its third iteration in evangelicalism since I’ve been a pastor) ought to lead us to ask, “What does Jesus require of a man?”

The answer is the courage to love and pray, believing this Way is best.
Read 6 tweets
Oct 18
⛪️ 🇺🇸 CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM : WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T, AND WHY IT MATTERS

During the Q&A at the @holypostpodcast event, someone asked, “What is Christian Nationalism?” Fair question, since it’s thrown around quite a bit these days.

I want to try to summarize my answer here. 1/11
WHAT CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM ISN’T:

It’s not Christians participating in politics, voting, or participation in civic life. Christians should participate in each of those things as citizens in a democratic republic. 2/11
It’s not advocating for policies, legislation, etc. That’s something we each do in our form of government. Every law is a codifying of morality of some sort, and Christians would be remiss to withdraw from that public conversation. 3/11
Read 11 tweets
Dec 1, 2023
🚨 SBC Insider Baseball Tweet Thread Alert. 🚨 I made this somewhat cheeky tweet in hopes to demonstrate what I perceive to be hermeneutical inconsistencies and some confusion re: the proposed Law Amendment. I saw a few questions in response, so wanted to follow up and clarify.
First, my original tweet. I was attempting to point out how many of those who want to read the role of females in the NT church as “crystal clear” will simultaneously ignore other seemingly “crystal clear” commands or apply a cultural hermeneutic to them. For example…
Romans 16:16 says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” This is common in some church cultures, but not in the United States, because it doesn’t translate into our culture. We usually shake hands or hug. But I don’t see lots of folks leading a “holy kiss” movement in the SBC.
Read 25 tweets
Nov 8, 2023
I don’t talk a ton about my health on the socials, but I’m texting with a longtime friend who is up against it right now in the battle with cancer, and I wanted to share a couple of quick things.

For the uninitiated: I have heart failure and should’ve died in 2003. 🧵Thread:
For all my passion about living the Kingdom here and now, my source of hope is that one day the dead in Christ will rise and Jesus will bring about the death of death. Some days it's the only thing that keeps me going.

If you’re disease-ridden:

We hope in the Resurrection.
When this life feels like too much, I go to the following places in my Bible:

Romans 8
1 Corinthians 15
2 Corinthians 1
Revelation 4
Revelation 21

Then I ask myself: “Do I really believe this?”

If the answer is yes, then I have to live accordingly.
Read 10 tweets
Oct 27, 2023
Two days ago news broke of an amicus brief filed in which the SBC, SBTS, and Lifeway were all third parties. The suit attempts to prevent the statute of limitations being lifted in cases of sexual abuse. I waited a beat before speaking to ascertain facts and await explanation.
As best I can tell, the EC acted unilaterally w/o trustee approval. The trustees were voted on by messengers and messengers have consistently and nearly unanimously voted in favor of sexual abuse reforms since @RobertDownen_’s @HoustonChron story in 2019. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
The EC opposing this lawsuit unilaterally without consulting trustees is bad on a number of levels. I understand EC leadership must make decisions w/o trustee approval from time to time, but this topic has been at the forefront of discussion and reeks of self-preservation.
Read 7 tweets
Sep 15, 2023
🧵 There is a narrative often peddled in certain circles that the SBC is in decline bc of liberal drift.

In truth, the SBC’s decline has happened during the watch of the Conservative Resurgence.

Meanwhile conservative non-denoms are growing. As is conservative Pentecostalism.
What if it’s not about theology near as much as it’s about hypocrisy? About greed? About misogyny? About racism? About covering up abuse?

Most folks who talk to me about our affiliation with the SBC aren’t worried about theology.

They are tired of unethical leadership.
Personal opinion: The SBC isn’t shrinking bc of theology.

The SBC is shrinking bc too many folks in leadership positions talk about Jesus but sure don’t act like him.

People can spot a fake from a mile away.
Read 5 tweets

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