Seven Signs You Might be Living Under Law
This week I finally got to see the movie, The Book of Eli. If you like stories where a lone man stands up to the wicked while trying to distribute the word of God in a [...]
Articles by Paul Ellis
Romans 2:13 – Justified by the Law?
“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Rms 2:13, NIV) What?! [...]
Work out Your Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling… [...]
What is the Key to James?
The Epistle of James may be the most misunderstood book in the New Testament. In this short series we have looked at some of the “troublesome” verses in James. Where [...]
Son, Servant, or Friend of God?
How do you mainly identify with God? As a (a) servant of God, (b) a friend of God, or (c) a son of God? When a friend posed this question on his Facebook page yesterday, I [...]
James – Preacher of Grace
It seems everyone has an opinion about James and how his letter fits (or doesn’t fit) into the New Testament. I thought I had heard everything, but this week, one of my [...]
Rahab’s Faith
Last Sunday, near the end of the service, about ten people responded to the invitation to give their lives to Jesus. Of course I was as shocked as you are. I thought, “Who [...]
James 2:24
In this study on James chapter 2, we have been comparing works done under law with works done under grace. Understanding this distinction is essential if we are to reconcile [...]
What are the Works of Abraham? (And Why Should We Do Them?)
If we are saved by faith in Christ alone, why does James insist that our faith must be matched with works? How can you balance the grace of God with the works of man? You [...]
What About James? (Are We Really Justified by Works?)
Whenever you preach the 100% pure gospel of God’s grace, someone will inevitably ask, “What about James?” The gospel of grace that Paul preached declares that we are [...]
“When Heaven Invades Earth” by Bill Johnson
In 1987 Bill Johnson attended a John Wimber conference on signs and wonders. He left discouraged because those speaking at the conference had fruit for what they believed. [...]
Top 12 J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes
Today is the anniversary of the death of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the 20th century’s greatest writers. Tolkien was born on 3 January 1892 and died 2 September 1973. Can you [...]
Bill Johnson on the Goodness of God
One of the most thrilling messages I’ve ever heard was preached just a few nights ago. In the middle of the Manifest Presence conference, Bill Johnson preached on the [...]
Top 20 Bill Johnson Quotes from Manifest Presence 2010
It’s the morning after Manifest Presence 2010. Bill Johnson preached again last night and it was really something. I have never seen anything like it. I know some of you [...]
Joseph Prince: Preacher of Grace
So the Americans have finally discovered Joseph Prince. A few weeks ago Charisma magazine published an interesting article on the Singaporean preacher entitled “Prince of [...]
How do we pervert the Gospel of Christ?
If you were on a sinking ship and had a choice of going into the water holding an anchor or a life preserver, which would you choose? Silly question? Yet this is the same [...]
Exodus 4:11
A little while ago we looked at a sincere lady in the Bible who mistakenly believed that God gives us things like death and poverty. As I explained in that post, God does not [...]
By Which Gospel are you Saved?
Read the New Testament and you might come away with the idea that there is more than one gospel. The very first words of the New Testament in the King James Bible are, “The [...]
“Unmerited Favor” by Joseph Prince
Have you ever noticed how the wisdom of the world and the old covenant sound much alike? If you do good, you get good. You reap what you sow. What goes around, comes around. [...]
Joseph Prince on Prosperity and Success
What would you think if you turned on your TV and spotted a preacher wearing nice clothes, preaching to thousands of people inside a well-furnished building on the subject of [...]
Does God Give and Take Away?
The whole Bible is good for you, but to understand the written word, you need to know the Living Word. Try to read the Bible without an appreciation of Jesus – who he is [...]
Keith Green’s Grace Awakening
And now for something special. Today, the 28th of July, is the 28th anniversary of the day Keith Green was killed in a plane crash at the young age of 28. Keith Green was one [...]
Does God Give Bad Gifts?
Does God give us sickness, poverty, and recessions? Should earthquakes, tsunamis and acts of terrorism be interpreted as his divine judgment on a sinful world? Does God kill [...]
The Gospel Comes to Laodicea
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Mention the Letter to the Laodiceans to a [...]
Two Religions: Works vs Blood
Travel around the world and you would be forgiven for thinking there are thousands of religions and belief-systems. In reality there are only two: religion based on works of [...]
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: Five Reasons to Thank Him
The gospel of grace is underwritten by the most precious commodity in the universe – the blood of Jesus. Some have lost sight of an important truth, possibly the most [...]
Laodicea, Part 7: To Him Who Overcomes (Rev 3:21)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. You will never understand the gospel of [...]
Special Thank You Gift: A Free Book!
Some time in the next few hours, Escape to Reality will pass the mile-stone of 10,000 hits. I’m a little bit blown away by the fact that people like you keep coming back to [...]
How to Really Overcome Discouragement: Lessons from the One Who Never Lost Heart
What do you do when you get discouraged? Maybe you’re discouraged right now. If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to tell you something Jesus said that will [...]
Mixing Grace with Works: It’s Not About the Widow
Most Christians know it’s a bad idea to mix grace with works because of what Paul said to the Galatians: Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now [...]
Top 12 Derek Prince Quotes
They say you don’t really know anything until you have to teach it to others. That has certainly been the case for me. I probably learned more of the Bible in my first year [...]
Laodicea, Part 6: Behold, I stand at the door (Rev 3:20)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Why did Jesus send a message to the [...]
Laodicea, Part 5: Be Earnest and Repent (Rev 3:19)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. The Laodiceans were warned by Jesus that [...]
“The Divine Exchange: 10 Things Jesus Accomplished on the Cross” by Derek Prince
I’ve been looking for an excuse to post something by Derek Prince ever since I started Escape to Reality. Recently I came across a series of sermons by Prince entitled The [...]
Bob Dylan: “Saved”
Today, 24 May, is Bob Dylan’s birthday. Dylan is a living legend. A songwriter for the ages. Even if you’re not a fan you probably know the lyrics to some of his songs. [...]
Laodicea, Part 4: “Buy” Your Salvation (Rev 3:18)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. The letter to the Laodiceans is just 222 [...]
Laodicea, Part 3: Who’s Wretched and Poor? (Rev 3:17)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. The Laodicean church was one of the most [...]
Laodicea, Part 2: What Makes Jesus Sick? (Rev 3:16)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. And an updated version of this article [...]
The Fear of God in the New Covenant
Jesus died on the cross to reconcile man to God and so that we might live free from the fear of punishment. Yet the phrase “the fear of the Lord” comes up many times in [...]
U2 Frontman Speaks Out: Top 20 Bono Quotes
Today, the 10th of May, is Bono’s birthday. Everyone has heard of Bono the rock star or Bono the political agitator. Everyone has some idea of what Bono does. But what’s [...]
Laodicea, Part 1: Are You “Hot” Enough for God? (Rev 3:15)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. The letter to the Laodicean church may be [...]
What Do You Think? Two Must-Read Books about Transformed Minds
What you think has a great bearing on who you are and what you do. “For as a man thinks, so he is,” (Pro 23:7). Yet an outsider looking at the church would find there are [...]
Top 12 Søren Kierkegaard Quotes
Today, 5 May, is the anniversary of the birthday of that gloomy Dane, Søren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard, who was born in 1813 and died on 11 on November 1855, has been called [...]
God is Good, But How Good is He?
I read something on the weekend that hit me like a stone. It was written by someone who is troubled that the church no longer fears God like in the good ol’ days of the Old [...]
Holding Fast in Thyatira: The Seductress versus the Savior (Rev 2:18-29)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Can you imagine what it must be like to [...]
Jesus’ Medicine – Tastes Like Ribena
My 5 year old came home from school with a fever. We wrapped her up in her doona, made her comfortable on the couch, and prayed for her. She got worse. By the time dinner was [...]
Where Does Forgiveness Come From? And Why Does it Matter?
There are two statements in the Bible that seem to contradict each other: 1. If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [...]
Leadership in The Office: Top 15 Michael Scott Quotes
One thing that unites most church leaders is an interest in the subject of leadership. Leadership is important, I’ll grant you, but honestly, do we need another leaders’ [...]
Granddad’s Bumper Sticker
Back in the 1970s my Granddad had a bumper sticker on his Ford Cortina that read: Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven In the past 40 years I have thought more about [...]
Incomplete Deeds: The Zombie Church of Sardis (Rev 3:1-6)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. What a wonderful thing for a church to [...]
God Doesn’t Do Half-Jobs: Why Partial Forgiveness Is Completely Bogus
There’s a teaching going around that says that God has only half-forgiven us. If it sounds wacky, that’s because it is. But partial forgiveness is what you have if you [...]
Forsaking Your First Love: What Was the Ephesians’ Problem? (Rev 2:1-7)
UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Camilla and I are celebrating our [...]
Grace and Propitiation in the Chronicles of Narnia
In an earlier post I wrote that Aslan died only for the sins of Edmund. That’s true, but it’s not the whole truth. I had forgotten parts of the conversation the White [...]
Easter in Narnia: What Really Happened at the Stone Table
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the schoolboy Peter finds himself in two bloodthirsty battles. In the first he fights and slays Maugrim the Wolf, captain of the [...]
Christianity in The Simpsons: Top 12 Reverend Lovejoy Quotes
Who is the most watched preacher on American TV? For the past 20 years it has probably been the Reverend Timothy Lovejoy of the First Church of Springfield. This is both [...]
“The Naked Gospel” by Andrew Farley
If you’ve been plugged into the blogosphere you’ve probably heard of The Naked Gospel and the story of how it’s author, Andrew Farley, came to write it. Farley was [...]
The Golden Hour: Could You Make an Eternal Difference in Just 60 Minutes?
From time to time we all find small windows of opportunity for the gospel. Faced with a chance encounter, a brief meeting, or a divine appointment, could you make a [...]
Top 20 Joseph Prince Quotes
A game I sometimes play is I switch over to the local Christian TV channel and see how long it takes for the preacher of the moment to mix law with grace. It’s not a game I [...]
Psalm 51 – The Badness of David versus the Goodness of God
Christians sometimes battle with guilt and condemnation even though God declares them “not guilty” and Christ has given us the gift of “no condemnation” (Rms 8:1). [...]
Grace and Love in the Chronicles of Narnia
Like many young Christian men reading The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, I used to wonder about Emeth the Calormene. You know the one. He was the Tash-worshipper who went through [...]
Top 12 Blessings in the New Covenant
In Christ we can participate in all of the blessings God promised to Abraham (Gal 3:14,29). We also get all of the blessings promised under the law covenant and none of the [...]
“A Matter of Life and Death” by Wayne Duncan
Today is the official release date of Wayne Duncan’s book A Matter of Life and Death: How to Read the Bible through New Covenant Lenses. Wayne Duncan is a South African [...]
“Culture of Honor,” by Danny Silk
Danny Silk’s book, Culture of Honor, is about relationships that release the life of Heaven into our churches. A “culture of honor” is probably not what you [...]
Grace and Law in the Chronicles of Narnia
One of the consequences of learning about grace is that you become sensitive to anything that smacks of legalism. This can lead to some nasty surprises. One moment you’re [...]
“Destined to Reign” by Joseph Prince
Life is too short to waste reading bad books or getting distracted by bad doctrine. One of my aims in keeping this blog is to promote good books that help us understand our [...]
How to Read your Bible without Getting Confused
Have you ever been confused by a passage in the Bible that seemed to contradict to something else in the Bible? The entire Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting [...]
“He Qualifies You” by Chad Mansbridge
I picked up this little book on my last trip to Hong Kong and read it in an hour. It was an hour well-spent. In this book Chad Mansbridge, of Bayside Church International, [...]
Building Ramps for the Mentally Ill
About 10 years ago I heard an Australian pastor say that mental illness was a big need in his city. I was young and strong back then so the picture that came into my mind was [...]
Top 7 Tony Campolo Books
As a young man I was a huge fan of Tony Campolo. For young men looking for boundaries Campolo was one of the few unafraid to handle hot potatoes and draw lines in the sand. [...]
Completely Forgiven? When Confession is Bad for You
Jesus died to set men free. Galatians 5:13 tells us that we have a holy calling to be free – to live free, walk free, stay free. One way that we can lose our freedom is to [...]
Why do Churches Have Mood Music?
It’s the end of the service and the preacher is coming to the punch line. Quietly the keyboardist goes on stage, selects “warm pads” or “strings” and begins to play [...]
What Would Jesus Drive?
A standard question asked at youth groups used to be “Should Christians drive BMWs?” I never understood the point of this. I wondered, does God hate German cars? Yes I [...]
Top 12 C.S. Lewis Quotes
CS Lewis was probably the most quotable Christian of the past century. I dare say that every second book in a Christian bookstore has at least one quote from the great [...]
The 3Rs of Christianity
At the risk of overlooking some liberating truths, the basics of following Christ can be reduced to 3 Rs. 1. Righteousness The gospel reveals a righteousness that comes from [...]
Whose Medicine are you Taking? The Dangers of Taking Scripture out of Context
Two men go to see the doctor. The first is suffering from advanced cancer and needs a life-saving intervention. The second is completely healthy and is going for a routine [...]
Gifts + Message + Mission: Lessons from 2 Timothy
Near the end of his life Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy. It is full of practical wisdom for every Christian. In the first two chapters we find three timely [...]
That’s My King
From time to time we’ve been fired up by SM Lockridge’s awesome “That’s my king” sermon. (The full text can be found at the bottom of this [...]
Getting Caught by Your Calling
Christians in their twenties often struggle with the issue of God’s calling, as in, what does God want me to do with my life? I’m a big believer in reflection and taking [...]
Leaders Are Readers: What I’m Reading
One of my favourite cliches, often heard at leadership conferences, is “leaders are readers.” This one I actually agree with. If you love learning you’ll [...]
The Need for Unreasonable Men
Reasonable men adapt to the world around them; unreasonable men make the world adapt to them. The world is changed by unreasonable men. This is one of my favorite quotes [...]
How Do I Know the Bible is True? The Test of Prophecy
There are literally hundreds of excellent websites that address this question and many truth tests are available. Let’s just consider one such test here, specifically, the [...]
Escape to Reality 