Posts from July 2022 (Page 3)

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Kids will tell you that they have seen old movies where paper street maps were being used for directions, and note how inconvenient it must have been. They have no idea! I remember being lost somewhere northwest of Atlanta years ago. It was dark, raining, and getting late. And to make things worse, the font size of the street names in the book were for…

A defiled heart cannot and will not see God, and probably doesn’t really have a desire to do so. The apostle Paul doesn’t hold back when he tells Titus: “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15). We rightly view the libertine as one who embraces sin with a devil-may-care charm. He is not about to hide that which…

Those love songs and those breaking-up songs impact the same heart, but for opposite reasons. All parents want the best possible relationships for their children. Experience tells them that when those-head-over-heels feelings land in real life, then they had better get their-feet-firmly-on-the-ground. The heart is easily tricked by us or someone else. The worst-case scenario, of course, is for us to knowingly enter the schemes of the deceptive. What is it about deceit that draws the bored and the reckless…

“The Heart wants what it wants – or else it does not care”― Emily Dickinson. The first part of Emily Dickenson’s quote has been often used as a means of justification; as if to say, “I couldn’t help myself.” Some tell stories ending in fairy-tales, but some in trainwrecks. However, far be it from me to suggest that a good heart shouldn’t want what it wants. Solomon dedicates his Old Testament book, “Song of Solomon,” to the glories of true…

If you have never heard of Nancy Brophy ‘the author,’ it’s probably because her self-published Romance Novels didn’t sell. But if you have heard of Nancy Brophy ‘the murderess,’ then it is because the murder of her husband reads like a plot from a Romance Novel ‘gone wrong.’ In 2018 Nancy (71) followed her husband (63) to work, shot him twice, and went home to await a $1.5 million insurance pay-out. She would have gotten away with it but for…

A continual stream of prodigal sons and daughters leave our congregations year after year. Like the father in Jesus’ story, we watch longing for their return. I have often asked the Lord if I have contributed to their obvious lack of fear for the Lord. If I have, I am truly sorry. For those who will listen, I beg: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). The first ‘Repentance’ verse…

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1). What will become of the “Church of the Online Revolution?” We all know members who are still worshipping at home and, praise the Lord, will eventually make their way back to the pews. But concerning are those who haven’t, and those who won’t. Never before have whole churches accepted that “The assembling of the saints” includes those who are remote by choice. Online services have been, and will continue…

When talking with a brother recently, I was caused to reflect upon a time when I was overly generous with my complaints about a certain situation. Though the complaints were not about him, I wanted to apologise for making a difficult time in his life even harder. His response was more than gracious. He felt that my complaints had been fair and that lessons had been learned in keeping with God’s providence. At the time I felt that my ‘persistent…

Many Christians delight in political debates. They say they don’t, but that is only because they narrowly define “a debate” as politicians arguing their respective views during voting cycles. These Christians, like everyone else, tune into their favourite personalities to have their political views either affirmed or challenged. By contrast many Christians eschew religious debates. In this case they broadly define ‘a debate’ as preachers and/or scholars arguing their respective views, but this time in a way that they deem…

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1). It is easy to forget how spiritually helpless we used to be. That now it is only because Jesus reconciled us that we can even call ourselves Christians. It is by contemplating this reunification between God and man, something completely beyond our abilities and resources, that we see hope for reconciliation amongst ourselves. When brethren are not getting along, we must never line…