Posts from October 2022 (Page 2)

A woman spoke of her earlier days as an addict and a mother of small children. “I was a bad friend with bad habits,” she said. “When I was arrested the courts put me on home-detention with a tracking device on my leg—but that didn’t stop me from inviting my friends and their drugs to my home. My mother saw the danger that I was putting my children in and called the police. I was put in prison for six…

A brother went up to a preacher who was known for taking regular trips to the Holy Lands and asked, “How are the Christians in the Seven Church of Asia doing?” It was a serious question by a man who was a new Christian. He was unaware of the ancient demise of those churches. Another preacher recently went to search for believers in Ephesus, and was surprised to find but a handful meeting together for worship. Though we don’t know…

It’s one thing to theorize about martyrdom, and quite another to literally face it. If the average Christian were honest, he would admit that his prayer, “Lord, put me where you want me to be,” excludes places where its either too hot or too cold; let alone the prospect of facing physical harm. The irony in this is the fact that we honestly believe that we have control over our futures. Who says that we can’t be forced to join…

Concerning deliverance, Jesus, in his model prayer, he tells us to pray: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). I hope that I am wrong, but I have my doubts that too many of us stop to ask what we are requesting deliverance from. During the normal course of the day all that we want to be delivered from are high prices, bad traffic and those that irritate. It’s when we quieten down and…

Undoubtedly, you and I know people we can trust to carry out their promises to the full. But as a rule, the days where, “My word is my bond,” appear to have been well and truly assigned to history. Many Christians have joined the world in the belief that they cease to be accountable for all prior commitments when relationships end. The current trajectory of the family is one that can well lead to the destruction of our civilisation if…

I have seen the broken-edged blackboards and large sheets of paper pinned to the walls of shacks that double as Bible classrooms and auditoriums. I’m sure that the brethren who study and praise God in those humble dwellings would look at our buildings as something to aspire to. I know how they feel. I have also been in other church facilities that make our own seem humble by comparison. I judge no one. But when I look at the obvious…

I was teaching a Bible class and asked the question, “Since we are commanded to ‘Confess our sins to each other’ (James 5:16), why are we so reluctant to do so?” After some excellent comments, one brother said, “Maybe we should ask, ‘Do we really want others confessing their sins to us?’” He had a good point. When someone shares their struggles with you, you then become a bearer of burdens you may find very hard to carry. You have…

I recently visited a church that does not pass around a collection plate at worship. The brother, addressing the visitors said, “We do not have a collection at this church. Most of our members give through internet banking, but if you would like to give, there is a box at the back of the auditorium.” I liked that and would like to see it become ubiquitous. Giving into the church treasury is Biblical and necessary. We achieve a lot more…

A preacher friend of mine told me of an All-Night Men’s Prayer Meeting he attended. He said, “About a dozen guys met in my home. Everyone was upbeat and set in for the long night. We all had personal prayer lists and wrote down notes as we went. It was great to hear the brothers praise God for his goodness and seek His blessings upon their families, the church and work.” But what he said next struck me most. He…

If Satan can’t knock us off our feet, he will keep us off our feet. In fact, stand up for Jesus and expect to be put down. This is all part of the battle in which God makes you stand firm in your faith. Yes, and sometimes “struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9). God had spoken through His prophet. All Judah had to do was turn up to the battlefield and watch God defeat the sons of Ammon,…