Posts from December 2022 (Page 2)

No one, though try as they may, can flee from God. Jonah knew this, but still cared little that his attempt to run away from God might bring misery upon others. He inflicted extreme fear and guilt upon his shipmates as a consequence of his selfish rebellion against God. Sadly, Jonah is not the only one guilty of that sin. Throughout the Bible we see God speaking through the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, and preachers and teachers. God’s call…

Jim has a house full of antiques. Twenty-five years ago, I asked him to evaluate an old clock I have. He looked at it and said that it was worth about $800.00 in working order. When I asked him how much it might cost to restore, he said, “$800.00.” Later, I went into an antique clock shop and asked them to tell me the value of my clock and how much it would cost to restore. The answers were exactly…

Balaam cared nothing for the people he was called to help. Although Balak’s plan to have Balaam curse Israel was thwarted when Balaam blessed them instead, it didn’t mean Balaam had any fond affection for Israel. In fact, later he advised the Midianites that tempting the Israelites to immorality would work just as well. God killed Balaam for that (Numbers 31:8). Peter tells us that Balaam “loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15). This was a man who knew…

The Apostle John nailed down the fact that we can know that we are saved. Concerning his purpose of his Gospel account he stated, “These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). Note that he was not engaging in a type of circular reasoning, as if to say, ‘I have written this so you can say that you…

There is indeed a Great Day coming. The Day that Jesus gave his life to bless. The Day that will be filled with rejoicing for those who believed in that blessing. Judgement day will be the Day that Christians realise how much Jesus did for them on the cross. We will understand the full extent of Jesus’ saving grace when we see him in his glory face to face. The pain of sin and death will be swallowed up in…

We should not be surprised when the Bible is viewed by many “as just another collection of ancient myths and wise sayings.” However, since the Bible is so much a part of the DNA of Western thinking, it cannot be easily wished away. Instead, wherever possible, unbelievers will happily downgrade the Bible to a book of children’s tales; stories to be “grown out of,” like Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy. This is nothing new. Even preachers have been guilty…

There were two men in prison and the only book they had was a dictionary. One of them asked, “What do you think of the story so far?” The other answered, “It’s a bit slow. For some reason the author feels that he needs to explain every word.” Given that Jesus’ return can happen at any moment, and that there are eight billion souls on earth, we do well to think “evangelism,” and not be slow about it. When James…

“Going the extra mile,” “turning the other cheek,” “giving away your cloak as well as your shirt,” and “lending while expecting nothing in return,” all have this in common: Fighting over them is a waste of time and energy—we have better things to do! It is true that there are Christians who deserve to be publicly shamed and sued. So why did Paul tell us not to bring lawsuits against each other? Because Christians don’t treat each other the way…

Intent matters. It is the difference between manslaughter or murder. It is the difference between a genuine apology or being thought disingenuous. It is the difference between acceptance or rejection by God. King Zedekiah had two major problems: Firstly, the might of the Babylonian Army was on Jerusalem’s doorstep, and secondly, it was there at God’s invitation. The die was cast, Israel was going into Babylonian captivity and Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. Like all of us, King Zedekiah…

One of the last things I want anyone doing is deciding for me what a Christian should or should not own. When a church begins to determine a believer’s faithfulness according to their possessions, its time for a spiritual reset. But that being said, you and I as individuals, need to do our own private inventories before the Lord. For it is not so much the amount of our possessions, but our attachment to them that matters. The Rich Young…