Posts from December 2022 (Page 3)

It was one of those phone calls that claimed that the worldwide events of 2020 were the fulfilment of the prophesies in the Book of Revelation. I had been hearing similar theories since the mid-1970s, so nothing was new. The brother concerned was sincere and, to his credit, was more interesting than others I’d spoken to. The problem came later when he complained that I had not answered his questions to his satisfaction. My respectful response was this: “I have…

The road to Fearlessness is strewn thick with demonic obstacles. From our first step the thought of overcoming the obvious fears—money, health, family, and all manner of temptations—seems to render any hope of success impossible. I’m sure that we agree that all previous efforts to clear each fear on a case-by-case basis has failed. Like the mythical beast, “cutting the head off one causes even more to appear.” Yes, we must boldly face temptations—be they evil desires, people, or situations—as…

The faithless is not without power, nor is the backslider without appeal. Even the unbeliever can marshal an abundance of goods, and the fallen impress with his residual wisdom. Properly used, that rain falling upon the Unjust, and the goods in the hands of the Shrewd Manager, will make the ungodly attractive leaders among men. Such men are motivated by the world’s riches, and the admiration of others. Though everyone is called to emulate the work ethic of the ant,…

People may dream of standing out in the crowd, but in reality, most people prefer to blend in with the masses. Experience tells them that unwanted attention awaits those who leave the safety of conformity. They learn to keep their opinions amongst those close to them, lest embarrassment results from outside criticism. Christians cannot help but admire the fearlessness of the prophets. John the Baptist was unflinching in his preaching. He did not fear for his personal safety when he…

Our airwaves are full of people pushing themselves forward as the latest authorities on all things “important.” I cannot recommend enough that Christians leave their familiar surroundings to take in the sights and sounds of the world far beyond their homes. One of the first things an astute traveller will notice on their return is that all those self-appointed authorities didn’t even notice they were gone. Thus, the only appropriate reaction to this is to spend the rest of your…

From the earliest days of my Christian walk, I saw something in the church that I had never seen elsewhere. These men and women possessed a strength of community that went beyond the best of friendships; they were a family of true believers. These Christians were good people, and I was honoured to know them. They brought blessings of every kind to my life, but the one they wanted to share most was the one they held most dear—Eternal Life!…

Do you remember when “Trials and tribulations” were the stuff of those old sermons of yesteryear? They were the hard times that fell upon the other people – unless you were unlucky enough to have someone bring their problems over your threshold. But otherwise, your life was pleasant, if not predictably mundane. Now, if “Pleasant, if not predictably mundane” describes your present state of being, then you may want to reconsider the whereabouts of that cross that you are supposed…

As a kid, we had one of those old Radiograms sitting in our lounge. I can’t remember the radio ever being used, but I remember playing the records—45s, LPs, and 78s. Some of those records were old and in poor condition, and inevitably, because of surface damage, the needle would slip and a line in the song would get caught in a continuous repeat cycle. It was no mystery…you had a “Stuck Record.” However, if you were lucky, you could…

There is no greater compliment than to have people say that you spend too much time thinking about Jesus. If so, you are in good company. For not only did the apostles spend their every waking hour thinking about Jesus, but they also had the blessing of spending three and a half years in his presence. When Peter and John ended up on trial before the Jewish leadership, the more they spoke, the more it became obvious who they reminded…

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). Go online and watch atheists railing against the existence of God—they are fearless! It is not for nothing that scripture insists: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Those humbled by God’s grace wonder at the unbeliever’s lack of fear. But it should not surprise us when a man deceives himself into thinking that there is…