Posts from 2022 (Page 11)

Hope is that thing that gives purpose to your life. It directs your energy into meaningful pursuits and inspires others to seek out the reason for your confidence. With it you bring the joy of expectancy, without it you carry the gloom of uncertainty. Living without hope is no life at all. One of the reasons that our church Elders must be “old” (it’s assumed in the name), is because their wisdom comes from lives lived over a good many…

When you speak truth, your critics do not answer you as an equal. Emotions rise, and their air of superiority is only surpassed by the disdain in their tone. They will not abide the light shone into their darkness. They have no space for you. When Zachariah’s eccentric preacher-son come back from the wilderness he drew large crowds. Though he baptised the repentant and preached that the Messiah was near, his critics dismissed his extreme diet and sobriety as proof…

Believe it, or not, you are a rich recipient of goodness. Goodness borne out of the faith and wisdom of your brethren; you have much to be thankful for. Most importantly, of course, you have had your soul watched over. However, churches can only do so much; the rest is between you and the Lord. It is inside your head and heart that your private faith is played out. It is there the battle for your soul rages. While Jesus…

Many things keep the world awake at night that will not matter in the final analysis. It has become fashionable to judge a person as uncaring if they do not blame themselves for all the plagues, famines, wars, and crimes that befall mankind. Time and energy are wasted on irrational fears that the average person has little or no control over. Believe it, or not, whatever the rise or fall in the earth’s temperature, it will mean nothing when Jesus…

I have heard recordings of Question-and-Answer panels from the 1960s. Those old preachers and teachers, including their audiences, really knew their subjects well. By all appearances, everyone knew what was going to be said before it was said. They were simpler days, where right and wrong needed no explanation. However, the years that followed were testament to the fact that following generations will do as they please. The next five decades saw many of the churches of Christ, along with…

My brother, Ray, told me of an incident that occurred in the mid-1970s. He said that he was working on a construction site and sat down in the sun to eat his lunch. As he chatted with one of the other workers on the project, the man opened his lunch box and lifted out a piece of paper. “What’s this?” he said. When he unfolded the paper, it revealed the scribblings of an unsigned five-word letter. It read: “I’m going…

I visited the beautiful town of Devonport, today. It rests at the end of a peninsula on Auckland’s North, and at the foot of Mount Victoria. Devonport is a short ferry trip away from Downtown Auckland, which spreads across the opposite shore of the Waitamata Harbour. It has quaint shops, cafes, a rather expensive looking Public Library, it is home to our modest naval base, has very expensive houses, and generous, but strict, parking laws. But my visit today reminded…

Many a new Christian has gone home to joyously announce their baptism, only to be met with incredulity. Much to the surprise of the brand-new saint, their family members were suddenly claiming deep spiritual affection for the religion of their fathers; even though they had never mentioned such convictions before in their lifetimes. In other words, “Keep your religion to yourself!” It goes without saying that no one becomes a Christian hoping to be ignored or attacked for their faith.…

A preacher’s son was playing in his front yard when a visitor asked him if his dad was home. “He’s upstairs praying,” the little boy said. “What’s he praying about? the visitor enquired. “He’s asking God if he should take a position at a bigger church with a bigger salary.” “Well, where’s your mother, then?” the man asked. “She’s downstairs packing,” the little boy said. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is oft cited when discussing prayers answered in the negative.…

I sat with an old missionary who spoke of the brethren he had left his home to work with years before. He said that they were the most hard working, gracious and godly saints he knew. He told of the brethren’s dedication to the lost, and how they endured persecution within and without the church as they reached out to their neighbours. What the old missionary didn’t tell me was that the brethren of that congregation were inspired by his…