Posts from 2022 (Page 17)

Morally speaking the world slides ever downward. It always has and it always will. Every now and then a generation will fight its way upward when it sees the cesspool below, but the slope on which it slid is still there; and it must be resisted. There are no new sins. The devil has merely taken the old ones and repackaged them. Though the internet has brought a lot of good into our lives, it has also allowed open access…

I weep when I think about my wounded preaching brothers. Most are men who were mighty in word and deed. Their godliness once shone bright in their wisdom, compassion, and sacrifice. I remain eternally grateful for the good they brought to my life and to the church. Only God knows all the facts surrounding their “stepping down from ministry.” It is true that some of them brought their problems upon themselves, but they are in the minority. For the rest,…

Stephen was “a man full of faith” (Acts 6:5), and where did it get him? It got him killed! (Acts 7:57). Loved ones would have gone to bed that night asking why Stephen endured such a violent death. Some would have thought that he had been brainwashed into saying the crazy things that enraged the crowd. Others would have appreciated his convictions but wished that he had just toned it down a bit. A critic from another time accused the…

I have long since given up playing the “My church is better than other churches” game. However, many churches play into this mindset by being convinced that the church needs “Professional Leadership.” Ironically, the men that Jesus chose to ‘change the world’ were hardly the ‘movers and shakers’ of their day. In the end, the quality that mattered most was their willingness to share what they had witnessed about the Risen Christ – no matter the cost. And that they…

“How are you doing spiritually?” This is one question that we should never be afraid to ask or answer. It forces our thoughts back into the spiritual war that is raging in and round us. While we are being so easily distracted with petty pursuits, Satan is busy maneuvering our minds ever further away from “things above.” Little do we realise that those mundane distractions dull our senses and leave us weakened for the fight. Left unchecked the state of…

I have seen hearts broken on the rocks of unbelief; Christians weeping for the souls of loved ones who openly reject faith in Christ. Only Jesus can see into the hearts of those who are beyond saving. You and I are not capable of making such judgements. Though we may clearly see the rotting fruits of faithlessness, we humbly pray in hope that the sinner turns to the Lord before it’s too late—we did, so can they. Nobody believes that…

Is it better to be a Christian even if Jesus’ resurrection is not true? Some believers say that it is, and begin to tabulate the blessings that Christianity has wrought upon the world—advancements in science, law, education, technology, health, etc.—as proof. All of these have had an undeniable impact upon civilisation, but do they really constitute “the stuff” of Christianity? The apostle Paul emphatically disagrees that the Christian life is ‘still worth it even if it is only for this…

I have met liars that could have taken home awards for their artfulness. Ordinary people who have lived behind a veil of secrecy are closed off to all those who ‘don’t really know them.’ On the rare occasion where their true personality was forced into the light, it wasn’t a pretty picture. What they could not deny, they minimised. What they could not minimise, they raged against and insisted that it was no one’s business but their own. But I…

Not all of us are sorry for all our sins all the time. All of us need a Prophet Nathan in our lives. Someone who is sent by God to confront us with our sin the way Nathan did with King David (2 Samuel 12). Our sins may not be as grievous as David’s were, but, like his, ours too have their destructive flow on effects. Some Christians spend their lives wondering if they are cursed because of their past…

I have heard dictators, responsible for murdering thousands of their own citizens, swear that they wouldn’t as much as harm a bug crawling across their kitchen table. Their gold-teeth smiles, meticulously decorated uniforms, military guards, and palatial surroundings scream, “Life for me, but not for thee.” Nobody believes that they have a hard heart. God sent Moses to confront Pharaoh about the oppression of the Israelites in his care. Instead of humbling himself before God, he hardened his heart and…