Posts from 2022 (Page 24)

Rugged individualism in a leader has always attracted attention. The straight-talking man who comes out of nowhere to expose evil and promote justice has ever been welcome amongst the downtrodden. Such was John the Baptiser, the camel skin-clad wilderness preacher. In another world, this not only impressive, but uniquely talented man could easily have used his persona and his oratory skills to promote nationalism in Israel. The Jewish leaders would have generously employed his mass appeal to draw thousands into…

Life is too short to be wasted. There is no time for chasing rainbows or nursing regrets. When the hard times come, and they will, they are best faced in faith than in failure. The temptation to avoid the disappointments of life is strong. However, our efforts to protect ourselves against future woes are often misguided. We forget that Jesus’ life was full of disappointments, and all of them were handled in the context of his ministry. Though the crucifixion…

The most important advice that you will give a person is that they be very careful of the master they choose. For he who rules the heart, is he who sets its course. Jesus put it best:“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24). Your body, soul and spirit can only travel…

Such was the apostle Paul’s love for the souls of his fellow countrymen that he wrote, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3). He was convicted that if Jesus could save him, “the worst of sinners,” Jesus could save them too. This too is our starting point in our desire to save the lost. Every Christian wakes daily to the beautiful,…

What will a man give for the approval of others? Judging by the extremes that some go to—a lot! Israel’s leaders saw no advantage in listening to the likes of Jesus. He had no standing with the Jewish Council (The Sanhedrin), and his appeal among the “tax collectors and sinners” brought his integrity into question in their minds. When Jesus’ popularity grew to the point where the Jewish leaders could no longer ignore him, they came out to confront him…

Christians waste their time worrying about what others possess. Having previously given the subject more time than it deserved, my discussions with the “haves” usually did not end well. As much as I tried to focus such discussions on general Christian stewardship, the discussions usually (but not always) descended into monologues on their “gift to make money.” I never disputed their moneymaking talents, but their underlying message that the poor lacked ambition, or were “just plain lazy,” was offensive. Most…

Ambition without the joy of the Lord is merely self-imposed slavery. King David, the most famous of God’s lyricists penned these lines of exaltation:“I delight to do Your will, O my God;Your Law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). The Christian’s sense of joy is their inner barometer. When the storms of life descend upon us and our otherwise happy demeanour is knocked off course, it is those things which bring us delight that will give us direction. However, if…

Christians do well to retreat to a neutral position when considering secular leaders. That is not to suggest that we are to be neutral towards any evil forced upon us by the powers-that-be, but to say that worldly authorities are just that—Worldly! Believers have faith in God’s providence, not the scheming of men. Jesus explained their ambitions thus: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them” (Matthew 20:25).…

I feel confident that we agree that the “Heaven can wait” mentality is endemic. And that even those who have a good number of ‘miles on the clock’ act as if the pearly gates are too far off to worry about. What happened to the prophet’s cry: “Prepare to meet your God!”? (Amos 4:12). It appears to have been drowned out by the irrational assurances of deathbed repentance. Not only is this irrational, but it is also dangerous. For it…

Selfish ambition is the opposite of serving the needs of others. Jesus leaves no room for guessing as to his divine perspective on where selfish ambition takes a man. He asks: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Once the soul is lost, what can a man offer to buy it back…? And even if he had gained the…