Posts from February 2023 (Page 2)

It’s almost beyond belief that some preachers can scare you out of hell without inviting you into heaven. Admittedly, it takes a lot less effort to draw forth guilt than it does to inspire righteousness. Satan loves congregations to hear sermons that lock them into a perpetual state of guilt – Believe me, like cars clamped by a parking lot attendant with a stopwatch, that church is going nowhere. If I could pin all the blame on the preacher I…

One sister in the Lord’s church opened her front door to the words, “Oh, we’re so glad to find you at home.” Not recognising them and thinking that one looked a little like her husband’s side of the family, she asked sheepishly, “Are you relatives of my husband?” The couple smiled and replied, “No, we are Jehovah’s Witnesses.” In the old days stories were told of religious fanatics “putting their foot in your door to get the last word in.”…

I have had the sad and uncomfortable experience of having to intervene in situations where one party in a dispute has overreacted. On more than one of those occasions the antagonist has turned to me and said, “You don’t know them. Wait till you find out what they are really like!” Now, there must be no justification for angry outbursts or revenge of any kind, but I am sorry to say that I found out the hard way that I…

It is more usual than not for brethren to cringe when preachers begin pointing out the strange teachings that exist in our brotherhood. Mental scans are done of the auditorium in hopes that “the family from that other congregation isn’t here this morning hearing this.” The tragic irony being that we have more concern for people’s feelings than their spiritual wellbeing. I don’t know any preachers who go out of their way to “put people off” by deliberately upsetting them…

If you visit some countries, you might be surprised to find that “Yes” does not always mean “Yes.” Its not that the locals are lying, but that saying “No” to guests is considered the hight of rudeness. This is, of course, very puzzling for those who come from cultures where a straight answer is expected and appreciated. However, if you stay long enough, you will begin to understand that the people may not say the word “No,” but that they…

Before I was a parent, I was your consummate expert in the art of raising children. Now, three adult children later, amazingly I really don’t have much to say unless asked. Though I believe we did a lot of things right, looking back, there are clearly areas that could have done with more solution seeking. That, of course, goes way beyond just raising children. Advice is easier to give than to take. It is especially when in the throes of…

I, too, along with an army of other schoolboys, delivered newspapers off the back of my bicycle. It was serious business for some of the customers on my paper-route. Some stood at their gates, and others sat by their windows waiting for their paperboy to arrive. Being one of those who has only ever read newspapers out of duty, it wasn’t until recently that it dawned on me that I was bringing to these households a 1970s version of the…

Spiritual leadership ends when we stop expecting others to question what we are telling them. Despite the concerns of some, Jesus Christ is not going to disappear into thin air because someone questions what we teach about him. And neither is the Lord’s church going to disappear into thin air because someone questions what we teach about it. Christ is eternal and his church indestructible, so questions will harm neither! Christians should be famous for their willingness to have their…

Certain Christians are so good that you would be shocked if you found out that they had deceived someone. These are our “Good Guys’” who stand out as moral examples in the church. However, it is not uncommon for some of these same brethren to miss deception in others. I have stood amazed at their inability to see wolves in sheep’s clothing. They may acknowledge wrongdoing, but they do not attribute the bad motives that are often obvious to everyone…

For years I had a quality brand spirit Level in my toolbox. Why I kept it around is a mystery—it just didn’t work! Occasionally, I’d take another level and attempt to correct the “bubble,” but invariably it reverted to its “not-true” state. If I had such a one in my toolbox today, I’d throw it away and get one that worked. Some have suggested that the expression, “On the level,” comes from Freemasonry, where the builder’s level was a symbol…