Posts by John Staiger (Page 24)

Christianity is aspirational by nature. Our Kingdom work has eternal value because it is empowered by our Eternal God; effort is never wasted. Thus, how can we NOT move forward? For our ambitions are founded upon the very Rock of our Salvation. So why do so many give up the fight? It is because, like Peter on the stormy sea, they take their eyes off the one who upholds them. The sooner we realise that we are all spiritually sunk…

In my youth I fractured my thumb in a minor motorcycle accident. It was a Saturday, and I sat in the hospital waiting room for four hours before I was seen by a medical professional. On the wall was a sign advising patients to contact their family doctor in case of an emergency. First, I thought it strange because no self-respecting doctor could be contacted after 4pm on a Friday in those days. Then I thought it ironic because I…

Somebody in a foreign land shared a Live Facebook Feed with me. It appeared to be an all-weekend youth convention. At about 2 o’clock in the morning, their time, a brother in his early twenties began to preach. His lesson was called, “Rejoice Always.” He was loud, direct, and funny, and even told a brother, as the night and his sermon went on, “Don’t fall asleep now!” In his youthful energy and excitement, he told his young audience often, “Rejoicing…

Standing on the day of battle is the goal of every Christian, but many times we fall. But though we fall, we rise in the forgiveness of the Lord to fight on. How long can we do this? For as long as there is grace available to the repentant. If we are expected to have grace enough to forgive each other 70 times 7 times, how much more grace does God have to share? However, we need not fall, because…

Anger has many faces and all of them are ugly! I once met a man who was ordered by the Court to attend an Anger Management Course. I knew that he had had problems, but he didn’t seem like the “angry” type; obviously this was not apparent until you got to know him. “Was the course helpful?” I asked. He said, “Surprisingly, yes. They instilled in us that anger is a choice, and since it is a choice, we have…

A spirit of jealousy can linger within a church for decades if left unchecked. Envy is one of those sins that is easier to define than to confront properly. One brother who felt justified in accusing another brother of jealousy said that their friendship was never the same again. He had forgotten that there were other witnesses there who felt that he too was afflicted with a spirit of jealousy. Having seen the damage done to one friendship, they didn’t…

If we were all able to live on our own little islands with a sign reading, “Visitors by appointment only,” I wonder what life would be like? As appealing as a secluded slice of paradise might sound to the hermits among us, history clearly demonstrates that such isolation is not preferred by most. And even if each of us had a sustainable island, we would still be susceptible to those who steal and kill. However, the reason that humans group…

I have eight brothers, seven of them being older than I am, with their ages stretching from three years to fifteen years my senior. So, you could say that I am well versed in the art of being treated, usually for better, as a little brother. I had to smile recently when a brother in the Lord, a dozen years older than I, said that he had always seen me as an equal. Though he has always been a tower…

A generation from now those 20-year-olds will probably have spouses, children, and vans. While their lives revolve around the needs of their dependents, their hopes of getting back their youthful freedoms will be diminishing by the day. All they have will be invested in the wellbeing of those who will be most unaware of the sacrifices made on their behalf. Such is the way of responsibility—you are not your own! Of course, in Christ we were never our own. Paul…

Strange convictions come forth from strange circumstances. I realise that such a statement can be interpreted as vague but mull it over. Think about the last time your convictions changed on a subject and ask yourself what changes were taking place around you. Given that we are all affected by the people and events that come and go from our lives, we should not be surprised when our convictions are challenged. It is natural for our conscience to be engaged…