Posts by John Staiger (Page 48)

What prisoner cries from his cell that his greatest desire is: “I want to know Christ…” These are the profound words that Paul wrote from prison in Rome to the Philippian brethren in about AD60. This was the Pharisee who had been bent on wiping the name of Christ off the face of the earth. He was the man who stood and gave official approval for the stoning of Stephen. And not content with picking Christians off one by one,…

Today is the last day of 2021. It is my prayer (if the Lord wills that there be a tomorrow), that each of us looks to the New Year with the excitement of a three-year-old greeting a new day. Let us rise and sing with the Psalmist: “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Having been blessed with another year in the Lord’s church, it is always wise…

Some churches have a “Cold-water Committee.” These are the brethren who have somehow developed a unique gift of “dis-encouragement” (and, lest I sound too self-righteous, I must admit that I might possibly have sat on one or two of these committees myself). They are easy to find. Each member has a near-miraculous ability to turn up at the happiest of events and proceed to pour cold water on it. A preacher friend told me that a brother once phoned him,…

If anything should remind the Christian that he is an alien in a foreign kingdom, it is taxes. Though governments extract revenue from Christians and non-Christians alike, believers are aware that they are paying money that will be spent in ungodly ways. This has caused some Christians to avoid the payment of taxes on grounds of conscience. They make strong arguments condemning governments for their lack of humanity and low morals—all usually true. However, despite the heart-breaking societal degradation, it…

This amazingly honest announcement was made by The Atheists in Kenya society in May 2021: “This evening, regretfully, our Secretary Mr. Seth Mahiga made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of our society. Seth’s reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. We wish Seth all the best in his newfound relationship with Jesus Christ. We thank him for having served the society with dedication…

You know that you are on the road to fame when people come miles out of their way to hear you speak. Jesus was preaching in Capernaum to a full house, and amongst the crowd were some of his enemies who had travelled from near and far to hear him. They were not fans. They must have been pleased when their mission to condemn was quickly realised. It came when Jesus said to a paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” (Mk.2:5).…

I have attended Christian funerals where, in the honest sadness (it hurts to miss someone), there was not a hint of despair. Mourners, believers and non-believers alike, unanimously accepted that the deceased believed that he had reached his goal and all was well. Conversely, I have attended funerals where there were both honest sadness, and bitter revenge. Mourners, believers and non-believers alike, fighting over the legacy of the deceased—with no regard for the goal of his faith. But it doesn’t…

Today is Christmas. The days of early-rising little kids, gleefully desperate to get into their piles of children’s gifts, are long gone in our home. Now adults assemble at a sensible hour to share thoughtful gifts. But let that not suggest any lack of gleeful desperation on the part of any assembled—we love Christmas more than ever. Who doesn’t? The tremendous joy in receiving is to be cherished, and added to it is the honour bestowed upon the givers. “Christmas…

Leaders can give other leaders bad names. So ungodly has been the behaviour of some that many a population has considered their leaders unredeemable. Of course, it is not fair to condemn every last person – even if the rest might reflect the stereotype. Of the 70 or so men that made up the Jewish Ruling Council (The Sanhedrin), there were at least two godly men that we know about. One was Nicodemus, and the other was Joseph of Arimathea.…

I met a man who especially enjoyed TV shows about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. He was a godly soul, and I believe that even if he had riches, he would more likely have given them all to the poor than live the high life himself. What struck me most about him was his lack of judgement upon these often wasteful and dishonest people. But he maintained that every person has their own set of struggles, and theirs…