Posts by John Staiger (Page 59)

I went to visit the dental clinic when I was 10-years-old. It was not the ‘murder-house’ found at the typical primary school, but instead, a large room with multiple chairs, multiple children, and multiple dental students. The experience was overwhelming. When I climbed up in the chair, I was greeted by a young lady who had obviously had her fill of unhappy cavity laden children. As she drilled down hard on my nerves and added to my growing collection of…

Lizzie Borden and the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, are infamous for murdering their parents. All appearances are that the Borden and Menendez parents did their children no harm. This causes us to wonder why these children would even contemplate such acts of violence. Christina Crawford, adopted daughter of actress, Joan Crawford, hated her abusive mother enough to write a book about her, but at least she didn’t end her life—though she may have given it thought. In Mark 7…

“If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1Tim.6:8). TikTok needs no introduction. Recently, an American newspaper set up several TikTok accounts posing as 13-year-olds. They were horrified to find that the video-sharing site channelled the users towards content offering drugs and sex. Ironically, while the Chinese-owned TikTok is corrupting the minds of its foreign users, back home the Chinese government is restricting children’s computer use to an hour a day on weekends. We have always…

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Col.4:2). On my journey to the cross I met others who were on the same road. Who made it, and who didn’t, I cannot tell, all I knew was that I was lost and seeking God’s direction. I had read enough of my Bible to know that God offered a blessed life, so I wasn’t about to ‘join anything’ that added misery to my life. This was…

I did not think it unusual to have attended a Catholic School as a child, until years later an American girl remarked, “You attended a parochial school?” Most of my later schooling was done at state schools, so I did understand the difference. I did try to explain to her that, though considered ‘narrow-minded’ by others, that was not the way we saw ourselves. In fact, we believed that any schooling done beyond our gates was a complete waste of…

Through the centuries, many of our brethren have suffered greatly for naming the name of Christ. Their families have branded them, traitors, to their heritage for attaching themselves to the Household of God—the Lord’s church. Accusations of shame have been followed by threats or violence. The cost of discipleship for some of these brothers and sisters has begun with family alienation and ended in death by their hands. You and I may never know such extremes. However, we should not…

I am always careful when speaking about possessions. It is easy for embittered spirits to condemn others for having too much or too little. What people have is between them and God, and who am I to judge my brother or sister? John the Baptist and Barnabas did not share the same postal code. Moreover, there was obviously a big difference between their financial portfolios—John literally lived off the land and Barnabas had spare land to sell for the church…

I have a friend who works at an apartment store. He and his manager witnessed a man coming into the store, picking up two sleeping bags and a tent, and proceeding to leave the store without paying. My friend ran after the thief and told him to stop. Of course, the closer he got to the man, the more he realised how big he was. But that was not the worst of it, he suddenly realised that he was alone—the…

We all know brethren who have followed family members out of the church, never to return. If ever there is a time flooded with a sense of hopelessness it is that. You would think that the fear of the fires of hell would make them think twice—but tragically, not so! Jesus’ stark warning is for all:“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even…

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isa.5:20). Isaiah’s words ring as true today as they did 2700-years-old. Today, you would think that we might at least expect some signs of shame from those caught doing or promoting godless acts, but not so. Instead, we are in an age where only those who point out evil are expected to feel shame—and be shamed. Promoting Jesus and his word as the divine moral standard for humanity will get…