Posts by John Staiger (Page 79)
“Blessed are those who mourn…” (Mt.5:4).
I was sitting in church back in the late 1970s and was surprised to hear the preacher talking about a song that was popular on the radio at the time. When you are 17 you think that anyone over 30 only listens to talk-radio and would not be familiar with the latest pop songs. He spoke of a sentiment expressed in the Debbie Boone song: “You Light up My Life.” It said, “It can’t be wrong,When it feels so right.”He…
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…” (Mt.5:3).
I knew a preacher 30 years ago who had it all. His self-confidence was truly an attractive quality. This combined with a sharp mind and quick wit, gave him guaranteed likability wherever he went. His sermons were well crafted (even those done on the fly), and he always engaged his audiences with interesting stories and practical ideas. But sadly, all of this masked a deep-seated problem of the heart. You would think that those closest to him would have pointed…
The Tenth:“Thou shalt not covet…” (Ex.20:17).
What you want in your heart matters just as much as what you have in your hand—and sometimes even more so.If you want a true inventory of the things you really want, just track your emotions. Those feelings of delight that arise as things come into view are your tell-tale signs. They signal each and every want and desire of your heart to one degree or another.And…most things can be innocent in and of themselves.There is nothing wrong with viewing…
The Nineth:“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Ex.20:16).
I have heard some of the malicious things said about me over the years. I know that some of those lies and half-truths are still floating around out there. But the older I get, the less I seem to be concerned about them. Some people are never going to like me, and there may not be much I can do about what they say. All I can do is reflect upon the situation, learn what I can, and add no…
The Eighth: “Thou shalt not Steal” (Ex.20:15).
If it were today, my dear old mum would have had me taken from her home for the hiding she gave me for stealing grapes from an empty lot. I was ceremoniously told, “Go out to the hedge and get a stick.” You never brought back one that was oversized, for obvious reasons, but you never brought back one that was undersized either. Forcing her hand meant that she got to choose – that was just adding extra pain to…
The Seventh: “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex.20:14).
I used to visit a man who didn’t have long to live. His first wife, and her new husband (now friend), were regular visitors. They spoke comfortably about their young years. The wasted youth, the unholy marriage, and the divorce. Nothing was hidden. He had laid his sins out before God and man; he was ready. They were three souls, contented, but scarred, friends in the midst of pending death. The wife said to me later, “You know, if I…
The Sixth:“Thou shalt not kill” (Ex.20:13).
Those opposed to the death penalty are sometimes seen waving placards stating: “Thou shalt not kill.” They reason that: “If it is against the 10 Commandments, then who is the government that they should be putting people to death?”As sincere as most of these good people are, they are misrepresenting the Sixth Commandment.Modern translations have cleared up some of the confusion by translating the command as “You shall not murder.” It does not prohibit capital punishment. In fact, God bestows…
The Fifth:“Honour thy father and thy mother…” (Ex.20:12a).
God’s Fifth Commandment was speaking to the cradle of Israelite society—the Home!Israel were not permitted to tolerate contemptuous behaviour in children. Imagine being there on a day when this took place:“If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son…then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city…and say…‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men…
The Fourth:“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…” (Ex.20:8).
Nehemiah put Jerusalem into lockdown on the Sabbath Days. He threatened force against the foreign businessmen assembled outside the gates. They were all set to do business when the gates were opened on the first day of the week. Nehemiah knew the Sabbath Law went beyond the people. It was a blessing of rest for man and beast alike. It was God’s holy day; founded when He ceased from creating the heavens and the earth.Many in generations past called Sunday…
The Third:“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain…” (Ex.20:7)
I’m sure we agree, despite all temptation, that calling the wrath of God down upon others is ill-advised. Jesus’ words, (slightly adjusted by our parents): “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” causes sober minds to pause to reflect first upon their possible part in the use of God’s name in vain. Tragically, the entertainment industry is a veritable sewer of blaspheme. It constantly pours forth its filth into our homes, cars and headphones through movies and…