Posts by John Staiger (Page 89)
“Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honour to a fool” (Proverbs 26:8).
“Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honour to a fool” (Proverbs 26:8). The gaming franchise Angry Birds is about the closest many of us will ever come to manning a slingshot of any kind—albeit virtual elastic models. The real ones are deadly weapons. In war-torn areas Guerrillas still use slings as weapons of choice in street battles. Those defending the high ground can send a hailstorm of rocks upon the heads of their enemies.The most…
“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give”
“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give” (Proverbs 25:14) Politicians best interpret this proverb for us. They are well known for making promises that they know they can never keep. The irony is that they boast about the ‘gift never given’ as if it were, or will be, given. But that doesn’t put the average Christian above such things.I have a friend who was given money at a time…
“When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,But one who restrains his lips is wise”
“When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,But one who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). If you have been given ‘the silent treatment’ lately, then you also know that ‘when there is a lack of words, wrongdoing is unavoidable.’ Too much silence can drive you mad. The point being that the word-count is secondary to the word-quality. But us being us, the more we talk, the more we get bogged down in sin.Everyone has a friend who talks…
“Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;quarrels and insults are ended”
The Proverbial…“Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;quarrels and insults are ended” (Pro.22:10). When ‘church’ begins to stand in the way of the evil a man would like to do, he is either going to be pulled straight, or not.Since taking on God face to face over His will for a righteous life is usually avoided for obvious reasons, the self-willed man adopts craftier ways. He quickly amasses a group of fellow complainers and begins a process of destruction…
“Better to be a nobody and yet have a servantthan pretend to be somebody and have no food”
“Better to be a nobody and yet have a servantthan pretend to be somebody and have no food” (Proverbs 12:9). Our twenty-first century minds think that having a servant as a luxury we can’t afford. And we are usually correct. We recoil at the thought of having a slave and find it difficult to imagine the ancient world as a place where the slaves usually outnumbered the owners.The man of moderate means in the ancient world thought it of first…
Mercy—A most Powerful form of Evangelism
(Proverbs 25:21-22; Rom.12:20) It is not the Christian’s goal to merely live. The creatures of this world do that. It is our goal to live life, and to live it abundantly. That is why Jesus gave it to us (Jn.10:10).Peace is an essential ingredient in a life lived to the full. The fastest way to syphon off any gains made by prayer and good works is to compile a catalogue of complaints. Bitterness will settle in.It takes a lot for…
Matthew—The beginnings of the great gospel writer.
(Mt.9:9-13; Mk.2:13-17; Lk.5:27-32) Many buildings that once housed thriving congregations of worshippers are now in the hands of businesses, charities, and historical societies. Church, for the world, has become a place. A place for the old, lonely, and gullible; all huddled together to seek the help and solace in a ‘god’ who has long since lost his grip on the world.Until Christians understand and accept that salvation is for the man who sees himself as a hopeless sinner separated from…
Onesiphorus—You didn’t have to ask him once!
(2 Timothy 1:16-18) Put a preacher in jail and you will find out who his true friends are in a hurry. The crowd will divide into two camps faster than the parting of the Red Sea. The apostle Paul knew what it was like to feel abandoned behind bars. Of those who have stood by him, and or who deserted him, he thought nothing of naming names.The man we are interested in discussing is no ordinary brother. Onesiphorus was no…
Nazareth—Jesus Returned Home!
(Mt.13:53-58; Mk.6:1-6; Lk.4:14-30) The people you grow up with know a lot about you. Your habits good and bad are on display long enough for them to form solid personal opinions of you—true or otherwise.If you return to these good folks after a period of absence, you are bound to hear yourself quoting these words of Jesus: “A prophet is not without respect except in his own hometown.”Jesus went home to Nazareth on the Sabbath. In the synagogue they handed…
The Centurion’s Servant—Off our grid!
(Mt.8:5-13; Lk.7:1-10) Yes, you are going to meet exceptional people who do not fit your faith profile. Souls who have qualities of faith that make you wonder how so much graciousness, kindness and generosity can be incapsulated in one human being at one time. They expend so much energy doing good that there is no time left to dwell on disagreement. I know people like this. And the Elders of the synagogue in Capernaum did, too. One in particular was…