Church Blog (Page 38)

I once heard one brother say to another, “I hear that there is a new translation that says, “The Apostles nicknamed Barnabas, Barny.” At the time, even I thought that such a translation sounded irreligious, (and I had just come off the Good News Bible). Of course, no such translation exists; it was an urban legend. He was probably referring to the 1971 Living Bible’s translation of Acts 4:36, which reads: “For instance, there was Joseph (the one the apostles…

Smiling Scandinavians discussing the benefits of high taxation is a sight to behold. One stereotypically tall, blonde, attractive lady beamed and said, “I am glad to pay even more taxes if it means that we can help more people.” This is, of course, in stark contrast to the prevailing negativity towards taxes in most other countries. I have met Christians who have thought long and hard about taxes. Though they pay them, they would not if they could legally avoid…

The name Kodak was once synonymous with cameras and film. It was the brand to catch. But who would ever have predicted a time when a new generation would arrive that “have never heard of them”? Such is the nature of Brand names, it is a matter of: “stay relevant, or die!” Jerusalem was the centre of Israel’s world. And next to the Temple itself, the Sanhedrin was the high-power name that was forgotten at your peril. Far from Jerusalem,…

If a poll were taken amongst teenagers of their 10 favourite “old” hymns, I wonder what would make up that list? My guess is that all of them would be in the “Short and Up-beat” category. Even though Elizabeth C. Clephane’s 1868 hymn, “The Ninety and Nine” does not meet those criteria, what it lacks in pace, it makes up for in raw emotion. The writer skilfully weaves Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14) into a beautiful hymn…

Many years ago, I knew a man who was a skilled workman and an equally skilled storyteller. He framed and finished his stories with the same precision and beauty that he framed and finished his building projects. When he died, a friend of mine insisted that we travel to his funeral. It was a long way and since neither of us had reliable cars, he hired one at great personal expense. The funeral was sad, but our spirits were lifted…

In 1987 I was on a door-knocking Campaign in Australia. One of the campaigners told me that she had travelled to many countries with evangelism teams led by Ivan Stewart. Having heard from some that Ivan had a system to be followed, I asked her about her experience. “Some people,” she said, “did find Ivan’s methods constraining. But because he was so organised, one thing you could rely on was that wherever you were in the world, you were safe.…

I know a sister in the Lord who takes prayer very seriously. On occasions, she has gently encouraged the brothers in her congregation to make sure that everyone can hear them when praying from the front. She has also checked with the preacher when a prayer request had been forgotten. Nothing she does is done in a spirit of complaint, she cares deeply that ‘speaking to God’ is taken seriously, especially congregational prayer. She used to pose the question: “Should…

A young man left his home for a far-off land to preach the Gospel. While there he inspired another young man to take up his Bible and preach the Word. Tragically, the young missionary went home and abandoned the faith. However, the young man that he inspired to preach, now entering middle age, is still preaching. Praise the Lord. Some will go and then stop. Others will go and never stop going – it is the Gospel that moves them!…

I took a night train from Palmerston North to Hamilton in 1981. The carriage was tired and colourless and had old, cracked leather seats that smelled like those cars from the 1950s. Though compact by the necessity of its design, it at least didn’t seem cramped. If my 20-year-old (pre-electronics) self had expected any form of luxury or excitement on that trip, it wasn’t forthcoming. And if I had slept at all, it would have been out of sheer boredom.…

I got it into my head that I would not pay the “exorbitant” prices that Auckland stores were asking for stair rail brackets. So, when in the USA, I went into one of the big D.I.Y. stores and bought 4 of them “for a song!” I proudly put them in my carry on luggage and started for home. It was a mistake. Every time my carry on bag came anywhere near an x-ray machine the presence of that dense mass…