Church Blog (Page 4)

#1. “Better than gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver” (Proverbs 16:16). “Why were the Magi called, “The Three Wise Men?”” the teacher asked her class. One little boy called out, “Because they were all rich.” At which point the teacher said, “No, the Wise Men were wise because they went to find the greatest teacher in the world.” How true that little…

In the early 1970s our solitary TV channel regularly screened old Swashbuckler films. Few things brought more delight than to see two sailing ships come side-by-side and engage in a pitched cannon-to-cannon battle. Of course, all of this inevitably led to frenzied hand-to-hand deck combat and the rescue of a damsel in destress—Errol Flynn never looked better. There was one thing that was ever present in those films: You knew your friends and enemies by the colours of the flags…

Gaining the whole world is something that none of us will achieve, but many will die trying. Bargaining your soul for the things of this world is casting the only thing you have of value to the wind. Since time immemorial one man has looked to the wealth of another and believed himself to be inferior without it. You would think that a wander through a cemetery would bring him to his senses. For it is there, in a strange…

Have you ever warned someone to stay away from a person or group? There are indeed people who are best avoided, not necessarily because they are irredeemable (though some are), but because of the weakness of those they will influence if given opportunity. The evil person knows that his ways are a stench to good people, so the chances of him developing a sanitised exterior are high. Though many may come to consider him harmless, it is when they become…

Remember that good feeling that you got when you finally found the words to affirm your impatience with that person who was prone to upsetting you? Well, it did not come from the Lord. In fact, Jesus operates in a realm where such weakness is soon expected to be seen in your rear vision mirror. Instead, it is the attribute known as “longsuffering” that our Lord wants to fill you with.” To be longsuffering is to be “long-tempered,” or as…

I was once told that someone had sent me a letter criticising me for failing to encourage the church to be more evangelistic. Apparently, it was my fault and I needed to be told. I have, to date, not received such a letter. But assuming that pen was actually put to paper and that the missive was posted, I guess there is a letter slowly making its way to me. Naturally, I have since given much thought to how I…

It’s hard to believe that some Christians play Russian Roulette with the Lord. They act as though they have luck to spare when it comes to the Judgement of God—despite the eternal consequences. Their throw away lines reveal more about them than they may care to admit. I’m sure we agree that saying, “I’m hoping to get into heaven,” is a far cry from, “My hope is in heaven.” Hoping to arrive at a destination indicates a degree of doubt.…

Jesus brought harsh judgement upon the religious leaders of his day. He not only condemned them, but he also pointed to the fruit of their evangelistic efforts and cried, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are” (Matthew 23:15NIV). What was it in the teachings of those scribes…

I once had a Christian brother tell me that the verbal agreements between himself and his Christian boss proved to be useless. “Anyone who wants to do business with him,” he said, “is well advised to record the conversation. He makes promises that he later denies he ever made.” Such a dishonest person must be confronted with his sin. His behaviour not only reflects on himself, but on the church too. At the other end of the scale are long-lasting…

Human nature loves a “them and us” paradigm. It bolsters the ego and justifies an arm’s length existence. This, of course, is not the way of the Lord. Jesus expects us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). In fact, lest we choose the road to self-righteousness, Jesus uses two penetrating questions that, if unheeded, will put our blessings and our religion in doubt. He asks, “For if you love those who love…