Church Blog (Page 50)

When the godly succeed it is time to praise the Lord—Rejoice with those who rejoice! (Rom12:15). Often success brings security to an otherwise precarious existence, and in turn the ability to meet needs that were formerly beyond reach. If such success is born from God’s rich blessings, a Christian need only concern himself with storing up riches in heaven by use of worldly wealth. Scripture does not hold back from warning against the evils of greed. Greed blinds a Christian…

At the turn of the twentieth century, a little peasant boy attended a village Sunday School in Russia. As an incentive, the local priest handed out candy to the children who recited their memory verses. One boy showed exceptional promise and eventually was able to recite all Four Gospels nonstop (3779 verses). That little boy grew up to be the leader of the USSR (1958-1964). He is well remembered for banging his shoe on the table at the UN, building…

Money is a stain on the reputation of Christianity. I do not argue with those who point to the abuses of pastors and church ministries. They are usually right in their condemnation of the mansions, jets, land, gold, and Swiss bank accounts. But let’s not confine ourselves to these easy targets. What about the abuse or hardship that is going on around the world that could easily be alleviated if Christians (including you and me) gave properly? I believe it…

“A time to be silent and a time to speak” (Eccl.3:7). I once heard an interview between a radio host and an endurance coach. The coach had spent many years taking groups of ordinary people on long arduous treks. The interviewer, assuming that everyone must have been vetted by a strict selection process, asked what the profile of an ideal team member looked like. The coach insisted that he had long since given up on such an approach. He said,…

Apparently, in the 1970s certain sectors of the New Zealand population were suffering the effects of too much TV, too much junk food and too little exercise. So, the government started the “Come Alive Campaign.” Citizens of all ages were encouraged to leave their couches and walk, run, bike, swim, or join a club—anything to get them moving. Ads were posted on TV, radio and billboards and they even had a theme song that exhorted: “Come alive…, you better get…

On the “Top 100 list of Stupid Robbers,” McArthur Wheeler would surely be ranked first. Amazingly, the security videos of both banks that he robbed showed him walking into the banks without a mask and smiling at the cameras as he went by. During his arrest, an incredulous McArthur was heard to mutter: “But I wore the juice.” Apparently, Wheeler believed that rubbing lemon juice on his skin would render him invisible to videotape cameras. He reasoned that since lemon…

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light” (Mt.6:22). Who would ever have believed that the “Drugs and Sex and Rock and Roll” of the 1960s would pale into near insignificance compared to its twenty-first-century counterpart? I know that it’s cold comfort to say so, but we can at least say that the 1960s actually had morals for kids to rail against. It is no secret that…

“He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favour than he who flatters with the tongue” (Proverbs 28:23). Why are we so easily caught in the flatterer’s trap? Is it because, despite its obvious tackiness (to everyone but us), flattery actually makes us feel shiny? And who doesn’t want to feel shiny? Given the amount of negativity around us on any given day, any appreciation seems better than none…until that is! Flattery never carries caveats. It is the effusions…

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge—Leviticus 19:18. Years ago, I was visiting a congregation in a faraway land. I must have looked as if I belonged there because an old brother walked up to me and started speaking to me like a long-lost friend. He had moved back into the area and had recently returned to that congregation. He said, “You know, I should never have left this church. These brethren are the salt of the earth. But…

And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you [King Agrippa], but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am [a Christian], except for these chains” (Acts 26:29). Desiring the salvation of everyone is the ultimate mark of Christian maturity; having compassion for all souls is to be most Christlike. However, the thought of telling everyone we meet about Jesus scares most of us into…