Church Blog (Page 52)
Understand what the Lord’s will is#3. “Arm’s length Faith.”
In my youth, I met a brother who could be described as nothing short of impressive. He cut a fine figure as he sat proudly with his family in church on Sundays. Add to that, good looks, a tailored suit, and an effective Bible teaching style, and, by all appearances, you had a man to be looked up to. Tragically, everything proved to be but a façade. His true character surfaced, and we all witnessed his faith, family and fellowship…
Understand what the Lord’s will is#2. “If in anything you have a different attitude” (Philippians 3:15).
I am blessed to be a part of a small group of brothers on WhatsApp where beliefs and opinions can be expressed without fear. Although most of what is written is harmless, every now and again it has been a good place to vent frustrations and question the Sacred Cows of life. In my little corner of Facebook, I have seen but a few men publicly express their hard and fast opinions as if doctrine—they are, of course, preaching to…
Understand what the Lord’s will is#1. “Find out what pleases the Lord” (Eph.5:10).
I received a phone call from an old friend from a far away country. He lamented the demise of his beloved homeland. In his lifetime he has seen it go from a prosperous nation to a third world country. He loves the Lord’s church there and has no plans to leave the people he has lived around for more than five decades. When I ask about his family, he said, “My brother has moved to England. He misses home, but…
Above all else#12. “Value.”
In 2015, a woman left three boxes of electronics at a recycling facility in Milpitas, California. They contained things that had belonged to her deceased husband. Declining a receipt, saying the items were worthless, she drove away, leaving no name. Among those “worthless” items was a first-generation Apple 1 desktop computer—one of only 200 personally built by Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It was sold to a private collector for $200,000. The old saying, “One man’s trash is…
Above all else#11. “Hearts and minds.”
The young lady enthusiastically announced on her podcast: “Here are three ways to guarantee that you win an argument:1. Listen quietly and carefully to what the other person says. And when they are finished say, ‘I can understand why you feel that way.’2. Ask if they wouldn’t mind if you expressed your opinion, and 3. Whatever the response, remember that the relationship is more important than being right.” I am not convinced about the “guarantee that you win” part, but…
Above all else#10. “I’ll take truth!”
Since the advent of the Internet, I have enjoyed listening to sermons online. It has been encouraging and educational to hear good ideas presented in good ways. God has most certainly been generous in His distribution of talents. However, if you cast your sermon net widely, you will soon be confronted by non-biblical ideas. Some of them well-worn denominational doctrines and others the oddities of fringe groups. One of the things that have always concerned me is the cavalier attitude…
Above all else#9. “Out with the old…?”
Two men were walking down a road and came upon a fence blocking the road. The first thought it unnecessary and said it should be removed. The second man, being wiser, said that he would not allow the fence to be removed until the first man found out why it was put there in the first place. That, of course, is G. K. Chesterton’s advice (in story form) to those wanting to reform that which is already in place. Known…
Above all else#8. “Going Home.”
In the late 1980s, I had the honour of driving an “old” missionary (I doubt that he was 60 at the time) to a lectureship. The four-hour drive seemed like nothing as he answered my many questions about his years on the mission field. That was the day I learned the qualities of a true missionary. He did not see himself as having left home—he saw himself as going home. His love for God, the church, and the lost was…
Above all else#7. “Standing ready!”
Years ago, a brother in the Lord spoke of an encounter that shocked him. He was speaking with another believer who began to confess a sin that was besetting them. The brother recoiled and said that he didn’t think it was right that one should discuss such things with others. I immediately thought about Paul’s words to the Galatians: “If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual, restore him gently” (Gal.6:1). We are living in a sin-soaked…
Above all else#6. “Integrity and stewardship.”
It is nice to know that New Zealand enjoys the status of being “The Least Corrupt Country in the World.” It says good things about our small country. It is amazing that some countries actually admire leaders who, in the mind of many, are corrupt. However, this admiration does tend to vanish suddenly when corruption is exposed. This is because much of the admiration is based on the corrupt person’s ability to maintain his position of power, even though being…