Church Blog (Page 54)

I live in New Zealand—earthquakes are a reality. But they do not keep me up at night. It’s not that I do not fear them, it is because I am assured that the buildings around me are designed to withstand at least those at the lower end of the Richter scale. You would think that the same real fear that inspires earthquake proofing, would demand that all homes be built to withstand all obvious dangers. Tragically, this fear has often…

Laurence Olivier was a master performer on stage and screen. I would challenge anyone to find his film portrayal of Hamlet as anything other than gripping. And, I have wondered, though a great fan of David Niven, if the film, Wuthering Heights, might have lacked all its depth and emotion without Olivier. Such men learn the art of engaging an audience; it is indeed hard to ignore their presence. When Jesus spoke, people reacted in a manner far beyond any…

“Evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts“ (Luke 6:45). The eighteenth-century puritan firebrand preacher, Jonathan Edwards, is often saddled with the quote: “The road to hell is paved with the skulls of unbaptized babies.” Whether he ever said it, or not, one can’t be sure, but there is little doubt that he believed it. You would be surprised at the list of denominations that believe in hereditary sin. Begin with those that practise…

“Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts” (Luke 6:45). I knew a wealthy businessman who once lamented, “I’ve made millions, but only a fraction of what I could have made if I had had just one partner I could trust.” I asked why he hadn’t done background checks on the lives and habits of those who cost him time and money. He said that it was impossible to know what some people are…

“I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Neh.2:2). God put a vision into Nehemiah’s heart because Nehemiah was ready to receive it. When you love God, you seek to protect that which glorifies Him. Therefore, Nehemiah’s heart broke to hear that Jerusalem was defenceless. Her walls were in disrepair, and miles away in Persia he seemed hopeless to do anything. After all, he was the wine taster for Artaxerxes, the…

Muhammad Ali was on an aeroplane. The hostess said, “Sir, please fasten your seatbelt.” Mohamed said, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” The hostess replied, “Superman don’t need no aeroplane.” Whether true or apocryphal, it makes its point: Bravado doesn’t change reality. Ali against another man was indeed a formidable force, but Ali against gravity…? There are forces at play in this world over which we have no control. Plague, famine, and pestilence are not confined to the Old Testament world;…

I have seen the blank stares of the half-believers. Those who became Christians but never really accepted that the world was that bad. It was not that Jesus and the church didn’t make sense to them. It was, instead, a growing realisation on their part that they were being pulled in both directions; they had to choose which way to go—or not! More than a few would suggest that leaving people to themselves is the best policy that a church…

The image of Abraham as a lonely man walking across Palestine with his wife, a few servants and a small herd of livestock is far from reality. We see instead a man able to instantly muster 318 men for war. Surely, this was clear evidence of great wealth and a large community under his leadership. During the War of the Kings (Gen.14), Lot was taken from Sodom with other captives and various spoils of war. Abraham’s successful military campaign to…

By what means the Illusionist, David Copperfield, made the Statue of Liberty disappear, only he and his fellow illusionists know. But these two things we do know: Firstly, the statue, despite appearances, was always there, and secondly, from the perspective of all who were looking on…it wasn’t! Whether knowingly, or otherwise, we all view that which is before us from a particular perspective. This can range from blind disinterest to magnified obsession. It should not surprise us that one person…

Each year in New Zealand, Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on 5 November. It celebrates Guy Fawkes’ failed attempt to blow up the English parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes, a Catholic, was found guilty of High treason and hung, drawn and quartered. Traditionally, Kiwis set off fireworks and burn a “Guy” in effigy on a bonfire. In recent years Halloween has been introduced in New Zealand. Some retailers sell Halloween merchandise, and our TV stations show the various movies available,…