Church Blog (Page 69)
Easier said than done.#7. “Be not deceived.”
Of all the weapons at Satan’s disposal to conquer the soul, deception surely rates number one in effectiveness. It’s the kind of weapon that demons wouldn’t even have to take a class to know how to best use it. All they have to do is simply appeal a man’s vanity and pride and let him do the rest. A man will sell his soul for fantastical promises if you can but convince him that he is better than everyone else.…
Easier said than done.#6. “Control yourself.”
You are setting yourself up to fail if you attempt to win over sin and temptation by sheer will-power. The devil sees such acts of naivety coming for miles. Human willpower has been thwarted by the devil since Eden. And nothing has changed since then to make people any less susceptible to kidding themselves that they know better than God. Fear and failure are the twin dreads of Christian progress. Souls frightened into the realm of doubt find themselves stuck…
Easier said than done.#5. “It’s time to forgive and forget.”
C.S. Lewis was right when he suggested that the happiest person in the world is a selfish person getting their own way. Understood in his assessment was that the opposite was also true. The most unhappy person in the world is a selfish person not getting their own way. In the heart of every selfish person resides an unforgiving spirit. Add to this a religious facade, and anyone in close proximity to them is in for a torrid ride. What…
Easier said than done.#4. “Knowing when to speak up.”
How many times have you sat quietly with a friend as they have ranted nonsense? I’m sure that after a time or two, you probably didn’t take it too seriously, but instead let them ‘get it all out.’ Reasoning that if it is important enough, it can be discussed when the emotions have subsided. Knowing when to speak up and when to be quiet on any given occasion, calls for wisdom. Wisdom only mastered through sound instruction and sometimes bitter…
Easier said than done.#3. “Knowing when to be quiet.”
Two blows with a stick and water gushed forth from solid rock. That which was a life-sustaining miracle for Israel, was a disaster for Moses. His 40 years of desert wandering was to be made ‘worth it’ by finally crossing over the Jordan into Canaan. Sadly, it didn’t happen for Moses. God’s great Lawgiver disobeyed God and paid a heavy price. God told him to speak to the rock, but he struck it instead (see Numbers 20). Moses had allowed…
Easier said than done.#2. “Physical Exercise.”
The first and only time I went to a gym was after working a ten-hour day in a very physically demanding job, I really couldn’t see the benefits. On occasions, I would tag along on 5 mile runs with a preacher friend of mine, but it was more for his sake than mine. Those days are long gone and I’m sure that a few hours a week at a local gym would do more good than harm. As for running,…
Easier said than done.#1. “Getting into shape.”
When I was single, I had no problems with weight. And that was despite the consumption of countless kilogrammes of junk food consumed on at least four continents. It is not the fault of my master-chef wife that I have since added all these extra pounds, that has been all my own work. In fact, I have enjoyed every bite on my road to excess. All seemed well while I was eating my chosen diet until my chosen diet began…
Impossible!#12. “The Past.”
A preacher friend of mine once became involved in a very bitter church conflict. One of the individuals concerned was determined that it be not forgotten, so she published a book about it. The preacher was immortalized in print as the well-meaning bad guy of the story. The author insisted that he had prevented God’s will from being done and that ‘their side of the story needed to be told.’ Since it was published before the age of E-books, copies…
Impossible!#11. “Starting over.”
The dreams of youth are vast and intense. If all that imagination and energy could be harnessed, who knows what might be achieved in its wake? But for dreams to come to fruition other ingredients are necessary. Knowhow is borne out of instruction and experience. It takes years of trial and error to equip you to handle the storms of the unexpected. Moses was one third through his life when he decided to free Israel from Egypt. He was loaded…
Impossible!#10. “Out of Debt.”
I have seen once honest men renege on their debts. These are those whose lifestyles are the envy of workingmen. Lifestyles continued while the taxes of those workingmen are used to clear away those temporary fiscal glitches. Proof that poor men don’t write tax laws. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” (Phil.4:13). These are the words which should be programmed into the minds and engraved upon the hearts of our children and young people. The world…