Someone once said that if you took the Holy Spirit out of the Western Church, 90 per cent of what we do would carry on as if nothing had happened. As I reflected on recent sad events, and how the Church has reacted to them, it struck that there is a great deal of truthContinue reading “The Lion Still Has Teeth”
Category Archives: Spirituality
Be Mine
“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.” Song of Sol. 7:10; And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.Continue reading “Be Mine”
Famine Is Back
We picture brutal, grotesque images. Cows’ hips protrude. Babies’ eyes are hollow. Bloated stomachs growl. Skin stretches tight across faces. The skull outline emerges. Joints swell. Grim, despairing stares replace smiles. Hope is gone . . . life is reduced to a harsh existence. Those who have seen it cannot forget it. Those who haven’tContinue reading “Famine Is Back”
A Quiet Place
IT IS ALMOST 10:00, MONDAY NIGHT. The children are snoozing upstairs. Aside from a few outside noises—a passing car . . . a barking dog . . . a few, faint voices in the distance—all’s quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit—quietness. I recall when our childrenContinue reading “A Quiet Place”
What Needs Repaired
Two things stand out in this early church account of conflict. The first isthat there were disputes among friends in the New Testament Church evenas there are among us today. It seems strange to think of Paul andBarnabas – these two great followers of Jesus—having such a strongdisagreement that they can no longer travel together.Continue reading “What Needs Repaired”
A Secret Victory
The secret of victory was in their faith and patience (“courageous endurance”). We have met this combination of graces in Hebrews 6:12, 15. It is here that the writer introduced the “text” around which Hebrews is written: “The just shall live by faith” (Heb. 10:38). The quotation is from Habakkuk 2:4, and it is alsoContinue reading “A Secret Victory”
Ain’t That Special
There’s a paradox that is stumping psychologists right now and it’s this: Over the past 50+ years, despite the standard of living rising dramatically in the western world, happiness has stayed level, while mental illnesses, anxiety disorders, narcissism, and depression have all gone up. When you study marketing, the first thing you learn is thatContinue reading “Ain’t That Special”
This Truth Will Set You Free
God will always sanctify you before He sends you. The Father set aside the twelve disciples and made them holy by the Truth, His Son. As they related to Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6), the disciples were refined by that Truth and were prepared to be sent out to preach the gospel. Jesus challenged theirContinue reading “This Truth Will Set You Free”
We Become Knowers
One of the most powerful and abiding images that Jesus used to describeGod’s Kingdom is the child. In our world of power games and the constantquest for wealth, the innocence, naivety, playfulness and trustfulness ofchildren can seem like a strange way to picture God’s presence andpurposes. But, once we recognize that God’s Reign is anContinue reading “We Become Knowers”
The Surprise of Wonder
Nathaniel got a big surprise when he met Jesus. Having heard where Jesuswas from, he had all sorts of prejudices that made him skeptical of Philip’srecommendation. But then, when he met Jesus everything changed – notbecause of anything he did, but because of the way Jesus revealed God’sglory to him. The image Jesus uses ofContinue reading “The Surprise of Wonder”
