Church Blog (Page 68)
Teachers#1. “The Best of Teachers.”
Good teachers are vital to the cause of the Gospel. I am not speaking here of the ‘reading, writing and arithmetic’ kind (as vital as they are), I am speaking of those who teach the Word of God. In my youth Peter Craig spent every Thursday night for three months teaching me the Gospel in his home. On the Sundays in-between I visited the Otumoetai Church of Christ and listened to Ian Mostert teach the adult Bible class and preach…
Perspectives#6. “Cell phones in Church.”
A few years ago, I made a Facebook post that read: “Playing with your cell phone in worship is like forsaking the assembly without having to leave the building.” Much to my surprise it was ‘Shared’ 800 times worldwide (nothing compared with some, but eight times more than any before or since). The accompanying comments were predictable. They ranged from the supportive, “Amen!” to the stinging, “You know that people use their phone as their Bible in church, don’t you?”…
Perspectives#5. “Sound mind.”
What is so bad about reality that so many people choose to distort their perception of it? I have never taken mind-altering drugs. In fact, I have not even had as much as a drop of alcohol since my youth. But the mind is altered by more things than drugs. Our desires, coupled with the circumstances of life, sends the mind in all sorts of directions. We cannot act as if our minds are not being affected by what goes…
Perspectives#4. “Healthy body.”
If you live in a developed country, you are, as a rule, surrounded by supermarket food laced with salt and sugar. Add to this the readymade meals of the fast-food outlets, and you can safely assume that large swathes of the population are imbibing too much salt and sugar. The number of men over fifty being greeted by their medical doctors as automatic candidates for high blood pressure and high cholesterol medication, confirms the obvious. As one who previously ignored…
Perspectives#3. “Future.”
When I met Christians in my youth, two things immediately impressed me: Firstly, they wanted me to do well, and secondly, they looked to the future with optimism. It remains a powerful scene to behold to this day. Your view of the future says everything about your present. The last thing young people want to think about is the brevity of life. Life is to be an experience, not a setup for sorrow and regret. They look to role models…
Perspectives#2. “Religion.”
They used to say, “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.” Now, the ‘they’ who used to say this used to fill their hours with little else but talk of politics and religion. One would have to conclude that the wise admonition was designed to make sure that you didn’t insult a guest holding a different opinion. Nowadays, Christians are taught that ‘Religion’ is something a true believer must avoid – no matter the company. It is said to…
Perspectives#1. “Politics”
Politics can be a dangerous game for the Christian. I may not have lost friendships over politics, but I know that I have severely strained one or two of them. To my shame! Some Christians are convicted that voting is a right, privilege and responsibility placed into their hands by God Himself. Yet, other Christians are convicted that believers should distance themselves completely from all political affairs. Who is right? Voting is something that Western countries take for granted. Thus,…
Knock, and it will be opened to you (Mt.7:7).#4. “Cease Not!”
To state the obvious: Knocking is the act of seeking permission to enter a place into which you must first be allowed access. Many opportunities for Christian service are beyond us. Be it a lack of talent, faith, maturity or will, barriers exist that prevent us from being used by God in certain ways. But ‘lacking what is needed’ for a particular door to be opened, is not a reason to stop knocking. There are clearly other doors to pass…
Knock, and it will be opened to you (Mt.7:7).#3. “Get after it!”
The old man had had enough of his complaining. So, he handed the young man a shovel and said, “Here is the solution to all your problems. Take this shovel and knock on every door you come to and ask for garden work.” The young man was not impressed. He instead turned on his heels, and went back to the job that he detested. His friend had had enough too. But he was less sympathetic. He said, “You enjoy complaining…
Knock, and it will be opened to you (Mt.7:7).#2. “On the outside looking in.”
You may have heard the oft told story about the hobo who prayed weekly from the steps of a church that wouldn’t let him in. One Sunday he was visited by an angel. “Your prayers have been heard,” said the angel. “But you are wasting your time praying to the Lord to tell them to let you in.” “Why?” asked the homeless man. “Because” said the angel, “the Lord has never been allowed in that church, either!” Christ has been…