# The Beattitudes

It has been estimated, that on average, one Christian is being killed for his faith every five minutes. This does not take into consideration the beatings and other forms of torture Christians endure at the hands of unbelievers. This is humbling, to say the least.If “Cancel Culture” and various forms of ‘Censorship’ are the worst that will happen to me (and worse has happened), I count myself blessed. Although, I must confess that I have not suffered the ignominies of…

The church is always at war with the devil. He attacks in every way he can.Internal conflict is a stock standard method he employs when external attacks fail to penetrate. Satan will take the smallest of disagreements and escalate them. Inevitably, if left unchecked, they ignite into explosive anger, and he sits back to watch the church implode.When a church is full of such conflict, the last words you will ever hear used to describe the troublemakers are: “They truly…

Seeing God is the Christian’s goal.And, praise God, you will see Him on the Last Day—Face to face!It is only by faith in the purity of Christ’s sacrificial offering that we are deemed ‘Pure’ in the sight of God. Thus, we live lives worthy of our sinless Saviour. Jesus says it takes ‘purity of heart’ to expect to see God. If there were a Daily Christian Purity Report, would yours be marked: “Spotless”?A life that reflects anything less, indicates a…

I am not much into blaming parents, probably because I happen to be one. (You have my permission to smile.)However, mercy is something that parents must teach their children and it must be reinforced on every necessary occasion.As a rule, we do not usually talk about others as being unmerciful. We instead use adjectives like: selfish, unfeeling, intolerant, and (down at the jailhouse), psychopathic. The Christian definition is summed up by Paul: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each…

Over the last 25 years I have gained more than 25 pounds. Nobody made me do it, it is all my own doing, and I must confess, I enjoyed every bite.But shedding some of those extra pounds has been no fun! Not only am I endeavouring to take the pounds off, but I am also waging war against the very appetites that helped me put them on.Food is just one of the passions that can get away on us.Youthful lusts…

I was speaking with a couple and mentioned that I had met their brother-in-law. When I said that I was impressed that he was so humble, they started to laugh. Apparently, though counted as meek and mild under normal circumstances, when challenged to confront his shortcomings, he showed a side of himself that shatters that image forever.True meekness can only be developed in fellowship with Christ. Therein you are being transformed into his image—gentle and humble in heart. Meekness is…

I was sitting in church back in the late 1970s and was surprised to hear the preacher talking about a song that was popular on the radio at the time. When you are 17 you think that anyone over 30 only listens to talk-radio and would not be familiar with the latest pop songs. He spoke of a sentiment expressed in the Debbie Boone song: “You Light up My Life.” It said, “It can’t be wrong,When it feels so right.”He…

I knew a preacher 30 years ago who had it all. His self-confidence was truly an attractive quality. This combined with a sharp mind and quick wit, gave him guaranteed likability wherever he went. His sermons were well crafted (even those done on the fly), and he always engaged his audiences with interesting stories and practical ideas. But sadly, all of this masked a deep-seated problem of the heart. You would think that those closest to him would have pointed…