One of God's great promises in the Bible is that of a life to come, a life of perfection, joy, peace, no pain, no death, no suffering or bereavement. This promise is one that Christians particularly at certain times need to hang on to, because our current life of course is not always like that. The reality … Continue reading When It Hurts There is God
Where is the Salt?
We are often told that we have too much salt in our diet, that it is bad for our health, leading to increased rates of high blood pressure, strokes etc. However, while this may be true in the terms of our physical health it can equally be argued that, rather than too much, our society … Continue reading Where is the Salt?
‘Thankful-or Not?
I have only met a handful of lepers, or at least people who had in the past suffered from leprosy. This was in the Top End of Australia where leprosy, a terrible, maiming disease, used to be quite prevalent, indeed Darwin had a leprosarium not far from the city. Leprosy was a very common disease … Continue reading ‘Thankful-or Not?
The Last Mountain
One of the worst and most depressing experiences I have had happened a few years ago when I sat at the hospital bedside of a dying man. What made it one of my worst experiences was not that he was dying but that he was dying without God. Here was a man teetering on the … Continue reading The Last Mountain
Cult Spotting and the Venus Fly Trap
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15 It was recently announced that the controversial show ‘Book of Mormon-The Musical’ is coming ‘Down Under’. What is described as an “irreverent take on the ‘Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” debuted on … Continue reading Cult Spotting and the Venus Fly Trap
‘Ho Hum’ It’s Easter
I saw an article recently about a visitor to Australia who had been diagnosed with leprosy and it reminded me that this terrible disease is still around today in various parts of the world. This was true even more so in Jesus’ time, and for Jews was serious in a way that went far beyond … Continue reading ‘Ho Hum’ It’s Easter
Cheap Grace and the Dumbing Down of Sin
The term ‘Cheap Grace’ was coined by the German pastor Deitrich Bonhoeffer. He was a man who sought to oppose the Nazis in World War 2 and paid for it with his life, being executed by them tragically only a few days before the war ended. Bonhoeffer defined cheap grace as: “Cheap grace is the … Continue reading Cheap Grace and the Dumbing Down of Sin
Tick-a-Box Christianity
For many people life is easier if they just have to ‘tick boxes’ i.e. they just want somebody, or a set of rules, to tell them what to do, so they can do it, ‘tick the box’ and move on. There are also those who like ‘ticking boxes’ in terms of their Christianity e.g. went … Continue reading Tick-a-Box Christianity
Longing for God
For many years I worked as a professional engineer in a design office in Wales in the United Kingdom. Most of my colleagues were fluent Welsh speakers, a point that thoroughly irritated me because most of the time I could not understand what the office chat was about. So working on the principle of “If … Continue reading Longing for God
“Crying Jesus Tears”
At a recent gathering I attended a young international university student told us how his heart was breaking, and I started to wonder why. Was it because of some personal loss, a relationship break up or death of a loved one? No he told us, his heart was breaking over the spiritual status of three … Continue reading “Crying Jesus Tears”
