I used to think that Atheists were one of the worst threats to the church there could be. After all, an atheist has no moral absolutes. They can do what they want. The risk to society and the church is enormous. But over the years I have come to realize that human nature regardless of what doctrine you subscribe to is one of the hardest things to overcome. It's hard enough to get Christians, … [Read more...]
Holding Little Grudges and Forgiving Big Ones
The psychology of forgiveness Let's face it, forgiveness is harder than we as Christians like to admit. The more pious you are the less you are likely to admit to that but unwillingness to admit to it doesn't make it any less true. It turns out that there is a good reason for it physiologically The study was done by UCLA and posed the question, "Why do we furiously resent the minor insults … [Read more...]
Sugar Cubes and Prayer
I heard this illustration many years ago and found it to be a helpful prayer aid. Imagine a set of scales with a half kilo weight on one side and a pile of sugar cubes being added to the other. The first cubes added seem to make no difference at all in shifting the weight. Neither do the next ten cubes…or the next ten. However, by the time one hundred cubes have been added, a point is reached … [Read more...]
What If God Was One Of Us…But He Was Wasn’t He?
Why was there no outrage about this song, "What if God was one of us?" Don't get me wrong. I'm pleased that there wasn't. I always live in the hope that the church started to look at things as opportunities to engage with the non-Christian world rather than rail against it. At least we didn't embarrass ourselves this time. After all that is the usual response to anything that is even … [Read more...]
Are You Waiting To Pray
Making My Prayer List I remember the last time I was waiting to pray. I was walking along making a mental list of all the things I had to talk to God about when I had my nightly prayer time. Feeling a sense of urgency because I thought, I have to get home and write these down before I forget. I said a quick prayer: "Lord help me to remember all the things that I have to tell you … [Read more...]
The Growing Church – Days of Great Harvest
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Rev 7:9 NIV). These are the days of great harvest. The Growing Church. There are times when, as Christians, we feel like an insignificant minority in the world. This seems especially true in the face of a … [Read more...]
A Prayer For The Year
Originally this article was titled "A PRAYER FOR 2013". But it seems to me that the prayer is appropriate no matter what year you're living in. So I obtained permission to post it here. I hope that you are encouraged by it. Prayer For The Year Almighty God, we praise You because You are great and do wondrous things, and holy is Your Name. We pray that we would live a life worthy of the Lord, … [Read more...]
Does Jesus Heal Today?
I was asked by a Christian friend, "Why do you think that there aren't that many miracles in Australia yet we hear stories of healing in other countries all the time? Does Jesus even heal today in Australia? Healing and Scepticism I responded that I think there are those healed in this country. But our society is so sceptical that they are immediately discounted. I remember very clearly having … [Read more...]
Curiosity Evangelism Method
Have you ever used the Curiosity Evangelism Method? If you've never heard of it then you've been missing some outstanding opportunities. Basically, it simply involves doing something that sparks people's curiosity. This can be opening a package with a message inside, but don't reveal the message right away. You can play part of a Christian song, but only part. Don't play the other part till … [Read more...]
Christians, Fiction & Mission
Did you realise that there is a strong relationship between Christians, Fiction & Mission? It is often a positive one and it should be. My wife received an email from a more mature Christian. He was passing on another email that he had received, asking Christians to ban a particular movie. People are sometimes incredibly easily led! How stupid are we to pass this information … [Read more...]