Recently I was asked to comment on whether COVID-19 restrictions on churches could be a sign of God’s judgment on the western institutional church, given that many churches have had to limit or cease usual Sunday services. In relation to… Read More ›
“So where do you go to church?” A seemingly innocent question, and one that will be familiar to followers of Jesus Christ. But if, like me, you’re one of the growing number of believers who choose to refrain from participation… Read More ›
Into every life there comes at least one crucial watershed moment. Moments where the soul is sifted and the true motivations of our hearts are revealed. Moments when events align around us that will require hard choices and ultimately determine… Read More ›
Coronavirus. I doubt there’s a single person reading this it hasn’t impacted. Many of us are reeling at the extent and speed with which the world around has changed, dramatically, within what seems like a nano-second. It’s mind boggling, isn’t… Read More ›
If we are Christ-followers, we live our earthly lives contending with a world system that violently opposes the authority of the King and Kingdom we serve (Jn. 15:19). In this world, authority is synonymous with ‘’greatness’’. Nations demonstrate their… Read More ›
Image supplied by Heartlight.org The year is AD96 or thereabouts. The location is Patmos, a remote island-prison outpost of the mighty Roman Empire. The ageing Christian apostle John has been exiled and imprisoned on the island because of, in his… Read More ›
The mood among them was sombre to say the least. Passover was meant to be a celebration of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, but all this talk of Him going away without them was hitting them like a bucket of cold… Read More ›
While much of organised Christianity continues fortifying kingdoms of men, behind the scenes the Holy Spirit has strategically and quietly been preparing a company of believers dedicated solely to the expansion of the Kingdom of God on earth. Let’s… Read More ›
If I asked you which season you are in right now, no doubt you would answer me with “Spring” or “Autumn”, depending on which hemisphere you currently live in. You could point to physical and climatic signs to back up… Read More ›
Before gender equality became written into our laws, before #metoo and #churchtoo, long before the time’s up movement and the current “he said, she said” media frenzy, there was a time in human history when man and woman lived together… Read More ›
(This is part B of a two-part study. It is recommended you read Idols in The Temple Part 4: The Tithe (A) first). In Part A of our study on tithing, we examined some faulty foundations frequently used to justify… Read More ›
The preacher’s face reddened as he belted out his favorite (some said his only) Sunday morning message. With Bible held high and voice rising, he loudly reminded the congregation of our duty to faithfully bring the whole tithe (with emphasis… Read More ›
When Jesus spoke the words “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” He was not referring merely to physical comforts (Matt. 8:20). From the beginning of creation God has actively sought a resting place for Himself among… Read More ›
A night of high drama. A brotherly kiss between friends, but not all is at it seems. Eyes meet in a silent moment of raw, agonising truth. Hearts are laid bare. One man weeps hot bitter tears; another discards all… Read More ›
Rumour has it I’m pretty much a failure when it comes to loving the brethren. If you like your dollops of Christian love handed over with bear hugs, chatty phone calls and affectionate enquiries about every tiny corner of your… Read More ›
He watched intently, wordlessly, as they departed the sacred Garden where all of them had walked together. There they had communed, talking, laughing and celebrating each other’s presence, while Spirit-breeze, the Ruarch, gently caressed their faces and the sunset marked… Read More ›
Within the recesses of the human heart there is a gnawing hunger common to all humanity. Whether one is unschooled or highly educated, whether we live in the lap of luxury or in a grass hut, whether we feast at… Read More ›
A friend recently shared with me this quote from the sermons of Theodore Austin Sparks: “Beloved, you and I will never come through to God’s eternally intended place for us in the heavenly Kingdom until everything of this earthly life… Read More ›
Am I alone in having kept a vague little picture hidden in my mind that I used to pull out and dust off every time I heard the phrase ‘heavenly places’? (I’m guessing I’m probably not.) Take this example for instance:… Read More ›
Travail. It’s a very outdated way of describing a woman’s heavy labor during childbirth. A word rarely heard these days. Try dropping the word ‘travail’ at the local Playgroup or nearest women’s health clinic and it’s pretty certain people will… Read More ›
