Posts from 2014 (Page 4)
Lunatic, Liar or Lord…?
I was reading an article in The New Zealand Herald (dated Tuesday April 15) which mentioned that the latest NZ census figures show a further decline in numbers and influence of Christianity. In that context the writer lamented that unbelievers are “ignoring the evidence of Jesus”. The article was a well-reasoned defence of the resurrection of Jesus – which is the heart of the Easter story. However, in the process the author made a mistake that so many people have…
Mosquitoes
We moved into our new house a little over a month ago. The roof gutters had several years’ of accumulated rubbish – mainly rotting gum-tree leaves. The result was that water couldn’t drain away and the roof gutters became a breeding place for mosquitoes. Presently our dog is the worst victim of these pesky little predators. She sleeps outside at night and for the mozzies that meant ‘party time’ as they feasted nightly on dog’s blood. It has left our…
Noah
Yep…! I’m sure you’ve heard all about it: there’s another “Biblical” blockbuster showing at the movies. This time it’s the Aussie actor, Russell Crowe, starring as Noah in a movie by the same name. I’ve heard from some who have already seen it that it’s good entertainment, good cinematography and that it has a good story line. Some people have asked me whether I’m planning to go and see it. The answer is: no! Let me give you two personal…
World Vision
Early last week World Vision headquarters in the U.S. made news headlines when they announced an important employment policy change. They indicated that from now on they would approve hiring people who lived in a same-sex marriage relationship. They still objected to people cohabiting but as long as they were legally married then homosexuals too could now be employed by World Vision. Predictably there was a huge backlash from evangelical Christians in the U.S. with thousands of people withdrawing their…
Our final witness
We’ve just had the experience that within one week two friends were called out of this life into the next. Maybe that’s a sign of me aging. I recall that some twenty years ago the monthly letters from my mother often contained a list of friends and fellow church members who had died. In one letter she remarked that one of the down-sides of living to a ripe old age was that you get to go to so many funerals…
When a leader is regarded as god
Back in the 1800s British historian, Lord Acton, said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” That observation helps us understand why, throughout history, rulers have often claimed to be gods. It helps us understand the story of the Exodus and the Ten Plagues. That was not just a battle between Moses and a very stubborn ruler. It was a battle between the God of the Bible and a ruler who…
Why I love an evening service
Of all the casualties the church has suffered in recent decades, I wonder if many will have longer-lasting consequences than the loss of the evening service. There was a time, not so long ago, when many or even most churches gathered in the morning and the evening. But today the evening service is increasingly relegated to the past. At Grace Fellowship Church we hold on to the evening service and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It is a…
Fun times – when?
Jesus once told a story about a rich man who lived in luxury and who feasted every day. He wasn’t a wicked man. His relatives and friends would have told you that he was a great guy to be with. He wasn’t stingy either – the parties he threw were memorable occasions. The problem was Lazarus. He was the ‘skin and bones’ beggar who was always there at the gates of rich man – always hoping that he might get…
Light
To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. Flabbergasted, would probably be a better word. Someone had just told me about a person who had asked her pastor about the creation versus evolution debate. He had responded by saying, “We don’t really have to worry about that. All we need to do is trust in Jesus.” Hey, I don’t want to minimise the importance of us trusting in the finished work the Lord Jesus Christ – that was…
The not-so-lucky country
One could be forgiven for taking a somewhat pessimistic view of things here in the land down-under at present. The State of Victoria has once again been plagued by particularly nasty summer bushfires. Up here, in our neck of the woods, drought conditions are going hand-in-hand with an escalation of suicides on the farm. A story doing the rounds at the moment is of the farmer who couldn’t sell his cattle because they were so out-of-condition. He spent a day…