Posts by toowoombacrc (Page 25)

Posts by toowoombacrc (Page 25)

How should Christians comment online?

“Reading people’s comments online is an interesting and sometimes troubling study in human nature. And reading comments by professing Christians on Christian sites (as well as other sites) can be a discouraging study in applied theology.   So… how should Christians comment online?” Read more…

Can’t Keep Jesus Down

“Jesus was dead and buried, with a big stone rolled against the tomb, and the Pharisees came to Pilate to ask for permission to seal the stone and guard the tomb. Pilate responded, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can” (Matthew 27:65). So they did. They gave it their best shot — in vain. It was hopeless then, it is hopeless today, and it will always be hopeless. Try as they may, people…

Twenty-six letters

“Amazing, really, when you think about it! Those same letters of the alphabet that can be used to praise God and bless other people, can also be used to curse God and tear people down. What I’m talking about, of course, is the miracle of language. It’s one of the things that set us apart from the animal world. I can teach my pet parrot to mimic a few English words. I can teach my dog to respond to some…

The Spiritual Discipline You Need in Times of Trouble

From a ministry student at the RTC, Reuben Posthuma: “On occasional dark days, I’m tempted to view my life as a losing, lonely battle. “Existence is suffering,” my foolish heart cries, and with Sartre, “hell is other people.” When pain and darkness crush our hearts, we find it difficult to cry out to God. In the midst of suffering, we cry, but our cries often ignore the living God. This is not a new problem.” Read more…

What if I don’t want to sing?

“Let’s be honest. Even the most stably enthusiastic in our gatherings have had Sundays when we wished our hearts burned more brightly. We experience an inner struggle in these moments. On the one hand, we know that we should sing because we’re at church. On the other, it’s good to be authentic and real, so it feels like a lie to sing when we don’t feel like it. Is it better to be honest and silent than an audible hypocrite?”…

What Christianity in China is Really Like

Interested in a one-stop article explaining the complexities and contradictions involved in describing the legality of the Christian church in China? Our article this week will help give you a balanced perspective. Read more…

The Shack

I don’t know if you’ve read The Shack. I haven’t, although many people have noted concerns with the views of God it expresses. With a movie of the book just having been released, I thought it would be helpful to post a review of another book by the same author which has also just been released. The book makes it clear that the concerns that have been raised about The Shack aren’t misunderstandings of the authors intent, but very deliberate…

The two things we must say about the transgender debate

“And let’s make sure we aren’t constantly in full-on culture warrior mode. We should empathise with those who genuinely feel threatened, scared, or all alone. Standing up for the truth doesn’t mean we have to say everything we think in every situation. It’s okay to be tactful, respectful, and even keep our mouths shut at times. Charging ahead with zeal is not an excuse for trampling over people.” Read more…

Grace-Paced Living in a Burnout Culture

“Although no two burnouts are the same, as I’ve counselled increasing numbers of Christians through burnout, I’ve noticed that most of them have one thing in common: there’s a deficit of grace. It’s not that they don’t believe in grace. Many of them are well-grounded in “the doctrines of grace.” Many of them are pastors and preach grace powerfully every week. The “five solas” and the “five points” are their theological meat and drink. Yet grace is missing in five…

Kindness that comes too late

“I’m sure I speak for other weary toilers when I say this: If my friends have alabaster jars of encouragement and affection that they intend to break over my dead body, I’d be grateful if they would bring them out on one of my weary days and open them then. I would rather have a coffin without a flower and a funeral without a eulogy than a life without the love and encouragement of friends.” Read more…