In the coming years, the members of God’s Church will face increasing pressure against maintaining a firm position on God’s truth. It will be a year of challenge and change. The change will be all around us and the challenge will be “holding fast.” We will have reason to be very mindful of the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). We are not making predictions, but simply trying to watch. Watchfulness is a spiritual condition … [Read more...] about The Years Ahead
Repentance and Conversion
Following the Crowd
A common practice amongst government departments is that of lobbying. Lobbyists put pressure on individuals in government to persuade them to do something. We are also familiar with terms like group pressure, peer pressure and social pressure. The idea is to influence someone to conform to those who are doing the pressuring. This can, of course, be positive or negative. Scripture warns us to be wary of group think. “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2). It is rare in … [Read more...] about Following the Crowd
Counting the Cost
In a recent conversation, someone was reminiscing about their baptism and remembered that at the time they thought they had counted the cost but in the years that followed realized they hadn’t known what that cost was going to involve. Most of us have gone through difficult times within the Church and faced situations and decisions that we could never have anticipated at the time we were baptized. Counting the cost is a principle stated by Christ during His ministry. “For which of you, … [Read more...] about Counting the Cost
Avoiding Spiritual Shipwreck
On March 23, 1989, the colossal oil tanker Exxon Valdez, carrying 54 million gallons of Alaskan North Slope crude oil, prepared for its journey south to California. In the course of 8,700 previous voyages, heavily laden oil tankers had safely made this same journey out of Prince William Sound. Surely the crew of Exxon Valdez would do the same. Sometimes I find it helpful to take events like the Exxon Valdez oil spill, pull them apart, tease them in my mind, and see what spiritual lessons … [Read more...] about Avoiding Spiritual Shipwreck
The Spiritual Olympics
Every four years we see the best athletes from around the world come together to compete against each other in what is known as the Olympic Games. Athletic prowess can be used to highlight our approach to spiritual development. The Apostle Paul certainly appeared to have been well acquainted with athletic achievement. The Olympic Games were established well before Paul’s time, so maybe due to his travels and familiarity with the area of Greece he was aware of the games being held in … [Read more...] about The Spiritual Olympics
Choose Life
As God prepared Israel for its occupation of the land of Canaan – the land He had promised them – He firmly reminded them of the centrality of His law to their existence. He told them that His commandments were near to them – in their hearts (Deuteronomy 30:11-14). God’s law set two clear and distinct ways of life before them. On the one hand was life and good, while on the other was death and evil. The law defined these two ways, so they were clearly discernable. The assault on God’s law … [Read more...] about Choose Life
A Positive Outlook
We can learn a lot from what God has designed in nature. Take the honeybee for instance. A close observation would reveal seemingly tireless workers. They routinely will carry dirty foreign matter out of the hive to keep their product clean and pure. Some of them faithfully take care of the one queen bee that is responsible for laying the eggs that will hatch and ensure the growth of the colony. Most of the bees spend their daylight hours flying as far as three miles in one direction to find … [Read more...] about A Positive Outlook