The first time my wife and I stepped inside our local church we were pleasantly surprised and greatly impressed by the people and the freedom that most of them seemed to genuinely express before, during and after the service. Neither of us had been associated with a church since we were children, but the contrast between that time and this time was remarkable to say the least. In my case, Roman Catholicism had been my only church experience. Inside that church the Continue reading “Dramatic changes. Part 1”
By way of gradualism
One of the ways the Holy Spirit of God has always burned His truths deep into my spirit is to draw my attention to written or verbal statements made by others, whereby I will dwell on or meditate on them for hours, searching out the meanings and ramifications contained within. Statements such as this: “If the church is declining, it is an expression of the people, not Jesus. Jesus is never noted for going back. If the church belongs to Him, it will Continue reading “By way of gradualism”
It’s in the lap of the gods
It was not until I undertook to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in my community did I learn of the high price one pays for their ignorance of it, or in fact, for one’s rejection of it. Having discovered the reality of this biblical truth first in my own life, I continued to learn it as I involved myself in the lives of others. I learned by experience and observation that if God Almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ is not the Ruler of a person’s life, then Continue reading “It’s in the lap of the gods”
The greatest loss of all
Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told his people that soon they were going to receive a power from God the Holy Spirit which would enable them to spread His message not only locally, but right around the world. He was not speaking about a power that could be developed by human strategies, He was speaking of a miraculous, spiritual power outside of themselves. That word “power” means: ability, abundance, might, strength, violence, vital force. It Continue reading “The greatest loss of all”
God is not looking for good people
One of the most glaring misconceptions about Christianity that I observed among church-goers, non-church-goers and unbelieving people alike, was their preoccupation with the thought that it required them to be “good” people. Spoken or unspoken, many people conveyed the message that they could never attain the perceived Continue reading “God is not looking for good people”
How else does one describe a church-goer who says, “The Bible is…….”?
The day I took a stand to reject the “religious” Jesus Christ of my imagination and embrace the biblical Lord Jesus Christ of truth, is the day I knew I would come under much sniggering, mockery, insults and abuse from unbelieving people, but I was not expecting the same from people who claimed to be Christian. The venom spewed from the mouths of these people turned out to be far worse and more Continue reading “How else does one describe a church-goer who says, “The Bible is…….”?”
Chewed up and spat out
Whether they were church-goers or not, every so often on the streets I was asked, “What does ‘born again’ mean?” Thanks to the Internet today there are some wonderful, in-depth, theological answers to the question, but for the purposes of this post, it literally means to be “born from above by the Spirit of God.” In other words, a spiritual transformation takes Continue reading “Chewed up and spat out”
I learned to be on the alert for, “But…..”
Jesus tells us in the Matthew’s gospel that heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate. He says that the highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for multitudes to choose its easy way Matthew 7:13-14. I witnessed the confirmation of that truth numerous times every day when I was out there on those streets as a public gospel messenger. Life was a mini Continue reading “I learned to be on the alert for, “But…..””
Where did that come from?
One of the most common “mantras” I’ve discovered in society is, “If God is so all-loving and all-powerful, why does He allow war, suffering, starvation etc etc?” Many people who asked me this on the streets did not want my biblical answer, they used it only to justify their own position or stand in life. Even if they worked hard at Continue reading “Where did that come from?”
That’s rubbish!
There was a time when I used to say that it didn’t matter what one believed in life. If someone believed this, that, or something to be true or the truth, well then that’s the way it is for them – truth. When it came to all the various religions and their practitioners in the world, plus the different philosophies, my thoughts were pretty much the same. In other words – believe whatever you want to believe – who Continue reading “That’s rubbish!”