Many people today cannot see any benefit to denominations. There has been an explosion of independent or pseudo-independent churches in the last few decades. After all, it fits with our independent culture; why should anyone else tell me what to do in my local church? Why do I need some dated bureaucratic structure that simply …
The great tragedy of the Old Testament is described for us in 2 Kings 17. God brought his judgement on the northern kingdom of Israel. Using the nation of Assyria, God defeated his own people, deporting them to other nations. This judgement was fair and a long time coming; anyone other than God would have …
Have you heard of the “slippery slope” argument? It is the assertion that if you permit one thing, that will lead to other things being permitted. You see this kind of argument used every time a new type of law is introduced. There are those who think that this argument is flawed, that permitting one …
There is an old disused power station just outside of the Perth CBD, the city I live in. It used to be the major electricity generator for the city for many decades. When it became obsolete, it was closed down in 1981. Successive governments have tried to rehabilitate the site. It is complicated; while it …
It is very common to describe the gospel as being a free gift. Salvation is something that is done for us rather than what we do. It is a component in my favourite gospel presentations because it resonates with me. The idea of getting a gift I don’t deserve makes sense and helps me understand …
All of us have someone we look up to. Celebrity culture means that a great many people obsess over rock stars, sportspeople and actors. They know everything they can about their favourite celebrity. They read blogs, watch movies, go to concerts, buy merchandise, whatever it takes to know more about their person or to understand …
If you had been freed from prison today after a long time inside, what do you think you would do with your freedom? I suspect all kinds of ordinary things would seem like luxuries. Eating when you want to, lying outside in the sun by yourself, and going where you want for as long as …
We’d all like to believe in a world where everything made easy, logical sense. In this ideal world, all the faithful people would be rewarded with a blessed and easy life. All those who reject God and hate Him would go through struggles and all kinds of problems. That’s why the idea of karma seems …
My most recent book, Distinctively Christian Retirement, has been named as a finalist in the ‘Christian Living’ section of the Christian Indie Awards. These awards, based in the USA, are for books published by individuals or small publishers. The winners will be announced on April 22. It has been encouraging to see the book getting …
When Barack Obama finished his two terms as US President, he wrote books recounting his version of what happened in those years. These are heavy tomes; apparently, a lot happens when you are the leader of a country! Yet King Jehoash of the kingdom of Israel in 2 Kings 13 had his sixteen years of …