The gospel message is that Jesus Christ is the only one in whom we can find salvation, meaning and hope. Christians find great comfort and joy in this exclusive claim by Jesus. And it leads us to an inescapable piece of logic: those who are not currently following Jesus are in big trouble and need …
It is easy for Christians to see our world as a threat. It is, in many ways. Governments are legislating things that Christians are either opposed to or that limit religious freedom. The views held by the majority of our societies are a long way from Biblical standards. It can feel oppressive trying to live …
Christians often disagree on things. That’s to be expected, of course. If we encourage people to read the Bible for themselves, they will draw different conclusions. You can find different opinions on baptism, spiritual gifts, church government, what will happen at the end of time, whether alcohol is OK for Christians, birth control, and many …
A dear brother in Christ and elder of mine passed away to be with our Lord last week. While he was of advanced age, his death came as a shock not only to me but to all who were close to him. As is always the case in such circumstances, I have spent a lot …
In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks very harshly to the scribes and Pharisees. As he outlines seven woes on them, Jesus calls them “hypocrites” and “blind” quite a few times. He goes much further than this as well, calling them “children of hell” (v15), “whitewashed tombs” (v27) and a “brood of vipers” (v33). This is somewhat …
How do you prepare your house if you know that people are coming to visit you tomorrow? I suspect most of us would clean up a little bit. We would put the areas that visitors will see into some kind of order. Yet what about the bedrooms and areas that visitors wouldn’t usually go into? …
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 …
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 …