God has commanded us to love other Christians who also love Jesus! We have been called to bless, not curse. We are to pray for God’s blessing on other churches and ministries. We are to rejoice when they grow and sorrow when they struggle. One of my friends in ministry, Peter McHugh, who pastors a … Continue reading Love, Don’t Hate
Be Humble, Not Proud
No ministry or local church has it all. No one has a corner on the truth and no one has arrived. No one ministry or local church is God’s only instrument or the one true church. We are all parts of the body of Christ, which is made up of every Christian and every church … Continue reading Be Humble, Not Proud
Be Inclusive, Not Exclusive
In Mark 9:38-40, we have an interesting story involving Jesus’ disciples. While travelling along ministering in various villages, they observed someone else ministering. They said, “Jesus, we saw someone who is not one of us casting out demons in your name. Should we tell them to stop?” Notice how their reaction revealed an attitude of … Continue reading Be Inclusive, Not Exclusive
The Canaanite Genocide
One of the challenges of reading the Old Testament is gaining an understanding of the Canaanite genocide. When the nation of Israel went into the Promised Land of Canaan, God commanded them to kill all of the people living there, including women and children. they were to show them no mercy Most people see this … Continue reading The Canaanite Genocide
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! [Part 3]
Today we come to our final and most important question .. “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” This is what Pilate asked the crowd (in Matt.27:22). They replied, “Crucify him!” and the rest is history. What will YOU do with Jesus? This is an important decision as it has has … Continue reading Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! [Part 3]
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! [Part 2]
Yesterday we considered Jesus' question, “Who do PEOPLE say that I am?” We noted that there has always been a wide variety of opinions about Jesus' identity. Today, let's look at an even more important question from Jesus: "Who do YOU say that I am?" (Matt.16:15) The question is highly relevant for us today. There … Continue reading Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! [Part 2]
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! [Part 1]
The Gospel of Matthew records that one day when Jesus was with his disciples, he asked them a question … “Who do people say that I am?” [Matt.16:13] At that time there were a wide variety of opinions as to who Jesus was. Some thought he was John the Baptist risen from the dead, or … Continue reading Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! [Part 1]
Is God a Delusion? [Part 5]
In conclusion, when considering whether God exists, place all of the evidence on the scales and watch which way they lean. None of these things that we have discussed proves God’s existence. However, I think they clearly lean in favour for the existence of God. There are good reasons to believe in God, but ultimately … Continue reading Is God a Delusion? [Part 5]
Is God a Delusion? [Part 4]
And now for some final evidence for the existence of God ... 5. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christian story is founded on an empty tomb. If the tomb was not empty, then the Christian movement would have been snuffed out just by someone going and getting the body of Jesus. There are four … Continue reading Is God a Delusion? [Part 4]
Is God a Delusion? [Part 3]
Let's continue looking at more evidence for the existence of God ... 3. Morality and Ethics. Another argument for the existence of God comes from the observation that in human nature world-wide, there exists a kind of moral code stamped on the hearts of human beings that provides an inner sense of ‘right and wrong’, … Continue reading Is God a Delusion? [Part 3]
Is God a Delusion? [Part 2]
Today, let's have a look at some of the evidence for the existence of God. 1. The World that Exists. The first piece of evidence for the existence of God is the world that exists (see Isaiah 40:26). The world is here. We see that some things actually exist (trees, clouds, mountains, planets, stars, universes, … Continue reading Is God a Delusion? [Part 2]
Is God a Delusion? [Part 1]
In April 1999, fifteen students were tragically shot in a high school near Denver, Colorado by two crazy gunmen who then killed themselves. One of the students was Rachel Scott, a young girl who was a Christian. She was apparently asked by one of the gunmen if she believed in God, to which she replied, … Continue reading Is God a Delusion? [Part 1]
Information Overload
One of the challenges we face today is 'information overload'. Knowledge is increasing at such a frenetic pace and it's just so hard to keep up with everything. It is estimated that human knowledge is now doubling every 10-15 years. We can so easily feel overloaded and stressed by it all. Here are a few … Continue reading Information Overload
Saying ‘Sorry’ to the Stolen Generation
As the first act of business at the opening of Australian Parliament on February 13th, 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will give a formal apology on behalf of the government to all Indigenous Australians for the so-called 'stolen generation'. This is a controversial issue, as the previous Prime Minister, John Howard, refused to offer an … Continue reading Saying ‘Sorry’ to the Stolen Generation
A New Prime Minister
Congratulations to Kevin Rudd for his recent election as the new Prime Minister of Australia. Regardless of who you voted for, we need to pray for Mr Rudd, for his party, and for all the candidates who were elected - in both the House of Representative and the Senate. "I urge you, first of all, … Continue reading A New Prime Minister