Is this list of last things enough for you, dear believer? Are they enough in the midst today with all that is going on for you?…
“God the unknowable?”
“Your brother’s blood …”
"Wesley and One Job …"
"One Job …"
"Opinions vs Facts …"
As I observe it, the biggest “fact” to which many believers feel entitled today is the “right” to pursue discipleship and faith on their own terms. Whether this is about contrary ideas to God’s Word concerning sexuality, gender, climate change, sin, the use of money and so on, doesn’t seem to bother these people. They create their own facts to justify preferred behaviour and values. This is the one big…
"Prophecy fulfilled..."
"Making Christmas out of the Gospels"
"Cultural Appropriation"
Well, Christmas is coming – and seems to be in a hurry this year. Christmas trees and decorations are popping up everywhere and the Christmas buy-up is happening as we look for gifts for loved ones and friends. Every year we see the same, of course, and we Christians see the crass commercialisation of Christmas, too – it is rampant and driven…
"The Light, …"
"The spirit is willing, but …"
The Gethsemane scenes are harrowing and filled with such intense, exhausting anguish that He sweats blood. The Lord shares with His friends His deep sorrow. They sense the approaching dread but are still struggling to understand it all. They have no idea how shocking and faith destroying the next hours will be for them. They fall asleep praying, leaving Jesus to battle on alone.
"Fissures, Fractures & Division …"
But social media platforms are not the cause of all this, they are just the means to that end. The causes have been fermenting for many decades. The power of social media has simply accelerated things. There have always been disagreements between people. But, on the whole, the nature of public discourse has been polite and respectful of differing points of view. Not anymore.
"End the Occupation!"
Many of us have heard the rowdy chant in the streets of our capital cities in the last few weeks – “End the occupation!” The chant has gone up almost like a war cry as has the other chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” Both chants have featured in what the media intentionally and falsely label “pro-Palestinian” demonstrations in our capitals. They are actually “anti-Israel” demonstrations when we understand what these chants actually mean.
"A Gentle Whisper, or …?"
I had that experience in 1988 when I had been fasting and praying for my son, Tristan, who was suffering chronic asthma – so very frightening I could not leave him for a moment. On the eighth night in the early morning hours, as I was praying over him, suddenly everything went quiet. Absolute, utter silence….
"Hamas"
This spirit is not new. It is beyond time and space and it is everywhere in the world – we saw it screaming obscenities at the Sydney Opera House last week. It has been seen all throughout human history in ancient and modern times. Hamas is but one of the major manifestations of this principality. It is demonic.
Why? That is THE question! Why is the prince of the kingdom of Persia so fanatically determined to kill Jews?
"End Times … Again"
Last week’s attack on Israel from the terrorist group, Hamas, has triggered a fresh outbreak of end times speculation. This seems to happen every time there is a serious clash in the Middle East involving Israel. That’s understandable, I guess, but this latest conflict is major and has triggered even more heightened speculation than usual. Some “commentators” reckon this could be “it”.
"The Starfish is my Neighbour …"
As I shared breakfast this morning and engaged in conversation with Ps Tony our talk ranged across many different themes. Prominent in all this was the eruption of violence in the middle east, and the upheavals and unrest all around the world including in our own land of Oz with The Voice tensions running high, and so on. And a feeling of…