And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 These are bold words, yet coming as they did from the mouth of one who had risen from the dead we must grant their credibility. The question then is, at what point was Jesus … Continue reading All power
Faith and life
Thanksgiving meditations
Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. Members of our congregation will be gathering at church this evening for a big Thanksgiving meal, joined by relatives of some members who have come from a distance, and some of our neighbours. There will be lots of visiting and a time for singing and testimonies after the … Continue reading Thanksgiving meditations
God’s ground crew
About 35 years ago I read a magazine article about a famous (notorious?) Canadian rock musician. Near the end of the article, this musician was quoted as saying, “I love the Lord; but I don’t have much use for his ground crew.” That statement has stuck in my mind, perhaps because it seems that so … Continue reading God’s ground crew
Heaven and hell
Atheists consider the teaching in the Bible about a place called hell to be a conclusive argument against Christianity and its belief in a loving God. As a Christian, I consider hell to be part of the good news. I don't any vindictive feelings against other people, but if heaven is to be a good … Continue reading Heaven and hell
Catholicism or catholicity?
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. This is the final clause of the ancient confession of faith which is commonly known as the Apostles’ Creed. It is the earliest complete confession of the Christian … Continue reading Catholicism or catholicity?
Contagious holiness
“True evangelism is the result of a contagious holiness. Untrue evangelism is simply marketing or recruiting.” -Doug Wilson, from Blog & Mablog, http://www.dougwils.com Doug Wilson writes from a Calvinist / Reformed point of view, therefore we differ on some very fundamental issues of the Christian faith. Yet a lot of what he writes about the … Continue reading Contagious holiness
The faith once delivered to the saints
Jude 1:3 — Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude felt that he needed to send this exhortation to the saints … Continue reading The faith once delivered to the saints
Christian celebrities
Can someone please tell me how it is a validation of the saving grace of Jesus Christ to extol well-known public figures who are Christians as testimonial evidence? What does it do to the public’s perception of Christianity when these people stumble? It’s not that it is impossible for people in the public eye, such … Continue reading Christian celebrities
Relevant to what?
Relevant to what? Everybody talking about the decline of Christianity in the Western world says that it is because the faith preached over the pulpit is no longer relevant to our society. What they cannot agree on is in what way it is no longer relevant. For over a century now, many churches have struggled … Continue reading Relevant to what?
Circling the wagons is not an option
The Western movies of my boyhood often contained a scene where Indians attacked a wagon train of settlers. The settlers would draw their wagons onto a circle to form a protective wall, then try to fend off the attackers with rifle fire. This would go on until the ammunition was gone and their doom appeared … Continue reading Circling the wagons is not an option