I’m in a mess. But why? I thought I’d been doing what Christians are supposed to do. I’ve been extremely conscientious, taken my responsibilities seriously, studied my Bible ’til my eyes ached, prayed even when I didn’t have anything to say, said “yes” to any request from someone in need, listened for hours to people [...]
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Do we Christians need New Year’s resolutions to make improvements in our lives? Or should we be into “spiritual disciplines” to make our lives better? I ask because several Christian authors claim our spiritual growth (or formation) depends on the rigorous practice of spiritual disciplines, and they quote Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy [...]
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A New Year dawns and with it a determined resolve to get our spiritual lives in shape, as well. Echoes of 1 Timothy 4:7 come to mind, perhaps, when Paul told Timothy, “Train yourself to be godly.” Ah yes, we say to ourselves, it’s time to get rid of those embarrassing spiritual cobwebs and get [...]
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Where do New Year’s resolutions fit in with Christianity? Is willpower a part of our Christian walk? Is strict self-discipline a part we play in our sanctification? If so, wouldn’t the New Year be a good time to get a grip on ourselves, resolve some niggling problems at last, and make a determined effort at [...]
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According to the Bible, God quietly entered our world as a human baby, and Christmas celebrates that event – but what does it mean to me, personally? Years ago I accepted why Jesus was born – to save me from my sins (Matthew 1:21), but it still left me wondering why he had to be [...]
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It’s coming up to Christmas and my sister’s dying. It must be deeply saddening for her family, especially at Christmas-time with all its wonderful memories of shopping for gifts, decorating the tree together, preparing the Christmas dinner and relaxing in that special warmth that only Christmas, it seems, can create. I’m so glad, therefore, that [...]
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Imagine the Managing Director of a major business stripping off his pinstripe suit and dressing instead in the clothes of the drabbest job in the company, and then quietly, without anyone noticing, he slips downstairs to the basement and takes on a menial job that pays him just enough to survive. And later, when he [...]
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Jesus came to free us from religion, but Santa Claus is the world’s response. And it’s the typical response of toxic religion. While Jesus was here with us he made it abundantly clear that he is the source of our salvation, not our efforts or our behaviour (as religion would like us to believe). But [...]
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Jesus spent a lot of his time here talking to people about the Kingdom of God, because with his coming the doors to that Kingdom were being thrown open to everyone. That’s why he told people to “seek” the Kingdom, because from that point on anyone could find the Kingdom if he or she went [...]
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For years I’ve battered Christmas as a travesty of what the season is supposed to be about, zeroing in on its faults, excesses, obligatory giving, pagan origins and huge exploitation by business. But what is Christmas supposed to be about? In the original story, it’s about God coming as one of us to rescue us [...]
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