I’ve been reflecting on Christian misconceptions recently, and one that struck me afresh last week was the idea that Jesus saved Christians from the world for heaven. Such a paradigm suggests that once we become believers, we simply wait around to die and go to heaven. It also implies our faith has no practical implications …
Imagine you’re in a large dark auditorium, and the only light available is the touch light on your phone. You won’t see much, and there’s a good chance you will trip on things around you. Now imagine the same space lit by floodlights. You would be able to see every object in the room. It’s …
It is possible and easy to be an ignorant Christian. That’s not just true of recent converts; even lifelong devout Christians can be ignorantly zealous [Romans 10:2]. In fact, several verses in the Bible suggest that every believer starts on the ignorant end of the spectrum [e.g. 1 Corinthians 12:1]. Nevertheless, we progress as we …
Do you know how to pray? How do you know you know how to pray? I often hear Christians say they’ve prayed about a particular thing or situation, I say it too, but often those prayers don’t make a tangible difference. Sometimes, it seems we’ve become so familiar with the routine and act of praying …
It takes time to know God. Sadly, investing time and effort to develop beneficial relationships is anathema to our modern ears. We want instant returns on our investments, and often we aren’t interested if that isn’t the case. The God of the Bible is one of principles and patterns [Jeremiah 6:16, Leviticus 6:9]. Therefore, a …
Let’s be honest; there are many frustrated Christians in our churches. They are frustrated with God because their life experiences are at odds with the promises concerning them in the Bible. Sadly, we often lack the courage of someone like Gideon, who questioned an angel about God’s faithfulness [Judges 6:13], to confront the disparity between …
It can be difficult for us to be honest with ourselves. It’s even harder to make changes after an honest self-appraisal. Consequently, many of us become adept at making excuses for ourselves or ignoring aspects of our lives we need to change, either by avoiding introspection or constructive criticism from others. Unfortunately, without a willingness …
Have you ever observed that it’s the lawyers and the politicians who seem to know more about the laws in countries with constitutions? They also seem to benefit the most from their knowledge of the laws of the land. The politicians get paid to make the laws and install the judges who apply those laws. …
After creating man and woman, God blessed them and said to them, “be fruitful…” [Genesis 1:28]. This was God’s first command to human beings. The Hebrew phrase translated as “be fruitful” means to grow or to increase. It’s repeated about 40 times in the Old Testament and 14 times in the book of Genesis. Twelve …
I remember arguing with a friend some time ago about the disparity between something in the Bible and our lived experience. It was the kind of frivolous argument Paul warns against [Titus 3:9]. As I tried to defend my stance, my friend asked: “is what you’re saying working for you?” I brushed off his question …
