Invasive Liberalism

Liberalism is extremely invasive, and being an evangelical within a liberal denomination is difficult, and evangelicals within such a church learn to tolerate liberalism and come to see it as just another theological position which, if the church accepts it, must be OK.

Until this poison is dealt with and removed - through church reform - the future is bleak for that denomination.

Victory For Same-Sex Supporters In USA

Why same-sex supporters are celebrating

Same-sex supporters won unprecedented victories this week in the USA. Wisconsin elected the nation's first openly gay senator, while three new gay candidates were elected to the House.  Same-sex marriage proponents won in all four states where gay marriage was contested.  Those who support biblical marriage are more counter-cultural than ever.

Now consider this fact: More evangelicals than Mormons voted for Mitt Romney, in both percentage and votes cast.  In fact, more conservative Christians voted for the Republican nominee than for any candidate in American history.  Mr Obama attracted even fewer Protestants, evangelicals, and Catholics than in his 2008 victory, but still won decisively.

Clearly, Christians who want to make a difference must do more than vote.  Is our witness still relevant to our changing culture?

Pray For Us.

Please pray for Northern Ireland.  Our people are still held in the grip of republican terrorism.  Lives are still be controlled by these thugs.  Former security force personnel are again carrying their personal protective weapons (PPWs) and the old security measures are being practiced again.

The devil is controlling these gangsters, but he has done something else, perhaps more serious - he has blinded the eyes of our political leaders so that they will not see what is really happening in Ulster today.

Please do not be taken in by all the very positive publicity about out land that is being produced by people who are extremely keen to hold on to their very well paid jobs as politicians.  Terrorists incidents take place on a daily basis.  Wives are as concerned about for safety of their husbands as ever they were.

And no one seems to care about them.  You can show your care by praying for this land in all its darkness and depressiveness.  Don't be surprised if republican terrorists launch a 'terrorist spectacular' when the UK City of Culture - Londonderry - commences in a few weeks time.  People in the city are already worried about such an eventuality occurring.

Pray for us.

Trying the Broken Cisterns

It can be somewhat frustrating when we cannot discern what it is that God is doing in our lives.  We feel that we are being held in suspense by our Father.  The Psalmist David found that, you know, and so have his countless servants throughout the running centuries. God is mysterious, and His doings are equally mysterious.  

In such times, what are we to do?  We are to do the only thing it is proper for us to do in these circumstances, and that it to repose our lives confidently in His Word.  What else have we?  He is faithful Who promised.  We cast ourselves and our burdens unreservedly upon His grace and mercy.

Now, the last thing we ought to do, and the first thing we are often tempted to do, is to look for the consolations of the world.  How foolish that would be!  It is vanity to look to the empty and perverse world to help and succour us when in difficulties.  The world has absolutely nothing to offer.  Indeed, this is exactly what worldlings do - they look around them everywhere to find something from the world that will mitigate their miseries.  But there's nothing there.  At times of difficulty, they may drown their sorrows with alcohol, but they still have them when they sober up.  They may use some kind of escapism, yet that is OK only for the short time they have 'escaped.'  But they still have to return to the real world.

No, the world and its ways have nothing to offer the child of God.  They mock us, deride us, and make fun of us. 

I tried the broken cisterns, Lord,
 But, ah, the waters failed!
E’en as I stooped to drink they fled,
 And mocked me as I wailed.

The world’s broken cisterns have nothing to offer the child of God when he or she is going through life-threatening difficulties.  We have all tried them, and some of us have seen through them.  Even the positive thinking attitude, while good so far as it goes, is inadequate, and I’ve seen people being devastated by this outlook.

However, we have found something that does work in all circumstances – having a positive faith in Christ the sovereign Lord and Comforter of the weak.  It’s not just about being positive; it’s about being positive in Christ; it’s about being positive in Him because of Who He is – the One Who suffered and bled and died for us, and Who rose again on the third day to demonstrate that the Father had accepted all He had done on the Cross and therefore accepts all who trust in Him.

God's Strength In Weakness

Our God is good and His goodness knows no end.  Praise Him constantly for being What and Who He is.  You know, it is at a time of testing that you really do prove the Lord.  In a sense, anybody can say they are a Christian; but when you are thrown back upon the Saviour, and knowing that you have been forgiven, you can rest assured. 

I have no help but Thine; nor do I need
Another arm save Thine to lean upon;
It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed;
My strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone.

This is our confidence, and in this confident we rest.

Is The Church Full Of Hypocrites? Dr R C Sproul

Dr R. C. Sproul has written an interesting article which attempts to answer the title question.  Click here to read the full article.

This is an issue that ought to exercise every Christian daily because we are all prone to fall into this particular sin.  It is a sin that can put great strain on our testimony and witness, yet as Sproul points out, we are sinners; and so long as we live we will never be anything other than sinners.

How God Teaches His people Lessons

When news of any serious illness arrives in a home, it leaves an unforgettable impact.  One of these impacts is that it makes you sort out your life’s priorities. You see with a very clear eye what’s important in life and what’s not.  The things we once thought were important pale into insignificance, while the things we did not give proper priority to take top spot. 

Sometimes the Lord in his grace has to teach us this lesson in this way because He knows that we would not learn it in any other way.  We all get so caught up in our daily routines that the important things in life are put on the back burner.  We concern ourselves about education and career and a level of financial independence, our house and car and holidays, but we do not always think seriously that one day we will die and leave it all behind.  Living for this world and for the things of this world will prove to be utterly disappointing when we stand before God.  Somebody once asked what a very wealthy man left when he died.  “Everything,” was the answer.  We will leave everything behind when we close our eyes for the last time and stand before the righteous God, the Judge of all the earth. 

So in the sure providence of God, we are given time to pause and reconsider our lives and our latter end.  That can only be good.  To sit back and realise that we are mortal human beings who are only here for a while, then we are gone, is good for us – if we take it seriously. 

That’s where we are right now, in the good providence of God.  And because He is in it with us, we are content.  “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold,” Job 23:10.  We have surrendered ourselves into the good hand of God our Saviour, and He will do what is best.  And in this confidence we rest.