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Pursue Excellence
Since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12. Excellence, n., the condition of being better than others. Daniel and Solomon were both committed to excellence – but one was more truly ‘successful’ than the other. Excellence is another slippery idea. Maximizing your effectiveness, […]
Mere Christianity
‘Who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Matthew 16:15,16. Outside holy scripture C.S.Lewis will probably be the most quoted source in these devotions. He wanted to explain ‘mere Christianity’ in a way that Catholics, agnostics, Baptists, could say, ‘Yes, that’s what it […]
Peace And The Will Of God
May the God of peace… make you complete. Hebrews 13:20. Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God. There is no real peace anywhere else. God’s service is perfect freedom and there is no other freedom. A friend wrote a sad – and honest poem about ‘love without striving’. He […]
Questions, Questions, Questions
‘All things are lawful’ but not all things are beneficial… Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience… Give no offense. 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. You’re a guest, and you learn that the meat you’re eating […]
Success
The God of heaven is the one who will give us success. Nehemiah 2:20. Success, n., a favourable result, a wished-for ending, good fortune… Was Christ on the cross a success or a failure? We do not easily survive either success or failure. We (Western) humans have an inordinate need to demonstrate our worth by […]
You Are A Miracleat
GOD THINKS YOU’RE SPECIAL – SO YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE THAT! This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17. You will never be truly happy until you know your heavenly Father believes that about you too! Trouble is, we humans search for happiness in the wrong places. Some Swedish psychologists […]
The Idea 0f Christendom
In the last days… people will [hold] to the outward form of godliness but deny its power. 2 Timothy 3:1-5. The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard had a strong aversion to lukewarm Christianity. He was so overwhelmed by the awesome majesty of God, and the strong commitment urged by Jesus, that he wrote with withering irony […]
The Suffering Of God
The Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Genesis 6:6. Does God care? Does God feel for me when I hurt? Is God touched by my pain? Some early Christians believed in God’s ‘impassibility’ (from the Latin impassibilis, incapable of suffering). He was transcendent, […]
Authentic Christian Ministry
Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’) sold a field… and brought the money… [to] the apostles. But Ananias and Sapphira [lied]. Acts 4:32 – 5:3. All Christians are ministers; some ministers are pastors. All members of Christ’s body have a ministry-function; some are called to lead, to be shepherds. These shepherds, or pastors (it’s the […]
God Is For You
If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Romans 8:31,32. A friend who is an Anglican bishop once told me: ‘If it wasn’t for Jesus Christ I would […]
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