Articles
The articles below are a great way to delve into the Word when you have limited time. Each article is short in length but long on inspiration and teaching about the meaning of some of the trickier passages and books in the Bible.
These articles have had around 12,000 views over the past few years.
ONCE A SON, ALWAYS A SON
WE ARE CRAFTED : NOT CLONED
One of the many wonders of God’s grace is that we are His workmanship (see Eph.2:10). The Greek word for ‘workmanship’ is poema, meaning ‘to make’. We get the word ‘poem’ from this word. We are God’s work of art, His masterpiece. Just as no two blades of grass or two snowflakes are the same, so in the new creation we have been individually and skilfully planned and crafted. And it takes every individual member of the body of Christ to display the full glory of His handiwork.
WATER INTO WINE
Turning the water into wine was the first sign performed by Jesus. He and His disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana. Unlike John the Baptist, Jesus was not an ascetic; He came ‘eating and drinking’. He was no party-pooper. He didn’t stand alone in a corner drinking cordial, judging those who were making merry. He celebrated with them. And for good reason, as we shall see.
LOOK INTO THE MIRROR
1 John 3:9 reads, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God”. This verse troubled me for some time. If John had said those who are born of God should not sin, that would have been challenging enough. But he states emphatically that a born again person does not sin, and infact cannot sin.
REPENTANCE
I was taking a group of people through my book, This Is The Life Workbook when someone said, “It’s all very well to say that faith in Christ is the only requirement for salvation; but what about repentance? The Bible teaches that unless we repent, we cannot be saved.”
I responded by asking: “But what is repentance?”
GRACE: PLAYING THE BALL
Recently, a group of people completed Phase 1 of my “Leggacy” program. This entitles them to 6 months mentoring via phone/email. Their first question was ‘How does a grace group or church operate? What are some of the things we should be aware of?’ An important question. I could write another book in response to it!
FINDERS KEEPERS
Probably the best known parable Jesus told is the one we refer to as ‘the prodigal son’. He told this story in response to those who were shocked because He mixed, and even ate, with ‘sinners’. He wanted people to know what God really thinks about those who are lost. In fact, He told three parables to illustrate this truth – the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.
GRACE: MORE POWERFUL THAN ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR
Often, people believe that sin is the pathway to pleasure; otherwise they wouldn’t do it. People become addicted to anything that gives temporary pleasure as a means of distraction from the emotional pain they are going through.
The brain works in such a way that when we do something we enjoy it releases endorphins as a reward. This encourages us to repeat the behaviour each time we need relief from emotional pain. It serves as a coping mechanism.
SEEING WITH DOVES EYES
The purpose of both creation and redemption is that we might have an intimate relationship with Jesus. It is not surprising, therefore, that there would be one book in the Bible which depicts this. That book is the Song of Solomon. It is probably based on a true story. A young Shulamite woman worked in the vineyards of Solomon, and then one day they set eyes upon each other. It was love at first sight. From that moment on it was no longer the work but the King Himself who was her passion and focus in life
DO WE HAVE TO TAKE UP OUR CROSS?
During the Q&A time at a recent grace conference I was speaking at, someone asked the question: ‘What about Jesus’ call to take up our cross? We have to take up our cross, don’t we?
’Before I share my reply, it’s good to look at what is meant by that question. In fact, when you ask those who insist that we need to take up our cross what this means, many actually do not know how to answer. They are sure we have to take up our cross, and tell us to do so, but don’t know what it means!
BUILDING YOUR SPIRITUAL IMMUNITY
In Paul’s amazing prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 he prays that we would ‘be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man’ (Eph.3:16). We have an inner man as well as an outer man. The inner man is the spiritual part of us and the outer man the material part. The world concentrates on building up the outer man through such things as diet and exercise. The healthier we are, the more likely our immune system will be to resist viruses and diseases. So it is with our inner man. The stronger it is the more we can withstand spiritual sicknesses.
GO EASY ON THE ELDER BROTHER
Who was very upset when the prodigal son came home?” the children’s church worker asked her class. A little boy put his hand up and replied, “The fatted calf!”
I can understand that. But, as we know, the answer the teacher was looking for was, ‘the elder brother’.
YOU ARE NOT THE PEDAGOGUE
‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age’ (Titus 2:11-12). In these verses Paul says that the same grace which appeared to us at salvation also teaches us how to live. The word translated as ‘teach’ is paideuo, from which we get the word pedagogue, meaning a teacher.
HAVE YOU LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE?
Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp-stand from its place – unless you repent” (Rev. 2:4&5).
What did He mean?
EXPOSITORY PREACHING & THE GRACE OF GOD
“There are many false gospels but there is only one true gospel, i.e. the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24; Gal.1:6). Many believe that doing certain things will get them more power – e.g. praying, fasting, giving, sacrificing, etc.
But Paul said that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. If we believe the true gospel God’s power will work in our lives.
THE GRACE TEST
Are you a legalist? Probably before you can answer that question you would want me to define what I mean by ‘legalism’. Of course that word might mean different things to different people.
In my ‘Radical Grace’ seminars I try to help people discover for themselves if they have become a victim of legalism. I ask ten simple questions …
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