WE NEVER TRIED IT THAT WAY BEFORE!
Ralph Neighbour Jr once wrote a book called The Seven Last Words of the Church. Do you know what they are? ‘We Never Tried It That Way Before!’ This attitude has been a destructive and sinister influence in many churches. Where a handful of enthusiastic people are imaginative enough to conceive of new life, new […]
BRING YOUR VISION INTO FOCUS THROUGH THE CROSS
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Galatians 6:14) Every vision, every creative idea, has to be brought into focus through the cross. Only then do we see it in perspective. If we are not willing to subject everything to Calvary, we will never be allowed to see it […]
A MIRACULOUS GOD
I once interviewed Mrs Daisy Osborn, wife of the well- known missionary evangelist T. L. Osborn. I asked her what was the greatest miracle she had seen. She told me how a little boy had been brought to one of the crusades in Africa who had no eyes at all. He had been born not […]
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Isaac Watts’ hymn ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’, written in 1707, is widely sung and widely loved. Charles Wesley reportedly said he would give up all his other hymns to have written this one. It’s the first known hymn to be written in the first person, introducing a personal religious experience rather than limiting […]
Nine Keys to Unlocking the Book of Revelation
For centuries, the Book of Revelation has intrigued, mystified, challenged, encouraged, angered and blessed its readers. It is a remarkable and awe-inspiring book. Although Dr Barry Chant presents an irenic approach to the subject, freely acknowledging alternative views, you may be astonished at how obvious are the simple yet profound keys he outlines. They are, […]
CONFIDENCE THROUGH FAITH
When Peter and John were entering the Temple one day, a lame man asked them for some money. Peter’s answer is very revealing. ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’ (Acts 3:6). The man was instantly cured. Peter knew […]
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A MIRACLE
When they were confronted by the hungry crowds on the Galilean hills, the disciples suggested that Jesus send the people to the surrounding villages for food. Jesus’ reply is astounding: ‘You give them something to eat’ (Mark 6:37). They thought he wanted them to pay for the food–which would have cost them nearly a year’s […]
OUR COMPETENCE COMES FROM GOD
Our competence comes from God. This is clearly indicated in statements like Paul’s, ‘I can do everything through him who gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:13) and ‘Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ’ (2 Corinthians 2:14). This point comes out strongly in his second letter to the Corinthians. Here […]
BE PREPARED TO FAIL
It is exciting to think about working miracles in the name of Jesus and doing all kinds of spectacular things. But there are some important points to remember. When living creatively, we must be prepared to fail. Now no doubt this seems a strange thing to say. Surely the idea is to succeed. But when […]
THE SPIRIT OF FAITH
The apostle Paul tried to explain to the Corinthian believers what it meant to die to self– We have this treasure in earthen jars of clay, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us… We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of […]