A rich land-owner, his manager who had complete responsibility for the estate, and certain tenants who owed rent to the land-owner. The land-owner accuses his manager of fiddling the books, and tells him to fetch the books and hand them in. The manager realises that he is about to become jobless and homeless, but he’s not prepared to do manual labour or beg, so he hatches a cunning plan. He calls in each of the tenants. …
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is a masterpiece of Christian writing. Indeed, it has sometimes been referred to as an example of ‘inspired’ writing, with the intention of thereby demoting the idea of biblical inspiration to that of any other insightful spiritual writing.
But this will not work. The Baptist theologian A.H. Strong (following W.H.P. Faunce) suggested that, great as it is, Pilgrim’s Progress actually falls short of scriptural teaching about the Christian life in some important ways:-
1.…
Arthur Holmes writes lucidly on work within a Christian world view. Here’s a precis:-
The technological revolution has affected the world of work in many ways: computerised accounting, sophisticated management techniques, systems analysis, advertising, and distribution networks all employ technology. But technology is amoral, and an amoral mentality can take over, with utilitarian considerations predominating. Profit, productivity, efficiency, or corporate growth can become not just important factors but over-riding goals.
This kind of mentality marred the industrial revolution. …
Ask any person – rich or poor – how much money they would need in order to make them happy, and the answer will always be the same: ‘A little more’.
Money will buy a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, food but not appetite, fine clothes but not beauty, medicine but not health, luxury but not culture, amusement but not happiness, a crucifix but not a saviour, a temple but not heaven. Naismith, 1200 Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes)
Martin Luther astutely observed, “There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind and the purse.”…
General characteristics of Paul’s prayers:-
1 Cor 1:4 ‘I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.’
2 Cor 1:3 ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.’
When Paul would pray for the peace of the church at Thessalonica, he says: ” Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”…
A few choice quotes from that wonderful collection, A Puritan Golden Treasury:-
Pride loves to climb up, not as Zacchaeus to see Christ, but to be seen. (William Gurnall)
A proud faith is as much a contradiction as a humble devil. (Stephen Charnock)
I may say of pride, many sins have done wickedly, but thou surmountest them all; for the wrathful man, the prodigal man, the lascivious man, the surfeiting man, the slothful man, is rather an enemy to himself than to God; the envious man, the covetous man, the deceitful man, the ungrateful man, is rather an enemy to men than to God, but the proud man sets himself against God (because he does against His laws), he maketh himself equal with God (because he does all without God and craves no help of Him); he exalteth himself above God (because he will have his own will).…
The Puritan John Milward posed the question, In what sense is it lawful to love oneself? In answering the question, he points out that Scripture teaches the sinfulness of self-love, 2 Tim 3:1-4. The worship of self is idolatry of the most common and destructive kind. But, although love of the sinful self is hateful, love of the natural self is good, as all divinely created things are good.
We love our bodies, and are bound to care for them, Eph 5:29; cf.…
Wayne Grudem takes, I think, a scripturally balanced view of this sensitive subject. To summarise:-
It is right to pray for healing, Mt 6:13; 3 Jn 2.
Jesus frequently healed all who were brought to him.
A high expectation of healing is implied in our regular use of ordinary medical remedies. We do not usually argue, “I won’t take this treatment, because it’s better for me to suffer than to be well!”
It is right to pray believingly for healing. …
Are you contented?
Alexander the Great conquered the known world. But he was not contented. After all his victories, he wept, because, he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.”
Voltaire was a brilliant philosopher and a critic of organised religion. He was not contented. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.”
Lord Byron lived a life of hedonistic pleasure. He was not contented. At the age of 35, he wrote:
My days are in the yellow leaf,
The flowers and fruits of love are gone;
The worm, the canker, and the grief
Are mine alone.…
1. I submit that the whole hectic scrample after happiness is an evil as certainly as is the scramble after money or fame or success. (A.W. Tozer)
2. I never met a happy individual who was not committed to a job or cause outside himself. Because such people have a mission in life, they are not self-centred and introspective. For them happiness is the by-product of work and duty. (Abraham Maslow)
3. Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.…
