Why do non-Christians suffer?

Life

As a Christian, suffering can be awful. We cry out to God from the depths of our pain. Yet what if you had no God to cry out to? What if you weren’t sure that there was anyone listening to your pleas? What if you didn’t know for certain that there was someone out there with things under control? You may suspect that a higher being exists, but they seem to be either too weak or too evil to stop the pain and suffering you see around you. What if you had no guarantee that in the end everything would be set right? This is how non-Christians have to endure suffering. (more…)

The shock of disunity

Life

Christians regard unity as being of primary importance, reflecting a theme that runs through the Scriptures: unity is where God bestows his blessing (Ps 133); Christian unity testifies to Christ’s identity and his love for his church (John 17:23); unity in the church glorifies God (Rom 15:5-6); and we are commanded to be united because there is one body and one Spirit (Eph 4:3-6). In fact, unity in the faith is the goal of Christian ministry and edification in the church (Eph 4:11-16). (more…)

10 tips for faithful sleep-deprived living

Life

Sleep is one of God’s good gifts. Most of us chug though life without thinking much about it, which is usually a sign that we’re getting enough. But for some of us, that blissful enjoyment of the half-regarded treasure we know as a ‘good night’s sleep’ is shattered for some reason.

(more…)

Where the road begins

Resource Talk, Review, Sola Panel

I have always thought that I had a pretty good understanding of Roman Catholicism, not just of its history and doctrine, but of how Catholic people ‘tick’. Growing up as a non-Catholic at a Roman Catholic high school, all my mates were Catholic, all my teachers were Catholic, and all my girlfriends were Catholic (of which, to be precise, there was one). I even flirted briefly with becoming Catholic myself.

(more…)

Review: “The third choice”

Review

The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom
Mark Durie
Deror Books, Melbourne, 269pp.

The image of giant passenger airliners being flown into the twin towers in New York remains burnt into our retinas. For those of us in the West, it remains a baffling puzzle: what could motivate anyone to do that? (more…)

Review: “The radical disciple”

Review

The Radical Disciple
John Stott
Inter-Varsity Press, Nottingham, 2010, 144pp.

At age 88, and after authoring more than 50 books, John Stott has written his final book: The Radical Disciple. He is a man who has made an incredible contribution to evangelical Christianity through his preaching, teaching, leadership and writing. In some ways it is sad to hear that it is his final book, but I suppose that he has earned a break after so many faithful years. (more…)