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Everyone loves a tale of endurance. In most cinema stories the lead character is first introduced to us and then they face some unfortunate obstacle which they then have to overcome. Through that endurance process the audience picks up some life lessons for their own battles of endurance. One of my favourite movies about endurance is the biographical Hurricane (1999). It tells the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington) a former middleweight boxing champion who was convicted for a triple homicide in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey. It depicts his life in prison and how he was freed by the love and compassion of a teenager from Brooklyn and his Canadian foster family. In a moving scene the wrongly convicted Hurricane turns up in prison. The prison warden tells him to wear a prison uniform. He refuses by making it clear that "only guilty people wear a prison uniform". And since he is innocent of any crime, he cannot put on the identity of a convict. Thi...

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness" (Colossians 1:13a) Matthew Henry gets us to the point quickly : [Jesus] has saved us from the dominion of sin, which is darkness (1 John. 1:6), from the dominion of Satan, who is the prince of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), and from the damnation of hell, which is utter darkness (Matthew. 25:30) This deliverance" is not merely cosmetic. It is the ultimate rescue operation. The word "delivered" literally means deliverance from danger. What is the danger we face if are under the domain of darkness? It is certainly the danger of the enslavement under dark Satanic powers. Before we were followers of Jesus our all lives worshipped Satan. Like hostages suffering from Stockholm syndrome we honoured Satan with sin and all kinds of shameful deeds of darkness. Demons and other satanic powers were our masters, even if we were unaware.

It doesn’t matter how exotically righteous you are. It doesn’t matter how pure you are in your dealings with [sin]. It doesn’t matter how strong you are against temptation. Your standing with God is never based on your righteousness, but on his. His perfect life, his acceptable death, and his death-defeating resurrection guaranteed your standing with God. All of your sins past, present, and future have been covered by his blood. His righteousness has been attributed to your account. So even in your moment of greatest failure, you do not have to hide from God or fear his presence. Your penalty has been paid and eternal acceptance has been granted, so you can run into God’s presence, lost and broken as you often are, without fear of his rejection. Grace guarantees your forgiveness, pays the penalty for your guilt, and lifts the burden of shame off your shoulders. - PAUL DAVID TRIPP ( Source : Sex and Money, 2013) You simply can’t preach forgiveness to yourself enough! We need t...

I recently visited a hospital and was particularly struck with the complete dependence of patients on the medical staff. The patients know their needs and follow every instruction of medical officers. There is trust there with the patient knowing full well the doctor means well for them. The other thing that hit me was the vulnerability of the patient. There’s no judgement in the hospital because everyone is there because they are sick and in need of help. Therefore the most embarrassing positions in the outside world are accepted as normal. For example, is not unusual for the patient to urinate on the bed and call for help! Indeed, asking for help is encouraged as part of the healing process. These two things strike a deep cord with me because I once complained to my older brother that many churches are surprisingly unreliable and lack the authenticity one would expect of true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He helpfully responded, "what do you expect? The church is ...

One of my favourite television programmes is Undercover Boss. Each episode usually features the CEO or owner of a company going undercover as ordinary entry-level employee in his or her company. The CEO alters her appearance and assume an alias and fictional back-story to avoid suspicion. She spends around a week, working in various areas of her company. This exposes her to the challenges the company faces, along the way getting to know the people who work their, and learning more about their professional and personal challenges. My favourite part is always towards the end when the CEO summons the individuals to corporate headquarters and comes clean by revealing her true identity. She rewards hard-working employees through promotion, or financial rewards to improve their lives. Others she gives more training, better working conditions or in extreme cases, termination. Almost without exception, those in receipt of the surprise rewards are moved to tears by the act of generosity. A...

The definition given by the Lord Jesus Christ : Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3) What is does it mean to “know the only true God, and Jesus Christ”? It is having Jesus' truth in us and living in Jesus. It us in Jesus and Jesus in us! Jesus now becomes our very life. How does this happen? Apostle John answers this in his first letter : "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12) In short, Jesus makes us really live by living in us. When we repent we now have a real and interactive relationship with him. Jesus in us changes everything! He is now never far away, but becomes truly God with us! It means we have an infinite resource to draw on for strength, comfort, love, etc! We have an awareness and experience of God. That is having eternal life! And of ...

When you’re disappointed with your life, you will find ways to escape it. That may come in the form of busyness. You fill your schedule to the brim to keep yourself from having a moment to think. Or you may try to escape by watching way too much television. You’re watching not because you’re addicted to the content before you, but because you’re addicted to the escape that content provides for you. Or you may try to flee life by spending endless hours on the Internet, in the dark escape of the buzz of pornography, or in the temporary pleasure of too much food or alcohol. Maybe your escape is a hobby, sport, or outdoor activity. The point is that you are either facing life with hope and courage or you are finding a way to escape it. - Paul David Tripp ( Source : Forever)

We are constantly tempted to look within ourselves to seek to find some reason why God should love us. Such searching is, of course, usually discouraging. We usually find within ourselves reasons why we think God should not love us. Such searching is also unbiblical. The Bible is quite clear that God does not look within us for a reason to love us. He loves us because we are in Christ Jesus. When He looks at us, He does not look at us as “stand alone” Christians, resplendent in our own good works, even good works as Christians. Rather, as He looks at us, He sees us united to His beloved Son, clothed in His righteousness. He loves us, not because we are lovely in ourselves, but because we are in Christ. Here then is another weapon of truth that we should store up in our hearts to use against our doubts and the temptation to question God’s love for us. God’s love to us cannot fail any more than His love to Christ can fail. We must learn to see our adversities in relation to our union w...

Confidence in God’s sovereignty in the lives of people should also keep us from becoming resentful and bitter when we are treated unjustly or maliciously by others. Bitterness usually stems not so much from the other person’s actions as from the effects of those actions on our lives. - Jerry Bridges ( Source : Trusting God) Of course a lot of other factors contribute towards a bitter spirit, but without doubt at the root of much bitterness are expectations not met. The to-do-list in our hands do match the to-do-list in other people's hands. When we fail to rest in God's sovereign control over all to-do-lists we seek to wrestle control from others in any way we can. And we find ourselves failing, we begin to resent and grow bitter. A reflection that God is sovereign over every detail of our lives is indeed the right antidote for bitterness.

It is a common experience of mine. I have prayed. I have sought God's will. I know that which I seek is not grounded in selfish ambition. There is no doubt in my heart that my request is in the right place. In fact under close examination I sense there's even some common justice to it. And yet, God does not answer or even respond. I feel even ignored by the silence of God to the request.  Indeed, in fact if I am very honest God's response appears humanly irrational and not quite in line with how I have always understood His truth. This is my experience. And it is an experience that is best summed by one word : disappointment. Many times God has disappointed me. He has not quite fulfilled what I expected. These disappointments are particularly hard when God seems to meet the needs of other people and he seems blind to my own. It seems in those moments, God is purposely turning a blind to my concerns. It turns out, that in fact, I am not the only one who feels this way s...

God’s agenda is not to make us happy (in terms of temporal bliss). He came to make us holy. This only happens as we begin to understand who he is. The bigger Christ becomes in our eyes, the smaller we become in our own. The ground a redeemed sinner stands on is not purchased with play money or cheap trinkets. It is blood-bought and won by the Spirit over the bitterest opposition of the flesh. That is why so many doors to our hearts and minds have to be forced open by rough break-ins. These things shake us up, but it is the only way to shape us into conformity to Christ. - Jim Andrews ( Source : Polishing God's Monuments)

As long as you can carry your burdens alone, you don't need a burden bearer. As long as your situation brings you no grief, you will receive no comfort. And as long as you can take him or leave him, you might as well leave him, because he won't be taken half-heartedly. But when you mourn, when you get to the point of sorrow for your sins, when you admit that you have no other option but to cast all your cares on him, and when there is truly no other name that you can call, then cast all your cares on him, for he is waiting in the midst of the storm. - Max Lucado   ( Source : The Applause of Heaven )

1. What is the other end of this rope tied to? 2. Where is this rope supposed to be taking me? 3. Is it tied to the right things, the right values?

When the Lord’s ways do not neatly conform to our pat little paradigms of what seems (to our fallible minds) right and just, and good and faithful, it says something about human nature that usually the first thought that comes to mind is that something is wrong with God. Somehow the last thing that occurs to us is that God is simply too big for our small boxes. It is imperative at such times that we learn to be humble, not haughty. God always deserves the benefit of any doubt. And, faith always pleads with us, “Dear soul, trust God’s power, trust God’s wisdom, trust God’s goodness, trust God’s faithfulness—even though to your mixed-up, emotionally over-charged mind he doesn’t seem to be living up to his résumé or promises. Just do it anyway.” - Jim Andrews ( Source : Polishing God's Monuments)

There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not work for the salvation of others. You cannot use poverty as an excuse; the widow who threw in her two small coins will accuse you (Luke 21:2-4). Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none” (Acts 3:6). Paul was so poor, he often went hungry and lacked even necessary food (Philippians 4:12). And being lower-class by birth is no excuse either. The apostles were obscure men from obscure families. Or are you uneducated? That is no excuse. The apostles were illiterate (Acts 4:13). Are you weak in body? That is no excuse. Timothy was a person who suffered from frequent illnesses (1 Timothy 5:23). Everyone can serve his neighbour if only he is willing to play his part… Don’t tell me, ‘It is impossible for me to influence others.’ If you are a Christian, it is impossible for you not to influence others! Just as the elements that make up your human nature do not contradict each other, so also in this matter – it belongs to t...

Well four suns actually that ensure it is always shining! Armchair astronomers recently discovered a planet with four suns. The "bright new world", just under 5,000 light years away, is believed to be six times the size of Earth. It orbits one pair of stars and is in turn circled by a second pair. As a result, a total of four stars light up its skies. A handful of planets are already known to orbit pairs of binary stars, but the new find is said to be unique. Oxford University's Chris Lintott says, "It's fascinating to try and imagine what it would be like to visit a planet with four suns in its sky" . Well one thing is for sure in that world one would find it difficult to sleep! A world that never goes dark of course should remind us of that world that is coming that will never go dark. A world where God himself will be the sun! 

Worship is first your identity before it is ever your activity. You are a worshiper, so everything you think, desire, choose, do, or say is shaped by worship - Paul David Tripp (Source: What Did You Expect? )

God is using the difficulties of the here and now to transform you, that is, to rescue you from you. And because he loves you, he will willingly interrupt or compromise your momentary happiness in order to accomplish one more step in the process of rescue and transformation, which he is unshakably committed to.. - Paul David Tripp ( Source : What Did You Expect? )

Philosopher Lisa Guenther recently wrote a fascinating piece in the New York Times where she comments on the impact of living in solitary confinement, drawing on her research in Phenomenology : The problem with solitary confinement is not just that it deprives the inmate of her freedom. This harm is already inflicted by our prison system, and depending on how you feel about justice and punishment, depriving people of freedom may be justifiable. But prolonged isolation inflicts another kind of harm, one that can never be justified. This harm is ontological; it violates the very structure of our relational being. Think about it: Every time I hear a sound and see another person look toward the origin of that sound, I receive an implicit confirmation that what I heard was something real, that it was not just my imagination playing tricks on me. Every time someone walks around the table rather than through it, I receive an unspoken, usually unremarkable, confirmation that the tab...

Shelley Hundley suffered abuse at the hands of a minister in the community, which turned her away from the faith and made her become an atheist – believing that the pain she suffered was proof of atheism. An encounter with Jesus Christ changed her life and gave her freedom to forgive and meet face to with her abuser: As we sat down, I told him I forgave him for the specific wrongs he committed against me. Then I placed my hand on his shoulder and began to pray for God’s blessing on him. I spoke with my whole heart, “Jesus’s blood is enough for everything you have done to me and to others. I speak that over you as one of the ones you harmed. His blood is enough!” I felt such a heavy burden lift from my heart, and my countenance lit up with joy, I remember asking him, “Can I wash your feet?” I had to ask him twice because it was so shocking for him to hear that from me. He nodded and looked baffled as I ran to the bathroom and came back with a basin of water and a towel. I felt so mu...