Today we live in a herd environment, that of a human herd. Mass advertising confronts us every hour, creating this mentality. We reflected on this as we read Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, that we “give you in ourselves an example to imitate” (2 Thessalonians 3:9). What do we imitate? Who do we take as… Read More Today’s thought “… an example to imitate” (November 20)
Job 9 – God knows when the good things are safe and when the evil things are needed; and the scriptural attitude is to accept, with a reverential submission, whatever comes; if good, with thanksgiving; if evil, with resignation. It would be altogether a mistake to assume that goodness only will be our lot, or… Read More Reverential submission
Amos 3 – When we consider how much depends, both in public and private matters, upon the moods and desires of particular individuals, and how easy it is for divine power to affect those moods without the person being aware of the cause, or that any cause at all is in operation, it is easy… Read More Evil in the city
Daniel 4 – Daniel tells us, in a sense that does not conflict with the Gospel of the kingdom, that He ruleth in the kingdoms of men, setting up some and putting down others. The kingdoms, now existing, are provisionally of God’s appointment. God’s purpose to make the earth a habitation of order, love, intelligence,… Read More He doeth according to His will
Ephesians 3 – When we begin to know “the love of Christ that passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19), we shall find ourselves beginning to be able to do what he commands, even when it goes against the grain. We shall be able to do good to them that hate us, and certainly to refrain from rendering… Read More The love which passes knowledge
The fact is that the very best experience at present is only a state of divinely regulated evil, and that the occurrence of evil is one of the necessities involved in the development of saints from a race of unjustified sinners. All are sinners more or less, and, “Wherefore doth a man complain for the… Read More All are sinners
Jesus isn’t talking about the state of the eye when he talks about the evil eye.… Read More Evil Eye
There is no change of purpose with the divine “potter”, but there is a change of mind and disposition towards the “clay lumps”, individual and national, according as they change their mind and disposition towards the “potter”. This is the apostolic argument in the epistle to the Romans (chapter 9), and satisfactorily explains the existence… Read More Today’s Thought (August 01): The divine potter
Exposition / Politics and Skepticism Conspiracy Thinking and Radical Skepticism There is a strong mistrust in society today, a spirit of suspicion and skepticism that is almost pathological. The COVID-19 experience has bred a lot of it, with debates about vaccination, wearing masks, etc. Conspiracy thinking is very much on the rise. Subject matter experts are… Read More Conspiracy Thinking and Radical Scepticism
Today’s thought “The deceitfulness of sin” (November 30) The word ‘sin’ is an obsolete word today, do we ever hear it used in personal conversations? It would only be in a Bible talk and occasionally in discussions between brethren and sisters. What challenges we face in our godless world – but I doubt we ever… Read More Today’s thought “The deceitfulness of sin” (November 30)
It is only too true, and we sadly need one of the old prophets to break in upon the Household to cry aloud and spare not — to warn one and all of our failings, and to point out, as one of the prophets did to Israel of old, that in the day of their… Read More A Growing Evil
Today’s thought “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (February 2) Romans 12 is one of the most significant in God’s word. How significant for us is the advice given in verse 12. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” The world around us offers nothing in which we can genuinely rejoice.… Read More Today’s thought “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (February 2)
Today we listen to a prayer and a passionate song of David with Psalm 6 & 7. Facing several problems David took refuge and asked God to save him from each of his persecutors (Psalm 7:1-2) David asks the Adonai, Who commanded judgment and vindication, to arise in His anger against the fury or rage… Read More Today’s thought “Asking God to arise against the enemies” (January 03)
The Eternal One Devar Hashem Jehovah brought a message for the whole world. Jehovah God gave it to a man named Zephaniah when Josiah (Amon’s son) was the king of Judah. Zephaniah’s father was Cushi, the son of Gedaliah (Amariah’s son and a descendant of a commoner named Hezekiah). (Zephaniah 1:1) Eternal One said He… Read More Today’s thought “The Eternal One going to wipe the face of the earth clean” (December 15)
Unceasing evil The above two words are the last words in the short prophecy of Nahum we read this morning. His three chapters are “an oracle concerning Nineveh” (1:1). You will remember that Jonah reluctantly went there, but they responded to his preaching of warning that in “forty days” they would be destroyed because of… Read More Today’s thought “Unceasing evil” (December 11)
Today’s thought “Stormy winds fulfilling his word” (February 2) Evil threatens to overcome the world. Evil has always been present, sometimes violently so such as in the days of my youth when Adolf Hitler was in power. Massive force was used to overcome the evil he created. But Paul wrote, “Do not be overcome with… Read More Today’s thought “Stormy winds fulfilling his word” (February 2)
The consistent Biblical view is that this world is ruled by human desires gone wrong.… Read More What Causes Sin?
In the last article in the series “Key to the Bible” we present again some thought which can surprise several Christians. Like you could see from previous articles and Bible texts you might have seen how many Church doctrines are not in accord with Bible doctrines. Jesus taught that all evil comes from within, out… Read More Has the devil got you?
Today’s thought “According to the integrity that is in me” (January 3) What a challenging selection of chapters we have today! Our heading is taken from David’s Psalm 7: it is largely a prayer; can it be our prayer too? “Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is… Read More Today’s thought “According to the integrity that is in me” (January 3)
Excerpt from The Guiding Light by Islip Collyer “In this world of our mortal experiences there is a strange mixture of good and evil. In many ways it seems a blighted and faulty world; yet as we increase our experience and knowledge, we become conscious of a wonderful, growing persuasion that in one respect the… Read More The Guiding Light
Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven 