Pastoral Messages (Page 104)

By Not Known It is a common human desire to ‘fit in‘ with those around us. Most of us dislike being different to others and prefer conformity. Against that we must consider God's call to live as aliens and strangers in the world (1 Peter 2: 11). This is not a call to be different for the sake of being different. The context makes it clear that this is a…

By Not Known In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve, and put them in the Garden of Eden. Adam was to work and take care of the garden. Eve was to come alongside and help him. It was a beautiful picture of a man and a woman in holy wedlock, each submitting to God’s design for them and their relationship. (Gen 2:15-25) At the same time, God clearly instructed that…

By Not Known Mt 7:1 has long been used as an alibi by many Christians to cover up a multitude of sins. We erroneously interpret it to say that no one can judge nor possess the right to judge. Even mere criticism is sometimes deemed to be unbiblical. This is aggravated by the spirit of our age when pluralism and relativism poison the minds of many. It means no one can…

By Not Known Several years ago, a popular fiction movie has this touching line, “ET go home…" There seems to be nothing attractive enough in this world that will make ET forget about its true belonging, and stay on earth for as long as it desires. The opposite however is true for many people, even Christians. Our familiarity with the material life here…

By Not Known Leonard Sweet related this story from the Gulf War (1990-91) of three British soldiers stumbling in the desert. Separated from their troops in the fighting, they were lost, hungry, and searching for help when they bumped into a four-star US general. Excitedly they blurted out, "Do you know where we are?" The general stiffened. Upset at their lack of…

By Not Known It was once simple to be a dad. You went to work from 9am to 5pm and then came home. There you found a stay-at-home wife who kept the household running smoothly, looked after the children and was waiting for you with a loving kiss and a delicious meal. It’s different now. For one thing, the workplace has extended way beyond 9 to 5 into a 10-12 hour…

By Not Known How do we come to know God? The Old Testament figure of Samuel gives us a glimpse of this issue in a particular setting. Like many of us, and our children, Samuel grew up knowing about God and surrounded by religious life. In his case, he literally grew up in God’s sanctuary, from the time he was weaned (1 Sam 1:24). While there he continued to grow in…

By Not Known Christian mission takes a wide variety of forms today. Just think about these present examples from within ORPC: Paul Johnson using his computer skills in the full-time, life-long work of supporting Bible translation. A member using some of her present school holidays to serve in a Christian orphanage in inland China. Another member doing a weekly volunteer…

By Not Known Why am I here? That question has shaped our Sunday sermons and small group Bible studies over the last 7 weeks. It is a question about life’s purposes. ‘Why’ depends on ‘Who’ The ‘Why’ question depends on the ‘Who’ question. The Bible gives a clear answer to the 'Who' question. We are God's…

By Not Known What is the hardest mission field? A missionary in tropical Vanuatu reports having electricity for only a few hours a day, water running low and there being no money for the basic supplies. A missionary in China tells of Christian workers been arrested and disappearing, without information or judicial review. Missionaries in other countries speak of how…