Teaching

CONFUSION IN THE CHURCH – PART 1

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, warns of a current danger …

We are living in very difficult days and there are many challenges confronting the church, not only from those outside the church who oppose it, but particularly from within the church itself.

Often the church has been its own worst enemy as it has sought to follow questionable paths, violated its ethical values, compromised its witness, watered down its doctrinal beliefs, damaged its integrity and sought accommodation with the world. (more…)

YES TO LOVE?

Jim McClure

Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, shares concernedly on ‘real love’…

‘These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13).

In the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians 13 Paul wrote what has been described as the most beautiful poem on love ever written. It is certainly the best known and is often used in wedding services, wall art and greeting cards. (more…)

CARNAL CHRISTIANITY

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, shares concernedly about counterfeit Christianity …

In using the phrase ‘carnal Christianity’ I am not here referring to the life-style practices of those Christians who flout biblical moral principles, but to the behaviour of many Christians who, while apparently reflecting a depth of spirituality, in reality express a carnal form of Christianity!

Let’s explore this further. (more…)

HOMOSEXUALITY – A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, with genuine concern highlights an important and timely subject:

As the issues of ‘gay marriage’ and ‘LGBT rights’ are occupying so much news media space, homosexuality and its associated sexual abnormalities are actively promoted in movies and television shows, and celebrities, sports personalities and politicians are rushing to show how broadminded, compassionate and ‘up to date’ they are. Some Christians are being made to feel that perhaps they too should jump on this bandwagon.

But should they? Has the Christian position that has held fast for 2000 years been wrong? Is it time for a ‘Christianity makeover’ that will bring it more into the 21st century and be more relevant to these days? (more…)

SPRING CLEANING!

Jim McClure

Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, challenges…

The prophet Jeremiah encountered major rejection to his ministry. The people of Judah had chosen to follow other gods, to listen to and follow false teaching and to reject the ‘spring of living water’ whose only source was God. And God said, ‘My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water’ (Jeremiah 2:13, emphasis mine). (more…)

THE EXALTED CHRIST

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, shares from scripture on the glorious exaltation of Jesus Christ:

In an American television cooking competition a couple of years ago one of the contestants was delighted to be speaking with one of the chefs she had admired for a long time. And she made this comment, ‘If Jesus Christ had suddenly appeared in front of me while I was speaking to the chef, I would have said to Jesus, “Hi, dude,” and kept on talking!’ (more…)

CORPORATE WORSHIP

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, writes:
In my January article I addressed the question, ‘Where is the best place to worship?’

This raises another question, ‘Can we worship God without going to a church?’

My first response to that is, ‘Most certainly!’ As I wrote in my previous article, ‘It is not the place that is important but the attitude of the heart and spirit.’ In fact the worship of God must be understood as our personal response to God in our engagement with him. (more…)

THE FOCUS OF TRUE WORSHIP

Jim McClure
‘Where is the best place to worship?’ asks a concerned Christian.

Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, responds:

There is a sense in which worship of God should be central to our lives as Christians regardless wherever we are or whatever we are doing. However, in this article I want to address what we do when we formally come together to worship God. (more…)

INEXTINGUISHABLE LIGHT

Jim McClureQuestion: Of what relevance is the celebration of Christmas today?


Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, responds:
Christmas is a special time! It means many things to many people but for the Christian its primary meaning is that God ‘sent his one and only Son into the world’ (1 John 4:9) on a mission to save a humanity that was broken, lost and without hope.

At Christmas time Isaiah 9:2 is often read – ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.’ Traditionally ‘darkness’ has been used in various cultures to signify evil, oppression and depression. In the Bible, particularly, the word is used symbolically of those things that are opposed to God. (more…)