God’s truth

RED ALERTS!

(April 12, 2024) Richard Winter reflects on dangers and challenges …

See the sun come up this morning, or any signs in the sky? For example… sunshine means warmer weather – that’s a good sign.

Did you know that Jesus has an important teaching about looking for signs?

Matthew 16:1-4NKJV records: ‘Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.’ 

Red Alerts
We all know that a Red Alert –
(i)  Signifies a warning.
(ii) Indicates eminent impending danger.
(iii) Gets our attention by its very colour.
(iv) Means alarm bells will be ringing danger!

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‘LAUREL OR YANNI’ – A THEOLOGICAL CHALLENGE?

(June 10, 2018) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, brings a topical wake-up challenge…

Imagine that you are returning home late one night. As you pass your neighbour’s house, you see that it is on fire. You are really very fond of those neighbours whom you consider as very close friends. They have two bright, friendly little children who are like family to you. Obviously those neighbours are fast asleep in their comfortable beds and are unaware that they are in such danger.

You are confronted with a problem – what do you do? You have two choices. Should you let them sleep and not disturb their comfort, or should you race towards the house yelling to awaken them and warning them of their danger even though their comfort will be disturbed?

What is the loving thing to do? What is the right thing to do?

Laurel v Yanni
Over the past few weeks there has been an audio clip on the internet that we could describe as the ‘Laurel v Yanni’ argument. Apparently while listening to this audio clip some people clearly hear the word ‘Laurel’ while others clearly hear the word ‘Yanni.’ (more…)

THE TRUTH ZONE

(November 26, 2017) Stuart Reynolds challenges the church about subtle ‘twilight talk’ …

‘The place is here, the time is now, and the journey into the shadows that we’re about to watch could be our journey….You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone….’

Many of us from more than a generation ago will recall these words from Rod Sterling, as he would introduce another episode of that cult classic TV show, The Twilight Zone, where there is no ‘up’ or ‘down’ or ‘out.’

Reality
The world without God has always lived in a Twilight Zone of darkness, desperation, destruction and death.

The burden of this article is over the increasing journey of retreat and regression the church has made back into that same zone of vagueness, uncertainty, and indistinctiveness, where …

  • Less and less is clear, sound and sure.
  • Commands have become suggestions.
  • Truth is a matter of opinion and feeling, resulting in a muddled-morality.
  • We have a mixed message that leaves us bereft of a truly ‘blessed assurance.’
  • Christian fundamentals have been replaced and succeeded by subtle and dangerous baseless assumption!

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