The Pastor’s Pen

I wish to encourage you to live to see God’s will done. A common condition that cuts across all cultures, and manifests from an early age, is that we don’t respond well when we don’t get what we want. We are typically very protective of our ‘so-called rights’ to do what we want. In other…

I wish to encourage you to think clearly about Jesus Christ. Most of us know the frustration of having someone wrongly comment on what they think you are like. We sometimes respond, “Well, you obviously don’t know me as well as you think.” Mankind is quick to spout off their opinions of God with fallible…

I wish to encourage you to be a refresher of others. Most of us know the sweet experience of having someone refresh our spirit, to uplift us, to encourage and brighten our day. We can resonate with the intent of Isaiah 52:7; “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good…

I wish to encourage you to gladly answer one to another. One of the refreshing aspects of being a Christian is that we get to live an outward looking life. Instead of being self-focused, we are other focused, which helps in setting us free from the traps of self-righteousness, legalism, and hidden sin. The apostle…

I wish to encourage you to appreciate God’s work in others. Appreciation is a wonderful commodity that we can freely pass on to others. The recipient feels valued, even wanted. It overcomes hurts and fears; it energises fatigued bodies and inspires vigour for persevering in life. The apostle Paul often wrote expressing his appreciation of…

I wish to encourage you to enjoy the friendship of Christ. While it’s true that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16), and that the Lord “is patient …not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), this does not mean that friendship…

I wish to encourage you to walk in sync with the Holy Spirit. One of the most staggering and humbling privileges enjoyed by Christians is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit introduces His ministry to the unbelieving world by convicting them of sin, righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8), making them aware…

I wish to encourage you in God’s grace. In this self-righteous world, grace is given little consideration. Why? Because the world thinks it deserves every nice and good thing it gets. Self-righteousness blinds us to our need of grace. In its simplest form, grace speaks of undeserved kindness. It is the expression of God’s mercy…

I wish to encourage you to walk in the joy of Christ. New Testament joy speaks of cheerfulness, calm delight and gladness. For the Christian, joy is both an unavoidable result of salvation, while also being a discipline of daily walking with the Lord. The writer of Hebrews focuses our attention on the author and…

I wish to encourage you to be consistent in Christ Scripture unequivocally teaches God as unchangeable (Job 23:13), however, we struggle in a world of constant change. We experience the tensions of life’s variableness, plus, our stress is exacerbated by personal inconsistencies. We can so easily, and unwittingly, allow the tsunamis of life to wash…