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In 1988 D.R.McConnell wrote a book critiquing the modern Faith Movement titled ‘A different Gospel’, but there is another ‘different gospel’ that has been around far longer. Paul describes it as ‘really no gospel at all’ (Galatians 1:7) because the Gospel is good news whereas the ‘different gospel’ is not. This false gospel goes under various names but the one we are all most familiar with is… ‘Legalism’. Legalism, possibly the most pervasive different gospel of all time, is defined most simply as the belief that we can, and should, do something to earn or merit salvation or divine
The death of their firstborn was the final judgement that persuaded Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. God instructed the Israelites to paint the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. He said that when He saw the blood, He would pass over that household and not strike their first-born. Passover gets its name from this ‘passing over’ the homes of the people of God. It is a graphic foreshadowing of how Jesus, the Lamb of God, would shed His blood for the salvation of all who believe. Every year thereafter, through to the time of Jesus, the
What will the year hold for us? The future might look rather bleak for some people – loss of job, ill health, financial problems. In such cases the natural thing is to worry about the future, but God says, “do not worry!” Jesus spoke clearly in His ‘Sermon on the Mount’ about how we are not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34). Embedded in His message are three antidotes to worry – Faith, living in today, and a focus on the Kingdom of God. Worry is an expression of lack of faith in God’s provision. Jesus points us to birds and
In one week last month I encountered three people whose views were so set, whose mindsets were so entrenched that I was left flabbergasted and frustrated. I used words like “Have you considered that there might be a better way?” and “Have you studied the opposing views to that?” They wouldn’t look me in the eyes and their faces were tense and combatant. “I don’t care what anybody says”, retorted one, and “It’s just not negotiable” stated another. Of course, I have to acknowledge that the reason I was challenged by these ‘strongholds of the mind’ was because they
Jesus did not pray for any of the people to whom He ministered. I mentioned this in a previous article, but it is worth repeating. Jesus prayed when He was alone with His Father. However, when He was ministering to people, He did not pray. He identified their need, often made physical contact with them, and then either proclaimed them healed, or instructed them to do something which indicated their restored condition. I believe that the reason Jesus didn’t pray for the sick was simply because He knew the will of His Father and realised that He already carried