Recent research at Bath University has discovered that vicars, next to medical secretaries, head the list for job satisfaction. Although an Anglican vicar only earns £15,000 per annum (house and car thrown in) they expect nothing more and are content with their lot. The report found that 72% of clergy were “very satisfied” with their…
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There is a difference between having a formal and a living creed. In the one we mentally acquiesce to a theory – based on study and revelation, and in the other we actually transfer its teaching into action. In other words, we do what we say we believe.  We live in the words we speak…
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About three weeks ago I wrote an article called Building Philosophy, and mentioned my trip to the Toronto Airport church in 1994. What I didn’t say then I say now, and you may find it interesting. The night of our first visit we were staying in the Constellation Hotel near the church, and got to…
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Last Sunday I spoke on two of the beatitudes as an introduction to the principles of the kingdom, and used Jacob of old to illustrate the word for ‘mourn’ by his weeping over the supposed death of his favourite son Joseph. “Blessed [happy] are they that mourn . . .” The father’s weeping is the…
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Sometimes when preaching in my early twenties I would say some outrageous things, and looking back cringe at the foolishness of the comments; that’s youth, but as we mellow we begin realise our immaturity and lack of life knowledge. I once said “I will never marry a woman who wears makeup,” and there were titters…
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I’m not sure how far you would go in rendering the kiss of life to someone, but I expect most men would prefer a beautiful film star to a smelly sick old tramp! A woman, who had just attended a medical class on giving the kiss of life to someone, came out of the building…
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Recently a man I Tehran was jailed as a consequence of visiting a sorcerer who demanded $500 to grant him invisibility spells. Thinking he couldn’t be seen he entered a bank and confidently grabbed money from the customers. Their response was such that he was clearly visible! Obviously the sorcerer or wizard was an imposter,…
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If we were to describe our life here and our life in the state to come, we would say without doubt that here, it is a life of service, and there a life of recompense. It is doubtful that due to the providential disposal of our lot anyone has missed the life of toil and…
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Over the last few weeks I have been writing articles and preaching sermons with a slant towards suffering and I have been asked by several people to produce a book of these writings and sermons. This will take about four months but in the meantime I have included here the article I wrote for the…
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Locusts were the plague of American farms for decades and the eruption in the mid-1870s entered into legend. On 6th April 1877 John Pillsbury, the Governor of Minnesota called for a day of prayer to plead for divine deliverance from them. A few days later the insects rose up and left as inexplicably as they…
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