From Ben’s Desk

He was a remarkable person. Author of 150 books, Toyohiko Kagawa was a teacher, a poet, a philosopher, a scientist, and an evangelist. He wrote on various subjects ranging from scientific studies to theological issues. During World War II, he was imprisoned for his pacifistic views. But he never ceased to love and serve God….

Airline pilot Alan Cockrell said it wasn’t a noble ideal that caused him to roll up his sleeves and help a ground crew clean the interior of his 737 one night in Nashville. He needed a ride home and one of the crew offered to take him. The sooner they finished, the sooner he’d get…

Matthew 6:25-34 is a lovely passage of Scripture that invites us not to worry, but to trust God. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father loves us and cares for us. He points out how well the flowers of the field are clothed. In Palestine, after the spring rains, the fields burst into iridescent colours. Flowers…

The bible study that meets in my home on a Wednesday night is presently going through the Jerry Bridges course, called “respectable sins”. We are looking at the “little sins” that are really accepted in most churches as normal eg, ingratitude, worry, gossip, etc. It has been challenging to relook at these attitudes as sin…

A while ago I read a book called “God in the wasteland”. It was a very challenging critique on how we have left God out of life and marginalised his relevance. I quote from the book, “It is one of the defining marks of our time that God is now weightless. I do not mean…

Three boys hatched a plan to earn enough money to buy their own brand-new bicycles. Their strategy was to call around their neighbourhood, offering to do gardening work or run an errand in exchange for a small amount of cash. KROSS, the company that manufactures the bikes the boys had their eye on, got wind…

This weekend we remember the ANZACs and their enormous sacrifice so long ago to give us freedom from oppression and tyranny. So many young men and women paid the ultimate price for the freedom and liberty we so enjoy, and it is right for us to pause and reflect on what they gave up for…

While reading the newspaper online the other day I happened to notice that our country, for the 4th consecutive year, has been judged the number 1 country in the world to visit on holiday. The article said that it has surveyed 75000 travellers and N.Z. came out on top. As I read the article I…

In my private devotional time I have been reading and reflecting on the O.T. books of 1 & 2 Samuel. It has been an interesting and challenging spiritual journey to revisit those stories that played such a crucial part in the formation of Israel as a nation. I have been fascinated once again, how God…

The home group that meets in our home on a Wednesday night watched the movie, “War room” together this week. It is a truly challenging and entertaining movie, that is well worth watching. For those who haven’t seen it, the title is a little confusing. It is not a war movie, but rather refers to…