The book One Hundred Years of Solitude describes a town that suffers from a plague of forgetfulness. People start forgetting everything, like it’s contagious. And it is certainly very scary. One man starts putting notes on everything so that he doesn’t forget. “This is a table… a lamp… a door.” He goes into the town … Continue reading Resisting the plague of forgetfulness
Author: Matthew Ruttan
Humble Saviour, humble servants
There are certain virtues which never grow old. That’s because God has ordained them. They are eternally good. We should strive for them regardless of whether the year is 1039, 2023 or 3245. One of them is humility. I’ve been spending time thinking about Communion since this past Sunday was World Communion Sunday. This Sacrament … Continue reading Humble Saviour, humble servants
Even if he hinders you 10,000 times
In 1 Thessalonians 3:17-18 (ESV) Paul mentions something to his fellow-believers. He was writing from a different town but really wanted to see them in person so he could help and encourage them. He wrote: “we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come … Continue reading Even if he hinders you 10,000 times
Holy, holy, holy
We’ve been thinking about holiness. That word makes some people think about strongly scented candles, fancy cathedrals, or even a certain kind of religious snobbery. But that’s off the mark. Holiness is about being set apart for a special, godly purpose. We need to reclaim (and be humbly confident about) that understanding. After all, if … Continue reading Holy, holy, holy
Love outpoured
In the past few devotionals we’ve been speaking about holiness. In more recent times, people tend to think that holiness is either (a) about hoity-toity self-righteousness, or (b) an inner state of being. The first is simply wrong, and the second is only half-true. Holiness is about being set-part for a special, godly purpose. If … Continue reading Love outpoured
Following Christ (or the crowd)?
When someone asks you to describe yourself, what do you say? I’m guessing you don’t use the word “holy.” After all, you don’t want to appear “holier than thou.” I get it. And perhaps you don’t think you’re very holy. That’s certainly a humble way of seeing things. But if you are a follower of … Continue reading Following Christ (or the crowd)?
Readiness
You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker which says: “Jesus is coming, look busy!” It’s supposed to be funny, of course. And although Jesus won’t be fooled, and although busyness shouldn’t be our focus, it does certainly remind us that when he comes we should be doing something. But what is that something? It is that … Continue reading Readiness
Plans that are firm-founded
In Proverbs 16:3 Solomon wrote: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” This is a great reminder to commit to God whatever you do—whether you’re in school, in the workforce, a retiree, or something else. When it comes to faith we can mistakenly relegate it to a few quiet … Continue reading Plans that are firm-founded
Confidence not arrogance
Paul was known for speaking confidently and boldly about God, even in the face of violent opposition. He faced riots in Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-10) and beatings and unjust imprisonment in Philippi (see Acts 16:16-24). Nevertheless, he said: “we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, … Continue reading Confidence not arrogance
Followers of the Way, not of the moment
In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of a week, that conversation probably … Continue reading Followers of the Way, not of the moment
