We’ve seen that Jesus is getting a lot of attention. Crowds are coming from far and near, Judea, Galilee and Idumea (Edom) are mentioned here. This is causing problems for him because as his fame grows so do the crowds and this means that his movement and activities are restricted. We’ve already seen an example… Continue reading Recognised by enemies (Mark 3:7-12)
Tag: Spiritual Warfare
Mental Health, spiritual warfare and demons
Traditionally one of the tensions and taboos around mental health has been the perception that this is primarily a spiritual issue with people believing that mental illness from depression through to schizophrenia is caused by sin or even by demonic oppression and possession. When I’ve written about mental health before, I’ve urged care in this… Continue reading Mental Health, spiritual warfare and demons
It may appear to come from your side but it’s not friendly fire
You may be familiar with the term “friendly fire”. It refers to when a military assault on the enemy ends up taking out members of the same side as well as or instead of the enemy positions. This can be caused by those people being in close proximity to the enemy at the time or… Continue reading It may appear to come from your side but it’s not friendly fire
Relentless Spiritual Warfare (4) I am tempted to disregard the body of Christ
Whilst Joab has been settling scores with Amasa, Sheba flees to a city called Abel. Joab pursues him there and lays siege to the city. A wise woman challenges him. She reminds him that the city is part of Israel, part of the Lord’s inheritance. Will Joab seek to destroy the city. He assures her… Continue reading Relentless Spiritual Warfare (4) I am tempted to disregard the body of Christ
Relentless Spiritual Warfare (3) I am tempted to believe that I am dependent on others for my relationship with Christ (v11-13)
The commander in chief of David’s army, Amasa’s body lies in the road. Joab has assassinated him. One of Joab’s men then stands by the body and calls out: “Whoever favours Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.”[1] Loyalty to David has now been explicitly linked to loyalty to Joab. The both… Continue reading Relentless Spiritual Warfare (3) I am tempted to believe that I am dependent on others for my relationship with Christ (v11-13)
On Tank battles – you don’t have to fight on the enemy’s terms
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, this video clip of Boris Johnson arguing with Tobias Elwood about defence spending was circulated. For the record, I think Elwood has a point re defence spending in general. I’m also not convinced that Boris engages that point fairly or fully. However, the reason that the clip did… Continue reading On Tank battles – you don’t have to fight on the enemy’s terms
Relentless Spiritual Warfare (2) I am tempted to believe that my agenda is what matters (2 Samuel 20 v4-10)
King David is under attack from Sheba, a worthless man. He has sent the new commander of the arm, Amasa to muster the soldiers of Judah but Amasa is delayed in returning. We are not sure why Amasa takes so long. It is possible that despite his loyalty and willingness, he isn’t an affective commander.… Continue reading Relentless Spiritual Warfare (2) I am tempted to believe that my agenda is what matters (2 Samuel 20 v4-10)
Relentless Spiritual Warfare (1) I am tempted to believe that I have no share in the inheritance offered by Christ (2 Samuel 20 v 1-3)
In this mini-series of articles I identify 4 types of temptation that we face. The context is 2 Samuel 20 where we see that David faced relentless trouble and opposition in the later years of his reign following his sin with Bathsheba. We live in a fallen world and this means that spiritual warfare is… Continue reading Relentless Spiritual Warfare (1) I am tempted to believe that I have no share in the inheritance offered by Christ (2 Samuel 20 v 1-3)
Don’t forget who the real enemy is
Back after 911, there was a particularly intense period when anyone of Asian or middle eastern appearance was at risk from backlash. Not only did people conflate the attack by Islamist extremists with an attack from all Muslims but also people who were not even Muslims but rather Sikhs and Hindus were conflated with the… Continue reading Don’t forget who the real enemy is
Discriminating home sellers
You may have picked up on the story of the home-owners who refused to sell their house to a same-sex couple. The story is I guess of personal interest to me because we are in the process of attempting to move home. Fascinatingly, something has come up repeatedly in conversations with estate agents, both when… Continue reading Discriminating home sellers
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