In the 1980s I edited View from Farr and in the 1990s Auldcastle View. The past two decades have given me another perspective and so I am beginning a new series in my blog called View from the Pew. It is specifically aimed at preachers, preaching and congregations. The reason for this is that whereas …
Category: Preaching
What should we expect from preachers?
Most people watch television, so public speakers including preachers should thereby learn some presentational skills. This being so, preachers who cannot read the Scripture clearly and intelligibly are without excuse. It is sometimes evident from the wrong emphasis they use in their reading of Scripture that they do not understand what they are reading. What …
Those who do not like the godly
The godly are a rare breed in our day. Even so, many people do what they can to avoid them – at least, those who will speak to them about the things that matter. Rather like references to sin and Sabbath, the conversation of the godly reminds them of God and eternity, which they do not …
Asking for God’s gift
Multitudes of those who know about Jesus Christ do not know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us that if they did know the Gospel, then they would have eternal life. He says so in His conversation with the woman of Samaria. Jesus told the woman of Samaria that if she knew the gift …
Before or from the foundation of the world?
There are many misquotations of Scripture that need to be corrected. I will gather over time a list of them here and put them into biblical order for easy consultation, but beginning with the one in the title of this blogpost. I will also supply mnemonics or the rationale which will help people to remember …
Continue reading Before or from the foundation of the world?
Christian scribes
I am a scribe but not a Pharisee – that is, I am a Christian scribe. In Jesus' day, the scribes and Pharisees were opposed to His teaching. Jesus accused them of hypocrisy: 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you close the kingdom of heaven against mankind: for you neither go in yourselves, …
A merry heart is a good medicine
Not many people know that this is a quotation from the Bible. ‘A merry heart does good like a medicine’ Pro 17:22. Some Christians are too morose for their own good and for the good of Christianity. Some people think that serious Christians should be morose; rather morose Christians need to learn their Christian behaviour …
Scotland needs a Reformer
The main message from the 500th anniversary of the European Reformation is that Scotland needs a Reformer. We have plenty of theologians and preachers, but no reformer. Scotland's Reformer was John Knox but we have fallen upon such backsliding times that we need a new one, but at present Scotland has no reformer. A reformer …
Martin Luther – Europe’s Reformer
Today we remember the 500th anniversary of the trigger that began the European Protestant Reformation, when Professor Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses for discussion to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther nailing the 95 Theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, which triggers the European Reformation There …
Main stream media is the secular pulpit
Preachers have a habit of missing the mark. Jesus Christ majored on what mattered and accused preachers in His day of omitting the weightier matters. In our day, preachers are failing to address the secular dogmas being preached by the mass media. The greatest errors of our day are being preached through the mass and …
