We hear much about reciprocity these days, particularly regarding the imbalance of trade. So, what does it mean? Reciprocity is defined as: “Exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, and responding to a positive action with another positive action.” The problem is, if there is no reciprocity it always leads to a problem, as we
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Life is full of unexpected occurrences. Some are pleasant, like receiving a nice surprise, others are unpleasant and sometimes devastating. As we come to September, many will remember the 11th of September 2001 when two planes flew into the Twin Towers in New York. It was unexpected – how could anyone have imagined that would
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Many years ago I had a lawn that had been seeded and, as the grass grew and was tended, looked very beautiful. It was a pleasure to sit outside and enjoy the view. During the long hot summer however, the ground became hard, the grass turned yellow and appeared to die. It was a sad
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News is noteworthy information not previously known. There are all kinds of news: good news, bad news, interesting news, funny news. But fake news? It’s a contradiction in terms. The essential quality of news is that it is accurate information; that it is correct, that it is truthful. Otherwise, it is not news but a
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I’ve heard a book has been written that asks the question, ‘What if Jesus never came?’ I have not read the book, so this is not plagiarism, but the question intrigued me. As I write this, I ask the question: What if Jesus hadn’t come? There would be numerous consequences: We wouldn’t know that God
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I recently met a young Christian man who was amazingly honest. He said that, as a young person, he became addicted to computer games. He knew that addictions to drugs, alcohol and pornography were wrong, but playing computer games was never mentioned as being wrong and, of course, it isn’t. However, when something becomes an
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There are a number of things God can’t do: He can’t lie; He can’t deny Himself; He can’t break His Word. But there is only one thing that God cannot have, unless we give it to Him: that is our love. He can make new universes, and we know there will be a new heaven
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As we approach Easter, we typically think of the death and resurrection of Jesus. I suppose few of us spend any time thinking about Judas and, if we did, our thoughts would be negative as his name has become synonymous with betrayal. How did Judas become a person whose life stains the pages of history:
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I am writing this on the 1st of January, though by the time you read it 2018 will be in full swing. In any case, I do think it is important that we look back on the previous year with gratitude to God. For some, 2017 would have been a terrible year, for others it
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Christmas is a time when families get together, exchange gifts and share in fun and friendship. It can also be a time of great personal stress, with pressure on finances, the effort to think of appropriate gifts, and all of the preparations. For others, it can be a lonely time; a time of refection of
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