I Will Not Cast Them Away

Leviticus 26:40-42, 44-45:

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me…if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.”


Judgment and exile are the consequences of disobedience to the Lord’s covenant (Leviticus 26:14–39), but they are not the whole story when it comes to looking at how God deals with the world and especially His covenant children. We can see from many scripture passages that our Creator promises to deliver from His wrath all those who put their hope in Him alone (Exodus 6:1–8; Psalm 130; Mark 10:42–45). And He does not stop acting for His people once He has delivered them from judgment, for He also promises to restore what they have lost in their exile. This is the great hope promised in Leviticus 26:40–45.

Evangelism: Prayer and Labour (2)

Wise Walking and Salty Speech

Colossians 4:5-6

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Paul, having dealt with prayer for the spreading of the gospel in the previous verses, now turns to each believer’s responsibility to labour in his or her own life for this dispersion of the gospel. 

Evangelism: Prayer and Labour (1)

Praying for the Open Door

Colossians 4:2-6

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.


This passage from Colossians outlines so clearly our personal involvement in evangelism and missions. Paul speaks as a missionary himself, and instructs the Colossians to engage themselves in earnest prayer for missions, but also to be actively involved in the important task of spreading the Gospel. This text is naturally split into two parts: verses 2-4 about each person’s involvement through prayer, and verses 5-6 depicting our direct involvement in evangelism through wise conduct and seasoned speech.

Article: Loving Heralds of Good News

First published in Contender 13th July 2014


I come with a dream. A dream where we as a people are filled with a love for the unbelieving people around us and earnestly desire that they be saved. I dream that the power of God would make us loving, outreaching and soul-saving. I dream that Christ would work through us that through our ministry more unbelievers may be converted. I dream that the Holy Spirit would come upon us so that we have no fear or guilt in our evangelism.

Hearing, Obeying and Waiting

Abraham’s Example of Faith

Hebrews 11:8-10

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Hebrews calls Abraham one of the heroes of the faith. There is a lot to learn from Abraham’s example of faith and obedience. He listened to God’s call, actively obeyed Him at high cost and waited for God to reward Him. He did all this through faith, and by it obtained salvation. 

Perseverance and Assurance

2 Timothy 2:11-12

This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.


In order to obtain salvation we must persevere to the end with an obedient lifestyle springing from faith. God tells us that He will preserve us until the end (1 Peter 1:5). However, we also know of many Christians who fall away from the faith and seem not to be saved. What should we think of all this? Should we be worried that we are one of these? Can we be sure that we will persevere if we see that others don’t?

Choices for God

Luke 14:28-31

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?"

Unfortunately, in today’s Christian environment the whole idea of thinking has become undermined. It’s as if using our natural abilities of intellect—particularly in areas of career choice—somehow represents a lack of faith. The concept is that we’re supposed to entrust our career and our vocation to God, and God will do the thinking for us; God will show us through some kind of miraculous sign what He wants us to do.

I think the most significant thing we’re called to do when we’re seeking the will of God in our lives, whether it’s for our vocation or for our choice of a mate or where we’re to live, is to think. However, how are we to think? In what way are we to think?