Chalmers' Blog

Where Have All the Impure Spirits Gone?

Last week I wrote an article about the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives if Christians today, particularly in the context of spiritual gifts. So naturally that got people thinking about demons or impure spirits. Here is an evangelical reflection on demons, deliverance, and some of our modern blind spots

One of the striking features of the New Testament—especially the Gospels and Acts—is how often Jesus and his apostles confront impure spirits (or demons, depending on what translation of the Bible you use). Whether in the synagogue, in the streets, or in the wilderness, demonic forces are shown to be active, vocal, and violently opposed to the kingdom of God. Yet many Christians today look at their own experience and wonder:

Saturday Snippets (November 22)

As well as reading a lot of books, I also read a ton of articles every week. Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers…

Do the Miraculous Gifts Still Exist Today?

Few questions stir as much discussion within churches as whether the “miraculous gifts”—such as prophecy, healing, and tongues—continue today or not. Many believers hold strong convictions either for cessationism (the view that some gifts ceased with the apostolic age) or continuationism (the view that such gifts continue). Yet the Reformed tradition has always sought to hold two essential truths simultaneously: God is sovereign and free to act as he pleases, and Scripture is our final and sufficient authority. Personally, I think that this is a logical and helpful position to land on.

Rather than dividing God’s people, this question can drive us deeper into the wisdom of His Word and the unity of His church. But to arrive at such a conclusion a few questions and points must be raised.

Saturday Snippets (November 15)

Does God Judge Everyone the Same?

Christians sometimes wonder whether God judges people differently depending on what they know, what they have heard, or the circumstances in which they live. It is an important pastoral question, touching on issues of fairness, guilt, the spread of the gospel, and the character of God himself. Scripture is clear that God is perfectly just, perfectly consistent, and perfectly righteous. But Scripture also speaks about different kinds of knowledge, different degrees of responsibility, and even unconscious sin. How do these realities hold together?

Effective Leadership and Accessibility

Being an avid reader means that I get a lot of different books across my desk. I read Christian books ranging from creativity and faith to theology, from Church ministry to street evangelism. I quite like the variety. Because I haven’t been posting as much lately, I’m catching up on my review pile, so for the next little while (hopefully just a couple of weeks until, or until the end of 2025 at the most!) I’ll be giving you multiple shorter recommendations of books that I’ve read in the last 6 months to a year. Today’s list certainly has a more ‘church-y’ vibe, but they aren’t only for church leaders! I hope you find something that you want to pick up and read.

Saturday Snippets (November 8)

Why Local Pastors Should Preach Consistently

When you go to the GP (in a lot of the UK anyway) most doctor’s surgeries have multiple doctors. Having multiple doctors is fine, until you never see the same doctor twice for the same issue, it means that you’re often explaining the situation over and over again and getting different approaches to treatment. Most people I know want to see the same doctor. I think the same principle should apply to preaching. I would argue that it is more beneficial for the local church when the congregation are taught by the consistent preaching of the Pastor and other Elders.

Saturday Snippets (November 1)

Losing Our Words: The Decline of Reading and the Rise of Reels

There’s a quiet crisis happening in our world today. It’s not new, but it’s growing—and it’s changing how we think, how we feel, and how we follow Jesus. It’s the slow decline of reading.

Fewer and fewer people are reading books, especially people in the younger generations. Attention spans are shrinking. Deep thought is giving way to scrolling. Words are being replaced by images, pages by pixels, and sentences by soundbites. For Christians and churches, this shift is more than just a cultural trend—it’s a spiritual concern.