 It is that time of year again, and everyone who does not particularly hate egg-shaped chocolate is in on the fun and enjoyment. It can also be a somewhat confusing time as it involves the reason for the season. So right here off the bat, it is necessary to say that Easter is the pagan name for a pagan feast, that somewhere in history became associated with an event that is entirely Christian in origin — the cross death and resurrection of Jesus. It is not hard to imagine that what Christians actually celebrate when Easter comes around every year is the most significant aspect of our faith, and yes we throw in a couple of chocolate eggs and bunnies to add to the enjoyment, not that any of these are innately Christian.
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 1. Dating understood biblically
The Bible doesn’t have a category for dating. In other words, there is no explicit biblical instruction with regards to the how, what, why, or when of dating. In biblical terms someone is either “single” (unmarried) or married (Matt. 19:4-6; 1 Cor. 7:8-10). Apart from the category of being married, there is the period of engagement which precedes marriage, and Scripture does refer to this. According to Jewish tradition breaking off the betrothal was just as serious as divorce (Mat. 1:18-19). However, in modern times, even engagement or betrothal does not constitute as being officially wed (1 Cor. 7:25-28). 2. The purpose for “getting to know someone” romantically The purpose for any romantic interaction between a guy and a girl should be intentionally aimed toward marriage, and for no other reason. All other reasons are not legitimate reasons for romantic interaction of any kind, whatever name society has for it, whether “dating,” “going steady,” and the like (1 Cor. 7:36-38). Someone either has the gift of singleness or not. However, not very many people in the church have this gift and statistics support this (1 Cor. 7:6). For this reason, the dating relationship should be “intentional.” Again, there is no other reason to be dating than to explore the possibility of marriage. Sadly, the world has falsely created the notion that people can date for other reasons than pursuing marriage. In the eyes of the world, marriage has become passé or archaic and for this reason many have rejected the institution and God’s requirements for it altogether. Christians cannot think this way. We cannot go about our dating relationships as if dating is the end goal. Marriage should always be the goal. Dating is merely the vehicle that allows us to determine the possibility of marriage. Read full article here  Some time ago I preached on the sin of comparison, at least as comparison leads to sinful attitudes and behaviour with regards to our relationship with our Lord and others around us. The kind of comparison we looked at mostly involves the comparisons that occur among believers and the specific trying circumstances that the Lord has ‘tailor-made’ for their lives, whether financial, health, interpersonal, or whatever it may be. These are indeed times that we are tempted to be like Peter in John 21 who dared to ask the Lord about John, “what about this man Lord?”. But these are not the only times we can be tempted to do so. The world around us is filled with people who, from the outside looking in, seem to be smooth sailors in whatever they do. We often see this when we scan the pages of social platforms, observing a world of success, achievement, satisfaction, and happiness. We see happy faces glaring at us. These appear to be people who, as far as the photo reveals, are doing well, and seem to have it ‘together’ in life. They will share every ‘next big thing’ for others to see and approve of by giving the much coveted “like” on their page. Hours upon hours are invested on these platforms as the internet gets pumped with more and more information. This is the world where unreality is often mistaken for reality. Mildly stated, it’s simply not the world that your great-grandmother had to deal with. Sure, the tabloids were around for a long time, but now-a-days a world of useless information about people’s lives is only a click away. We see their successes and achievements and it tempts us to want to be like them, and even model them in some way or another. We give in to the allure of the photoshopped images that roll off the screen unhindered and never ending, and we start to think “they have the life.” That’s what we think… Read full article here  I am fascinated by the tenacity found in creation, this I must admit to my own annoyance at times. Every year towards the end of summer we have a substantial invasion of ants in our home. Like clock work every year they arrive in their different regiments, seeking any bit or morsel of food they can find. What is truly fascinating about these ants is that they keep on coming no matter what conventional ways of eradicating them might throw at them.
What did I learn from the ants? In addition to remembering to put last night’s food in the fridge, my own futile attempts at thwarting this invasion has taught me another more significant lesson, and this is that persistency pays off. Persistency is the key ingredient to any measure of success. One cannot expect to succeed in anything worth succeeding in life if one is not persistent, or consistently working toward a desired result. If you want to be a skilled pianist then you will have to devote yourself to hours of practice. The same applies to anything people want to achieve in this life. Things aren’t all that different in the Christian walk. It really isn’t. For starters, Scripture actually refers to the ant’s diligence as an example that Christians should emulate. Solomon highlighted the ant’s example to us in Proverbs 6:6-11: “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” Read full article here  It can be a heart wrenching experience when someone you have grown to respect walks away from the faith. This is especially true when you are young and impressionable, and in need of good role models around you in the church. Young believers are in need of good and wholesome examples who have walked the road of faith, despite their weaknesses, and have been proven by the trials they have endured in the process (Jas. 1:2-3) that they are in the faith.
Read the full article here  Let’s just say, it’s difficult not to brag at times, especially when the world is often filled with people who like to gloat about all their accomplishments. They like to talk about all their successes in life and somewhat expect any unsuspecting bystander to be okay about hearing about their jobs, the places they have traveled, the people they know and the things they have amassed throughout their years.
It can be tempting for Christians to want to play the same game when facing someone like this. Even Christian to Christian we can be tempted to want to share in the narcissist hobby of bragging, boasting, “tooting our own trumpet,” call it what you will. Scripture does not allow for this kind of behaviour. Of all people Christians should be known for their humility. We are not people who goes around bragging about our accomplishments. The reason is simple. Everything that we have become in Christ is because of what God has done for us in Christ... But if there is any reason for bragging, any reason for triumph, any reason for letting the world know about it, let it be Christ. He is our only reason for boasting. The apostle Paul explains this so well in 1 Corinthians 1 where he talks about the worth of the cross, or the worth of Christ as the Saviour of the world. As he does so, Paul focuses his explanation of the cross, and in particular, its uncomplicated message on two broad groups, the Jews and the Gentiles. Read the full article here  In a world of fluidity Christians can sometimes find themselves being moved along with a never ceasing tide of worldly instability. That would be the true nature of this world to begin with. At best, this world system that we find ourselves having to operate in, can be riddled with uncertainty and capriciousness. Today it’s up, tomorrow it’s down. The moment you think it is left then all of the sudden it’s right. Next week it’s black. The week after that it’s white. Naturally, there seems to be an abundance of grey areas, which, by the way, can never be the case biblically, since right is always right, and wrong is always wrong. But doubt will obviously abound in a fallen world where right and wrong, good and bad, get convoluted in an intricate labyrinth of lies, fabrications, half-truths, empty promises and outright rebellion toward the Maker. The world’s instability can be seen everywhere in society. Of course we understand that by agency of the fall, things have since the entrance of sin into the world, always been in a state of never ending flux. Along with the entrance of sin came great changes in the natural order (Gen. 3:17-18). Life became challenged by death, health by sickness, abundance by poverty, and safety by danger. However, this is not so much the instability of the world that I have in mind. Naturally, nature is in flux, and this is the natural course which the world has been taking ever since the first sin. This instability is of a material nature and we deal with it as best we can (think droughts, catastrophes, etc.). Rather the real danger lies with the moral instability of the world, and this is truly catastrophic in a spiritual sense.
Read the full article here  It is to be lamented the things that people sometimes believe about the Bible. I had a friend in seminary who worked with me in the library who, just for the fun of it, once subscribed to a typical, ranting, raving Word of Faith ministry. Every now and again my friend would receive a little package in the post that contained some item that was intended to bless him in some way or another. He would receive these as long as he paid his monthly subscription fee, of course. I remember how we would all stand around him in anticipation as he unboxed everything from “special anointing oil” to “healing holy water,”and then watch him as he comically read the instructions and put his latest “gift” to the test. On one occasion he even received a little cloth that the self-proclaimed prophet-healer prayed over. He was instructed to place this “special” cloth over his Bible on the floor and then literally stand on his Bible whenever he prayed, because it would of course render his prayers especially effective.
This is sad but true. There are unfortunately many false views of what constitutes as effective prayer. The same applies to those who swear by the “name of Jesus.” These are people who would for instance say that our prayers only become effective when we insert the magic words somewhere along the line, “in Jesus’ name,” or “in the name of Jesus.” You ask them why they say so, they’ll quickly retort by saying that it is because of these “special” words that our prayers become heard in the first place. Along this line of reasoning they honestly believe that God doesn’t hear us if we do not insert the actual words “in the name of Jesus” or whichever derivative thereof. I distinctly remember a school teacher, God bless her heart, who once taught us that if we do not say “in Jesus’ name” before we say amen, that our prayers won’t reach higher than the ceiling. Wrong views of the employment of the name of Jesus certainly do abound. Sadly, some have opted for an approach to God that is similar to that of Aladdin’s with his genie. Allegedly prayers are only heard or answered when we “say the magic words,” and then voila! God will hear us. But this approach betrays an underlying blunder in biblical interpretation... Read the full article here  Few things are as precious as a freshly cooked meal, straight out of the oven and steaming hot. As a family we get to appreciate such meals most every evening, as all of us eagerly await to devour the scrumptious meal momma prepared with the greatest of love and care. All the way from chutney chicken and roast potatoes to chicken enchiladas, not to mention lamb chops and mash, her cooking, not to exaggerate, is the thing that dreams are made of. But what is equally thrilling, to me at least, is the opportunity to have another go at some of them, around lunch the next day. This of course is all made possible because of the invention of Tupperware and fridges. A simple, plastic container kept at the right temperature can amazingly contain and preserve the tastiest and nutritious meals, serving after serving, day after day, joyful laughter after joyful laughter.
Until they break… Yes, Mr. Tupper’s containers were indeed made to store away the food equivalent of gold and to withstand some pressure. Indeed, they can be handled with fatty hands, you can drop them, bend them, use their lids as Frisbees (kids do it all the time), sit on them (toddlers especially like that) and so on. But since they are made of only plastic, they will eventually break. The apostle Paul once taught the Corinthian church a valuable lesson as it involved containers and the precious contents within it... Read the full article here  Within western culture, High Middle Age legend has it that there were fire breathing dragons that once roamed the earth. These are the mythical creatures that make for the most exhilarating, or death defying of adventures. The mere thought of their alleged existence is what necessarily begs the intervention of a heroic knight who saves the day, and the beautiful princess, of course, by administering the death blow to this flying, fire-breathing, four-legged serpent. Despite the fantasy element of such myths, dragons fit perfectly well within the Christian world view as these could have been dinosaurs that once roamed the earth alongside the people who were created in God’s image (Job. 40:15-18; Ps. 74:13-14; Is. 27:1). Even the fact that many cultures in the world recollect some or other story that includes the presence of big reptile like creatures, or “dragons,” supports this conclusion, the Welsh flag, not the least of these.
However, as much as I love creation science and the beauty and mystery of the world that God created, the kind of fire breathing dragon that I have in mind would not be identified on any list of extinct dinosaurs. The dragon I have in mind is ANGER. If ever there was a real, living, fire-breathing dragon in the world, this would be it. This dragon cannot be fought with a sword forged in steel. It is a creature so fierce and wicked that it has been known to lead to physical or bodily damage, the ruin of friendships, wars and other kinds of strife, murder, and the crumbling of marriages and families. No physical means aimed against it will ever prevail. The only way that it can be conquered is purely by knowing how Scripture defines it and instructs us to fight against it. Read the full article here |