One of the significant changes in society happened in 1833 in Britain and in 1865 in the USA. Slavery has been eradicated! Or not? Unfortunately, slavery happens around us, but we are not noticing it. It happens in European cities. It happens in all cities, all nations. O yes, it is “illegal” – but it happens. Governments close one eye when it comes to slavery. Jeff Fountain writes:...
IN 202, Emperor Septimus Severus was cracking down on traitors to the Roman empire. Christians who refused to sacrifice to Roman gods were considered disloyal subjects who stubbornly refused to make a patriotic gesture. To the pagan mind, sacrificing was no big deal, simply an act of homage to the state equivalent to saluting a flag in modern American culture. Christians, however, saw it as a...
If you want to be an irrelevant Christian, do the following: Compromise the authority of Scripture. Compromise on the fact that Jesus alone is the Truth. Truth is always exclusive – otherwise, it cannot be truth. Preach a popular, relevant and spectacular gospel. Deny the miracles of Jesus, that he was born from a virgin, that the physically rose from the dead. Tamper with the sexuality and...
Very often we feel we cannot do something. It will just be beyond our capacity or ability. And we will simply not pursue it. Some of those things may be unimportant (at least for us), but other things are more important. Too often those things are not so un-doable as we think. Very often it is just a mental block. And in many cases, it is the “mental” block that holds us back. On...
The community said: We have ever seen such love. We have never seen such forgiveness and grace. Never have we seen such righteousness. What is the story behind this? When twenty-four-year-old Graham Staines visited India for the first time in 1965 to meet a pen pal, he fell in love with the area of Baripada and its people. The Australian made India his home, joining in work with people suffering...
Listen son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I had stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago as I sat reading in my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside. There are things I was thinking son: I had been cross to you. I scolded you...
In 1965, during a family reunion in Florida, a grandmother woke everyone at 2:00, issuing orders to get empty coke bottles, corks and paper. “I received a message from God. People must hear the Word,” she said. She wrote verses on paper and also wrote her address in case people would want to make contact with her. The grandchildren corked the bottles. Then everyone helps to deposit 200 bottles...
I am often amazed by the “thing” we call “church”. In some cases, the church is an embarrassment because of the atrocities that are attributed to the “church” for centuries. The real church of Jesus Christ, however, has a hidden built-in compass, a default: the Bible. As soon as a church starts to read the Bible, believe its message, and start to practice it, begins to reach out with love...
Some events are just too big to believe. In spite of the fact that many of us (just don’t admit it to anyone), when we hear about an earthquake, we are somewhat disappointed that only 30 of 40 or 200 people died. In the 2006 earthquake in Indonesia, 220 000 people died. Up till today, 7 February 2020, “only” 500 people are reported to have died because of the Coronavirus and “only”...
Ever thought about it? What caused the Colosseum to close down? I didn’t, till I read this story of a monk from Asia. There is one thing that is very “sacred” to all people: their pleasures. They will enjoy it and defend it – irrespective of the type of pleasure or the consequences of their pleasures. For some, it is women, for other theatre, movies, race cars, rugby, cricket, soccer, smoking and...