How came this evil to enter into mankind? Because Adam sinned at the first beginning, By eating of the forbidden apple, And thus the grain of the evil seed taking root in others, He brought death to himself and all his posterity; Well may we say, this was an evil morsel, However Christ has redeemed … Continue reading La Nobla Leyçon – II
Faith and life
Missing Fathers
Twenty years ago, Québec psychologist Guy Corneau published a book entitled père manquant, fils manqué. The title is a French play on words that is untranslatable, but means that there is something lacking in the development of a son when the father is missing. Mr. Corneau explained that he did not only mean fathers who … Continue reading Missing Fathers
La Nobla Leyçon – I
[La Nobla Leyçon (The Noble Lesson) is an ancient poem of the Vaudois or Waldenses, actually a lengthy statement of their faith. The original is in an old French dialect and is rhymed. I searched the web for a copy, but found pnly a photocopy of it in the English translation of Jean Paul Perrin's … Continue reading La Nobla Leyçon – I
Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of
At the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Satan came to Him with this temptation: “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down … Continue reading Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand – conclusion
True prophets of God have always told people the things they needed to hear, not what they wanted and expected to hear. John the Baptist taught that being a natural descendant of Abraham did not qualify one to belong to the kingdom of God, only repentance that brought forth good fruit would do. The Pharisees … Continue reading Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand – conclusion
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, spoke of the corruption of Judah and Jerusalem and a coming day when the Lord, the Sun of righteousness would set all things right. In the last two verses of the Old Testament God declares that He will send Elijah before this day. The kingdom of Israel … Continue reading Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
Sanctification and Revival
In the congregation of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite where I am a member, we recently had a series of messages from two visiting ministers, one from Idaho the other from Québec. The messages pointed us to the roots of the malaise that has gripped the church for some years now. We call … Continue reading Sanctification and Revival
What is Christian Stewardship? Part 3
The New Testament admonishes us to “redeem the time”. Our understanding of this phrase is closely bound to our concept of stewardship. Those who see stewardship primarily in material terms interpret this phrase as an injunction to occupy every minute with some gainful employment. Interestingly enough, if we look at the context, we find the … Continue reading What is Christian Stewardship? Part 3
What is Christian Stewardship? Part 2
The parable of the unjust steward, found in Luke 16, has mystified many commentators. The conduct of this steward is clearly contrary to popular notions of good stewardship. Yet verse 8 says “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely”. Some commentators try to wriggle out of this corner by noting … Continue reading What is Christian Stewardship? Part 2
What is Christian Stewardship? Part 1
The Christian lives in a world that is almost entirely governed by the pursuit of material gain. Governments that seemed untouchable have fallen because they could not deliver the material goods that their citizens coveted. Nominal Christianity long ago forged an alliance with the powers of materialism. The Catholic church maintained a teaching against usury … Continue reading What is Christian Stewardship? Part 1
Flatlander Faith 