Maybe No The date and most of the customs associated with Christmas originated with the Roman Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival celebrating the rebirth of the Sun. Schools were closed, great feasts were prepared, gifts were exchanged, all in honour of a heathen god. Early Christians considered this an abomination, but somehow it has crept … Continue reading Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
Bible
Theory, hypothesis, fallacy
People despise Christian faith. They hate it and are afraid that it may be true. -Blaise Pascal Pascal wrote these words at the beginning of the scientific era. All attempts made during succeeding years to disprove Christianity by scientific means have been motivated by this fear. For, if Christianity is true, if there really is … Continue reading Theory, hypothesis, fallacy
Peter Waldo / Francis of Assisi
In the summer of AD 1160, a group of the leading citizens of Lyon was together at a feast when one of them suddenly fell over and died in front of the others. This caused Peter Waldo, another of the guests or perhaps even the host, to reflect on his own life and destiny. He … Continue reading Peter Waldo / Francis of Assisi
The Essence of Pietism
Pietism has appeared in so many forms over the years, from the extreme asceticism of the hermit monks to the ecstatic antinomianism of some segments of the charismatic movement. The common thread running through all aspects of pietism is the conviction that I have attained to a level of spiritually and communion with God that … Continue reading The Essence of Pietism
The Twenty-third Psaum
The Lord is my Shepherd; my wants are a' kent; the pastur I lie in is growthie and green. I follow by the lips o' the watirs o' Peace. He heals and sterklie hauds my saul: and airts me, for his ain name's sake, in a' the fit-roads o' his holiness. Aye, and though I … Continue reading The Twenty-third Psaum
Where did those words come from?
A friend and I had spent the night in the bar and it was around midnight when we arrived back in the little town where I lived. We weren’t ready to call it a day yet, so when we saw a light in a friend’s house we went and banged on the door. They let … Continue reading Where did those words come from?
What kind of people do we think we are?
An encounter between Jesus and a group of Pharisees is recorded in the 18th chapter of the gospel of Luke. The Pharisees are described as “certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” Jesus then told a parable of a pharisee and a publican (usually considered by the Jews to be … Continue reading What kind of people do we think we are?
Evangelical hubris
[The following paragraphs are quoted from Less Than Conquerors: How Evangelicals Entered the Twentieth Century, by Douglas W. Frank, copyright 1986 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.] I suspect that the wildfire growth of premillennialism in the decades after the Civil War really represented a bold move on the part of evangelicals to recapture their … Continue reading Evangelical hubris
Evils of the Dispensational Viewpoint
[The following paragraphs are quoted from The Reign of Christ by Charles Ewing Brown, copyright 1948 by the Gospel Trumpet Company.] This view ministers to spiritual pride. People who vaunt themselves on understanding the dispensations often look down with contempt on other Christians, charging them with ignorance and incompetence in properly dividing the Bible. If … Continue reading Evils of the Dispensational Viewpoint
Dispensationalism Begins to Unravel
My new Christian friends said that they believed the Bible spoke of only one return of our Lord, at the time of the resurrection and the last judgement. I was shocked at first, but then those niggling little doubts grew louder and louder. Isn’t that what the Scriptures appear to say, after all? “And this … Continue reading Dispensationalism Begins to Unravel
Flatlander Faith 