From time to time, there are folks who propose that in order to achieve true liberty and happiness we need to do away with all laws and governments. This belief is called anarchy and a little more than 100 years ago it was quite popular. After anarchists assassinated King Umberto of Italy, King Carlos of … Continue reading The law of liberty
God
Hold Still
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you (2 Chronicles 20:17). In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15). Five and a half years ago I became aware of … Continue reading Hold Still
Dare to be a father
A single mother was complaining about the school her boys attended; there were too many First Nations children (“Indians” she called them). I observed the conduct of her boys and thought to myself that they suffered from the same affliction as many First Nations children in our area: they did not have a father. We … Continue reading Dare to be a father
Jephthah and his daughter
"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, … Continue reading Jephthah and his daughter
Separate from the world
The text which follows is a very much abridged excerpt from J. C. Ryle's Practical Christianity, which was first published in 1867. John Charles Ryle (1816-1900) was a leader of the evangelical wing of the Church of England, and bishop of Liverpool from 1880 to 1900. The subject perhaps was never more important than it … Continue reading Separate from the world
The Bible is our heritage, let’s get to know it
In Genesis 13:17 God said to Abraham: Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. For Christians today, the Holy Bible, the Word of God, is our heritage. Have we walked through the length of it and the breadth of … Continue reading The Bible is our heritage, let’s get to know it
Is God Laughing?
On the strength of 71 years of experience, I have concluded that there is no such thing as normal weather. The figures we are given as “normals for the period” are just averages of many years of abnormal weather. There was the Medieval Warm Period 1,000 years ago when Lief Erickson and his men landed … Continue reading Is God Laughing?
I dreamed there was no God
Another post from When I Was Thirteen by Christina Young, the followup from yesterday's post. June 1, 1897 This is Sunday morning, and also the first day of June. Everyone else is sleeping still, as the sun is just coming up over the trees at the ditch. I got up early like this, because I … Continue reading I dreamed there was no God
Should Christians tithe?
Some Christians firmly believe that the Old Testament 10% rule is still in force for Christians today. They tell inspirational tales of someone who was struggling financially and could hardly find any spare change for the collection plate. Then they began to give 10% off the top of their income and, as if by magic, … Continue reading Should Christians tithe?
Humanism as the established religion
It appears to have began long ago with Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the patron saint of Roman Catholic theologians. He studied Greek, Arabic and Hebrew philosophers and incorporated some of their thinking into Christian theology. His major innovation was the idea that God and truth are not solely revealed by the Bible, but that man by … Continue reading Humanism as the established religion