Subculture, a cultural group within a larger or predominant culture but distinguished from it by factors such as class, ethnic background, religion, or residence, unified by shared beliefs or interests which may be at variance with those of the larger culture. A group within a culture, distinguished from it by features of custom, conduct, etc. … Continue reading Is Christianity a subculture or a counterculture?
spirituality
Unreached peoples
Unreached peoples! How can it be that there are still people groups in our modern world who have never heard about the Saviour, who do not have even a portion of the Bible in their language? Mission and Bible translation and distribution agencies tell us with considerable urgency that many such groups still remain on … Continue reading Unreached peoples
Charles de Gaulle and Christian apologetics
Why do I think that talking about Charles de Gaulle will help us understand the purpose of Christian apologetics? Follow me as I try to explain. The First World War was mostly fought on French soil, meaning that the people of France bore the greatest share of the war’s death, destruction and despair. After that … Continue reading Charles de Gaulle and Christian apologetics
Pressing utmost need
The days here have been cool for the last few days. Today was the coolest at 10° Celsius. Sunshine and warmer weather is supposed to return tomorrow. Throughout the day today there was always a hummingbird at our hummingbird feeder and a goldfinch at our finch feeder. I know there was more than one of … Continue reading Pressing utmost need
What does the Bible mean by “left thy first love”?
"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." (Revelation 2:4).I have been part of many discussions over this verse. As far as I recall, we have always taken it to mean "I am disappointed in you because you've lost that loving feeling." Then we discussed how we can tell if … Continue reading What does the Bible mean by “left thy first love”?
What does the Bible mean to you?
In the 2011 census, 67% of Canadians identified themselves as Christians. A statistic that is somewhat older and probably outdated says that 25% of Canadians attend church once a week. The latest survey gives a glimpse of the rot at the base of our Christianity: 5% of Canadians read the Bible daily, 11% once a … Continue reading What does the Bible mean to you?
Friendship
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! (John 11:33-36).I have at times wondered … Continue reading Friendship
Somewhere a forest is burning
Somewhere a forest is burning A blue smoky haze blurs the horizon. Acrid fumes affect our breathing Causing eyes to sting, tears begin to run. Somewhere a forest is burning A forest of churches now redundant; Made weak and sickly from learning To accommodate half-true new doctrine. New interpretations of truth Weakened those who once … Continue reading Somewhere a forest is burning
Self Help or Helping Others?
In my younger years, before I was a Christian, I read most of the well-known self-help books on the market. I was disappointed with the whole lot of them.In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale took a verse from the Bible and told me to recite it over and over, much like a … Continue reading Self Help or Helping Others?
The self-important self
The dictionary pictured above lists 80 hyphenated words beginning with self; the Canadian Oxford Dictionary lists 200. What a bunch of self-centred, self-satisfied, self-important bores we have become!We think that good self-esteem is essential for happiness. We study self-help books to help us attain self-fulfillment, self-actualization and self-realization. There is a little problem though — … Continue reading The self-important self
Flatlander Faith 