Posts

Reclaiming Hallowed All Saints Day

Image
Origins of All Saints Day  All Saints Day, originally known as the Feast of All Martyrs, began after the legalization of Christianity in 313 A.D. This significant day was established to honor the numerous Christian martyrs who perished during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305 A.D.). Initially celebrated in both the Eastern and Western parts of Christianity, the day was observed after Easter or Pentecost and, in some traditions, on May 13.  Between the eighth and ninth centuries, the date was universally changed to November 1 to expand the feast to include all saints. The rationale was that there were simply not enough days in the year to honor all the slain Christians and departed saints. Hence, a day was set aside to honor them all—Hallowed All Saints Day. This festival allowed devout Christians to go to church on a particular day of the year to learn about and celebrate the lives of great Christian leaders.  The Emergence of Halloween  The celebration of Halloween, as we know
Post a Comment
Read more

Remembering Israel at Easter

Image
This week, around the world, Jews and Christians will be celebrating Passover and Easter (as it is commonly called in the West). In their separate ways, both religions will take time and ceremony to remember and dwell upon the Lord’s wonderful provision of salvation. While Passover can clearly been interpreted as a metaphor of Christ’s crucifixion and salvation through the shed blood of the lamb, it’s also worth noting that in both instances there is only one way of salvation provided; in Passover through the lamb’s blood spread on the door post and in Easter through Christ’s blood shed on the cross. This is an extremely important point to note. There do not exist multiple ways in which to reconcile ones self to God as many people today are want to believe. There has only ever been one way, thousands of years ago in Egypt or across the globe today. Jesus clearly states that no one comes to the Father but through Him. However, there is a stark difference in the stories of the
2 comments
Read more

Beware the power vacuum

Image
There was a glimmer of hope seen in the Arab world last year when the youth rose up to shake themselves loose of the tyrants who had denied them freedom and opportunity. It was believed that they looked to the West for inspiration, and it was understood that Western technology such as smart phones with cameras and social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter empowered the masses with the ability to report and organize in defiance of the ruling dictatorships. A shift in power had taken place, from the ruling elite to the suffering majority, and as the awareness of this phenomenon grew, so did the unrest in more and more Arab nations. A year later and what we see taking the place of the regimes in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lybia and possibly even Syria, are not moderate, western minded rulers as expected, but rather Islamic extremists such as the Muslim Brotherhood. These Islamists are anti-Western, antisemitic, anti-Christian and discriminating against women. Oddly enough, in Egypt
Post a Comment
Read more

Stop poking God in the eye

Image
I Samuel 11 tells the fascinating story of how Israel came to be united under Saul’s kingship. As with all Old Testament stories, God has given them to us so we can learn from them and apply the principles revealed therein. This story is no different, and even gives us invaluable insight into how the Lord views events happening in our own lifetime. In this chapter, the Ammonites come up against Jabesh. The people of Jabesh seek terms of peace but are presented with a horrible proposition; in return for peace the Ammonites want the right to cut out the right eye of every man and bring a reproach on all Israel. Apart from the stigma and shame attached with having a whole community’s eyesight disabled, it is also evident that the Ammonites sought to ensure that Jabesh remained immobilized, defenceless against future attacks. If the men of Jabesh could not defend themselves well with both eyes, removing the right eye would certainly ensure that even in the future they would not be able to
Post a Comment
Read more

In or out of Jesus this Easter?

Image
At the ICEJ’s 2010 Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem, David Pawson made some comments on being "in Jesus" that really stuck with me. It's not a concept I’ve often heard explored from the pulpit yet it essentially defines for the believer how the world is divided from God's perspective. Our Father in heaven sees us as either being in or out of Jesus. The concept is simple, easily understood, and to a lot of people, totally offensive. I can fully understand the world not embracing such a seemingly extremist worldview. The Word of God tells us that the message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing ( I Corinthians 1: 18 ). What's disturbing to me is that among those who consider themselves to be in Jesus there is a trend underway to deny either who He is, the completeness of His work on the cross or even the necessity to be found in Him for salvation. And the world loves it. A recent piece in Time Magazine (April 25, 2011) entitled “ Is
1 comment
Read more

From Darwin to Planned Humanity

Image
One thing the UN's climate conference in Copenhagen has not suffered from is a lack of controversy. Starting from the viral video of Lord Monckton warning of plans for a one-world government to the hacked emails of British and American scientists that uncovered a global-warming cover-up , the conference was always going to struggle to find credibility. The latest revelation from the conference takes the real motives of some of these so-called "green" people to another insidious level altogether. Yesterday, a Chinese ministry official proudly declared that their one-child policy was a successful way to reduce emissions. The Chinese claim that their restrictive birth policies have resulted in an emissions saving of 1.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide. I like to call this ideology Planned Humanity and I'll explain why. Let's start with the Nazis. They relied on the theory of eugenics when implementing a strategy of purifying the German race from what they considere
Post a Comment
Read more

What will be left after the West has gone?

Image
For the last 70 years, one thing has stood between tyrants and their ability to have their way in this world; American hegemony. Despised from Europe to the Middle East, it nevertheless managed to rid the world of the Third Reich, the USSR and yes, even Saddam Hussein. So, how is it that the land that afforded the West so much of the freedom it has enjoyed is not much appreciated around the globe? The only way I can explain it is to say that I do not believe the concept of "The West" even exists much in Europe anymore, let alone any other part of the world. I lived in Finland for a few years, and people there hardly knew what I was talking about when I referred to the West. This may be a result of a historical disconnect from the concept, but I think it more attributtable to a conceptual disconnect from history. Wikipedia explains the West to be: Western European or Western European-derived nations which enjoy relatively strong economies and stable governments, allow freedom
Post a Comment
Read more