Jude 1:20 - Building up in your most holy faith....HINDRANCES TO FAITH1. Not hearing God's Word (Luk 8:12; Rom. 10:17; Matt.13:15) 2. Forgetting the Word (James 1:23; Psa.119:16)3. Doubting God's Word (Matt.14:31; Matt.21:21)4. Worldly and Carnal Distractions (Matt. 13:22)5. Not Seeking Pure Conscience (1Tim.1:5,19; 3:9; Tit.1:15; Heb.10:22)6. Not Fighting the Good Fight of Faith - Being Slothful (1Tim.6:12; 2Tim.4:7; Heb.6:12)7. Lack of Prayer (Jude 1:20)HELPS TO FAITH1. Listening to God's Word (Rom.10:17; Acts 4:4)2. Speaking to each other Words...
Missionary - Simple Living
WORKER A: I was reading "Qualifications of Missionary" in a book and the writer said that a candidate for mission work must have a strong body, able to withstand all odds, able to survive in jungles and in difficult places, and so on. Looked intimidating!WORKER B: What's he looking for? A Rambo or what?!~Simple Livi...
Pleasing God
Pleasing God (1 Thess.4:1)Everyone is trying to please someone or the other. Christians are called above all to please God.MODELS1. Please God as a Servant pleases his Master (Gal.1:10; Matt.6:24)2. Please God as a Son pleases his Father (Matt.3:17; Heb.3:6; Mal.1:6,8)3. Please God as a Friend pleases his Friend (James 2:23; 4:4; Prov.16:7; Ps.41:11)4. Please God as a Wife pleases her husband or vice versa (1Cor.7:32-34)MEANS1. Please God by a Pure and Holy Offering (Mal.1:18; Gen.8:21; Rom.12:1)2. Please God by Walking in the Spirit (Rom.8:8,14)3....
Life
LIFE 1. Is a Present, Gift (Ps.127:3)2. Is Precious and Priceless (Lk.15)3. Has a Purpose (Ps....
Gender Language: Man, He, Him OR Woman, She, Her?
The use of "man", "he" is not necessarily gender-biased or patriarchal. In fact, it is more honorific towards the feminine gender, in that it protects her gender by letting man stand in front. Take, for instance, the following quote:Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (Gen.6:5)Isn't that better than the following?Then the LORD saw that the wickedness...
Justified True Belief?
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (Matt.16:17)People usually do have reasons for their beliefs, though not all may be able to instantly enumerate all their reasons when asked for. The believer in Chi power might even demonstrate his grounds of belief. So will the homeopath, the allopath, the evolutionist, the Yogi, the Advaitin, and the astrologer. But, it is also possible that one cannot demonstrate proofs and yet decide to go on with what one is convinced about, in whatever sense whatever. The Jews...
The Irrational Rationality of Dream Arguments
The butterfly-or-man problem isn't far-fetched. For instance, there is the case of a man who sleeps and has a dream and the events and arguments in the dream are as rational and congruous to him as he has the sense of rationality and congruity during his waking hours. However, on waking up, he is shocked to realize that the dream arguments were inconsistent and incongruous, but wonders that they possessed strong credibility and sense during the dream-state or the semi-waking state.Much similar might be the case of a lunatic. Yet, psychologists...
First Choice
Nobody likes to be a second choice. But, God doesn't like to have second choices. Therefore, when man fell into sin, God didn't trash him away, but sent His only Son to win us back. He didn't say, "I can have better and worthier ones than you." He gave His life for us though He was despised and rejected of men. He comes back again and again, and He will come back. See how long He has been waiting for ...
Ethnicity and Ethnocentrism
Forthcoming in REVIVE Magazine.DefinitionsThe Oxford Dictionary defines “ethnicity” as “the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.” Chamber’s Dictionary, on the other hand, defines it as “the state of belonging to a particular racial or cultural group.” While traditionally, ethnicity was connected with race, in modern times, with the emergence of nation-states, ethnicity is also broadly understood in “national” (political) terms. However, since ethnicity is dynamic in nature (for inter-marriages,...
