We will finish part 3 of the “Christian and Halloween” but a parenthesis is necessary to express a truth. Many Christians state that they believe that the Bible alone is the source of all faith and practice. Yet the growing lack of true Biblical knowledge and a defense of personal practice based upon personal feelings reveal otherwise. It is alarming…
Category: <span>Life</span>
This is part 2 of the 3 part series on the Christian and Halloween. History of Halloween Medieval and Modern In Medieval times, the Roman Catholic Church enjoyed great influence not just religiously and politically, but also culturally. Pope Boniface IV declared November 1 as “All Saints Day” and subsequently October 31 became known as “All Hallows Eve.” Merging the…
This is Part 1 of a 3 part series written primarily for Christians who wonder about their participation in Halloween. Stay tuned! Every year around the end of September, Christian publications and blogs begin a monthly process debating whether a Christian should observe Halloween. With this happening every year, you would think that eventually Christians would at some point have…
I was reading the introduction to a book written recently concerning marriage and the family. The author began with something that you will find in most Christian literature written today. He began with the premise that we are living in a post-modern era and therefore living in a culture that believes truth is relative. I used to believe this, but…
I recently saw this commercial Audi Green Police (okay so it has been out for a while, but I guess I don’t watch enough TV and when I do, I am notorious for channel surfing during the commercials); and I get that it is just a commercial and supposed to be funny, but since when did totalitarianism become a hip…
If, as a Christian, I believe that God is supreme over nations and governments. . . and if, as a Christian, I live in a nation that allows me freedom to express my belief in God. . . Then I have a duty to be a patriot by proclaiming the sovereignty of God in America. If I am to be…
I have been studying the use of the words “anger, wrath, hatred, fury, indignation” in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Although, there are several words used in the original languages (Greek) that correspond to these translations, there are three common Greek words and their derivatives. Orge-noun and orgidzo-verb which are translated wrath, anger, indignation, fury-but most commonly “wrath”; miseo/misos which is translated as hate, hatred, etc.; and thumos which is translated passion, wrath, or anger (I only referenced the passages referring to “passion that stirs up anger”, not sensual passion).
Although these words are used at times interchangeably, they are not completely synonymous. I won’t go into the details of the comprehensive word searching and studying of each passage, but I did want to draw a few applications from my study.
Thirty one of the ninety-three instances (or thereabouts) refer specifically and uniquely to God’s wrath and anger in judgment. Most if not all of those references refer to ultimate or final judgment upon unbelief. Fifty-one instances reference mankind and anger, wrath, or hatred. I broke down these instances categorizing them as Command/Principle and Example/Illustration.
“But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus.”–Matthew 27:20 As I was reading the account of Christ’s passion this morning, I was burdened by this phrase. What a contrast in persons! Barabbas had stolen from their tables, he was a thief. Jesus had fed them with bread and fish, he was…
I had the great opportunity to be in Ely, NV, last Saturday, Monday and Tuesday to be some assistance in our beloved Wally Higgins’ efforts to hold evangelistic meetings in that small town. The current population of Ely is about 4000 people. The demographic of Ely is mostly Caucasian (about 89%) with some Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Hispanics rounding…
I think G. K. Chesterton is one of the most quotable authors of the 19-20th century. I wish that I knew the spiritual state of Chesterton, for his writing is much like his life, full of paradox. Chesterton was formally accepted by the Catholic religion toward the end of his life, but much of what he writes is of general…