Introduction, God Communicates (Hebrews 1:1-2)
A question which the followers of Christ often hear is “Why are you a Christian?” Some people make the argument that the only reason some follow Christ rather than practice another religion is that they happened to be born to a Christian family or they grew up in a society that is heavily influenced by […]
Natural Disasters, 7-The Testing of Faith
How can we determine the quality of something? We can do it only by examining or testing it. For example, if you want to judge the quality of a piece of paper, you might look at its color, feel its texture, measure its dimensions and see how easily it tears. If you wanted to evaluate […]
Natural Disasters, 6-Preparation
Why are natural disasters so deadly? We read of entire villages being swept away by flood waters. We hear of cities being leveled by earthquakes. Elsewhere, people perish when their houses are destroyed by wild-fire. Why do so many people die in this way? Why are so many made destitute? One reason is that people […]
Natural Disasters, 5-Prayer
We often feel quite helpless. Things happen which we feel are totally beyond our control. For example, the price of food goes up and suddenly, it is harder to feed our families. Or, a new regulation is passed which places an extra burden on us. No one consulted us about the price rise, we had […]
Natural Disasters, 4-Sharing With Those In Need
What is religion? Some would answer that question by saying that it is religion which defines our relationship with God. Others say that religion is believing certain teachings or doctrines. Still others think that religion consists of performing certain rituals such as fasting and saying prescribed prayers. According to the Bible however, religion is more […]
Natural Disasters, 3-Nothing Can Separate Us From The Love Of Christ
When we suffer as the result of some disaster; when our home is flattened by an earthquake or is washed away by a flood, our natural tendency is to ask, “Why is this happening to me? Doesn’t God see? Doesn’t He care what is happening to me?” These questions are nothing new. People have asked […]
Natural Disasters, 2-Why Does God Allow Us To Suffer In Natural Disasters?
It is a rare thing indeed when, somewhere around the world, someone is not suffering as a result of a natural disaster. In one part of the world a volcano erupts and covers houses and fertile fields with hot mud and ash. Somewhere else there is a landslide which destroys a road. In still another […]
Natural Disasters, 1-Effects of the Fall
Rain is an essential part of nature. Without rainfall, rivers and lakes would soon dry up and crops would wither and die. Without crops, people would soon be in danger of starvation. If the rain fails for a prolonged period of time the land turns into a desert waste where little, if anything, can live. […]
Church Discipline (2 Thessalonians 3:14-18)
One of the challenges in leadership is how to respond to those who will not follow the guidance given them. What should be done with those who disobey? Some groups choose to do nothing. This soon leads to a complete breakdown of all standards and the group falls into chaos. Other groups go to the […]
Work (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13)
In an ideal world everyone would have enough work, and would be paid enough for their work, to meet all of their material needs. Unfortunately, things are not always ideal. Sometimes people do not have enough work. Sometime the wages they earn are not enough to meet their needs. Sometimes people cannot find any work […]