A major U-turn. That is the only way you can describe it. Such U-turns occur often in the world of politics, business, sport and other areas of society. But recently we have witnessed a major U-turn in the cult world. I am referring to the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) which was founded by…
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In December 1997 another phase of the Evangelicals and Catholics Together movement unfolded with the publication in the USA of a document entitled Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Gift of Salvation. The 8 December 1997 issue of Christianity Today carried the two-page document in full along with what was somewhat imprecisely called 'An Evangelical…
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James Gardiner was born near Edinburgh in 1688. His pious mother and aunt instructed him in the Christian faith but no impression was made upon him. He lived for adventure and later for illicit romance. At the age of twelve he joined the army and two years later was fighting in Holland under Marlborough.…
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Rain on a dry and thirsty land Christopher Columbus discovered Haiti in 1492. It became a French colony in 1677 and gained independence in 1804. During the twentieth century, it has been beset by upheaval and turmoil. Between 1991 and 1992 the US Coastguard intercepted some 35,000 Haitian refugees as they tried to enter…
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In the first nine chapters of Proverbs the sage is seen sitting with his son, counselling him about life. His advice is: 'Fear God, and pursue His wisdom.' This 'wisdom' is related in the 'proverbs' which begin in chapter 10. In Proverbs 4:20-27, the sage speaks of wisdom as a way of life, something…
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It is now just over one year since the return of Hong Kong to China. After the glamorous celebrations of the hand-over on 1 July 1997, Hong Kong has met many challenges. The greatest has been the shock wave from the economic crisis in south-east Asia. Hong Kong is still trying desperately to prevent…
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Since 1974 significant changes have occurred in the life of the Baptist church in Oradea. The Lord has showed us the importance of prayer, ridding ourselves of formalism and tradition, and reforming the church’s life according to the teaching of the Bible. As a result, the church has experienced growth and known increasing maturity.…
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Haiti has been much in the news in recent years, but not for the best of reasons. It has, for many years, experienced severe political instability following the overthrow of the Duvalier dynasty. At the moment the country is experiencing relative tranquillity, thanks to UN and American troops who occupy strategic points throughout the…
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Area: 10,700 square miles. Environment: western part of island of Hispaniola; two-thirds mountainous. Tropical climate, although cooler in the mountains. Population: 7.1 million. 90% are Afro-Caribbean descendants of black African slaves; nearly 10% are mulattos (French and African descent). Language and culture: French (official language); Haitian Creole. 33% are literate. The indigenous culture has…
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The first and great commandment, as expressed by Christ in response to a lawyer's question, was 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' Christ did not stop there but added, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself' (Matthew 22:37-38). Christ linked…
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In last month's article on notable defenders of the Christian faith, I wrote about the progress of the Reformed faith in France after the time of the Reformation. During the mid-sixteenth century there was great advance, as French evangelists (many of them sent out from John Calvin's academy in Geneva) sought to plant churches…
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In the epistle of James we read: 'Is anyone sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he…
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But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28) From all that we have seen so far, it is obvious that only professing Christians are invited to the Lord's Table. Underlying this are three great facts. The first is that Scripture…
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'How can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house' (Matthew 12:29). The onlookers, the ordinary people, were astonished. Christ had cast out a demon from a man whom the demon had rendered blind and dumb. Now…
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