Tag Archives: Christianity

Christianity – Not a white religion

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— Charles Russell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Our Bible study is currently going through a book on evangelism. One of the young men asked me how to respond when, while sharing his faith, was confronted with the accusation that he had been spending too much time around white people. “Don’t you know… Christianity is a white religion”, his accuser asserted.

Like a punch to the gut, he was at a loss for words and overwhelmed with doubt. “Have I got it all wrong? Have I been lied to?” he thought to himself. “If this assertion is true, then the gospel that I am attempting to share is worthless”. This accusation is deeply emotive at its core. If the “white man” came to South Africa in 1652 with his “false gospel” and his subsequent display of heinous racism expressed through apartheid, then I have fallen prey to his indoctrination!

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Is Childbearing Sinful?

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Answering 439 Bible Contradictions 

Answer: No, childbearing is honorable and women that embrace feminine roles like motherhood give evidence of genuine conversion.

Problem: Genesis 1:28 commands fruitfulness and 1 Timothy 2:15 promises salvation through “childbearing”, while Leviticus 12 implies a woman has sinned by giving birth.

Explanation: Women should prize their childbearing years. Within this two-decade window, God has made women capable of bringing an immortal soul into the world. Genesis 1:28 commanded Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” The modern world rejects fruitfulness by lauding homosexuality, delayed marriage, unrestrained birth control, vasectomies, and abortion. Continue reading →

Is the Day of the Lord at Hand?

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Answering 439 Bible Contradictions 

Answer: Yes, the Day of the LORD draws nearer and nearer, though God’s final judgment of sinners has not yet happened.

Problem: First Thessalonians 4:15-17 suggests an imminent return of Christ, while 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 suggests it may already have happened.

Explanation: The Day of the Lord refers to Jesus’ future judgement of sinners. The Second Coming refers to Jesus’ future, bodily return to earth. These are not exactly the same event, though they are connected. Continue reading →

The Scandal of the African Church

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–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The scandal of the African church is that there is not much of an African church. Most of the 54 countries in Africa claim to be Christian by more than 50% of their inhabitants. That works out to be nearly half of the 1.5 billion Africans on the continent. 

Number of Churches

Using South Africa as a test case, can we estimate the number of Christians in the country? If we estimated there were 50 Sola 5 churches with 200 members each in South Africa, that would be 10,000 members. That is more churches and more members in each church, but just as a thought experiment, let it stand. Now add in an estimated 50 assemblies from the Afrikaans Baptiste Kerke with 200 members each, and there is another 10,000.

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How Long Does God’s Anger Last?

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Answering 439 Bible Contradictions

Answer: God’s anger upon his children is temporary, while His wrath up His enemies will carry on forever.

Problem: Some passages say God’s anger lasts but for a moment, while other Scriptures teach God’s wrath is eternal.

Explanation: The nature, intensity, and extent of God’s wrath differs depending on which of His two audiences He is addressing. In the first case, God limits His anger towards His children, whom He loves. Psalm 30:5 illustrates this: “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Plagues came on Jerusalem because of King David’s sins. But once repentance followed, God’s wrath was brief because He is merciful and slow to anger. Saints of old often spoke of God’s judgment in terms of a rod, a switch God uses to discipline His children the way a father would his son. But when his boy sheds a tear and asks for pardon, the father embraces him. Thus, Spurgeon could say: “God puts up his rod with great readiness as soon as its work is done.” Continue reading →

Review: Tiyo Soga

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Ferdie Mulder and Ivette Coetsee, IRSA, 207 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Tiyo Soga and his Mentors (English)Last year my four oldest children memorized the Westminster Shorter Catechism. I grew up in a Christian home where, by God’s grace, my parents forced my sister and me to memorize hundreds of verses. I use “forced” on purpose because that’s really what they did and you won’t hear a peep of complaint from me. I only wish they would have pressed us to learn more.

But catechisms, sadly, were absent in our spiritual formation. Fast forward to today. As my wife and I catechized our children, we were learning right along with them. Question 64 struck me: “What is required in the fifth commandment?” Answer: “The fifth commandment requires preserving the honor…belonging to…superiors.” Often, this means honoring parents, but not always. “Superiors” also include Christian heroes, like the character of this biography, Tiyo Soga.

Overview

Ferdie Mulder and Ivette Coetsee pen the life story of Tiyo Soga (1829-1871) to help Christians obey the fifth commandment. I had never heard of Soga before but for those who have, you may only remember him as a leader of black nationalism in South Africa. But this mischaracterizes the man. He was first a Christian, family man, pastor, translator, missionary, theologian, and hymn writer. Continue reading →

50 Names and Descriptions of Jesus

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  1. Advocate: Jesus stands between sinners and the Father (1Jn. 2:1).
  2. Almighty: Jesus has power over good and evil (Rev. 1:8).
  3. Amen: Jesus can be trusted (Rev. 3:14).
  4. Anointed: Jesus is the Messiah, the chosen one of God (Ps. 2:2).
  5. Apostle: Jesus was sent to earth to die (Heb. 3:1).
  6. Author of Salvation: Jesus causes us to believe in Him (Heb. 5:9).
  7. Beginning of Creation of God: Jesus is the source of all creation (Rev. 3:14).
  8. Bishop of Souls: Jesus guards and protects our souls (1Pt. 2:25).
  9. Branch: Jesus took on human nature, born of Mary (Isa. 4:2).
  10. Bread of Life: Jesus satisfies the desires of our heart (Jn. 6:35).
  11. Captain of our Salvation: Jesus gives us the ability to believe (Heb. 2:10).
  12. Chief Shepherd: Jesus is the shepherd that all others must obey (1Pt. 5:4).
  13. Chief Cornerstone: Jesus makes wise plans (Isa. 9:6).
  14. Christ Jesus my Lord: Jesus is the master of all we do (Phil. 3:8).
  15. Counselor: Jesus makes wise plans (Isa. 9:6).
  16. Deliverer: Jesus will save sinners (Rm. 11:26).
  17. Door: Jesus is the only way to enter God’s kingdom (Jn. 10:7).
  18. Emmanuel: God is with us (Mt. 1:23).
  19. End of the Law: Jesus kept the Law for sinners (Rm. 10:4).
  20. First and the Last: Jesus has always existed (Rv. 22:13).
  21. Firstborn of Every Creature: Jesus is ranked higher than all created things (Col. 1:15).
  22. Firstborn of the Dead: Jesus was the first to rise with a resurrected body (Col. 1:18).
  23. Friend of Publicans and Sinners: Jesus loves those who are not loved (Lk. 7:24).
  24. Good Shepherd: Jesus is willing to die for His sheep (Jn. 10:11).
  25. Helper: Jesus will come to those who call upon Him (Hb. 13:6).
  26. High Priest: Jesus prays for believers (Hb. 3:1).
  27. Higher than the Heavens: Jesus cannot be touched by sin (Hb. 7:26).
  28. Holy One of God: Jesus defeats demons by the power of the Spirit (Hb. 4:34).
  29. I AM: Jesus quotes Ex. 3:14 to show he is God (Jn. 8:58).
  30. Immortal: Jesus is not affected by the power of death (1Tm. 1:17).
  31. Jesus: The Lord saves (Mt. 1:21).
  32. King of kings: Jesus has authority over the rulers of this world (1Tm. 3:15).
  33. King Eternal: Jesus was never created (1Tm. 1:17).
  34. Lamb Slain: Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins (Rv. 13:8).
  35. Lamb Without Spot: Jesus is sinless (1Pt. 1:19).
  36. Lamb of God: Jesus was sacrificed by His own Father (Jn. 1:29).
  37. Last Adam: Jesus is the first example of one with a spiritual body (1Cor. 15:45).
  38. Life: Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe (Jn. 11:25).
  39. Light of the World: Jesus opens the eyes of those in darkness (Jn. 8:12).
  40. Lord of the Harvest: Jesus will send out evangelists if we ask him (Mt. 9:38).
  41. Man of Sorrows: Jesus experienced much grief on earth (Isa. 53:3).
  42. Name Above Every Name: Jesus is greater than all the rulers of this world (Phil. 2:9).
  43. Potter: Jesus can create humans how he wants (Rm. 9:21).
  44. Prince of Peace: Jesus desires peace with his enemies (Isa. 9:6).
  45. Resurrection: Jesus rose again and so will his followers (Jn. 11:25).
  46. Servant: Jesus chose to humble himself (Phil. 2:7).
  47. Shield: Jesus protects us (Ps. 18:2).
  48. The Word: Jesus is the speech of God (Jn. 1:1).
  49. True Vine: Jesus helps us to bear fruit (Jn. 15:1).
  50. The One Who Is to Come: Jesus will return to earth one day (Rv. 1:8).

Concern Over Christianity’s ‘Growth’ in Africa—5 Common Marks of Rural Churches 

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–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In war, the most important news and updates concern the conflict. The great reality beyond all others in Africa is the spiritual war where gazing angels are dazzled by the grace they see when true believers meet (Eph. 3:10). As we evaluate African churches, in this struggle over the souls of men some would say that Christianity in Africa is growing. But what is the nature of that Christianity? Should all of the growth be celebrated? Should missionaries pack up and be directed to other shores in this great battle? As one foot-soldier in the trenches on the Tsonga and Venda front in the northern part of South Africa, I report today on five marks that I have seen over and over in churches that use an African language. 

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Whatever Happened To The Lord’s Day

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–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In the Southern African country of Zimbabwe, Harare lies as a rapidly growing capital city that is bursting at the seams. Many years ago the population was officially estimated at 2 million. A few more censuses have been taken since then, but it is hard to come up with the true figure as the Government of the land is inadequately resourced to effectively carry out a successful census of the people of Harare, not to mention Zimbabwe! The population is something to behold, especially on Sundays. Yes, that’s correct, on Sundays! 

Normally, weekdays in big cities are characterised by the hooting of cars and the calling out of touts who are either selling oranges and apples or directing the masses to their ‘ride home’. The CBD sounds like a symphony of migrating bees, there isn’t much space to maneuver and everyone is in a rush to get somewhere. Sadly, this too is the status quo of Harare on a Sunday. When the rest of us are coming from gathering with the Lord’s people, the CBD is busier than ever. I could be accused of making sweeping statements or judging wrongly, but based on what has been happening on the ground, the hoards of Hararians are not coming from church, but are trading! In other words, for many people, the best day to go for any sort of shopping is a Sunday. 

I suggest two possible contributing factors for this: 

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Review: Father of Faith Missions

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Robert Dann, Authentic Media, 606 pages, 5 of 5 stars | Full Summary HERE.

Father of Faith Missions is the story of Anthony Norris Groves and his life as missionary in Persia and India.

What makes the book so spectacular is the way Dann unpacks dozens of themes around the life of Groves: suffering, apologetics, the life of George Muller, child raising, money, church planting, language study, Islam and so forth.

Groves was a man ahead of his time. He never served under a church denomination, never was promised a salary and never received a formal theological education. He lacked much. What he did have, as he liked to say, was the promises of God.

Groves was born in 1795 in the south of England. He married at age twenty-one and soon opened a surgery as a qualified dentist. Converted just before age 30, Groves wrote a little 28-page booklet just one year later. Christian Devotedness would prove to be one of the most influential Christian books of the 19th century. Continue reading →

Church Planting Methods, St. Paul’s Or Ours?

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–– Malamulo Chindongo

Audio version of this article available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

I have often said that Africa has so many churches that you can buy two for a penny. Despite the numerous churches we see around us, it seems to me that there is very little impact on our communities. I am concerned with the lack of growth and maturity among many who carry their Bibles every Sunday morning but don’t seem to learn from them, let alone read them. Churches are being planted daily on the continent of Africa, especially in the era of self-appointed pastors and prophets. 

Rolland Allen, wrote the book, ‘Missionary Methods, St. Paul’s Or Ours?’ Rolland was puzzled at the way his denomination and others around him were going about church planting overseas. He was not convinced that it was being done God’s way. I too, have concerns with my fellow African church planters; hence my adaptation of Rolland Allen’s title, ‘Church-Planting Methods, St. Paul’s Or Ours?’

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