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PROPAGANDA: HOW CAN BELIEVERS PROTECT THEMSELVES?

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You can barely imagine that there was once a time when it took months just to get the news to the other side of town. Even something as urgent as the death of someone would require you to write a letter and walk with it to the local Post Office. Then you wait for days as they transported it to its final recipient. Yet today, you not only quickly hear what’s happening overseas, but you get to witness it as it happens—live, all thanks to the camera technology and its streaming capabilities. Nevertheless, there is a disadvantage to everything. In this case, we must deal with the reality that we also get to quickly receive false news, misinformation and outright lies. In a word: propaganda. Lest we forget, the heart of a man is evil above all ( Ecl 9:3 ). It always has impure motives, and one of its most effective tools is, of course, falsehood. You can accomplish a lot by lying: stir anger, bring down rivals, promote yourself, and above all, rally others to support your sinister mission. ...
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WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING A BIBLE SCHOLAR?

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“It’s good to hold on to the Word, but do not hold onto it alone, you will have a big head; you will be a scholar; you will be a theologian...knowing verses will not help us,” said Pastor Dlundla in one of his sermons. In all fairness, I was not hearing that kind of a thing for the first time. It is a common opinion among the brethren that believers should be wary of knowing “too much Bible”, because (apparently) it has no positive outcomes for the Christian spirit. So, that is what I have been thinking about lately. In fact, think with me: those guys who seem to know a lot of Bible verses and can explain who did what & when: why are they always painted negatively? What is wrong with being a Bible theologian? Just to define our terms, a Bible scholar is a believer in the Lord Jesus who has chosen to learn more, and deeply, about the Bible. It could be through a formal Bible school, university, or just individual research. In simple terms: a Bible scholar is a student of the Bible....
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YOUR BIBLE OR YOUR DREAMS: WHICH IS BETTER?

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Written about 1,500 years ago, containing 66 books, by more than 40 authors from different backgrounds. That is the Holy Bible. Which, according to Christian Believers, is God’s sacred, infallible and direct revelation. On the other hand, we have dreams of the night. Which, as some believe, is another way that God speaks to us. From the dictionary, a dream is a series of thoughts, images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. In my experience with people, dreams are so much loved; both in the Church and outside the Christian space. Some are convinced that it is the best way that God communicates with them. So, does God speak to us through dreams today? If so, which is better: your dream or God speaking through the Bible? In Scripture, there were some men who had God speak to them in dreams. Joseph, Daniel, Joseph the father of Jesus and Apostle Paul. In all those men, notice these very important points below: 1.) A c...
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CONVICTIONS, PREFERENCES & STANDARDS

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A Christian is somebody who has believed in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. But that is not all. There are a few things that come along with that. A life must be lived in consistency with that Christian belief. That is what is called a Christian standard. However, a standard itself is not enough. There are also convictions and preferences in the life of every believer. Let's talk about it further... Standards If you have been to school, then you know what it’s like to be forced to wear the uniform of that school. Not to mention a ton of other rules that you were supposed to follow in that environment. In the same way, the Christian faith is not “every man does what's right in their own eyes” religion. There are “rules and regulations” that have to be followed by every child of God, as per the Christian Bible. Those are the standards of our Faith. A standard is usually non-negotiable and not up for debate. For example: if the Bible says adultery is wrong, then th...
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CHRISTIAN PARENTING IN A WICKED WORLD

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All of us wish that one day we will be listed among the people who have made it in life in terms of being rich and famous. There is nothing wrong with that. That is what it means to be human. However, from God’s perspective, what does He want us to achieve before we leave this world? I would like to believe – among a bunch of things – it is to raise another generation after us of godly, responsible citizens. That is called parenting. Successful Christian parenting. Do you know (maybe not) that a large part of who you are today in terms of character and attitude is shaped by how you were brought up? In fact, statistics have proven that most criminal cases of murder, rape, child abuse, etc. can be traced back to childhood memories. It’s in that context that I ask this question to you: by what standard are you raising your little ones? I ask that because, based on my observation, there is really no difference between unbelievers and the “Christians” in the way they groom their children. ...
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LET’S TALK ABOUT OVER-DANCING IN CHURCH

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As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart – 2 Samuel 6:16. This is by far the most referenced Bible passage in conversation about dancing during church gatherings. Believers are often encouraged to “dance for the Lord, just as David also danced until there was a complaint from his wife.” So, that is our topic of interest today. Can there ever be something called "too much dancing”? I mean, are there no limits at all; is there ever a point where it becomes extreme and inappropriate for a believer? Do you know that there are churches that have completely banned any dancing practices in their assemblies? Their argument is that such a behaviour does not align with the dignified, holy character of Christ's sheep. Others, however, are at the opposite end of the discussion. They sincerely believe that God's people should be free ...
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OH, DEATH WHERE IS YOUR STING!?

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I came across a video of a very sincere man, seemingly very upset about this Christian idea called heaven. According to him, what is the point of going to heaven since there won’t be all these good things that we enjoy on his earth? In his own words, “In heaven, there won’t be birthday parties with my friends, there won’t be braai meetups, no travelling to see the beautiful places, and there certainly won't be beautiful girls to come into my room now and then.” So basically, if all these good things that we enjoy are missing in a place that we are supposed to spend eternity in, what good is it? Why should we even want to go there? Well, since these are the opinions of an unbelieving carnal man, such an idea is expected. However, I fear that a large majority of believers (as I have observed) hold similar sentiments about heaven. They imagine it as a place where we will get all our needs met: a river of milk and eggs growing on trees. In a few words: fleshly indulgence. What will w...
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