In an article headed France: A Decomposing Civilization Italian journalist Giulio Meotti (1) describes what many consider is the gradual disintegration of France. Meotti’s summarises: “France’s authorities and elites are tearing up, piece by piece, the country’s historical, religious and cultural legacy so that nothing remains. A nation dispossessed of its identity will see its… Continue reading France in Crisis. Why?
Matthew 14:6 records a birthday celebration in honour of King Herod. John Calvin in his commentary on this verse makes some very thoughtful comments about birthday celebrations in general. He first writes about the preparations for Herod’s feast: “It is scarcely possible that such magnificent preparations should not draw luxury, pride, unbridled merriment, and other… Continue reading Celebrating a birthday?
Christians are being persecuted. More Christians died in the past century alone than in the history of Christianity to that point. Persecution is not something new. It happens as long as the Christian Church exists. The Bible tells us that it will happen. We all know that it is happening. From time to time we… Continue reading Middle Eastern Christians in dire straits – but the West doesn’t want to know
(1) Pomfret, J, Xi Jinping’s quest to revive Stalin’s communist ideology, The Washington Post, October 16, 2017 (2) Chinese Journalist faces 7 years in jail for ‘leaking state document’s, BBC News, 5 April, 2015 (3) Fitzgerald, J, Human Dignity and its Enemies, Inside Story, October 2017
It is almost trite to observe that any education system – its structure and curriculum – closely reflects the values of the society in which it is formed. Thus in a democratic nation such as Australia, educational institutions are valued as places of academic freedom, critical inquiry and the preservation of freedom enjoyed by the… Continue reading Education and ideology in China
Among the many Christmas messages of numerous heads of state, government leaders and other leaders, it seems hard to find a few good ones which are worth listening to or reading. Last week I mentioned an editorial of the Canadian National Post. If you haven’t read it, I certainly recommend that you do. Towards the… Continue reading Hungary: PM Viktor Orban’s Christmas Message: Worth reading!
Christianity Today reports that after 70 years two articles written by C.S. Lewis and published in The Strand Magazine have been rediscovered. For many years they were forgotten. “A Christmas Sermon for Pagans” is quintessential Lewis at the height of his renown. “Cricketer’s Progress” is more of a mystery. The topic of ‘A Christmas Sermon for… Continue reading Christmas and Cricket: Two lost articles of C. S. Lewis rediscovered
Several newspapers will mention something about Christmas, even if it is only by writing about the nativity scene, or others by giving advice how to spend time with family and friends, or how to cook your Christmas dinner. Some heads of state, presidents, queens or kings, will have a special Christmas message. Most of the… Continue reading Merry Christmas: What Jesus, descendant of David, promises mankind
The Daily Mail (UK) reports that Tina Gibson and her husband Benjamin, living in East Tennessee (USA), adopted an embryo which had been frozen for 24 years. The child, Emma, was born on the 25th of November this year. Tina was not able to conceive naturally with Benjamin, because Benjamin is suffering from cystic fibrosis.… Continue reading Frozen embryo born after 24 years
The science on climate change is settled? 97 percent of all scientists agree? Apparently, it is all not so cut and dry as we thought. ‘The impact of changes in solar activity on Earth’s climate was up to seven times greater than climate models suggested according to new research published today in Nature Communications.’This is what… Continue reading Cosmic rays, solar activity have greater impact on climate models
On 15 December, the task of Dr. R.C. Sproul on earth came to an end. He was 78. Dr. Sproul was well known among many Reformed Christians in North America and beyond. He proclaimed the gospel to many. He is the founder of Ligonier Ministries. This organization writes in their announcement of the passing of… Continue reading RC Sproul relieved from his task on earth
Everyone is special… everyone wears an invisible crown. This is a message on the front of a Christmas card which came through the mail. With the celebration of Christmas, we focus on the beginning of the earthly stage of the journey of the Son of Man, as He proceeded through the cross to receive the… Continue reading Everyone wears an invisible crown
The one US politician after the other is being accused of sexual misconduct in the recent or more often not so recent past. It is remarkable that many of those accusations have not been brought to the police first to be investigated, but are thrown out into the open, to do as much damage as… Continue reading ‘Judge and jury fake news’
One thing Satan is known to be very good in is: the lie. In John 8, the Lord Jesus calls him the ‘Father of lies’. ‘He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his… Continue reading Hate is called love
Reformed Perspective published another insight full article. This one is about Stephen Gould, a scientist who believes in evolution, but criticizes the common representation of the fossil record. “The extreme rarity of transitional forms in the fossil record persists as the trade secret of paleontology. The evolutionary trees that adorn our textbooks have data only… Continue reading An evolutionist who helped creationists
There is a phrase in the Address to the Parents, in our Form for the Baptism of Infants, that we may have overlooked a bit, even though we hear it every time when a child is being baptized. That are the words ‘as soon as he (she) is able to understand‘. What does that mean?… Continue reading As soon as they are able to understand
Don’t you love the way the Lord gives us different pictures so you and I can relate to Him? The Lord holds us close to His heart. We immediately build a picture of what that means. We think of a special relationship, someone who is really close to us. Something like a parent-child relationship. We… Continue reading Holding us close to His heart
God’s faithfulness in the rebuilding of the temple: You can hear the ridicule, feel the scorn and sense the embarrassment! “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifice? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heap of rubbish- stones that are burned? Whatever… Continue reading Building the school: a day of small beginnings
“People don’t drift towards holiness. They drift towards compromise and call it tolerance, and drift towards disobedience and call it freedom” Maybe the events of this week are a reflection of the above. Australia has been drifting for a long time, and this became quite clear when God visited via a plebiscite. The unholy dancing… Continue reading Drifting away from holiness
I received an email this week, which I’m permitted to share: I’m going to tell you why I send my children to this school. It’s not because I had such a wonderful experience here as a student. I didn’t. I wasn’t understood. I had family issues that I couldn’t talk about. No one reached out… Continue reading Why I send my children to this school
