Category Archives: Prophecy

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

RECIPE CORNER: Tortilla Soup

Easy to make, tasty, and something different. This soup combines chicken, vegetables, and a great flavour. It is a meal in a bowl.










            Ingredients
            2 skinless cubed chicken breasts
            1/2 teaspoon olive oil
            1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
            1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
            1 litre of chicken stock
            1 cup frozen corn kernels
            1 cup onions, finely chopped
            1 cup finely diced capsicum (any colour)
            1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
            1 tablespoon lemon juice
            1 cup chunky salsa
            250g corn tortilla chips
            1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
            1/2 sour cream (optional)
            Sliced avocado (optional)
Instructions
1.       Using a large pot, cook chicken over medium heat in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix cumin and garlic into the cooked chicken. Then add the stock, corn, onion, capsicum, chilli power, lemon juice and salsa. Simmer uncovered over a low heat for up to minutes.
2.       Take the tortilla chips and break into the soup bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls. Top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream and/or avocado. Enjoy.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

RECIPE CORNER: Tortilla Soup

Easy to make, tasty, and something different. This soup combines chicken, vegetables, and a great flavour. It is a meal in a bowl.










            Ingredients
            2 skinless cubed chicken breasts
            1/2 teaspoon olive oil
            1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
            1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
            1 litre of chicken stock
            1 cup frozen corn kernels
            1 cup onions, finely chopped
            1 cup finely diced capsicum (any colour)
            1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
            1 tablespoon lemon juice
            1 cup chunky salsa
            250g corn tortilla chips
            1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
            1/2 sour cream (optional)
            Sliced avocado (optional)
Instructions
1.       Using a large pot, cook chicken over medium heat in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix cumin and garlic into the cooked chicken. Then add the stock, corn, onion, capsicum, chilli power, lemon juice and salsa. Simmer uncovered over a low heat for up to minutes.
2.       Take the tortilla chips and break into the soup bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls. Top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream and/or avocado. Enjoy.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

President Trump & the Iran Nuclear Deal

It should have come as no surprise. On Tuesday 8 May 2018, United States President Donald Trump made the grand announcement – that the United States was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. He promised to do so during his 2016 Presidential campaign. He repeatedly made noises about this nuclear deal as being the ‘worst deal’ he has ever seen. So Mr. Trump has kept his campaign promise. What, however, does this mean for the world? Is it good news, bad news, or both?
For years, the world has looked with great concern as Iran pursued nuclear power, which, it consistently proclaimed was only for peaceful purposes. Why did a nation with 10% of the world’s oil and the 2nd largest gas reserves need to go nuclear? The Islamic Republic has a well-known habit of proclaiming ‘death’ to America. They predict that Israel will ‘disappear’ within 25 years. Why was Iran developing ballistic missiles that were able to reach all of the Middle East and much of Europe?
Despite the regime’s declared peaceful intentions, the world community obviously did not believe them: hence, heavy sanctions were levied by the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union. All these sanctions had a debilitating effect on Iran’s economy.
Under former US President Barack Obama, the US, the European Union, Germany and the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, China, France, United Kingdom) negotiated with Iran to forge a nuclear agreement. The idea was that Iran would receive sanction-relief in exchange for strict limitations on its nuclear program. The goal: to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The parties did come to an agreement on 14 July 2015 and the Iran nuclear agreement became known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It has been operative ever since and Iran has allegedly been in compliance with the terms of the agreement. In exchange, it has received $100 billion dollars or more, along with full oil exports, all of which helped its moribund economy
So practically speaking, what did President Trump’s announcement actually do? He did not end the JCPOA – he merely withdrew American participation in it. It is no longer US foreign policy. The other signatories are free to abide by it and the UK was one of the first to say that it would.
No question, Mr. Trump’s action would be controversial. It is also unilateral, not multi-lateral, since the other parties are still technically on board with the JCPOA. In theory, it could make the instability in the Middle East even more so. However, here are some things to consider.
Sunset Clause: The JCPOA in theory does not stop Iran from gaining a nuclear weapons capability; it merely slows it down. Within 10-15 years, the major restrictions on Iran will be lifted, thus allowing them to freely continue research and development, enrich uranium, and use advanced centrifuges. For agreeing to apply some brakes on their nuclear program, Iran received billions which have clearly gone to funnel militant groups. While Iran is to permanently renounce any pursuit of nuclear weapons, it has no legal impediment to do so after the restrictions expire.
Increased unrest: Since JCPOA, Iran-inspired unrest has increased in the Middle East. Hizballah, Iran’s proxy, has effectively taken over Lebanon. Iran has raised up its own army in Syria, where the slaughter has grown. Hamas in Gaza is being rearmed. Houthi rebels in Yemen have been armed by Iran with missiles, which have been fired into Saudi Arabia.
Non-transparency: Iran appears to have complied with the terms of the agreement. Or have they? Was not part of the deal that Iran would to be 100% transparent in regards to its nuclear history? They said that they have never sought to pursue nuclear weapons, while the recent evidence says otherwise. This is especially the case where Israel’s secret service, the Mossad, stole 1000s of pages of nuclear files from a secret storage facility in Tehran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then made a public presentation around these documents, which tell a different story to the official Iranian position.
Missiles: Iran’s pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles should be a concern for the Middle East and Europe. These are not even covered by the JCPOA. Even without nuclear weapons, these missiles can carry deadly payloads.
Legality: Normally a treaty has to be approved by 60 senators in the US Senate. This was not the case with JCPOA. In fact, symbolically 60% of all congressmen and senators voted against the agreement, including well-known left-wing Democratic allies of Obama. So it is safe to say that the agreement was never constitutionally ratified by the approval of 60 senators and therefore of dubious legality.
What next? Technically speaking, the JCPOA continues, minus the United States. The US will reimpose sanctions within 90 days. Iran has warned the US that it will ‘regret’ its move, while the US has told Iran it must not attack the US, or else face the dire consequences. Iranian parliamentarians have burned a US flag inside the parliament building (and were asked not to burn down the parliament building in the process). The other parties can continue on but without America. Israel, of course, is pleased about America’s withdrawal from JCPOA; so are Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. These nations see a potential Iranian nuclear weapon as much a mortal threat to them as does the Jewish state.
Iran has been successful in its goal of building a ‘Shia Crescent’ from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon (Persian Gulf to Mediterranean). However, the economy is weak, there have been robust domestic protests against the regime, it is spread thin in Syria, and faces a potential military encounter with Israel.
Iranian leadership is highly pragmatic and this may prevent extreme measures. So either Iran will submit to a North Korean-style rapprochement with America and the West, or it could lead to more trouble for the regime. We will know soon.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

President Trump & the Iran Nuclear Deal

It should have come as no surprise. On Tuesday 8 May 2018, United States President Donald Trump made the grand announcement – that the United States was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. He promised to do so during his 2016 Presidential campaign. He repeatedly made noises about this nuclear deal as being the ‘worst deal’ he has ever seen. So Mr. Trump has kept his campaign promise. What, however, does this mean for the world? Is it good news, bad news, or both?
For years, the world has looked with great concern as Iran pursued nuclear power, which, it consistently proclaimed was only for peaceful purposes. Why did a nation with 10% of the world’s oil and the 2nd largest gas reserves need to go nuclear? The Islamic Republic has a well-known habit of proclaiming ‘death’ to America. They predict that Israel will ‘disappear’ within 25 years. Why was Iran developing ballistic missiles that were able to reach all of the Middle East and much of Europe?
Despite the regime’s declared peaceful intentions, the world community obviously did not believe them: hence, heavy sanctions were levied by the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union. All these sanctions had a debilitating effect on Iran’s economy.
Under former US President Barack Obama, the US, the European Union, Germany and the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, China, France, United Kingdom) negotiated with Iran to forge a nuclear agreement. The idea was that Iran would receive sanction-relief in exchange for strict limitations on its nuclear program. The goal: to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The parties did come to an agreement on 14 July 2015 and the Iran nuclear agreement became known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It has been operative ever since and Iran has allegedly been in compliance with the terms of the agreement. In exchange, it has received $100 billion dollars or more, along with full oil exports, all of which helped its moribund economy
So practically speaking, what did President Trump’s announcement actually do? He did not end the JCPOA – he merely withdrew American participation in it. It is no longer US foreign policy. The other signatories are free to abide by it and the UK was one of the first to say that it would.
No question, Mr. Trump’s action would be controversial. It is also unilateral, not multi-lateral, since the other parties are still technically on board with the JCPOA. In theory, it could make the instability in the Middle East even more so. However, here are some things to consider.
Sunset Clause: The JCPOA in theory does not stop Iran from gaining a nuclear weapons capability; it merely slows it down. Within 10-15 years, the major restrictions on Iran will be lifted, thus allowing them to freely continue research and development, enrich uranium, and use advanced centrifuges. For agreeing to apply some brakes on their nuclear program, Iran received billions which have clearly gone to funnel militant groups. While Iran is to permanently renounce any pursuit of nuclear weapons, it has no legal impediment to do so after the restrictions expire.
Increased unrest: Since JCPOA, Iran-inspired unrest has increased in the Middle East. Hizballah, Iran’s proxy, has effectively taken over Lebanon. Iran has raised up its own army in Syria, where the slaughter has grown. Hamas in Gaza is being rearmed. Houthi rebels in Yemen have been armed by Iran with missiles, which have been fired into Saudi Arabia.
Non-transparency: Iran appears to have complied with the terms of the agreement. Or have they? Was not part of the deal that Iran would to be 100% transparent in regards to its nuclear history? They said that they have never sought to pursue nuclear weapons, while the recent evidence says otherwise. This is especially the case where Israel’s secret service, the Mossad, stole 1000s of pages of nuclear files from a secret storage facility in Tehran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then made a public presentation around these documents, which tell a different story to the official Iranian position.
Missiles: Iran’s pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles should be a concern for the Middle East and Europe. These are not even covered by the JCPOA. Even without nuclear weapons, these missiles can carry deadly payloads.
Legality: Normally a treaty has to be approved by 60 senators in the US Senate. This was not the case with JCPOA. In fact, symbolically 60% of all congressmen and senators voted against the agreement, including well-known left-wing Democratic allies of Obama. So it is safe to say that the agreement was never constitutionally ratified by the approval of 60 senators and therefore of dubious legality.
What next? Technically speaking, the JCPOA continues, minus the United States. The US will reimpose sanctions within 90 days. Iran has warned the US that it will ‘regret’ its move, while the US has told Iran it must not attack the US, or else face the dire consequences. Iranian parliamentarians have burned a US flag inside the parliament building (and were asked not to burn down the parliament building in the process). The other parties can continue on but without America. Israel, of course, is pleased about America’s withdrawal from JCPOA; so are Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. These nations see a potential Iranian nuclear weapon as much a mortal threat to them as does the Jewish state.
Iran has been successful in its goal of building a ‘Shia Crescent’ from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon (Persian Gulf to Mediterranean). However, the economy is weak, there have been robust domestic protests against the regime, it is spread thin in Syria, and faces a potential military encounter with Israel.
Iranian leadership is highly pragmatic and this may prevent extreme measures. So either Iran will submit to a North Korean-style rapprochement with America and the West, or it could lead to more trouble for the regime. We will know soon.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Culture War Terminology I: Culture War Part 06

In understanding the ‘culture war,’ it is important to know key terminology. Semantics, or the use of words, matters. In fact, it is the left-wing progressive side who are changing the culture by creating a new vocabulary. In all honesty, some of the terminology can be misleading, but it has be utilised to great effectiveness to bring massive cultural changes that would have been unthinkable a few decades ago. The following is a partial list of some of the key terms. Once you understand the language, you will be better equipped to engage with the culture and win – with God’s help, of course.
ALT-RIGHT/ALT-LEFT
The ‘alt-right’ are found in the conservative movement who allegedly support ‘extreme right-wing’ political positions. These can be highly nationalistic and racist, like anti-black, anti-Jewish positions. Those who hold extreme left-wing views are called ‘alt-left.’
ANTIFASCIST
Fascism is considered to be an authoritarian, in some cases, totalitarian system that suppresses dissent, controls private business, and is strongly nationalistic, oppressive and intolerant. While some call fascism ‘extreme right-wing,’ that point is debatable. Hitler’s Nazis were called ‘National Socialists,’ which are more akin to the Left (socialism) than Right. ‘Antifascist’ opposes ‘fascism’ and their name has been shortened to ‘antifa.’ If they believe a speaker is ‘fascist’ and thus ‘harmful,’ they are ready to use vandalism and violence to physically close down a meeting to stop that person from speaking in public.
FREE SPEECH
A fundamental human-right, free speech has been a bedrock of modern western civilisation. Sometimes called ‘freedom of expression,’ free speech is recognised in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Essentially, it means the right for a person or community to share their ideas and opinions without fear, censorship or sanction. Not all speech is ‘free:’ Defamation, vilification, and perjury are condemned and in some cases punishable by law. However, the progressives have introduced a new term: ‘Hate Speech,’ and they argue that it must be stopped, no matter what.
HATE SPEECH
It is described as speech which attacks individuals or communities on the basis race, creed, gender, nationality, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, with the purpose to humiliate, vilify, or incite violence. Some countries have hate speech laws, others do not recognise it legally, and the United States constitutionally protects ‘hate speech.’ While the notion of viciously attacking people is repugnant, the concern is of a low-bar or elastic interpretation of what constitutes hate speech: e.g. criticism of the political agenda of a certain group has been loosely called ‘hate speech.’ Wrongly handled, hate speech laws can extinguish free speech protections. If freedom of speech goes, so do all other freedoms.
IDENTITY POLITICS
Where a particular ethnic, religious, social group, professional, civil rights and/or cultural group joins in an exclusive  political alliance for the purpose of advocating their cause, or highlighting their grievances. This is done at the expense of normal, inclusive major party politics, or they join in coalition with such a party. Identity politics exempts the individual from being responsible for their actions, since until recently their minority status made them victims of oppression.
MARGINALIZE
To marginalise means to take an individual or group and sideline them, or keep them in the periphery, so as to render them powerless. Racial, gender, and sexual minorities have been marginalised in the past and even though there have been great strides in civil and human rights, some of these same groups still claim to be disadvantaged by marginalisation.
MICROAGRESSION
These are perceived indignities in word or physical actions between various cultures, races, genders, or theologies that are interpreted as negative, hostile, or insulting aggressions, whether they are intended to be or not. These things are usually ‘small-scale’ (hence ‘micro’) interactions.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Based on the fear of theoretically offending a marginalised group, political correctness controls speech by enforcing a new vocabulary that neutralises offence or refuses to label people altogether. While considered a product of postmodernism, there is a case to say that it began long before in-between the two world wars. The cultural Marxists of the Frankfurt school are credited with promoting political correctness. Failure to conform to political correctness can result in censure, ostracism, a torrent of abuse, or force attendance to ‘sensitivity classes.’
PRIVILEGE
This speaks of a special status given to certain people like males, whites, and Christians, often done at the expense of non-whites and non-males and non-Christians.
PRONOUNS
These are normally the words like ‘You,’ ‘Me,’ ‘He,’ and ‘She,’ instead of the noun of a proper name. In the transgender movement, it is expected to use the pronoun the person wants, rather than to assume they are a ‘he’ or ‘she’ due to their looks or name.
RAPE CULTURE
Sexual assault and rape, which are two heinous crimes, are said to be sanitised, normalised, or trivialised with an attitude of blaming the victim, denying that rape is an issue, or failure to see the harm done by rape. These views are said to be facilitated by the ‘rape culture.’
SAFE SPACE
‘Safe space’ is like a refuge where (once) embattled racial and sexual minorities can go and be protected from harm. Also known as positive space, ‘safe space’ is found on university campuses. The ‘harm’ people are protected from includes things like harassment, discrimination, unfair criticism or anything else that would cause physical or emotional stress. ‘Safe space’ can also simply mean shielding people from hearing ideas they don’t like, even if there are no insults or injuries intended or levied. Offering this at university level hinders the educational process by failing to expose students to a variety of positions.
SNOWFLAKE
A pejorative term used to describe a person who is thin-skinned, hypersensitive, emotionally fragile, feels especially unique and has a high sense of entitlement due to their uniqueness.
TRIGGER WARNING
This can be related to literary text or videos, where a warning is given that the content may offend some individuals, especially if they have experienced such an event. Or, it simply means someone who reacts, sometimes excessively, even to the most mild of stimuli.
WESTERN CIVILISATION
Birthed in Europe, Western Civilisation is based on the twin pillars of 1) Greco-Roman heritage and culture and 2) Judea-Christian ethics and theology. The combination of these two pillars brought to the world the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the Industrial and scientific revolutions, and the institution of liberal democracy and human rights. While these things should be celebrated, secular progressives often castigate western civilisation as being dominated by ‘white, male Christians’ at the expense of women, non-white races, and sexual minorities.
Our next article will explore more terminology involving the culture war. Stay tuned.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Culture War Terminology I: Culture War Part 06

In understanding the ‘culture war,’ it is important to know key terminology. Semantics, or the use of words, matters. In fact, it is the left-wing progressive side who are changing the culture by creating a new vocabulary. In all honesty, some of the terminology can be misleading, but it has be utilised to great effectiveness to bring massive cultural changes that would have been unthinkable a few decades ago. The following is a partial list of some of the key terms. Once you understand the language, you will be better equipped to engage with the culture and win – with God’s help, of course.
ALT-RIGHT/ALT-LEFT
The ‘alt-right’ are found in the conservative movement who allegedly support ‘extreme right-wing’ political positions. These can be highly nationalistic and racist, like anti-black, anti-Jewish positions. Those who hold extreme left-wing views are called ‘alt-left.’
ANTIFASCIST
Fascism is considered to be an authoritarian, in some cases, totalitarian system that suppresses dissent, controls private business, and is strongly nationalistic, oppressive and intolerant. While some call fascism ‘extreme right-wing,’ that point is debatable. Hitler’s Nazis were called ‘National Socialists,’ which are more akin to the Left (socialism) than Right. ‘Antifascist’ opposes ‘fascism’ and their name has been shortened to ‘antifa.’ If they believe a speaker is ‘fascist’ and thus ‘harmful,’ they are ready to use vandalism and violence to physically close down a meeting to stop that person from speaking in public.
FREE SPEECH
A fundamental human-right, free speech has been a bedrock of modern western civilisation. Sometimes called ‘freedom of expression,’ free speech is recognised in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Essentially, it means the right for a person or community to share their ideas and opinions without fear, censorship or sanction. Not all speech is ‘free:’ Defamation, vilification, and perjury are condemned and in some cases punishable by law. However, the progressives have introduced a new term: ‘Hate Speech,’ and they argue that it must be stopped, no matter what.
HATE SPEECH
It is described as speech which attacks individuals or communities on the basis race, creed, gender, nationality, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, with the purpose to humiliate, vilify, or incite violence. Some countries have hate speech laws, others do not recognise it legally, and the United States constitutionally protects ‘hate speech.’ While the notion of viciously attacking people is repugnant, the concern is of a low-bar or elastic interpretation of what constitutes hate speech: e.g. criticism of the political agenda of a certain group has been loosely called ‘hate speech.’ Wrongly handled, hate speech laws can extinguish free speech protections. If freedom of speech goes, so do all other freedoms.
IDENTITY POLITICS
Where a particular ethnic, religious, social group, professional, civil rights and/or cultural group joins in an exclusive  political alliance for the purpose of advocating their cause, or highlighting their grievances. This is done at the expense of normal, inclusive major party politics, or they join in coalition with such a party. Identity politics exempts the individual from being responsible for their actions, since until recently their minority status made them victims of oppression.
MARGINALIZE
To marginalise means to take an individual or group and sideline them, or keep them in the periphery, so as to render them powerless. Racial, gender, and sexual minorities have been marginalised in the past and even though there have been great strides in civil and human rights, some of these same groups still claim to be disadvantaged by marginalisation.
MICROAGRESSION
These are perceived indignities in word or physical actions between various cultures, races, genders, or theologies that are interpreted as negative, hostile, or insulting aggressions, whether they are intended to be or not. These things are usually ‘small-scale’ (hence ‘micro’) interactions.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Based on the fear of theoretically offending a marginalised group, political correctness controls speech by enforcing a new vocabulary that neutralises offence or refuses to label people altogether. While considered a product of postmodernism, there is a case to say that it began long before in-between the two world wars. The cultural Marxists of the Frankfurt school are credited with promoting political correctness. Failure to conform to political correctness can result in censure, ostracism, a torrent of abuse, or force attendance to ‘sensitivity classes.’
PRIVILEGE
This speaks of a special status given to certain people like males, whites, and Christians, often done at the expense of non-whites and non-males and non-Christians.
PRONOUNS
These are normally the words like ‘You,’ ‘Me,’ ‘He,’ and ‘She,’ instead of the noun of a proper name. In the transgender movement, it is expected to use the pronoun the person wants, rather than to assume they are a ‘he’ or ‘she’ due to their looks or name.
RAPE CULTURE
Sexual assault and rape, which are two heinous crimes, are said to be sanitised, normalised, or trivialised with an attitude of blaming the victim, denying that rape is an issue, or failure to see the harm done by rape. These views are said to be facilitated by the ‘rape culture.’
SAFE SPACE
‘Safe space’ is like a refuge where (once) embattled racial and sexual minorities can go and be protected from harm. Also known as positive space, ‘safe space’ is found on university campuses. The ‘harm’ people are protected from includes things like harassment, discrimination, unfair criticism or anything else that would cause physical or emotional stress. ‘Safe space’ can also simply mean shielding people from hearing ideas they don’t like, even if there are no insults or injuries intended or levied. Offering this at university level hinders the educational process by failing to expose students to a variety of positions.
SNOWFLAKE
A pejorative term used to describe a person who is thin-skinned, hypersensitive, emotionally fragile, feels especially unique and has a high sense of entitlement due to their uniqueness.
TRIGGER WARNING
This can be related to literary text or videos, where a warning is given that the content may offend some individuals, especially if they have experienced such an event. Or, it simply means someone who reacts, sometimes excessively, even to the most mild of stimuli.
WESTERN CIVILISATION
Birthed in Europe, Western Civilisation is based on the twin pillars of 1) Greco-Roman heritage and culture and 2) Judea-Christian ethics and theology. The combination of these two pillars brought to the world the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the Industrial and scientific revolutions, and the institution of liberal democracy and human rights. While these things should be celebrated, secular progressives often castigate western civilisation as being dominated by ‘white, male Christians’ at the expense of women, non-white races, and sexual minorities.
Our next article will explore more terminology involving the culture war. Stay tuned.

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

I Am My Beloved’s: Why Study the Song of Solomon?

This is one of the unusual books of the Bible. There is no mention of Almighty God, its spiritual content appears to be non-existent, and its language is highly sensuous. How could such a book have a welcome place in the the Word of God?
This book is part of the Bible’s wisdom literature. Though Christian theologians have mixed opinions – some say it is figurative and allegorical, others question its place in the canon – apparently the Jewish sages have a high opinion of it. While the Greeks deemed physical things as bad and invisible spiritual things as good, the Hebrews had a different, more practical perspective. The Hebrews said that God made both physical and spiritual realms and everything He creates is good. This includes male and female, falling in love, marriage, and becoming husband and wife. What’s more, sex is God’s idea and it is good, too. But like electricity, divinely-ordained sexuality is most powerful and must be handled with care. When left in the context of a committed, monogamous heterosexual marriage, it is declared ‘good.’ When done outside or in-between marriage, it is can have devastating consequences. Sex outside God’s design has a price-tag: unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and divine condemnation (Revelation 21:8; 22:15).
While some want to find spiritual meaning within the sensuous imagery, it is best to take it at face value: this book is about marital love. It is good to take it on your honeymoon!
So why should we read the Song of Solomon? God is love (I John 4:8), and Christianity is based on God’s love towards us and our reciprocating his love in return. We also understand how God feels when love is not returned. The story of Hosea and his adulterous wife Gomer – and the frustration the prophet feels at his wife’s infidelity, mirrors what God feels when His people become lukewarm and two-timing. It also helps us gain the Godly perspective that human sexuality is the Lord’s idea and that He heartily endorses it under the divinely-designed boundaries. Finally, Song of Solomon is Scripture, meaning it is divinely inspired and profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness.
HEBREW NAME
Hebrew: Shir-HaShirim, ‘Song of Songs. In the Greek Septuagint (LXX), it is Asthma Asmaton. In the Latin Vulgate, it is Canticum Canticorum, where we get the alternate name called ‘Canticles.’
AUTHORS OF THE SONG OF SOLOMON
Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (I Kings 4:32) and he is the author of the Song of Solomon. He also wrote Ecclesiastes.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST IN SONG OF SOLOMON
Jesus Christ is the ‘leaping, skipping voice of the beloved’ (2:8), ’the bridegroom’ (the word is used 24 times in Scripture and 16 times in the New Testament, of which 15 of the 16 are in the words of Jesus).
THEME OF SONG OF SOLOMON
This book is God and love: God is love, God’s love for His people; God’s solid endorsement of marital love. It is also about marital love from a human perspective with a strong Middle Eastern flavour.
KEY VERSES IN SONG OF SOLOMON
I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me — Song of Solomon 7:10
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned — Song of Solomon 8:7
SUMMARY OF SONG OF SOLOMON
The main personalities are Solomon, the Shulamite, and the daughters of Jerusalem. The king has a country estate in Ephraim, Samaria, called Baalhamon. The Shulamite is a Cinderella type character where she, the daughter of the tenant farmer, works so much in the vineyard that she turns ‘black’ in the hot sun. There she meets a man in the vineyard, they talk regularly, and then fall in love. He proposes to her and they plan to marry.
However, her fiancé has to go back south for business and will be gone for awhile. The Shulamite has nightmares because she is afraid he will never return.
Finally, her man does return to get her. He is not just any man … he is Solomon himself. She is engaged to marry the king. One small detail: he already has 60 wives and eventually will have 700, plus 300 concubines. He takes her south to Jerusalem to live in the palace. A banquet is given in her honour. She feels strange in the presence of the other 60 wives. In fact, she is only the ‘rose of Sharon’ and the ‘lily of the valley.’ Really? Solomon sees her as the ’lily among the thorns. It says in Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
OUTLINE OF SONG OF SOLOMON
I.         Love commences (1-2)
II.      Pain of Separation (3)
III.    The beloved described from the North (4)
IV.   Love grows (5-8)

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

I Am My Beloved’s: Why Study the Song of Solomon?

This is one of the unusual books of the Bible. There is no mention of Almighty God, its spiritual content appears to be non-existent, and its language is highly sensuous. How could such a book have a welcome place in the the Word of God?
This book is part of the Bible’s wisdom literature. Though Christian theologians have mixed opinions – some say it is figurative and allegorical, others question its place in the canon – apparently the Jewish sages have a high opinion of it. While the Greeks deemed physical things as bad and invisible spiritual things as good, the Hebrews had a different, more practical perspective. The Hebrews said that God made both physical and spiritual realms and everything He creates is good. This includes male and female, falling in love, marriage, and becoming husband and wife. What’s more, sex is God’s idea and it is good, too. But like electricity, divinely-ordained sexuality is most powerful and must be handled with care. When left in the context of a committed, monogamous heterosexual marriage, it is declared ‘good.’ When done outside or in-between marriage, it is can have devastating consequences. Sex outside God’s design has a price-tag: unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and divine condemnation (Revelation 21:8; 22:15).
While some want to find spiritual meaning within the sensuous imagery, it is best to take it at face value: this book is about marital love. It is good to take it on your honeymoon!
So why should we read the Song of Solomon? God is love (I John 4:8), and Christianity is based on God’s love towards us and our reciprocating his love in return. We also understand how God feels when love is not returned. The story of Hosea and his adulterous wife Gomer – and the frustration the prophet feels at his wife’s infidelity, mirrors what God feels when His people become lukewarm and two-timing. It also helps us gain the Godly perspective that human sexuality is the Lord’s idea and that He heartily endorses it under the divinely-designed boundaries. Finally, Song of Solomon is Scripture, meaning it is divinely inspired and profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness.
HEBREW NAME
Hebrew: Shir-HaShirim, ‘Song of Songs. In the Greek Septuagint (LXX), it is Asthma Asmaton. In the Latin Vulgate, it is Canticum Canticorum, where we get the alternate name called ‘Canticles.’
AUTHORS OF THE SONG OF SOLOMON
Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (I Kings 4:32) and he is the author of the Song of Solomon. He also wrote Ecclesiastes.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST IN SONG OF SOLOMON
Jesus Christ is the ‘leaping, skipping voice of the beloved’ (2:8), ’the bridegroom’ (the word is used 24 times in Scripture and 16 times in the New Testament, of which 15 of the 16 are in the words of Jesus).
THEME OF SONG OF SOLOMON
This book is God and love: God is love, God’s love for His people; God’s solid endorsement of marital love. It is also about marital love from a human perspective with a strong Middle Eastern flavour.
KEY VERSES IN SONG OF SOLOMON
I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me — Song of Solomon 7:10
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned — Song of Solomon 8:7
SUMMARY OF SONG OF SOLOMON
The main personalities are Solomon, the Shulamite, and the daughters of Jerusalem. The king has a country estate in Ephraim, Samaria, called Baalhamon. The Shulamite is a Cinderella type character where she, the daughter of the tenant farmer, works so much in the vineyard that she turns ‘black’ in the hot sun. There she meets a man in the vineyard, they talk regularly, and then fall in love. He proposes to her and they plan to marry.
However, her fiancé has to go back south for business and will be gone for awhile. The Shulamite has nightmares because she is afraid he will never return.
Finally, her man does return to get her. He is not just any man … he is Solomon himself. She is engaged to marry the king. One small detail: he already has 60 wives and eventually will have 700, plus 300 concubines. He takes her south to Jerusalem to live in the palace. A banquet is given in her honour. She feels strange in the presence of the other 60 wives. In fact, she is only the ‘rose of Sharon’ and the ‘lily of the valley.’ Really? Solomon sees her as the ’lily among the thorns. It says in Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
OUTLINE OF SONG OF SOLOMON
I.         Love commences (1-2)
II.      Pain of Separation (3)
III.    The beloved described from the North (4)
IV.   Love grows (5-8)

Articles, Discipleship, Education, Evangelism, Mission, Prophecy, Teaching

What is the Church Part 04: Its Mission

In this important series, we have been exploring the nature of the Christian Church. More than any other ideology or religion, Christianity strongly depends on its founder, Jesus Christ. Not only does it derive its identity from Him, He is alive, well, and highly interactive with His people. We also learned the key activities of the church based on Acts 2:42-47: teaching doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. To this we add acts of power, community, praise and worship, pastoral care, obedience, and discipleship. When the church functions properly, in enjoys community favour while God adds to the congregation more and more saved people.
Now we will explore the church’s mission. What ‘on earth’ is it meant to do?
One – Glory: The church is called to give glory to the Lord (Romans 15:6,9; Ephesians 1:5f, 12, 14, 18; 3:21; II Thessalonians 1:12; I Peter 4:11). We accomplish this through holy living (John 15:8), praise and worship. Though the Psalms are replete with exhortations to ‘praise God,’ the New Testament expects no less. Hebrews 13:15 Tell us to offer a ‘sacrifice of praise’ continually, which is the fruit of our lips. Eternity is not long enough to thank Jesus for such a great salvation.
Two – Edification: Our purpose is to ‘build up’ the church. This is the meaning of the word edification (Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 2:7; I Corinthians 14:26). It is like an athlete going to the gym and doing weight-training in order to build up muscle. Nasty, carnal people are adept at tearing down but those who are born again and spiritual are able to edify in a way that lasts forever. Our modern-day Barnabas’s spend much time encouraging others in the faith; this is one of the great aspects of edification. May their tribe increase.
Three – Holiness: Like so many wonderful doctrines like repentance, regeneration, justification, and sanctification, holiness is most necessary but it is also neglected. Our world is getting darker and without holiness even church people will be cast into the shadows. Holiness is to be separated for God’s purposes. It is to live a life without reproach, blemish, defilement, or corruption. Holiness is heavenly purity. It is also indispensable, because without holiness a person will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:24). It is impossible to give glory to God, in the manner He deserves, if holiness is missing. It is time to return to ‘first things first’ (Ephesians 5:26; Matthew 18:17; Acts 5:11; Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 5:6-8, 13; I Peter 1:22).
Four – Evangelism: This means to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. ‘Gospel’ means good news (Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8). It is wonderfully summarised in I Corinthians 15:3-5: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. When you repent, believe, and receive, you have the gift of the new birth, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. No amount of money could ever purchase this great salvation; it came via the highest price, namely, the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Evangelism is to the church what children are to marriage: it grows and perpetuates.
Five – Discipleship: This is the main objective of the church and evangelism. Evangelism leads the person to faith and discipleship establishes them in the faith. One way to describe discipleship is ‘to follow Jesus with all of your heart, all of the time.’ Following Jesus with some of your heart all of the time, or all of your heart some of the time, is to fail in the call of discipleship. A disciple will become like the Master, but this will be a process, not an event. Discipleship is not an option; it is a divine command (Ephesians 4:12; Matthew 28:20; II Timothy 2:2; Philippians 4:8). When a person is properly discipled, they will live a normal, Biblical, Spirit-empowered Christian life to the glory of God. Failure to disciple means the person may remain no more than an old wineskin, ready to burst asunder when the new wine comes. To ‘make disciples’ in Matthew 28:19 (Greek: matheteusate) is a command, even an imperative. It is of the highest priority to the Lord and thus should be to the church as well.
Six – Mission: This is merely an extension of four and five: to proactively and globally evangelise and disciple people. God is calling the (Gentile) nations to be His people (Acts 15:14). One person aptly said that a person with Christ in their heart is a ‘missionary’ and a person without Christ in their heart is a ‘mission field.’ Whether we go around the block or around the world, we need to put mission as our highest priority until the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ comes in (Romans 11:25). Mission is another name for ‘the Great Commission,’ to go and make disciples of all nations. The Great Commission is found in all four gospels and in Acts (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8). The Great Commission is the only mission Christ gave His church;
Next Time: How to Fulfil the Mission of the Church

Articles, Discipleship, Education, Evangelism, Mission, Prophecy, Teaching

What is the Church Part 04: Its Mission

In this important series, we have been exploring the nature of the Christian Church. More than any other ideology or religion, Christianity strongly depends on its founder, Jesus Christ. Not only does it derive its identity from Him, He is alive, well, and highly interactive with His people. We also learned the key activities of the church based on Acts 2:42-47: teaching doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. To this we add acts of power, community, praise and worship, pastoral care, obedience, and discipleship. When the church functions properly, in enjoys community favour while God adds to the congregation more and more saved people.
Now we will explore the church’s mission. What ‘on earth’ is it meant to do?
One – Glory: The church is called to give glory to the Lord (Romans 15:6,9; Ephesians 1:5f, 12, 14, 18; 3:21; II Thessalonians 1:12; I Peter 4:11). We accomplish this through holy living (John 15:8), praise and worship. Though the Psalms are replete with exhortations to ‘praise God,’ the New Testament expects no less. Hebrews 13:15 Tell us to offer a ‘sacrifice of praise’ continually, which is the fruit of our lips. Eternity is not long enough to thank Jesus for such a great salvation.
Two – Edification: Our purpose is to ‘build up’ the church. This is the meaning of the word edification (Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 2:7; I Corinthians 14:26). It is like an athlete going to the gym and doing weight-training in order to build up muscle. Nasty, carnal people are adept at tearing down but those who are born again and spiritual are able to edify in a way that lasts forever. Our modern-day Barnabas’s spend much time encouraging others in the faith; this is one of the great aspects of edification. May their tribe increase.
Three – Holiness: Like so many wonderful doctrines like repentance, regeneration, justification, and sanctification, holiness is most necessary but it is also neglected. Our world is getting darker and without holiness even church people will be cast into the shadows. Holiness is to be separated for God’s purposes. It is to live a life without reproach, blemish, defilement, or corruption. Holiness is heavenly purity. It is also indispensable, because without holiness a person will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:24). It is impossible to give glory to God, in the manner He deserves, if holiness is missing. It is time to return to ‘first things first’ (Ephesians 5:26; Matthew 18:17; Acts 5:11; Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 5:6-8, 13; I Peter 1:22).
Four – Evangelism: This means to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. ‘Gospel’ means good news (Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8). It is wonderfully summarised in I Corinthians 15:3-5: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. When you repent, believe, and receive, you have the gift of the new birth, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. No amount of money could ever purchase this great salvation; it came via the highest price, namely, the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Evangelism is to the church what children are to marriage: it grows and perpetuates.
Five – Discipleship: This is the main objective of the church and evangelism. Evangelism leads the person to faith and discipleship establishes them in the faith. One way to describe discipleship is ‘to follow Jesus with all of your heart, all of the time.’ Following Jesus with some of your heart all of the time, or all of your heart some of the time, is to fail in the call of discipleship. A disciple will become like the Master, but this will be a process, not an event. Discipleship is not an option; it is a divine command (Ephesians 4:12; Matthew 28:20; II Timothy 2:2; Philippians 4:8). When a person is properly discipled, they will live a normal, Biblical, Spirit-empowered Christian life to the glory of God. Failure to disciple means the person may remain no more than an old wineskin, ready to burst asunder when the new wine comes. To ‘make disciples’ in Matthew 28:19 (Greek: matheteusate) is a command, even an imperative. It is of the highest priority to the Lord and thus should be to the church as well.
Six – Mission: This is merely an extension of four and five: to proactively and globally evangelise and disciple people. God is calling the (Gentile) nations to be His people (Acts 15:14). One person aptly said that a person with Christ in their heart is a ‘missionary’ and a person without Christ in their heart is a ‘mission field.’ Whether we go around the block or around the world, we need to put mission as our highest priority until the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ comes in (Romans 11:25). Mission is another name for ‘the Great Commission,’ to go and make disciples of all nations. The Great Commission is found in all four gospels and in Acts (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8). The Great Commission is the only mission Christ gave His church;
Next Time: How to Fulfil the Mission of the Church