Featured Articles

Applying the Lordship of Christ to All Areas of Life

The-Ascension-of-Christ This Thursday, 25 May, is Ascension Day.

Why are so many things going Wrong?
A Christian leader asked: "Why is there so much corruption, crime and violence in our society? Why is there so much immorality, even in the church? Why are we seeing so many moral failures and scandals amongst leaders in business, in every level of government and even in the church?"

High Court Blunders into Dagga Minefield

ban dagga Doctors for Life International (DFL) is deeply concerned by the judgment of the Western Cape High Court (3 April 2017) that allows, subject to legislation to be passed in the next 24 months, the private growing and use of Cannabis Sativa. The court has rushed into an area they should only tread into after reviewing systematic, evidence-based research. The pending case to be heard in the Pretoria High Court was set to do this in August of 2017.

What people do with Cannabis in the privacy of their homes is relevant to the whole of society. Firstly, because of the semi-long-term effects of Cannabis that last up to 21 days after ingestion. These include poor coordination and slowed reaction time, which can lead to fatal traffic and work place accidents.

Film Review: The Shack

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the Mouth of the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:16

The Shack
I had the opportunity to watch one of the premier viewings of The Shack in South Africa. The storyline follows the main character, Mack, as he struggles to deal with his personal concept of God and the immense sufferings he has encountered in his life. The story develops after Mack receives a mysterious message in the mail, requesting him to go to the shack where he previously found his little girl who had been brutally murdered. The message was signed by “Papa” which is the movie’s depiction of God the Father. Upon arrival at the shack, Mack meets “the Trinity”: “God the Father”, portrayed as an African American woman, “God the Son” portrayed as a Jewish carpenter and “God the Holy Spirit” portrayed as an Asian woman. Mack deals with his perception of God, his understanding of suffering and apparently finds peace. The story of Mack’s discovery of who God is and how to deal with suffering follows an emotional storyline accompanied by good acting, music and cinematography. It is a high quality film production.

The movie The Shack is based on the 2007 novel which has sold over 20 million copies. While it is a fictional novel, The Shack claims to “wrestle with the timeless question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” In order to answer that question, some evangelicals may expect to view a story akin to the book of Job or a message to the Church to stand up against evil and call all forms of authority to obey God’s Laws in order to see evil dissipate, but the shack offers something quite different.

Belieber? A Call to Discipleship and Outreach

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the Will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20

Justin Bieber
In 2007, a record company stumbled upon the Canadian-born, Justin Bieber. Despite his mother wanting him to become a Gospel singer, the 13-year-old sky-rocketed to world-wide fame singing pop songs with a mix of R&B. Justin Bieber has sold over 100 million records, making him the best-selling male Canadian artist and one of the world’s best-selling music artists.