The Entrenched Culture of Corruption

AFFECTING POSITIVE CHANGE Anybody who has suffered injustice and the hardship that comes with it, especially at the hands of so-called Christians, will quickly find the Bible does nothing to really help lift them from their misery. It becomes a collection of fruitless, empty rhetoric, hollow words and stories that are contradicted by reality. The promise of Matthew 7: 7-12 is a good example. Those seeking help too often get the very opposite, and suggestions parents have good will toward their children becomes a cruel mockery when a child has been brutalised and slandered by a cruel, vindictive, and or violent parent. Added to the hardship is the insistence that victims of injustice must forgive those who inflict hardship and abuse upon them (Matthew 7: 1-7 & Luke 6: 27-42), even “turn the other cheek” and enable bad behaviour. This provides no comfort, justice or dignity for a victim, and ensures the offender will get away with their reprehensible actions and continue to in...

PROPHESY When the term prophesy is used people often think of those claiming psychic powers or the likes of Moses, Elijah, Samuel, Nathan, Nehemiah and others, but rarely do they consider what the word means. Anybody who preaches the scriptures is a prophet, although their intentions and interpretations determine whether they serve the Lord or are false prophets. There are also people blessed with the gift of prediction, another form of prophesy, and various other gifts (Romans 12: 1-8). http://www.smh.com.au/business/privatisation-has-damaged-the-economy-says-accc-chief-20160726-gqe2c2.html Some people believe that those thrashing around and babbling incoherent nonsense are also blessed because they speak in tongues, but this gift is defined as speaking another language (Acts 2: 4) and is of no use unless it can be understood (1 Corinthians 14: 1-40). Prophesy, then, is not limited to those who have been ordained by an administration of a Church - which can be corrupted...

DATING The focus and intent of dating, for a Christian, is supposed to be with marriage in mind, and marriage itself is an extremely difficult commitment that does not exist in isolation. It is influenced by every other facet of life, and petty power struggles both within and outside a couple's relationship can negatively impact on it, or lead to distractions to obscure more important issues (hopefully the links included in this blog entry can help prove this point). So how should Christians approach marriage? There are no hard and fast rules other than what is required of a Christian and avoiding situations where we may be tempted into sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5: 12-20, Ephesians 5: 3-7, 1 Thessalonians 4: 3-8). This being said, it becomes obvious God would prefer that we get to know ourselves before rushing into relationships that involve dating, and from this it is obvious that dating should have but one goal: to seek a suitable husband or wife with whom to be united ...