“Sincerely wrong” is still wrong

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

2 Timothy 1:12 (KJV)

For several days in June 2023, the world was fascinated by the saga of the Titan. A submersible with five wealthy, intrepid passengers aboard which had gone missing on a tourist dive 13,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean to view the wreck of the Titanic. What had happened to the Titan and its passengers? Were they lost in the depths? Adrift on the waves? Did they have enough air? Food? Water? Whole broadcasts were dedicated to the tale, with an ominous countdown showing how much air they would have in the best-case scenario.

Unfortunately, as it turned out, air was the least of the Titan’s problems. It imploded on the way down on Sunday, 18th June 2023, killing all five aboard. Even before the news broke out on Wednesday, however, news had come out about how deepsea diving industry professionals and even the staff of the company had expressed grave concerns about the safety of the Titan. CEO Stockton Rush, who perished along with four others, had been warned multiple times from multiple quarters that the vessel needed much more testing, but he refused to listen, even responding to one person that he was “personally insulted” by their warnings.

The thing is, Stockton Rush wasn’t just talking a good game. He genuinely believed riding in the Titan was “safer than crossing the street,” to use his own words. We know he believed it because he went down personally on that ill-fated voyage last week.

Unfortunately, just because you sincerely believe something is safe does not mean that it is actually safe. To quote C. H. Spurgeon,

If you sincerely drink poison, it will kill you: if you sincerely cut your throat, you will die. If you sincerely believe a lie, you will suffer the consequences. You must not only be sincere, but you must be right.

This applies not just to submersibles but also to our eternal destinies. No matter how long you live, you will eventually die. Maybe not in a submersible, but something will get you in the end. Or perhaps Christ will come before then. Either way, what will become of your soul? Is what you’re trusting to hold you truly capable of sustaining you in that day?

It’s not enough to “believe” or to “have faith.” The object of that faith must hold up. And the Word of God plainly tells us that “…there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)” and that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).“So if today you are trusting in any other Titan to hold you in the day of judgment, abandon false hope, repent and believe the gospel.

If the 6500 psi of pressure that crushed the Titan was fearful, how much more the anger and judgment of the one who created that pressure out of nothing? I pray that anyone reading this will stop ignoring warnings, stop hoping nothing happens, stop listening to the false assurances of the world and turn to “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).” May God have mercy on us all.

There is no “morning after” for those outside Christ

Woman standing on the balcony welcoming the morning sun

I heard an interesting song on the radio the other day. It was called “The Morning After” by Maureen McGovern, all the way from 1972. Good songs are good songs regardless of the era, but that is not my issue. This song and many others like it insist that better things are ahead once we can push through the present pain or difficult situations we are in.

For the Christian, this is true. To quote the apostle Paul, Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17, NKJV).

No matter how difficult our present circumstances, what awaits us in eternity will make everything pale in comparison. There shall be no more weeping, sorrow, pain, sin or despair, only everlasting joy and contentment at our Saviour’s side. So for the Christian, there is indeed a morning after.

For those without Christ, however, they are “without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12) and not only in this world but also in the afterlife. No matter how much the song insists, “There’s got to be a morning after/If we can hold on through the night,” the reality of the afterlife without Christ is just the opposite. The Bible uses terms like “outer darkness” (Matthew 22:13) and “blackest darkness” (Jude 13) to refer to the ultimate destination of souls that persist in sin and unbelief until their deaths.

So which one will it be for you? A hope and a future and a glorious morning after? Or eternal regret and darkness? Eternity looms closer than we may know. “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 4:7) Repent and put your faith solely in Jesus Christ today!

Passing Thoughts…

I am not sure what title to give this or what it is even about but it is almost 11pm on the 18th of February 2023 and I could not really sleep as thoughts of Christian Atsu swirled in my mind. His lifeless body was recovered today which was not the news that any of us wanted to hear. I do hope at least that despite the pain of loss, it brings some measure of closure to his family so they can properly grieve his passing.

I have read articles and seen videos about his kindness and generosity through all the philanthropic works he would do and I am grateful he got the opportunity to do all these.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the Christian’s response to the Coronavirus (read it to get some context) which sought to explain the state of this world and how believer’s should process such occurrences and again a few days before this earthquake I posted a series of verses from Matthew 24 about the signs of the end. Alas, something like this was on the way. Definitely not a ‘prophet’ as these are written down by the Lord to help us understand each day and situation as it comes.

My thoughts have recently been on these verses spoken by Jesus in Luke 13:1-9

13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had [a]mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it [b]use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 [c]And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2013&version=NKJV

What Jesus is saying here is that everyone has been given time and space by God to repent and turn to Him for forgiveness because it is only in that state that we can bear fruit that is pleasing to Him.

In every disaster, pandemic or pestilence, both believers and unbelievers will perish so this is not to suggest in any way that those who died in the quake were all unbelievers but rather that everyone will leave this earth one day and the question is will fruit be found in us? He uses the reality of physical death to prompt us about the reality of spiritual death without repentance and faith in Christ.

Thankfully, this does not need to be your situation Dear Reader!

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 (Biblegateway)

God desires to give us life, true everlasting life that cannot be interrupted by even a disaster. Whether we die in whatever circumstance, provided we are in Christ, we are safe. What stops you from turning to Him right now?

“Everything kills human beings.”

For “All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:24-25 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Some years ago, a distant cousin passed away and my uncle was asked, “What killed him?” He answered: “Everything. Everything kills human beings.” He wasn’t trying to be deep or philosophical. He was simply stating a fact of life. Whereas there are only two ways for people to come into this world – natural birth and cesarean section – there are thousands of ways for them to leave it.

The enemies start right from the members of your own body, in a wide variety of illness and ailments in all parts of the body. Head, shoulders, knees, toes. Yes, even toes, just ask Bob Marley. Even now as you read this, some cells in your body may be conspiring against you, only you don’t know it so you think you guys are cool.

Then there’s danger from other human beings. It’s telling that the first death in the world was a murder in Genesis 4. Some of the most ingenious inventions people make are designed to kill others as efficiently as possible. And even the things we create for good purposes like vehicles, machinery and electricity kill and injure millions of people every year.

Then there’s the whole of creation, corrupted by the fall and dangerous to us in various ways. Fire, rain, lightning, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. Massive things like mountains and ocean waves, tiny things like bacteria and viruses. The floor you walk on is just biding its time before adding you to the list of casualties. And if you somehow manage to escape alllll these known ways of dying, surpriiiise, here’s COVID! New ways of dying will always appear. “Everything kills human beings,” indeed.

Over 250 years before my uncle shared this bit of wisdom, however, Jonathan Edwards expressed the same sentiment in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.” I quote:

It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand […]

The unseen, unthought of ways and means of persons going suddenly out of the world are innumerable and inconceivable. […]

God has so many different unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear, that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment.

Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.”

In these coronavirus times, it’s easy for us to wash our hands, stay home, wear face masks and think we are safe from disaster, but God has never needed a particular disease to call his people home or send unbelievers to their final end. All the people who heard Jonathan Edwards preach in person are dead. Edwards himself is gone. And it is certain that all the people reading this will eventually die, if Jesus does not come first.

In light of that truth, how ought we to live? First, for believers, since the end can come at any time, we should live in light of eternity. “Set your mind on things above,” says Colossians 3:2.

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

We should dedicate ourselves to things with eternal value: prayer, good works, preaching the gospel, living holy lives that bless and influence others. Then when we are called up to glory, we can say like Paul that we have fought the good fight and finished the race as we look forward to our crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

And for unbelievers in Jesus Christ, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) Today if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. This may be your last warning before the end. Before you lose everything you have, everything you’re counting on to save you in the end. Don’t put your hope in face masks, or government policies, or your own physical strength. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)

I pray the Lord will touch all our hearts and help us realize our own frailties so that we can turn to Him while we can. The Lord be with you in these trying times.

The Christian Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Psalm 2:1-5

Why do the [a]nations [b]rage,
And the people plot a [c]vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed,[d] saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure

On the 4th of April, 2020, some precious brothers and sisters from different churches had a conference call as we had started doing since the partial lockdown in Ghana to discuss a few biblical topics and to encourage one another. On this particular day, I had been tasked to lead a bible discussion on the Coronavirus (a name everybody and their grandmother knows by now), specifically how Christians ought to view and respond to it.

During my preparation, my mind immediately leapt to Psalm 2 as it so mirrored the ongoing rebellion of man against the Lord without realizing the futility of it all. Without digressing too much, I decided to break down the discussion into 3 parts, namely Cause, Symptoms (Effects) and Treatment all from a biblical standpoint which I hope to share with you below:

Historical Context:

Before this, I think it is instructive to share a few historical facts about pandemics or widespread diseases which should provide some context within which to approach COVID-19 and not give in to too much panic or hysteria.

Needless to say, this is not the first nor necessarily the most serious plague of its kind to befall this planet. It has been well-noted that about 50 million people died in the 14th century in Europe (50% of population) in what was called the Black Death. As recently as a 100 years ago, the Spanish Flu infected 500 million people globally and killed anywhere from 17-50 million people including over 100,000 people in Ghana (The Gold Coast) in less than 6 months. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/influenza-epidemic-of-191819-in-the-gold-coast1/93EFCA1CDC9FC2735A289728934E628C

While we do not know how this current plague will end up, it should at least give us some pause while reacting even whilst following all the recommended guidelines.

Cause:

It is now well-known that this disease is caused by a virus from the biological lens but the purpose of this article is to look even deeper from the biblical and spiritual lens (the truest). I have heard many famous ‘pastors/prophets’ make various pronouncements about this disease even going so far as to ‘bind’ it, command it to disappear by certain dates or even sell cures for it. All these just underscore how biblically illiterate many have become even though there is a proliferation of churches. For our answer, we will turn to the trusted words of Scripture to see if we can make sense of all this and its source.

  1. Man’s Sinfulness:- Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”

This really is the root cause of the Coronavirus but not just. It is also the root cause behind cancer and headaches and blindness and corruption and immorality and all manner of sorrows and heartaches and depression and ultimately death. The clear testimony of the word of God is that in Adam’s disobedience all sinned and death entered the world. God’s perfect earth He created was subjected to decay and ever since then the story of man has been one of tragedy intermingled with God’s grace where we still know moments of joy and peace. This is not to say that anyone being afflicted with this current disease has committed a specific kind of sin which is why they have fallen sick but rather that we all have sinned as we were in Adam when he sinned.

2. God’s Wrath:- Isaiah 45:9-10

That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.’

Amos 3:6 – If a [c]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

While I know many Christians shrink away from the very thought that such things could come from the hand of God, we ought not to be ignorant or try to defend God. He is just, righteous and even merciful when he does this and it is always for a purpose which we shall look at further down the line. However, one cannot read the Scriptures for any length of time and find the unmistakable hand of God behind every calamity or pestilence that ravaged the various lands.

Symptoms (Effect):

I believe the effects of the disease are clear for all to see but I will try and summarize them briefly:

  • A Disturbed World – Until a few weeks ago, the world economy was growing, people were going about their normal routine as always. We had become settled in our ways with no thought as to God or whether we had the right priorities. Now, a microscopic organism has brought the world to its knees with widespread lockdown, business closures, shortage of food and critical materials. The status quo is no more.
  • Vanities Laid Bare – With issues of life and death confronting many, we notice a lack of spending on frivolities and even giving attention to the vain things of this world. Celebrity culture seems to be at an all time low and there are videos of some of them depressed as they have been used to commanding the spotlight for so long.
  • Fear of Death and the Future – Due to the general sense of helplessness, many people are for the first time thinking about their own mortality and dare I say, eternity and rightly so for these are the really important things.
  • Exposing of Charlatans in the Body of Christ – If anybody had any reason to wonder if the self-professed miracle workers/healers and prophets were really hearing from God, this should put all doubt to rest. Not a single one has volunteered to go to a treatment facility to heal the sick and dying. Not a single one during all the 31st Dec watch-night services prophesied about such a year. They continued prophesying ‘feel-good’ words of breakthrough and prosperity as they always have. Read Jeremiah 23:16 and onward to see more of what God has to say as I may save this for another article.

Treatment (Our Response):

How are we as believers to respond to these things?

  • A Renewed Passion for the Gospel of Christ – Now that many people have been shaken out of their false sense of security, there may be some who may be more sensitive to hear the good news of the gospel preached. By the mercies of God, some may have become more sensitive to the fact that they have wronged a holy God and that they do not know what the future holds after all. In love, just as we have heard and believed the good news, let us heed the words of Christ “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35) and proclaim the truth with renewed zeal and courage.
  • A Sense of Hope – Christians have a real hope come what may. The reason for this is that from the moment one puts their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, we understand that we are translated from death to life (eternal) and so while we may not necessarily look forward to the pain associated with death, we also understand that death is a defeated foe. Even if COVID-19 should take me or any believer, we have a firm hope and assurance that we will enjoy eternity with the Lord. This is a blessed and living hope (1 Peter 1:3-8)
  • Love One Another – John 13:35 – “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Dear friends, it is especially in times like this that we must indeed be like our Saviour and show love to all people and especially those of the faith. Let us look for opportunities to serve people by way of all manner of support, financial or otherwise. We can adopt another family in these times or simply share some of what we have with others if we are in the position to do so. Identify people in your family or church who may need a leg up and let us do good to all men.
  • Gratitude – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” We are often a complaining people. At times like this, can we indeed look back at how the world was just a few months ago and realize how ungrateful we have been to God all this while? Even now, we are to give Him thanks because it is still not as bad as it could possibly be as He is still showing much mercy.
  • Understand God’s Sovereignty – Romans 9:15 – “For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” God is under no obligation to show anyone mercy and He chooses whom to dispense it to according to His will. I think this calls for a separate post as there is much to cover under this and it seems a lot of both Christian and non-Christians suffer with this though the Bible is clear.
  • Prayer – We are to pray about all things according to the will of God. It is not a commanding prayer as if we could even begin to command God. Neither is it to bind demons as we have already established that this can only be from the hand of God. It is rather a prayer of repentance and a plea to the Lord to spare us the worst of it. It is a prayer for our leaders and for one another. It is a prayer of grief over our corporate sin and for the Lord to quicken the work of salvation in the hearts of men.

Conclusion:

To conclude, I believe it would be of great help and encouragement to those of like faith to know exactly how this all ends. The beautiful thing about the Bible is that we can skip ahead to the end and avoid all the suspense and the drama. We conclude with Revelation 21:1-5

1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said [b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

I always say that these verses are my favourite in all the Bible. There is coming a time when there will no longer be even the possibility of death and God will restore all things to a glorious state and I encourage any fearful saint of the Lord to memorize these words and hide them in your heart. They will serve you well!

Unfortunately, the chapter does not end there. From verse 8 it reads:

8 But the cowardly, [e]unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

If you are reading this and have not put your trust in the Lord, please do not wait until it is too late. Whether your end comes through this disease or another means or simply at the Lord’s imminent return.

Christ stands ready to receive you. No matter how bad your sin may be or what you have done or are doing now. I end with Christ’s own words:

37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will [f]by no means cast out. (John 6:37)

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28)

Evangelism Resource: Living Waters Youtube Channel

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

On the 15th of March 2020, the president of Ghana took the unprecedented step of ordering all religious services to be suspended for a month as a countermeasure against the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Most schools are out, social gatherings are discouraged, Ghanaians’ ‘favourite’ funerals are limited to 25 persons maximum.

These are strange and confusing times to be sure, but the larger numbers of housebound folk, smaller gatherings and scared friends posting all kinds of dire messages on WhatsApp all mean greater opportunities for witnessing and evangelism.

But what do you say, and how? How do you make sure you are sharing the true gospel and not confusing people or, worse, giving them a false sense of assurance? There are many helpful resources online and offline about how to evangelize. Here is one I highly recommend: Living Waters on Youtube and its accompanying website Living Waters.

According to their “About” page, ” Living Waters seeks to train the members of Christ’s Body in the principles of biblical evangelism and to provide them with practical tools to proclaim the gospel.”

To that end, they provide many, many examples of founder Ray Comfort talking to people of all backgrounds about the gospel of Christ, from your everyday person on the street to others with a wide variety of beliefs, including atheists, agnostics, Satanists and Hare Krishnas. Some encounters go well, others not so well. Some people are open, others are not so welcoming.

Either way, the videos along with Ray Comfort’s penetrating article “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” present a simple and effective approach to evangelistic encounters. First share the bad news and help others understand how God sees them. Then share the news that Jesus died to take away the penalty we deserve as guilty sinners, so that in Him we can fulfill God’s standards for righteousness and be acceptable in His sight.

There is no guarantee the people we speak with will accept the message in faith, but that is not our command. Ours is to share the full, true message and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit.

BTW, in addition to videos about evangelism, the Living Waters channel also has resources discussing contemporary issues such as the coronavirus, celebrity news (!), politics and evolution. Plus they also have a many short movies on topics like Christmas and Hollywood which are far more interesting and profitable to our souls than the latest telenovelas and juju movies.

Together with Scott Gilchrist’s sermon expositions that I recommended some years ago, you should have plenty of material to keep you busy until the president’s directive is lifted approximately a month from now. May God be with us all.

You cannot “connect to God” without Jesus Christ

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)

I went to the funeral of a very dear aunt this past weekend. The preacher of the funeral sermon had a very engaging and interesting style and shared plenty of memorable and hilarious anecdotes. What he did not share, however, was the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

I don’t want to pick on this pastor alone, because this is a problem shared across Ghana. Perhaps across Christendom in total. So many preachers, so interesting sermons, entertaining but utterly devoid of the life-saving truth.

In this particular sermon, the preacher repeatedly called for the congregation to “connect with God” and have a “relationship with Him.” He spoke about the importance of living a meaningful life and doing good deeds, then at the end he did the usual “Repeat this prayer after me” gimmick where he led members of the congregation in praying that they wanted to “connect with God.”

A false message and a failed presentation of the gospel. His message wasn’t one that was deliberately trying to lead people astray, but nevertheless it was false by reason of omission. Unlike the apostle Paul in Acts 20:27, he failed to declare the whole counsel of God.

At the end of the whole sermon I imagine that thinking members would have been baffled, not by what he said but by the many things he didn’t say.

Why must man connect to God? As His creations, why aren’t we connected by default? The preacher failed to explain that God created man in perfection, but Adam sinned, and in him we all sinned (1 Corinthians 5:22). We live every day in open rebellion to a holy God who cannot look upon evil and must judge sin.

Left to our own devices, we are doomed to be punished as we deserve for our sins.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:4-9 (NASB)

Why Christ? Because as God, He lived a sinless life on our behalf, fulfilling the laws of God that we could not do due to our sinful nature. Then, as the sinless lamb of God, He paid for our sin debt through the sacrifice of His life, becoming sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God through him, as 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:6

In other words, we cannot become righteous on our own, and we cannot be accepted by God without that righteousness. Thus God Himself prepared a substitute for us to take away that sin so that He can both punish sin as He should and redeem sinners as He desires (Romans 3:26). We cannot come to God in any other way but in the one way He has prepared for us: faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Long story short, it is not enough to talk about “connecting with God” without explaining why and how in a biblical fashion. I am saying this not to put one preacher down but to keep us all alert whenever we try to share the gospel with others. Instead of trying to amuse or simplify, we should focus on sharing the full truth and nothing but the truth of about Christ. Anything less is a great disservice to our listeners. May God help us to make the most of every opportunity.

Resource: Southern Seminary ‘Honest Answers’ series

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, currently located in Louisville, Kentucky, was founded in the USA in 1859 with the aim of serving the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention “by training, educating, and preparing ministers of the gospel for more faithful service [source].”

As part of their mission to train, educate and prepare people for service, the Southern Seminary has put up a series of videos on Youtube they call “Honest Answers,” where they provide short but comprehensive answers to many of the questions people have about Christianity. In their own words, it is “a series where Southern Seminary professors honestly answer questions directly submitted by viewers about theology, ministry, and life.”

Here is a link to Honest Answers. Most of the videos are 5-10 minutes long on average: short enough to listen to on a quick break but long enough to explain key points in details. I highly recommend subscribing to the channel so you can be notified when new videos come out. It’s good to be deliberate about the kind of media you consume, especially on places like Youtube with millions of creators, but more on that topic another day.

Honest Answers is a great resource for Christians at all stages of life, but I believe it would be most helpful for new believers and the people discipling them, because it provides simple explanations for basic questions about how to live the Christian life. For example, “What is the purpose of fasting?” “How can I improve my prayer life?” and “What should I do if I doubt my salvation?” There are all kinds of topics about other things like the stock market, the lottery, civil disobedience, Halloween, New Years’ resolutions, etc etc.

Honest Answers also addresses more esoteric questions that won’t affect what you do on a daily basisl such as “Who were the Nephilim?” and “What is the Apocrypha?” So if you’re idly curious about something or just have time to spare and want to learn more about theology, it’s a good place to check and pass the time.

As at the time of writing (Jan 29, 2020) there are 85 videos out so far with new ones coming every week. Dig in and share helpful answers with others so that 2020 can be a year of greater knowledge and wisdom for all of us.

“Bad things will not always happen to other people.”

Sometimes they will happen to you.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 NKJV

Some time ago, I skimmed through a highly forgettable comic about a girl struck with a curse that doomed her to die in a few years. Or something like that. It’s so forgettable that I can’t remember the titles or the details or what country it came from. It was very boring and drawn out, so I skipped to the last chapter after reading a few chapters, .

However, what I read there made an impression on me that has lasted till today. The heroine, who somehow survived her curse, was reflecting on the whole ordeal. She said something like, “At first, when it was all going on, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Why me?’ But then I thought again and I realized, ‘Why not me?’ Bad things won’t always happen to other people.”

It’s been several years since I read that bit of secular wisdom, but it has stayed with me because it is 100% true no matter how much we want to avoid it. Bad things won’t always happen to other people. Other people won’t always lose their jobs, or be diagnosed with serious diseases, or have accidents, or be attacked by robbers. Other people won’t always wake up and read text messages they never wanted to see. Sometimes these things will happen to you, and to me. And that is a normal part of this sinful, fallen world.

It’s fashionable in modern times to pretend that Christianity is a one-way pass to health, wealth, prosperity and a trouble-free path through life into eternity. When we hear of crime, sickness, war, accidents, we want to pretend it could never happen to us.

But the Bible never says anything about a trouble-free life, for believers or for unbelievers. While we can have joy, peace and comfort in the midst of the storm, we still be very much in the midst of that storm. Our ultimate rest will not come until we are finally home with the Lord.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Romans 8:22-23 NKJV

In fact, almost all the great figures of the Bible experienced pain, loss, loneliness, betrayal and persecution. Right from the first human family of Adam and Eve, who lost a son to murder and another to banishment. Noah lost everyone except his immediate family in the flood. Abraham lost his father Terah, his brother Haran and later his wife Sarah. Isaac lost his mother, later lost his wife, was separated from his younger son for 20 years, had to deal with a rebellious older son and contentious daughters-in-law…

Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua…. It’s faster to count the figures who coasted through life with no problems… faster because the number is zero. Even if you live to be 999, you will still have to deal with the loss of your parents and an entire older generation.

Long story short, Jesus told us the truth, “in the world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33) Pressures within, pressures without. Pressures that come from being a Christian, pressures that come from just being born of man. But His statement doesn’t end there. He promises us, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Therefore we have hope.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8: 37-39

For some of us, 2020 has gotten off to a very bad start indeed. This is not what we had in mind when we heard of “Vision 2020.” But we take comfort in the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and that He is with us in all our trials and temptations.

Let us first ensure that we ourselves are in Christ, having repented and believed in his salvation for our sins. Don’t trust in anything or anyone else except Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation. Then let us also redouble our efforts to reach our loved ones with the message of the gospel so that even in the darkest moments, we know that we will meet again where there will be no more tears.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

What does the Bible say about Christians and the government?

Belated Happy New Year, everyone! 2020 is a fresh start, and another opportunity to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” for all of us (2 Peter 3:18).

2020 is also an election year in Ghana (and in the USA) so we will be hearing a LOT about politics and voting. As Christians, how ought we to vote? No, before that, how ought we to think about and relate to the government? In fact, what is the government in the first place?

Here to the rescue comes this lesson series from Ligonier Ministries and the late RC Sproul: Church and State.

Sproul first lays a thorough background on what the government is, who established it, what its functions are and what the church’s relationship to the government should be.

He also deals extensively with some of the problems facing the church in America today. As Ghanaian Christians, we don’t have to deal directly with the same social legal issues facing the American church, but the principles of church and government are universal, so it is a great primer on all the relevant issues.

Furthermore, it would be blindly optimistic of us to think that we won’t eventually face the same social and governmental pressures our counterparts in other countries are currently going through so it’s good to learn more about global trends, if nothing else because it lets you follow the news more accurately.

One lesson I really enjoyed was chapter 4, “Established Religion.” That’s where Sproul deals with the history of the separation of church and state in America. It is very interesting history with lessons for all of us in how governmental involvement in religion frequently leads to oppression and suppression, but it’s also the least relevant to the Ghanaian context. But in this election cycle in America I predict you will hear a lot of ‘separation of church and state’ talk being bandied about, so it’s good to know what it does and doesn’t mean so you can correct people (kindly) and follow arguments intelligently.

Ideally I would do a follow up post analyzing the Ghanaian constitution to see what it has to say about religion and also write another post about how we should think and feel about the new “National Cathedral” under construction, but I don’t want to lie to you and say I will do it. Just listen to these for now and I’ll see you when God wills it. Adieu!