Level 6 load-shedding: will my heart pass the test?

South Africans are famous as a nation for our resilience, for our gallows humor, for our ‘vas-byt’ mentality.

I am by nature quite optimistic about the future of our country but as of December 2022, my enduring South African laugh-in-the-face-of-danger spirit was broken.

For the first time I experienced 8 hours with no electricity. In one day. In my mind a death knell rang out, the beginning of the end. To my mind, there is no hopeful future in SA without electricity, inverter or no inverter.

I am not writing this to preach at anyone, I am externally processing what I am feeling - with you, and with God.

The reason for my natural optimism about South Africa is because our history is peppered with miracles. The most indelible moment which epitomizes the miracle of South Africa for me is the moment when Nelson Mandela appeared at the 95 world cup finals and shared in the victory of the Springbok team wearing the green and gold.

So often, the almost inevitable impeding doom facing us just never materialized, inexplicably. So will God hear our prayers again and turn the lights back on? Will the miracle-nation dodge another bullet? I don’t know. I pray that we will. At the same time, I have a moment to reflect.

Why do I choose to live in this country? There is a good answer to this question, but there is also a weak answer that will not endure the tests.  

The wrong reason to live in SA

I love living in South Africa. South Africa is an easy country for me to love, especially when you have visited around the world a bit. It’s always a joy to come back home, warts and all.

When thinking about the massive challenges we face as a nation, it’s tempting to down-play all the risks and dangers and take a ‘glass half-full’ approach, resort to cheap platitudes like: ‘Yes we have our problems, but every country has its challenges’, ‘Yes the crime-rate is high in SA, but there’s crime wherever you go in the world’, ‘Yes the energy crisis seems to be getting worse, but at least I’m off the grid now, so I'll be ok’.

There is nothing wrong with having a positive attitude, or loving South Africa. I guess the question is, though, Why do I choose to live here? If the primary reason I choose to live in South Africa is because I like it here, because I prefer this place to other places, that is the wrong reason.

The right reason

As a follower of Christ, I am obedient to his voice, I go where he sends me, I live where he tells me. This is the crux.

The energy crisis is a reality check. Where I have subconsciously been allowing my personal preferences to dictate where I live, the unpleasantness is forcing me to examine my motives. Level 2 was inconvenient; level 6 is untenable.

When there is poo lapping in the waves of my favorite beach, when I can’t get things done because local service providers are ‘Closed for loadshedding’, when small businesses go under because they can’t afford to ‘go off the grid’, when my international business partners want to switch service providers because I’m always ‘Waiting for the power to come back on’, when the down-turn of the economy inhibits my standard of living, when I can't get to work because the traffic lights are off, all of the day-to-day frustrations catch-up with me and I am forced to see through the platitudes. My bubble is burst. I can no longer retreat to my refuge of ‘Ya it is inconvenient but at least I’ll be ok.’

I’m grateful for the ‘South African miracle’ but what if God didn’t? What if he doesn’t? Will I still choose to live where God places me, or will I go where I can enjoy a better standard of living and be comfortable?

What is really in my heart?

Submission to Christ is not really a reality until he asks me to do something I don’t want to do. Up until this point, there have been more ‘pros’ to living in SA for me than ‘cons’. That may change soon. Then what will I do? Will I obey God’s will for my life or will I move somewhere more comfortable and justify my decision with spiritual-sounding language?

That maybe doesn’t sound like such a big deal, but actually it is.

Jesus said to those who want to be his disciples, ‘Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me.’

Church history tells us that the early disciples cast lots for which nation they would take the Gospel to. Paul went to Jerusalem despite being told in prophecy that he would be arrested if he went back there. Jesus returned to Jerusalem despite knowing that they would crucify him there.

Jesus said, ‘Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and I will provide you with everything you need.’ If we are not following God’s will for our lives, are we truly his disciples? No, we are not. No, I am not. And if I am following God's will, he says that he will provide for me, so I need not worry.

As I contemplate a rather different looking future in SA, I wrestle with my heart. I have fears. I have anger. I am looking for the exits. I feel the Spirit draw me back to the way of Christ. I choose faith not fear. I choose grace not bitterness. I turn my face toward Christ not escape. And yes, I pray for another South African miracle. But even if he doesn’t, I will follow Christ wherever he leads me.

What does it mean to 'love this World' rather than God? [VLOG]

As a pastor, we often get burdened for people as they go through life's tests, especially when they are failing the tests. Often times they don't even know they are going through a test, let alone failing it!

There is no doubt that the current crisis is testing and shaking people, the question is - what are we being tested on and how can I pass?! As I engage with people I could summarize one of the biggest tests that people are facing with this verse -

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you…" (1 John 2:15,16)

What does it mean to be ‘in love with the World’? If we keep reading in the same text, it goes on to say - “the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions."

1. Too attached to the pleasures and comforts of this life

To be in love with the World means to be too attached to the pleasures and comforts of this life. 

What does this mean? Well, when you chose to follow Christ, the price that he asked from us in order to be his disciple is that we would no longer live for comfort and convenience in this life. Instead he has called us to live to serve him, and in this way we would store up treasures to enjoy in heaven.

Jesus promised to give us what we need as we advance his kingdom, he did not promise us comfort and luxury.

Our culture tells us the complete opposite, it tells me ‘you deserve the best':

You deserve to have a job that you love

You deserve to live out your full potential

You deserve to be married to the girl of your dreams

Deserve to have a beautiful child

How do I know if I am ‘in love with the World’?

So how do we know if we are in love with the World? Well the testings and trials will reveal what is in our hearts. In this crisis we are being stripped of our creature comforts and denied the things that we feel we ‘deserve’.

The current crisis will reveal what you truly value most? These are the kind of reactions which reveal what is in our hearts:

•  I get angry/frustrated with God when I don’t get what I 'deserve’
•  I turn to entertainment and neglect those times when God's family ‘gathers’
•  I waste time with silly things and neglect my time with God
•  I am self-absorbed instead of showing concern for others who are struggling

2. Controlled by physical cravings 

The text we read earlier described worldliness as having “a craving for physical pleasure”. But as Christian's we are not to be controlled by our physical impulses. Instead we exercise self-control which means:

Sexual purity - we keep ourselves for our marriage partner

We don’t abuse our bodies through gluttony, getting drunk or smoking

We don’t fill our minds with what is evil; we are careful with what we watch.

What should we do?

If you are feeling like you are failing this test and you are in love with the World rather than God, here is what I would leave with you - Don’t forget what it truly means to be a Christian. Paul sums up the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Christ with these beautiful words, 

“everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.”(Phil 3:8,9)

Myth-busting: What must I do to go to heaven? (according to the Bible)

Myth #1: Hell is for really wicked people like Hitler and serial-killers, everyone else goes to heaven.

Truth: We all default toward being enemies of God because of a rebellious disposition in our hearts.

The good news is that we all have the opportunity to be reconciled with God through the sacrifice which Jesus made on the cross.

Scripture: “You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” (Col 1:21,22)

Myth #2: If my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds, I should be fine.

Truth: In the history of humanity, no one has ever measured up to the standard of God’s righteousness.

This is why Jesus had to die on the cross – to repay the debt of our sins, which we could never repay on our own.

Scripture: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Rom 3:23,24)

Myth #3: It doesn’t really matter what you believe because all religions essentially teach the same thing.

Truth: There is only one correct answer to the question of – What must I do to be right with God?

It sounds friendly and inclusive to say that all religions answer this question the same way, but this ignores the obvious fact that they do not. Forgiveness of sins is not possible without the sacrifice of Jesus.

Scripture: “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”” (John 14:6)

Myth #4: I consider myself to be a Christian, and Christians go to heaven.

Truth: In order to be saved you must be born again.

God forgives us our sins and transforms us from the inside out when we put our faith in Christ. Ultimately we know we have been born again when we see this transformation in our hearts and in our actions.

Scripture: “Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."” (John 3:3)

In Summary:

Acknowledge – Don’t try and convince yourself, God or others that you are ‘good enough’ to deserve to go to heaven. Rather confess your sinfulness to God. Ask for his mercy. Hell is what you and I deserve for our sins but God is merciful if we own up to our sin.

Believe – “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever would believe in him would not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Don’t trust in your own abilities, trust in the Saviour whom God provided.

Continue – It is the one who endures until the end that will be saved. Salvation is not a ‘ticket to heaven’ that you get by saying a magical prayer. God has called you into a relationship with Him which you must walk all the days of your life. You will need to be in a healthy church community in which all are committed to growing in faith and holiness because the journey will get hard. You will be tempted away from what is right. Your faith will be tested.

There is a lot of fake Christianity out there, but only what is genuine will last. To be a real Christian is hard but it is rewarding. I agree with Paul:

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:8)

Homeopathy and Essential Oils

In recent times there has been a massive upsurge in the alternative health scene which has presented many dilemmas for Christians who would like to explore alternative health options but at the same time are wanting to avoid anything mixed up with false religions. I’d like to divulge some of my own findings as I have looked into these questions and hopefully provide a bit of guidance to this minefield.

Homeopathy

I’ll begin with Homeopathy because clarifying what this is will also help to bring clarity in our discussion later.

Christians need to have their definitions clear regarding the various ‘path-ies’, and this one in particular must not be mistaken for ‘alternative herbal health’. It is alternative herbal health but there is a whole lot more to it than that.

Homeopathy is simply psychic healing - one of the many strands of eastern New Age occultism. The father of homeopathic ‘medicine’ is Samuel Hahnemann. He wrote the ‘Bible’ on Homeopathy called the Organon of Medicine. Both the author and his ‘Bible’ are regarded by Homeopathic practitioners as divinely inspired. Although homeopathy uses medical sounding language, it is only pseudo-science that is masking what is essentially a faith-based belief system.

For a Christian to consult with a homeopath is to do what is forbidden in Leviticus 19:31, "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them."

The natural question which springs from this then is – ‘Is it sinful to use homeopathic remedies?’

Homeopathic remedies

This question is reminiscent of the question Paul addressed in his letter to the Corinthians regarding meat that had been sacrificed to idols. There is nothing wrong with meat per se, but for those that offer it up to idols it takes on a spiritual significance. In the same way, there may be nothing evil with homeopathic remedies per se, yet for homeopathic practitioners it does take on a mystical healing quality.

Paul’s advice on this to the Corinthians was to follow your own conscience. If you cannot take the meat (or in this case the homeopathic medicine) in faith, do not partake in it.

On a less spiritual note, you will find that homeopathic ‘remedies’ are based upon ridiculous pseudo-scientific beliefs which render their potions to be nothing more than expensive water.

Homeopathic remedies operate on the patently unscientific principle that the more you dilute the remedy, the more potent it becomes. Dilution is a key part of the homeopathic preparation. The most commonly used ratio for dilution is 1:10⁶⁰! So whatever healing properties the remedy may have had before the preparation, after this kind of dilution it is nothing more than ‘holy water’.

Homeopathic language

It is important to highlight commonly used language in homeopathy because it has broader usage in the alternative health scene and the language usage should alert Christians to a faith-based system that is not reliant upon the Holy Spirt but on other spirits instead.

The New Age eastern religions have as a common theme their belief that there is a ‘cosmic energy’ which permeates all of creation. This cosmic energy is a god-like force in nature. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘vital force’ or ‘vital principle’. At other times it is referred to as ‘vibrations’ or ‘good energy’.

According to this thinking, when a person is ill it is because there is something disordered in their ‘energy field’. The healing property in the remedy is therefore more to do with the ‘energy field’ of the concoction than any healing properties in the ingredients themselves.

Whenever the packaging of a particular remedy refers to healing ‘mind, body and soul’ or anything to do with your spirit, we Christians need to be alerted to fact that there is a spiritual dynamic being invoked. Only the Holy Spirit can bring healing to the mind, body and soul.

Essential oils

What distinguishes essential oils from homeopathic remedies is the fact that they are not diluted into nothingness in the way that I described earlier. The oil is prepared in such a way that it retains the concentrated ingredients of the plant which it was taken from.

This opens up the possibility that if the plant has medicinal properties, and those medicinal properties have been concentrated in the oil, the oil might have medicinal value if it is applied correctly.

Having said that, there is a lot for a Christian to consider when using essential oils. The world of ‘alternative health-care’ very quickly gets caught up into the realm of Eastern religious thought and practice and so we need to have our wits about us. Here are some important considerations:

Pseudo-science + religious beliefs

As Christians we believe that God has placed good things in creation that can be beneficial for our health. Therefore, we can study nature in order to discover things that will help us. All medicine comes from ingredients found in creation that have health benefits.

Unfortunately, many alternative health remedies are founded upon the unbiblical premise that ingredients from creation have divine, mystical powers to heal because God is in everything. Certain natural elements are then thought to have mystical healing properties because of their ‘good energy’ without any basis in scientific principle.

You may have noticed certain essential oils are reported to heal everything from anxiety to asthma. This is because the New Age religion believes that the Cosmic Energy affects every area of your life, including relational, financial and physical wellbeing.  ‘Good energies’ in certain natural ingredients can therefore ‘heal’ all manner of unrelated aspects of life.

In much of the language found on packaging, there is a curious mix of Eastern religious beliefs and scientific-sounding language. Here is an example regarding oils and crystals:

“Crystals also give off energy- but because of their crystalline structure, their energy is constant -not changing like ours. Because of this, they can help us rebalance our own energies.”[1]

If/when we use natural remedies we must not be influenced regarding how we think about the healing properties found in plants. God has given us good gifts, including plants with medicinal benefits, but nature is not divine nor does nature have mystical healing energies.

Lack of accountability

In the US, essential oils are not allowed to advertise themselves as medicines. They are categorized as ‘food supplements’ and are not governed by the same regulatory board that governs medicine. The packaging is not permitted to state that the oils are “intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”[2]

Unfortunately many eager proponents of essential oils speak about them as though they were some new miracle cure, but this is highly problematic considering that they are not tested for effectiveness in clinical trials or for safety in the same way that normal medicines are.

When a product is touted to be a cure for an illness but that product is not classified as a medicine, and when manufacturers are not held accountable in the same way that regular medicine producers are it removes all reasonable accountability.

To make rave claims about the medical benefits of a product before the long-term effectiveness and safety of the remedy has been medically verified is irresponsible and yet this often happens with essential oils.

Effectiveness

The perceived effectiveness of many essential oils is based mostly on testimonials from those who use it. The scientific research done is very inconclusive[3]. One complicating factor in assessing their effectiveness is the placebo effect – if you use a product after many rave reviews from friends you may experience benefits purely as a psychosomatic effect.

Because these products are not prescribed or regulated by a medical professional there is also the risk of harmful side-effects. Some of their harmful side-effects are widely known, others are still being discovered.

The ‘miracle cure’

As with many alternative health products, essential oils have developed something of a ‘cult following’. This is where Christians must be very careful because it reveals where our faith is at.

When we become disillusioned with ‘orthodox’ medicine and doctors we must remind ourselves that our faith is not in doctors in the first place. While God may use medicine to heal us, God is our healer and he is the only miracle worker.

Unfortunately, what some people do when they become disillusioned with orthodox medicine is that they turn to alternative medicine looking for a miracle there. But this is simply replacing one idol with another, instead, we should examine our faith and place it firmly back on Christ.

Pyramid schemes

Essential oils are big business. One of the ways in which sales are made is through ‘multi-level-marketing’[4] which simply means that ordinary moms can become distributors from home.

The way that some essential oil sales are structured is that you make money from sales and even more money by recruiting others to becomes salesmen and getting commission from their sales.

Distributors are then encouraged to take make use of their social circles as potential sales opportunities. Social media inevitably becomes a big part of advertising to social networks.

As Christians we would be well-advised to be cautious about becoming distributors who use our social networks in church to peddle these products.

Anti-Western sentiments

‘Alternative medicine’ often fosters an unhealthy cynicism toward Western thought and particularly Western medicine.

There is cause for scepticism of ‘big Pharma’ and its inherently money-driven agenda with its history of sometimes neglecting the best interests of the sick to generate more income. But this scepticism should not be exaggerated to the point of paranoia.

We must be aware that Eastern medicine and its practitioners have their own agenda in fostering anti-Western ideas which are based on their antagonism toward the Judeo-Christian foundations of Western thinking, and therefore modern medicine.

Last thoughts

Herbal remedies are not evil, which is why I have taken care not to demonize anything presenting itself as ‘alternative health’. Having said that, I do discern some unhealthy signs coming from the contemporary alternative health scene which I have tried to highlight in this article. Christians are not immune to these dangers and so we must make sure that we are aware of them and that we shine something different to the world.

References:

https://www.homeopathyschool.com/the-school/editorial/the-organon/

http://logosresourcepages.org/NewAge/na-med.htm

H. J. Bopp, Homeopathy, Down, North Ireland: Word of Life Publications, 1984

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2015/06/a-doctors-take-on-essential-oils

https://time.com/4413812/aromatherapy-essential-oils-tea-tree/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/09/how-essential-oils-became-the-cure-for-our-age-of-anxiety

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[1] https://whimsy-and-wellness.myshopify.com/blogs/whimsy-wellness/crystals-oils

[2] https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2015/06/a-doctors-take-on-essential-oils

[3] https://time.com/4413812/aromatherapy-essential-oils-tea-tree/

[4] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/09/how-essential-oils-became-the-cure-for-our-age-of-anxiety

Legislating Evil: Killing Babies and Old People

Imagine you had to pick up the newspaper today and the headline shouted, 

"Government Gives Go Ahead to Terminate Elderly Dependents

In a surprising development, government has announced a radical new plan to rejuvenate the economy in South Africa. Government has come to the decision that all elderly people past the age of retirement who are dependent upon the state or family will be phased out of the system through the systematic introduction of involuntary euthanasia.

In recent years, multiple independent studies have highlighted the economic burden that the elderly place on younger generations. One government official was quoted as saying, “Old people drain vital resources from our already strained communities without giving anything back. The time has come to put an end to this unsustainable societal burden.”

The new legislation will pave the way for the wholesale termination of all elderly dependents. As these elderly dependents are no longer able to sustain themselves financially, their right to life will pass to those who have become financially responsible for their upkeep.”

Legislating Evil

Would you vote for a government which promoted such a law? If a law like this had to be announced today there would be pandemonium. It would be such an unthinkable evil that even to suggest such a thing would be absolutely ludicrous, right? But is there a difference between legislating the termination of elderly dependents and legislating the termination of unborn children? Does the fact that unborn babies “drain vital resources from our already strained communities without giving anything back” make murdering them a viable solution?

The murder of millions of unborn babies is without question the greatest tragedy that has ever happened in South Africa. It’s worse than civil war, worse than any genocide, worse than the homicide rate in our violent cities. It's easy to forget this fact when we go to the polling stations. The murder of unborn babies has become a non-issue on the campaign trail for some reason. Is service delivery more important than this modern day slaughter of innocents?

As Christians is there anything that we can do to put a stop to this madness? If there were something I could do, I would do it. The only thing I know of that is powerful enough to cure the madness in our heads is a person – Jesus. So I keep preaching Jesus and I see the world changing. But one thing I would never, could never, cannot even conceive of doing, is voting for a party that actually promotes the legislation that allows for such a monstrous evil.

The Role of Rationality

In a courtroom, two lawyers present evidence to the judge and attempt to persuade the judge that their argument is the most convincing one. When the judge makes his verdict he makes it based upon the strength of the case that has been made, but does the judge’s verdict determine what is true? Why is it that the very best lawyers win more cases? Is it because they represent truth more often or is it because they are more persuasive in arguing their case?

I often witness people ‘making their case’ on social media platforms and the jury decides on their ‘verdict’ by the number of likes attributed to each comment. And this is sometimes on crucial issues of doctrine! In the kingdom of God, God has not determined that my rational capabilities be the final verdict on truth. Let me explain.

Although Paul planted the church at Corinth, after a time he found himself defending his ministry there. The accusation made against him was that “his bodily presence [was] weak, and his speech of no account.” (2 Cor 10:10) What had happened was that after he had left, some other speakers had come around who were very accomplished sophists of that culture; a Greek culture that delighted in artful rhetoric and a sculpted physique. These men came with flowery, wise-sounding sermons that sounded like the righteousness of God (2 Cor 11:15) but they were actually preaching another Gospel entirely.

What a sobering thought - that the mighty Paul, a man unparalleled in spiritual stature who has left us with a huge portion of our cherished New Testament, should find himself desperately trying to win back an audience with the young Corinthian church. Paul’s message should have been received on the basis of who he was. After all, as Paul mentions in his first letter, “Though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (1 Cor 4:15) Not only was Paul a father in this church, he was an apostle who had been approved by the Twelve in Jerusalem. Surely this should have been enough to win him the respect of the Corinthian church!

In the kingdom of God there is this simple yet profound principle - Who the speaker is determines what authority their words carry. This is an incredibly important kingdom truth which often gets lost in our ‘Comment section culture’. Our natural tendency is to judge the words that a person speaks in order to determine our estimation of the speaker.

A quick review of Scripture will reveal how often this principle is demonstrated. When Moses was sent with a message for Israel he was given signs to perform to confirm that he had been sent as a prophet of I Am. (Ex 4:1-3). The testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus was weighty because the people recognized him as a prophet. (Mat 21:26). When his audience would not believe him on account of his words, Jesus himself appealed to who he was, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” (Mat 14:11) In every instance, it was not their words which caused them to be received as a messenger of God, it was the clear call of God on the man that made their words to be received.

We live in an age which has experienced a radical democratization of information; anyone can be a contributor. Popular pod-casters and bloggers garner a following sometimes in the thousands. What affect has this had on the way in which we receive information? How do we determine how much weight to attribute to an opinion piece? Almost inevitably we default to judging what we hear by the following criterion – Does this information sound reasonable and compelling to me?

Now a good Christian might respond and say, “I weigh everything that I hear by the Word of God.” Granted, this may be true, but then you would still have to say - “According to my knowledge of Scripture, the speaker’s words sounded reasonable and compelling.” So is there anything wrong with this?

Let’s revert back to the way in which Jesus was received; did the Pharisees weigh up the words of Christ by the measure of the Scriptures? Yes, they did. In fact it was because they perceived Jesus as a transgressor of the law that they ultimately rejected him as their messiah! What is the lesson to learn here? Although Scripture is a reliable yardstick to measure words by, our hearts and our minds are inseparably involved in the process and they have been corrupted by sin.

As a culture we have lost faith in institutions. We have lost faith in authority. We are circumspect around those who speak with boldness and conviction. We have been taught to value critical thinking above all else. We are a deeply cynical generation. We feel we have been lied to by the media, sold out by the government and disappointed by the church. So what is there left to put our trust in? When the chips are down, the only thing I really trust is my own judgement. I frequently find that many Christians even trust their own judgement over what the Bible says (after all, wasn’t the Bible written by fallible men?)

But is it sensible for me to trust my own judgement so deeply? The Bible teaches that as a result of our sinfulness, God “gave us over” to a “corrupt mind” (Rom 1:28). Which is why we are exhorted to keep renewing our minds in order to discern God’s will (Rom 12:2). We may find authority deeply untrustworthy but the Bible says the thing which is more deceptive than anything in the whole world is our own hearts! (Jer 17:9) Do we really believe what God says about how untrustworthy our faculties for critical reasoning are?

So if my subjective rationality cannot be trusted, how can I determine what is essentially true?

First of all, we read that,

“Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature... Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Eph 4:11-14)

These Ephesians 4 gifts given by Christ should not be self appointed ministers! (Acts 13:1-3) There should be a witness by the Holy Spirit and the church before ministers are set apart for these important callings.

Secondly, from time to time the church will need to call its leaders together to meet as a council to decide on important issues of doctrine (Acts 15:28-29). In order to do this, churches need government by a collective of men, not a pope-like figure who makes doctrinal decisions based upon his own inclinations.

Thirdly, we all have a responsibility to study the word of God and to allow ourselves to be transformed by it in order to be able to recognize what is true and what is false (2 Tim 2:15, Eph 6:14, Acts 17:11).

Fourthly, we have a responsibility to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be sensitive to his voice as he bears witness to the truth. (John 16:13)

Fifthly, we need to teach one another according to the word of God as saints (Col 3:16) which requires great humility and a communal lifestyle.

By abandoning any of these God-given checks and balances, we make ourselves vulnerable to deception. What is crucial is that all of our safety lies in the relationships that we have within the church.

So often we judge a message based upon our judgement of the words alone, but Jesus said,

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Mat 7:15,16)

How can we tell if a man has a godly life? It is only if he is personally known within the partnership of churches that we are linked into. If a man has a hugely influential online ministry, how will I put these words of Christ into practice if all I know about him is from his Facebook profile?

Think of it this way, if your loving father had to say, “Here take this candyfloss, its fine for you to eat.” How would this compare with the same words from the lips of a strange man that just walked up to you on the street? Would you eat it? You cannot determine the truth of what someone says by their words alone; who the speaker is determines what authority their words carry in your life.

So how would Paul fare in today’s culture? His physical appearance wouldn’t be much for the cameras to zoom in on and his sermons wouldn’t match up to the listening pleasure of other big name Bible teachers. Chances are his voice would be drowned out by the buzz of a thousand other more click-worthy voices. What a tragedy!

So whose podcast do you prefer – that of the godly man or that of the eloquent man? How do you judge a message for truth? Are you taken in by titles? Did Peter have a Phd? Have we gone back to the Garden where each individual relies upon their rationality to determine good from evil? I would contend that we have. We need to get back to relational Christianity where teachers are known by us and chosen and approved by God.  We need to get back to the kingdom principle that who the speaker is carries more weight with me than whether I like what they are saying or they have ten thousand followers on twitter.

What Makes a Man Marriage Material?

We live in an era in which godly masculinity and femininity have been undermined so much that many people are left wondering what to look for in a potential spouse. More than that, maybe you have had bad examples of marriage in your life and these experiences have left scars. What does a godly marriage even look like anyway? All these issues can make choosing a marriage partner a rather daunting prospect.

When considering a potential partner there are so many things we think about – Are our personalities compatible? Do we have common interests? Do we have chemistry? Are our career paths compatible with each other? With so many factors to consider, it is easy to lose perspective of the most important considerations and we can end up making crucial decisions rather haphazardly. So if we have a healthy, godly marriage as an end goal, what are the most important characteristics to look for in a potential husband?

A passionate worshipper of God

There are many people who go by the title of “Christian” but a genuine God-worshipper is easy to spot. How can they be identified? Well, how do you tell when a man is passionate about rugby or surfing or anything else? They enjoy it, they talk about it, they prioritize it. They bubble over with their passion for it. When it comes to marriage, you want a guy who’s biggest passion is Christ and his kingdom. There could be nothing more painful, nothing more pathetic than being married to a guy who is constantly pursuing meaningless, trivial things, and going down one rabbit-trail after the next. Guys tend to get what they go after. If it’s God he’s after, he’s a keeper.

A good leader

Probably one of the most fundamentally important aspects implicit in the question 'What makes a man marriage material?' has to do with the role of a husband within marriage. If a man's responsibility is to bring a Christ-centered vision to his family and to lead his wife into that vision (and it is), then his ability to lead well is absolutely crucial. 

But how can you tell if he is a good leader? To answer that question ask another question, ‘Does he lead himself well?’ Does his life have direction and purpose, or does he always seem to be on another tangent? Does he pursue the things of Christ consistently or does he blow hot and cold? Does he make a lot of excuses for why he is not doing the things which he knows he really should be? Does he keep changing jobs? Does he have a job? Would you describe him as a man who takes responsibility for the things he cherishes most? If every person in your church walked out their faith like he did, would your church be a healthy church?

A man under authority

This relates to the previous point. If he is going to lead you, who is leading him? To be in authority but not accountable to any man is a very dangerous thing. One of God’s safety measures against abuse of authority is accountability to a higher authority. Men have a tendency toward independence and kicking against authority which they need to wrestle with and overcome. Don’t marry a maverick! There is safety in healthy community and genuine accountability. If these things are not being lived out in his life then he cannot be a safe place for you.

A teachable man

It takes a community to make a healthy marriage. If you both try and ‘figure marriage out” on your own you will have many painful years of banging heads. It is as we grow into the image of Christ as individuals that our marriage gets more and more healthy and peaceful. The minute we stop growing in maturity as individuals is the moment our marriage will stagnate. But in order to grow we need to be humble and willing to learn. We need to accept when people point out our faults and learn from our mistakes. Learning and growing requires that I be humble and teachable. An arrogant and obstinate husband will cause you untold heartache and pain. So, how does he respond when he gets corrected?

A kind man

This may seem like an arbitrary point but I make it because men don’t naturally tend toward kindness and gentleness the way that women often do. If he is gentle and kind he has probably been spending time with Jesus. This is doubly important because a man who is harsh and impatient can be very intimidating and destructive for a woman in a marriage relationship.

As a man myself I confess that I do not embody all of these qualities all of the time! But I strive to be this kind of man and I am growing in these qualities more and more. I’m not the man I want to be but I’m definitely not the man that I used to be! There are times when I fail and I do things and say things which are irresponsible, rebellious, prideful, selfish and unkind. Having said that, this is not the general pattern of my life. I think it is important to make this distinction. The most you can trust for in a marriage partner is someone who is growing in the right direction. Someone who is demonstrably committed to the process of being transformed into the image of Christ.  A man who is marriage material is not a man who never fails but a main who has properly surrendered to Christ in these areas and has proven himself to be trustworthy over time