Insights

2014 RESOLUTION: TO THINK MORE CRITICALLY

2014 Resolution: To Think More Critically

January 5, 2014 |
Rev. Clinton Chisholm|

What is it about a new year that prompts us to make resolutions? What grounds  justifies this annual pastime beyond empty traditionalism and wishful thinking? Just think about it, what really makes the last day of 2013 drastically different from the 1st day of 2014 to warrant resolutions? Try making sense of the difference between any two successive days beyond our conventional name change and day-related routines without mumbling “well, aahm, you see, I, I, my, my…” The future is uncertain and puzzling and each of us is largely unpredictable in terms of behavior. Desire is not the same as ability to perform so what’s the real value of new year’s resolution as opposed to any other day’s resolutions? One thing I would hope we all resolve to do for life is to think about issues more critically, that is to apply the basic principles of logic in any argument…    read more 

OBJECTIVE MORALITY: NATURE & NECESSITY

Objective Morality: Nature & Necessity

August 19, 2013 |
Rev. Clinton Chisholm|

Is there any such thing as objective morality or is everyone free to just set and follow personal moral standards? If there is no objective morality why should habitual liars or anyone for that matter, be expected to speak the truth, always or even almost always? If the rightness or wrongness of acts, motives/attitudes depend on how individuals feel then morality is hopelessly subjective and everyone has a right to do as one pleases. Objective morality rescues us from this dilemma. But what is meant by objective morality? The ‘objective’ in objective morality simply means independent of any particular person’s feelings and value judgments on the moral issue in question. As Philosopher Paul Copan says “…morality is objective in that it isn’t a function of individual or cultural preferences, opinions, or responses. Morality is objective in that it is recognized and discovered rather than invented by humans.” (“True for you…    read more 

A Biblical Definition of Wisdom

A Biblical Definition of Wisdom

March 29, 2013 |
Godserv Designs|

A Biblical Definition of Wisdom by Hervin Green – Proverbs 9:10 declares that, “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”, that is a biblical definition of wisdom. How has this definition of wisdom compared with the definition of wisdom among your circle of friends? As a believer, is Proverbs 9:10 your definition of wisdom? If so how has it helped you in your decision making?

Faith Defined and Defended

Faith Defined and Defended

March 24, 2013 |
Rev. Clinton Chisholm|

It may be rebutted but it cannot be refuted that no one can live and no academic discipline can operate without faith, properly defined! Faith, like its twin sister hope, is fragile but is a fundamentum in life, by that I mean it is absolutely foundational to life. So you ask me what then is faith in my book? As I have argued in lecture theatres and urged in sermons, faith is belief, based on but slightly in excess of evidence. Hope, if you must know, is confident assurance about the ‘not yet’. Those who are familiar with Hebrews 11.1 may be wondering about the nature of my definition. For those who lack familiarity with the Bible I’ll quote that text then explain the difference between it and my approach to faith. Heb. 11:1, from the New Revised Standard Version reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,…    read more 

The Herods in Scripture

The Herods in Scripture

December 29, 2012 |
Rev. Clinton Chisholm|

Ancient books are not always, if ever, easy to read properly, unless one can find helpful background information. The Herods in the New Testament are not clearly differentiated, so we read about King Herod in Mt. 2:1(re the nativity of Jesus) then there is a King Herod in Mk. 6:18 (the one whom John rebuked for marrying his brother’s wife) and there is yet another King Herod in Acts 12:1-2(who had James the brother of John killed). Same guy? No. The King Herod of the nativity accounts was King Herod the Great, that master-builder who was appointed puppet King of the Jews in 40 BC and who ruled as King of Judea from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC. When Herod the Great died in 4 BC the territories under his jurisdiction were divided among his sons. So [Herod] Archelaus (called ‘Herod the Ethnarch’ on his coins) ruled…    read more 

MY FAITH

My Faith

November 8, 2012 |
van der Hoeven|

My faith is too big for fear. I’ve seen you move the mountains, I have only to glance behind to see all you’ve done for me. I’ve tasted and seen that you are good and your love for me endures, never lessens and is gloriously strong. The gripping darkness around has all become a flood of sweet light. Yet I have lost my tongue and my ears are deaf from the noise of you. I cannot taste the succulence of your gentle breath, your melodic and lovely whispers calling me to stand and fight are falling on a deaf ear which longs to hear and come alive. My soul sings a happy song at the mouth of the caves of complacency where inside my name has been scribbled time and time again. My cup is overflowing but I’m drowning in its excess. Oh to return to the mountain side where I fell, where all was darkness and…    read more 

LETTING GO – PART 2

Letting Go – Part 2

October 31, 2012 |
001FJ|

There are reasons why I chose to analyse her experience with the man she loved, rather than analyse my own experience with her: 1) I was very familiar with her. When she did something I already knew what motivated her. When she said something, I knew what she really meant and wanted to communicate. I knew her better than she knew herself. I knew how she was before her rejection experience with that man, and how she became afterwards. 2) I am not better than her. Whatever she went through I knew that I was going to go through the same thing. I am just a human as she is, so I knew “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) 3) Often times our own experience are too painful at the time for us to analyse them logically, and often times the strong emotions…    read more 

LETTING GO – PART 1

Letting Go – Part 1

October 24, 2012 |
001FJ|

Growing up I did not have much of a social life (for a variety of reasons) so I did not form many experiences in regard to dealing with people, deep friendships, and relationships. I had a lot of friends but I did not get close to anybody so I did not experience the ins and outs of relationships and friendships. As I got into my teens I started forming my own ideas about life–what is right and wrong, and how things should be done—because I needed some type of guidance in life. My mother used to always tell me that I have to learn from life, but I found myself constantly frustrated by what little I learned from experiences and my ideas about life. Not because I learned little but because I, as a person, changed constantly and so my ideas changed too and they changed quite quickly! This made…    read more 

Prayer

Our Prayer Life is Our Christian Life

October 16, 2012 |
001FJ|

  Why do we watch YouTube videos? Why do we spend so much time on Facebook and Flickr? Why do we read so many Wikipedia articles? Why do we play our favorite sports and watch our favorite TV shows? Why do we talk to our friends on the phone? Why do we chat? Why do we work? Why do we go shopping? The answer to these questions is either because ‘we want to’ and/or ‘we love to.’ Why do we work? Maybe it’s not because we enjoy our work but because we want to work: we want to make money, and we want to have a career, and we want to have a promotion, and we don’t want to sit home all day long. Why do we play sports? Because we enjoy playing them, we enjoy competing, and we enjoy to spending time with our friends. And we want to be in shape! If…    read more 

Education and MARRIAGE

Education and Marriage Part 3

June 25, 2012 |
Legion of Skills|

Recently I went to a wedding and after the wedding my aunt asked me what I was looking for in a wife and I told her, “About four things”, without being specific. She laughed and said, “Only 4 things! I was looking for 40 things!” I am not concerned with my future wife’s education, body type, hair or eye colour, skin colour, ethnic background, or family history. I am not saying physical attraction is not important, it is important because God created us all with different looks and different preferences. And those different preferences help us make decisions; imagine how difficult life would be if you liked all things the same way! But what I am really interested in are: -Her mind: how she thinks; her wisdom; submitting her thoughts to the Lord by making His thoughts her thoughts; rejecting evil thoughts. -Her heart (and I don’t mean that blood…    read more 

education and marriage

Education and Marriage Part 2

June 14, 2012 |
001FJ|

Education is just knowledge you acquire to be able to practice a certain profession–it is nothing more and nothing less. It does not make you godlier, it does not make you love the Lord or others more, it does not make you more understanding or forgiving—it simply does not change your character to be more like Christ. The Holy Spirit is the only person who can change your character to the likeness of Christ’s character. He may use your education experience as a tool to change you, but education itself had not changed you—the Holy Spirit did. Education does not even have an eternal value unless you use it to glorify God. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Of course, you cannot choose a career that is by definition dishonouring the…    read more 

education and marriage

Education and Marriage Part 1

May 23, 2012 |
001FJ|

Growing in a Middle Eastern culture I was often compared with other men based on height (and I am relatively short), looks (and I am an average looking Middle Eastern man), education (and I was a general labourer/forklift driver for 4 years), wealth (and I come from a middle class family and I earned minimum wages). Because of this throughout all my life I have always wanted my wife to love me for who I am: my God-given personality and talents, my continuously conforming character to being Christ-like, faith and relationship with the Lord, and my love and commitment to her. This desire to find a woman who loves me for who I am scared me from getting education early in my life (that is, right after graduating from high school) because I was always told, “Fadi, get a good education so when you want to get married the woman…    read more 

Hypocritical Christian Part 2

April 17, 2012 |
001FJ|

There is something else I thought about the other day while walking to work. For years I prayed and cried for something I wanted God to do. But God in His infinite love and wisdom did not give me what I had asked for! If He did allow it to happen then I would have been absolutely miserable for the rest of my life! And you know what? Five years later while I was talking to Him about it I realized He did it because He loved me, and I thanked Him! Five years later I thanked Him! You know, if a stranger holds a public door for me for 2 seconds then I would thank him whole heartedly and without hesitation, yet I waited five years to thank my Savior and Heavenly Father for freeing me from an absolutely miserable life! This is a perfect example of the idolatry…    read more 

Christian Hypocrite Part 1

April 10, 2012 |
001FJ|

At the Jesus in the City parade I decided to take a shortcut: instead of going with the parade around the many downtown city blocks, I decided to take a shortcut and meet the floats on the way back. As I walked through the shortcut I got a bit tired and thirsty so I bought a cool drink. It was a sunny and hot afternoon so soon I was thirsty again and the sweat on my forehead started to bother me. As I reached the end of this shortcut street and met up with the floats of the parade I saw this man who was playing the role of our Lord, Jesus Christ: he was barefoot and wearing minimum clothes under the hot sun. Being tired and annoyed by the heat I immediately thought, “Is he crazy? I would never do that!” Then almost immediately I thought, “Thank God Jesus…    read more 

PERSECUTED FOR HIS NAME PART 2

Persecuted for His Name Part 2

April 2, 2012 |
001FJ|

Christians can be persecuted for not only sharing the truth of Jesus Christ which is rejected by the world, but also for living a holy life. A couple of weeks ago when I wrote about modesty I remembered so many instances when as a child I attended the Roman Catholic church in Iraq where “Christian” women would ridicule a modest woman behind her back saying things such as, “Why is she wearing this? Is she this poor?”, or, “My goodness she has no sense of style!”, or, “She looks so ugly and old wearing this!”, or, “Didn’t she wear this outfit last time?” As the above example shows: often times Christians are persecuted by other “Christians”. My youngest uncle’s wife was born in Egypt to a Christian Coptic Orthodox family. In her second year of medical school she met some born-again youth, and soon after she accepted Jesus Christ as…    read more 

Persecuted for His Name Part 1

Persecuted for His Name Part 1

March 27, 2012 |
001FJ|

For years I wondered, “How does a Christian get persecuted in North America in comparison to other parts of the world like in communist countries or Muslim countries?” When I look at this story of king David dancing I see a godly man persecuted because of his love for God. Persecution does not always express itself through physical pain or death. I will tell you my story: I had a best friend for about 5 years–a Middle Eastern Christian lady—whom I loved dearly. She was, after God, the dearest thing to me (she was definitely more precious to me than my life), and I loved her purely, unconditionally, and sacrificially. I brought her to Christ and she started going to church, and I have no doubt in my mind that her faith is genuine. A couple of years later I fell in love with her. At the time I was…    read more 

Modesty-Your Spiritual Act of Worship Part 4

March 23, 2012 |
001FJ|

When I write I target a very small percentage of Christians. In this writing I am targeting even less–no more than a handful of ladies who are actually seeking to get closer to our Lord, to please Him, to live for Him a holy and blameless life. I am seeking those few ladies who are asking, “What can I do to get closer to Him? What can I do to be more like Him? What can I do to take my faith to the next level.” Let me tell you a story: Few years ago I was working in a warehouse as a general laborer. One day after I finished my lunch I decided to go sit in the warehouse reading my Bible for few minutes before my lunch time is over. So I sat on a box and I opened my Bible and prayed to the Holy Spirit to…    read more 

Modesty-Your Spiritual Act of Worship Part 3

March 13, 2012 |
001FJ|

I am not doubting the sincerity of Christian women’s love for Christ, and so I am not saying that those Christian women who dress immodesty are doing it because they hate Christ. But the Bible does not say we are perishing because our lack of love, no, it says we are perishing because of our lack of knowledge:   “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. ‘Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.’” (Hosea 4:6) Also, when you love someone you have to love that person the way they want and need. For example, if my wife wants to go to a certain restaurant but I take her to the restaurant I like then I have not expressed love toward her. So it is the same with Christ: we…    read more 

Modesty-Your Spiritual Act of Worship Part 2

March 8, 2012 |
001FJ|

Now, here is what I think are some of the reasons immodesty is such a big sensual problem in the church today: 1) I believe, the biggest problem with immodesty is that it is a very well disguised idolatry. Anything that we replace God with to make us feel whole, to fulfill us emotionally, to make us feel wanted and desired, to lift our self-image, to make us reach our goals (such as attracting a husband-to-be), or to make our lives feel complete is an idol. For example, a man does not lust for the sake of lusting: a man lusts because momentary this physically attractive woman makes him feel a satisfaction he hasn’t fulfilled with his relationship to Christ. The same applies to other sins such as getting drunk–nobody gets drunk to make a fool of himself—people get drunk to escape a reality they do not like because they…    read more 

Modesty-Your Spiritual Act of Worship Part 1

March 6, 2012 |
001FJ|

I was so pleased when I saw this group of youth dancing for the Lord on stage at the 2011 Jesus in the City parade in Toronto. I was particularly glad because the dancers were dressed so modestly, and so they looked so beautiful—more beautiful than any lady I have seen in a long while. Sadly, modesty was not the norm at this event: there was a worship group from Ottawa composed of two ladies who were dressed so immodesty that I didn’t photograph them (I didn’t even watch them), because I would’ve been nearly impossible for me as a photographer to edit their photos to make them acceptable with Christianity’s teaching about modesty. There was also another two ladies in the crowd who I avoided standing behind them because they wore such tight pants (both, to avoid temptation and to avoid photographing them), and so you can imagine my…    read more 

I Disagree with Christians

February 29, 2012 |
001FJ|

The Jesus in the City Parade was beautiful; it was beautiful to see so many children of God come together in a public square and have the freedom and right to worship and love their God. But there is something I want to talk about that’s not directly related to this event or this photo. It seems whenever I hear a preacher–whether at church, on radio, or at an event—they all seem to complain about how prayers and scripture reading were taken from public school and how that’s the work of Satan. Well, I disagree with that: first, I don’t think it’s a spiritually bad thing; second, I don’t think it’s the work of Satan—I think it’s the work of God. Here is why I don’t see a problem with that. First, it’s wrong to see Christianity as a state religion. Some preachers say that this country or that country…    read more 

(Summer 2011; Toronto, ON.)

When Your Joy is Complete Part 3

February 27, 2012 |
001FJ|

It is actually a blasphemy to tell people who are not born-again about the commandments of God and expect them to live by them. Because when we do that we are implying that a lost person, with a sinful nature can live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, when a lost person fails to live up to the standards of God then we should not be surprised, because that is exactly the purpose of the commandments: to show a lost person how far off from God’s goal of holiness he is, and how impossible it is for him to attain that goal of holiness by his own efforts. Living by the commandments was never a way to attain forgiveness, and that is why they had to sacrifice blemishless animals in the Old Testament—it has always been by the blood. Let me tell you a little story:…    read more 

When Your Joy is Complete Part 2

February 24, 2012 |
001FJ|

I learn by examples best, so I think the best way to explain what being born-again means is through an example: Let us say you are a cat, and you want to live as a human. So you start your day by trying to wash your face but the sink is too big for you and the faucet was not designed to be turned on by paws. Then you try to make the bed but the bed is so big–because it is a human bed–that there is no way you can do it. Then you try to put on a shirt but shirts were designed for humans so they will not fit you and you cannot button up the shirt with your paws anyway. Even if you succeeded in doing those tasks the fact of the matter is that you are still a cat. You can try to pretend to…    read more 

When Your Joy is Complete Part 1

February 22, 2012 |
001FJ|

Eight years ago I took a sexual purity online course, and it was the best Christian teaching I got. It was a daily online course for two months and I loved every day of it. One thing though I disagree with them is that they said many members who do not follow the precautionary rules (such as: move your computer to an open space in the house, or install Internet filtering software, or acquire an accountability partner, etc) fall back into sin even though they were free from it for a period of time. The problem I have with that statement is that I believe a person is only truly free if he is free on the inside through being set free by the power of the Holy Spirit. I think the best way to explain this topic is by talking about what it means to be born-again and what…    read more 

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