Archives for : Faith

Messiah oratorio

Posted by :Christopher Harper On : 19 May 2010
0

Category: Faith, Revelation

Some of you might be wondering why a common advent song would merit a blog post on a Christian website in May?
[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usfiAsWR4qU[/embedyt]
Well, first of all; it is not an advent song although it is sung before Christmas by many people. At least the most famous movement “Hallelujah” chorus has absolutely nothing to do with a cuddly newborn kid in a manger who loves the whole world unconditionally.

Nope, this portion of the story is about an angry tattooed Man, whose clothes are dipped in blood, riding a white horse. While this ferocious Man is riding to meet the biggest army that this world has ever had, a loud voice calls to the four corners of the earth inviting birds to feast upon the flesh of kings, captains and of mighty men. And what a feast it is; the entire army is annihilated singlehandedly by the tattooed Man. Yep, He is all grown up now, and commands His own army, not that He would need one.

Continue Reading >>

Michael Jackson’s memorial

Posted by :Christopher Harper On : 10 July 2009
0

Category: Faith, Revelation, Sin, syncretism

I somehow recoiled from the whole idea of watching the memorial set up for Michael Jackson in Staples Centre, Los Angeles, California.
[huge_it_maps id=”2″]
But for the sake of my wife who – more so than me (I fed myself with AC/DC & Iron Maiden which are bad in an altogether other category…) – grew up with this music we turned on the live broadcast. As my initial gut feeling was it wasn’t pretty to say the least, but first some background:

Apparently Michael had converted to being a Muslim and had a Jehovah’s Witness burial. Slightly puzzling one might say, with the added dubious reports of the man’s private life.

In the world’s history there has probably been only one funeral that eclipses Michael’s and that is the one held for Lady Diana. Funny enough both of them were flawed in the same way, in both occasions the people that were been buried were declared saints based on some of their good deeds totally neglecting their other actions. The Christian theology of human depravity and the need for salvation doesn’t surface in these sessions of glorifying the deceased.

Continue Reading >>

Climate change

Posted by :Christopher Harper On : 8 April 2009
0

Category: Faith, Genesis

I was ploughing through the morning traffic on vihdintie going towards Helsinki. First I listened to the eight a clock news from ylenaikainen. A hot topic discussed was the G20meeting in London and how they would handle the current economic crisis. A side story to this was that the climate change – Oh yes, did you notice that they stopped calling it global warming because it isn’t globally warming? – is a topic that ought not to be forgotten in this economic climate which is not conducing to restrictions that would “help” the environment. Why I put quotation marks around help is that I don’t trust that any of the actions proposed will alleviate the climate issue we are facing at the moment. The Bible tells us that going will get extremely tough just before Jesus Christ returns to take dominion of His kingdom. One of the things that will be tough in these times is nature which will be in a total upheaval.

We can however take comfort in the first covenant that God did with mankind and all living creatures. In Genesis He sets the rainbow into the skies to remind Him and us that newer again will He flood the entire planet killing every living creature. In this covenant God promises that while the earth remains:

Continue Reading >>

Sight and seeing

Posted by :Christopher Harper On : 28 March 2009
0

Category: Faith, Genesis, Joshua, Samuel

Lately sight and seeing has occupied my thinking more than usual. It seems that a several members of our congregation are having thoughts directed towards eye sight or the lack there of.

While brooding over these subjects I was reminded of a book – The Truth About Sex by Kay Arthur – I read about one year ago. It discussed way to sin through a couple of different events recorded in the Bible.

Continue Reading >>

Bones burning, part one

Posted by :Christopher Harper On : 28 July 2008
0

Category: Faith, Jeremiah, Worship

It was one of those weird nights when you just cannot fall asleep, Monday the 26th of May 2008 to be exact. As I recall there was nothing special about the preceding or following day(s) that should cause such unrest.

I have a habit of winding down when I lay down to sleep with recollections of the past day and with praying regarding events past and future and this usually takes anything up to an hour. Given this practise the time tossing and turning was put to good use and I prayed. A seriously weird thing occurred while praying and it was like my hands and feet were ablaze! I had a recollection of a prophet that tried to stop talking about God causing his bones to feel like they were lit on fire.

Continue Reading >>