Wessel's blog

Farcical Pharisees and Silly Sabbaths

Keep Calm and Remember the Sabbath
Read time: 8 minutes

In the gospels, Jesus often gets into trouble with the Jewish leaders (Pharisees) for doing good deeds on the Sabbath. The purpose of telling these stories were to show that the Jewish leaders, at that point, had gotten so caught up in their laws and legalism that they could not look past it to do good. This was turning them into uncaring and unloving hypocrites. Most Christians can identify this lesson and the warning which they need to take away from it. But the Jewish leaders' fervour for keeping the Sabbath "holy" seems almost comical. Why were they so strict on it? In this article I am going to explain my theory for their strictness. Read more …

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Rampaging through the Tokyo of Free Speech

Read time: 5 minutes

On Thursday the 3rd of April, the newly appointed CEO of the Mozilla Corporation, Brandon Eich resigned—an event which got many people to sit up and take a worried notice. Eich resigned because of internal pressure from his employees because of his personal beliefs. Read more …

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A Porn Conversation

xxx
Read time: 4 minutes

Sometime last year a friend approached me. He was clearly angry and upset. He talked about what could be done practically to hamper—even destroy—the pornography industry. I could tell that his frustration was not just about witnessing the struggles with pornography of other people, but of himself as well. I wrote him an email to encourage him. With permission (and anonamised, with slight modifications), I am sharing this email below. Read more …

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Sermon: "Love Is..."

Heart in Sand
Read time: 1 minute

On 9 February 2014 I again had the privilege to preach at St. John's church in Bothasig. The topic was "Love Is...". This was the first in a series which we are presenting love and relationships in February, the so-called "month of love". This is a message which I have been wanting to give for a long time and I am happy to have finally been able to do so. It also challenged me greatly. The text was 1 Corinthians 13. Read more …

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Slavery and the Bible

Peter, aka Gordon, a slave who was viciously beaten in Mississippi.  Photograph from 1863.
Read time: 17 minutes

Recently, Wintery Knight posted an article because he was "tired of atheists complaining that the Bible mentions slavery". The argument does get tired and is not nearly as much a defeater for Christianity as they think it is. In this article I would like to throw my two cents into the jar. Read more …

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Wishing you a good 2014

Read time: 2 minutes

I want to thank you, my readers, for this past year. On numerous occasions have I been humbled to hear from people who read this blog and find encouragement in it. It makes me realise that I am not just yelling out into a void, but that people are hearing what I have to say, al be it often quietly so. That is an incredible feeling. So thank you again. As long as God gives me the strength to continue, I shall. (And, remember, your feedback is always welcome!) Read more …

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My Trip to India

India
Read time: 18 minutes

I find it jolting that it was already six months ago when I found myself in the Indian monsoon. I have not yet written here about my experiences there. I had wanted to and had begun to do so, but found the task too daunting to complete. Now, as the year draws to a close, I want to briefly describe it before it becomes irrelevant. Read more …

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Quote 12/13

Irenaeus
Read time: 1 minute

For in no other way could we have learned the things of God, unless our Master, existing as the Word, had become man. For no other being had the power of revealing to us the things of the Father, except His own proper Word.

Irenaeus

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Sermon: "The Nativity According to the Gospel of John"

St. John's, Bothasig
Read time: 1 minute

Last night I preached my second sermon at St. John's church in Bothasig. My topic was "The Nativity According to the Gospel of John". This is a message idea which I have had for a long time and I was happy to finally deliver it. Read more …

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Quote 11/13

Blaise Pascal
Read time: 1 minute

God is, or is not. But towards which side will we lean? Reason cannot decide anything. There is an infinite chaos separating us. At the far end of this infinite distance a game is being played and the coin will come down heads or tails. How will you wager? Reason cannot make you choose one or the other, reason cannot make you defend either of the two choices.
So do not accuse those who have made a choice of being wrong, for you know nothing about it! ‘No, but I will blame them not for having made this choice, but for having made any choice. For, though the one who chooses heads and the other one are equally wrong, they are both wrong. The right thing is not to wager at all.’
Yes, but you have to wager. It is not up to you, you are already committed

Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 153-154

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