stephen-on-bible

Skeptics often argue, “If everything has a cause, then God, who is the so-called Creator of the entire universe, must also be having a cause. Therefore, who is the creator of God?” Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), a staunch atheist, insisted that if Christians want to be so adamant about pressing the causuality question in seeking a cause for everything, then the First Cause (God) must have also had a cause. He said his father taught him that the question “Who made me?” cannot be answered, since it is immediately followed by another question: “Who made God?” The question, “Who created God” is an intriguing enquiry which begs a logical answer. There is no book on the face of the earth that handles this question so brilliantly like the Holy Bible. Skeptics must be careful enough to understand when it is said “FOR EVERYTHING there is a cause,” it means, “FOR EVERTHING THAT HAS A BEGINNING or FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAS COME INTO EXISTENCE or FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS FINITE, there is a cause.” The ...

My dear little demon, I appreciate your 24/7 labor to keep your Target neglect His God, our Enemy. But you need to labor with subtlety lest you waste your efforts. You must be extremely careful about how you mess up his devotional life. Are you scheming to cause him think that prayer, worship, meditating the Bible, self-examination and interceding for others are useless? Nah, don’t do such a foolish thing. The more you try to do so, the more he reasons in his mind and may fall into the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Don’t give him a sense of battle for that would be your disadvantage. Agree with whatever he agrees, but don’t let him practice what he believes. The advantage of him being serious about spiritual issues is that you have greater opportunity to condemn him for not living accordingly. After all, is there any greater joy than seeing your Target wallow in self-condemnation! Well, do your best to shuffle his priorities and have him neglect the godly disciplines. One way you can...

Note : The following message is actually a general tract written for people of all backgrounds. A lot more people are talking about it every day. There seems to be an increased attempt to spread awareness about “safe sex” these days. Rightly so, perhaps, with the rate of HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases’ (STDs) infections steadily increasing, especially among the youth. We might not have to ponder long over the seemingly intensifying lust among men and women. Pornography and erotic scenes are aired right into our unsuspecting living room; the newspapers which form our opinion every morning and the huge billboards along the road are certainly no better. Agreed, sex is the most exhilarating physical pleasure. Yet if it is not enjoyed in the proper way there is untold pain lurking behind. Are you aware of the fact: HIV/AIDS kills at least 8,000 people per day? Here is another astonishing fact: 59% percent of Indians believe a cure for HIV infection is available (from the...

There is a tale about a person who sat outside the church building, weeping profusely. A woman felt pity upon him and had asked, “Why are you crying?” He replied, “You people commit sins and then blame me for everything you do?” The woman confusingly questioned, “Who are you?” “I am the devil,” said the sorrowful person. Who doesn’t know the great tempter—the devil? But should we have to blame him whenever we fall into temptation? There are two ways, I have observed, we fall into temptation. Sometimes temptation comes knocking our door and we yield unto it. At other times we go knocking the temptation and fall into it. In both ways our fall is due to our choice . The devil knows he has no power over us. He has the power only to tempt us. And we have been given the power in Christ Jesus to resist Him (Jas. 4:7). If we happen to fall it is only because of the choice we make to yield to the temptation instead of resisting it. We are responsible for our own fall . Yet we often behave lik...

Speaking in tongues! Hearing the inward voice of God! Giving a word of prophecy! Experiencing spectacular guidance! Doing wonders! Emotional ecstasy! This is what Spirit-led life is to many Christians. But is this what all walking in the Spirit is? While I am not against all these manifestations, however, I have to honestly admit of witnessing sheer carnality among many who emphasize on being led by the Spirit according to the description given above. In our era of ignorance about the right understanding of Spirit-led life we need God’s word to remind us about what it is to walk in the Spirit. Allow me to share just few thoughts I have learned from the word of God. In Galatians 5:16, Paul exhorts, “ So I say live by the Spirit , and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Why do you think Paul wrote these words? He mentioned in the preceding verse, “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another” (v15). The reason Paul exhorte...

Repentance Just as a new baby born from his mother's womb without wailing is an unhealthy sign, so is a person who claims to be born-again without repentance . It is surprising to see many people, these days, declaring to believe in Jesus without repenting over their sins. The Holy Scripture explicitly says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor. 7:1). The old revivalist, Charles G. Finney (1792-1875), reminds us: What did the apostles tell sinners when they asked what they must do to be saved? What did Peter tell them at Pentecost? What did Paul tell the jailer — to repent, forsake their selfishness, and believe the gospel . This is what men must do to be saved. [1] Anyone who genuinely receives the salvation of God will go through – CONVICTION of sin, CONFESSION of sin and CHANGE from his former sinful life. These are the unavoidable steps toward repentance and the undeniable signs of salvation . Wi...

The term ‘salvation’ is not uncommon to the professing Christians. Although it is often heard and spoken word, I wonder how many are really familiar with its meaning and significance! Remember, in matters like this, ignorance is no bliss; it is a devastating disease. It saddens me to witness people becoming victims of the diluted and distorted gospel which produces false conversions and carnal Christianity. Well, generally speaking, when we carefully observe the professing Christians today, are they not noticeably similar to the corrupt world, except in external religious activities! Everyone who professes Christ as his Savior ought to know what salvation is and what it means to believe in Him. It is unwise to use words ignorantly, right? It seems to me that many do not have the knowledge of what salvation truly is and thus developed false notions. They blindly and boldly claim to receive salvation , but the knowledge of what it truly means is far from them. What Salvation Isn’t Let me...