When we think of Absalom, David’s son, we often think of him as a man consumed with pride. While pride was certainly at the root of his behaviour, as it is for most of us, it would be wise to consider that Absalom might have been addicted to something else plaguing many men, women, boys, and girls in society today—attention-seeking. As is the custom of the day, a fancy title has been assigned to this behaviour by those who study mental health—Histrionic Personality Disorder.
The most controversial and debated topics of a generation expose its firmest held beliefs. The subject of abortion is a case in point. For one side, religion proves the murderous and godless nature of abortion. For others, abortion rights are pursued and defended with great religious fervor. The sad truth is that the religious nature of abortion is not new. In fact, the scripture says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the son” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). To understand this ancient controversy, consider its origins and opposition.
From a holy heart comes holy actions and as a result of holy doings come holy feelings. Anything else is a counterfeit holiness.
Many who accept or reject the sovereignty of God do so based upon a faulty understanding of the word and of the doctrine. The common assumption is that God’s sovereignty means He is irresistible and without limitations in the scope of His power or practice in the affairs of men. But, is this what sovereignty means?
Apocrypha is the name for 14 books written between about 200BC and AD100. Apocrypha, meaning “hidden” or “secret”, refers to the mysterious nature of their origin. Neither their authors nor the circumstances of their writings are known. Neither the Jews nor the early Christians accepted them as inspired scripture. The books themselves do not claim inspiration. There are no “Thus saith the Lord’s”. Although the New Testament has 263 direct quotations from and 370 allusions to the Old Testament, there is not a single reference to the books of the Apocrypha. It was at the Council of Trent, on April 8th, 1546, that the pope declared tradition and the Apocrypha to be canonical and authoritative. These books teach several false doctrines and contain many inaccurate historical facts.
