Is April fool permissible for Christians?

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices” Colossians 3:9

One day as Rev. Dwight Dobson was teaching a class on ethics and told his students to list five occasions which they think it is permissible to tell a lie. Soon all of them got to work and each one of them submitted a paper, with a list of 5 occasions, where it is permissible to lie.

There were two German students (they are brothers) seated in a corner. One of them with a smile on the face, submitted their paper. The following are the five occasions they believed it is permissible to lie.

1st Occasion: Never

2nd Occasion: Never

3rd Occasion: Never

4th Occasion: Never

5th Occasion: Never, Never, Never, Never!

My dear friends, do you get my point? Some of us spend our Christian life with lies. Some of us never lie, but on 1st of April we tell a lie thinking it’s alright to joke. We think it’s funny to play the fool out of others. Thus putting our old self and giving a foot hold to Satan. But the author of Colossians say, not to lie to each other since we have taken off our old self with it’s practices. Do you take the word of God for a joke? Think about it.

Yohan Perera 30 March 2009 Contemporary issues april fool, Contemporary issues No Comments

Sermon: Lessons from Naman

Text: 2 Kings 1:5-19

Introduction

What can we learn from Naman’s miracle

1. Needs are a part of God’s plan for me, 2 Kings 5:1-8

God is aware of our needs
He has allowed them to be a part of life.
So that we may seek true God
Naman had his own beliefs, but non of his god’s could cure him.

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Yohan Perera 20 March 2009 Sermon outlines Sermon on Naaman No Comments

Sermon: The new birth John 3:1-21

baptism

Image by: mikebaird

INTRODUCTION

A. A commonly used phrase is “born again Christian”

a. Often in the context of distinguishing between Christians who are “born again” and those not.

b. Which is a really an incorrect distinction, for all true Christians have been “born again” But what does it mean to be “born again”?

B. The Bible uses the expression “born again” only a few times

a. Jesus in His conversation with Nicodemus – John 3:3,5,7

b. Peter in his first epistle, (1 Peter 1:3,23)

c. Although the idea of being “born” of God is used many times, (John 1:13; 1 John 5:1)

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Yohan Perera 18 March 2009 Sermon outlines sermon John 3:1-21 No Comments

The Reverend Fun-Free Christian cartoons

I have seen many Christian cartoon web sites but none of them beats ReverendFun. They are very creative and well focused. At the time of this writing the site has an archive of previous cartoons, which goes back to November 1997. If a cartoon is associated with a specific scripture verse the reference is indicated along for better understanding.

Visitors are permitted to illustrate these cartoons in their own work (Conditions apply, but this is free of charge and conditions are easy).

Visit ReverendFun

Yohan Perera 16 March 2009 Articles Christian cartoons No Comments

The four fold application of speaking in tongues

The fourfold purpose of tongues

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1. Spiritual maturity

The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. (1 Corinthians 14:4, NET)

Edifieth himself – That is, the truths which are communicated to him by the Spirit, and which he utters in an unknown language, may be valuable, and may be the means of strengthening his faith, and building him up in the hopes of the gospel. (Barne’s notes on the Bible)