Articles
Articles from Sola 5 Pastors
Billy Graham and South African Christianity: One Pastor’s Thoughts and Prayer
What does Billy Graham’s death last week in North Carolina have to do with a church in South Africa? And why does the mention of Billy Graham have such a polarising affect—some hailing him as a hero, and others saying he denied Christ? These were questions I’ve...
We’d Be Less
I recently read the autobiography of Andre Agassi, the American tennis player whose profession career spanned twenty years (1986–2006) and whose unorthodox apparel and attitude is widely credited with helping to revive the popularity of the sport by which he made his...
Lessons from South Africa’s Most Famous Pastor
Over Christmas I received a recent biography called Andrew Murray: Christ’s Anointed Minister to South Africa by Vance Christie (Christian Focus, 2015). It was love at first sight—a well-told story about a well-known hero of the gospel right here in our country,...
Sphere Sovereignty and Parental Responsibility (Part 2)
In my previous article, I argued that spanking our children is a legitimate means of parental discipline, yet parents must be careful that they spank biblically. Parents must be self-controlled when they spank, recognising that they too are under authority. Further,...
Sphere Sovereignty and Parental Responsibility
On 19 October 2017, the High Court in Johannesburg judged that the defence of “reasonable chastisement” no longer applies to the corporal punishment of children by parents. In other words, spanking of children by parents is no longer protected under South African law....
An MRI and the Mercy of God
This past week I had my first (and, I hope, my last) MRI. It wasn’t quite as bad as I had anticipated, but close enough that I am committed to taking better care of my health! The radiologist was very kind and very thorough in her explanation of what was about to...
How to Be Religious
Being religious isn’t usually thought of as a good thing. In fact, for many people the word “religion” is a negative term. You will even hear Christians who say, “I am not religious. I have a relationship.” And, some will go so far as to say, “Jesus hates religion.”...
Every Dark Shadow
It seems that we live in a world of memes. According to Merriam-Webster, a meme, strictly speaking, is “any idea, behaviour, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another within a culture.” Most people have come to associate the word, however, with a...
Dr Death and the Promise of Life
While driving to my office recently, I noticed a leaflet attached to the middle of a stop sign. It read, “Same Day Abortions” and included a phone number along with the name of the doctor. The leaflet was weathered, so I couldn’t make out the name of the doctor. I’ll...