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About the Book
"Soulmates in the Bible" by Peter Tan explores the concept of soulmates in a biblical context, drawing upon stories and teachings from the scriptures to provide insight and guidance on love, relationships, and finding one's true partner. The book delves into the significance of soul connection, spiritual compatibility, and the role of faith in forming deep and fulfilling relationships. It offers readers a fresh perspective on finding lasting love based on biblical principles and faith.
Henry Alline
Henry Allineâs early years
He was born and received his early education in Newport, Rhode Island and his family moved to Nova Scotia in 1760, when he was 12 years old. When he was nine he began to read theological works and became somewhat mystical, but after years of soul-searching and spiritual conflict he was powerfully converted in 1775, simultaneously receiving a call to the ministry.
Alone and desperate he prayed untilâŚâredeeming love broke into my soul⌠with such power that my whole soul seemed to be melted down with loveâŚand my will turned of choice after the infinite God. A year later he began to preach.
His preaching career
His preaching career lasted until his death eight years later. He was an itinerant preacher in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in an ever-widening circuit, beginning what became known as the âNew Lightâ movement and which is still the greatest revival that Canada has ever seen. He preached the new birth powerfully and effectively and his admirers compared him to George Whitefield and John the Baptist.
Considered an emotional and dangerous fanatic by some and a âravager of congregations,â the Congregationalists withdrew his right to preach in their churches, so he spoke in barns, houses and the open air. In all he began eight âNew Lightâ Congregational churches based on his non-Arminian but anti-Calvinist views of free-will and predestination, and his strong rejection of outward religious form.
Ironically, despite his indifference regarding baptism, his major 19th century influence was amongst the Baptists of eastern Canada, many of whom were his converts.
Despite possibly unorthodox views and methods, his ministry was without doubt that of an extraordinary revivalist.
Allineâs sermon style was always simple and extemporary, using a few simple, understandable points to help the unchurched to grasp the simple truths of the gospel. As with other itinerant revivalists, his objective was to lead the hearers to a point of decision â to accept or reject Christ as Saviour and Lord, which opened the door to the ânew birth.â
Doubtless, his sermons were repeated over time, but he was never in one place long enough for his listeners to notice.
Alline also employed the ministry of prayer and of singing, writing many hymns which were helpful in communicating the gospel. A collection was gathered after his death and was reprinted at least four times in the United States, and several were included in the standard hymnals of the 19th century.
why godâs will isnât always clear
If God wants us to âwalk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to himâ (Colossians 1:10), why doesnât he give us more specific guidance in our decisions? The Spontaneous 95% Consider all of the decisions you make during a typical day. Most are quick and spur-of-the-moment. John Piper estimates âthat a good 95% of [our] behavior [we] do not premeditate. That is, most of [our] thoughts, attitudes, and actions are spontaneous.â Thatâs true. And itâs a bit unnerving when you think about it. The majority of the decisions that end up becoming the bricks in the building of our lives are just âspillover from whatâs inside.â Even if we do stop and pray about such decisions, it is very rare that we discern Godâs specific leading regarding what we should wear, what or where we should eat, if we should respond to this instance  of our childâs sin with correction or forbearance, if we should put off that time-consuming errand till tomorrow, or whether we should check our email again . The Massive 5% But what about the other 5% of our decisions? Some of these are massive and life-shaping. Should I marry this person? How much money should I give away and where? How much should we save for retirement? Should we adopt a child? Should I pursue a different vocation? Should we homeschool or not? Should I pursue chemo or an alternative cancer treatment? Should we buy this home? Which college should I attend? Is it time to put my elderly parent in a nursing home? Should I go to the mission field? Shouldnât we expect God to direct us more explicitly in these? A Concealing Design âGod doesnât always make his will clear because he values our being transformed more than our being informed.â The answer is no, not necessarily. Why? Well, the short answer is because he is God, and we are not. âIt is the glory of God to conceal thingsâ (Proverbs 25:2). His wisdom and knowledge are unfathomably deep, his judgments are unsearchable, and his ways are inscrutable (Romans 11:33). Considering all the factors in play in the universe, it is likely no exaggeration that there are trillions of reasons for why God directs the course of our lives, and he prefers to carry out his purposes in ways that confound, surprise, and humble humans, angels, and demons. There is a tremendous glory that God displays when, without tipping his hand to us in advance, we suddenly recognize that he was working his will all along when we couldnât see it. And he is also merciful to withhold information from us that he knows we arenât ready to know, even if we think we really want to. A Revealing Design But one reason why God usually doesnât give us specific guidance in our sometimes perplexing decisions is that he places a higher priority on our being transformed than our being informed in order that we will be conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). Thatâs why Paul writes, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) What does this mean? It means that God has a design in the difficulty of our discerning. The motives and affections of our hearts, or ârenewed minds,â are more clearly revealed in the testing of ambiguous decision-making. In Scripture, God reveals to us everything we need to know to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3) and to âbe complete [and] equipped for every good workâ (2 Timothy 3:16â17). But the Father is not seeking workers, but worshipers (John 4:23). And he knows that if he made his will for our specific decisions more explicit more often, we would tend to focus more on what we do  rather than what we love . Like the Pharisees, we would tend to focus more on our actions, rather than our affections. But in decisions that require discernment, the wheat is distinguished from the tares. When weâre not quite sure, we end up making decisions based on what we really love. If deep down we love the world, this will become apparent in the pattern of decisions that we make over time â we will conform to this world. But if we really love Jesus, we will increasingly love what he loves â we will be transformed by renewed minds. And our love for him and his kingdom will be revealed in the pattern of small and large decisions that we make. The Pattern of Our Decisions I say âpattern of decisionsâ because all of us sin and make mistakes. But conformity to the world or to Jesus is most clearly seen in the pattern of decisions we make over time. âConformity to the world or to Jesus is most clearly seen in the pattern of decisions we make over time.â Thatâs one reason why God makes us wrestle with uncertainty. He wants us to mature and have our âpowers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evilâ (Hebrews 5:14). The wonderful thing to remember in all of our decisions is that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He laid down his life for us so that all of our sins are covered â including every sinful or defective decision. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has a staff long enough to pull us out of every hole and a rod to guide us back when we stray. And someday, if we truly seek to love him and trust him, we will see that he really was leading us through the confusing terrain of difficult decisions all along.
