In this case, I really do hate to say: I told you so.
Back in June, when the “Trojan horse” Islamic “radicalization plot” was front-page news, and there was great fear about the creeping influence of Islam by the “back door” (or rather, school door), I blogged that Christians should be worried that the arguments being used against Islamicisation could equally be used against Christian teaching, and asked:
How long is it before there’s a news item about a school, or group of schools, where some of the governors stand accused of:
I missed a bullet point off that list. I should have added: “Not offering their students a well-rounded, broad approach to spiritual formation”.
So, how long?... continue reading
Turn your back on Christ or watch your children die.
That’s the choice your brothers and sisters, if you’re a Christian, are being given in ISIS-controlled areas of Iraq and Syria, today. Children are dying because their families stay loyal to Christ. This is real. Right now.
And that is why God’s judgment is not just a truth we have to acknowledge because the Bible says it. It is not a truth that we must explain away, smooth over and get past as quickly as possible so we can talk about love and forgiveness.
Because “all this”, as Paul puts it to a church suffering serious persecution for your faith, “is evidence that God’s judgment is right” (2 Thessalonians 1 v 5). God’s judgment is not merely real, but right. It is good, and we should celebrate it.... continue reading
Here's your chance you number crunching CofE people, and anyone else who wants to wade in - what is your take on these findings? Is it discerning? Is it far-sighted? Or have they missed something important? Offer your thoughts below and we'll share our thoughts next week on this issue... Full report details HERE.
Do you have a bucket-list? I wrote one once - I'm not alone - Barack Obama has one too. He ticked off "visit Stonehenge" last week and why not? The world in all its beauty and history is a fascinating place.
Since the US President's trawl around the stones, the web has been awash with bucket-list ideas. There's even now a "Great British Bucket-List" - I've done 14 out of the 50 - clearly I still have plenty to do on my days off in the coming years!
It's all very well to have hope and dreams - personally, I would love to bottle-feed a baby panther and I make no apology for that - but there's a danger that we can get so focused on the here and now that we forget what's truly important. Visiting the Giant's Causeway, climbing Ben Nevis and eating a deep-fried Mars bar may all bring a smile to our face but they pale into insignificance when compared with the glory of knowing Christ, the privilege of serving Christ and wonder of going to be with Christ in eternal bliss.... continue reading
It was a sad day yesterday as we said farewell to Timmy Barker. Timmy has been an outstanding print buyer at The Good Book Company over recent years and his efficiency, servant-heartedness, quirky t-shirts and stunning ability to consume mountainous burgers will be sorely missed ...
Praying for you, brother, as you head to pastures new!
A couple of days ago I received an Ice Bucket Challenge on Facebook. I was delighted—and have decided not to do it. Here’s why.
I had actually started to work out how I could perform the challenge in my allotted 24-hour period (if this blog has completely lost you, the Ice Bucket Challenge is where a friend nominates you, you give a donation of £3 or more to a particular charity, film yourself tipping a bucket of icy water over your head within a day of receiving your nomination, and then challenge some friends to do likewise). Then a Christian who is wiser and more thoughtful than me encouraged me to just check that I was thinking Christian-ly about it. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much at all. But the Bible tells me to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10 v 5). Every thought—even thoughts about ice buckets and giving to charity.
So I thought about it. And as I did so, I ended up deciding not to be part of it. Why? Well, here’s where I’m at. First and foremost, this is not an issue of Christian obedience. I’ve watched (and laughed at) Christians far more godly than me doing the Challenge, and I’m not saying they were disobeying Christ. If ever there were an issue where the Bible does not speak specifically, tipping ice-cold water over your own head would be it.
But I am saying that my best attempt at thinking with Christian wisdom is suggesting to my conscience that I shouldn’t do it. Here are my five reasons:... continue reading
Porn in unexpected places
I walked down the office carrying a pile of pornography. I'd wrapped it in two bags so my colleagues wouldn't see it, but I still worried. What if I tripped and broke my neck? After failing to resucitate me, the first thing people would discover was my pile of porn.
Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but is a salutary tale nonetheless.
It started on my ride to work. The subway under the A3 always collects litter - usually crisp packets, coke cans and the odd condom. Not cards. Not a full pack of playing cards. And certainly not pornographic cards. I glanced down as I wheeled the bike through the tunnel, wondering who'd dropped their playing cards, to be faced with umpteen nude women. I was slightly shocked, but late for work so kept on going.... continue reading
Whenever we talk about abortion, it's important, as Christians, to say three things:
But for those in society who don't agree with those statements ... Dawkins is right.
Here’s why.... continue reading
For students up and down the land, today is the day. Will all the work of the last year or two have been worth it? Did I achieve what I set out to achieve? Is that place at university or college secure? Is my future on track? Will my parents be proud? Or will life begin to unravel in disappointment and confusion about what happens next?
Here at The Good Book Company we're an eclectic bunch. Some sailed through A'levels with straight As and went up to an Oxbridge university. Others found A'levels a hard hurdle to overcome. We're all doing OK though - one happy family, serving Jesus with a range of results on our CVs. So what thoughts can we pass on to the students finding out their results today? Here are a few thoughts ...... continue reading
