We can all probably think of people we'd label as "layabouts" and "idlers" — maybe people who seem to sponge off their parents or spend half their lives on Facebook, rather than getting out there and “earning a living”. But this can easily become a plank and speck situation where we don’t even realise we’re sponging off others, either materially or spiritually.
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. (2 Thessalonians 3 v 11-13)... continue reading
Bruno Mars sang, "Today I don't feel like doing anything. I just wanna lay in my bed." I find the song irritatingly catchy, but I can echo the sentiment. I'm a naturally lazy person who dreams of a day plonked on the sofa with a stack of DVDs at the ready. But God's word is quick to slap me in the face and wake me up. Especially Proverbs. Solomon really had it in for sluggards!
I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
(Proverbs 24 v 30-31)... continue reading
The Gambia and Great Britain. 2 countries separated by over 2,000 miles. One a thriving player on the international economic scene, the other a nation where a third of its 2 million citizens live below the international poverty line. Both a place where God's word is bearing fruit as people preach and respond to the gospel.
Last week, The Good Book College Director, Doug Johnson, his wife, Ann and I took to the air (well, a Monarch plane) and travelled from London to Banjul. We'd been invited to speak at a series of lectures run at the Gamfes centre (the Gambian branch of the Independent Fellowship of Evangelical Students). And what a week it was!... continue reading
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29
Though it may be intimidating to think that God sees and knows all of our sin, remember that God knew you completely and still sent His Son to die for you! Jesus didn't give His life for some better version of you; He knew your sin and still loved you enough to save YOU.
Here's a video showing what our latest evangelistic resource is all about....
The aim of this book is to get the gospel out to people who aren't avid readers. This is a very accessible and clear presentation of the gospel. It's ideal for teenagers and young adults alike.
To launch it there is 20% off the price for single copies. If you're looking to get a stack for your youth group you can get 10 for just ÂŁ24.99!
It's being launched at the Sorted conference in London tomorrow where they'll be 1200 teenagers. Please pray that they would be built up in the truth of the gospel as the Bible is taught and as they are encouraged by others there.
Justin Welby set to become new Archbishop of Canterbury
Christians Fight Israel's Marriage Ban
And some articles on the recent US election...
Election results raise questions about Christian right's influence
In Defeats, Evangelicals' Political Unity at All-Time High
Evangelical Vote Increases to Record 27% of Electorate, Breaks Heavily for Romney
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
I admit it, I am feeling just a little bit pleased with myself.
Why?
Because last Saturday, I achieved a Personal Best for my weekly 5 kilometre run.
I joined the brilliant Parkrun scheme earlier this year, when I decided I needed to do something extra to fight the middle-aged flab. And the experience has proven trying, testing, exhilarating and painful. The Parkrun scheme operates at hundreds of parks worldwide, is entirely staffed by volunteers, and does one simple thing really, really well. At 9am on Saturday morning all over the world, someone says "Go", and everybody runs for 5,000 meters.
OK, I admit that 31 minutes 12 seconds does not exactly put me in an Olympian category. And truth to tell, I can't really call it a personal best because I would never have made it on my own.... continue reading
This movie tells a remarkable tale based on real-life events. After the Iranian revolution of 1979, the US embassy in Tehran is taken over by angry pro-Ayatollah students who hold its inhabitants hostage. Six of the embassy's workers escape and are hidden by Canadian diplomats. Back in the US, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is tasked with extracting them from this hostile country before they're discovered by Revolutionary Guards.
But how to do the seemingly impossible? Out of all the implausible plans on the table, they pick the least likely of the lot — to create a fake sci fi movie called Argo (a Star wars knock-off). The idea is that Ben Affleck acts as the producer of this movie sent to scout locations in the middle east. The hidden embassy workers would play the film's Canadian crew before being smuggled out of the country.... continue reading
