Experiencing joy and peace can easily be seen as the ânormâ for the Christian. Yet so often, we find that life hurts.
One of the hardest things about suffering is when we do not know why it has happened. Often God does not explain why. He wants us to trust him in our trouble.
Phil Crowter, author of several books in the Pray/Prepare/Preach series came face to face with the reality of terminal cancer. In his book Preaching Job, he points out that the Bible gives us many good reasons for the troubles we face in life. God uses trouble in our lives to produce good things. Hereâs Philâs list of useful points to consider when life is hurting:... continue reading
Happy world animal day! I do hope you're enjoying this special 24 hours. Personally, I'm reeling slightly from the disappointment that my place of work hasn't made today the suggested "bring your pet to work day". Instead I have had to leave my furry creatures at home and make do with Algenon the warehouse spider as my sole non-human companion. Such are life's challenges(!)
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But leaving aside, for a moment, my personal traumas... It does occur to me that evangelical Christians rarely give much thought to the place of animals in the world. Which, considering the first job given to humans at creation was to "rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground" (Genesis 1:26) is an omission that we could do with addressing...... continue reading
Things have changed enormously since I was at school. Sex education for me, was an embarrassed biology teacher mumbling about plants and flowers, and what turned out to be rather speculative and misinformed rumours from the lads smoking behind the bike sheds.
Now we have a planned education system about families, relationships, sex and sexuality running from primary school onwards. On the one hand that's great: I've always thought it strange that we should be so coy and secretive about the realities of a subject so important and wonderful. On the other hand not so great: in that it is taught in a way that is "value free" - suggesting that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice like any other. Great in that it teaches not to persecute those who are different. Not so great in that it suggests that sex (properly protected) can be without consequences. ... continue reading
This week we are running a series of blog posts following Vaughan Robertsâ interview on how he struggles with same-sex attraction. This extract from the excellent Walking with Gay Friends (IVP) by Alex Tylee, helps us understand some of the barriers to the gospel that there are, and how we might break them down...
Having acknowledged how hard and complex it all is, what on earth are we to do when we try to communicate the gospel into all of this?
The first response is not to be put off. We probably need to witness to gay people slightly differently and perhaps more sensitively than we do to some other friends, but this does not mean that we should shy away from it completely, or that it is impossible. The gay community needs the gospel! Our gay friends need saving from a lost eternity. We cannot let fear or ignorance stop us from fulfilling the great commission with this particular lost and neglected mission field.... continue reading
Last week, Evangelicals Now published a brave and insightful interview with Vaughan Roberts where he spoke frankly about his same-sex orientation and his passion for Christ-likeness. Since then there has been a swathe of (mostly positive) public comment and rightly so. But what impact do interviews like this have on people who are quietly struggling with same-sex attraction in their local church? Today, the Good Book Blog asks one woman the question, "what difference has Vaughan's interview made to you?"
1. It's helped me relax
The impression you can get from the newspapers is that Christians are polarised when it comes to matters of sexuality. On one side you have the more liberal Christians who are happy to accept homosexual practice as a lifestyle that honours God; on the other you read about Evangelical Christians vehemently denouncing homosexual practice as heinous sin. To read a wise, gentle and biblical account which is clear that gay sex is outside of God's plan for his people but also empathetic towards those who struggle is so wonderful.... continue reading
The decision by Vaughan Roberts to "come out" as a person who struggles with same-sex attraction last week, raises some difficult issues for all of us who are Bible-believers who are seeking to build churches that reach out with the Gospel.
We have not been short of Christians declaring themselves to have homosexual inclinations. It's just that, for the most part, these folk have seen no incompatibility between their faith and the actual practice of their sexuality, often within boundaries that mirror heterosexual marriage, so the talk is of committed long-term and loving relationships. It has been easy, in some ways, to sideline these issues within the church. Those advocating the permissability of homosexual practice have been, pretty much, from the theologically liberal wing of the church. But this is changing. There are now outspoken advocates of gay sexual expression who speak with a much more clearly evangelical voice.... continue reading
The spiritual growth of children is an important matter. And whether we belong to a church that offers services of thanksgiving for children or one that baptizes infants, if weâve made a promise to God to help a child get to know God better, itâs vital that we take that promise seriously.
But, if youâre anything like me, it can be hard to work out how to encourage a child that you donât see every day, or even every month, to look to Jesus.
So here are our top tips to help us all fulfill our roles as sponsors or godparents:... continue reading
Love it or hate it, thereâs no denying that soap operas like Eastenders tackle some gritty ethical issues. I'm in no position to speak authoritatively on The Young and the Restless, but in Britain the stuff of soaps touches on very real (if often overblown) issues in daily life. In Eastenders, assisted suicide, paedophilia and a gay muslim sham marriage have been some of the recent storylines. Some may dismiss it as tawdry, sensationalist or immoral, but the inspiration for the writers comes from somewhere very different, according to a former series producer and storyliner.
The Bible!... continue reading
Spotted this van on my way into work the other day. Another fine example of the British habit of naming local businesses with a memorable pun that would make a worthy headline in a tabloid newspaper. It's right up there with "Curl up and Dye" (a local hairdresser), the Cod Father (a favourite fish and chip shop) and the hard to beat Florist Gump - no need to tell you what they sell!
The intriguing thing about this play on John Newton's famous hymn is what it tells us about our culture. For a name like this to be effective, it needs to resonate with people. For them to see it, smile, get the reference and feel warm about the cheeky friendly chappies who will then come and replace your windows for you. And it's the recognition factor that makes this interesting.... continue reading
Who does the phrase âthe splendour and glory of his majestyâ make you think of? If youâre anything like me, and familiar with the Old Testament, youâll think of the Lord God. So imagine my surprise the other morning when I read these words. They werenât assigned to the King of Kings, but to King Xerxes of Persia. Inevitably, as I read through the rest of Esther chapter 1, I found myself comparing the two kings. Here are three contrasts I came up with â there may well be more:
1. True majesty
