A refiner’s fire removes all of the dross and waste material so that only the precious materials are left. Israel and Judah experienced God’s refining work through their suffering and captivity so that all of their false worship and shallow claims were removed leaving behind only true worship. That’s what God does with us too,… Continue reading Refined
Posts
Food from around the worldwide web 26/03/2023
Here’s some articles of interest from around the internet Isn’t it time we start fighting for women rather than against them? And here’s something “out of the freezer”
Generational Distance
I recently participated in a workshop looking at Christians and the environment and one of the big themes was the need to engage on the topic due to its relevance to younger people. Three things stuck out for me. First, we looked at data showing high proportions of young people expressing concern and even fear… Continue reading Generational Distance
Disability, discrimination and New Creation
Yesterday on my twitter timeline, a tweet came up from someone who seemed deeply angry and offended. They took exception to evangelical theology of renewed and restored bodies, especially when suggested that those with disabilities would receive them. Their anger arose from having a relative with Downs Syndrome. They couldn’t imagine them without Downs Syndrome… Continue reading Disability, discrimination and New Creation
God’s Word is sufficient for apologetics
This week’s podcast
Idolatry is foolish
The things we fear and the things we trust are the things that become our idols. Because idolatry holds that captive power over us, the Bible treats it as not just something morally wrong but as something foolish, something to ridicule. The aim is that as we learn to laugh at our idols and at… Continue reading Idolatry is foolish
Rescuer
A dominant theme throughout Isaiah is the Exodus, just as Israel had been slaves in Egypt, so too, they would be exiles in Assyria, Babylon and Persia. Just as God had brought them up out of Egypt, so too, he would come to their aid, deliver them and lead them home. Read Isaiah 43-45 In… Continue reading Rescuer
I’m not your Saviour
I recently wrote in response to a quote from John MacArthur where he suggested that husbands are in effect their wife’s saviour, rescuing them from loneliness, a lack of care and protection and unfulfilled potential in terms of children. Of course, when MacArthur talked about husbands as saviours, he wasn’t intending us to think that… Continue reading I’m not your Saviour
The irony of Putin’s threats
Vladimir Putin’s threat to the West seems to be that by cutting off gas supplies and by preventing the export of the Ukrainian harvest, he can impoverish the West. His further threat is that he could launch devastating nuclear attacks that will destroy our environments, leave our water toxic and our air unbreathable. I can’t… Continue reading The irony of Putin’s threats
Able to teach: How do we assess?
I’ve been writing a little here about taking a different approach to training and equipping for Gospel ministry. I’ve argued that we need to start by thinking about outcomes, what are the competencies we are looking for in someone who will be planting a church, pastoring, working as an evangelist in the community, involved in… Continue reading Able to teach: How do we assess?
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