The Nigel Farage and Coutts saga highlights something significant about our culture. My friend Steve Kneale also wrote about the saga here and he takes a much stronger line that Coutts were morally wrong to close Farage’s account and were discriminating against him. My position would be that, yes they were discriminating against him but… Continue reading What am I paying for if I open a bank account with you?
Tag: idolatry
Summing up the message of Isaiah
The message of Isaiah can be summed up as follows. First, that we are rebel sinners. We have been unfaithful to God and chosen idolatry over worship and trust in him. Isaiah warns us that we will become like our idols, impotent, hardened, powerless, ignorant. Secondly, the consequence of sin and idolatry is God’s righteous… Continue reading Summing up the message of Isaiah
The idols must go
The things that we fear and the things that we put our trust in are the things that become our idols. They become our idols because we give power and authority to them. We think that they have control and influence over our lives. We are scared that if we do not do what they… Continue reading The idols must go
The evil heresy of “Christian nationalism”
Fortunately this isn’t something that has particularly filtered through into the British Evangelical conscience but because some of my readers are from the USA and also because directly or indirectly, stuff happening there filters through here, I wanted to pick up on a particularly concerning cultural trend in America. Increasingly I’m hearing talk about Christian… Continue reading The evil heresy of “Christian nationalism”
A lesson in how (not) to communicate
If you watched the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on the BBC then you’ll have benefited from a running commentary about what was happening, particularly the symbolism of the giant raging bull. Live in the stadium (certainly for the dress rehearsals), you would not have had that benefit. Instead, you would have simply seen the amazing… Continue reading A lesson in how (not) to communicate
Idols without gods
This week’s podcast reflects on the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. What an amazing spectacle it was and yet in many ways it was disturbing. Audio – to come shortly Video
What approval are you looking for?
In my last article I said that whilst seeking approval can become idolatrous, it is not always necessarily so. Sometimes it is right to be concerned for recognition and approval. In this article we’re going to dig a little bit more into that by focusing on elders and church leaders. What type(s) of recognition/approval should… Continue reading What approval are you looking for?
Approval
A little while back I wrote a little on the way that we can be tempted by three types of idol: approval, comfort and security. Now one of the things about idols is that they tend to be parasitical on things that are genuine needs and in and of themselves, in context, within boundaries are… Continue reading Approval
God in parts
Today, I’m continuing our mini-series about idolatry. One way in which we commit idolatry is that we look to other things in order to find satisfaction and meaning. We make gods out of physical objects such as wood and stone or we make gods out of ideals and needs such as approval, comfort, security and… Continue reading God in parts
Is fear a sin?
Sometimes we say that we should only fear God and that we shouldn’t fear other people. I have often talked about how the things we fear are the things that become our idols. Jesus tells us: “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy… Continue reading Is fear a sin?
Faithroots 