A few of my lockdown reads…

This lockdown has meant that, like so many people across the world, I am working from home. I really enjoy my job, which has often meant that I have a slight tendency to over work. But one of the good things that I’ve found during the last few weeks is that I’ve had a bit more time to read. The weather has been nice and I’ve been able to sit outside in a wee garden behind our flat and have lunch with my wife and read a bit in the sun.

This lockdown has boosted my reading quite a bit. In 2020 I set myself the goal of reading 120 books, but I’m already over half way through that goal already so I might need to set another one soon. But I thought that this gives me the perfect opportunity to tell you a bit about a few books that I’ve been reading recently.Continue reading “A few of my lockdown reads…”

Saturday Snippets (April 25)

Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers.Continue reading “Saturday Snippets (April 25)”

Pastors, get training!

I currently live and pastor in Scotland, a country that has a strong spiritual history, but sadly that is not the case anymore. The percentage of the population that would consider themselves Christian is unbelievably low and an increasing amount of churches are compromising on the gospel. Some people are taking the view that this means people need to retreat from the church, that people need to leave the ‘established church’. Whilst I understand why they would come to that conclusion I completely disagree. We need pastors and leader to have courage, to boldly stand their ground firm in the gospel and preach the Word of God. We also need pastors to train men, in their local congregations, to preach the Word faithfully. Pastors, get training!Continue reading “Pastors, get training!”

Does your view of Israel diminish the work of the Cross?

In the UK we have just recently celebrated Easter, the wonderful celebration and time of the year that Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. Easter is not the only time of the year that we should remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, this should be celebrated as a local body of Christ every week. However, it does give Christians a very focused time to consider Jesus’ work on the cross and the effects of it.

Over the years of my theological studies and conversations with Christians, I’ve engaged with people who have wholeheartedly agreed and argued that salvation is found in Christ alone. However, somehow when it comes to the nation of Israel, both currently and eschatologically, that conviction can sometimes be forgotten.Continue reading “Does your view of Israel diminish the work of the Cross?”

Out of the Black Shadows

Biographies, stories of how people’s lives were transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, are amazing! I enjoy reading about other people’s conversions and how their lives were completely changed through God working in them. ‘Out of the Black Shadows‘ is one of the best biographies that I’ve read over the years. It is the story of a Steven Lungu from Zimbabwe.Continue reading “Out of the Black Shadows”

Coronavirus books…

I thought that I’d do a special short post to draw your attention to 2 very short, but quite helpful book pertaining to our current situation. How should Christians respond to the Coronavirus? I’ve seen Christians claim that it’s God’s judgment, I’ve seen others claim that it’s the work of Satan. I’ll be honest, neither of these responses are helpful, nor do they help our witness to the world. But here are two books that can help…Continue reading “Coronavirus books…”

Don’t waste your isolation!

How many times in prayer meetings, or discussions with brothers and sisters in Christ, have we said “I just wish I had more time!”? We’re surrounded by constant distractions and things that pull on our time. Prayer time is shortened, Bible reading is all but gone except for a wee quick verse in the morning and off to work we go. We can run through life at 100 mph and we forget to stop and thank the Lord for all He has done and given us.

Well, now many of those distractions are gone. One of the things that this time has brought about is that a lot of idols have been taken away, a lot of the distractions have gone. But it won’t be plain sailing, we’re not going to be able to switch our hearts from idol-factories to devoted disciples in an instant. But now we have an opportunity to change, an opportunity to do something about it all and so we must take it. Friends, don’t waste your isolation.Continue reading “Don’t waste your isolation!”