I like to walk. I enjoy it. Flat is good, undulations are OK, and mountains are still on my list, despite my age. The climb to a mountain top can be daunting but the views keep me coming back. Most walkers recognise the feeling we get when we aim for a peak, only to discover … Continue reading One Step at a time
I like music, especially when it’s worship with real passion. I don’t mind if its loud. It’s OK if it has a beat, because I enjoy a charismatic knees-up! Music has been a major part of my life and still matters to me. In the 60s I was in the popular Christian rock band, The Pilgrims [i] , who were once introduced at a big concert in central London as “not only the best but also the LOUDEST Christian group”. So, I know how to be loud for God. But the best thing I’ve learned since those days is to value silence – but now I’m talking about prayer.
Most of us mess up occasionally, and it’s natural to feel embarrassed about it. We may chide ourselves for our mistakes, but it’s not those fleeting moments of self criticism that worry me. My concern is for people who continually put themselves down – and especially those who think that’s what God expects of them. It does no honour to the Gospel to declare ourselves “miserable sinners” after we have received salvation – and it’s bad for our mental and spiritual health.
Don’t be afraid of doubt. OK, it may feel like a threat, but you can also treat it as a tool to help you dig down to the solid ground of your real faith. I'm avoiding the adjective “true”, because it’s so often used in a negative way. “True Faith” (note the capitals) implies a set of beliefs that we have and they don’t. My real faith consists of the things I believe deep down, and those beliefs have been tested again and again – by doubt.
Christians across the world have been praying for Ukraine, but are we praying for Russia?
NTERCESSORS WANTED Hours of Work: Unlimited Remuneration and Benefits: None Age and Experience: No limits References: Not required Must care, must listen, must observe.
In the Beginning – there was no Beginning Something was already there.It was not the Beginning but the continuation of a pre-existence “Big Bang” does not compute.The sums for that first instant run to infinity -A mathematical term for “I don’t know!” But our universe, now huge, was once small;A window about to open; A … Continue reading No Beginning
Prejudice is part of being human. We each have a point of view. We come from somewhere. We’re formed by our experiences. And we prejudge things. That’s what prejudice is.
Why are the books of Chronicles included in the Bible? Who wants to read those boring lists of names? You don’t have to like the lists of names in Chronicles, but they belong where they are. The Bible is a book for the whole world.
Pharisees figure prominently in the New Testament and Jesus hardly had a good word for them. He called them a brood of snakes, blind guides, hypocrites; he accused them of honouring their traditions more than God’s commandments; he said their worship was a farce; he accused them of giving alms just to be noticed; he … Continue reading What about the Pharisees?
Derrick John Phillips 