Making sense of the Law
Do you struggle with the Old Testament? In particular what do you make of the Old Testament laws? What about “make tassels on the four corners of your cloak”? (Deuteronomy 22:12). Or the instruction to stone a rebellious son? (Deuteronomy 21:21) Should we just pass over these passages, and be a little embarrassed that they exist in our Bibles?
Paul Barker – minister, author and teacher - has written a new book Teaching Deuteronomy designed to help pastors and bible teachers in the developing world to faithfully explain and apply these difficult scriptures. It is part is part of the Good Book Company’s Pray, Prepare, Preach series.
In it, Paul provides a useful checklist when looking at Old Testament laws and how to work out their application in today’s world: What is the reason for each law? Try to think, “What is the reason for the law?” Some laws may have the reason to love your neighbour. Some are about worshipping only God. Some are because the people of Israel must be different from other nations. Some laws are about safety. Some are about fair justice. Some protect the poor. It is not always easy to find the reason for a law. What is the reason for the law that you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk? It is hard for us to know. But probably the reason is to stop the people of Israel following the behaviour of people of other religions.
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As churches throughout the country prepare to get into high gear for their Easter outreach, a report by the Bible Society offers some sobering perspectives on how we need to share the good news today. The study revealed a generation of children with little knowledge of the most important stories forming the basis of Christianity, and parents who often knew little more. The poll of 800 children between the ages of 8 and 15, and 1100 adults found that:
1. A Few Good Men ebook - 50% off!
Get the ebook version of A Few Good Men by Richard Coekin for just £3!
2. Preaching Matters: Kevin DeYoung: Expository Preaching
A video on expository preaching, it’s strengths and weaknesses.
3. 10 Reasons to Avoid Sexual Immorality
Peter Krol looks at 10 reasons from Proverbs 6:24-35.
4. Infographic: Every dream in the Bible
An infographic about all the dreams in the Bible and what they mean.
5. UCCF starts planning for Uncover John
UCCF announce they have started planning for the next Uncover Gospel Project.
6. And finally...
This week's video of the week, ‘Making of The Third Day’:
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
Among my friends, it tends to be a toss-up: chocolate, alcohol or social media. They’re the three things that do the most noticeable damage to their waistlines or their ability to progress through their to-do lists and Lent is an ideal time to give them a break. Sometimes there are benefits: increased health, a few extra pounds in the wallet and a shift of emphasis from Candy Crush to quality time with elderly relatives, temporarily at least … Come the end of April they are usually back to multiple nibbles and the latest addictive game.... continue reading
Lent is nearly upon us and my preparations are going well. The batter (shop bought to avoid the colossal lumps of previous years) is in the fridge - my lemon and sugar are at the ready. And, because I like slightly savoury pancakes too, the bacon, maple syrup and strawberries have been purchased as well (really, try it, I was skeptical at first but it’s a great combination!). I love the food of Shrove Tuesday. I enjoy my feeble attempts that unfailingly result in mangled pancake adorning my kitchen floor. I even quite enjoy laughing at the smoke that billows around the rest of my home in the wake of overheated oil…
But no matter how much I enjoy them, pancakes provide nothing of lasting value. Some giggles, a few moments of culinary delight, a minor elevation in cholesterol levels and a large pile of sticky washing up is hardly a recipe for overwhelming edification. In order to prepare for a meaningful Easter, my passion needs to be focused elsewhere.... continue reading
“The most helpful thing anyone’s told me about evangelism is…”
How would you complete that sentence? I’ve been a Christian for almost fourteen years, and when it comes to evangelism I’ve felt in turns fired-up, complacent, defeated, useless, proud, guilty and privileged. I’ve read books, I’ve heard sermons, I’ve been to training days, I’ve drunk in new techniques. And in all that time, the most helpful, liberating and motivating thing anyone’s told me about evangelism is…... continue reading
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
Ephesians 1:3-10
The blogosphere (or at least the Christian bit of it) has lit up this week in response to Steve Chalke's latest pronouncement, this time on his view that the Bible contains mistakes and that sometimes when God is recorded as speaking, he in fact was being misheard.
This blog ends up with the serious matter of Steve Chalke and what the Bible actually is, but begins with the considerable hilarity around the office as several of us have taken an online test to see whether our actual beliefs match up to the policies of any particular political party.The results have been interesting.
Poll: Christianity under attack, losing culture war
U.S. Christianity growing, changing through immigration
Indonesia’s religious freedom ‘in peril’
South Australian missionary John Short, detained in North Korea, has son in the Army
Church of England launch app to encourage stressed commuters to pray
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Shock. Fear. Anger. Denial. Devastation. Panic. Emptiness.
Powerful words. Strong emotions. But that can be what happens when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness. That moment when we learn a cancer or degenerative disease has passed the point of no return has to be one of the scariest moments any human can experience.
We know mortality will catch up with us one day. Unless Jesus returns within the next few decades, there is no getting away from the fact we will die. But most of us want to assume that day is a long time in the future. When the doctor gives us – or someone we love – the news that there are only months left, we can feel as if everything has been ripped apart. Our plans, our dreams, our relationships, our very beings torn in two.... continue reading
