A couple of days ago I received an Ice Bucket Challenge on Facebook. I was delighted—and have decided not to do it. Here’s why.
I had actually started to work out how I could perform the challenge in my allotted 24-hour period (if this blog has completely lost you, the Ice Bucket Challenge is where a friend nominates you, you give a donation of £3 or more to a particular charity, film yourself tipping a bucket of icy water over your head within a day of receiving your nomination, and then challenge some friends to do likewise). Then a Christian who is wiser and more thoughtful than me encouraged me to just check that I was thinking Christian-ly about it. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much at all. But the Bible tells me to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10 v 5). Every thought—even thoughts about ice buckets and giving to charity.
So I thought about it. And as I did so, I ended up deciding not to be part of it. Why? Well, here’s where I’m at. First and foremost, this is not an issue of Christian obedience. I’ve watched (and laughed at) Christians far more godly than me doing the Challenge, and I’m not saying they were disobeying Christ. If ever there were an issue where the Bible does not speak specifically, tipping ice-cold water over your own head would be it.
But I am saying that my best attempt at thinking with Christian wisdom is suggesting to my conscience that I shouldn’t do it. Here are my five reasons:... continue reading
We're conscious, here at The Good Book Company, of our need for prayer. We want to be working in God's strength - for God's glory - in God's Kingdom not just pottering about doing what we think is good and right. If you could remembers us in your prayers occasionally, that would be so much appreciated. To that end, this Wednesday we're continuing to pop up some prayer requests - asking you to pray for us department by department. This week, the creative team:
At our end of the office there are seven of us, who select and initiate publishing projects, who encourage and interact with authors, who edit, design proofread and nurse those books to the point where they are ready to be printed and deployed to edify, encourage and challenge. We sometimes even write whole resources ourselves!... continue reading
Summer camps can be great times of growth. Young people seeing Jesus for the first time... Teenagers getting equipped to be faithful witnesses at school or college ... Sins being addressed and lifestyles turning around ... Leaders sharpening their teaching gift as they handle tough questions from curious minds ... But once summer draws to a close, the excitement (along with the exhaustion) of Bible camps can begin to disappear. And as our excitement dissipates, so our prayers can drift into oblivion too.
So, how can we keep praying for our young people and fellow leaders? Here are five ideas - to put into action before we all forget!... continue reading
Reading the little book of Obadiah in the light of current world events can be a useful exercise. It shows us a glimpse of God's character and heart in the face of atrocities committed against his children.
God's people had been betrayed, attacked, robbed and cut-down in ways too gruesome to contemplate. And, in the face of such awfulness, Obadiah reminds us of three important things: God has seen, God is angry and God will act to bring justice and judgement on those who have acted so badly.
The message - seen through the lens of the cross of Christ - brings a wider context, a sense of hope and a clearer perspective to modern times.... continue reading
We're conscious, here at The Good Book Company, of our need for prayer. We want to be working in God's strength - for God's glory - in God's Kingdom not just pottering about doing what we think is good and right. If you could remembers us in prayer, that would be so much appreciated. To that end, this Wednesday we're continuing to pop up some prayer requests - asking you to pray for us department by department. This week, translations:
Although the majority of the books we sell are in English, we also have a growing range of editions available in other languages. These editions are prepared by local publishing houses and the person who manages this process is our translations co-ordinator, Elizabeth. She works with publishers in more than 30 countries around the world. Please pray for:
What do you notice in this photo? Take a moment to have a look. Is it the industrial buildings? The parked cars? The train at the station? The fading sun?
This is the view from the back of my flat, and is one of the many, many photos I've taken hanging out the bathroom window. All of sunsets. This one was stunning - but as usual, it failed to translate into the photo. And it struck me that life is a bit like that…... continue reading
As yet another celebrity suicide hits the headlines, people have once again been discussing what it means to take your own life. Some describe it as a "waste", others a "mystery", many as a "tragedy" but, in quiet corners, there are other groups of people: those who see it as an "appealing option". Today on The Good Book Blog we meet one Christian who sought suicide, tried suicide but is now praising God for her life.... continue reading
We're conscious, here at The Good Book Company, of our need for prayer. We want to be working in God's strength - for God's glory - in God's Kingdom not just pottering about doing what we think is good and right. If you could remembers us in prayer, that would be so much appreciated. To that end, this Wednesday we're continuing to pop up some prayer requests - asking you to pray for us department by department. This week, customer services:
The Customer Services department looks after the end of the publishing process: getting books into people's hands. We are a team of 5 people in the UK (Andy, Robin, Neil, Bex and Dex) and we are the guys and girls who answer the phone when customers call with queries. We also pick and pack all the orders that are generated from phone, email and web sales.
Please pray:
We want to serve our customers in the best way possible. Pray that we would continue to do so, and to go the extra mile for our customers' needs.
As we follow the patterns and rhythms of an academic year, the start of September will be a busy time. Pray that the team would be able to manage the extra workload, and continue to be of excellent service to the church.
That we would be continually reminded that we are serving for the Kingdom. Often we don't see or hear what happens when the resources are delivered. Pray that we would trust in God, and what he's doing through the resources we send out.
I’ve got a friend who’s been a Christian for a while. She knows her Bible reasonably well. She can look back on some enthusiastic years. But now things have changed. She doesn’t look forward to church any more. Why? She’s been hurt by someone in the congregation. And she’s disillusioned by some of the policies and practises that are going on. The pain and frustration seems to have sapped every ounce of energy she used to have.
Sound familiar? It probably does. There are plenty of Christians up and down the land who struggle. There are plenty of people who can look back over a period of years and see the gradual waning of their enthusiasm. Maybe that can even be said of you?... continue reading
When Jonah walked the streets of Nineveh proclaiming the God of the Bible, the people's hearts were moved. Sackcloth and ashes were worn, lives turned round in repentance and God poured out his mercy.
Since then? Sometimes the church has thrived. Sometimes it has struggled. Today it is being systematically wiped out.
Few people can have been unmoved by the news in recent times. Terrified children, weeping mothers, men slaughtered and tied to crosses ... families fleeing, starving, dying for no other reason than they are followers of Christ (or are members of another minority group considered worthy of extermination by IS - it is right to remember them too).
Feelings of shock, disbelief and frustration at our inability to help can flood our minds. It seems impossible to grasp the enormity of the situation unfolding so far from our homes. We might change our photo on Facebook to show solidarity (and why not, it helps to start conversations) but surely there has to be more we can do ...... continue reading
