20/20 vision indicates excellent eyesight, so we may hope that 2020 will be a year of Vision for the UK having left the European Union. My first 20 years Roughly, the first 18 years of my life were spent in the UK outside the European Economic Community (EEC) and the remaining 47 years were spent …
Category: Gospel
Important questions answered
There are some important questions that need to be answered. Thankfully, the Bible answers them. Imagine what it would be like if we did not have these answers? Well, it is not very difficult to imagine because multitudes of people live their lives without even asking these questions, far less seeking the answers. However, life …
A summary of the New Testament in the Christian Bible
I recently summarised examples of Jesus’ extraordinary conversation in the Gospel of John. I hope it will be helpful to have a brief summary of the New Testament. Background – language and layout The New Testament was written after the Lord Jesus Christ appeared on Earth. In contrast, the Old Testament was written before He …
Continue reading A summary of the New Testament in the Christian Bible
Belief and the truth
Jesus Christ asked: "If I say the truth, why do you not believe Me?" Jn 8:46. He challenged His audience to examine themselves and their beliefs. He went further than this: "Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me" Jn 8:45. Many people were utterly opposed to the truth which Jesus taught, …
Biblical repentance
Roman Catholic doctrine continues to be seen in the presbyterian practice of repentance. Whereas presbyterians may preach biblical repentance, some presbyterian procedures involve Roman Catholic penance in practice. Whereas preaching may not be legalistic, practice can be. It reminds us of the Saviour's warning to do as authorised officialdom says, but not to do as …
Happiness in the Highlands
The Bank of Scotland's annual happiness survey indicates today that the Highlands and Islands is the happiest region in which to live in Scotland. Some of us have known this for some time. Indeed, Inverness, the capital of the Highlands was voted the happiest place in Scotland in 2014. The same year, Llandrindod Wells was …
Will I meet you in heaven?
I promised a follow-up on this parting greeting. It is a very useful one-liner. The purpose of one-liners is to capture interest and to convey information in short compass. It provokes thought on an important topic. There should be many one-liners in the repertoire of Christians who wish to be effective in Christ's kingdom. One …
It’s who you know
Commonly people say: "It's not what you know – it's who you know." There is truth in this, but not the whole truth. It is a false antithesis. They do not need to be opposed to each other, but are complementary. The statement is sometimes used as an excuse for not knowing things. We cannot …
Evangelistic one-liners
Recently I drew attention to Goodbye meaning 'God be with you'. This is one in a series of evangelistic one-liners that Christians should practice. Christians need to learn how to use one-liners. The role of one-liners There was a time when people read books. As advertising became more prominent, leaflets were used, not so much …
What should we expect from preachers?
Most people watch television, so public speakers including preachers should thereby learn some presentational skills. This being so, preachers who cannot read the Scripture clearly and intelligibly are without excuse. It is sometimes evident from the wrong emphasis they use in their reading of Scripture that they do not understand what they are reading. What …
