Exposure is more effective than bombing. Today is the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Russian Red Army on 27 Jan 1945, which has given rise to the annual International Holocaust Memorial Day. It is worth noting that Heinrich Himmler ordered the SS to halt mass murders by gas in …
Category: Personal development
Advocacy begins with parenting
Everyone needs an advocate. An advocate is someone who supports you by speaking on your behalf. Parenting There are many advantages to having parents to look after you. Many children have lost one or both parents and they are often disadvantaged thereby. This shows the value of someone to look after one's interests. Advocacy and …
My YouTube channel
Today is the second anniversary of my brother Andrew's death. It is also the 49th anniversary of my reading the whole Bible for the first time on 22/8/1971. I have read the Bible daily ever since and now I spend several hours a day on my Bible commentary, making its teaching accessible to ordinary people, …
The benefits from coronavirus
People are frightened by coronavirus to such an extent that some people are in denial that it will come to their area. Many forget that God is in control and that there are benefits from God's providence. International benefits Climate change, international terrorism and epidemics have the benefit of knocking international heads together who do …
Medicine cannot make up for stupidity
The success of modern medicine has made some people behave in a reckless manner, risking their own life and the lives of others, in the false belief and mistaken hope that medicine can save them from any of the consequences of their risky behaviour. Coronavirus The coronavirus outbreak is an example. The USA has repatriated …
John Bunyan and biblical metaphors
I attended a useful lecture last night on The Forgotten John Bunyan, whose Pilgrim's Progress is a Christian classic. The adjective 'Forgotten' in the title referred not so much to Bunyan himself but in part to Bunyan's language, imagination and use of metaphors, which were controversial in 17th-century British Christianity. Pilgrim's Progress is sometimes described …
Jesus’ conversational topics
"Jesus answered and said: ..." The Synoptic Gospels How often do we read this comment in the Gospels? "Jesus answered and said." Well – 34 times in the King James Version to be exact, and many more times in various combinations – but what I meant was – look how common it is! It is …
Christian excuses
You know the phenomenon – someone promises you that they will do something and they don't. After a while you realise that it will not be done, possibly after several enquiries and further promises. First, there are the lame excuses, and then there is the justification, which does not stand up to examination. It would …
Learning basic Exegesis
There are some basics in exegesis that Christians can learn and develop to improve their personal Bible study and their discussion at collective Bible studies. Drawing out of (ex-egesis) the Scripture will feed the soul. Which is the most significant word in the following sentence? "The red car went down the hill." You may say …
What constitutes a ‘good’ minister?
Not so long ago I discussed the subjective nature of a 'good' sermon. A good minister is not so subjective to assess as a sermon, because the apostle Paul discusses it in his letters and when writing to Timothy he gives advice about a good minister 1Tim 4:6 and evangelist 2Tim 4:5. Ministers and preachers …
Donald's Thoughts 