I believe in the (cryogenic) resurrection of the dead November 18, 2016 I just heard on the news this morning that in a landmark ruling a judge in England granted the dying wish of a 14 year old girl with cancer to have her body
‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ October 21, 2016 I’m sitting in Terminal C in Newark airport waiting for the (increasingly delayed) departure of my flight to Belfast. I have earplugs in my ears and an iPad on my lap as
Why kiss your bride through a veil?! September 16, 2016 I’m in the middle of teaching an intensive introduction to New Testament Greek for the ministry students at our seminary this month. It’s a pretty heavy month (though moreso for the
Some thoughts on visiting Niagara Falls August 19, 2016 [https://gentlereformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/P1010266.jpg]This time last month our family had the privilege of visiting Niagara Falls and spending 24 hours looking at the cascading water from every
How to Read Revelation June 17, 2016 Of all the many and various obstacles that stand in the way of people reading and profiting from the book of Revelation, perhaps one of the greatest is the bizarre, head-scratching imagery of
The Flow of the Psalms May 20, 2016 Here’s a question for all my fellow Pastors. If you’re preparing to preach on Peter’s confession of Jesus as Christ in Mark 8.29 and his subsequent misunderstanding of the
One Hundred Times as Much March 18, 2016 I was teaching from Mark 10.23-31 in a seminary class this morning, and it came home to me with fresh power while I was teaching. So I thought I’d strike while
Better than Potter February 20, 2016 Fans of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter stories are counting the days until 12.00 am on 1 August, when her script of the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will
A Word in Season December 18, 2015 Many Christians believe that God still gives words of knowledge and prophecies just as he did in the days of the apostles. They are excited to think that God would speak directly to
Pray for Muslims November 20, 2015 French bombs falling on ISIS strongholds and command centres. The British Prime Minister preparing the case to Parliament for British air strikes against ISIS. Facebook profile pictures with the French flag superimposed on
Making Good Use of your Baptism October 16, 2015 Do you ever wish God would give you something like a keepsake? Something to take out and look at and be reminded of his love and his nearness? Something to help you live
The Christian Cure for Worry September 18, 2015 Anxiety is big business. The average bookshop has hundreds of ‘self-help’ titles addressing people’s worries: their weight, looks, personality, sex life, health, assertiveness—you name it. Here’s a quote from one
Bearing fruit in old age August 21, 2015 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still
Talking to non-footballers about football June 19, 2015 When was the last time you heard a talk about how to do evangelism? Pretty recently, I would guess. And have you noticed how many books there are on the subject of how
You Must Read May 15, 2015 Do you ever find yourself squinting at a photograph of someone standing in front of a bookcase, trying to work out the titles of the books they own? Or, when you visit someone’
Call the Sabbath a Delight April 30, 2015 In Isaiah 58.13 we have laid out for us the chief purpose of the Sabbath day: …turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and
Should I start a relationship with a non-Christian? March 20, 2015 Last night I was speaking to a Christian Union meeting at our local university about dating and marriage. One of the perennial problems that many young people fall into is getting into relationships
A Brief History of Psalm Singing February 20, 2015 A couple of weeks ago our congregation featured as part of a programme made for the BBC tracing the development of Christian hymns from its roots in psalm singing to the present proliferation
The Christian Traveller January 16, 2015 I spent all of Wednesday of this past week travelling from Northern Ireland to Philadelphia, and the hours of sitting in airports and being herded in queues on and off of various modes
In that cold and draughty stable...? December 19, 2014 With all of our four children in school, my wife and I have sat through quite a few school nativity plays over the last couple of weeks and so been reminded of some
Lessons from a Humiliating Failure November 21, 2014 Have you had this nightmare? Your child is on stage in a school play; she is in the middle of a solo which she has performed flawlessly in every rehearsal and on previous
Is Christianity Homophobic? October 17, 2014 A young man in our congregation runs a chain of bakery stores in Northern Ireland. A few months ago a gay man representing a group called ‘Queerspace’ came into one of his stores
Praying for our Nations September 19, 2014 As I write this, the people of Scotland are voting on whether or not they want to remain in the United Kingdom. A remarkable 97% of the people have registered to vote in