“So, why did God have to die?” This question, asked by many, runs to the heart of the Christian faith. Had To? Chose To. One of the most well known Bible verses starts this way, “For God so loved the world …” (John 3:16). Love is a choice. It has to be. Coerced love is […]
“Do you speak English?” An elderly woman asked from the other side of the locked grilled front door of my rented holiday home near Benidorm. A second woman in her mid-40s stood alongside her. “I am English”, I replied; momentarily forgetting I was standing in just my budgie smugglers! Unfazed, she asked a supplementary question […]
During a recent short break on the Isle of Wight we visited a couple of areas that had really old and pretty looking cottages. Because lots of people come and look at these old cottages, gift shops and tea rooms have opened, in fact these now outnumber the pretty cottages and people now visit for the […]
Our June 2013 Breakfast saw us guys debate the vexed issue of “why the world needs men”! You can imagine the way the discussion went! Did you know that women like silent men? The trouble is they mistakenly take this to mean we are listening! But then one teenage boy was heard to say to […]
This week, we’re looking at some of the gnostic gospels discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. The Gospel of Thomas Gospel means Good news. This is actually not a Gospel at all. It has no theme, no actions of Jesus, no crucifixion or resurrection. It is simply a collection of 114 phrases attributed to […]
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 If we give Jesus the simple credit of intelligence then these first words must […]
Read this: Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten and everything is new. 2. Corinthians. 5, 17. (Code Bible). Reread Code 11. “Identity” Recite this out loud: Our problem surely is ourselves. We seek meaning only from this World, Identity kept safe within ourselves. Our gods are built on […]
The Gnostic Gospels. Something that you have probably heard of a bit, but you couldn’t give much detail on. Like an Arsene Wenger signing. In 1945, near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, an earthenware jar was found containing a series of manuscripts that can be dated to the end of the 4th Century. Lots of them […]
The following was sent to me some time ago, it seemed worth repeating! “The older I get the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours […]
We’ve all been there. The conversation is flowing, everyone is engaging, and things are moving along, well, nicely. But then a question threatens to derail the conversation or stop things dead in their tracks. When sharing our faith with our friends, our colleagues, or our family, it’s helpful to have a few things in mind […]
