Without doubt this economic crisis – and the chaos that follows – will present individuals and organizations opportunities that would never otherwise be pursued during times of normality. It’s hard to not to expect anything different. After all, the firemen who are now trying to douse the flames are the same people who started the fire.
Tag: Jesus
God speaks through Dreams: Walking with the King
In the dream I was stationed on duty outside a great palace like Buckingham Palace, dressed like one of the soldiers in ceremonial dress with the Busby hat on – as an ex police officer I’ve done my fair share of standing still and ‘guarding!’ Suddenly I was aware that I had a new assignment.
When curses are turned to blessings
Balak takes him to a place where he can only see the rubbish of the camp. (Anyone eager to point that out in your life? Guess who sent them!). It must be easy to curse when all you can see is the negative.
Our fantastic last Sunday!
Still shaking my head over yesterday’s phenomenal outpouring of love here for my last Sunday! The church family and local community came together for an amazing time of gratitude to God, quite overwhelming at times. Apart from making me eat unmentionable things in ‘I’m a Northerner get me out of here!’, having to sing ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams, and being presented with a beautiful album of our time here and far too many hugs and kisses – we were also really privileged to baptise 25 people! What a day – I will never forget it. Thanks to everyone – and thanks be to God! There are too many photos to upload an it takes ages – but here’s a little sample – Thanks be to God!
The wisdom of crowds?
The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, was written by James Surowiecki to argue that decisions are often better made by a group than could have been made by any single member of the group (the whole group is smarter than even the smartest person in it). He does go on to say that it matters how the group is made up, that people in it should be allowed independence, diversity of opinion etc., rather than just advocating crowd psychology as the answer to everything. These democratic wiki days attribute a great deal of prestige to wisdom of the many, but I have to ask – is it at the expense of the individual? What if the crowd is wrong? What if there’s just a trend, or a panic, or pressure to conform? The Bible says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” I love that bit on Life of Brian when he shouts at the crowd, ‘You’re all individuals!’ Check out the […]
What’s so special about Jesus?
…except that a few good friends of mine this week committed themselves, on their knees, to follow him? More than 2000 years on, Jesus is still the Son of God – still changing lives! But would Jesus agree that he really was all that – and more? Would be be rolling in his grave to think that a religion based on him even existed? Wasn’t he just a teacher? A good man? Could he actually be God? Well what kind of God would you want God to be, to be called God? Theologians talk about various ATTRIBUTES of God, for God to really be called God, he’d have to fit the bill. God would have to be immutable (unchanging). The Bible says, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. You would think God – to be worthy of the epithet – would be eternal: he’d have no beginning and no end. Read the beginning of John’s gospel – Jesus fits that bill! Surely you’d want him omniscient – all knowing? Jesus certainly ‘grew in wisdom and stature,’ but […]