Welcome to my blog...whatever image springs to mind, be it a hippopotamus, Tigger, red-haired Highland cattle, or a simple kitchen table, 'Unless a Seed' is a four-legged creature. My hope is that having read a Book Review, a Poem, or a What is a Christian? or some random post in Everything Else, you will be kind enough to leave a comment or a short reply. And I hope you enjoy reading its contents
What is a Christian?
Book, Podcast, Film, and Blog Reviews
Poetry
For Writers, Writing and Everything Else
Baptism – getting beyond the controversy Part I
This is the first of a short series of posts on Baptism and how baptism in water relates to three other baptisms mentioned in the New Testament: baptism into Christ, baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit baptising us into the body of Christ, the church.
The Number 4 Bus…or Unless a Seed revisited
From the perspective of the bus, the starting point was the bus station. So each of my morning journeys was really a journey to the start punctuated by various stops.
Half a Zebra
Standard Gospel Models 1.0 and 2.0 are fundamentally flawed. The evidence for this is that 1.0 and 2.0 fail to explain the NT position on sanctification and glory. As 1.0 had to yield to 2.0 so 2.0 will yield to 3.0.
The Normal Christian Church Life – Watchman Nee
I first read The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee in 1977…What you’ll find below are some key quotations from the book and a few personal comments where relevant.
The Upside-Down Kingdom – or ‘A twist of lemon’
The ‘Upside-down kingdom’ is one of those catchy phrases that bible teachers use to rip away at the familiar wrapping paper surrounding the message of the New Testament. In the UK and other countries where Christianity has had a foothold for centuries, there is a real problem: the ticking clock that you can’t hear anymore.…
Seeds – dead or alive?
Let this retired Chemistry (and a spattering of Biology) teacher try and be as clear as a crystallised amino acid. All dead seeds are dead – they have shuffled off their mortal coil All other seeds are alive – dormant, resting, inert; all these wonderful Norwegian Blue parrot contributions are somewhat nailed on the fence…
Reincarnation Jim, but not as we knew it
A quote from David Torkington’s book ‘Wisdom from the Western Isles’: ‘My belief in reincarnation…not the reincarnation of every man, but of the perfect Man, who makes himself flesh again in as many different ways as there are those who would receive Him’ That is true Christianity. David’s book is well worth reading, written from…
When the Rabbis Cry
Failing to follow the general rule of thumb, ‘start small and build from there I decided for my first attempt to write a Christian paperback, to choose one of the most contentious subjects – Israel.
Things are not what they seem…Part II
When Paul wrote his first letter to the church at Corinth, he opened his letter with these words: ‘To the church, which is at Corinth, to those having been (hagiazo) sanctified in Christ Jesus, called (hagiois) saints…grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’
Things are not as they seem
This post is copied from my FB page and really is an introduction to re-thinking sanctification (holiness and sainthood). A fuller version to come.
What is a Prophet?
If you’re going biblical you might think Jeremiah, or Elijah, or Samuel…If more secular perhaps Bob Dylan – at least he licked his finger and poked it the wind! These days some might say Jordan Petersen or even Russel Brand.
Romans 7 – why, Paul did you write Romans 7?
We – that is evangelicals who believe the bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God – have a problem. We know we can’t say it because it’s daft and contradictory, but, secretly, we have a problem. There are some scriptures we don’t really believe.