HUB JULY / AUG 2021 ISSUE 040
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES | JOBS CONFERENCES | TRAINING | EVENTS EVENTS
IN A WORLD OF CONSTANT CHANGE, ONE THING REMAINS STABLE A lot has changed in the last few decades. A lot has changed in the last few months! Some change is gradual. For instance, there are now almost a quarter of a million electric cars on Britain’s roads—compared with just a few thousand a decade ago— with the government aiming to have phased out sales of new petrol and diesel cars completely by 2035. Other times, our world has been turned on its head in a moment. Most of us can remember where we were when we heard the UK prime minister speak those stomach-churning words in March 2020: “You must stay at home”. The up-anddown, back-and-forth Covid regulations since then have led to many a hastily changed plan. Sometimes change bewilders us. To begin with, it was hard remembering a mask every time we set foot outside our front doors. Now it is second nature. But, if we’re honest, many of us fear what will change next and how we’ll adapt. That’s why it’s as vital as ever that we remember and celebrate this simple truth: the word of God does not change. It is always true, always good, always relevant to our lives. What a comfort that is! 1. The word of God is always true As our culture’s values continue to shift— and as yesterday’s heroes become today’s villains—we can rejoice that God’s word is always true. It tells us how it really is, and why it really is. It shows us right and wrong, good and evil, wisdom and folly. “In your light we see light” (Psalm 36 v 9). Sometimes that’s painful; but always that’s what we need. When it comes to the fundamentals, we’re not left groping around for a way forward, hoping that whatever solution we’ve come up with will work. No, God, in his grace, has revealed
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himself to us. Our Lord Jesus is the way and the truth and the life (John 14 v 6), and will never cease to be so. 2. The word of God is always good God doesn’t tell us what is true in the manner of an instruction manual, which would do the job if only we could persevere through our impatience and boredom to get to the end of it. Instead, God’s words are good: “More precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (Psalm 19 v 10). Through laugh-out-loud narratives, soulstirring songs, breathtaking visions and everything in between, God blesses us abundantly as we read his word. 3. The word of God is always relevant God’s word is always for everybody: every age, every nation, everyone. Imagine a believer living on another continent in a distant century in the past. Imagine all the things that are different about you: your language, your work, your clothes, your home, your hopes, your expectations, the way you see your world and your place in it. And then consider how extraordinary it is that God wrote a book with the power to speak to both of you. For both of you,
it is a sword that cuts open your secret motives; a mirror that reflects your heart; a light that guides your way. And that’s true for our brothers and sisters today, and for the generations of tomorrow. Young and old, rich and poor, male and female—God’s word is his gift to all of us. That’s why, for the last 30 years, The Good Book Company has produced books and resources that point to the Bible (the “Good Book”). That’s why we make sure that our books apply the Bible’s teaching so that they are useful in everyday life and ministry. That’s why we make sure that everything we publish is easy to read without compromising on depth or rigour. Whether our readers are children, teens or adults, whether believers or not-yet believers, whether you want to deepen faith or are just hanging on by your fingertips, we want to encourage you to open up the Bible and hear God speak. So, to commemorate 30 years of doing just that, we are offering 30% off a selection of books that will help you open up the Bible. Go to thegoodbook.co.uk/30
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