Monday 16 September 2013

The complete works of John Bunyan

Tim Challies has a nice little biography of John Bunyan, and lists his three most well-known works.

In fact, Bunyan's complete works are available for free on Kindle. I'm occasionally plodding through them on a Sunday afternoon. The only annoyance is that it's not indexed - so to find a particular work, you have to either hunt and hope, or go to Amazon to view the index page of the printed edition to get some help.

Monday 2 September 2013

Equals, responsibility

Tim Challies asks what disposable time plus disposable income ought to equal for Christians.

His answer ("opportunity") isn't terrible, but it misses the mark. He nearly gets there - his wording in unpacking what "opportunity" means mentions "stewardship". But stewardship isn't primarily about opportunity; it is about responsibility. The Biblical answer is "responsibility": "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." - Luke 12:48. When the Master gives you ten talents, and not just five or one, he holds you responsible for ten talents, not just five or one. That thought ought to make a lot of us as Western Christians at this juncture not so much be excited at the opportunity, as tremble at the waste.