Dr. Paul White
One of my earliest memories of Sunday School is a hand-drawn illustration of Toto the monkey stuck in a bog after chasing a coconut he had inadvertently thrown there. Memorably (it was 30 years ago!), my teacher demonstrated how pulling his own whiskers would never get him out. The squelching noises of Toto’s efforts captured […]
Editor’s Introduction
Here we are with another issue of YPS. I wonder how you have been getting on in the last few months? For many of you the summer will hopefully have been a complete change from studying but no doubt you have had to work some of the time to pay for a holiday or keep […]
Helpful biblical guidance for believers
In 1 Corinthians chapter 14 the apostle Paul gives some very useful guidelines, which help us to understand how we should participate when the local church gathers. Although not specifically concerned with the Lord’s Supper, they can be helpfully applied. Firstly, every believer is expected to be ready to participate, 1 Cor. 14. 26. Every […]
Letter to Philemon – a dramatic interpretation
Many parts of the Bible are dramatic stories, including Ruth, Jonah, Esther, and the Gospel narratives. Indeed, W. G. Scroggie sees the complete biblical canon as an ‘unfolding drama of redemption’. Sometimes in our Bible study we can lose sight of the plot by focusing on technicalities like tenses and emphatic personal pronouns. I remember […]
What can I do for God?
Are you looking for something that YOU can do for God? There are plenty of things to do! In this series we are going to explore some of the things that every Christian can do. No excuses – these things don’t depend on age, gift or experience! So keep reading and discover in each issue […]
Building Blocks of the Christian Faith
These key words of scripture are frequently used and, in the New Testament, occasionally linked together. Yet they must have a different significance and meaning either in comparative terms or in contrast. One of the first occasions when these two words are brought together is found as God passed by Moses in the cleft of […]
Can the Bible be Trusted?
When we turn to the New Testament and consider the question of its reliability there are two issues that face us. The first is the text of the New Testament itself: Is what we have in our hands, or rather the text from which it was translated, an accurate representation of what was originally written? […]
Editor’s Comments
In the November issue of YPS there will be an article by Jack Hay of Perth on the subject of ‘Separation’ in the Building Blocks of the Christian Faith series. I thought that you might like to do some research in advance of reading the article so that you are one step ahead. Some questions […]
Jonathan Edwards
It is amazing to me that a man whose name is synonymous with godliness and was involved in the outstanding awakening of a nation to the need of salvation in his day should have only lived to the age of fifty-five. But it is true. Jonathan Edwards made his mark in his generation despite many […]
How do I prepare for the Lord’s Supper?
It is sometimes said, ‘the way we spend our Saturday evening will affect the way we honour the Lord the following day’. Perhaps we might further add, the way we spend our week will affect the way we honour the Lord on a Sunday morning. It is of vital importance that when we attend the […]
One way to study the Bible
Introduction In the modern world we always seem to be looking for ways to access information as easily as possible. The mobile phone/‘smart’ mobile phone has developed in recent years to such an extent that many functions that we would have formerly used on a laptop computer are now accessible through a phone. Many of […]
Regeneration
Key Bible references – John 3. 1-15; 1 John 2. 29; 3. 9; 4. 7; 5. 4. The word ‘regeneration’ is used only twice in the King James Version of the Bible. The first is in Matthew chapter 19 verse 28,where the reference is to the coming earthly kingdom of the Lord Jesus, commonly called […]
Hebrews
This book is different from most other New Testament letters in that whilst it ends like a conventional letter, it does not have an opening salutation. This makes it very difficult to determine who wrote it. In my view the anonymity of the writer is deliberate, because the writer does not wish to detract from […]
The Influence of the Media
There is no doubt that in the 21st century the impact of the media on our lives is much more pervasive than at any other time in history. Previous generations could access the media through traditional channels like radio, television and newspapers. Today, mass information is available through every conceivable medium. The buzz word of […]
Redemption
Redemption – what does it mean? The word ‘redemption’ is not commonly used today and perhaps for many it now refers merely to some vague religious ‘God-talk’. While redemption is a word found in the Bible, up until relatively recently it was also a word used in everyday life. For example, if you were short […]
Tips for Testimony
My first post was in a very rough comprehensive school where there was no Christian witness. Thankfully, I found that there was another believer at the school, who was also in assembly fellowship. I approached him to see if we could start a Christian Union (C.U.) at lunch time. He agreed to help, whenever possible, […]
Building Blocks of the Christian Faith
‘Once … hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself’, Heb. 9. 26. He died an atoning death for thee, He died an atoning death; O wondrous love! It was for thee He died an atoning death! Thomas Dennis The chorus from the old hymn shows the love of the Lord […]
Can the Bible be Trusted – Part Two
In the May 2010 issue we looked at the ‘bricks and mortar’ evidence for the historical accuracy of the Old Testament and we saw that, where it was possible to check, what has been discovered through archaeological excavation reinforces what is found in the biblical text. However, it should be borne in mind that buildings […]
Look at a Book
The Book of Ecclesiastes was included by Jews in the third section of the Old Testament known as Kethuvim (English = ‘Writings’). The book is entitled ‘The Preacher’ in English, but in fact the Hebrew word ‘Qoheleth’ actually means a convener of, or a speaker at an assembly. The book ispart of the Wisdom literature […]
Does God Believe in Genocide?
It would be easy to dismiss such a question if the idea hadn’t caught the imagination of many, and if its spurious arguments weren’t being taken up by those increasingly strident atheists opposed to the word of God and the gospel. Its arguments will be thrown in the face of young people in the same […]
Fellowship
Fellowship is a wonderful thing. Sometimes it can feel like being a Christian is a lonely path to tread. We might have difficulties with‘friends’ who are opposed to what we believe or may feel that we should join in the activities that they engage in.It is a good thing to know that God never intended […]
The Prophecy of Obadiah
Some people have commented that it would be good to have a section in YPS giving an overview of a book in the Bible. Hopefully when you read the main magazine (Precious Seed International) you have a look at the ‘Book Reviews’. This gives you an overview of various books and a little insight into […]
Theistic Evolution
Most readers of YPS understand clearly how and why the theory of Evolution is atheistic. But some people apparently believe in Theistic Evolution, wishing to include God in evolution somewhere. Many eminent figures in the religious world firmly believe and promote this strange mix of ideas.1 This article will consider the tenets of Theistic Evolution […]
Building Blocks for the Christian Faith
If I were asked to choose some favourite words from scripture, I’m fairly sure that I’d have placed near the top of the list this statement by the apostle Paul, ‘the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’, Gal. 2. 20. Paul marvelled at the love that the Lord Jesus had […]
Can the Bible be Trusted – Part One
This question has been asked many times over the years and will no doubt continue to be asked until the Lord Jesus returns. For some, the answer is simple – of course it can: it is the word of God. For others, the issue is not so straightforward. The accuracy of the Bible is constantly […]
Saints’ CVs – George Muller
I remember many years ago that I was given a book entitled an Autobiography of George Muller. At that time I was not interested in reading books. Subsequently the book was put on a shelf and forgotten about as I really never thought I could learn anything from someone who had been born in 1805 […]
Tips for Testimony
Perhaps ‘tips’ is the wrong word for this title since I don’t really consider myself to be in any position to be giving tips on witness at university. But as someone who is currently at university maybe it’s helpful to share with you some things I’ve learned about being a witness for the Saviour there. […]
How I Study my Bible
Introduction Many works of literature are the product of human brilliance, but the Bible is the inspired word of God, 2 Tim. 3. 16. Every Christian should be disciplined to read it regularly and systematically for it is our source of guidance and growth, Ps. 119. 105; 1 Pet. 2. 2. Regular reading will give […]
New Editor
I have the pleasure of taking over as Editor of Young Precious Seed (YPS) from Ian Rees. Ian introduced YPS to the main magazine; this has been a useful addition which has been the vehicle through which many topical and doctrinal issues have been addressed. While looking through four or five years of issues of […]
Saints’ CVs – Jim Elliot
‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose’. While these words sound like they may have flowed from the quill of the apostle Paul himself, they were in fact penned by a 22-year-old Jim Elliot while still a college student in the USA in 1949! In early […]
Walk with me through the British Museum
Why bother? In the things of God believing is seeing. ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’, Heb. 11. 1. It is only by faith that we can hold unshakably to the truth of creation and the very existence of a creator God, solitary in dignity, Heb. 11.3. […]
2009 – The Year of Darwin?
2009 has been called ‘The Year of Darwin’. It is the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his hugely influential book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection – a book greatly applauded by many and yet greatly regretted by not a few. This has […]
Farewell
This issue of Young Precious Seed brings us to the end of its sixth year. It was first introduced in 2003 and its aim was to deal with issues that young believers face, subjects upon which we all should have an opinion, and a biblical one at that, or subjects which are not normally preached […]
Singing with the Understanding
Singing plays a major part in Christian worship and experience. Right from the very beginning of the creation of this world there was singing: it is God Himself who tells us that, when He laid the foundations of the earth, ‘The morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy’, Job […]
‘Going down . . .’
James Dean once starred in a film entitled Rebel without a Cause and became an icon of rebellious youth. That title could well have described the prophet Jonah, who was told by God to go and preach against the city of Nineveh, but refused to do so. As a prophet of God, to whom God […]
The Party-goers
He is the sort of chap, along with his twin sister Miss Tipsy, who knows that the best solution to the problem of drinking too much alcohol is to be a teetotaller – to leave it alone completely – but has all sorts of reasons for thinking that drinking alcohol is good. His usual argument […]
