My Top 5 Books (Read in 2013)

5. Reforming the Unreformable by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (2012, Politics / Economics) - Nigeria's current Finance Minister shares some thoughts and lessons about the reforms she presided over during the Obasanjo administration.

4. Science, Religion, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by David Wilkinson (General, 2013) - deals with an often overlooked question - what are the theological implications of the possibility of life on other planets? A very engaging and helpful book!

3. Why Nations Fail by James Robinson and Daron Acemoglu (Economics, 2013) discusses precisely what it says on the tin. It offers an "institutions" based explanation for underdevelopment, but clearly a little short on solutions

2. Practising Affirmation by Sam Crabtree (2012, Theology) - explores the role affirmation in spiritual growth. He shows that it is both biblically sound and necessary. He shows the benefit of affirmation, as well how we can become better at affirming others in a God honouring way.

1. Sex and Money by Paul David Tripp (Theology, 2013) - the excellent Paul Tripp brings another practial gem this time focusing on the two issues many Christians struggle with. This is a book to read and re-read!

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Only Junkhearts Allowed!

There's a powerful scene in a recent British movie Junkhearts , which tells a story of an ex-soldier Frank (Eddie Marsan). Frank is haunted by an incident in Northern Ireland where he accidentally shot a woman in a failed military operation. He lives a lonely existence drowning his nightmares with booze in a council flat in London's East End. One day he meets a homeless 16 year old girl Lynette (Candese Reid) whom he offers a place to stay. Unfortunately, after building a father-daughter camaraderie, it is rudely disrupted by the entrance of Lynette’s manipulative, violent and drug-dealing boyfriend Danny (Tom Sturridge). In the process Danny takes over the flat forcing the broken Frank onto the streets. A sharp reverse occurs with Frank now living on the very streets that Lynnett escape from, whilst Lynnette and her boyfriend enjoy his flat. As Frank remembers the memories he had with Lynette, he decides to come back for her, only to find her scrubbing the bathroom flo

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Love, Valerian and Christ

The film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) is set in the 28th Century. The International Space Station (ISS) has grown into a space travelling city called Alpha where species from different planets live together exchanging their knowledge and culture. Peace is guaranteed by a special police force, that employs Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne). In one of the key scenes in the film, Valerian and Laureline are at Alpha. An alien race, called the Pearls, have abducted Commander Arun Filitt in order to retrieve a valuable instrument they call “the converter”. As they face off with the Pearls we discover that the Pearls are a victim of genocife inflicted by the human federation. The Pearls' leader, Emperor Haban Limaï, explains that they lived peacefully on Mül until a battle occurred between the Federation and another faction. Commander Filitt attacked the enemy mothership knowing that it would crash on Mül and annihilate life o

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Do You Believe? A Review

I have always enjoyed reading the writings of Paul David Tripp (PDT). What I like most about the way he writes is that he focuses on the good news of Christ. He wants us to know how amazing God is and what He has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. So when I saw that PDT has written a new book on key doctrines of the Bible, I was quite eager to read it, even though it is over 400 pages. Do You Believe? is exactly what it says on the tin. PDT looks at twelve key bible doctrines over twenty-four chapters. He spends two chapters on each doctrine. The first chapter describes the broad thrust of the doctrine, underpinned by PDT’s paraphrase of the relevant section of the Westminster Confession of Faith . The second chapter focuses on specific applications to our lives. There are important doctrines which are missed from the list. Most notably on the person and saving of Christ (Christology). However, PDT is clear from the beginning that his intention is “not to give us an exhaustiv

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