Fighting the Monday feeling

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1 v 3-7

Whatever you're facing right now, if you will trust in the Lord, He'll get you through. He will make you resilient in your weakness. The Lord s watching over you, holding on to you, preparing a place for you, taking you to your inheritance.

And amazingly, Peter says in verse 7 that when Jesus returns in glory, He will look at His people who have come through suffering and a say: "Your are beautiful". What a prospect!

Book review: Enough

You could have heard a pin drop, an hour had flown by unnoticed and we did not wish her to stop. The speaker was Helen Roseveare, former missionary in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. We were all on the edge of our seats - and it was the same each of the three times I have heard Helen speak.

Captured, and abused by a rebel soldier, in the Simba rebellion (1960-1964), Helen’s searing honesty and utter dependence on God in her darkest moments, gripped us then in her talks and has done so since in her books, of which Enough is her eighth currently in print.

As a boy, Helen was one of the first real-life missionaries I ever met: she seemed 6 feet tall, and I looked up to her in both senses! – and I, in my mind, put her on a pedestal. But, once again, in this her latest book, we benefit from her honesty, doubts, fears, perplexity and failures in life – as well as her experience of God’s forgiveness, leading and grace. As always, we can identify with Helen as a real person like us, and she applies Scripture perceptively, with helpful illustrations from her own long experience (she is now 87).

Farewell Chappo

A gentle man of God; faithful preacher; author of engaging books such as A Fresh Start; evangelist with a passion for the lost; treasured family member and friend. Just a few of the ways in which John Chapman will be remembered.

Chapman or Chappo, as he was affectionately known, died earlier today in Sydney at the age of 82 having been in hospital since the end of October. Archbishop Peter Jensen paid tribute to his longtime friend and colleague and was quoted on the Sydney Anglican's website as saying:

"Chappo represented the very essence of what our diocese has always stood for and continues to stand for. A strong affirmation of the authority of the bible, the importance of preaching and an approach to evangelism which made it central while at the same time respecting the intelligence and integrity of the listeners. He was a man of faith like Joshua of old, and he lived out his faith with clear godliness of life"

In the grace of God, his ministry has had a tremendous impact on the lives of many. His legacy - not least through his writing - will no doubt continue to bear fruit for the gospel for many years to come.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints (Psalm 116:15)

Lazy days 4: Ant-idote to laziness

So how do we tackle our own laziness and send it packing?

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

(Proverbs 6 v 6-9)

Ever watched an ant at work? To make an ant-hill, each little piece of soil has to be carried by an ant to the top of the mound. That’s a huge number of trips up and down. And even though the ant has no boss keeping an eye on it, it doesn’t stop until the work is finished. God wants us to use our time wisely. That means working hard. It means doing stuff for other people, not just pleasing ourselves.... continue reading

Christianity in the News

Military chaplains 'could be sacked for opposing gay marriage', says former minister

Anti-Semitism charges laid against English Evangelical leader

Jamaica bans Bible preaching on commuter buses

Jesus Christ 'should be downplayed in school'

Selection by religion ‘should be banned in state schools’

Holy Trinity Brompton, the evangelical HQ that claims the new primate as one of its own

Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.

A single blog

The BBC news website has published a collection of reader’s stories about being single. This grew out of an initial radio broadcast and article about why couples are “so mean” to singletons. As a result most of the stories defend the advantages of being single.

What struck me was how self-focused most of their comments are. A big emphasis on freedom to do what you like when you like. The lack of ties and duty. A smorgasbord of sexual partners to choose from. Avoiding the stresses of being in a difficult relationship.

This is such a contrast to the biblical view. Yes, there are times when other Christians are tactless or even hurtful. But the Bible isn’t!... continue reading

Lazy days 3: Be encouraging

We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. (2 Thessalonians 3 v 11-13)

So how do we encourage such people to get off their backsides and get involved with the nitty gritty of church life?

First up, busybodies. How do we turn the criticisers into critical workers in the church? Perhaps rather than getting drawn into “discussions” about how things are done badly (or smiling and saying nothing), we can gently encourage such people to be the solution to the problems they raise. Ask them to get involved and get them to agree to a specific time and task. It’s time to pull them off the substitutes’ bench, and put them on the pitch.... continue reading

Praying for the new Archbishop of Canterbury

The role that Justin Welby is about to take on is huge. And whether you're Anglican or not, his appointment as the new Archbishop of Canterbury is an important event. His influence will be wide. His opinions well-reported in the press. His words and actions will bear heavily on the unity, direction and integrity of the Anglican communion and it's 77 million members. And that reflects on Christians everywhere.

So, it's important that we pray. And then pray again for him. But how do we pray for him? Here are 5 suggestions:

1. Faithfulness in belief

We shouldn't be naive. It's hard to be faithful when forces from inside the church and out are urging you to put forward a watered-down gospel. So let's pray he stands firm (Philippians 1:27). If there are areas in his life where he has wandered away from God's truth, let's pray that God will draw him back. And let's pray he'll be bold enough to teach what's true even when that's desperately counter cultural (Psalm 86:11).... continue reading