Two medical news items caught my eye this morning. The first warns us that by the year 2020 nearly half of us can expect to develop cancer at some point. That’s a scary statistic. But I’m sure you know people who have survived cancer and returned to good health – I certainly do – and the quality of treatment improves all the time. One of the factors in this growing survival rate is catching the disease as early as possible, which gives any treatment the maximum chance to work. So that’s one focus of research – developing tests that will accurately diagnose cancer and catch it as early as possible. Early tests = maximum chance of preserving life.... continue reading
Dear Bishops with seats in the House of Lords,
Today is the vote in the Lords on the redefinition of marriage. There’s pressure on you not to attend, and not to vote against it if you do. People are making the point that if you stand against this measure, there may be moves to deprive the bishops of your seats in the Lords. You’ve been made well aware that by convention only two of you vote on any one measure. And some of you, of course, don’t want to oppose taking marriage out of its biblical context and definition anyway.... continue reading
Yesterday’s news held an interesting revelation: turns out Jesus has been born again! But this time round he’s come in the form of an Aussie called Alan John Miller. Not convinced? Here’s the evidence… AJ remembers.
He describes the crucifixion as not so “harrowing for [him] as it was for others like Mary who [were] present” and claims not to have been in a state of fear or pain. The Bible, he says, is a distortion of his original ‘lessons’ and his current campaign is an attempt to “reverse the untruth taught on earth associated with beliefs attached to the Bible.” The irony is that he continually refers back to what he believes is a corrupted book for support. Mentioning his ‘good friend’ Lazarus, for example, AJ reminds us of the biblical records. However, the only verification of his relationship with his partner Mary – whom he argues was his first-century wife, pregnant with their daughter when he died – apparently stems from the renowned Da Vinci Code.... continue reading
The research is complete. The results are in. We now know the location of the happiest place in the developed world. It's ... drum-roll please ... Australia. At least that's the findings of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Australia ranks highest of all the nations under consideration when assessed on criteria such as income, health, safety and housing. Life expectancy there is about 82 years - approximately double some developing nations.
And if you're wondering, the United States ranks 6th - the UK, 10th.
Now, I love Australia. If you leave aside the grueling 23-hour flight between London and Sydney, I have adored visiting that beautiful country. Potentially, I could be convinced that it's the happiest place there is. And I don't for a moment doubt that many people do equate pleasure with a good standard of living and a functioning body. Health, wealth and happiness are the goals of so many in the world.... continue reading
One week, three amazing events and thousands praising and worshiping our wonderful and gracious God—all framed by one song.
Last Saturday the London Men’s convention in Westminster kicked off with Matt Redman’s 10,000 Reasons, and the man himself closed the Big Church Day Out event with it on this Sunday night in the beautiful Sussex countryside near Steyning.
Many Christian events, conferences and festivals are struggling to keep up with change and keep visitors coming back, But the newest kid on the block, The Big Church Day Out (BCDO), has struck a formula that appeals to young and old alike, individuals and families, groups large and small.... continue reading
Christians have been on the back foot on issues of sex for far too long. Whether that's questions of sexual identity, homosexuality or gender roles, we have increasingly appeared to be out of date, out of touch and out of ideas. Which is a massive shame, because the Bible's understanding of all these issues is truly liberating and part of the "life in all its fulness" that Jesus promises to those who follow him.
These big issues were the theme of this year's London Men's Convention which packed out Westminster Chapel in London last Saturday. The three talks on Maleness, Sexual temptation and Marriage were not just about helping Christians understand for themselves these important issues. They were also to help the assembled brothers think about how they can articulate the good news we have about sexuality and sexual purity to others.... continue reading
There’s something wonderful, and weird, about watching more than 400 11-14-year-olds sit in a church and sing about Christ.
Weird, because this isn’t meant to happen anymore. The statistics about 11-14s leaving the church are startling, and depressing. More are leaving than ever before. That matters because they are part of the church of today, as well as the church of tomorrow. Yet here were hundreds of them—normal, fashionably-dressed tweens and teens—at Sorted:Nano, a morning event held at St Helen’s Bishopsgate in central London.... continue reading
“I can’t do this any more.” I said, and I really meant it.
I’ve been battling illness for nine years. And can see the next 20, 30, even 40 stretching ahead of me. I’ve fought as hard as I can, but I’ve no reserves left. It’s too hard.
“I can’t do this any more.”
That’s how I was feeling a couple of weeks ago when I read a news report about a new name that’s joined the “Right to die” campaign. Paul Lamb is so severely disabled that he has only a little movement in his right hand. He's added his name to the appeal against the verdict given last August in the Tony Nicklinson case. The case is being heard this week by the Court of Appeal.... continue reading
"We know from the facts and figures the average age of starting to watch pornography is about 11." So runs a sentence in a recent BBC article.
Of course, not every 11 year old is watching porn. But it seems some are. And as children progress through their teens, it is more and more likely that they will engage with pornographic material. There's so much out there - in magazines, in books and, above all, on the internet. No longer are our adolescents having to sneak mags off the top shelf and hide them under their beds, there's a whole world of explicit material just a click away. And - unless internet accountability systems are put in place - a simple "clear browser history" manoeuvre often hides the evidence from the responsible adults of the house.
Much as it would be convenient to do so, it would be unwise to assume that children from Christian homes are immune from such temptation. Whether it's driven by natural curiosity about the sexual experience (which every child has at some stage) or peer pressure to conform to the porn-watching that slips somewhat un-naturally between video-games and eating chocolate at teenage sleepovers, some of our young people will be confronted with the sorts of images that make our hearts sink.... continue reading
That's how one church in Brazil is taking part in Jesus' Great Commission - and they're doing so with the Portuguese version of Christianity Explored structuring all they do.
There is a great hunger for God's Word in South America. The Lord is calling his elect to himself. And it's a huge privilege for us to be playing a small part in that.
So, please do join with us in praying for these Christianity Explored courses in Brazil throughout April, May and June: that the workers will be faithful and that the harvest will be plentiful as the Spirit opens blind eyes and unchains captive hearts.
And do please let us know how your Christianity Explored courses are going too ... you may not have quite as much going on as our Brazilian brothers and sisters but we'd still love to hear your news!
