“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!
There was much interest in the office yesterday at a new survey ranking 200 jobs, from best to worst. The big question: which TGBC employee had the best (and worst) job?
IT guru Jonny Barker won the contest; software engineer came in at third on the US-produced list, which ranks jobs based on five criteria: physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook.
The editorial team lost, collectively; publication editor is down at 168, four below carpet installer and eight below refuse collector. It could be worse, though: newspaper reporter (which I used to be) is rock bottom, at 200. You can see the whole list here.... continue reading
Mirror, mirror on the wall ... Familiar words from a familiar tale. A woman, consumed with envy, repeatedly checking her magic mirror to see if she is beautiful enough. A caricature maybe. But she is not alone. Women, it seems, are particularly bad at seeing themselves as they truly are.
And that is something that has been borne out by a little experiment conducted by multinational company, Dove. They asked a series of women to describe themselves to a forensic artist - someone used to sketching faces from oral descriptions. Then, they asked someone else who had met the women to describe them to the same artist. Two sketches of each woman resulted - one as described by the woman herself; one described by an acquaintance. And what a difference there was!... continue reading
We're trying to grapple with the future at The Good Book Company. Are we heading towards the day when there will be few bookshops and all texts are read on an electronic device? Should we be heading towards that day with enthusiasm?
Many adults I speak to throw up their hands in horror at the thought. They have a love affair with tree books - the feel, the smell, the portability, the comfort all combine to make them staunch defenders of the traditional paperback.
But there are commercial pressures. The expense of printing, storing, transporting and handling all disappear when the "book" becomes information on a computer to be downloaded in a moment. And there are cultural pressures from the younger generation, that do everything on the device they carry round with them - talk, interact, read, write and explore.... continue reading
Please do join with us as we pray for our publishing friends, Crossway. Based in the Chicago area which has suffered severe flooding in recent weeks their offices are under a significant level of water.
Their work for the gospel is such an encouragement to many, do please be interceding for them this week.
Prominent people in the public eye tend to be reduced to caricatures. None more so than Baroness Thatcher, who is buried today in a state funeral attended by dignitaries from around the world. Such is the strength of feeling about her character, acts and legacy, that there are expected to be protests along the route of the procession.
Love her or hate her - no one divided opinion like "Maggie" - who was elected Prime Minister at a dark time in British political and economic history. Her influence as the first (and so far only) British Female Prime Minister is with us today in the shape of the UK's cultural landscape - both in political life and in economics. No one can deny her influence. I was travelling widely internationally as a journalist during Maggie's residency of No 10. Everywhere I went - even countries in the Middle East that had felt the full force of her "handbagging" - people had an enormous admiration for her, and respect for the Britain as a result, whereas previously we had been seen as a spent force, at least economically.... continue reading
Praying for our brothers and sisters in Boston.
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psalm 46, ESV
The Gospel Coalition's outstanding National Conference took place this week in Orlando, Florida. As usual it featured a host of top speakers, superb music from Keith and Kristyn Getty and a plethora of breakout sessions. But this time, there was something brand new: a focus on youth work.
The Good Book Company sponsored two workshops, the first looking at Jesus' mission to the next generation led by Dave Wright and Tim Hawkins, and the second thinking about how to build a youth ministry based "on Jesus rather than jokes" with Nate Morgan Locke and Josh Cousineau. Several hundred youth workers attended the sessions which inspired a host of conversations, many delegates staying on afterwards to discuss their particular situations with the speakers.
On the final day, The Good Book Company put on a Youth work panel, moderated by Tim Challies and including all of the previous day's speakers. The session covered topics as varied as youth ministry philosophy, time management and the most important foundation of all work with young people: making- and keeping - the gospel central. Tim Hawkins said "Youth ministry is an area that is often overlooked and under-resourced, so it was fantastic to be able to encourage these guys and think together about keeping our youth ministries centered on Jesus."
Both Tim Hawkins and Nate Morgan Locke are staying in the US with speaking engagements and training events lined up across the country. As well as training, Nate is introducing the new look line up for Christianity Explored's youth range which launched at the conference. "It's great to be able to spend time with my counterparts in the US" said Nate, "and our prayer at Christianity Explored, is that these new-look youth resources will be a great blessing to the church as they reach out to a new generation."
