The girls in the cleaning department at a London bus depot were looking forward to Christmas. They were discussing plans for the holiday as Will Stewart, London City Mission evangelist, approached with LCM calendars for the following year.He asked them what they thought was the true meaning of Christmas. After a considered silence one…
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Omri Jenkins, who died on 2 September2003 aged 88, was born in Llandybie, Carmarthenshire, a small village in south-west Wales. His parents were converted during the 1904 Revival and he was named after a respected evangelist.His early years were spent in the Pentecostal fellowship which they attended. Omri could set no date for his…
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You've probably forgotten. It happened back in August. Even then it may not have stirred your interest. Five Britons and a Canadian, living in Saudi Arabia and facing sentences ranging from death to 12 years in prison, were given free royal pardons and released from jail. The charges related to a…
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Iwant to tell you about one eventful day in the life of an otherwise unknown man.I suppose I ought to begin at the beginning, but I'm sorry, I can't do that. This is because Luke, although an accurate historian, didn't tell us everything. The event took place in Jerusalem. To be more precise, it…
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When we first met Rachel she was seven years old and slept at night in the back of a jeepney – a form of public transport in the Philippines – with her grandmother, who was sick with TB. Her mother had died in childbirth and her father had disappeared. We had been praying as…
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There are an estimated 160 million street children in the world – 1 million in the Philippines, 40 million throughout Latin America (8,000 on the streets of Bogotá, Colombia). Who takes care of them when they are ill? When we are sick, we have people to look after us, a bed to sleep in,…
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I was born in 1954 in communist Czechoslovakia, now divided into two countries � the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I hated the unjust, oppressive system so, in my twenties, I fled the country illegally to seek truth and freedom in the West. I settled in Germany, got a good job, and lived out the…
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The New Testament begins with the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In different ways, each Gospel tells the story of an extraordinary man.This person, Jesus of Nazareth, claimed to have been sent into the world by God - indeed, he claimed to be the Son of the living God. He said…
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Before I became a Christian I thought Christianity was a thing of the past. My personal view of church was of a place full of old ladies wearing hats and long faces! When I came across open-air preachers I went out of my way to wind them up.But at that time I didn't realise…
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Remember the Late Summer Holiday weekend? We certainly do. About 80,000 people 'invaded' Reading to attend the annual music festival held on the outskirts of the town centre. Apparently the festival-goers spent £7 million pounds, ate 250,000 hotdogs and drank nearly 2 million pints of lager during their brief stay in the town!In the…
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This August, during our summer holiday in Europe, my family and I enjoyed a day out in Geneva. It was instructive.In the morning, we visited St Peter's Church, where John Calvin preached regularly during his years there as pastor. In the afternoon, we went on a tour of the United Nations offices, located towards…
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The process of becoming a Christian was quite a gradual one for me, taking place over a period of time. It all started when I realised that I wasn't a Christian, though I had thought I was for many years.I used to go to church with my grandmother. I enjoyed this very much: the…
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Neglected and ill, a young man still in his mid-twenties lay in his small rented room. Gerhard Tersteegen had deliberately cut himself off from his family and friends. He had done so in the mistaken belief that by living a solitary existence, far from the religious confusion of his day, he might find God.Aribbon-weaver…
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'Very few men', said Sir William Bragg, 'have changed the face of the world as Faraday has done. He was one of the greatest experimental philosophers that ever appeared ... and of his discoveries none has had more consequences than that which he made in 1831 ... on this has been founded all those…
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I have believed in God since my school days, but life presented too many opportunities to have fun and do my own stuff to be tied down with religion. I have been churchgoer all of my life, but once I was old enough to understand what was being preached, my 'auto-defence' systems tried to…
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My name is Yuan Lei (Lilian) and I come from China. I am studying pharmacology at the University of Sheffield. I would like to share with you my experience of becoming and growing as a Christian. I first heard about the Lord Jesus Christ in China, when I was 18 years old. And it…
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As a child I can remember having a misty, distant understanding of God. However, I continued on through my teens and early adulthood oblivious to the fact that I was without Christ and without hope. I can recall occasions when I would wake up in the middle of the night with a feeling of…
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I was born into a large family - one of seven. None of us went to church. But as far back as I can remember I believed there was a God, although I had no understanding of him.My lifestyle was very materialistic. My quest for fun and fulfilment revolved around wine-bars and nightclubs. I…
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Dear Rebecca,At long last a quiet moment to let you have some news. For weeks we've been up to our eyes coping with the census crowds. I sincerely hope Caesar Augustus doesn't decide to have another one for a very long time. We've been busy day and night. Everyone was wanting something or other,…
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The Baraka Christian congregation in Bethlehem held its annual family conference recently. Pastor Victor Atallah spoke on the theme: ‘In Christ — one people of God and one offspring of Abraham’. Most families participating are Palestinians from Bethlehem and the nearby towns of Beit-Jalla and Beit-Sahour. Some were able to secure Israeli government permits…
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'There was a very big EMPTY gap in my life that I tried to fill with people, friends, going to clubs, bars and lots of other things. But nothing in my life was working out'.Joneish and Saroj Rahl, a young Indian couple, attend West Park Church in Wolverhampton. They were married last year. Here…
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Jesus was born so that God could become man. To believe this will radically affect your attitude to Christmas. At Christmas most people are more concerned with the death of a turkey than the birth of a Saviour. Consequently they miss the whole point of this wonderful time of the year.Jesus is God. Many…
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Afriend of mine visited one of H.M. Prisons recently to preach the Christian gospel to the inmates. A law-abiding neighbour commented, 'Ah yes, they obviously need it; they wouldn't be there if they didn't.' Most people would agree - those in jail are there because of bad actions and need converting from their evil…
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Here we go again! Cards and crackers, parties and presents, feasting and fun, mistletoe and make-believe, turkey with all the trimmings and decorations soon to become debris - it must be Christmas! The build-up seems to begin earlier every year. By the early days of December the Christmas juggernaut is on auto-pilot. It sweeps…
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Icannot remember a time when I did not believe that I was a sinner deserving God's judgement, but that Jesus Christ, God's Son, had died on the cross so that I could be forgiven. But I also knew that just believing in God, going to church every week, or even praying, did not make…
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Many people think that we evolved - that over aeons of time simple molecules combined to form primitive life-forms which eventually evolved into men. But this is without any firm scientific foundation. Medical science has shown us the remarkable workings of DNA - with its digital-computer-like control mechanism for making all the proteins necessary…
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I grew up without a father - and with a mother who didn't want me. I can remember a sad childhood. I never felt loved.We lived with my grandparents and, as grandmother was a medium, spiritualism was part of everyday life. By my early teens I wanted to find happiness but looked in all…
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I was born in to a Jewish family in prosperous Vienna, Austria, in 1930. Although my parents did not strictly observe the Jewish religion, father took my brother and me to synagogue occasionally. Mother never went. Then came the Anschluss to shatter our secure world. Our parents immediately explained that because the Nazis were…
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As a child I went to Sunday school and church every week. At home, as a family, we read the Bible together. My parents explained that I should make my own mind up about being a Christian and that they could not do that for me.In my mid-teens I became very confused by the…
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Growing up in the political uncertainty of Northern Ireland, the possibility of emigrating to Australia kept cropping up in family discussions. The promise of a better life Down Under (and the ten pounds assisted passage!) made emigration not only attractive but also affordable.The more my parents spoke of Australian life - the strange animals,…
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The birth of Christ has one great purpose - to bring about the 'birth' of faith. The God who bridged the gap between the divine and the human when he gave Christ to the world, is the same God who bridges the gap between unbelief and faith in our hearts' experience.The Christmas hymn makes…
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The word ‘heaven’ is found some 244 times in the New Testament. Yet, many people are vague about what heaven is, and how we get there.For example, one often hears that heaven is ‘only a state of mind’. No doubt, heaven is a state of blessedness. But, in his prayer of dedication of the…
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Michael Green is well known as a writer of a large number of evangelistic and apologetic books, as a preacher at university missions, as a theologian, and as an evangelical Anglican minister. In this book he reflects on fifty years in the Christian ministry.It is a strange book. It is not an autobiography, although…
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Those who have striven for many years for the cause of true evangelical ecumenism can easily be overwhelmed with a sense of weariness, sometimes bordering on cynicism. There seems to be so little enthusiasm for the project. Few seem to feel the force of the New Testament imperatives — or are even aware of…
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It was a lethal combination! A small church, a large congregation, and the hottest month of the year in Malawi — October — odiously referred to by a former British colonialist as ‘suicide month’. I watched from my seat on the platform, sitting next to the well-dressed pastor (in a neatly pressed…
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Malawi has a rich Christian heritage, beginning with its famous pioneer missionary, David Livingstone. During the twentieth century, the Church of Scotland, Free Church of Scotland and Dutch Reformed Church, co-operated to form the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP). This new denomination became so influential in Malawi that by the late…
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A godly Christian I once knew used to pepper her conversation with the expression 'DV'. We do not hear this expression very much today, but the initials stand for the Latin Deo Volente - which means 'God willing' or, more loosely, 'If the Lord wills'.‘DV’comes from James 4:15 — ‘If the Lord wills, we…
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Spiritual warfare has been a feature of the Christian faith since Pentecost. The term is used firstly to describe the battle between good and evil, and — more specifically — God’s overruling and conquest of the influence of evil in the world.Secondly, it is used of the proclamation of the gospel and the opposition…
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Whatever you may think about the ministry of John Piper, there can be no doubt that his publications have substantially raised the profile of Jonathan Edwards. With all his remarkable appeal to the experience-soaked world of contemporary Evangelicalism, Piper has made it almost fashionable for Evangelicals to know something about the life and opinions…
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After two relatively brief stints pastoring in New York and Bolton, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards served as a tutor at his alma mater in New Haven from 1724 to 1726. It was, however, a situation in which he was not entirely happy. He finally found his niche in August 1726, when he was invited to…
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To look around us and find spiritual lessons in everyday objects and events can stimulate our minds to be constantly aware of our heavenly calling. It can also provide children’s talks or serve to raise spiritual subjects with our children or grandchildren!Alexander Cruden defined parables as ‘the illustration of spiritual things by familiar earthly…
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Preaching at one of our Bible conferences several years ago, Pastor Scot Richardson made a profound statement about preaching. He said, 'Preaching is getting a message from God's heart to my heart and delivering it to your heart. Anything else is just filling in time'. What a profound, insightful and needful statement! The Lord…
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'Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near...' (10:19-22)An edited extract fromA glorious high throne- a…
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AMalawian pastor recently remarked: ‘The problem here, as in much of Africa, is that the body often does not get the balanced, nourishing diet it needs to grow properly’. He was not referring to their physical needs but to the development of the church. He continued: ‘Although the Evangelical church is growing…
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Eighteen-year-old Margaret Wilson could have saved her life by simply acknowledging allegiance to James II as the head of the church. She had already seen her older companion and friend Margaret Lachlison drown, tied to a stake, as the tide rose further out in the waters of the Solway Firth. The soldiers pulled her…
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To ask this question would once have been as redundant as asking ‘Is the pope Catholic?’ Yet this was the question investigated recently on prime Irish TV time, by the national broadcaster’s RTE One. The programme — subtitled ‘Ireland’s curious relationship with religion’ — presented the findings of a survey of religious views…
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It has been some years since we lived in Malawi working with the Zambesi Mission, so it was with a sense of uncertainty that I revisited recently. Would Malawi have changed under its new president? Would my old friends still remember me? Would the church have made progress? The answers were all…
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The Baha’i faith — to which the British weapons expert Dr David Kelly converted some four years ago — could hold a clue to his frame of mind before he committed suicide, a friend believes. Lord Hutton’s inquiry into the circumstances of his tragic death was told about the teachings of the faith and…
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What does Osama bin Laden have in common with Jim Jones, David Koresh, Shoko Asahara and Dan Lafferty? To begin with, they are all deeply religious. They are also extremists of one kind or another who have devoted themselves to the zealous pursuit of their religious ideals.Furthermore, these people have in common the use…
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Jonathan Edwards (2) J onathan Edwards was born exactly 300 years ago on 5 October 1703 at East Windsor, Connecticut, a town then far from the centres of power and influence in the transatlantic Anglophone world. His father, Timothy Edwards (d.1758), was pastor of the town’s Congregational Church for more than 63 years. His…
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On the Continent, and in France especially, Claude Vorilhon is well known. For one thing, he was a former French racing driver and sports magazine editor. During the 1980s and 1990s, Vorilhon travelled extensively in order to race in his Mazda RX 7 Turbo.What made him even better known, however, was an experience he…
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It was in 1957 that I was appointed to my first country school — a one-teacher school at ‘Iron Pot Creek’, about 30 miles from the nearest town in northern New South Wales, Australia.I was not a Christian, but had my Bible packed with my belongings (I had attended worship with my parents each…
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Christian experts agree — the older we grow, the more we need the family of God.You have probably seen alarming newspaper stories about elderly people and residential care homes over the last couple of years.You might have read headlines like, ‘Alice Knight, 108, starves herself to death’, following a forced move from her nursing…
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Life was never boring when my husband David and I were living in Turkey. Difficult, eventful, yes — but never boring! Waiting on the railway platform at Izmir, returning from my weekly visit supporting expatriate children being home-schooled, a friendly village woman chatted to me about the impossibility of her buying local…
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'Surprisingly few adults outside of Christianity have positive views of Christians'. So ran the headline of a media release from a US-based Christian research organisation at the end of 2002.1Based on a random telephone poll, researchers concluded: ‘One reason why Evangelical churches across the nation are not growing is due to the image that…
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Humanly speaking, the Protestant Reformation began in Germany, where Martin Luther discovered justification by faith alone and spoke out against the errors of Rome. As the Reformation spread to other lands, and new leaders emerged, German preachers and theologians remained in the forefront of what was perhaps the greatest spiritual movement since…
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Ye servants of God, your Master proclaimAnd publish abroad his wonderful Name ...Many of us have sung Charles Wesley’s great hymn with hearty approval. And rightly so for, as servants of the Most High God, we have a responsibility to ‘proclaim’ Christ and ‘publish abroad his wonderful Name’.But are we actually doing it? No…
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Every morning a small group of men meet for a time of prayer and Bible study in the little church in Kalacha, in the north of Kenya. Led by one of the missionaries, the group are currently working through the Psalms, and one morning during my recent visit they came to Psalm…
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3. Proper manAs we turn the early pages of biblical revelation, two striking images of man quickly emerge. The first portrays him as the most noble of all God’s creatures, created ‘in [God’s] image, in [his] likeness’ (Genesis 1:26).His place in the universe is unique. Not only is he God’s special representative on earth,…
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Turkey, Armenia and Lithuania are three countries which today seem to have very little in common. However, as with so many parts of the world, these places are in dire need of sound and accurate editions of the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make their inhabitants ‘wise unto salvation’ (2 Timothy 3:15). The…
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Most of us are too polite to say out loud, 'Mind your own business!' But when someone gets a little too pointed in their advice to us, we are tempted to think it. Why do we react so instinctively? Is there a ‘Don’t tell me what to do’ strand buried in our DNA? Well,…
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Omri Jenkins, who died on 2 September2003 aged 88, was born in Llandybie, Carmarthenshire, a small village in south-west Wales. His parents were converted during the 1904 Revival and he was named after a respected evangelist.His early years were spent in the Pentecostal fellowship which they attended. Omri could set no date for his…
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The writings of the New England divine Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) are of special importance when it comes to the subject of the Holy Spirit’s work in personal renewal and corporate revival.This is because — as Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said — Edwards is ‘pre-eminently the theologian of revival’. His writings on the subject possess ongoing…
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Once, you had to be a world traveller to see other cultures first-hand. Today, these cultures exist almost anywhere in Britain. In most town centres you will find Chinese, Indian, Thai, Italian and other restaurants. The turbans and veils, temples and mosques, music and dance, shops and hospitals, indicate a racially mixed and multi-cultural…
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Spurgeon’s friend and host, Dr Bennet, is buried at Menton in the higher of the two cemeteries above the old town, apparently in the same grave as his sister’s family.Some of the best sea views are from up here, and it is enjoyable finding one’s way up to this spot through the maze of…
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How did the local church worship in New Testament times? Last month we began to look at the issues raised by Jon Zens in his response to William Horsburgh's review of his teaching (ET June 2003).Our first article questioned the assumption that 1 Corinthians 14 was typical and normative of worship in apostolic times.…
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Fact File – Madagascar Area: 226,657 square miles; the fourth largest island in the world; lying east of Mozambique. Environment : The climate is tropical on the coast, temperate inland, and arid in the south and south west. Madagascar has a narrow coastal plain and central mountainous plateau (Maromokotro 2,876 metres). It experiences…
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The immediate background to Bernard's life was the 10th-century revival of monasticism. The centre of this revival was the monastery at Cluny in France (between Dijon and Lyons) founded in 910 by Duke William of Aquitaine. It was believed that the highest state of spirituality could only be attained by means of monastic seclusion.…
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The Malagasy people are a unique mix of Indonesian and African. Their religion is based on ancestor worship. Madagascar is famous for its cults of the dead. The capital is full of boutiques, internet cafes and cars — yet most Malagasy live far from ‘civilisation’ and cook home-grown rice on wood fires,…
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In November 1868, Richard Hobson took up his ministry in Windsor - the rudest, most deprived region of south-east Liverpool. Moved by faith, love and prayer, he lost no time.He was urgent to make a fresh beginning in the things of God for the people of Windsor. On the day of his arrival he…
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Eschatology is the doctrine of ‘Last Things’. If we want to know what sort of things are included under that heading, 2 Peter 3 is a good chapter to read.In this passage the apostle Peter speaks about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 4), the destruction of this present world (vv. 10,…
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Created in God's image (2)Man, as originally made, was a truly remarkable creature. Not for him the status of a mere cog in a meaningless universe. On the contrary, here is one who was uniquely made.The Triune God had created him ‘in our image, in our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). As such, he could stand…
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One of the great problems for a 21st-century Christian in a highly materialistic society is the issue of contentment. We are bombarded daily with seductive offers and attractions — better jobs, flashy cars, new kitchens, health club memberships, fashionable clothes and so on.How can the believer overcome the temptation to seek more and more…
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Madagascar is a large island (1,000 miles long and 300 miles across) 250 miles off the east coast of Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. No one knows the origins of the indigenous people, although it seems fairly certain that Malagasy culture has Malayo-Polynesian roots. Many of…
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Barry Horner is an American pastor who has spent many years studying the life and writings of John Bunyan. He writes from an American perspective, not always applicable to the scene in Britain.The author’s purpose is to stimulate interest in Bunyan’s famous allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, and to turn our attention from the book’s literary…
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Roger Thomas is a full-time evangelistic worker for the Welsh-speaking Evangelical Church in Aberystwyth. ETasked Roger to outline his work — to stimulate all of us to consider the evangelistic opportunities open to our own churches, and to help us pray for those engaged in such ministries. He writes: I became a…
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In 1996 a small mission hospital called the Good News Hospital was opened in Mandritsara, a market town in the northern interior of Madagascar. This is a remote but populous area, where almost everyone lives by subsistence farming — mainly of rice and cattle. The hospital was begun by a team from…
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What is happening to our culture? Recent figures for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among our young people have surely shocked us. Increases of 500% and clinics overwhelmed with patients are not just disturbing — they are devastating.Questions come thick and fast: What is going wrong? Why is the message of safe sex not heeded?…
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Iam continuing my review of The new Mormon challenge (Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, Paul Owen: general editors, Zondervan, 2002), a new book by evangelical Christians which responds to the latest apologetic writings of Mormonism.The book is valuable in explaining and describing how the movement is now promoting and defending its message worldwide.While the…
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was, of course, the famous preacher who ministered for most of his life in London, and was used by God for the salvation of many thousands of souls.This was achieved not only through his preaching, but also by his many articles and books. By 1873, the Metropolitan Tabernacle had 4,417…
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Weare all familiar with the economic concept of inflation, where the prices of commodities increase with time. In recent decades there has also been a distinct trend toward educational inflation. In other words, the qualifications required of potential employees are being continuously revised upwards. This tendency can also affect the church.QuagmireIt ought to be…
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Fact File – The Czech Republic Area: 30,450 square miles comprising Bohemia, Moravia and part of Silesia. Neighbours: Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. Environment: The Czech Republic is landlocked. Its terrain consists of rolling plains, hills and plateaux, surrounded by low mountains. It has temperate, cool summers and cold, humid…
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When Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) recounted the story of God's remarkable work in his town of Northampton in 1734-1735, he noted that it was not an isolated occurrence. At the very time revival was bursting forth in Northampton, the glory of God was also being displayed in the salvation of sinners in other towns in…
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Reserved, polite, careful, searching — all these words could be used to describe the character of the Czech people. But as the products of a harsh, ideological, atheistic Communism that dominated the land for 40 years, they are also a misled people — deceived, lost and hardened. Real people I used to teach English…
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The Scriptures repeatedly display a tight connection between the coming of the Holy Spirit and the subsequent proclamation of the Word of God. This connection is seen frequently in the Old Testament.In Numbers 11, as a fulfilment of God's promise to Moses, the Holy Spirit is given to the seventy elders of Israel, with…
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It is unthinkable for the people of Christ to go back into Judaism (or any other religious system for that matter). Going back is a journey to darkness, a stumbling into that which is 'obsolete - ageing, soon to disappear' (Hebrews 8:13).It is like one who awakes to the sunrise, blinks at the brightness…
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Last month we explored the current phenomenal rise in paganism in our society, along with the reasons for it and explanation of the 'big ideas' that hold the movement together. We will now look at a biblical response.In essence our response can be considered under five headings - creation, miracles, revelation, Jesus and prayer.CreationWhen…
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Recently it was a privilege to spend a few days with Zdenìk and Nicola Karásek in Liberec, teaching God’s Word in relation to creation. Liberec is close to the old East German and Polish borders in the Bohemian Mountains. It was here that the Nazis walked into Sudetenland, after the 1938 Munich agreement with…
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In our June issue William Horsburgh reviewed the teaching of Jon Zens (and his magazine Searching together) on the subject of church practice. Following publication of that article, we received a most gracious and courteous reply from Jon, which runs as follows:Reply'Dear Friends at ET: Several UK readers of ET pointed out to me…
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Two hundred years ago it was legal to own a slave but illegal to have an abortion. Today it is legal to have an abortion but illegal to own a slave. It raises a very real question - is there an absolute law to which Christians can appeal to counter the relativism of our…
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The Czech Republic is one of the most atheistic lands in the world. Its atheism is somewhat different from the new atheism of post-Christian western democracies. Ours is not a pluralist multi-faith society with the Christian faith under sustained attack from secular humanists. Ironically, the Czech Republic, with its slightly old-fashioned post-Communist atmosphere, is…
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The people of Liverpool wept the day Canon Richard Hobson retired. In 'sixteen acres of the city's sin' a wonderful transformation had taken place. How was it, for example, that in a street once known as 'the little hell', an open-air service could be held as the residents united to hear God's Word and…
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Left to ourselves, our views on the nature and condition of man lean towards one of two extremes. Either we are more optimistic than experience actually warrants, or else we are more pessimistic than a proper exposure to the whole truth demands. On the former assessment, man is virtually a god; he 'determines for…
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If the shelves of the nation's bookshops are any reliable guide to its interests, we have problems, serious problems.My local bookshop has replaced the label over the section called 'Religion'. It is now called 'Mysticism' - and this is no mere window dressing. Instead of Bibles, commentaries and volumes on Christian living, or even…
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Hardly a day passes without an incident of racial discrimination or riot being brought to our attention, whether in the UK or around the world. It worries me when people dealing with these issues make superficial claims that they will eradicate this problem from society. They display an unrealistic idealism and create a false…
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At the invitation of Brian Ellis, a veteran Reformed Baptist missionary pastor, I recently had the privilege of participating in the wonderful life of Cubao Reformed Baptist Church in Quezon City, a large city constituting part of greater Manila. In 1978, Pastor Ellis began a church in his home. Now 25 years later, it…
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'You seem a very temperate people here, and in comfortable circumstance', observed Cardinal Newman to a miner, while on a walking holiday in Cornwall. 'How do you account for it?' The miner, slowly lifting his hat, respectfully answered, 'There came a man among us once. His name was John Wesley'. In that simple answer…
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The sun was approaching its zenith in the Amazon forest of the River Japura basin. But for the endless shrill of crickets and the loud whistle of a bird, the silence of the forest was enchanting and complete. A party of four men make their way through trackless undergrowth. Two are rubber tappers, serving…
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Iam a Reformed missionary living in Villa Carlos Paz. This is a city in Cordoba province, a nine-hour drive into the interior of Argentina. I am now seeing a different kind of Argentina – a nation whose landscape is as varied as its people and culture – from the one I studied (or envisioned)…
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The facts are staggering and we need to be aware of them. I am referring to the Mormons or, officially, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Did you know, for example, that there are now over eleven million Mormons worldwide? Each year they win more than 310,000 converts. What is disturbing is that…
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Sixteen years of age. A young wife. A teenage Queen. A tiny childlike figure at the scaffold, dwarfed by the executioner. She struggles to the execution block and the axe is swung. Beheaded at 16, Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for nine days, is with her Saviour in his eternal kingdom. Jane had…
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It frequently happens that God, prior to doing a great work of revival and renewal among a community of his people, raises up forerunners and heralds of the work. The best biblical example of this was John the Baptist, whose heart-searching message of repentance prepared the way for the public appearance of Jesus the…
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Roger Fay reviews Noel Gibbard's book on the 1904 RevivalDuring March 1944, General William Slim's forces in Burma wrested an 800ft rock called Mandalay Hill from the grip of Japanese soldiers. They defended it to the last man.Slim visited the scene of battle shortly afterwards. He wrote: 'Through all this noise and the clatter…
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The 'Word-faith' movementby Chris HandPicture this church. Wouldn't you like to be part of it? Its meetings draw huge numbers, with reports of conversions and amazing testimonies. Compelling speakers deliver word-perfect addresses liberally sprinkled with Bible quotations. Its statements of faith seem orthodox and evangelical, and there are vigorous programmes to help poor and…
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Said Spurgeon, 'If we do not honour the Holy Spirit, we cannot expect him to work with us, for he will be grieved, and leave us to find out our helplessness' (adapted from sermon No. 1151). We do well to take these words to heart.The longer we perpetuate a DIY principle in our Christian…
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'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God ...' (2 Timothy 3:16). There is no question as to what makes the Bible 'profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness'. It is the fact that God himself is its author. How can this be? The Holy Spirit inspired men of his…
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The Epistle to the Hebrews is full of Christ. Wonderfully rich 'portraits' set him forth as the Son of God and also as the great high priest. Moreover, this revelation of Christ is never theoretical, but comes with challenging applications to his people. Severe joltBut first, stand back and consider how the revelation of…
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Is the small but growing movement of 'Zensism' - named by some after its principal advocate Jon Zens - just another strand of Brethrenism, or is it something different and misleading? This article explores this question.Jon ZensJon Zens became editor of Baptist Reformation Review in 1978. The magazine's name was changed to Searching Together…
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The rector had fallen out with his wife Susanna. She would not say 'Amen' at the end of family prayers when he prayed for William III. Her sympathies were Jacobite.Even though a large family needed his support, off went Rev. Samuel Wesley in a huff to London, vowing never again to have anything to…
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Area: 756,066 square miles. Neighbouring countries: USA, Guatemala and Belize. Environment: Mexico has high central mountains (highest peak 5,700m) and plateaus, and low coastal plains especially in the Yucatan peninsula. Its climate is hot desert in the north and tropical in the south. However, most of Mexico lacks adequate rainfall. The coasts are exposed…
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Tall and gangly, Ernesto had a quick smile – especially for the ladies. His light skin was the envy of every Pima girl. Isidra, Ernesto’s wife, was the first female believer of the indigenous Pima people, and mother of his four children. She loved him dearly, but Ernesto felt he needed several women to…
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'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost ... Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live' (Isaiah 55:1-3).Five times in three verses God says, 'Come'. We…
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It was 4.00am and a small launch containing two men plied its way down the Amazon, keeping to the middle of the river to take advantage of the current. The helmsman, wanting some coffee, signalled to Sandoval who was in charge of the engine. On his way to the galley, Sandoval slipped overboard, his…
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The hymns of Charles Wesley (1707-1788) John Wesley's heir apparent, John Fletcher, one remarked that next to the Bible 'one of the greatest blessings that God has bestowed upon the Methodists ... is their hymns'. The central figure behind these hymns, of course, was Charles Wesley, the eighteenth child born to Samuel Wesley and…
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Faith towards Christ has nothing whatsoever to do with physical acts, physical posture, or physical movement. But, in the Word of God, faith is often described symbolically by bodily actions. Looking, coming, fleeing Saving faith is looking to Christ, as the perishing Israelites looked to the brazen serpent and were healed. The Lord Jesus…
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Muslims have an advantage over Christians. Their scriptures - which they believe were given by their god to Mohammed - have been preserved during the last 1,400 years in such a way that there is little variation between manuscripts. The true God, however, did not see fit to preserve his Word in that way,…
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'Never before in the history of Christianity', writes Ruth Tucker of Calvin Theological Seminary, 'has there been such a complete move to orthodox Christianity by an unorthodox fringe church'.Eddie Gibbs, professor in Fuller Theological Seminary, claims, 'The transformation of WCG represents a unique phenomenon in church history'. An exaggeration? Possibly, but the change is…
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The building known as the 'Old Temperance' in Reeth has had a very varied history since it was first built in 1730. Situated beside the village green in Reeth, in beautiful Swaledale, it has been a public house, a hotel, a baker's shop, a band room, a licensed restaurant, a grocer's shop and a…
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The spreading phenomenon of New Age is causing disquiet in Vatican circles. Two influential Pontifical Councils (for Culture and for Inter-religious Dialogue) have recently published a long document addressed to Catholic catechists - providing guidelines on how to interpret and respond to the New Age movement. Religious motivationsThe document Jesus Christ the bearer of…
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The birth pains of the Protestant church in Roman Catholic Mexico came shortly after a time of great political upheaval the 25 years of turmoil and bloodshed that followed Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821. By 1848, Mexico had lost half her territory to the USA. Riots Little is recorded of Protestant missionary work…
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Part 2In the first article of this short series we linked Spurgeon's fruitfulness in the gospel with his preaching of that gospel. If we wonder why Spurgeon was so successful, the answer lies in a phrase he once used: 'That which God does by our instrumentality' (adapted from sermon No. 1981). These words contain…
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June 21st is the longest day of the year - the day when the sun rises the earliest and sets the latest. Before 21 June, the days get longer. Afterwards they grow shorter, until the dark days of winter are on us once again. If we believe the Bible, we look beyond these regular…
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A new Church of England report, Cohabitation: a Christian reflection, questions whether young people should be 'burdened' with the church's traditional teaching on sex before marriage.The report fears that the Church’s traditional stance has become unrealistic and irrelevant to an increasing number of young worshippers, because society has changed. To retain their allegiance, they…
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‘A feeling, a very funny feeling, a feeling that you’ve never felt before. A feeling that you feel that you feel you ought to feel, and it leaves you with a feeling evermore.’An amusing jingle that has probably graced the pages of many an autograph book, and brought a knowing nod from a love-sick…
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I have a theory that most Christians face discouragement so often that when encouragement comes along we are not sure how to handle it. We look at our feet and think: 'Are they talking to me?' Y et the Word of God is full of encouragements and calls for us to encourage one another.…
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Evangelical revivals of the 18th Century by Michael A. G. Haykin 2. George Whitefield and friends L ast month’s article on the Great Awakening (the first of this series) ended with the prayer for revival of two Congregationalist ministers — Isaac Watts (1674-1748) and John Guyse (1680-1761). Yet, amazingly, the revival for which they…
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The Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF) has for several years provided regular support for six congregations in Iraq – two in Badhdad (Arabic and Assyrian), and congregations in Mousel, Kirkuk, Basra and Arbeil. This report relates largely to these fellowships. The MERF Arabic broadcasting team have produced a special series of daily gospel broadcasts…
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Waterford, a harbour town on the southern coast of Ireland, is not a regular destination for visiting tourists. Its name is rarely associated with the grand stream of Irish church history. But concealed in this obscurity is one of the most important churches in the history of the worldwide Baptist movement. In the early…
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Iain Murray's new book, Wesley and Men who Followed, marked the tercentenary of the birth of John Wesley and is published by Banner of Truth. This article is an abridgement of the final chapter. Methodism at the height of its influence in the mid-nineteenth century was a startling phenomenon. In 1861 membership in Britain…
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Area: 1 million square miles. Neighbouring countries : Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay. Environment : Argentina’s climate, although mainly temperate, varies from subtropical in the north to subantarctic in the south-west. Its terrain ranges from fertile Pampas in the north to Patagonian steppes in the south. The Andes lie to the…
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Actually, I’m sixty-one! In some ways I feel like I’m twenty-five, and now that I have cut down on some of my excesses, I can run like I did then. Well, maybe not — but I have to try because I need to keep up with the young men who play on my baseball…
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New Apostolic Church (3)by Eryl DaviesThere are four questions that must be discussed in this final article on the NAC. These questions enable us to explore further the ethos and fallibility of this group.Is the NAC cultic?Our first question is basic: Is the NAC cultic? Consider the following evidence. We are informed that ‘Faithful…
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One bite of fruit taken from a tree in the garden seemed harmless enough. So Eve thought. However, one bite plunged the perfect world into chaos. One bite unleashed the disease of sin, which soon led to the first murder.Every child since Cain and Abel is born with a bias to sin. We all…
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Recently it was my privilege to meet a man who, five years earlier, had been converted to Christ after fifteen years as a heroin addict. The Lord's means to deliver and save him was an open-air preacher who had faithfully preached Christ outside Whitechapel Tube Station in LondonIt was in Whitechapel, one Sunday afternoon…
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As the news headlines over the last 18 months testify, Argentina’s major economic crisis, unresolved for five years, has come to a head. Tensions climaxed in December 2001, when Argentina had five different presidents in 10 days, and 26 people died in street riots. But this is not the Republic’s real crisis. Hopelessness…
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Argentina is a marvellously rich and varied country, populated by 38 million people, one third of whom are concentrated in and around the capital city Buenos Aires. Another third are in the richest province (Buenos Aires). The rest live in a million cities, towns and villages scattered throughout the Republic. The literacy rate…
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Amazon - world of watersBrazil boasts the greatest river in the world. Though not quite the longest at 4,050 miles, the Amazon is without doubt the mightiest of waterways with a drainage area of 2,500 square miles and a water flow of 80,000 tons per second (enough to flood the whole of England six…
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Iam a missionary from the US-based Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and am privileged to be working with members of the St Andrew’s Presbytery in north-eastern Argentina. My colleagues and I assist this presbytery in church-planting in a town called Gualeguaychú. We are seeking to establish a Reformed Evangelical church, as well as a Bible…
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Some of God’s people see no need for revival in the UK. They see no need for a revolutionary change, either because there is too much going on already in the large and prosperous churches they attend, or because it has never occurred to them that the evangelical cause in the UK is in…
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It was midsummer 1859 and revival was sweeping across Ireland's northern counties. For months, a handful of young Christians, concerned about the spiritual state of the churches, had been praying that God would visit his people in an unusual way.The first fruits of the movement were witnessed in the village of Connor. Congregations increased…
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The Romanians have possessed at least part of the Scriptures in their own language since 1561. In the area of Transylvania now famous for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, deacon Coresi first translated the four Gospels for the spiritual benefit of his countrymen. It was another 80 years before the first New Testament was complete, and…
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In 1950, newly married and fresh out of graduate school, we accepted the pastorate of a struggling Baptist church that had turned for help to the Conservative Baptist movement.During the two-year pastorate in the little farming community we learned valuable lessons which helped prepare us for fifty years of missionary service. Pearl taught piano lessons…
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Italian Switzerland includes the canton of Ticino. The Protestant Reformed Church was established here in the nineteenth century and today has churches in towns like Muralto, Ascona, Locarno-Monti, Bellin-zona and Mesolcina. This denomination is like Reformed Churches in other parts of Switzerland. It enjoys media slots and teaching opportunities on radio and television, as…
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In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul makes the triumphant declaration: 'But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep'. But what did Paul actually mean when he referred to Christ's resurrection as 'the first fruits'?Feast of the LordThe 'Feast of the first fruits' dates from…
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We began to consider this movement last month. The New Apostolic Church (NAC) operates worldwide with about 60,000 congregations and more than 9 million members. There is extensive NAC activity in the United Kingdom. NAC work in England was launched in 1947 by two German detainees in a prisoner of war camp, at Langdon…
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Imagine you are in prison. You have done nothing ‘wrong’ apart from preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. You feel tense and fearful, and ask for God’s grace and strength. You want to stand strongly for the Saviour. You believe that he is the only answer to everyone’s sin and guilt. Only Christ…
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Those who like to think themselves scientific often make the claim that the Bible was written before the days of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, and so people were more prone to ascribe supernatural explanations to events which can now be explained by science.For example, such people might delight in pointing to Christopher Columbus'…
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We have been considering the offices that Christ occupies as our Redeemer. As Prophet he brings the Word of God to us. As Priest he offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins and now intercedes for us. This month we will consider him as King.The reason for selecting these three offices is that…
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In spite of secularism, the 'multi-faith' society, and the decline of biblical standards of morality and decency, more than 37 million people in England and Wales still claim Christianity as their religion. The figures come from the 2001 Census, the results of which were published on 13 February.This was the first time since 1851…
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In 1967, while serving as a young man with a missionary society in India, tuberculosis forced me into a sanatorium for several months. I did not yet speak the indigenous language, but tried to give Christian literature written in their own language to patients, doctors and nurses. Everyone refused – some politely, some rudely.…
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Sitting across a restaurant table from me was a man who had once been the prisoner of Saddam Hussein. Our surroundings were pleasant enough now - but we talked about war and hostages.Almost thirteen years ago Alan Barnett had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. His parents had been Christian missionaries,…
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1800 years ago, in the North African city of Carthage, two young Christian women, Perpetua and Felicitas, were put to death for their faith in Christ. At that time it was a crime to be a Christian. Perpetua was a well-educated noble-woman. Converted at the age of 22, she was married, with a son…
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In 1678 the Puritan preacher John Howe (1630-1705) delivered a series of sermons based on Ezekiel 39:29 in which he dealt with the subject of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In one of these sermons he said: 'When the Spirit shall be poured forth plentifully, I believe you will hear much other kind…
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Who would have thought it? The September uprising in the Ivory Coast took many by surprise. The Ivory Coast has for a long time been something of a role model in terms of its stability and development. Even in Africa, where political stability is not necessarily regarded as a virtue, the country was heading…
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An occasional series on doctrinal issues todayEvangelical Inclusivism. A growing threat to the traditional view of the destiny of the unevangelised by Alan HoweThose who have observed the wider evangelical scene over the past two decades will hardly need to be told that a massive defection from Christian orthodoxy has been taking place.Around twenty years…
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The last word from the cross is found in Luke 23:46: 'Father, "into your hands I commend my spirit".' There is often a fascination with the last words of dying people. No doubt they reveal hope or despair. It is of more than passing interest, then, just how the Lord Jesus Christ encountered death…
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Can the church fight apathy and materialism by feeding people’s appetite for entertainment? Evidently many in the church think so, as church after church jumps on the show-business bandwagon. It is a troubling trend that is luring many otherwise orthodox churches away from biblical priorities.What they wantChurch buildings are being constructed like theatres. Instead…
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Missionary pioneers first entered Thailand in the nineteenth century, during the reign of King NangKlao (1824-1851), the third king of the Chakri Monarchy. They came from Germany and England (1828) and from North America (1834). King MongKut (1851-1868) also welcomed missionaries and learned English from them. The earliest missionaries were able to teach…
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2. PriestWe are looking at the offices of Christ. Christ means anointed, and in the Old Testament, prophets, priests and kings were anointed. As the Shorter Catechism reminds us, Christ occupies the offices of a prophet, a priest and a king. Last month we looked at the prophetic office of Christ. As prophet he…
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To be Thai is to be Buddhist. Most social activities, including building houses, celebrating annual festivals and attending funerals, are tied up with Brahministic/animistic ceremonies. Buddhism receives ‘donations’ for its temples which are automatically docked from the wages of civil servants. Buddhist schoolchildren and students are expected to bow to Buddha as they…
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There appears to be an increasing trend on both sides of the Atlantic for churches and individuals to take on the financial support of pastors in third world countries. We frequently hear of national pastors ‘doing the circuit’ of reformed churches to raise support to go back to their homeland. At the same time,…
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Part 2'But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word' (Acts 6:4)Last month we looked at the first half of this verse. We saw the vital importance for pastors and preachers to give themselves to prayer. We now turn our attention to the second half of the verse…
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Kingdom of Thailand (formerly Siam) Area : 198,115 square miles. Neighbours : Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Environment : Thailand has a moist, tropical climate. Mountain ranges run from north to south, while the barren Khorat Plateau lies to the east, bordered by the Mekong River.There is a central…
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Tribal groups in Thailand have their own distinct language and culture, and many have their own unique religious system. Nearly all are said to have come from China and other areas north of Thailand in mass migrations over several thousand years. Today, most are found in remote, mountainous areas in the north of…
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New Apostolic Church (1) Part 2 is here by Eryl Davies It was another request for help, received almost a year ago from a missionary in Africa. I have been reminded of it at regular intervals. The request? Did I know anything about the teachings of the New Apostolic Church (NAC)? His reason…
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Thailand’s population is nearly 64 million — similar to UK but in an area twice its size. The majority are Thai; but there are also over 30 ethnic tribal groups, varying in size from a few hundred (such as the Yellow Leaf) to almost half a million (the Pwo Karen). Some tribes have…
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The cutting edgeAn occasional series on doctrinal issues todayThe early biblical critics were often quite cavalier in their treatment of the book of Genesis or the teachings of Paul, but they hesitated to criticise the person of Christ. Sadly, this is no longer the case.To give one example, Friedrich Schleiermacher — not altogether consistently…
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Henry Martyn (1771-1812) is one of the best-known nineteenth-century Christian missionaries. Yet, while Evangelicals have rightly treasured his letters and journals for their inspirational and devotional value, their political importance has been overlooked. Martyn lived during the Napoleonic Wars, a period of great international upheaval as the British empire clashed with its European rivals…
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Contender or agitator? On 8 October 1902, John Kensit died in the Liverpool Royal Infirmary, having been struck down nearly a fortnight earlier by a heavy iron file. What led this former choirboy, Sunday school teacher and London bookseller to such a dramatic and violent end? To many, John Kensit was a Protestant hero…
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6. It is finishedThe last three sayings from the cross must have occurred one after another in quick succession. ‘I thirst’, cried Jesus, ‘knowing that all things were now accomplished’ (John 19:28). Then immediately comes the sixth word from the cross: ‘It is finished!’ (John 19:30). In the Greek this is one word (tetelestai).…
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Earlier this year I wrote a column in support of the teaching of creationism and Darwinian Evolution side by side in science classes in the public schools in Kansas.That column ran in three newspapers in New Jersey. After presenting numerous scientific and philosophical reasons for questioning the theory of evolution, I concluded: ‘Belief in…
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'Even to your old age I am he, and to grey hairs I will carry you' (Isaiah 46:4)Irecently heard someone use the word ‘wrinkly’ to describe someone who is old, and it really grated on me. As a ‘thirty-something’, I am not myself ‘old’, but I still found the word mildly offensive. Why? Probably…
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Most of us live our lives in the hustle and bustle of a demanding economic and international environment. Singaporeans are going through difficult and trying times in varying ways. Our economy is in the doldrums, with 4.8% unemployment, economic retrenchment, and the looming prospect of war with Iraq. Families are also under siege, with…
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Area: 104,534 square miles. New Zealand comprises the North and South Islands (separated by the Cook Strait), and numerous smaller islands. Environment: Mountainous, with stunning scenery (Mount Cook 3,764 metres) and large coastal plains. North Island has three active volcanoes. The climate is temperate, with strong local variations. There is a wide variety of…
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'Christian Ministries' is to come to an end as a working organisation on 30 April. For 23 years CM has provided an 'umbrella' over the ministries of three British evangelists - Peter Anderson, John Blanchard and Derek Cleave. The decision was reached unanimously by the Christian Ministries Board, which includes the three evangelists. It…
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Pastors and preachers are entrusted by the Lord Jesus with a work of great importance and urgency. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with this work - nothing must come between them and their giving themselves utterly to it. We see this principle illustrated in the sixth chapter of Acts. There are important lessons…
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No state school in the UK today - primary or secondary - can be relied upon to promote Christian beliefs or values. Most of these schools will reflect what is called 'pluralism' - the view that we are living in a multifaith society and that our children's education must reflect this fact.That we are…
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Faith is a gift of God's grace. It enables believers to look away from human terrors, and gives courage and boldness by enabling us to trust in God our Father, though we see him not. In other words, faith prevails over fear. I do not mean that believers know nothing of fear.…
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ProphetHave you ever stopped to think about the meaning of the word 'Christ'? We think of it as a name, but it is actually a title, just as 'Caesar' or 'King' are titles. The word 'Christ' is derived from the Greek word meaning 'the anointed one'. The Hebrew equivalent is 'Messiah'.Anointing was a process…
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‘We did not mean to become Christians’, said Esmaeil as we sat in his lounge. ‘But we were slowly changed as we read the Holy Book and listened to your speaking at the church’. Fatemeh his wife nodded her agreement, while their 6-year-old daughter Salmah looked on. Asylum seekers Another elder and I from…
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The fifth 'word' of Jesus from the cross is found in John's Gospel, chapter 19, and verse 28. It is, on the face of it, a simple word: 'I thirst'. It is just one word in the Greek (dipsô). The context of this saying is all important. It is uttered at the climax of…
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2003 for me is an eventful year. I reach 65 and will be eligible for my pension. Friends of mine of the same age are retiring — some have gone to glory. One becomes aware that the years are passing very quickly, and soon we shall go the way of all the earth. I…
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The 'Local Church' movement was founded by Witness Lee, co-worker in China with Watchman Nee and his successor as leader of the 'Little Flock' movement. Shortly before the Communist takeover in China, Lee escaped to Taiwan along with many of Nee's other followers. There it is said that they established more than 20,000 churches…
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A Christian was walking through a city shopping centre recently. Unexpectedly, a stranger offered him five booklets, which seemed Bible-based. All of them had been written (or transcribed from addresses) by Horst Schaffranek. The Christian felt uncomfortable. The stranger was harsh and intolerant as he talked about Christians and the multiplicity of churches in…
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I became an active Christian late in the 1960s, at a critical juncture in the history of Reformed Presbyterianism in New Zealand. The Principal of the Presbyterian Theological Hall, Knox College, had been charged with heresy for his unorthodox views on the Bible and the gospel. To the amazement of Evangelical Christians, he was…
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If you ever visit the Bay of Islands in New Zealand’s upper North Island, take the ferry to the particular bay where the gospel was first preached, by Samuel Marsden from Australia. That was on Christmas Day 1814. The general area is well worth visiting, having various historical sites that recall early missionary effort.…
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You can now be part of a church service without leaving your sofa, putting down your glass of sherry, or even pausing from eating you Sunday lunch.Christmas 2002 is now a fading memory, but it was then that the virtual church was brought forcibly to my attention.For the first time I discovered that Christmas,…
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A cold blast of pragmatic thinking blew through the churches of the West at the end of the seventeenth century. Tiring of the religious conflicts of the Reformation and Second Reformation eras, many Christians sought to downplay the distinctive doctrines and practices which they believed had been so divisive - even bloody.As in society…
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It is a human tendency to follow leaders we esteem. As our heroes, they tend to serve as role models for our lives. But we need to ask ourselves if our heroes are persons whose lives are patterned after the Word of God. Paul exhorted the Ephesians to be 'followers of God'. Do our heroes…
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We saw last month that God has fully revealed the 'good news'. The Bible is his complete and final revelation, testifying as it does to the divine nature and finished work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is lamentable, therefore, that there is so much ignorance of this massive theological truth. But…
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Andrew Setchell describes how, in the sovereignty of God, he was converted to Christ through the witness of a heterodox group, but eventually found full gospel truth in the teaching of the Bible.Ibecame a Christian while at Manchester University through Christians in a group called 'the Local Church'. This name comes from the teaching…
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Christian life and witness in New Zealand is a very mixed bag. Most of the traditional Protestant churches – Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist – are in a state of decline. The Baptist denomination is the most evangelical of the mainline churches. The declining churches reflect doctrinal indifference, a strong feminist influence, and differing attitudes…
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It is with a great sense of gratitude to God that we offer this report on the EMW outdoor camp held 24-31 August 2002. It has been my privilege to be involved with this camp since its inception nine years ago at Tywyn. Since then we have had two moves, first to Talybont and…
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Churches in Austria that hold to the great historic Reformed confessions are almost non-existent. The Lutheran (Evangel-isch) Church has a number of born-again pastors, but is mainly liberal in theology and ecumenically involved with the Roman Catholic Church. Missionary churches Independent Evangelical churches are more numerous than 20 years ago, but most are first-generation.…
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The pinnacle and crowning glory of Mount Zion - the church - is that we have come 'to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel' (Hebrews 12:24).Though clear and simple, this statement is also profound. In a few short phrases…
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September 11 revisitedSixteen months ago, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Cente and the Pentagon sent us reeling. This was not only an attack upon the USA, but an evil attempt to destroy the Western way of life - freedom, democracy, trust and aspiration. It was, indeed, an attack on the world. Not only…
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During the 20th century, Protestant state churches in Austria became increasingly liberal in theology. Today, the Reformed Evangelische Kirche, while professing to adhere to The Helvetic Confession, has departed completely from the historic Reformed faith and biblical ethics. A similar story can be told for the Lutheran Church, although it still has some faithful…
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The Second Coming of Christ is largely a neglected subject in many churches. But it received great prominence in the preaching of the Apostles. It is clear, for example, that the Thessalonian Christians had thought much about Christ's return, and the letters Paul wrote to them reveal a lively interest in this great theme.…
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In Britain we are used to living in a post-Christian culture. So it continues to surprise us how many US citizens believe in creation and the God of the Bible. We also tend to underestimate the importance of their strong tradition of Christian involvement in eductaion - where Christianity actually influences the curriculum. Recent…
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Having been raised in a Christian home, I was used to the Bible, praying and hearing about God. For many years, however, these were only words to me, and I paid no heed to them. Just four weeks before I started attending church again, I was sitting with my sister at our home in…
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It's amazing what supermarkets have on offer these days. At ASDA we will soon be able to choose not only from a full range of soap powders but also gain some spiritual advice.ASDA stores are introducing a new sort of 'helper' to stroll up and down the aisles. They will be 'chaplains' who will…
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Since taking up my present pastorate in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, I have tried all sorts of ways to get people under the sound of the gospel of grace, with a measure of success.But imagine my surprise when, out of the blue, I was approached about becoming 'chaplain' to a large commercial enterprise! A…
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Like printing years ago, computer technology has changed the world we live in. Then, an explosion of printed books brought a wealth of information into people's homes. But the latest technology not only expands our horizons but also enhances our ability to use that heritage of words. The printed book may well survive the…
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An occasional series on doctrinal issues todayPart 1by Peter BloomfieldMy aim is to provide you with safe, sound responses. My object is not primarily polemical but to arm you with answers. Two factors make this matter especially urgent.Firstly, there are many people confused and bewildered by this teaching - it is pan-denominational, pan-continental, and…
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As we enter a new year a fitting verse for us to remember is Malachi 3:6: 'For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed'.The brightness of the stars is appreciated most of all during the darkness of the night. Malachi's time was exceedingly dark in a…
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It is said that archaeologists lay out the corpse of history. The remains may be recognisable as those of once-living entities, but by definition a corpse is lifeless. The passage of time brings decay and increasing difficulty with interpretation.However, archaeology is not just concerned with dead people, ancient monuments and buried objects. It also…
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When Pope John XXIII condemned the Bohemian Reformer John Hus to the flames as a heretic, at the Council of Constance in 1415, he also anathematised the Englishman John Wyclif.Wyclif, a former Rector of Lutterworth, had died 30 years earlier. Nevertheless, in 1428, the local bishop exhumed his bones, then burnt and scattered them…
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Combine a small group of Christians, working together, with an open Bible and a blank piece of paper, and what do you have? 'TEAMwork'.Early last year, Dr Gareth Crossley, minister of West Park Church, Wolverhampton, began turning the cogs of a new project with the aim of 'Training, Evangelism And Ministry' - otherwise known…
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Fact File – Austria Area: 32,378 square miles. Neighbouring countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Environment: A landlocked country, the west and south being mountainous (Alps), with the River Danube running through flat eastern plains. The highest mountain is the Grossglockner (3,798 metres). 40% of Austria is…
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Graham Hind reviews Noel Gibbard's recent book on the history of the Evangelical Movement of Wales (EMW).I must start with a declaration of vested interest, for I serve on an EMW committee and do so because I love Wales and value highly the Movement's role. There is no real English equivalent to the Movement.…
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Forsaken!Some people try to explain this with reference to some natural phenomenon, such as a solar eclipse. But such an eclipse could never have lasted for three hours. There was something deeply supernatural about this darkness - an impression confirmed by the detail recorded in Luke about the veil of the temple being rent…
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Austria is made up of nine provinces. Tyrol covers one of these provinces and is divided into three parts – east, north and south (the latter falling within Italy). The Lord called us to work in north Tyrol in 1986, and it is of this area that I write. Anabaptists Well before Luther nailed…
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