An early death at the age of thirty-six in 1755 deprived John Cennick of the renown enjoyed by the other great preachers of the Evangelical Revival. He is relatively little known apart from a few of his 750 hymns, such as ‘Children of the heavenly king’ and ‘Lo! He comes with clouds descending’ (subsequently…
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Always appreciating the writings of Marcus Loane, I anticipated this small volume with not a little relish. But, expecting vintage Loane, I was sorry to be disappointed. Perhaps I should have been more prepared, for the author himself says in his introduction to these short chapters, ‘They hardly break any new ground’. There are…
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They stoned Stephen. They twice tried to stone Jesus. They laid the charge of blasphemy repeatedly - and stoning was the prescribed punishment. They also had opportunity. Why would Jesus' enemies seek crucifixion? The attempted stonings were not premeditated but the demand to have Christ crucified was a careful decision by the leadership. They…
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Jyoti P. Chakravartty of Know the Truth Publishing (www.kttresources.com) writes: 'Greetings in the Lord from Kalimpong, a small town in the Himalayas. The temperature is 4 deg.C or less; it's really cold up here.'We have just had a long day, but there is so much to thank the Lord for. We had a very…
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'Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance' (1 Thessalonians 1:5).Far too often our preaching is one-dimensional - 'in word only'. The preacher feels satisfied to 'deal with the passage' and instruct his hearers. Minds are informed but hearts…
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A question can be more powerful than a statement. In John 21:15, Jesus asks Peter a searching question. He might have said, 'You know, you really ought to love me', and Peter would have nodded in agreement. But when he asked, 'Do you love me?' Peter must have felt uncomfortable. When the question came…
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From the beginning of April 2007, the Evangelical Theological College of Wales becomes Wales Evangelical School of Theology. The new Principal, Jonathan Stephen, explains.Over the years, I have been regularly involved in the process of examining and training men and women called to Christian service at home and overseas, but never imagined I would…
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Although Greece’s population is largely centred on Athens, many live on its islands, where numbers vary from a few hundred to many thousands. There are increasing numbers of northern European immigrants to the islands. Some marry Greeks and settle into their way of life. Many retire, expecting a comfortable life and good weather. Some…
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Recent media coverage on prison life suggests that it is all ‘a bit of a doddle’. Attention is focused on the cost of keeping in prison men and women who have many victims between them. Some victims are ‘primary’ sufferers because of the wrong done to them. Others are hurt because loved ones or…
Read more
We arrived in the early 1970s in Aintep (or Gaziantep) – Turkey’s eighth largest commercial city and a centre for the cotton industry. It was not long before we experienced its spiritual darkness. In Istanbul, the minority Christian population had substantially influenced the culture, so here it was a shock to see superstitious and…
Read more
Proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope are to be published later this year, according to a report carried in The Times newspaper, although both churches have reportedly denied that there is a reunion plan. The 42-page statement prepared by an international commission of both churches…
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Although Greece’s population is largely centred on Athens, many live on its islands, where numbers vary from a few hundred to many thousands. There are increasing numbers of northern European immigrants to the islands. Some marry Greeks and settle into their way of life. Many retire, expecting a comfortable life and good weather. Some…
Read more
An early death at the age of thirty-six in 1755 deprived John Cennick of the renown enjoyed by the other great preachers of the Evangelical Revival. He is relatively little known apart from a few of his 750 hymns, such as 'Children of the heavenly king' and 'Lo! He comes with clouds descending' (subsequently…
Read more
On Saturday 3 February a packed Kingston Evangelical Church, Hull, heard Phil Arthur, pastor of Free Grace Baptist Church, Lancaster, give two excellent addresses on the life and work of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), 'Hull's most illustrious son'.This is the 200th anniversary year since the abolition of the slave trade. Wilberforce's evangelical Christian faith was…
Read more
'Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance' (1 Thessalonians 1:5).Far too often our preaching is one-dimensional - 'in word only'. The preacher feels satisfied to 'deal with the passage' and instruct his hearers. Minds are informed but hearts…
Read more
In the summer of 2005 a nationwide survey was conducted by 'Generation Next', a small group of young men training, or considering training, for the Christian ministry. Its aim was to give young men a voice in the current debate amongst Christian leaders about the reasons why so few men are coming forward for…
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A recent survey of pastoral support conducted by the Grace Baptist Trust Corporation (see p.13) clearly suggests that, while many churches provide adequately for their pastors, this happy situation is not universal.I am not criticising those who cheerfully give all they can to support their church and its pastor - and who are served…
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Criminal records are being given to nearly 600 school-age children every day, according to new Government figures. Much of the rise in crime in recent years is described as 'youth on youth' crime involving robbery and violence but there has also been an alarming rise in the number of young people convicted of sex…
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Andrew McClintock, a Christian magistrate from South Yorkshire, has lost a discrimination case at an employment tribunal in Sheffield. He claimed he was forced to resign his job as a magistrate because he could not agree with adoption of children by gay couples and said civil partnership laws clashed with his religious beliefs. Mr…
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Two hundred years ago, on 23 February 1807, the British Parliament passed a bill outlawing the slave trade. It was the culmination of a twenty year campaign by William Wilberforce and his friends. Last month we saw how the young parliamentarian was converted to Christ and began his crusade to abolish this evil trade.…
Read more
Immigration is swelling attendance at Britain's Catholic churches to such an extent that Roman Catholicism seems likely to become the dominant religion in Britain for the first time since the Reformation. A new report by the Von Hugel Institute at Cambridge says the influx of migrants could be the Catholic community's 'greatest threat' or…
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A survey to mark the tenth anniversary of World Book Day asked readers to nominate books they cannot live without. Pride and Prejudice beat Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, Lord of the Rings, into second place. Two of the Brontë sisters appear alongside Charles Dickens and George Orwell, showing that the nation's readers still treasure their…
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Affinity, previously the British Evangelical Council, has issued a declaration opposing the Government's proposed sexual orientation regulations (SORs). The declaration states:…For the first time in many generations, it will become unlawful for Christians to conduct their lives in a manner which is consistent with a biblical principle.Christian organisations which provide services on behalf of…
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Religion, it seems, is back on the agenda. A recent column in the Daily Telegraph begins, 'Could it be that ... religion, which has taken a bit of a hammering over the last few decades in this country, is staging a comeback?' The writer was John Humphrys, no lightweight in the world of journalism.…
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They stoned Stephen. They twice tried to stone Jesus. They laid the charge of blasphemy repeatedly - and stoning was the prescribed punishment. They also had opportunity. Why would Jesus' enemies seek crucifixion? The attempted stonings were not premeditated but the demand to have Christ crucified was a careful decision by the leadership. They…
Read more
Mel Gibson’s film Apocalypto will introduce cinema audiences on both sides of the Atlantic to the ancient apostasy that flourished after the global flood. I am not suggesting that Gibson is aware of this. He has made a violent and gory movie about the Mayans of Central America, including their cutting hearts out of…
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The Grace Baptist Trust Corporation has released a new survey of Pastors' 2005 salaries. Coming five years after a previous survey, the exercise relates only to Grace Baptist Ministers but will be of interest to many other churches.Replies were received from some 45% of those canvassed (93 out of 205). Of full time pastors,…
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Eighty of us met from 30 January to 1 February at High Leigh conference centre, to study six papers on 'The forgotten Christ'. This theme reflected neglected truths concerning the person and work of our Lord.The papers had been sent out for study in advance of the conference. Each was introduced by its author;…
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Last summer I took part in an outdoor team challenge. We were given a photograph of a mountain and had to work out the grid reference from which the photograph was taken. The task was based on the fact that mountains look different from different angles. This is also true of events. Sometimes several…
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A question can be more powerful than a statement. In John 21:15, Jesus asks Peter a searching question. He might have said, 'You know, you really ought to love me', and Peter would have nodded in agreement. But when he asked, 'Do you love me?' Peter must have felt uncomfortable. When the question came…
Read more
A common lament that echoes through the empty corridors of many churches is, 'Where are all the young men for the ministry?' It is a complex question. Undoubtedly many factors have contributed to the current situation, but one of them may simply be that we haven't talked about it enough. The profile of full-time…
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We arrived in the early 1970s in Aintep (or Gaziantep) – Turkey’s eighth largest commercial city and a centre for the cotton industry. It was not long before we experienced its spiritual darkness. In Istanbul, the minority Christian population had substantially influenced the culture, so here it was a shock to see superstitious and…
Read more
Last summer I took part in an outdoor team challenge. We were given a photograph of a mountain and had to work out the grid reference from which the photograph was taken. The task was based on the fact that mountains look different from different angles. This is also true of events. Sometimes several…
Read more
Two hundred years ago, on 23 February 1807, the British Parliament passed a bill outlawing the slave trade. It was the culmination of a twenty year campaign by William Wilberforce and his friends. Last month we saw how the young parliamentarian was converted to Christ and began his crusade to abolish this evil trade.…
Read more
The Grace Baptist Trust Corporation has released a new survey of Pastors' 2005 salaries. Coming five years after a previous survey, the exercise relates only to Grace Baptist Ministers but will be of interest to many other churches.Replies were received from some 45% of those canvassed (93 out of 205). Of full time pastors,…
Read more
A recent survey of pastoral support conducted by the Grace Baptist Trust Corporation (see p.13) clearly suggests that, while many churches provide adequately for their pastors, this happy situation is not universal.I am not criticising those who cheerfully give all they can to support their church and its pastor - and who are served…
Read more
While in war-torn Northern Uganda, we visited a refugee camp to encourage several pastors serving in the area. The camps are filled with violence, poverty, hopelessness and fear. As we walked around one with the pastors, hundreds of children gathered round us. They were so filthy. Those who had clothes wore rags; and most…
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Religion, it seems, is back on the agenda. A recent column in the Daily Telegraph begins, 'Could it be that ... religion, which has taken a bit of a hammering over the last few decades in this country, is staging a comeback?' The writer was John Humphrys, no lightweight in the world of journalism.…
Read more
On Saturday 3 February a packed Kingston Evangelical Church, Hull, heard Phil Arthur, pastor of Free Grace Baptist Church, Lancaster, give two excellent addresses on the life and work of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), 'Hull's most illustrious son'.This is the 200th anniversary year since the abolition of the slave trade. Wilberforce's evangelical Christian faith was…
Read more
The purpose of these conferences is to provide a high standard of expository preaching and supply books at affordable prices for pastors. Such books are like gold to the majority here, who have very few books. Our aim is for these Evangelical Press-sponsored conferences to become annual events and provide great inspiration, fellowship and…
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Carlisle Council has been forced to apologise for getting the law wrong after it tried to stop a street evangelist handing out gospel tracts. An official from Carlisle Council told Keith Bullock, an evangelist with the Open-Air Mission (OAM), that he could not hand out Christian literature in the city centre without their permission.…
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Recent media coverage on prison life suggests that it is all ‘a bit of a doddle’. Attention is focused on the cost of keeping in prison men and women who have many victims between them. Some victims are ‘primary’ sufferers because of the wrong done to them. Others are hurt because loved ones or…
Read more
