Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures for ever –
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Psalm 138:6-8
In today's modern era of communications we are never far away from some device or other that will put us in touch with family. friends, business colleague or anyone else we might want to talk to. In these days of smart phones, netbooks, tablets, Skype and all sorts of video-type conferencing it's so easy to speak with someone over a huge distance and to hear back just what they are saying to you. For many of us knowing what God is saying to us is a far harder proposition. How does he reveal himself to us? What is he saying? What direction is God pointing us in? All these can be difficult to discern.
God Speaks by Rich Alldritt and Ash Carter is a deceptively simple book. A quick read with a fast-paced and humorous narrative, it holds the attention of the reader with ease. But don’t be fooled, under the simplicity lay some of the most essential and necessary truths required for any Christian seeking to mature their relationship with God. As God reveals himself to us - this book makes the mystery of that revelation accessible. As God desires to speak with us - this book encourages that conversation to begin.
Read more HERE and get the book for just £5 using the code gs0114 at the checkout.
How bad are things for Christianity?
Evangelicals Find Themselves in the Midst of a Calvinist Revival
Six Evangelical Christians, Including Teenager, Murdered in El Salvador
Youthworks mourns lecturer’s sudden death
Sin? People think it's about sex and cream cakes, says Archdeacon in baptism service row
Christian Persecution Doubled In 2013, Reports Annual Survey By Open Doors
First-grader told to stop talking about Bible
Christians called to 'martyrdom' says Welby
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
Sam Allberry is associate pastor of St Mary’s Maidenhead, in Berkshire, UK. Early last year, he went public with the fact that he experiences same-sex attraction. And then last June, he published Is God Anti-Gay?, which has had huge sales in both the UK and the US. I caught up with him to see how things are going in his life and ministry.
Sam, I wonder whether it’s easier or harder to fight this particular temptation personally, now that you’ve brought it into the public sphere?
In one sense, bringing it into the public sphere hasn’t changed the way in which I’ve been experiencing it. If anything it’s slightly helped, because I’ve had more opportunities to speak on the issue, and when I’m doing that I’m preaching to myself, reminding myself both what God’s word is on this issue, but also the goodness of that word. So it does me good to be thinking and teaching on it.
But actually the most thing has helped isn’t necessarily being public about it, but being open with friends about it. That’s the thing that has made the single biggest difference.... continue reading
First posted on 14th January 2013.
You may have heard people talk about the “big but’s” of the Bible; for example: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. BUT now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” Colossians 1 v 21-22. But I’ve been thinking about the “yet’s” of the Bible.
I know many people who have had a hard time during the autumn, including illness, bereavement, church issues… Others are facing a difficult start to 2013. And some of us are experiencing both. Which is what got me thinking about biblical “yet’s”. Here are a couple to mull over:
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will YET praise him,
my Saviour and my God.
Psalm 42 v 5... continue reading
1. Captive to Glory (Free eBook)
A free ebook from Desiring God celebrating the vision and influence of Jonathan Edwards.
2. 5 Ways to Pray for Your Pastor in 2014
Ligonier Ministries look at five ways to pray for your pastor this year.
3. Preaching and Preachers by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
A helpful 18-part MP3 lecture series and free PDF resource from Monergism.
4. PrayerMate on Android
A free app to help you organise your prayer life is now available on Android.
5. Some Thoughts on the Reading of Books
Al Mohler shares some of his thoughts on reading.
6. 100,000 Hours: Eight Aims for Your Career
Marshall Segal at Desiring God looks at eight aims that "should drive every Christian career path".
7. And finally...
This week's video of the week, 'God's Word For You Trailer':
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
Being a parent isn't easy. Being a child isn't a walk in the park either. And, even though I am currently neither, I'm often party to conversations that end with a statement like, "not yet ... maybe when you're older". Whether it's a heated conversation with an 11-year old about why they can't play Grand Theft Auto or a heart-felt discussion with a 12-year old about whether they are old enough to stay at home on a Sunday morning when the rest of the family are at church, the question of when you become old enough to decide is a hot topic.
So, where would you draw the line? Say you're a parent, grandparent, aunt or youth leader to a 12-year old. Would you let them choose their clothes? Their menu? Their school? Their hobbies? Their attitude to cleaning their teeth? Their attendance at church youth group? The colour of their hair?
How about their right to die ...? No, really, I'm not joking. Would you let them choose to die under medically controlled conditions if they were suffering with a terminal condition?... continue reading
New Year's resolutions continue to be mentioned even though it's nearly the middle of January. Many of those resolutions will focus on health and diets. Many of us strive to look better, get fitter, lose weight and so on. The new year brings a new determination (or does it?) to curb our appetite for food and all things unhealthy.
But what of our appetite for God? That isn't something we want to suppress, many of us need to re-awaken our appetite for him.
Our appetites dictate the direction of our lives - whether it be the cravings of our stomachs, the passionate desire for possessions or power, or the longings of our spirits for God. But for the Christian, the hunger for anything besides God can be an arch-enemy. While our hunger for God - and him alone - is the only thing that will bring victory.
Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is a path of pleasant pain called fasting. It is the path John Piper invites you to travel in his ebook, A Hunger For God. For when God is the supreme hunger of your heart, he will be supreme in everything.
Read more and get the ebook HERE for just £5 until midday Thursday. Use the code ahfg0114e at the checkout.
What would you guess this is a photo of? A cloud of butterflies against an exotic sunset? A man taking home the fruits of a hard, but satisfying, day’s labour?
What this photo really shows is a swarm of migratory locusts, which last year destroyed a massive 25% of Madagascar’s food crops and put the food security of 13 million people at risk. So what looks beautiful at first glance is actually life threatening.
And the sack that the man is carrying is full of dead locusts which he has spent the day catching; so the photo also reflects a futile toil. How discouraging to be under the weight of that heavy sack, while seeing all around you that the threat to your livelihood continues unabated, despite your best efforts.
Maybe, just over a week into the new year, you’re already feeling a bit like this man. Perhaps it’s a struggle with sin that’s weighing us down—with each temptation we successfully resist, opportunities to sin keep gathering like a swarm. So much so that sometimes, when you look at it in the right light, sin starts to look less deadly and actually kind of attractive…
But take heart:
“This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” - 1 John 5 v 3-4
[God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14
