John 8:12 (NLT) Jesus, the Light of the World Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Showing posts with label Compelled by Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Compelled by Love. Show all posts
10/07/2015
I am the light of the world!
John 8:12 (NLT) Jesus, the Light of the World Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
17/12/2013
Stop modern slavery and trafficking!
Call to end modern day slavery
An anti-slavery coalition is calling on the government to add strong measures to the draft Modern Slavery Bill so it is effective and reduces trafficking and slavery.
The Evangelical Alliance and 14 other organisations make up the coalition, including A21 Campaign, CARE, The Salvation Army, Hope for Justice, Love 146, International Justice Mission and Stop the Traffik.
The coalition briefing calls for an end to modern slavery once and for all: "The transatlantic slave trade was banned in 1807 and slavery was abolished across the British Empire in 1834, yet it is still with us today. Children are sold into slavery to pay family debts; people pay for passage, only to be trafficked over borders and find forced labour conditions rather than freedom ... this must end."
Dr Dave Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: "For evangelicals this is unfinished business. We've been fighting slavery for hundreds of years, and we are still at it today. This bill needs to live up to its promise. It has the potential to tackle modern slavery but needs to listen to the campaign groups in order to achieve that aim. Together as organisations motivated by our Christian faith we call on the government to act and strengthen the bill so it can bring freedom to many caught in slavery."
An anti-slavery coalition is calling on the government to add strong measures to the draft Modern Slavery Bill so it is effective and reduces trafficking and slavery.
The Evangelical Alliance and 14 other organisations make up the coalition, including A21 Campaign, CARE, The Salvation Army, Hope for Justice, Love 146, International Justice Mission and Stop the Traffik.
The coalition briefing calls for an end to modern slavery once and for all: "The transatlantic slave trade was banned in 1807 and slavery was abolished across the British Empire in 1834, yet it is still with us today. Children are sold into slavery to pay family debts; people pay for passage, only to be trafficked over borders and find forced labour conditions rather than freedom ... this must end."
Dr Dave Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: "For evangelicals this is unfinished business. We've been fighting slavery for hundreds of years, and we are still at it today. This bill needs to live up to its promise. It has the potential to tackle modern slavery but needs to listen to the campaign groups in order to achieve that aim. Together as organisations motivated by our Christian faith we call on the government to act and strengthen the bill so it can bring freedom to many caught in slavery."
The call comes today, as the government issues their draft of the Modern Slavery Bill and Frank Field MP publishes his evidence review.
Following the publication of the Centre for Social Justice's report It Happens Here in March 2013, pressure has built for the government to introduce a new law. The proposals increase the maximum sentences and bring together offences currently dealt with under different strands of the legal system.
Churches are urged to meet with their MPs and encourage them to take a strong and uncompromising stance against all shades and forms of modern-day slavery when the bill comes up for debate at Westminster in 2014.
22/10/2013
Practising generosity!
Steven and I had a fantastic time at our last synod and I would like to share what people - in the vast diocese of Lichfield - have been doing and are still doing in order to tackle poverty and practise generosity in their parishes. I have downloaded the video, you can watch it on the page called 'videos', scroll down in the right column. Any problem let me know. Have a blessed week. Nicky
30/09/2013
Do miracles really happen?
On the main page, choose People and under the name of George Müller the sub-heading that caught my attention said : do miracles really happen?
George Müller was popular with the children in his school in the Prussian town of Heimersleben, where his father was the tax collector. But his friends were not a good influence. Together they were often caught, lying, stealing, gambling, and frequently getting drunk. Eventually Müller, aged 16 years old, was caught by the police for stealing and spent nearly a month in prison. Nothing changed when he went to Halle University until, when he was 18, he had become sick and tired of the way he was living. He decided to become a Christian. The change was dramatic and he was so keen to tell others about this that very soon he decided to become a missionary.
In May 1829, he travelled to London for Bible training but after a few weeks became very ill. He was advised to move to the West Country to recover, and it was at Teignmouth that the plans for his life changed yet again. Here he married Mary Groves, and met Henry Craik, who was to become a life-long friend. In Devon, both George and Henry served as pastors of small chapels and, unlike most pastors, they decided not to accept any salary. Instead they asked God to supply their needs without telling anyone else about them. In 1832, Mary, George and Henry moved to Bristol to share in the care of two large chapels there, and they followed this same principle there, and did so for the rest of their lives. In 1834, Müller set up the Scriptural Knowledge Institution (S.K.I.) to provide practical support for missionaries.
Bristol had very poor sanitation. The water was dirty from terrible sewers. Soon after Müller arrived, the city was devastated by an epidemic of cholera, and many hundreds of people died. George and Henry visited the sick people, trusting God to keep them from catching the disease. So many people had died that there were hundreds of orphans with no-one to care for them. Many were reduced to begging in the streets. George Müller wanted to do something to help, and it was this that started his life’s work for God.
George and Mary prayed about this great need for some weeks. They shared their concern with other Christians. Müller saw this as an opportunity to prove to the people of Bristol the reality of faith in God, who answers the prayers of those who trust him. Day by day more gifts of money arrived, some just a few pence, others hundreds of pounds. But Müller was determined never to get into debt. He waited until £1000 had been given specifically for an Orphan Home before he rented No. 6 Wilson Street. This was a large terraced house in the centre of Bristol.
The first Orphan House was opened on April 11th, 1836 for orphan girls aged 7 and over. Within a few weeks, this was filled to capacity with 30 girls and two Christian ladies to care for them. Müller was saddened to have to turn away younger orphans and so, six months later, he rented another house (No 1) in the same street, together with a piece of land for a playground. Within a month this house was furnished and opened for infant girls and boys.
In October1837, Müller opened a third house (No 3 Wilson St.) for 40 orphan boys aged 7 or over. All Müller’s children were given good clothes to wear and enjoyed clean, warm homes. They were brought up to share in some of the household duties. They never went hungry although, unknown to them, the stocks of food frequently ran out. Day after day gifts were brought to the Homes, rarely more than enough for one or two days but never too little.
As they prayed and trusted God amazing things happened. For example, one morning with no bread or milk with which to prepare breakfast, ‘grace’ was said and God thanked for what He would provide. Just then, the doorbell rang and there was the baker who could not sleep during the night and had got up and baked a whole batch of bread for the orphans. The milkman, whose cart had broken down in the road outside and who needed to off-load the churns of milk to repair the wheel followed shortly after. Although resources were often stretched, Müller and all his staff continued to trust God, as this note from one of the Homes shows:
“With potatoes from the children’s garden and with apples from the tree in the playground (for apple dumplings) and 4s 6d the price of some articles given by one of the labourers, we have a dinner. There is much needed but the Lord will provide.”
With so many children in one city street, there were some problems. Neighbours complained about the noise at playtime and this lasted a long time since the one playground was only large enough to be used by the children from one home at a time. Occasionally the drains became overloaded, and the water supplies were inadequate. Müller also began to dream of open spaces with clean, fresh air and walks for the children, of gardens where the boys could grow crops and girls could hang out the mountains of laundry.
After praying about it for a long time, George Müller shared his ideas with other Christians, and a plan for the future began to unfold. Large gifts started to come in for the building of a new Orphan House. Müller was able to purchase 7 acres of open land at Ashley Down on the outskirts of Bristol.
After his death in 1898 many expected the work to run down but, under the leadership of Christians with the same trust in God, the homes on Ashley Down continued to care for orphans. When the orphan work ceased in 1986 – almost 100 years after Müller’s death - almost 18,000 orphans had been cared for.
George Müller was popular with the children in his school in the Prussian town of Heimersleben, where his father was the tax collector. But his friends were not a good influence. Together they were often caught, lying, stealing, gambling, and frequently getting drunk. Eventually Müller, aged 16 years old, was caught by the police for stealing and spent nearly a month in prison. Nothing changed when he went to Halle University until, when he was 18, he had become sick and tired of the way he was living. He decided to become a Christian. The change was dramatic and he was so keen to tell others about this that very soon he decided to become a missionary.
In May 1829, he travelled to London for Bible training but after a few weeks became very ill. He was advised to move to the West Country to recover, and it was at Teignmouth that the plans for his life changed yet again. Here he married Mary Groves, and met Henry Craik, who was to become a life-long friend. In Devon, both George and Henry served as pastors of small chapels and, unlike most pastors, they decided not to accept any salary. Instead they asked God to supply their needs without telling anyone else about them. In 1832, Mary, George and Henry moved to Bristol to share in the care of two large chapels there, and they followed this same principle there, and did so for the rest of their lives. In 1834, Müller set up the Scriptural Knowledge Institution (S.K.I.) to provide practical support for missionaries.
Bristol had very poor sanitation. The water was dirty from terrible sewers. Soon after Müller arrived, the city was devastated by an epidemic of cholera, and many hundreds of people died. George and Henry visited the sick people, trusting God to keep them from catching the disease. So many people had died that there were hundreds of orphans with no-one to care for them. Many were reduced to begging in the streets. George Müller wanted to do something to help, and it was this that started his life’s work for God.
George and Mary prayed about this great need for some weeks. They shared their concern with other Christians. Müller saw this as an opportunity to prove to the people of Bristol the reality of faith in God, who answers the prayers of those who trust him. Day by day more gifts of money arrived, some just a few pence, others hundreds of pounds. But Müller was determined never to get into debt. He waited until £1000 had been given specifically for an Orphan Home before he rented No. 6 Wilson Street. This was a large terraced house in the centre of Bristol.
The first Orphan House was opened on April 11th, 1836 for orphan girls aged 7 and over. Within a few weeks, this was filled to capacity with 30 girls and two Christian ladies to care for them. Müller was saddened to have to turn away younger orphans and so, six months later, he rented another house (No 1) in the same street, together with a piece of land for a playground. Within a month this house was furnished and opened for infant girls and boys.
In October1837, Müller opened a third house (No 3 Wilson St.) for 40 orphan boys aged 7 or over. All Müller’s children were given good clothes to wear and enjoyed clean, warm homes. They were brought up to share in some of the household duties. They never went hungry although, unknown to them, the stocks of food frequently ran out. Day after day gifts were brought to the Homes, rarely more than enough for one or two days but never too little.
As they prayed and trusted God amazing things happened. For example, one morning with no bread or milk with which to prepare breakfast, ‘grace’ was said and God thanked for what He would provide. Just then, the doorbell rang and there was the baker who could not sleep during the night and had got up and baked a whole batch of bread for the orphans. The milkman, whose cart had broken down in the road outside and who needed to off-load the churns of milk to repair the wheel followed shortly after. Although resources were often stretched, Müller and all his staff continued to trust God, as this note from one of the Homes shows:
“With potatoes from the children’s garden and with apples from the tree in the playground (for apple dumplings) and 4s 6d the price of some articles given by one of the labourers, we have a dinner. There is much needed but the Lord will provide.”
With so many children in one city street, there were some problems. Neighbours complained about the noise at playtime and this lasted a long time since the one playground was only large enough to be used by the children from one home at a time. Occasionally the drains became overloaded, and the water supplies were inadequate. Müller also began to dream of open spaces with clean, fresh air and walks for the children, of gardens where the boys could grow crops and girls could hang out the mountains of laundry.
After praying about it for a long time, George Müller shared his ideas with other Christians, and a plan for the future began to unfold. Large gifts started to come in for the building of a new Orphan House. Müller was able to purchase 7 acres of open land at Ashley Down on the outskirts of Bristol.
After his death in 1898 many expected the work to run down but, under the leadership of Christians with the same trust in God, the homes on Ashley Down continued to care for orphans. When the orphan work ceased in 1986 – almost 100 years after Müller’s death - almost 18,000 orphans had been cared for.
I also found an article George wrote about faith and here is the passage that struck me the most.
Now, this is not, as some have said, because I am a man of great mental power, or endowed with energy and perseverance - these are not the reasons.
It is because I have confided in God; because I have sought God, and He has cared for the Institution, which, under His direction, has 100 schools, with masters and mistresses and other departments which I have told you before.
To read more, click here
Do miracles happen in our lives? I believe that they do, you may not even know that they are. Still the Lord who loves us, looks after us well, his children.
18/01/2013
Love one another!
This week has gone so fast and it has been really nice. As I am now working nearer home, I have more time to indulge in some reading before I tackle marking and planning in the evening. Over the years, I have become a fussy reader, call it choosy, I do not want to waste time to read rubbish, it goes the same with newspapers, magazines or blogs.
Another habit of mine is that if I like a book a lot, I will read and enjoy so much of it and then stop reading and keep it for later..I am not sure why I do that. Do you do that too? Could it be that I need to be reassured that come to the crunch, I have got something really good to enjoy!
Before Christmas, I read a beautiful book called Song of a Stranger that gives you interesting pointers on how you can be faithful to God in a non-Christian society without compromising your beliefs (I quote) and somehow I stopped before the last chapter, The Best is still to come.
Before the New Year, I ordered 2 books on amazon, Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker that I have nearly finished and Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that I cannot wait to start. Also, I have been reading on and off a French book called 'Les Aristocrates', well-written, light and humorous by Michel de Saint Pierre.
So Tuesday night, I read Compelled by Love and I got very emotional. In the war-torn, poverty-stricken country of Mozambique, Heidi Baker and her husband have experienced God's miraculous provisions and witnessed the transformed hearts of people caught in desperate life-or-death situations. (I quote) I could not stop reading and that evening as I still had to do marking and planning, I went to bed rather late!
So, what is your best read? Do you have any particular reading habits? Have an excellent white week-end!
1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
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