More Christians went to church in China this weekend than all of Europe

Looks as if this could be an interesting programme on Radio 4 this evening.

As one of China’s most eminent philosophers of religion – Professor He Guanghu, at Renmin University in Beijing put it to me: “The worship of Mammon… has become many people’s life purpose.

“I think it is very natural that many other people will not be satisfied… will seek some meaning for their lives so that when Christianity falls into their lives, they will seize it very tightly.”

Have we failed to learn the lesson of 9/11? RC Sproul thinks we have

Helpful series of articles on 9/11 including this by RC Sproul on how ‘when we were given a wake-up call ten years ago on 9/11, we pushed the snooze button and went back to sleep.’

How robots learned to argue from humans!



The art of conversation: How robots learned to talk to one another based on what they learned from us! Makes you think.

Thanks to Paul Harrison for the link.

Keller on how in the day to day he preaches the gospel to himself

A great summary here from Tim Keller on what it means, in daily practise, to preach the gospel to ourselves and how we build that into our prayer lives.

What made Spurgeon a church-planter?

In the book Spurgeon on Leadership Larry J. Michael introduces us to the man and his ministry that made him, arguably, the greatest evangelical of the 19^th century.

The book has chapters on a variety of leadership essentials including calling, character, creativity and casting vision amongst others. Each one is  packed full of inspiring examples, quotations and principles from his life and ministry.

As I work alongside other church leaders in church-planting in Birmingham here are a few that have inspired and encouraged me to in the words of William Carey ‘Expect Great Things from God, Attempt Great Things for God.’

It’s Spurgeon’s confidence in God and the gospel that prepared him to make bold, ambitious plans for the expansion of the gospel:

The common policy of our churches is that of great prudence. We do not, as a rule, attempt anything beyond our strength…We accomplish little because we have no idea of doing much. I would to God we had more ‘pluck.’

I make it bold to assert that, in the service of God, nothing is impossible, and nothing is improbable. Go in great things, brethren, in the Name of God; risk everything on His promise, and according to your faith shall it be done unto you.

It was that same confidence that gave him a great vision for church-planting

We must build this Tabernacle strongly, I am sure, for our friends are always with us. . . But our desire is, after we have fitted our vestry, schools, and other rooms, that we shall be able to build other chapels….I will not rest until the dark county of Surrey is covered with places of worship. I took on this Tabernacle as only the beginning; within the last six months, we have started two churches, one in Wandsworth and the other in Greenwich, and the Lord has prospered them, the pool of baptism has often been stirred with converts. And what we have done in two places, I am about to do in a third, and we will do it, not for the third or fourth, but for the hundredth time, God being our Helper. I am sure I may make my strongest appeal to my brethren, because we do not mean to build this Tabernacle as our nest, and then be idle. We must go from strength to strength , and be a missionary church, and never rest until, not only this neighbourhood, but our country, of which it is said that some parts are as dark as India, shall have been enlightened with the gospel.

Buy the book and learn to lead!

Why are we here? Dawkins thinks aliens might be to blame

Richard Dawkins, the champion of the New Atheism, argues that we should base our lives only on that which is empirically verifiable or rationally provable and yet in this devastating interview Dawkins admits that;

a) He has no idea how likely it is that God doesn’t exist and wouldn’t want to put a figure on it

b) He has no idea how the universe was created

c) He has no idea how life began on earth

d) He suggests that we might be here because aliens put us here!

Given his lack of answers its perhaps no wonder that he’s happier raking in the money at the Albert Hall rather than debating William Lane Craig.

We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cosseted, cherished group of creatures – NASA Astronomer

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4)

“We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cosseted, cherished group of creatures.. .. If the Universe had not been made with the most exacting precision we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in.” John O’Keefe (astronomer at NASA)

“Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life, and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural’) plan.” Arno Penzias (Nobel prize in physics)

“It seems to me that when confronted with the marvels of life and the universe, one must ask why and not just how. The only possible answers are religious. . . . I find a need for God in the universe and in my own life.” Arthur L. Schawlow (Professor of Physics at Stanford University, 1981 Nobel Prize in physics)

⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honour.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:5-9)

Is Homosexuality a sin that sends people to hell? Tim Keller’s answer

Back in 2008 Tim Keller was interviewed by Martin Bashir at Columbia University after the publication of his book The Reason for God. As part of the evening Keller also takes questions from the audience.

Yet another example of the intolerance of secularism in Britain

WIth thanks to eChurch blog for the link

Why are the leading figures of atheism running away from a debate with William Lane Craig

William Lane Craig is arguably the foremost Christian apologist in the world and he is coming to the UK this autumn on a debating and lecture tour. You would think that leading atheists and representatives of the British Humanist Association, Polly Toynbee,  Richard Dawkins and A.C.Grayling would have readily accepted the invitation to debate him and given that they think they have the knock-out arguments, with some relish. Yet, one by one, they have either refused or withdrawn from a debate.

New Atheist, Sam Harris, said of William Lane Craig in his introductory comments at their recent debate;

I’m very happy to be debating Dr. Craig, the one Christian apologist who seems to have put the fear of God into many of my fellow atheists. I’ve actually gotten more than a few emails this week, that more or less read, “Brother, please, don’t blow this.” So, you will be the judge.

Christopher Hitchens said ahead of his debate with Craig;

I can tell you that my brothers and sisters, my co-thinkers, in the unbelieving community take him very seriously. He’s thought of as a very tough guy; very rigorous, very scholarly, very thoughtful. I say that without reserve. Normally I don’t get people saying to me ‘good luck tonight’ or ‘don’t let us down’ but with him I do.

Given that Dawkins, Grayling and Toynbee claim to have all the arguments why don’t they run William Lane Craig out of town?

Perhaps, as ‘commonsenseatheist‘ conceded having witnessed a debate between Craig and Christopher Hitchens;

The debate went exactly as I expected. Craig was flawless and unstoppable. Hitchens was rambling and incoherent, with the occasional rhetorical jab. Frankly, Craig spanked Hitchens like a foolish child.

I’m not a great one for Youtube videos that mock the views of others and I’m certainly not suggesting that Christians ought to mock or insults all humanists but I do think that the double-standards and hypocrisy (as well as down-right rudeness in some cases) of those who claim to speak in the name of Atheism but refuse to debate Craig should be subject to a degree of mild ridicule.

‘Enjoy’ the video and buy a ticket for one of the debates. Who knows maybe Dawkins will turn up!