Stephen's blog

New Plant Website!

2010-09-06T16:50:00.000+01:00

Being unemployed at the moment, it is hard, but God is enough.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.1
And he has given me a great chance to be involved with the new church network website, designed a former member's husband and a great guy, Matt Moore and his great company, Proclaim IT (I like the clever name!). It is nice that I can do a couple of days a week on this for the last few weeks and to finally see it launch is exciting. I loved helping choose the photos, seeing it updated when I changed content/structure on the page (simple things, I know!), and having a hand in the design and the ideas. I'm thankful for God that the launch went so smoothly and we've been able to keep all the old site's members area until Matt finishes an exiting new members area!

Check it out and please post links on your blogs, twitter, facebook etc so we can get higher on Google when searching for things like 'church manchester'.

I am very thankful for being able to be a member of such a great church network - such a good atmosphere, family feel, loving community, spirit filled meetings and best of all God's powerful word, taught really well, the main points of passages, shaping us by the main things God wants us to hear, going through his books in scripture and so the main agenda he wants from each book, helping us to know the Lord Jesus better - the end of the gospel who we were reminded this week we can enjoy in eternity forever through faith/trust in him. Most people dream; we can have a promise.
www.theplant.net

1 Psalm 63:3. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Pierced For Our Transgressions

2007-04-15T23:09:00.004+01:00

This book has recently come out in response to people (like Steve Chalke and Brian McLaren and others) being against the idea Jesus was punished by God on the cross.

It is supposed to be THE book of our generation! It looks awesome, and you can even get a load of free talks and a couple of free songs from the website! Please buy and read it, is is SO important we understand these issues.

It is such AWESOME stuff...

http://piercedforourtransgressions.com/
UPDATE 15/16 Aug 2010:
Sadly the above link appears to have expired.

Here's some more helpful ones about the book that counters these attacks on the gospel and giving excellent biblical grounds to this life giving doctrine/truth that Jesus took all the punishment we all deserve (for rejecting God's rule in our lives and living our own way), so we can be forgiven and accepted by God if we trust Him, in: 'Pierced For Our Transgressions'. God's love is SO amazing, that He would do this for us!:

A helpful short review/summery.
IVP has the contents, foreward by John Piper and exert from the introduction on their site.
Amazon reviews/page

Also, see this excellent blog post to explain what this debate is all about. I think we should pray for Steve and Brian et al to repent and know the true gospel. People saying things like this about the cross have occurred ever since Jesus was around, it is not new.

Keeping easily updated

2006-12-20T12:17:00.000Z

Blogs and websites are great but what if they aren't updated that often and you don't want to go traipsing around the internet just to find out if a blog or a website has been updated? Or want to know when updates have been made to a site so not to miss articles?

Enter RSS - Really Simple Syndication. This is a very clever technology that you can use easily (trust me!) to see when a site has been updated.

You can then at a glance see if my blog or other sites have been updated (yey!).

If you are on Windows I'm afraid your probably going to need a new browser (plus this will help protect you from viruses/spyware that slow your computer down, afraid it is needed)

I'd strongly recommend Firefox as it seems to be the most secure and easiest to use. Download it here.
Once you've installed Firefox (or if you already have it) click here for instructions to see how you can see when a site is updated. Just scroll down to 'adding live bookmarks'. Then to see if a site has been updated, just click on the new live bookmark you created and you can see if there is any new updates without going to the site!

However, if you still want to use Microsoft's browser (which I find is more difficult to use in this new version than Firefox, but you need to choose one or the other - or have both!). Download it here.
Once you've got the new version of Internet Explorer (or already have it - called IE7), then click here for instructions to see when sites are updated.

I think Apple have implemented RSS the best because it will automatically tell you when a site has been updated - and how many new articles have been added e.g. Stephen's blog (1) - But you'll need a shiny Mac for that.
This is using their Safari web browser; click here for instructions to see when sites are updated.

And have fun! = )

Don't forget about ethical Christmas presents

2006-12-16T20:20:00.000Z

Christmas is nearly here! Hurrah!

If your anything like me, its time to think about getting Christmas presents (there's still time I tell myself!). However, I find it's so hard to know what to get!

Well, I felt God reminded me about ethical presents as I was wondering what to get. These are really cool. You can buy people in the third world presents on behalf of someone : )

For example, for just £10 you can buy a community fishing nets to help them fish their way out of poverty.

Or how about school dinners for 100 children for just £6.

Or a goat for £24 - and if that goat has a female baby goat it is given to another needy family : )

Just go to www.oxfamunwrapped.com

Be inspired to help people in the poorest places of the world, at this special time of the year - we remember God gave up what was most precious of His for us in our desperate need - let's help others in their physical need

Famous!

2006-11-01T20:16:00.000Z

WOW! This is very cool... well, for me at least! I don't know if you heard that David Cameron has started his own blog! Its called Webcameron and he regularly posts short little video blogs. They are (generally), really interesting and not as boring as you might think!

I really like this idea, its a great way to see what the Conservatives are up to and thinking about, especially because they might well be the next Government [comments welcome]!

I personally think he is an interesting guy and it is nice to have a politician speak more honestly and openly about things.

You can see him with his family in the earlier parts of the website, its funny him trying to talk with his kids running around about him!

I thought this one on when does adulthood begin? was particularly thought provoking.

Anyway, my humbling and very cool post is mainly because after watching David answer some interesting questions (here), I wanted him to say more about reforming and rehabilitating prisoners which I think is really important, so I signed up and posted my comments on that page (have a look), be good to know what you think).

I wondered if he might reply... AND HE DID... just two hours ago! You can hear him mention my name (lol, good job I didn't think of a comedy username!), - here!

Its SO surreal! That's the furthest up in power (apart from the King) God has allowed my name to go...who knows what He has in store...?? Or maybe its all going to my head... : p

Freedom from 0870 and 0845 costs

2006-10-23T20:16:00.000+01:00

I bookmarked this site a few weeks ago and now, praise the Lord, it has bore fruit.

http://saynoto0870.com/

Allows you to search for alternatives to calling companies with expensive 0870 and 0845 (etc) numbers. Don't be put off by its poor design, I think it is an invaluable tool to save you money : )

Companies often give you the standard rate numbers as well, but they advertise the expensive ones more clearly.

Well worth a bookmark for the next time you need to make a call!

Good example of Web 2.0 as well : )

World Food Day

2006-10-16T23:37:00.000+01:00

Today is Word Food day and so I'd love you to have a go at this interesting quiz on the BBC News website, then go to my website to see how you can help feed people and stop such terrible world hunger here.

Please make a difference (it doesn't have to cost).

Stand up against poverty

2006-10-15T20:49:00.000+01:00

To kick my blog off I thought this was a suitable first post...

Do you remember hearing all about poverty issues in the media in 2005? Well, poverty hasn't gone away, just the media attention has. So as the next push to keep the spotlight on ending poverty, the world's largest anti-poverty movement - the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) - needs your help.

From 16 Sept to 17 Oct is the GCAP Month of Action and they are attemptingto get the world record for number of people standing up to demand action on poverty – but the record they really want to break is the world's record of breaking promises and just ignoring the poor.

I've taken the action already, so it would be great if you could join me at:
http://www.whiteband.org/action/pledge/eng/act?o=cpf
(and then help spread the word further by sending this message to your friends, family and colleagues) - you have until Monday 16th at 10am!

Thanks for your help. It helps put life in perspective when we participate in solving one of our generation's biggest challenges.

As the Lord says:

But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:24