Thinking about the Occult — Church Society podcast

Posted on June 30, 2025 
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In the latest Church Society podcast, Tony Cannon asks Kirsten Birkett about the dangers and fascination of the occult, and what the Bible says about it.

Biblical and pastorally helpful.
31 minutes.

In peace I will lie down and sleep

Posted on June 30, 2025 
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“It was another night of lying on the floor in the dark, my arm raised awkwardly through the cot so my daughter could hold my hand against her face, her favourite (and seemingly only) way to fall asleep.

How many minutes had we been like this now? Five? Ten? Twenty? You start to lose track of time when lying still for so long, night after night after night, kept awake only by the ache in my hips reminding me of the need to do more exercise. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Kat Cowell ponders the Lord’s love, power and presence.

Evangelism for Introverts and other Encouragement

Posted on June 29, 2025 
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“Street vendors fascinate me. I’ve refused them time without number — but it hasn’t been personal. Deep down, I admire them. I wish I were more like them.

They seem unafflicted with the fear of man. They step into the middle of the walkway, make eye contact, smile, and then thrust their perfumes or cellphone covers upon you. They know we don’t want to hear, yet they speak anyway. One woman snared me recently with her heavy accent. She lifted her voice, and when she saw me pause, she knew she had me. She smelled fear. Before I knew what had happened, my children held massive balloons in their hands and toys in their arms, and she was asking them which ones they liked best. She was insistent that I hear her message.

Why don’t I share the gospel like that?…”

– At Desiring God, Greg Morse writes to encourage us to speak the news people need to hear.

Related:

The Forgotten Evangelists: Mobilizing Ordinary Members in Everyday Evangelism – 9Marks.

“Something concerning is happening in many faithful churches today. The gospel is proclaimed from the pulpit. Prayers are lifted. Mission trips are put into the budget and scheduled for the year. And yet week after week, many church members fail to evangelize the lost.

It’s not usually because they don’t believe in evangelism. I would bet that most church members genuinely want their friends and neighbors to know Christ. But when it comes to speaking up, they freeze.

What’s holding them back? …”

Alternative Anglican Ordinations: seven South African deacons

Posted on June 28, 2025 
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Law and Religion UK introduces a guest post on recent events in London:

“Seven lay ministers from dioceses across the Church of England were ordained in May 2025 by a visiting Anglican bishop from South Africa.

In this guest post, Andrew Atherstone provides the first report of this event, based on interviews with several of the leading participants.

‘On Wednesday 21 May 2025, the Archbishop of York received notification from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH SA) of their plans to ordain “missionary clergy” for ministry in England.

“A group of churches from various Church of England dioceses”, declared Bishop Martin Morrison from Gauteng, “have approached us with a request: that we consider ordaining a number of emerging leaders, all of whom are appropriately selected and theologically trained.” Following the commendation of the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) in December 2023 by the Church of England’s House of Bishops, these young leaders found themselves unable “in good conscience” to pursue ordination through the normal channels, and their congregations were deeply concerned that “no clear or lasting pastoral provision has yet been made”, especially in terms of “legal and permanent structural protections or future ministry pathways”.

Therefore, Bishop Morrison explained to the Archbishop, REACH SA had decided to accede to their request for ordination. He emphasised: “This decision has been made with the aim of sustaining and advancing faithful Anglican evangelical witness and to ensure we do not lose a generation of gifted gospel workers to ordained ministry.”

Morrison’s letter was copied to the Bishop of London (in the absence of an Archbishop of Canterbury) and to the Bishop of Leicester (lead bishop of the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) project until his sudden resignation in early June). …’ ”

– Read the full report here. (Paragraph breaks added for clarity.)

Welsh Primate resigns in Cathedral leadership scandal

Posted on June 28, 2025 
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“The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev. Andrew John, has announced his immediate resignation following a motion of no confidence passed by the Church in Wales’ Representative Body – the province’s trustee group. He has served as primate since 2021. …”

– Story from The Living Church.

Image from the News item on the Church in Wales website.

Bishop of Bathurst’s Newsletter — HOPE25 Report edition

Posted on June 28, 2025 
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From the Bishop of Bathurst.

– Read it here.

17,000 turn out for Franklin Graham event in London

Posted on June 27, 2025 
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“Thousands of people turned up for a free Franklin Graham event in London on Saturday night, exceeding the venue’s capacity.

Some 15,000 people joined the event inside, filling the ExCel Centre to capacity…”

– Report from Christian Today.

Photo: Franklin Graham, via the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

NSW Budget Pathetic on Pokies Harm

Posted on June 26, 2025 
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“It’s time to put airbags on pokies!

Today’s NSW Budget is pathetically weak on gambling harm.

In fact, NSW tax revenue from pokies in pubs and clubs will reach a record level – $2.6 billion in the next financial year! That’s rising by 6% per annum – faster than the inflation rate.

This comes off the back of NSW residents who lose over $24 million every day on poker machines — more than $1 million an hour! …”

– Here’s this week’s media release from the Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant.

Photo: Wesley Mission’s Stuart Cameron and Anglican Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant in 2022, courtesy SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Bible’s guide to time travel

Posted on June 26, 2025 
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“Time is a funny thing. It goes too fast. Then too slow. We want it to stand still and then wish it didn’t. We love losing track of it but incessantly strive to find it. There are few things more frustrating and difficult than running out of time or wasting it. We just can’t seem to get it right!

Why does time so often feel out of joint? …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Annabel Nixey begins a short series for time travellers.

New church for the Costa Blanca in Spain

Posted on June 25, 2025 
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From The Anglican Convocation in Europe:

“At the recent ACE Conference at the beginning of June, Bishop Andy Lines welcomed Bishop Josep Rosello to the diocese with a view to planting a new congregation in Benissa on the Costa Blanca in Spain.

Married to Patrice, with a daughter Natalia, Bennisa is +Josep’s home town, at the centre of ten towns without an evangelical church and few opportunities to hear the great good news of Jesus Christ. …”

– Read here.

Double the number of reformed evangelicals in Australia over twenty years

Posted on June 25, 2025 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“In a bold move, a meeting of movement leaders from across Australian Reformed Evangelicalism has resolved to work together to see their numbers double over twenty years, through seeing sinners saved.

Leaders gathered for a mini summit organised by The Gospel Coalition Australia at Sydney’s Moore Theological College last week.

Gospel Coalition Australia Chair Rory Shiner says given the unparalleled theological and missional unity between the different organisations there’s a significant window of opportunity to work productively together for God’s glory.

They agreed to work towards an effective target of growing five percent per year through conversion growth. …”

– Rory Shiner, Sarah Kuswadi, Andrew Heard and Gary Millar join Dominic Steele.

Watch or listen here.

In uncertain times – the message of Hope everyone needs to hear

Posted on June 24, 2025 
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“Here’s 3 minutes from this weekend’s message. Given the USA’s intervention in the Israel–Iran conflict, I suspect some will find this helpful to hear today. A reminder that even in global uncertainty, Christ remains supreme — and our hope is secure in him.”

– Bishop of Bathurst Diocese, Mark Calder, shares this excerpt from the coming weekend’s message.

Whatever your views about aspects of the current conflict, and whatever might have happened by the time you see this, Bishop Calder brings us back to what is the most important message of all.

See it on Facebook – or watch the full message here.

The Animals — How Genesis helps us get the relationship right.

Posted on June 24, 2025 
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From Phillip Jensen:

“Humans have always enjoyed living with the animals of God’s creation. But what is our relationship with the animals, and how should we care for them?

Today we move from the abuse of animals to the worship of animals as we think about the Bible’s teaching on animals.”

– Here’s the latest episode of the Two Ways News podcast, where Peter and Phillip Jensen reveal why the lady next door complained.

The Quiet Judgement on the UK

Posted on June 23, 2025 
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“And so, it has happened. It came – not as a bolt of lightning. Not as a flash of thunder. Not with a mighty roar like an earthquake. It did not come in the form of war, plague and famine. It came as the pale horse whose rider was named Death (Revelation 6:8).

The judgement of God has finally come upon the United Kingdom. Quietly. Silently. Like a thief in the night. It came in the form of an irrational, emotive and Godless parliament who this week voted to permit the killing of babies in the womb up until birth, and has now introduced the National Suicide Service, with its vote to permit assisted suicide. God has given us what we voted for. …”

– Published on Saturday at The Wee Flea, David Robertson laments what is happening in the United Kingdom.

Discussing Christian Unity and the Nicene Creed

Posted on June 23, 2025 
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From the “Dead Presbyterians Society” podcast:

“Leonardo De Chirico and Mark Gilbert join the program to discuss the enduring significance of the Nicene Creed as it marks its 1700th anniversary.

Drawing from their recent edited volume, The Nicene Creed: The Nature of Christian Unity and the Meaning of Gospel Words (Matthias Media), the guests explore how shared credal language can mask deep theological differences, particularly between evangelical and Roman Catholic traditions.”

– Watch here.

The book is, of course, available from Matthias Media.

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