‘What the New York Times gets wrong about complementarianism’

“Baird relies heavily on critics of complementarianism to define complementarianism. I suspect that is a major reason why the picture is so flawed. Baird quotes a feminist writer… who argues that complementarianism makes women into unwilling participants in their own marriage covenant.”

– Denny Burk writes at The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, with a response to Julia Baird’s recent article published in The New York Times. Read her article, and his response, and see if you agree.

Real faith in a performance dominated world

“We live in a world that constantly judges us by how well we perform. From preschool reports to professional annual reviews, performance assessments are everywhere.

Of course, in many cases it is entirely appropriate to assess performance. Businesses need to perform for their customers, politicians for their constituents, employees for their employers, sportspeople and artists for their fans. Assessing performance can help us make wise decisions about whom to buy from, vote for, employ, watch or listen to.

However, this focus on performance can easily become a burden. In our workplaces the anxiety of being constantly measured and assessed can be a major source of stress and depression. Even worse, the demand for performance can affect our friendships, our relationships and our family life.

Is our relationship with God based on our performance? Does God ‘assess’ us to determine our standing with him? …”

– ACL Council member, Dr Lionel Windsor, writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The dignity of work

Moore College’s next Centre for Christian Living event for the year will be on ‘The dignity of work’.

What is the nature of work? Does God care about our work? What role does work play in the Christian life?

Chase Kuhn and Peter Orr are speaking on the nature of work and its place in the Christian life – on Wednesday 17 May, from 7:30 to 9:30pm in the Marcus Loane Hall, at Moore College.

More details from the College.

Can kids tell other kids about Jesus at school?

“Astonishingly, the answer to the question posed here, recently provided by the Queensland Department of Education and Training is: No!

In their latest reviews of material used in Special Religious Instruction (SRI) offered in public schools in that State, they assert as follows:

While not explicitly prohibited by the [relevant legislation], nor referenced in the [Departmental published] RI policy statement, the Department expects schools to take appropriate action if aware that students participating in RI are evangelising to students who do not participate in their RI class, given this could adversely affect the school’s ability to provide a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all students.

(This statement is found both in the Report on the Review of the GodSpace Religious Instruction Materials, March 2017, at para 3.1.1 on p 5, and in the Report on the Review of the ACCESS ministries’ Religious Instruction Materials, Feb 2017, at para 3.1.1 on p 6.)

In this post I want to explain why this over-reaching bureaucratic imposition is not justified by the law governing the Department’s activities, and indeed is probably illegal. …”

– Posted a few days ago, Neil Foster, Associate Professor in Law at Newcastle, gives his opinion on directives from the Queensland Department of Education and Training.

Queen’s Birthday Conference 2017

This year’s Two Ways Ministries’ Queen’s Birthday Conference will be held on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday, Monday 12th June.  Read more

The Message of the Resurrection

“There are several aspects of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ dwelt upon in the New Testament. It is profitable for us to consider two of them as we recall this outstanding event.

An aspect which is frequently overlooked in these days is brought prominently under our notice by St. Paul’s speech at Athens. Addressing Epicureans and Stoics Paul declared,

‘God commandeth all men everywhere to repent; Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead’ (Acts 17:30-31).

The Resurrection is a guarantee of judgment as it is an endorsement of the claim of our Lord to be the judge.”

– The Australian Church Record has republished this timely message from Archdeacon T.C. Hammond.

If Christ is Not Risen…

“I’ve always had something of an aversion to the ‘if Christianity is not true what do you lose’ sort of apologetical approach — precisely because Scripture is God’s word and because it is perfect in all that God reveals in it.

To raise the question almost seems to inadvertantly jeopardize the veracity of it. Nevertheless, that is precisely the kind of reasoning that the Apostle Paul utilized in 1 Corinthians 15 after he appealed to the clear teaching of Scripture about Jesus’ death and resurrection …”

– Nick Batzig writes at Reformation21.

A Legal Evaluation of the Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

“On this Easter long weekend, as Christians around the world are remembering and celebrating the key events of the faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, readers may find a paper I wrote a little while ago helpful in evaluating the legal status of the various pieces of evidence supporting the fact of the resurrection. …”

– Our thanks to Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia for these resources.

If there is no Resurrection – you’re following a Dead Christ

“I am always sceptical of surveys but the notion that 17% of people in Britain believe in the literal biblical account of the bible is for me quite astonishing…and encouraging. The fact that one in ten non-religious people believe the Easter story in some form is interesting – to say the least.

But perhaps the most fascinating and saddest statistic is that 25% of those who identify as Christians do not believe in the resurrection and only 31% believe in the literal biblical story. What is going on?”

– At The Wee Flea, David Robertson in Dundee responds to this week’s BBC poll on the beliefs of British ‘Christians’.

Related:

You can’t be Christian if you don’t believe in the resurrection, says former Queen’s chaplain – Telegraph.

“A former chaplain to the Queen has said that the quarter of Christians who say they do not believe in the Resurrection ‘cannot be Christians’.

The Rev Dr Gavin Ashenden said in a letter to the Times that a survey which found that one in four self-proclaimed Christians do not believe in Jesus’s Resurrection ‘made the mistake of confusing British culture with Christianity’.  …”

Glorifying God with infertility

“Pip and I married in 2009. We discussed trying for children after one year of marriage. We saw children as a blessing from God (Ps 127:5), and we wanted to have them while we were relatively young and bring them up knowing Jesus – a testimony to the goodness of God’s purpose for children. …”

– Mike Taylor, member of the ACL Council, shares the goodness of the Lord in the midst of questions and tears. Take the time to read it, and be encouraged.

At GoThereFor.com.

Archbishop Glenn Davies’ Easter Message 2017 — Rescuing Australia

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney 2017 Easter Message

Archbishop’s Easter Message 2017 from Sydneyanglicans.net on Vimeo.

Text below:  Read more

Easter: For the Love of Beautiful Things

“Has our age lost a love for beautiful things? With all our environmental education my travels still find McDonald’s coffee cups and beer bottles in the most remote of places.

I was born in the late 50’s and schooled in the 60’s and 70’s when environmental care was not on the curriculum. As I drive past the polystyrene burger container, the soft drink cans and chip wrappers I find it interesting that in a bygone age we never had to be told to not throw our rubbish on the ground or out the car window. We never had to advertise with slogans like, ‘Dob in a Tosser’. …”

– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers shares his 2017 Easter message.

‘I am the Good Shepherd…’

“Elections remind us how much we long for a leader who will bring us justice and peace, protection and prosperity. However, on every occasion our aspirations are dashed as leaders reveal their flaws and failures and self-interest. No one proves to be the leader we long for.

There is one exception: Jesus, who said, ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep’ …”

– At The Anglican Connection, John Mason meditates on John 10.

2017 Gospel Coalition Conference — expositions


From Justin Taylor:

“Here are the videos from the expository plenaries at the Gospel Coalition National Conference (April 3-5, 2017) in Indianapolis, with the theme of ‘No Other Gospel’.”

– Expositions from Galatians.

(Photo: Dr. Peter Adam, who, in his characteristic way, thanks Don Carson for his numerous visits to Australia.)

The Hypergrace of Joseph Prince: A Review of ‘Destined to Reign’

Joseph Prince is a charismatic pastor of a very large church in Singapore. He has written a number of popular books, but it is his emphasis on what is called ‘hypergrace’ that is raising quite a deal of discussion in Asia. His key book is entitled Destined to Reign: The secret to effortless success, wholeness and victorious living …

This review seeks to engage with his theology of hypergrace (though the term is not used in that book).

– While the book was published back in 2007, it is still influential. At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Bishop Paul Barker takes a look.

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