Sexual Revolution, Same Old Revolution
“The sexual revolution here in the twenty-first century is not a new revolution, but a continuation of the one that has dominated humanity since our earliest days.
This revolution began when a man made a choice to declare independence from God. He wanted to be autonomous, he wanted to make his own way in the world, to answer only to himself, to shake himself free from the oversight and accountability of his Creator.
But more than that, he wanted to destroy that Creator, to escape his watchful eye, to stamp out the imprint of himself this Creator left on every human soul. For man knows he is guilty before this Creator. He can doubt it or deny it, but he can never fully shake it. To get out from under his guilt he must get out from under his Creator. To kill his guilt he must kill his Creator.”
– Read the full post from Tim Challies. (Image: Tim Challies.)
Also see:
Seven Reasons You Should Not Indulge in Pornography – Andy Naselli.
Pornography: still an issue? – Meagan Bartlett, Australian Church Record.
New Advanced Diploma of Bible, Mission and Ministry from Moore College
“For many years Moore College has offered both a Diploma of Bible and Missions and a Diploma of Bible and Ministry alongside its degree programs.
Now these courses have been improved, upgraded into an advanced diploma and combined in the new Diploma of Bible, Mission and Ministry, commencing in Semester 1, 2017. …”
– News from Moore College.
Advent is for Adoring Jesus
Desiring God has posted a page of resources to help you focus on the Lord Jesus Christ this Advent.
Among them are the previously published Advent devotionals from John Piper, Good News of Great Joy, and also The Dawning of Indestructible Joy.
Scroll down on this page.
Update:
If you use the PrayerMate app, you can subscribe to John Piper’s Good News of Great Joy so it appears in your app each day of Advent.
Inside Sydney: An Insider’s view of the changes and politics in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 1966-2013
The Rev Canon Dr Bruce Ballantine-Jones OAM, former President, and now Emeritus Vice-President, of the Anglican Church League, has published a significant history of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
Inside Sydney: An Insider’s view of the changes and politics in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 1966-2013 is available from The Wandering Bookseller. Click on the image for ordering details.
Here are some Endorsements of the book:
Inside Sydney is an insider’s personal perspective on one of Australia’s truly representative democracies, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. Every democracy has a political dimension and Canon Bruce Ballantine-Jones participated in that democracy at every level for half-a-century. Here are the mature reflections on his experience, an analysis of how the Diocese works and why it does not and cannot work.
A lifelong lover and player of the political game, he must have been tempted, like professional politicians who write their memoirs, to engage in self-justification. But this account transcends that genre. It explains very complex machinery with exceptional clarity and never loses sight of its purpose: to support the proclamation of the gospel and to bring the people of Sydney to the new life in Christ which is the hallmark of his own life and ministry. It is essential reading for all who love the Diocese and also for those who do not love it, but need to understand it.
– Associate Professor Stuart Piggin, Centre for the History of Christian Thought and Experience, Macquarie University.
This is an important book that should be widely read and discussed among those with an interest in the Diocese of Sydney and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Inside Sydney is a substantial study of an important question: How should the considerable resources of the large and complex organisation known as the Anglican Diocese of Sydney be harnessed to serve the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ? It is not the last word on its subject, nor is it indisputable in its conclusions, but it does offer an ‘insider’s’ account of events from 1966 to 2013, through which the author draws his conclusions, both critical and constructive.
Those who know BBJ will not be surprised to find the book honest (at times frankly so), very well informed (the author was directly involved in much of this story), generous (where critical judgements are made there is also a warm recognition of positive qualities and contributions) and engaging. I highly recommend this book.
– Dr John Woodhouse, Former Principal Moore Theological College, Sydney.
Few developments in the Anglican world have been more significant and yet less widely understood than the remarkable growth and expansion of the Sydney diocese over the past half-century. This book offers us an eye-witness account of what has happened and an assessment of what it might mean for the future of the Anglican Church in Australia and in the wider world.
It is to be hoped that the publication of these memoirs will encourage others to share their insights as well, so that friends and observers of the Sydney scene will have a deeper understanding of the many forces at work that have produced this remarkable turn of events.
– Gerald Bray, Director of Research, Latimer Trust, London.
Available from The Wandering Bookseller: Inside Sydney: An Insider’s view of the changes and politics in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 1966-2013.
See also this interview with Bruce Ballantine-Jones, “Gospel Ministry and Church Politics: What’s the Connection?”
The Importance of Peter
“This year has seen two books published from the hand of Bishop Paul Barnett, my predecessor as Bishop of North Sydney and a distinguished lecturer, author and scholar (whose number of publications clearly surpasses that of his successor!).
The first was his contribution to the Reading the Bible Today Series with the release of his commentary on Philippians and Philemon. The second is his appreciation of the contribution of the Simon Peter to early Christianity…”
– Archbishop Glenn Davies reviews The Importance of Peter in Early Christianity by Paul Barnett – at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Find where you can purchase the book at this link.
Glen Scrivener on evangelism through the local church
“Revd Glen Scrivener, Evangelist with Revival Media, encouraged us to see that our churches are not simply located in villages, towns, and cities up and down the land, but are a theological reality located in Christ.
So although our Church appears weak, God works in the ordinary and we must reach out to the world by church being church.
Glen exhorted us toward preaching, prayer, and pastoral care (starting with our own congregations), instead of relying on various programmes and courses.”
– A most encouraging and challenging talk by Glen Scrivener – via the Church Society blog. (Image: screenshot from one of Glen’s evangelistic videos.)
I cannot wait for heaven — and that’s the problem
“Here’s the thing. I cannot wait for the New Creation. But not in a good way. Not like a patient child waiting for Christmas morning to come. I’m more like the child who sneaks into mum and dad’s room to open the presents early. In my sin and impatience, I want it now. I literally cannot wait!…”
– Mike Leite shares the remedy for impatience for heaven. At The Australian Church Record.
Diocesan BBQ at Gilbulla
A blast from the past – from Southern Cross magazine, September 1966.
(We don’t do Barbecues like that any more!)
What God is Like — Articulate #1 from the ACR
“Welcome to the first in our Articulate series where we open the vault on an extraordinary series of articles from The ACR.
From 1955 until his death in 1961, T. C. Hammond wrote for The ACR on each of the 39 Articles (well, Articles 1-28 to be precise, sadly he died before the series was completed).
Over the coming months we’ll be releasing these articles – T.C. Hammond’s thoughts and reflections – without further comment, for your encouragement. And, as we’ll see, he is a most insightful tour guide for these rich Christian truths. …”
– Read it all – and Archdeacon Hammond’s article – at The Australian Church Record.
Theology does matter
“Although recent attendance figures from the Church of England seem to indicate relentless decline, new research from a team of Canadian secular social scientists could offer hope if we recognise a truth that is all-too-often avoided. As George Orwell once observed, to see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.
Respected new research published this week from Wilfrid Laurier University claims to have discovered that the ‘secret ingredient’ for church growth is clergy and congregations committed to the historic truths of the Christian faith as a revealed religion, while a liberal approach to belief is consistently a predictor of decline. …”
– Rod Thomas, Bishop of Maidstone (and former Chairman of Reform) responds to some recent research. Via GAFCON (Originally here – PDF file.)
John Chapman, Mark Twain and the Twenty Minute Sermon
“John Chapman and Mark Twain both had much and little in common.
Both were great communicators and raconteurs with a razor-sharp wit. But Chappo loved his golf while Twain is thought to have said that golf was a good walk ruined. Chappo’s spirituality was biblical and evangelical. Twain’s was anything but.
However, when it came to preaching, they had something very much in common. They had little patience for preaching that was unnecessarily long – or even longer than twenty minutes. …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, David Mansfield would love to hear better preaching.
Legal problems with Victoria’s new birth certificate gender laws
“The Victorian Government has introduced a Bill, the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2016, to amend its law on birth certificates to allow changing the gender on the certificate to be made easier. (The Bill was approved by the Lower House on 15 Sept 2016 and is awaiting consideration by the Legislative Council.)
There are many problems with the policy represented by this legislation … But what I want to focus on here is the interaction of the new law with the law on marriage. In my view the law will create a host of legal uncertainties at best …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster shares some ideas on complications which could arise from the proposed legislation.
Priscilla & Aquila Centre Annual Conference 2017
William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, is the main speaker at the Priscilla & Aquila Centre Annual Conference on Monday 30th January.
The theme: “Luke’s women, and a ministry that builds the church.”
Some excellent ideas for Christmas
Ian Carmichael has some good ideas for connecting with visitors to your church this Christmas.
Democracy Trumps Meritocracy
“In 2016 the sleeping giant of democracy has awakened. In the rise of minor parties in many Western democracies, in the UK Brexit vote, and now in the USA Presidential election – we have witnessed the power of people rejecting the power of the elite who rule over them. This is democracy in action.
However, this kind of democracy has shocked and rattled the complacency of the elite who have ruled unchallenged for most of this generation. The pollsters and pundits as well as the media and markets, have failed comprehensively to predict or even understand what has happened. The big guns were wheeled in to oppose the popular sentiment but it has not worked. In the polling station, in the privacy of the voting booth, the people have voted in ways they weren’t supposed to…”
– Phillip Jensen reflects on democracy, and how Christians should understand it.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…