Knowing Jesus when it hurts

“Imagine that God gave you a vision of heaven. One moment you sit praying, the next God’s Spirit has lifted you into the heavenlies. You gaze around at the heavenly reality. You see the glories of the Father and the wonders of the seraphim and angels.

Perhaps you catch a taste of what it means to be without sin, to live unencumbered by the desires of the flesh. In ways that you will never find words to express you feel something of the glory of life in the presence of the living God. And then, just as quickly as it began, it’s over.

I wonder, if you had such a vision, who would you tell about it? I wonder, how quickly would you tell them? Would you post it online, phone a friend, talk to your pastor? …”

– Very helpful article from Paul Grimmond at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The purpose of the Lord will stand — Australian Church Record Journal for Synod 2024

The Australian Church Record has published a special edition of their Journal to coincide with the meeting of Sydney Synod starting this weekend.

Whether or not you are a member of Synod, this is well worth downloading, reading and sharing.

Highlights include interviews with Robert Tong and Laurie Scandrett, but much else to see too.

 

Where was the Serious Exchange of Ideas? The American People Need More Than What Happened Last Night in the ‘24 Presidential ‘Debate’

Albert Mohler shares his thoughts on “The Debate”.

– Listen here if you’re interested.

Coercive control in Christian families and the impact on children – with Jenni Woodhouse

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“How do we help children in Christian families escape and recover from the devastating effects of domestic abuse?

Pastoral consultant Jenni Woodhouse says there is a hidden epidemic of coercive control where a parent with narcissism or borderline personality disorder makes life impossible for their both their spouse and children.

We also explore the impact of domestic abuse on children of all ages, from teenagers to toddlers.

What responsibility does the church have? What should a church leader do?

How can we as church leaders detect and address these issues in the congregation?

Jenni Woodhouse is a pastoral care consultant with the Church Missionary Society.”

– Watch or listen here.

Fearing God the Father

“ ‘I am a child of God, God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Saviour is my brother; every Christian is my brother [or sister] too.’

This is my favourite sentence in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. Packer persuasively argues that being adopted as a child of God is the highest blessing that God gives us, higher even than justification. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Richard Chin shares the third in a series on fearing God, “Fearing God the Father”.

( Part 1: Fearing God Our Creator. Part 2: Fearing God Our Judge.)

Paul’s prayer for the persecuted

“Christians need the spiritual and moral strength for which the Apostle Paul prayed in the Prayer Book Epistle reading for today, whatever the political conditions of the nations in which they find themselves.

Paul, a prisoner for proclaiming Christian truth, was writing to the Christians in 1st Century Ephesus …”

– At The Conservative Woman, Julian Mann reminds us that we need to be praying for the persecuted church too.

Why read John’s Gospel?

“I hope to remind us of old truths, perhaps prompt some new thoughts, but above all stimulate us to read and preach this wonderful part of God’s word.

Here are five reasons to read John’s Gospel for your consideration.…”

– St. Andrew’s Cathedral is hosting a reading of the entire Gospel of John, and AFES is using that Gospel in its Meet Jesus campaign.

Helpfully, Bill Salier shares the first in a series of reflections on the Gospel of John, at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

2024 Annual Moore College Lectures now online

Video recordings of the 2024 Annual Moore College Lectures by Dr Tom Schreiner have now been published online.

Dr Schreiner, Associate Dean for the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, spoke on “The Battle for the Truth of the Gospel” from the Letter to the Galatians.

Watch them here.

CLASS and the Evangelical Church in England

From Church Society:

“Evangelicals in Britain are overwhelmingly white and middle class. Of course, it is always good when any group of people come to know the living God and worship him in church; and it is good that the intense efforts to evangelise the university-educated over the past century have borne fruit.

However, there are problems. When any group is dominant in any setting, it easily assumes that its own way of doing things is normal. The way things are done becomes not just the right way, but the only way. It is very easy in such contexts to be oblivious to the way in which the majority way actually excludes people who come from a different group.

Many evangelicals are aware of this, and in some cases actively fight against it. Yet despite understanding all this, and despite their determination for class not to be an issue, evangelicals seem to have been singularly ineffective in eliminating the boundaries.

Class and the Evangelical Church in England by Kirsten Birkett surveys recent research on this topic and discusses some of its implications. We want to reach the whole country with the gospel: what can we do to prevent class from being a barrier?”

– Ordering details for Kirsten Birkett’s new book here.

She spoke about her research in this Church Society podcast in June 2024.

A Review of “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality within the Biblical Story” by Christopher B. Hays and Richard B. Hays

“Sometimes when people change their mind it is occasion for joy and celebration, for there is no virtue in adhering to past opinions for the sake of tradition or fear of criticism.

In this case, however, Richard Hays’s change of mind is a cause of grief and sadness instead of joy, especially for those like me who have learned so much from his outstanding scholarship over the years. …”

– At The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Thomas Schreiner reviews “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality within the Biblical Story”.

See also:

At The Gospel Coalition, Rebecca McLaughlin shares her review of the book:

“For decades, Christians seeking to uphold the Bible’s ‘no’ to same-sex sexual relationships have quoted Richard Hays’s treatment of this topic in his Moral Vision of the New Testament. But Hays (emeritus professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School) has coauthored a new book, The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story, arguing for ‘the full inclusion of LGBT+ people in Christian communities.’

Readers might expect to find that Hays has changed his mind about the meaning of the verses that apparently prohibit same-sex sex. But he hasn’t. Instead, he and his son, Christopher (an Old Testament professor at Fuller Theological Seminary), suggest God has changed his mind. …”

Moore College School of Biblical Theology 2024

Coming up next week!

We understand it’s not too late to register.

Details here.

Interview: The Christian Church and Porn

From AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia –

“In this episode of AP’s Profiles in Christian Living, host Mark Powell sits down with Dr. Marshall Ballantine-Jones to discuss the sensitive and pervasive issue of pornography.

Dr. Ballantine-Jones, who holds a doctorate on the societal impacts of pornography, shares his personal faith journey and presents alarming statistics about the prevalence of pornography in the Church and wider community.

The discussion delves into the harmful effects of porn on individuals, relationships, and society, and offers hope through practical solutions and spiritual guidance. Learn more about the Resist program, a course designed to help people break free from pornography addiction.”

– Watch here.

Positive Masculinity

“Friends in Christ, this month, Micaela Cronin, the country’s first Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, handed down her first ‘report card’ to federal parliament on progress of the government’s National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. …

Also highly significant in my view, Ms Cronin urged governments to help redefine masculinity and engage men effectively. She said, “we need to have eyes on men in different ways than we do now”. She said she was being told consistently by women to “please work with our men” and data uncovering how men become violent and stopped being violent was desperately needed. [Source]

It’s at this point I offer some Christian reflections.”

– The Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, turns to Scripture to show us what a real man must be like.

Latest issue of Themelios (49/2) now available

The latest edition of Themelios (volume 49, no. 2) is now available for download – or to read online – from The Gospel Coalition.

Includes a book review by Moore College’s Lionel Windsor (that’s also available here).

– Download or read online the full issue here.

A prayer for the displaced

“I’m sure that, like me, many of you are deeply concerned about the ongoing civil war in Sudan, which is being increasingly covered by the international news media.

The deteriorating situation means the country is facing what the UN has described as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory.” There are now 10.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs)* in Sudan, making this the largest displacement crisis in the world. Almost all of these IDPs are in areas with acute levels of food scarcity.

And it’s not just Sudan that is seeing an increase in IDPs.…”

– Canon Tim Swan, CEO of The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid, writes to encourage you to pray – and offers a prayer you could use.

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