Forget the Channel

“The 21st century saw incredible communication breakthroughs with a soaring use of social media. Social media has given us ways of communicating that is unparalleled in digital history. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, microblogging have all become household terms.

Amongst infinite possibilities, social media has opened up tremendous opportunities for Christians to speak in the world. …”

– The latest from The Australian Church Record.

The important message of Christmas

“On 3 January 2014, as a member of the SCG, I will get up at 5 am, queue up at the members gate at 6 am and then run from the gate, in what is called the “Paddington gift” to secure my seat for the day, in the Members’ Stand.

I will try to reserve the seat next to me for a friend. He will get up at about 9:30 am, wander into the ground at 10:30 for the start of play, secure in the fact that I have reserved a seat for him. I pay the member’s subscription, I get up at 5 am, queue at 6 am, race at 7 am, I do all the work, he wanders in and enjoys the fruit of my labours.”

– David Cook, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, writes about The important message of Christmas on the PCA website. (h/t Gary Ware.)

Andrew Sach on The New Perspective

In the latest Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, Andrew Sach introduces ‘the New Perspective on Paul’, and talks about why he would cover such material in a sermon on Galatians.

Grafton appointment exposes massive differences in the Anglican Church in Australia

“I wrote last week about the appointment of Rev Dr Sarah Macneil as the new Bishop of Grafton diocese in NSW, Australia. Not only is she due to be Australia’s first female diocesan, but far more troubling she is on the record as holding what many consider to be heterodox views on human sexuality and the atonement. …”

– At his blog, David Ould continues to explore the implications of the election of a new Bishop of the Diocese of Grafton. (Related posts.)

Living Out

“We’re a group of Christians who experience same-sex attraction, and we want to share our stories, answer your questions, and recommend resources about Christianity and same-sex attraction.”

– David Ould draws attention to what he describes as “a wonderful website full of stories of Christians who seek to live godly lives while being honest about their experience of same-sex attraction”.

At Ref21, Paul Levy writes, “This looks to be a great resource for the church and is worthy of our prayers and support, do visit the site and pass it on.”

See it at Living Out.

Extinction in a generation?

“Have a read of this report from the Daily Telegraph: ‘Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, warns Christianity “a generation away from extinction” in Britain. Clergy are now gripped by a “feeling of defeat”, congregations are worn down by “heaviness” while the public simply greets both with “rolled eyes and a yawn of boredom”, he said.’

Lord Carey goes on to say how in particular ‘we’ have let down young people and that we must deploy ministers to get children and youth back into church.

There’s much here to admire. Lord Carey may no longer be Archbishop of Canterbury, but it still takes courage for such an establishment figure to point out just how bad things are. But he’s quite right: Christianity is a generation away from extinction in the United Kingdom. This is something both very old and very new. Let me explain. …”

– Oak Hill College Principal Mike Ovey writes.

Exult in the Saviour’s Birth

Songwriter Matt Boswell shares a new song for Advent. Don Carson wrote the words, and Matt wrote the music.

It’s generously available as a free download from The Gospel Coalition.

CMS Summer School 2014 promo video

CMS has released a 4 minute video introducing Andrew Reid who is giving the Bible studies on Exodus at CMS Summer School Katoomba in January.

Camelot and Narnia and the myths of our time

“There are still those who feel a stirring in their heart before an image of the young couple with the movie star good looks frolicking with their children on the beach at Hyannis Port or in the Oval Office. But even the most devoted of Kennedy supporters these days must admit that the story is at best a tarnished and tawdry version of the original.”

– In this opinion-piece for the ABC, Simon Smart looks at the legacies of President John Kennedy and C.S. Lewis, both of whom died 50 years ago today. (Photo: NASA.)

Evangelical Theological Society 65th Annual Meeting

“I have been spending the last couple of days in Baltimore at the 65th ETS Annual Conference. This year’s theme has been Evangelicalism, Inerrancy, and ETS. It has been a fascinating time with upwards of 2400 people in attendance. It has also been a great opportunity to meet with old friends and to make new ones and to discuss an important aspect of the evangelical doctrine of Scripture. I am very glad I’ve come. …

It has been great to see spirited, well-informed, humble and scholarly accounts of the absolute truthfulness and trustworthiness of Scripture. It was also terrific to hear testimonies from around the world (certainly not just the USA — Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Australia too) of the importance of biblical inerrancy and the necessity of giving a clear and unambiguous account of this doctrine to a fresh generation of Christian men and women.”

– Moore College Principal Mark Thompson writes at Theological Theology.

Good News of Great Joy by John Piper — Daily Readings for Advent

John Piper writes:

“I’m excited to announce that our Advent eBook is newly revised and ready for December 2013 — and free of charge. It’s called Good News of Great Joy.

As you know, Advent is just around the corner. It starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas — this year, that’s December 1 — and is a season of preparation for Christmas Day.

Our prayer is that this eBook would help you keep Jesus as the center and greatest treasure of your Advent season. The candles and candies have their place, but we want to make sure that in all the Christmas rush and hubbub, we adore Jesus above all.”

– Worth passing on.

Why I ran to Confessionalism

“So, in August of 2013 I ran to confessionalism. Specifically my ordination was transferred to the Presbyterian Church in America and I became the Lead Pastor of a PCA congregation.

The experience has been like finding an oasis in a desert. It has been like discovering a GPS after meandering blindly through an unknown country. Too dramatic? It does not feel that way to me. It is nearly impossible to effectively put down error and nurture unity within a church whose minimal statement of faith is only able to identify the grossest of heresies.”

– Todd Pruitt, who blogs at 1517, and co-hosts The Mortification of Spin with Carl Trueman, shares his discovery.

The definitive work on Definite Atonement

From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, edited by David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson, is a major publication. …

David Wells says, “This is the definitive study. It is careful, comprehensive, deep, pastoral, and thoroughly persuasive.”

Michael Horton calls it “the most impressive defense of definite atonement in over a century.”

Read about it from Justin Taylor, see John Piper commending it, check out the book’s website and read an excerpt (PDF).

J. I. Packer: “I count it an honor to be asked to supply a foreword to this massive product of exact and well-informed scholarship.”

Does the Cross save?

At Stand Firm, David Ould asks what the Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Grafton believes about salvation – and about what she describes as a “rather mechanistic and grim understanding of atonement” (among other things).