‘Staying in His Lane’

“The appearance of Osteen and Chopra together was a priceless demonstration of the fact that the New Thought positive thinking philosophy that drives them both can be grafted onto either Christianity or Eastern religion. In the end, it all sounds the same. Chopra’s New Age spirituality and Osteen’s updated version of the word-faith movement end up as the same message, only with different trappings.

O’Brien then shifted the topic to homosexuality, as would be expected. …”

– Albert Mohler writes on “the total theological bankruptcy of the word of faith movement and the gospel of positive thinking”.  (Image: CNN.)

Carl Trueman on being different

“Every now and then I find myself reminded of just how much the world has changed. One such moment came for me on Saturday. I was up in Boston…”

– Read Carl Trueman’s witty but serious thoughts on living for Christ in a changing world – at Reformation21.

Related: When even Joel Osteen is Treated as a bigot – Justin Taylor.

The Devolution of Marriage

“Weddings and marriage have been in the news a lot recently. Same sex marriage and revising the wedding vows are not unrelated issues but reflect the community’s confusion about the nature of marriage and the place of weddings.

Over the last 30 years Anglican wedding services have evolved steadily away from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. This change in theology and liturgy has undermined the minister’s ability to teach the faith and help couples to understand marriage. …”

– from Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen’s weekly column.

The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife? When sensationalism masquerades as scholarship

“The whole world changed on Tuesday. At least, that is what many would have us to believe. Smithsonian magazine, published by no less than the Smithsonian Institution, declared that the news released Tuesday was ‘apt to send jolts through the world of biblical scholarship–and beyond.’ Really? …”

– Albert Mohler at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary takes a look at the latest alleged sensation.

See also The Far Less Sensational Truth about Jesus’ ‘Wife’ – by Michael Kruger, Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Garage Hymnal new EP launch

Garage Hymnal is launching their new EP, ‘Bird in a Winter Storm’ at 7:30 on Friday 9th November at St Barnabas’ Broadway.

Tickets available here.

‘XV: the Bible in 15’ — Bible overview app from Matthias Media

Matthias Media has released a free app for iOS 5.0 and later (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) –

“XV helps you do two things: zoom out and see the magnificence of the ‘big picture’ of the Bible’s story, and then zoom in to focus on the life-changing detail.

So you’ll start with a zoomed-out introductory overview of the story of the Bible in 15 stages, from creation through to new creation. This will give you a framework for the next phase of the using the app: zooming in to study the detail of God’s word – understanding it better because of your new sense of how it fits into the big story.

It’s a whirlwind tour of the big breathtaking picture of creation, the fall and the history of God’s dealings with Israel, the promise of restoration, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and what is still to come—the whole story, with all its ups and downs, and with the certainty of God’s promise shining through. …”

– Read more and download link.

There are also ‘in app’ purchases, but the free module, 25 words in 25 days, nicely complements the Bible Society’s 25 Words campaign. Worth checking out.

Love and Subjugation

Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen draws out some implications of what he wrote last week:

“Sometimes people who live in a different culture only notice what is said when for them a politically incorrect word like ‘submission’ is uttered. Others have seen firsthand the horror of domestic violence and are rightly sensitised to anything that could contribute to such an awful abuse. …”

– Worth reading and passing around.

A book Packer thinks you should read three times

Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds quotes J. I. Packer writing about Don Whitney’s Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life –

“I can go on record as urging all Christians to read what Don Whitney has written; indeed, to read it three times over, with a month’s interval (certainly not less, and ideally, I think, not more) between each reading. This will not only make the book sink in, but will also give you a realistic picture of your seriousness, or lack of it, as Jesus’ disciple.

Your first reading will show you several particular things that you should start doing.

In your second and third readings (for each of which you should choose a date on the day you complete the previous reading) you shall find yourself reviewing what you have done and how you have fared in doing it. That will be very good for you, even if the discovery of it comes as a bit of a shock at first.”

Questions and mockery

“Readers of The Australian are demonstrating a commitment to informed, polite and open-minded debate simply by opening these pages or clicking on our website. So we expect readers will share our concern at a disturbing, emerging intolerance towards pluralism in some sections of the public conversation. …”

– Editorial from The Australian.

Related: ‘Christian Character and Good Arguments’ – Michael Horton (h/t Tim Challies.)

Submission and the Clash of Cultures

“Behind the media brouhaha about the word ‘submission’, lies a clash of world views. It is a clash that feels difficult because of the heat of debate, but one that exposes something of the difference the gospel makes – not just in theory but also in practice. …”

– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes on the hot topic of marriage in his weekly column.

God, sex and marriage — Christopher Ash

Christopher Ash (Director of PT Cornhill) spoke at the Moore College Centre for Christian Living two weeks ago. His topic was God, sex and marriage – what’s it all about?

Well worth hearing – 46 minute / 44MB mp3 file.

‘Why Pastors should flee the Ministry’

Read anything by Gregory of Nazianzus (329–389AD) lately? Keith Goad in Churchman (just posted on the web by Church Society) thinks there is good reason to do so –

“The purpose of this paper is to provide a vision of the pastorate from Gregory’s writing that will challenge pastors to reflect upon the gravity of their office and the responsibilities that are necessary to be faithful to the calling and the one who has called them. The end goal is not to have them flee the pastorate, though this will be tempting in light of Gregory’s vision, but to recognize their need for God’s grace to fulfill their duty and recommit themselves to the office and its high demands.”

– Read it here (PDF).

 

The Great American Worldview Exercise — The 2012 Election

“The presidential nominees of the two major parties represent two very different worldviews and visions. President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney have adopted policy positions that place them in direct conflict, and the platforms of their respective parties reveal two radically different renderings of reality…

Though the two parties have taken opposing positions on many of these issues for years, the radical nature of the current polarization is new.”

– Albert Mohler looks at the widening gulf between to two major US political parties.

The minister’s Bible

Adrian Reynolds at the Proclamation Trust writes –

“We started a new series at church last Sunday evening … we read out a slightly modernised version of a prayer from the Valley of Vision. … Here’s the prayer. Good for every minister. Good for every Christian.

Read more

Discipling in the Church

The latest 9Marks Journal is out – and the theme is “Discipling in the Church”.

Lots of encouraging ideas. Get it here.

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