‘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.

The Power of a Dependent Father

“When you are little your father is very big; you are weak, but he is very strong; you know very little and he seems to know everything, you feel feeble compared to his powerful presence.

When your father is very powerful, you are able to do so much. You feel safe and secure in his great arms. You are comfortable, if not confident, to ask him for anything. He takes you to places, shows you things, entertains you, houses, feeds, clothes and educates you. And when you go to school you can boast about how great your father is – how much greater than other children’s fathers.

But when you grow up and become a father, you realise how difficult life is; how weak and inadequate you are; how complex the world has become; how vulnerable you actually are; how few resources you have to care and provide for your family. …”

– from Phillip Jensen’s weekly column.

Word-watch: lessons from a naïve blogger

“A few days ago I wrote a short article in which I used the word ‘submission.’ I’ve just now realized that by using this word, I was being a bit naïve. The realization of my own naivety came when I read Kara Martin’s helpful review of the book Fifty Shades of Grey on the Sydney Anglicans website…”

– Lionel Windsor’s post at The Briefing is a good reminder that words have a context, and that can affect how we are heard.

Atheists in the Pulpit

“It is hard to think of any other profession which it is so near to impossible to leave.” That is the judgment of Richard Dawkins, perhaps the world’s most famous living atheist, as he welcomes unbelieving pastors to join the Clergy Project, a group designed to help unbelieving pastors make their way out of the ministry. …

Dennett and LaScola made a very interesting and important observation in their research report. They acknowledged that defining an unbelieving pastor is actually quite difficult. Given the fact that so many liberal churches and denominations already believe so little, how is atheism really different? In the name of tolerance, the liberal denominations have embraced so much unbelief that atheism is a practical challenge.”

– Albert Mohler writes about “The Clergy Project’.

Best books on Preaching

Adrian Reynolds at The Proclamation Trust has been posting a series of brief thoughts on the books on preaching. He’s up to number 7 in his list –

“When The Trellis and the Vine came out, many of us thought ‘this is an excellent book, but where is preaching mentioned or championed?’ The answer was – if only we knew it – that we were waiting for volume 2. And it was worth the wait.”

His posts so far:

1. I Believe in Preaching by John Stott,
2. The Glory of Preaching by Darrell Johnson,
3. Expository Preaching by Haddon Robinson,
4. The Priority of Preaching by Christopher Ash,
5. Preaching and Biblical Theology by Ed Clowney,
6. Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd Jones,
7. The Archer and the Arrow by Phillip Jensen & Paul Grimmond.

Jim Elliot’s little-known brother

Justin Taylor draws attention to this powerful message from Randy Alcorn about Jim Elliot’s younger brother Bert, who went home to the Lord in February.

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