An important contribution to a vital debate

An important book, which meets a desperate need, is due to be launched next week.

“Sometimes we all just wish this debate would go away. Christians aren’t preoccupied with this subject, they’re preoccupied with Jesus. However, this is the form in which the gospel of Jesus is under most direct challenge just at the moment and we need the courage and the resources to take our stand on the teaching of Scripture.” – Mark Thompson

ACL President Dr. Mark Thompson explains why the book is important:

“The debate about homosexual behaviour and the concerted attempt by the gay lobby and others to gain legitimacy by rebadging homosexual liaisons as ‘same-sex marriage’ is quite intense at the moment. A culture bankrupt of any moral compass increasingly accepts the gay lobby’s caricature of Christians who take the Bible’s teaching on the subject seriously as bigots and homophobes.  Read more

The modern marriage ideology

“Marriage has always been ‘discriminatory’. Not everyone can have it: children, siblings, those already married, those with no-one offering to marry them, and so on. But three ‘marriage equality’ bills now before our Federal Parliament seek to leverage a good thing, equality, in a new direction.

I find it sad to write about this matter just as you might find it hard to read about it, for this dispute has become personal. I am acutely aware of those I know with same-sex partners. I don’t want to lose their friendship. On other days, I get angry at how disagreeing with same-sex marriage is portrayed as discrimination, homophobia and hate…”

– Dr Andrew Cameron writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The heavens still declare

The heavens still declare God’s glory. (Psalm 19)

This spectacular image of the planet Venus sihouetted against the Sun yesterday was taken by the Hinode/Solar B orbiting observatory.

(update: see the video produced from Solar Dynamics Observatory images.)

Too much singing?

Over at Meet the Puritans, Lee Gatiss has been sharing some wisdom from 16th century reformer Peter Martyr Vermigli. Here’s his latest observation:

“In his commentary on Judges, Vermigli has this arresting application concerning music and singing in church. He writes:

Almost everywhere in the papal religion they think they have worshipped God sufficiently in the Church when they have sung and shouted loud and long… There are many priests and monks who think they deserve well of God because they have sung many psalms… Another vice to be removed is that there should not be so much singing in church as to leave almost no time for preaching the Word of God and holy doctrine. We can see this happening everywhere in a way, for everything is so noisy with chanting and piping that there is no time left for preaching. So it happens that people depart from church full of music and harmony, yet they are fasting and starving for heavenly doctrine.

This reminded me of an article by my friend Vaughan Roberts on the same subject, here. Though it is interesting that Vermigli was writing well before the modern charismatic movement. That, it seems, has more in common with early modern Roman Catholicism than we might have thought. How interesting too that Vermigli had such an influence over Cranmer and the composition of the English Book of Common Prayer which like Vermigli (died 1562) is celebrating an anniversary this year (1552, 1662).”

– from Meet the Puritans.

Two Ways to Live app even better

The ‘Two Ways to Live’ app for iOS has been updated with new features.

Details from The Briefing.

Things which ought to be better known about the Resurrection of Jesus

At Easter 2012, Dr Peter Williams, Warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge, gave a public lecture at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston.

Presented by the Lanier Theological Library, his topic was “Things which ought to be better known about the Resurrection of Jesus”.

Fascinating and very helpful. The lecture is 60 minutes in length, followed by 40 minutes of responses and questions. Watch it on Vimeo.

(Related: New Evidences the Gospels were Based on Eyewitness Accounts.)

Speech

At Moore College, Dr. Andrew Cameron plugs a Centre for Christian Living Open Night coming up on Monday June 4th. The theme is ‘How to speak good!’.

The seduction of pornography and the integrity of Christian marriage, Pt 1

“Not only have we severed sex from marriage, but as a society, we now look at marriage as an imposition, chastity as an embarrassment, and sexual restraint as a psychological hang-up. The doctrine of sin explains why we have exchanged the glory of God for Sigmund Freud’s concept of polymorphous perversity…”

– Albert Mohler begins a two-part series on the pornographic crisis gripping the western world.
Related:
Online safety resources (Communicate Jesus),
Avoiding pornography’s perils (SydneyAnglicans.net),
and Just1ClickAway (from John McDowell Ministry).

Depression and Euthanasia

“I am deeply troubled by the availability of euthanasia to people suffering from depression and mental illness. Recent research from Oregon, USA, where euthanasia is available has not stilled my troubled soul. …”

– from Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower.

An Anglican Conference focussed on the Future

Gav Poole was among the attendees at the FCA Conference in London –

“The crisis has happened, there is impairment within the communion and now we look forward to the renewal of the Anglican communion.”

“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) leaders conference was held in London, 23 to 27 April. It was made up of 200 delegates within the Anglican communion from 30 countries. The theme of the conference was ‘Jesus the Christ: Unique and Supreme’.

The conference was designed to critique the current state of the Anglican communion and under teaching from the Scriptures move the delegates to a common commitment as to the direction of the FCA and its role within the Anglican communion. The program included Bible studies, services, seminars and networking. It culminated in the adoption of a conference commitment at the end of the week.  Read more

As good as it gets

“‘This is as good as it gets’ the man assured me. I was initially shocked, but then deeply saddened by his statement. It was an astonishing statement but there was no doubting the sincerity with which he was speaking.

It was the night before the Commonwealth Day Service in the Cathedral. Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Prince Edward were all to be present. …”

– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column.
(Photo courtesy Ramon Williams.)

Josiah and the essentials underpinning reform

“And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” (II Chronicles 34 : 2).

These words refer, of course, to King Josiah. They are noteworthy not least because in the Second Book of Chronicles, they form a summary, quite remarkably, of his thirty-one year reign in Jerusalem, beginning when he was a mere eight years old. Of how many kings and rulers can the same be said after the close of so lengthy a reign? …

– James Crabtree, Chairman of Church Society Council, looks to Josiah as an example of godliness. From the Spring 2012 edition of Cross†Way. (PDF file.)

The day I took Matthias Media’s money to the casino

“I was in the precinct of Sydney’s main casino on Saturday, and, with the full knowledge and approval of several of my Matthias Media colleagues, I trotted off to the casino with $140 of MM’s money in my pocket…”

– At The Briefing, Ian Carmichael reflects on what he saw.
(Photo: Matthias Media.)

Two holes in our Theological leadership

“With the announcement of Dr John Woodhouse’s retirement, two of the most significant positions in Sydney Diocese will now need to be filled in 2013.

The new Archbishop of Sydney will have the responsibility to maintain the character of the Diocese, especially through his power to make appointments. Since Moore College provides the people appointed, the Principal steers an institution that creates the Diocese.

Both positions require theological acuity and a determination to ensure that Sydney’s long and strong evangelical heritage continues on into the future…”

– The Editorial from the just-released issue 1905 of The Australian Church Record, June, 2012. Read the editorial here. Download the current issue here.

Moore Matters — Winter 2012

The latest issue of Moore Matters (Winter 2012) is available from the Moore College website.

It’s a 4MB PDF file. Well worth downloading – and passing on to your friends. Grab your copy here.

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