The Reality of Evil in an Age of Confusion: Moral Clarity in the Wake of Barbarity

In today’s episode (Wednesday 11 October 2023) of The Briefing, Albert Mohler speaks about the attacks in Israel and the reality of evil.

He asks, “what (or who) can overcome evil on this scale?”.

And what does our acknowledgement of evil say about reality?

Related:

Anglican pastor chased by mob after waving Israeli flag outside church – 3AW.

Some of the greatest women in church history – with Rachel Ciano

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Our focus today is on the massive legacy of some of the greatest women of church history.  We discuss how different the Jesus’ mother Mary (as portrayed in the New Testament) is to Mary as she’s popularly thought of.  We focus on the account of one of the early martyrs, 22 year old mother Perpetua, who was fed to the lions.

We look at England’s nine day queen Lady Jane Grey and her mentoring by the Swiss Protestant reformer Heinrich Bullinger.  Then there’s the extraordinary story of Salvation Army co-founder Catherine Booth’s campaign to have the age of consent raised in England from 12 to the eventual age of 16.  And Gladys Alward’s 350 kilometre trek across the mountains of China with 100 orphan children.”

– Watch or listen here.

Related: 10 Dead Gals You Should Know: Leaving An Enduring Legacy.

Pray for those in authority

1 Timothy 2:1-4

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – ESV.

See also:

Responding to the situation in Israel: thoughts from a Christian – Murray Campbell,

“How might Christians respond to the events in Israel of the past 48 hours? Here are 3 suggestions: pray, mourn, and press close to Christ.

There is something every Christian can do today. We can pray. We should pray. There is, after all, Biblical warrant for praying. …”

Image: Israel and surrounds, 07 October 2023, NASA Worldview.

‘Your truth’ and the true story: How the gospel of Christ transforms our decision-making

“For many people in our world, what matters most is not some ‘objective’ truth that can be found in history and facts. Instead, what matters most is our own internal emotional experience. This is what the world call  ‘your truth’. That is why emotional distress is now considered one of the greatest evils in our world, to be avoided at all costs. This is a crucial reason why personal stories of suffering are so powerful (and saleable). Indeed, personal stories of suffering are increasingly becoming one of the most effective ways to sway public opinion and to affect policy change. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Lionel Windsor argues we need a better understanding of suffering – and it is found in the gospel.

Gravity Waves and Singing Stars

“Back in June, scientists announced the discovery that the universe is vibrating with low frequency gravity waves. Music analogies proliferated. It was a ‘cosmic bass note’, a ‘hum’, a ‘chorus’, the ‘background sound of the universe’. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Moody notes the temporary re-enchantment brought by modern astronomy.

Image: James Webb Space Telescope.

John Anderson in conversation with Glen Scrivener

From JohnAnderson.net.au:

“In this interview, John sits down with author, minister and director of Speak Life, Glen Scrivener for a conversation on how the Christian worldview has shaped our society.

Glen does a fantastic job communicating how thoroughly the Christian ethic has shaped and still continues to shape our culture today. Most remarkably, Glen highlights how even many of Christianity’s biggest detractors’ arguments are based on presuppositions that are fundamentally Christian in nature.”

– Fascinating and worth watching. This would be a very helpful video to share with anyone who wants to know that Christians believe.

At JohnAnderson.net.au – or see YouTube for a version with time markers to jump topics discussed.

See also:

Want to Reach the World? Evangelize the Church — Glen Scrivener at The Gospel Coalition.

Speak Life.

Howard Guinness and the beginnings of evangelical university ministry in Australia

Coming up at Moore College on Wednesday 1st November –

“Dr Howard Guinness, of the well-known Irish brewing family, was sent to Australia in 1930 by Inter-Varsity Fellowship to develop Christian student groups on university campuses. His visit was the catalyst for the establishment of Sydney University and Melbourne University Evangelical Unions on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

During his later parish ministry in Broadway and Vaucluse, his ongoing involvement in EU missions has left a lasting legacy in university campus ministry.

Dr Ruth Lukabyo will examine Dr Guinness’ work and legacy in this free event.”

– Details and booking from the College.

For more background see:

Remembering Howard Guinness – including Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane’s sermon at the funeral of Dr. Guinness in 1979.

Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane remembers the beginnings of the SUEU – audio recording from 1980.

Catechising – A short introduction

“Believe me, Sir, the Church of God will never preserve itself without a Catechism, for it is like the seed to keep good grain from dying out and causing it to multiply from age to age.”

“So wrote the Genevan reformer John Calvin to Lord Protector Somerset during the reign of King Edward VI in 1548. He wanted to stress the importance of instructing the youth so that gospel ministry would go from strength to strength during the English Reformation. In other words, it was about children’s and youth ministry. In particular, it was the importance of catechising.

But what exactly is catechising? In short, it is verbal instruction (institutio viva voce). In the context of Christian ministry, it is a way of teaching the gospel to the next generation of God’s people to know, love, and serve the Lord. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Mark Earngey reminds us why the Reformers thought catechesis was so important and challenges us to teach our children (and ourselves) well.

The Legacy of Charles Christopher Godden – A Testament to Faith

Mark Earngey, Head of Church History at Moore College, shares the story of Moore College graduate Charles Christopher Godden 1876-1906.

For more on C. C. Godden, see

“Let there be peace”: the spiritual legacy of C.C. Godden – Moore College.

A unique memorial: the John Francis Cash Memorial Chapel after 70 years – Moore College.

Images: Moore College.

Blind spots in the evangelical ecosystem – with Mikey Lynch

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Whether we are the senior pastor, theological college lecturer, missionary, student worker, Christian publisher, or denominational leader – we all work within an evangelical ecosystem. And it’s possible for us to make it harder or easier for our ministry peers to play their part in glorifying God.

Mikey Lynch’s new book The Vine Movement, published by Matthias Media, explores how churches, missionary organisations, evangelical student ministries, chaplains and denominations can all work together best.

Mikey Lynch is a director of Reach Australia, leads the AFES staff team at the University in Hobart and is the editorial director for Gospel Coalition Australia.”

– Watch or listen here.

The power and pain of perseverance — CCL event

On 18 October 2023, Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson is speaking on “The power and pain of perseverance” at a Centre for Christian Living event.

Watch the 55 second promo video, and register here (it’s free!).

National Police Remembrance Day 2023

Friday 29 September 2023 is National Police Remembrance Day.

It’s a good reminder to pray for all who serve in the police services, and also Christian chaplains to the Police.

in 2018, Archbishop Glenn Davies wrote a prayer for the occasion.

Image: NSW Police Legacy.

US Survey shows mainline denomination church members are much more conservative than their clergy

In today’s The Briefing podcast, Albert Mohler discusses a survey which shows that in US mainline denominations, the clergy are much more liberal than their congregations.

Yes, this is an American context, but it’s a good reminder as to why Biblical theological education is vital.

– The Briefing, Thursday 28 September 2023.

The Gospel Coalition announces The Carson Center for Theological Renewal

At The Gospel Coalition, Collin Hansen writes,

“On behalf of The Gospel Coalition, I’m pleased to announce the launch of a major new initiative: The Carson Center for Theological Renewal.

Around the world today, biblical illiteracy inhibits spiritual depth—not just in the shrinking church of the West but even in the growing churches of the South and East. But there’s no spiritual renewal without returning to Scripture. And while the internet offers unprecedented access to the Bible, many of the most widely used resources for studying God’s Word are unhelpful at best or heretical at worst.

That’s why TGC has started The Carson Center for Theological Renewal, named in honor of TGC cofounder Don Carson. …”

– Read all about the plans here.

New book on the Peter Cameron Presbyterian “Heresy trial”

Many Sydney Anglicans will remember the so-called ‘heresy trial’ of Presbyterian minister Dr Peter Cameron.

It began in 1992 when Dr Cameron, the Principal of St Andrew’s College at the University of Sydney, spoke at a centenary women’s event at Ashfield where he referred to the Bible as ‘sub-Christian’. In response to the apostle Paul teaching about women, he replied, ‘So what?’.

The disciplinary proceedings came about not because Dr Cameron was in favour of women’s ordination (even though most media reports claimed that was the case), but because he dismissed the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture (not just in that sermon, but on other occasions).

The Presbyterian Church had to make a crucial decision. Would they accommodate theological liberalism as did the Uniting Church which they had declined to join fifteen years earlier?

Now, thirty years on, Paul Cooper and David Burke have edited a series of essays exploring what happened and why –

From the back cover of the book:

“In 1992, the Presbyterian Church of Australia through its disciplinary procedures convicted one of its ministers, the Rev Dr Peter Cameron, Principal of St Andrew’s College, of what the newspapers of the time called ‘heresy’. The secular media and commentary were strongly supportive of Cameron and highly critical of the Church.

Cameron, in 1994, published ‘Heretic’ which told the story from his point of view.

This book, Principle & Principal, invites the reader to consider the other side of the Cameron Case. It reflects a different bias to that propagated by Cameron and his supporters. It tells why the Presbyterian Church took this action knowing that it would result in an avalanche of criticism. While over thirty years have passed since the finalisation of the Cameron Case, and the ranks of those involved have thinned, many of the chapters in this book are written by people who participated in these events.”

Campbell Markham at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Hobart has written this review for AP.

– Details and ordering information from Eider Books.

Related:

The Crisis of ’77 – personal reflections by the Rev Bob Thomas on the decision of Presbyterians to ‘continue Presbyterian’.

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