How a man reading the Bible revolutionised my Bible reading

“For most of the time I have been a Christian, talking about personal Bible reading has made me uneasy.

I usually regarded people who talked about their deep quiet times (often early in the morning) as spiritual skites. That was simply jealousy, because most of my attempts at quiet times could be likened to the Wright brothers’ experiments with flight. A lot of effort, airborne for a short time, then a crash.

Weirdly enough, it was a combination of the pandemic and technology that came to my rescue. …”

– Anglican Media Sydney’s Russell Powell shares some great encouragement for you.

How the Bible makes sense of modern life and culture – with Christopher Watkin

From Dominic Steele at The Pastor’s Heart:

“How does the Bible’s unfolding story makes sense of modern life and culture?

Christopher Watkin, who lectures in Philosophy at Monash University, has a new book out that paints a picture of a Biblical Theological worldview and interacts well along the way with all the major thinkers of the age.

Chris has done us pastors a significant service here.

One of my friends has called it the most helpful book for those of us in pastoral ministry since Don Carson’s late 1990s contribution, The Gagging of God. …”

– Watch or listen here.

Before you watch Harry & Meghan

“The age of the internet accelerates the pace of rumour spreading from the old school gossip magazines and water coolers. Twitter and Netflix are the latest machines for globalising gossip. My secret today can be the topic of public scrutiny tomorrow.

The thing is, by watching and reading and gossiping, we’re leaping into a carefully managed trap. We’re suckers for a good juicy story about a family imploding. And what’s bigger than that family being our King and Princes? …”

– Murray Campbell has some thoughts on the story almost everyone is discussing.

Pope Benedict XVI — His Life and Legacy

“According to Benedict, the evangelical understanding of the church is a ‘new concept’ whereby the church is only a community summoned by the Word. Benedict looked at evangelicals with a mixture of spiritual curiosity and Roman perplexity.

Benedict did have a high view of Scripture, and his last books were focused on the life of Jesus according to the historical accounts of the Gospels. Yet we must understand his true position. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition, Leonardo De Chirico reflects on the life of Pope Benedict.

See also:

Remembering Benedict XVI – Carl Trueman at WORLD.

“A deeply learned theologian rather than a philosopher, Benedict made signal contributions to thinking about the nature of the secular world. Indeed, though many of his most significant intellectual contributions predate his papacy (2005-2013), the accuracy of so many of his observations and analyses has given his work a mantic quality.”

Why Religion will Return to the West

David Robertson writes:

This is an important article by Greg Sheridan – which we republish with permission. Please do read the whole article – but this quote stuck out for me –

“Christianity was just as weird to the sophisticated first-century Graeco-Roman civilisation of the Mediterranean as it is to the most disillusioned sophisticate of today.Happily for contemporary Christians, they have a readily accessible account of how the first Christians spread the gospel in a hostile, alien and comprehensively pagan culture. It’s a primary source, uniquely immediate and reliable, and still in print.It is found in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament, and in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. It’s worth reading these two short books – only 50 pages between them – straight through, as they offer a gripping, vivid picture of the first Christians. …”

– Read it all at ASK.

Photo: Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor, The Australian.

Amazing Grace shown to sinners like us

Two hundred and fifty years ago today, the hymn Amazing Grace was first sung. The Rev. John Newton wrote it to accompany his sermon on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17 on New Year’s morning 1773.

At the time, Newton can have had no idea of what a blessing that hymn would be to millions.

There’s no better way to begin a new year than by remembering God’s grace shown to us in Christ, to bless God, and to tell others of him.

JohnNewton.org has resources linked from their front page.

Update: Marylynn Rouse, Director of the John Newton Project, has contributed this piece just published in The Times.

(What is the good news Newton knew? Glad you asked.)

Twenty-three years closer to Eternity

Sydney celebrated the beginning of 2000 by displaying on the Harbour Bridge the word Eternity in the iconic copperplate handwriting of Arthur Stace.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and in many ways the world has changed. But the basic and urgent need of men and women is the same – to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.

In 2023, be encouraged to continue to trust Christ, and to live in the light of eternity. Romans 13:11.

Don’t Check the Boxes

“Over the years, as far as I can tell, perhaps the single most significant ‘breakthrough’ for me in daily Bible intake was learning to ignore those little boxes next to each of the daily readings.

If you’re a box-checker, I cast no stones. I simply share my own weaknesses and flaws by testifying to the breakthrough. Silly as it may sound, when I stopped checking the boxes, something started to change in my attitude toward God’s word. …”

– Here’s some encouragement from David Mathis at Desiring God.

King Charles’ Christmas Message Reflects a Post-Christian United Kingdom

“The New Testament commands us to pray for kings and all those in authority, so that we will be free to live quiet lives of godliness and to share the good news of the Savior who is the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:1–3). We can be thankful that in this regard our prayers are being answered.

British Christians should continue to pray for King Charles and his government that our long-established constitutional rights to freedom of worship will be upheld.

At the same time, the lack of gospel clarity and comprehension in his message will cause us to pray even more fervently, in the words of our national anthem, ‘God save the King!’…”

– John Stevens, National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches in the UK, reacts to King Charles’ Christmas message. At The Gospel Coalition.

If you haven’t seen it, watch the message here.

Faith in the historical Jesus

“One of the great joys of 2022 has been The Rest is History podcast with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. I don’t think I have missed any of its 288 episodes! It is informative, entertaining, accurate, stimulating, challenging and never dull. It is also remarkably balanced and fair in its treatment of Christianity. Nonetheless I was a little apprehensive when I heard that they were doing a double edition on the historical Jesus.

I need not have feared. As usual it was interesting, informative and fair. There was much I could agree with but there were some things that were a little more challenging.

Tom and Dominic demonstrate the historicity of Jesus and offer some insightful and helpful historical background details. For example, no credible historian thinks that Jesus is a myth. They also acknowledge the enormous impact of Christ on human history. It is interesting to note that the name of Jesus is used every minute of every hour of every day on this planet! …”

– David Robertson writes at about the historicity of Jesus.

Moore College events calendar for 2023

Moore College has put online a very handy calendar of their events planned for 2023. (PDF file.)

The Library Showcase on 1st November (“Howard Guinness and the beginnings of university ministry”) sounds particularly interesting.

Freedom, Faith and Forgiveness — Os Guinness

In another ‘must see’ interview, John Anderson speaks with Os Guinness.

55 minutes, well worth your time.

Was Luke wrong about the census?

“One of the best-known elements in the Christmas story is the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, despite Mary’s advanced pregnancy, to participate in a census associated with a Roman official named Quirinius. At the centre of every nativity play is the resulting crisis, as Mary and Joseph hurry to Bethlehem but – unable to find accommodation – take up residence with the livestock. …

Given Luke’s professed aims, his careful use of external historical markers elsewhere, and his probable access to at least one of Jesus’s family members, the idea that this story is a fiction invites scepticism.”

– A fascinating article by David Armitage, Academic Administrator at Tyndale House in Cambridge. (Maybe don’t put all of this into your Christmas morning sermon…)

Amazing Grace — 250th anniversary on New Year’s Day 2023

We may all be thinking about Christmas, but New Year’s Day is close behind.

On 1st January 2023, it will be exactly 250 years since the first singing of John Newton’s hymn Amazing Grace.

Learn more about the hymn and the anniversary, and download the original words, at The John Newton Project.

The above video, made for the 240th anniversary, gives some helpful background. (We’re thankful to The John Newton Project’s Marylynn Rouse for all her research!)

“This brief video shows how John Newton was inspired to write the hymn Amazing Grace for New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 1773.

John Newton wrote his hymn to accompany his sermon on 1 Chronicles 17:16,17. He drew inspiration from the life of King David in looking back to the past, looking around at the present, and looking forward to the future.

Note Newton’s own words for the 6 verses – towards the end of the video.”

What new hymn might you write for New Year’s Day 2023?

The worst of all nightmares!

“What is your worst nightmare? We all have those trivial nightmares. Falling into an endless pit. Being encircled by sharks. Waking up with a nest of spiders on you (which happened to me for real at beach mission one year!). But if I were to ask you to seriously consider your worst nightmare – what you fear most – what would you say? …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Mike Leite reminds what truly wonderful news Christmas really is.

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