Preparing for death
“…you won’t find a shelf labelled ‘death’ at your local Christian bookstore. Have a look, and tell me if I’m wrong. My guess is that you’ll find shelves marked ‘marriage’ and ‘prayer’, but probably not a section on dying.
Your local Puritan bookstore (if there was such a thing) would have been different.”
– At GoThereFor.com, Jean Williams has a book recommendation. (“Despite the topic, it’s not dreary or depressing, but joyful and uplifting.”)
Religious Freedom, transgender issues and abortion – overruling the US Health Department
“The recent (31 Dec 2016) decision of US Federal District Court Judge O’Connor in Franciscan Alliance Inc v Burwell (ND TX, Case 7:16-cv-00108-O; Dec. 31, 2016) (thanks to “Religion Clause” for the report and information) is a significant one.
In short, the Obama administration had used the prohibition on ‘sex discrimination’ in US Federal law to enact an administrative regulation requiring Christian health care providers (and some State governments) to provide transgender ‘transition’ procedures, and abortions, to all patients, arguing that denying this coverage amounted to sex discrimination.
This highly questionable interpretation has now been overturned by this very significant decision…”
– Neil Foster, at Law and Religion Australia, reports on developments in the United States.
Seventeen years closer to Eternity
Seventeen years ago, 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 (literally) since then, and in many ways the world has changed. But the basic need of men and women is the same – to hear the gospel and be saved.
In 2017, be encouraged to continue to trust Christ, and to live in the light of eternity. Read the story of Arthur Stace in our Resources section.
(Keep in mind the evangelistic opportunities which could come with the 50th anniversary of the death of Arthur Stace.)
GAFCON Review of 2016
GAFCON General Secretary, Dr Peter Jensen, writes,
“As 2016 draws to a close we thought you might like to join us in reflecting on some key moments in the Gafcon year. You can find a short review of 2016 here. [PDF file.]
Archbishop Nicholas Okoh says in his introduction ‘we give great thanks to God for his grace at work in us’.
Please, therefore, use the review to fuel your prayers of thanksgiving and praise.”
We need to talk about church scheduling
“Depending on the kind of church you’re involved in, next year’s calendar is already full—or soon will be. Typical decisions include: What will the Sunday teaching program be? When will small groups happen? What will happen in them? Will there be a weekend away? A youth camp? An ESL class?
We often fill in next year’s calendar much like we filled last year’s. But before we do, we need to stop and think. …”
– At GoThereFor.com, Rory Shiner has some very sensible questions to ask about your church’s programme.
Preparing young people for the challenges of secular tertiary education
From a recent edition of The White Horse Inn Broadcast:
“Are today’s churches doing enough to prepare young people to face the challenges they will encounter on a secular college campus? What kinds of things should pastors and parents do as they prepare teens for college, and how should churches or campus ministries serve students in a university setting?”
Of particular importance is the anti-intellectual culture pervading the West – hence the issues described above are not isolated to North America.
Michael Horton and Justin Holcomb and guests discuss the challenges. 28 minutes.
God will give you something to say
“During the eight months when I jog outside in Minnesota, I regularly carry booklets and Gospels of John in my pocket. I pray for guidance for someone to talk to about Jesus, and for the help of the Holy Spirit in what to say.
It is usually quite early in the morning, and I am running in what most people would call ‘the inner city.’ If I find a guy standing alone, I may stop and say, ‘Good morning! My name’s John. I run through the neighborhood and pray for people. Is there something I can pray about for you?’ From this point on, it is unpredictable. …”
– John Piper shares some encouragement at Desiring God.
Five Bible inputs to grow, grow, grow
“At one recent conference Rico Tice spoke about reading the Bible on four different levels. I am going to borrow his framework and develop it in my own way. So here are five Bible inputs that will help you grow upwards in Christ. …”
– At Unashamed Workman, Colin Adams shares some great ideas about Christian growth.
The Archbishop’s Christmas message 2016
“From politics to personal life, what more do we want for Christmas than people who will tell us the truth?”
Here is the text of Archbishop Davies’ message: Read more
Christian in a Muslim Culture: The Intriguing Insights of an Egyptian Bishop
“Bishop Mouneer Anis, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt, and Presiding Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, delivered the ninth annual ‘Moule Memorial Lecture’ on 8 June 2016 in Cambridge. …
The topic of Mouneer’s lecture was “My Experience of Christian and Muslim Relations in Egypt”. As the title suggests, the bishop drew on personal experiences to speak about living as a Christian minority in a Muslim culture.”
– At The Australian Church Record, Steve Tong shares some insights from the lecture.
That’s Christmas!
That's Christmas! from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.
We’ve linked to this video before – from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate. It’s well-worth a re-run, and features input from Dr. Paul Barnett.
The value of teaching Books more than once
The latest from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate:
“Why is it valuable to teach through Bible books more than once? What are some advantages of teaching books numerous times? Why do people often object to teaching books of the Bible more than once? Doesn’t St Helen’s just teach the same couple of books each year? How can we get better at repeating books in our regular Bible-teaching programmes?
In this month’s Preaching Matters, Charlie Skrine talks about his experiences of teaching books several times, and why it is important for the church.”
Healthy churches around the world
The latest 9Marks Journal is out. Editor Jonathan Leeman writes,
“The Journal topic of healthy churches around the world was Dever’s idea. I was doubtful at first. But – goodness – was I wrong!
This might be one of my favourite Journals to date. It’s sort of like Tim Keesee’s wonderful book, Dispatches from the Front: Stories of Gospel Advance in the World’s Diffcult Places. The difference is, the authors provide frontline reports on the state of churches. How are churches doing in Brazil, Iran, Cameroon, Albania, China, Singapore?
Are they preaching the Bible? Proclaiming a biblical gospel or watered-down substitute? Pursuing corporate and individual holiness? Pursuing evangelism? Practicing church membership?
The planting and growing of healthy churches is how we will best fulfil the Great Commission”
– Download the current issue from 9Marks.
Risen — Articulate 4 from the ACR
The Australian Church Record is continuing to republish Archdeacon T. C. Hammond’s encouraging notes on The Thirty Nine Articles.
“A weary world gropes for security and struggles against insidious and often victorious evil. Remedial measures are entered upon with high hopes. Recurrent malignancy seems to mock our best endeavours. Jesus Christ is the answer to our heart yearnings. He conquered death and is coming again in judgment.”
– Read the full post, originally published in The Australian Church Record, April 28, 1955.
Related: The Thirty Nine Articles.
Holy Trinity Adelaide Christmas billboard
Here’s a clever and thought-provoking poster from Holy Trinity Adelaide.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…