No Regrets, No Retreat
“I don’t use the television much anymore. There was a time when I watched a lot of movies and a lot of programs, but these days there isn’t a lot that catches my attention enough to actually dedicate the time to it. There isn’t much that promises more value than I would get from the same time spent with a good book. But I always make an exception for Dispatches from the Front…”
– Tim Challies highlights the latest video from Tim Keesee.
You might have missed — 10th April 2015
Here are some posts you may have missed in recent weeks:
Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism? – ACL conference audio.
When to make a stand (PDF) – Dr Mark Thompson.
David Ould interviews Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and Dr. Ashley Null at the Anglican Future Conference in Melbourne.
Dr Wesley Hill speaks at Moore College.
New collection of essays by Professor Edwin Judge launched.
ACL Regional Information Nights, coming up on 27th April and 4th May.
The dead end of sexual sin
“Indwelling sin is a parasite, and it eats what you do.
God’s word is poison to sin when embraced by a heart made new by the Holy Spirit. You starve indwelling sin by feeding yourself deeply on his word. Sin cannot abide in his word. So, fill your hearts and minds with Scripture…”
– Rosaria Champagne Butterfield writes about what she learned from John Owen about our status in Christ as we struggle with sin.
Honest Evangelism — new book from Rico Tice
Rico Tice (founder of ‘Christianity Explored ’) has a new book out, ‘Honest Evangelism’.
David Ould has the links – including where you can get a copy. This looks to be a very helpful resource.
The interview (8:50) is well worth watching.
Preaching Colossians
In the latest Preaching Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, Charlie Skrine talks about preaching through Colossians – and the normal Christian life. Watch it here.
Archbishop of Sydney’s Easter message 2015
“It is a measure of our society’s fast pace (or perhaps commercialism) that this year, hot cross buns came on sale just after New Year’s Day.
By now, three months later, we have become so used to them that we forget they are marked with a cross.
The speed of our lives leaves us little time to reflect on the timeless truth of this symbol.
You may eat and enjoy your hot cross buns without ever noticing. But if you stop and think about it, the cross is out of place on such a treat.
Because the cross is an instrument of torture. The cross means pain. The cross means death. So why was Jesus, God’s righteous son, on a cross at all?
The Bible tells us that on the cross, Jesus took the judgment that we deserve. He died, was buried and three days later, rose again.
What does the cross mean to you?
For followers of Jesus, the cross is now empty because Jesus has risen from the dead and offers us new life.
This Easter, the mark of the cross can mark a new beginning for you, too.”
Dr Glenn N Davies
Archbishop of Sydney
Easter 2015 AD.
Watch the video from Anglican Media Sydney.
Read the text (PDF will download to your device).
And the story from SydneyAnglicans.net.And here’s a version formatted as two to an A5 page, suitable for printing to insert in your church newsletter this weekend. (115kb PDF.)
When to make a stand
“Three great ‘stands’ in the history of the church:
- the stand of Athanasius over the person of Christ;
- the stand of Martin Luther over the authority of Scripture and justification by faith alone;
- the stand of the GAFCON Primates over the priority of Christ and his mission, the authority of Scripture over denominational processes, revisionist theology, and ethical practice. …
Being prepared to make a stand has characterised genuine Christian leadership throughout the last two thousand years. But why? And when? And how?”
– Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson gave this talk at a seminar during the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Conference in Melbourne last week.
Very helpful. Download it here as a PDF file.
(Picture: Detail from ‘Luther at the Diet of Worms’, by Anton von Werner, 1877.)
The visible Church of God — Article 19
In his latest video on The Thirty Nine Articles, for the American Anglican Council, Canon Phil Ashey looks at Article 19 and the Visible Church of God.
Wesley Hill at Moore College
While in Australia recently for Liberty Christian Ministries, Dr Wesley Hill (Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania) visited Moore College.
He spoke with the Faculty, addressed the students, and also sat down for a guest interview with Archie Poulos.
Watch the interview (9 minutes).
Watch his lecture and Q&A session (52 minutes).
Good resources for pastoral ministry.
Confident: Why we can trust the Bible
“Last February and on into March, Mike Ovey and I each wrote a number of little blog posts responding to Steve Chalke’s article, ‘Restoring Confidence in the Bible’. We’ve reworked those posts, added some more material and discussion questions, and the result is a new little book published by Christian Focus and called, Confident: Why we can trust the Bible.
It’s not a finger-pointing, hand-wringing book (Steve Chalke isn’t mentioned at all). Rather it’s a book to encourage and equip Christians…”
– from Dan Strange at Oak Hill College in London. (Availability.)
Professor Edwin Judge — Engaging Rome and Jerusalem — book launch
On March 11th 2015, Bishop Paul Barnett gave this address at the launch of a collection of essays by Professor Edwin Judge. Very encouraging:
(Update: See also Assoc. Prof. Stuart Piggin’s remarks, and ordering details for the book.)
Book Launch – Text of Bishop Paul Barnett’s remarks:
E.A. Judge, Engaging Rome and Jerusalem,
(ed. S. Piggin; North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2014).
In 1966 E.A. Judge, Reader in History at the University of Sydney had a small third year Roman History class of which I was a member, along with a younger Tom Hillard.
Tom has gone on to great things as a Roman historian and I have pursued the study of Christian origins within the canon of Jewish, Roman and early Christian texts. Another in the class, Judith Nicholls, now a senior mature age student, is researching her PhD on Jerome.
Edwin Judge’s office is lined with the higher degree theses of his dozens of supervised students. These volumes are silent tribute to a master teacher’s scholarship but equally to his generosity. Read more
Human Sexuality and the ‘Same Sex Marriage’ Debate
This promises to be a very useful book:
“The current debates about gender, the meaning of marriage and human sexuality are of interest to people inside and outside the Christian churches. A massive exercise in social engineering is underway around the world and it is often difficult to discern how Christians might contribute to the debate in a way that will not simply be dismissed as traditionalist bigotry.
The Sydney Diocesan Doctrine Commission has spent two years reflecting upon the issues and has produced this little book as a resource for Christians who wish to understand what is happening and how they might respond, as well as an explanation to others of why Christians have found the debate and the way it has been conducted in the public arena deeply disturbing.”
The members of the Doctrine Commission who have contributed to this report include:
- Rev Dr Peter Bolt
- Bishop Robert Forsyth
- Archdeacon Kara Hartley
- Rev Dr David Höhne
- Rev Tony Payne
- Rev Gavin Perkins
- Rev Robert Smith
- Rev Canon Dr Mark Thompson (chair)
– Now available as a pre-order from Anglican Press Australia (an imprint of Youthworks’ Christian Education Publications).
The Mark Drama at Moore College
Moore College is putting on two performances of The Mark Drama – on Wednesday April 1st and Thursday April 2nd.
Why not take a friend? Details and booking here.
For Christians who missed the memo: the Bible abhors all domestic abuse
I’m thankful for the many in our community from Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, to the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘shine a light’ campaign who are speaking out on domestic violence. Even if it makes me and my own tribe – more theologically conservative Christians – uncomfortable.
I’m grateful since one of the best-known facts of Jesus Christ’s life is his compassion to women, especially those in need. Jesus protected women.…”
– Sandy Grant writes an opinion-piece for The Sydney Morning Herald.
Ligonier Ministries 2015 Conference
“On February 19-21, 2015, Ligonier Ministries hosted its 28th annual National Conference to call out for the Lord to revive the light of His truth in our churches and culture.
Alistair Begg, Rosaria Butterfield, Tim Challies, Kevin DeYoung, Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, Peter Jones, Steven Lawson, Russell Moore, Stephen Nichols, and R.C. Sproul Jr. joined R.C. Sproul in considering the theme, “After Darkness, Light.”
Together, they explored our need to be revived and restored to a high view of God, His law, His people, and His plan for the world.”
– The conference talks have now been made available for viewing, free of charge.
(Tim Challies is pictured, speaking on ‘Purity in a Digital Age’.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…