Reading Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21–24)

“Paul’s closing greeting in Ephesians is a good opportunity to summarise what the letter is all about and to remember why it’s worth reading and reflecting on it.”

– Our thanks to ACL Council member Lionel Windsor for a challenging and edifying series reflecting on the Letter to the Ephesians. Here is the last instalment.

How long, Lord, must we call for help?

“In light of the recent Australian bushfires, we perhaps cannot be blamed for asking, Why is God allowing such a thing to happen? How can God turn a blind eye to the devastation that has come as a result of these fires – the loss of property, animals, even human life? Why doesn’t God do something about it? Why does God allow so many to needlessly suffer?

It is these kinds of questions that the prophet Habakkuk also struggled with, roughly six hundred years before Christ. …”

– Ben George writes at The Australian Church Record.

World Watch List 2020

Open Doors has released its World Watch List for 2020.

Fuel for prayer.

The ACR speaks with Jane Tooher about the Priscilla and Aquila Conference

The Australian Church Record recently spoke with Jane Tooher, Director of the Priscilla and Aquila Centre at Moore College, about the upcoming P&A Conference for 2020.

Read the interview here.

On Preaching, the Supper, and the Unity of the Church

“Recently, the well-known pastor and author Francis Chan made some alarming comments about preaching, the Lord’s Supper, and the unity of the church.

In this episode of Pastors’ Talk, Jonathan Leeman chats with Mark Dever, Bobby Jamieson, and Mark Feather about Chan’s comments in particular and the topics of preaching, the Supper, and unity more generally.”

– Listen here.

Should we trade in Funerals for “Celebrations of Life”?

“Over the last decade of serving the local church, I’ve noticed a trend: people don’t like thinking about death. In every conceivable way, we dismiss, ignore, and refuse to acknowledge our mortality. In the words of the blues artist, Albert King, ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.’

Nobody wants to die and nobody wants to think about death…”

– At 9Marks, Jason Hill considers a question many Sydney Anglican ministers also confront.

Prayer: the heart of evangelism (Ephesians 6:17–20)

“One of the best things we can pray for is that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will go out to the world, both through us and through others.”

– Lionel Windsor nears the end of Ephesians and comes to a key passage.

(Photo: GAFCON.)

Abuse in the marriages of ministry leaders

“This week on the Pastor’s Heart, we address the complex issue of domestic abuse within the relationships of ministry leaders.”

Dominic Steele speaks with Jenni Woodhouse, pastoral care coordinator for the Church Missionary Society NSW & ACT, and previously chaplain for the Sydney Anglican Church’s Professional Standards Unit.

GAFCON ‘Life up your hearts’ devotions continued

GAFCON has been continuing to publish “Lift up your hearts“, a devotional which began in Advent.

See all that have been published here.

The importance of being a struggling Christian (Ephesians 6:14–16)

“Do you ever feel like the Christian life is a struggle? Struggling is normal for Christians. In fact, it’s not just normal. Christians should be struggling!”

– Lionel Windsor continues his exposition of Ephesians.

Showing your church the beauty of 1 Timothy 2, with Simon Manchester

“Simon Manchester explains to Dominic Steele how he prepares to teach at a major conference and how to show your congregation the beauty of 1 Timothy 2. …

Simon is opening the Bible this week … at the Church Missionary Society Summer School in Katoomba in Sydney’s bushfire impacted Blue Mountains.”

– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

Church Society Best of 2019: Written Word

Ros Clarke, Acting Director of Church Society in the UK, writes,

“While audio and video continue to expand their reach, at Church Society we have not abandoned the written word!

We were excited to publish Gospel Flourishing in a Time of Confusion, Fight Valiantly! and Reach Build Send …

We’ve published a number of excellent articles on the blog this year. Among the most widely read and shared were…”

– Read the list (with links) at Church Society’s website.

Anglican Aid NSW Bushfire Appeal

“The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has launched an appeal to allow immediate response to the devastating bushfires raging in NSW.”

Image: worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/

NSW/ACT CMS Summer School under way

The CMS Summer School is under way at Katoomba.

For anyone planning to go, but who missed the first couple of talks (on 1 Timothy) by Simon Manchester, CMS has made them available here.

Opposing same-sex marriage is not “vilification”

“The recent NSW decision of Passas v Comensoli [2019] NSWCATAP 298 (18 December 2019) provides an example of someone who has been penalised for “homosexual vilification” as a result of comments concerning same-sex marriage.

However, it does provide clarification that merely to express disagreement with the introduction of same sex marriage does not amount to such vilification under NSW law.”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster’s latest post is worth reading in full.

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