Expecting to repent

“It is a humbling experience to be faced with your sin –many of us don’t cope well with it.

We may respond with defensiveness, bewilderment, and denial. …“

– Food for sober reflection, from James Chen at GoThereFor.com.

Also see: A Soul-Refreshed Life (David Brainerd) – Reformation21.

The confidence and hope of our calling

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thess 5:24)

“These few simple words sum up some of the essential fundamentals of Christianity. They tell us three things about God: that he has called us, that he is faithful, that he will do. …”

– Biblical encouragement from The Rev. Alan Stubbs, via The Australian Church Record.

Passing it on

“Earlier this year I was driving my youngest son home from a school event. Not long into the trip he asked me, ‘Dad, how did you become a Christian?’

Naturally that was a question that I was more than happy to answer, and we had a wonderful ride as I shared my story with him and as he probed me with further questions. It was a precious father-son moment.

However, I must confess that I was also a bit taken aback by the question.…”

– At GoThereFor.com, David Mears shares a great reminder about passing on the saving gospel to our children.

The Burden for Missions Begins at Home

Encouragement from Mark Dever in this brief 9Marks video.

Watch here.

Simon Manchester on Getting the Message Across

Late last year, Nancy Guthrie spoke with Simon Manchester about how to engage listeners.

A 33 minute podcast.

Jonathan Edwards: Safe beneath his Sovereign God

“In the spring of 1750, the central discussion at Northampton Church in southern Massachusetts was not how to honor their faithful pastor for almost a quarter century of diligent labors among them. Rather, it was how to most expeditiously get rid of him.

In late June, the church held a series of meetings, and they summarily fired their pastor by a vote of 10 to 1 – of the 253 voting members, 230 voted for him to be dismissed, and 23 for him to stay.

Why were the people pointing fingers instead of offering warm handshakes to their pastor, Jonathan Edwards?…”

– At Desiring God, Dane Ortlund brings godly encouragement from the life of Jonathan Edwards.

Related: Johnathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections is the free Audiobook from Christian Audio for August 2018.

Wonderful salvation: A study in 1 Peter 1:1-12

“Peter opens his letter by contemplating the amazing character of Christian salvation. The very thought of it immediately calls forth worship and doxology. Blessed by God the giver!

Let us make what Peter wrote the subject of our own adoring meditation. Let us see what we can here learn about our wonderful salvation. …”

– The Australian Church Record has republished this encouragement from Alan Stibbs from sixty years ago.

The promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20)

“For how many so ever be the promises of God, in Him is the yea: wherefore also through Him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us” (2 Cor 1:20, R.V.)

Let us see how much we can learn from this one verse about the promises of God. …

– Encouragement from the Rev. Alan Stibbs in The Australian Church Record.

Living on prayer

“Having just returned from Jerusalem, attending the third Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), I was again reminded of the history of the old city, where God’s glory was made manifest in the presence of the incarnate Jesus…”

– Archbishop Glenn Davies shares these words of encouragement at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Church in Ireland: An interview with Trevor Johnston

The Australian Church Record speaks with Trevor Johnston, Senior Minister at All Saints’ Church, Belfast, in Northern Ireland, about his links with Australia, and with GAFCON –

“My own connection stretches back to 1995 and a Proclamation Trust conference for theological students. Several of us from Ireland travelled to hear Dick Lucas, David Wells, Jim Packer and Peter Jensen.

For me, this was a moment of personal reformation.

The year before, the (charismatic) Toronto Blessing had significantly impacted the youth and church movements in Northern Ireland, causing much confusion. Yet many of us – mostly because of little theological training or thought – were acting on instinct when identifying it as seriously wrong. Peter Jensen spoke on the true ministry of the Holy Spirit. This was revolutionary for us. …”

– Read it all here.

Praying for George Whitefield College

This introductory video to George Whitefield College is a good reminder to pray for that strategic college.

Not familiar with GWC? Learn about their history:

“David Broughton Knox came to South Africa – from Sydney, Australia – in 1989 to establish George Whitefield College and be its first principal.

Arising from his conviction that Christian ministers are primarily teachers of the Word of God, he laid the foundations of a college that would have as the focal point of its study program the ‘whole counsel of God’. …”

Andrew Atherstone on C H Spurgeon

Take the time to watch this talk by Andrew Atherstone on C. H. Spurgeon, with a wonderful account of Spurgeon’s conversion.

The big point: Preach Christ, and preach the Cross!

From the 2018 Evangelical Ministry Conference in London. Very encouraging.

Three Aussies in Galilee

Last week, on The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele spoke with Kanishka Raffel (St. Andrew’s Cathedral) and Ray Galea (MBM Rooty Hill) about their reactions to GAFCON 2018.

Coming up on Tuesday 3rd July at 2:00pm AEST:

“On ThePastorsHeart.net we are talking about and with the minister who loses it all, when the diocese moves into apostasy, leaving you and your people as faithful followers of Christ Jesus, but without denominational support and sometimes stripped of your church building and house.

Next week on The Pastor’s Heart we will get back to our regular format of a live discussion and you asking questions, but this week we are still dealing with issues raised by the #Gafcon2018 Conference in Jerusalem a few weeks ago.”