Will the American Church be a new Smyrna?
“As Christians brace for official oppression in America, Jesus’ words to Smyrna offer a great hope. Primarily, Jesus declares his sovereignty over such tribulation.”
– Rick Phillips at Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, writes this reflection at Reformation21.
Learn biblical Hebrew?
Why learn Biblical Hebrew?
“The job of a pastor-teacher is to be gripped and transformed by God’s word, and so to speak God’s word faithfully and appropriately into the various life situations of those under your care. If you are serious about devoting your life to the ministry of God’s word, you can’t afford to be shallow in your engagement with it.” – Lionel Windsor at Moore College. (And see his interview with Michelle Philp.)
and George Athas, also on the Faculty at Moore College:
“I’m often asked by people going to theological college or seminary, “Why should I study Hebrew?’ Less often, they ask, “Why should I study Greek?”
They’re good questions. Vital questions. To answer, I want you to imagine this scenario…” Read it all here.
How to destroy freedom one wedding cake at a time
“Those Christian bigots are at it again. And this time it’s those Gun-Lovin’, Bible Thumpin’, Cousin’ Marryin’ conservative rednecks over in Indiana.
On March 26th, Mike Pence (the Governor of Indiana) signed into law the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (or RFRA as it’s known). Many people got quite upset by this new law, and immediately both mainstream media and social media went beserk…”
– At Thinking of God, Akos Balogh provides some background to help understand what’s been happening in the US.
The Empty Tomb and the Risen Christ — The Centrality of the Resurrection to the Christian Faith
“The pattern of the Christian year is an exercise of the Church’s annual remembrance and proclamation of the Gospel. The annual celebrations of Christmas and Resurrection Day help the Church to ponder again the truths of Christ’s incarnation and resurrection from the dead.
Christians understand that every Lord’s Day is Resurrection Day, but this Sunday is the festival which draws all Christians face to face with the empty tomb and the truth of the resurrected Lord…”
– Albert Mohler reminds us that “Christianity stands or falls with the empty grave”.
Why the Creeds are good
“To too many the creeds are a dusty vestige of a happily distant past. They were written centuries ago, born out of abstract battles whose players we can’t even name. Isn’t it just better to love each other and not get caught up in all those silly questions?…”
– In an age where creeds play little part in many church gatherings, R.C. Sproul Jr says that creeds are good guards of the faith. (h/t Gary Ware.)
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 Presbyterian Church (USA)’s long and boring shuffle out of Christendom’
“The drift from biblical orthodoxy to spiritualized leftism has profound real-world consequences. The church isn’t just shuffling out of Christianity, it’s shuffling out of existence. The church has lost 37 percent of its members since 1992, and the trend is accelerating.”
– National Review. Photo: PCUSA.
Related: How to tell the difference between The PCA and PCUSA – Joe Carter.
How can we pray for terrorists?
Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council writes to encourage Christians to pray for those involved in terrorism.
‘Submission’ to my husband allows us both to flourish in our marriage
“Recent articles in this newspaper about evangelical churches’ “oppressive” doctrine of male headship reveal a complete failure to understand the Christian psyche…
Some see inconsistency between the Bible’s teaching of “Christian freedom” on the one hand, and female submission on the other.
However, it is precisely the Bible’s teaching on freedom which so transforms a person’s thinking once they become a Christian that they are ready to submit to others.”
– Sarah Colyer writes this helpful opinion-piece in The Sydney Morning Herald.
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.
Phillip Jensen on Anglican Evangelicalism
In the latest Preaching Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, Phillip Jensen speaks about what it is to be an Evangelical Anglican.
In doing so, he explores the difference between ‘followers of Calvin’ and ‘followers of Calvinism’. (Mike Ovey responds here.)
Bearing the cross: a letter to the Islamic State
“The Islamic State sent me a letter this week. This letter was in the form of a short film produced by the Islamic State’s Al-Hayat Media centre.
This was not addressed to me personally, but to all Christians everywhere…”
– Mark Durie reflects on the meaning of the message sent by ISIS in their murder of Coptic Christians.
Related: What ISIS really wants (The Atlantic)
Notes from another country
“I’ve been leading a small Cornhill missions team this last week. We’ve been abroad somewhere hot and somewhere increasingly difficult to be a Christian. It’s probably not appropriate for me to say where (or necessary, even) because I don’t want to put believers at risk.
But, as ever, my heart has been stirred and my faith has been challenged by being with believers from a different culture. For sure, other cultures have their blind spots – and they are painfully obvious. But, more to the point, being with Christians in another culture allows us to see our own blind spots more clearly. And it’s this I want to write about this week.”
– Adrian Reynolds briefly shares some challenging observations at Proclamation Trust:
Part 1 – Preaching.
Part 2 – Salvation.
Part 3 – Prayer.
Part 4 – Colonialism.
Part 5 – Persecution.
50 Shades of Confusion
“The coming days offer an extraordinary opportunity for Christian growth. As the trailer hits our screens, as the chance to buy tickets drops into our inbox, we each have a choice to make… Let’s make choices that help us – and those around us in church – grow in Christ.”
– at The Good Book blog, Helen Thorne has some much-needed advice for Christians regarding a certain film and book.
Related:
Fifty Shades of Shame — The Evolution of Pornography – Albert Mohler.
“Going to see Fifty Shades of Grey, or reading the book series, is an exercise in pornographic intent and effect. It is also an act of defiance against the goodness of the gift of sex as granted to humanity by God. Furthermore, the series is an assault upon the dignity of every human being.”
The Real Abuse at the Heart of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ – Relevant Magazine.
“The message is clear: by turning these same behaviors around to market them as ‘romance,’ this film effectively silences the experience of millions of victims of abuse.”
NZ church offers to exchange Fifty Shades of Grey tickets – Bible Society.
‘How euthanasia advocates will never stop at the terminally ill’
“Tom Mortier never paid much attention to the discussion about voluntary death in his country.
‘I was like just about anyone else here in Belgium: I didn’t care at all,’ he said. ‘If people want to die, it’s probably their choice. It didn’t concern me.’
But in April, 2012, ten years after the law changed to allow euthanasia, Mortier, a university lecturer, received a message at work…”
– Anglican Mainstream links to this article in The Telegraph. (Photo: HOPE.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…