Dying with dignity
“Recently, the South Australian Parliament debated and rejected the Death with Dignity Bill, which proposed to legalise euthanasia. It was the 15th time a euthanasia bill had been rejected by the house.
The bill’s proposer predicts that this is not the end of the debate, referring to the overwhelming public support for “the right to choose and have a dignified death”. With Andrew Denton regularly advertising his desire for legal euthanasia with evangelistic fervour, I agree that we have not seen the end of the debate. But I still hope for a more honest one. …”
– This is an important article by Dr. Megan Best, bioethicist and palliative care doctor who works for HammondCare. She serves on the Social Issues Committee of the Diocese of Sydney.
From SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Dr. Best is also the author of Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, from Matthia Media.)
Overseas Muslim marriages and Australian law
“Two cases involving purported marriages under Islamic law, entered into overseas by Australian residents, have received recent press coverage.
The decisions of the courts involved seem to be clearly correct, and they helpfully illustrate some important principles of Australian law. A person whose home is Australia cannot legally travel outside this country and enter into a valid marriage with a minor, or enter into a second marriage when already lawfully married under Australian law. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at the operation of Australian law and overseas marriages.
Dick Lucas on Mark’s Gospel
“At the age of 91, Dick Lucas is still going strong. Rector of St Helen’s from 1961 to 1998, and Rector Emeritus since then, he has used his retirement to help preachers and other Bible teachers to understand and communicate the Word of God to people today, not least through the conferences run by The Proclamation Trust.
The most recent fruits of his retirement are recordings of his latest reflections on Scripture, aimed primarily at the Bible expositor but suitable for everyone. Recorded in his kitchen, where most of his sermon preparation takes place, they are starting to be published just prior to Christmas 2016.”
– This is a wonderful resource, covering Mark 1-8, with the promise of more to come soon.
Secularism, Preaching, and the Challenges of Modernity
“I began my chapter on preaching and postmodernism in We Cannot Be Silent with these words, “A common concern seems to emerge now wherever Christians gather: The task of truth-telling is stranger than it used to be. In this age, telling the truth is tough business and not for the faint-hearted. The times are increasingly strange.”
As preachers we recognize how strange the times have become. Almost anyone seeking to carry out a faithful pulpit ministry recognizes that preachers must now ask questions we have not had to consider in the past. We recognize that preaching has been displaced from its once prominent position in the culture.
Many of us are wondering, why is preaching more challenging in our cultural moment than it has been in other times? …”
– Albert Mohler begins a three-part series on Preaching in a Secular Age.
Free Bible Reading Plans from Crossway
“Man doesn’t live on bread alone, but on the very Word of God.
We believe that the Bible is God’s provision of our true daily sustenance because it nourishes us with the truth of who he is. It’s not uncommon, however, for new believers and older saints alike to need some recommendations for how to structure daily time in the Bible. …”
– Crossway has a selection of Bible reading plans you, or your church, could use – with a link to more at ESV.org.
(Image: Crossway, though we’re not certain coffee is always necessary to study the Bible.)
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.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…