Easter and history

Simon Smart from the Centre for Public Christianity, writes, “[We] would like to draw your attention to a resource that we thought might be of assistance to you as you prepare for the lead-up to Easter and Easter services. …

How do we respond to claims that Jesus didn’t even exist? What about answering questions about the reliability of the New Testament documents? Why is the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus such a crucial aspect of the Christian story? How might one respond to the New Atheist claims that the crucifixion represents cosmic child abuse?

For all that and more, just click here to gain access to our Easter page. We hope you will be able to use the material in whatever way is most helpful to you.”

Holy Week Geography and Harmony in Google Earth

Justin Taylor writes:

“Today is the first day of “Holy Week,” where Christians recount Jesus’ final pre-glorified week on Earth.

Here is something you might find fruitful while contemplating the events leading up to our Saviour’s death and resurrection: an attempt in Google Earth to show the locations of the major events (to the best of our knowledge) along with descriptions and biblical passages describing those events.”

See it here.

The Messiah by Mr Handel & Mr Newton

Dr Alec Motyer, Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith and others speak about Handel’s “The Messiah” at The John Newton Project.

In preparation for Easter, learn about John Newton’s little-known connection with Handel’s Messiah.

‘The Heart’ in the Old Testament

Barry Newman has posted a PDF file of his latest series – this one on ‘The Heart’ in the New Testament.

It’s a follow-up to his earlier series on ‘The Soul’.

There’s a link on this page.

The Trials of Theology

At Reformation21, Derek Thomas thinks Carl Trueman’s essay in The Trials of Theology, edited by Andrew Cameron and Brian Rosner, is alone worth the price of the book.

(There’s some other excellent stuff in there too.)

John Piper writes this about the book:

When I began my theological studies in 1968 I devoured Helmut Thielicke’s A Little Exercise for Young Theologians.

If I were starting today I would devour The Trials of Theology.
Here is counsel from the proven dead and the wise living.

“Do we need theology”?
We may as well ask, “Do we need to know God?” Ten thousand times yes.

“Is studying theology perilous?”
Yes. But less perilous than ignorance.

“Will it be costly?”
Let the Bible answer: “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Ps. 119:71).

Without the “trials of theology” we remain on the surface of the statutes of God. May the Spirit of truth make this book a means of true thinking about God, deep affections for God, and beautiful obedience to God, through Jesus Christ who is God.

Moore Books has copies.

Christopher Ash on Job

Colin Adams at Unashamed Workman writes:

If you want some good bread for your soul, here are the sermons given by Christopher Ash [Proc Trust] at the Winter 2009 [at The Castle] event. Five expositions on Job, plus  a helpful Q & A.

See his direct links to the audio files here.

That’s Easter — Death to Life

Last year, St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London produced a couple of very helpful short videos for Easter. You may like to consider how you could use this one.

David Cook on ‘Persuasive preaching’

Last month, David Cook, Principal of Sydney Missionary Bible College, was at Oak Hill College in London for their School of Preaching.

His talks focussed “on the evangelism we can do in our preaching, on the theology we need to have in place and the practical areas we need to work on”. Very helpful and encouraging.

Oak Hill has kindly made the audio recordings available.

The Trellis and the Vine discussion guide

At The Sola Panel, Ian Carmichael reports:

“We at Matthias Media have recently made available a free and downloadable discussion guide for Col Marshall and Tony Payne’s The Trellis and the Vine. Download it from our Australian or North American store.”

– Read more and get the links here. (Plug from Mark Dever here.)

William Taylor on good preaching, bad theology, training pastors and more

In the latest 9Marks leadership interview series, Mark Dever speaks with William Taylor, Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London.

It’s a fascinating interview covering, among other things, being an evangelical in the Church of England, the New Testament’s emphasis on the substitutionary atonement, and NT Wright. Worth listening.

Rico Tice on why the Resurrection matters

Here’s a very useful 14 minute evangelistic video with Rico Tice, co-author of Christianity Explored. He starts off by drawing six familiar boxes on a piece a paper…

It was produced for A Passion for Life, the [UK] “nationwide initiative that is drawing together local evangelical churches to plan a fantastic variety of missional initiatives culminating in Easter 2010”.

While this particular video is not able to be downloaded (it’s available on DVD in the UK), you could think of other ways to use it, since embedding is allowed – and the URL also could be passed on.

Pornography = Despair, Jesus = Hope

Keep an eye out for these Outreach Posters around Sydney (March 2010) – there may be opportunities for helpful conversions about the One who is our Hope.

J I Packer blows the whistle

Dr J I Packer:

“In the sixteenth and seventeen centuries, the Reformers – the Puritans – the evangelicals, seemed to know their Bible backwards. They could quote it, appropriately, and apply it, in relation to just anything that came up in conversation. We simply aren’t like that. And yet we think we’re being loyal to the Reformational heritage. I want to blow the whistle here.”

On this week’s White Horse Inn broadcast (‘Grounded in the Gospel’, February 28 2010), J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett, discuss their soon-to-be-published book Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old Fashioned Way.

The challenge to us is – Are we actually catechising the people in our churches?

Worth listening, and then prayerfully considering what to do. (Image: Anglican TV.)

Wired for Intimacy

Tim Challies reviews Wired for Intimacy.

“Much has been written in recent years about pornography. But new to store shelves is a book that is different from all the others, at least all of the other books targeted at a Christian audience. William Struthers’ Wired for Intimacy looks not primarily to the heart but to the brain. He shows how the male brain is hard-wired for intimacy and relationships and how pornography affects the male brain…

Wired for Intimacy is a book we need. With pornography increasingly reaching epidemic proportions, this book helps us understand it at a whole new level. And it calls us to deal with human sexuality in a way that acknowledges all of its dimensions—moral, ethical, psychological, spiritual and physical. I give Wired for Intimacy my highest recommendation.”

– The book is not widely available in Australia just yet, but Moore Books has some copies for $22.95.

Related:
Review by Albert Mohler.
‘Anti porn posters and DVDs’ – Eternity newspaper on the coming poster campaign from Outreach Media.

Depth and Weight: Augustine’s Sermon Illustration

“Augustine suggests that Paul is like a loving father who breaks open the nuts for his children to eat—his teaching is the nut cracker that unlocks scripture’s mysteries. Augustine’s appreciation of Scripture’s depth was the foundation of his theological approach to sermon illustration…”

– In this article from Churchman, Spring 2008, republished online by Church Society, Peter Sanlon argues that preachers need to be a lot more thoughtful in their sermon illustrations. Worth reading (PDF file).

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