Freedom for Faith: What’s Next?

Posted on November 8, 2017 
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“On the 15th of November the same sex marriage survey results wil be released.

We don’t know the outcome but we do know many Australians will be elated, others will be confused, some may be anxious.

What should a Christian response be? Whether yes or no, there are enormous consequences for religious freedom that will not go away. How do we navigate these waters?

Hear Sydney Anglican Archbishop Glenn Davies the night the same sex marriage survey results are released. A friendraising & fundraising event for Freedom for Faith.”

– Details from Freedom for Faith, as well as a range of videos and other resources.

Sarah Macneil to resign as Bishop of Grafton

Posted on November 8, 2017 
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“The Anglican Bishop of Grafton, the Right Reverend Dr Sarah Macneil, has resigned, effective from March 3 next year. She announced her decision in a pastoral letter to her diocese, saying she had hoped to remain until 2020, when she turned 65, but questions of health had forced an early departure. …”

– News via Archbishop Philip Freier’s website.

Remaining faithful to the gospel in New Zealand

Posted on November 7, 2017 
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“Since 2013 civil same-sex marriage has been legal in New Zealand, and as has been the case elsewhere in the Communion, the New Zealand Anglican Church is committed to the blessing of same-sex relationships.

The journey towards this has involved both formal decisions of Synods, and the independent actions of bishops and clergy. Individual bishops have ordained people in homosexual relationships to the priesthood, and in recent months the Bishop of the Diocese of Waiapu has installed as Dean a man civilly married to another man. …

Should the Provincial church … continue on its stated course of blessing same-sex marriages, many associated with FCANZ will be left with no alternative than to seek new ways of being Anglican.“

– At the GAFCON website, Dave Clancey, Vicar of St. Saviour’s and St. Nicholas’ in Christchurch, brings us up to speed on thinking among members of The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans – New Zealand.

Tragedy in Texas: Christian testimony in the face of Evil

Posted on November 7, 2017 
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“The Christian worldview affirms the dignity of human life. According to Scripture, every single human life is of eternal value and inestimable worth. Murder is not, then, merely a crime, it is an assault on the dignity of the human being – an attack upon the image of God.

In one very important dimension, this demonstrates why the Christian worldview is so utterly different than every other worldview. …

Christians also have to acknowledge that our affirmation of an infinitely great and an infinitely good God requires us to answer some questions that atheists don’t have to answer.”

– Albert Mohler goes beyond the media coverage of the Texas shooting.

Latest news from the Top End, November 2017

Posted on November 7, 2017 
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Top Centre, the newsletter of the Diocese of the Northern Territory, for November 2017 is now up on their website.

Download the 4.7MB PDF file and use it as fuel for your prayers for the churches and people of the Top End.

(You could also pray for Nungalinya College in Darwin.)

The Reformation, Then and Now

Posted on November 6, 2017 
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“Is the Reformation over? Does it matter today? Michael Reeves unpacks the story and theology of the Reformation and exhorts Christians to study the Reformation for the sake of the gospel.”

– Back in 2010, Mark Dever spoke with Michael Reeves about The Reformation and his book, “The Unquenchable Flame”.

An encouraging conversation.

University student dismissed for expressing Biblical view on homosexuality

Posted on November 6, 2017 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on University student dismissed for expressing Biblical view on homosexuality

“A recent UK court decision upheld the decision of University authorities to remove a student, Felix Ngole, from a post-graduate Social Work course, because of views he had expressed in a public social media forum about the Bible’s view on homosexuality. …

For Australian readers, it is … a salutary reminder that when the law on marriage changes, it becomes harder to protect religious and other freedoms.”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Associate Professor Neil Foster highlights the case of Felix Ngole, and examines the legal judgments made.

Southwark Declaration

Posted on November 4, 2017 
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“It is with great sadness that I posted the Southwark Declaration in Canterbury Cathedral.

This building that stands sentinel over the Church of England has been a symbol of Anglican leadership with, perhaps, the greatest global reach for centuries.

Now it has become synonymous with abdication and dereliction of duty; it stands accused as a distracted and negligent parent that has abandoned its children. …”

– Kent Vicar, the Rev. Stephen Rae, has issued a press release (PDF) to explain why he posted the Southwark Declaration on the doors of Canterbury Cathedral on Reformation Day.

Anglican Mainstream has links to a number of relevant articles.

Why were our Reformers burned? — Ryle

Posted on November 3, 2017 
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“It is fashionable in some quarters to deny that there is any such thing as certainty about religious truth, or any opinions for which it is worth while to be burned.

Yet, 300 years ago, there were men who were certain they had found out truth, and content to die for their opinions. –

It is fashionable in other quarters to leave out all the unpleasant things in history, and to paint everything of a rose-coloured hue. A very popular history of our English queens hardly mentions the martyrdoms of Queen Mary’s days. Yet Mary was not called ‘Bloody Mary’ without reason, and scores of Protestants were burned in her reign. –

Last, but not least, it is thought very bad taste in many quarters to say anything which throws discredit on the Church of Rome. …”

– Church Society draws attention to, and republishes (PDF) Bishop J.C. Ryle’s Church Association Lecture, given in 1867. Well worth reading.

Oft-Forgotten Reformers: Katherine Zell

Posted on November 2, 2017 
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“Katherine Zell was a woman who trusted God at his word. Her writings don’t show someone fake, sterile, sanitised. Rather, in their pages we meet a real woman – with strengths and weaknesses. So who was Katherine Zell?”

– At The Australian Church Record, Jane Tooher tells the story of a courageous Christian lady.

The heart of modesty

Posted on November 1, 2017 
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Equal But Different has published parts 1 and 2 of a three-part series by Lesley Ramsay, entitled, ‘The heart of modesty’.

“Having seen in part 1 of this series that modesty is essentially the antidote to grabbing glory and attention for ourselves, let’s turn our attention to see how the Scriptures ought to shape our awareness and convictions. …”

– Read Part 1 and then Part 2 at Equal But Different. Part 3 still to come.

Here We Stand

Posted on October 31, 2017 
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“Martin Luther’s great moment of theological clarification came at the climax of a command performance. Facing the threat of martyrdom and execution, Luther appeared on trial at the Diet of Worms before the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Asked on what authority he dared to defy the Pope and the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, Luther famously replied:

‘Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason – for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves – I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.’…”

– Albert Mohler marks Reformation Day with a call to the churches to make a clear stand in a number of vital areas.

Under strict medical circumstances

Posted on October 31, 2017 
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“When abortion law reform was introduced through Australian State Parliaments in the 1970s, it was done so, ‘under strict medical circumstances’.

Most of us believed this was a necessary reform and that probably there were valid grounds for 1 or 2000 abortions each year in Australia. That figure has now grown to 180000 to 200000 abortions each year!

I am now hearing the same argument for the proposed introduction of legislation allowing the termination of adult life, ‘under strict medical circumstances’.

It is amazing, with the knowledge explosion all around us, that we humans tolerate and endorse a persistent ignorance in relation to ourselves. The secular mind is always overly optimistic in its assessment of the human condition and has no real explanation for our callous treatment of one another.…”

– Past Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, David Cook, has written this month’s Moderator’s Comments. Read it all.

Nepal Criminalises Christian Conversion and Evangelism

Posted on October 31, 2017 
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“Last week, Nepal enacted a law to curb evangelism by criminalizing religious conversion, joining neighboring countries like India and Pakistan, where the region’s small-but-growing Christian minority faces government threats to their faith. …”

– Report from Christianity Today.

(Link via SydneyAnglicans.net. Map via Unesco.)

Reformation contribution

Posted on October 31, 2017 
Filed under History Comments Off on Reformation contribution

Here’s a plastic brick contribution to the 500th anniversary of the 95 Theses, using Lego®, from Richie Dulin.

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