Thankful for the Doctrine of the Trinity — Leon Morris

Posted on May 27, 2018 
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“Some people seem to think that the doctrine of the Trinity is the result of a concerted effort by the theologians to make it difficult for ordinary men to understand the nature of God.

So far from this being the case history shows that theologians tried every alternative they could, and the Trinity is simply man’s effort to say what he can about the deity in the light of Scripture and the history of Christian thought. …”

– from Leon Morris, in The Australian Church Record, June 1955.

(Today, 27 May 2018, is Trinity Sunday.)

Recife: Reformation, Revival and Realignment

Posted on May 26, 2018 
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“During the last few weeks, you may have missed a wonderful sermon, and it wasn’t delivered at the royal wedding. In fact, unless you were present for this sermon, you probably missed it entirely. I was blessed to be there to hear it but there were no TV networks, newspaper reporters or social media ‘stars’ there.

So, may I share with you from this sermon and from its preacher, the humble servant leader of the new Anglican Church in Brazil, Archbishop Miguel Uchoa Cavalcanti. …”

– Encouragement from Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council.

Photo: Archbishop Miguel Uchoa Cavalcanti.

A small-step antidote to dull, dry faith

Posted on May 24, 2018 
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“Perseverance. I have been struck recently by how much the notion of perseverance appears in the Scriptures.

Perhaps this shouldn’t surprise me, but it just isn’t one of the first things I think of when I contemplate what the Scriptures are about. Faith, hope and love, the promises and faithfulness of God—these are the things I first think of. Yet the theme of perseverance comes up again and again…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Meagan Bartlett shares something very helpful.

The Wrath of God Poured Out — The Humiliation of the Southern Baptist Convention

Posted on May 24, 2018 
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“The last few weeks have been excruciating for the Southern Baptist Convention and for the larger evangelical movement. It is as if bombs are dropping and God alone knows how many will fall and where they will land.

America’s largest evangelical denomination has been in the headlines day after day. The SBC is in the midst of its own horrifying #MeToo moment. …”

– Southern Baptist Seminary President, Dr. Albert Mohler, laments as ‘The #MeToo moment has come to American evangelicals. This moment has come to some of my friends and brothers in Christ.”

How free societies commit suicide

Posted on May 23, 2018 
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“In my first year as a university chaplain I was almost kicked off campus.

A gay-rights activist had it in for me, and for the Christian students I worked with. This gentleman didn’t like the fact we held to the Bible’s teachings (including on topics such as sexuality).

And the University authorities supported him, meaning I had to show-cause why the Christian student group and I should be allowed to stay.

(We managed to stay.)

It was a very sobering time for me. A wake-up call, in fact. …”

– Akos Balogh writes at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

Church of Scotland to moves toward conducting same-sex weddings

Posted on May 23, 2018 
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“The Church of Scotland has moved a step closer to allowing some Ministers and Deacons to conduct same-sex marriages in the future.

The General Assembly voted 345 by 170 to instruct the Legal Questions Committee to prepare legislation with safeguards in accordance with Section 9 (1A) of the Marriage Scotland Act. …”

– Report and image from The Church of Scotland.

Related:

Buried Coins: Jesus and the Parable of the Talents

Posted on May 23, 2018 
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“Back in 2014, news broke that archaeologists digging near the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv Highway had uncovered a cache of ancient Jewish coins. The inscription and images on the 114 bronze coins allow us to date them precisely to AD 70—the exact year that the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. In the midst of this turbulent time, a Jewish person saw fit to place the money in a small ceramic box and bury it for safekeeping.”

– At his blog With Meagre Powers, Moore College’s Dr. George Athas shares some insights into the Parable of the Talents.

NZ move prompts ‘deep regret’ in Sydney

Posted on May 22, 2018 
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“A move by the Anglican Church in New Zealand to allow for the blessing of same-sex unions has led to a strong statement from the Diocese of Sydney. …

At its first meeting since the decision, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sydney passed a motion which ‘notes with deep regret that the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has amended its Canons to allow bishops to authorise clergy to bless same-sex unions’…”

– Read the full story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Here’s the resolution in full:

Standing Committee conveys to the Primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia that it:

a.     notes with deep regret that the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has amended its Canons to allow bishops to authorise clergy to bless same-sex unions;

b.     notes with regret that this step is contrary to the teaching of Christ (Matt 19:1-12) and is contrary to Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference;

c.      expresses our support for those Anglicans who have left or will need to leave the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia because of its abandonment of biblical teaching, and those who struggle and remain; and

d.     prays that the ACANZP will return to the doctrine of Christ in this matter and that impaired relationships will be restored.

– Source, SydneyAnglicans.net.

Bibles for South Sudanese refugees

Posted on May 22, 2018 
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Australian Presbyterian World Mission is seeking to raise funds to buy 33,000 Bibles for South Sudanese refugees who have fled into Ethiopia –

“In 2013 civil war broke out in South Sudan between the two major tribes — the Dinka and the Nuer. Many South Sudanese fled to neighbouring countries with little more than the clothes they were wearing. In the neighbouring country of Ethiopia, the refugee camps house 385,000 people. About 100,000 of them belong to our sister church the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan.

What do our brothers and sisters ask for? Bibles in their mother tongue — the Nuer language.”

– Read about the need, and see the video from the refugee camps.

(The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid is also working to help refugees from the violence in South Sudan.)

All You Need is Love … ?

Posted on May 21, 2018 
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“Between writing a sermon and posting hilarious gifs from Suits, I watched a bit of the Royal Wedding on Saturday night. Of course—it was the sermon more than the dress that caught my attention. That’s no surprise—being a Christian, a preacher and having zero interest in dresses. What was a surprise was that everyone else focussed on the sermon too! When was the last time that happened?

It was also interesting to watch the reactions from fellow Christians on social media. ‘Great sermon!’; ‘Loved it!’; ‘I wish my minister preached like that!’ And then—‘Heretic!’; ‘Disappointing’; ‘Dangerous!’. How can fellow Christians have such opposing views when they listened to the same sermon? And what should we think about all this?

First of all, to understand the reaction from some Christians you need to understand who Michael Curry is. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Tom Habib provides crucial background for that sermon – and has some suggestions on how you can talk about it.

(Photo: Episcopal Church.)

Moore College comes up well in student survey

Posted on May 21, 2018 
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“Moore College participated in the National Course Experience Survey this year for the first time. This tool allows graduating students at Australian universities and private higher education providers to evaluate their experience.

The Australian Government Department of Education runs the survey, and publishes the results on the Quality Indicators in Learning and Teaching (QILT) website. …”

– Good news from Moore College, as their Open Week (21-25 May 2018) begins.

God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9)

Posted on May 21, 2018 
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“In 2 Corinthians 9 Paul exhorts his readers to prepare to take their share in a collection that he is making for the poor Christians at Jerusalem. Let us see what we can learn from this chapter about Christian giving. …”

– The Australian Church Record republishes this piece by former Oak Hill Principal Alan Stibbs.

Moore College Open Events May 2018

Posted on May 20, 2018 
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From Moore College in Newtown:

“Each year at Moore we hold Open Events to give people an opportunity to find out more about the College. We would love to welcome you on Open Night or any day during Open Week in May, to get a taste of life at Moore!

Here are the details of our first Open Events for 2018…”

Bishop Michael Curry offers the world ‘Christianity-lite’

Posted on May 20, 2018 
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“Yes, Bishop Curry, as St John wrote, God is love. But unlike you, St John defines Love and shows us that it is a longing and meeting of longing that travels the way of the cross, the way of renunciation.

But if you want to be popular, don’t invite the people to renunciation. And Bishop Curry didn’t. But Jesus did. …”

– At his blog, Gavin Ashenden echoes the thoughts of many who watched TEC Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s passionately-delivered sermon at the royal wedding.

And further reflections from Gavin Ashenden:

“The dear couple had no idea who was being asked to preach at their wedding. It was an idea that Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had suggested to them. They were hardly in a position to know or refuse.

And at one level, the choice was brilliant. Michael Curry is a gifted preacher and black. What a great way of signalling the coming together of American and British culture, white and coloured.

But there was a hidden sting in the tail. There is a civil war raging at the moment in Anglicanism (and elsewhere) between progressive Christianity that takes its priorities from the zeitgeist, the present culture, and a faithful orthodox belief, that keeps faith with what Jesus taught in the Gospels.”

More from David Robertson at The Wee Flea:

“… for the moment let me simply say that this was at best a pick ‘n’ mix Christianity – a Gospel sermon without the Gospel – a Christian sermon without Christ. …

It is not ‘curmudgeonly’ nor ‘unloving’ to ask that preachers should preach the Christ of the Bible. Indeed it is unloving to feed the people anything other than the bread and meat of the Word.”

See Bishop Curry’s sermon – Text (Episcopal News Service) and Video (BBC).

Photo: Episcopal Church of the USA.

J. C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone, by Iain Murray — Review

Posted on May 20, 2018 
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“One of the greatest Christian leaders to come out of England in the nineteenth century was John Charles Ryle. Famously known as ‘the man of granite with the heart of a child,’ Ryle stands out as a towering example of Christian fortitude and pastoral excellence.

Although he died more than a century ago, he still has much to say to our generation. And perhaps no one is better suited to teach us about Ryle than renowned biographer Iain Murray. …”

– At the 9Marks website, Nate Pickowicz briefly reviews Iain Murray’s J.C. Ryle, Prepared to Stand Alone.

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