The Historical Reliability of the Gospel of Luke — Peter Williams
Posted on May 27, 2014
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Dr. Peter Williams, Warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge, spoke at an event for St. Helen’s Bishopsgate last week.
His topic? “The Historical Reliability of the Gospel of Luke”. The 54 minute audio file and is well worth hearing and passing on.
Update: the video of the slides is now available.
Morning Tea for Moore
Posted on May 27, 2014
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Work in the City?
This Wednesday (28th May 2014) there’s an opportunity to learn about Moore College over morning tea.
Vice Principal Bill Salier, and faculty members Jane Tooher and Peter Orr, will be on hand to chat about the College and to answer questions. In the QVB Tea Room, 10:00–11:00am – details here.
Healed at Last — What promise am I given?
Posted on May 26, 2014
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“When we bow our heads and bend our knees in prayer to the God of all creation, we participate in an impossibly privileged activity. To be able to meet with the one whom the Old Testament saints feared even to name, let alone look upon (lest they be consumed by his glory and die), should be a cause for great humility and no small amount of trembling. The Christian holds an astonishing status before God. On any day, at any time of the day, we may approach God to speak with him personally. We are to approach him as his own children—without fear and with confidence, but always in an attitude of reverent awe and deep respect.
Very often, however, it seems we forget that it is a privilege to come before our Father God – a privilege that Jesus won for us by his sacrifice on the cross. Too often Christians exhibit a bawdy familiarity that verges on contempt. Our regular presence in the throne room can cause us to develop a tendency towards carelessness and presumption, and our humble caution turns into disrespect.…”
– In this extract from his book “Healed at Last”, Scott Blackwell looks at how Christians should pray for healing, and what they should expect. But there’s much more to the extract than that.
Read it at The Briefing, and you can order the book here.
Presidential Address — Tasmanian Synod 2014
Posted on May 25, 2014
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Bishop John Harrower’s Presidential Address from the 2014 Synod of the Missionary Diocese of Tasmania:
“The Aurora over the landscape of Tasmania draws from within me a deep longing that the Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ, will break into our lives and ministry in powerful and transforming ways. We yearn for His radiance to be fully known, that His rule and Kingdom will be on earth as it is in heaven.
Our State, Tasmania, needs the Church, our Anglican Church, and every Christian man, woman, boy and girl to fulfil our biblical mandate to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom and to declare the purpose of God in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. …
Let me focus you – Do you still love Jesus?
Yes, I know! It is the question you have heard from me on many occasions. It is the question I ask the clergy. But on this occasion let me ask this of each one of us? Yes, each one of us gathered here on this occasion: Do you still love Jesus? Is this the focus of your life? Is your love for Jesus your inspiration, comfort and yearning? …”
Religious Violence and the Kidnapped Girls
Posted on May 23, 2014
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“It is an unmitigated horror. There is no excuse and no way of justifying the dreadful kidnapping of the girls in Nigeria. The terror, pain, suffering of those poor young women is beyond comprehension. We must continue to pray for them, support whatever actions are available to rescue them and bring the perpetrators of such a barbaric act to justice. …”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column.
Newcastle to renew Tri Diocesan Covenant
Posted on May 23, 2014
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The ‘Tri Diocesan Covenant’ signed in 2008 by the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle and the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Maitland-Newcastle and Broken Bay will be renewed at a service in East Maitland next week, according to the Diocese of Newcastle website.
Reading the Bible — Regularly, carefully, prayerfully
Posted on May 21, 2014
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The latest two posts by David Cook, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church, deal with sin, and reading the Bible (respectively). Here’s a quote from “Reading the Bible – Regularly, carefully, prayerfully”.
“Do you wonder how many people in church read the Bible regularly? The latest statistics I could find from the Bible Society are 19% read on a daily basis, 14% several times a week, 10.5% several times a moth. That means that more than half are not reading the Bible at all. We need to do something about this.”
The church David attends is seeking to do something.
Both posts are under Moderator General’s Comments (you may need to scroll down to 20 May 2014 to find them).
30 Days of Prayer
Posted on May 20, 2014
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This year’s 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World prayer guide is now available from their website.
A very practical and heart-felt way to show love for Muslim people with a focus during Ramadan, June 28 – July 27.
NEXUS registration closes tomorrow
Posted on May 20, 2014
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Thinking of going to the NEXUS Conference on Monday May 26th?
If so, bear in mind that registration closes on Wednesday May 21st.
‘How Jesus Became God’: A Review
Posted on May 20, 2014
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“Ehrman’s core argument is that Jesus was a mere man who gradually, over time, came to be regarded as more and more divine, until he was ultimately (in the fourth century) regarded as the God of the universe.”
– At Reformation21, Mike Kruger (pictured) reviews Bart Ehrman’s latest book, “How Jesus Became God”.
Lord Carey calls for the right to convert from Islam
Posted on May 19, 2014
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“Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has called on leading British Muslims to support the right to convert from Islam to another religion after a court in Sudan sentenced a woman to death for apostasy…”
– Story from The Independent.
The Budget: Being Economical with the Truth
Posted on May 16, 2014
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“Did Tony Abbott lie? Did Julia Gillard lie? Do all politicians lie? Do they have to lie in order to run the country? Were John Howard’s non-core promises, lies? Was Bob Hawke’s “no Australian child will be living in poverty”, a lie?
Were these national leaders untruthful or unfaithful? What is the connection between truth and faith or between faith and faithful? …”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column for the Cathedral.
Stuart Townend says don’t censor ‘In Christ Alone’
Posted on May 16, 2014
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“Liberal Anglicans do not like the reference to the wrath of God being satisfied in the hymn ‘In Christ Alone’, so what do they do? Censor it …”
– Julian Mann (‘Cranmer’s Curate’) writes about that much-loved modern hymn.
With thankgiving for Ailsa Knox
Posted on May 14, 2014
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We are sorry to report the death, this afternoon (14 May 2014), of Mrs Ailsa Knox, beloved wife of the late D B Knox who was Principal of Moore College 1959–1985.
Ailsa suffered a stroke on Saturday and did not recover.
Ailsa was born Ailsa Lane in 1924 in Sydney. She first met Broughton at an Inter Varsity Fellowship meeting at Sydney University in 1947. They married at St. Swithun’s Pymble in September 1950. Only six weeks later she travelled with him to England as he began his doctoral studies at Oxford.
Broughton and Ailsa had six children: Margery, Deborah, Jonathan, Stephanie, David and Rosemary.
Moore College students will fondly remember Ailsa for her kindness and hospitality, and also for her beautiful soprano voice (she even gave the occasional public recital). She was a great woman of faith who gently encouraged generations of women at Moore.
After Moore College, Broughton and Ailsa left Sydney in January 1989 to found a new Theological College – George Whitefield College – in South Africa. When they returned to Sydney four years later, they left the College as a going concern.
Ailsa was persistent in prayer, and has been described as the fun-loving lighter side to the Knox family. She loved going to CMS Summer School at Katoomba each January, and last attended in January 2013.
While there is sadness for those left behind to remember Ailsa’s legacy, there is also great rejoicing that she is now with Christ.
Archbishop Dr Glenn Davies reflects –
“Ailsa modelled Christian virtues at so many levels. Her ministry especially among faculty wives and students was a great encouragement and a godly example. I have no doubt that the impact of Broughton Knox upon our Diocese would not have as profound or as significant had he not had the life companion of Ailsa by his side. Precious indeed, in God’s sight, is the death of his saints.”
– More from SydneyAnglicans.net.
Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson remembers –
“Among the list of marvellous ministry marriages which have served the cause of Christ and his people in this city so extraordinarily well over the past 225 years, the partnership of Broughton and Ailsa Knox has been and continues to be a cause of great thanksgiving to our loving Heavenly Father.”
“Mrs Knox’s call home is a sadness for all who knew her and were encouraged by her faith in Christ, but for her it will be pure joy as she now knows as she is known”
– See the tribute from Moore College.
And here is a Tribute from George Whitefield College.
(Photo: Mrs Knox in 2005 at a College Supporters Lunch. Thanks to Moore College.)
Andrew Heard on why you should support Moore
Posted on May 14, 2014
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Andrew Heard, Moore College graduate, and pastor of EV Church on the Central Coast, talks about why Moore’s theological training is so important for his life and ministry.
“The world desperately needs people who know God in his Word, who understand the gospel, and are committed to proclaiming it. There is the hope for our world.”
Watch the video here. (Andrew is visiting George Whitefield College next week.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…