Governor-General backs ‘gay marriage’
Posted on November 22, 2013
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“Governor-General Quentin Bryce has publicly backed both Australia becoming a republic and gay marriage in a landmark speech in Sydney…”
– Report from ABC News. (Photo: Governor-General website.)
Camelot and Narnia and the myths of our time
Posted on November 22, 2013
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“There are still those who feel a stirring in their heart before an image of the young couple with the movie star good looks frolicking with their children on the beach at Hyannis Port or in the Oval Office. But even the most devoted of Kennedy supporters these days must admit that the story is at best a tarnished and tawdry version of the original.”
– In this opinion-piece for the ABC, Simon Smart looks at the legacies of President John Kennedy and C.S. Lewis, both of whom died 50 years ago today. (Photo: NASA.)
Tasmanian Parliament decriminalises abortion
Posted on November 22, 2013
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“Tasmania has joined Victoria and the ACT in removing abortion from its criminal laws after seven months of deliberations in Parliament. …
Anti-abortion campaigners in Tasmania are warning some doctors may resign over the law.”
– report from ABC News.
And in NSW: Zoe’s Law to protect foetuses passes NSW Lower House.
Evangelical Theological Society 65th Annual Meeting
Posted on November 21, 2013
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“I have been spending the last couple of days in Baltimore at the 65th ETS Annual Conference. This year’s theme has been Evangelicalism, Inerrancy, and ETS. It has been a fascinating time with upwards of 2400 people in attendance. It has also been a great opportunity to meet with old friends and to make new ones and to discuss an important aspect of the evangelical doctrine of Scripture. I am very glad I’ve come. …
It has been great to see spirited, well-informed, humble and scholarly accounts of the absolute truthfulness and trustworthiness of Scripture. It was also terrific to hear testimonies from around the world (certainly not just the USA — Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Australia too) of the importance of biblical inerrancy and the necessity of giving a clear and unambiguous account of this doctrine to a fresh generation of Christian men and women.”
– Moore College Principal Mark Thompson writes at Theological Theology.
Good News of Great Joy by John Piper — Daily Readings for Advent
Posted on November 21, 2013
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John Piper writes:
“I’m excited to announce that our Advent eBook is newly revised and ready for December 2013 — and free of charge. It’s called Good News of Great Joy.
As you know, Advent is just around the corner. It starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas — this year, that’s December 1 — and is a season of preparation for Christmas Day.
Our prayer is that this eBook would help you keep Jesus as the center and greatest treasure of your Advent season. The candles and candies have their place, but we want to make sure that in all the Christmas rush and hubbub, we adore Jesus above all.”
Why I ran to Confessionalism
Posted on November 21, 2013
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“So, in August of 2013 I ran to confessionalism. Specifically my ordination was transferred to the Presbyterian Church in America and I became the Lead Pastor of a PCA congregation.
The experience has been like finding an oasis in a desert. It has been like discovering a GPS after meandering blindly through an unknown country. Too dramatic? It does not feel that way to me. It is nearly impossible to effectively put down error and nurture unity within a church whose minimal statement of faith is only able to identify the grossest of heresies.”
– Todd Pruitt, who blogs at 1517, and co-hosts The Mortification of Spin with Carl Trueman, shares his discovery.
Related: The Thirty Nine Articles.
J. I. Packer: Fighting Heresy in Churches and Small Groups.
Grounded in the Gospel – J I Packer on The White Horse Inn.
The definitive work on Definite Atonement
Posted on November 20, 2013
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From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, edited by David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson, is a major publication. …
David Wells says, “This is the definitive study. It is careful, comprehensive, deep, pastoral, and thoroughly persuasive.”
Michael Horton calls it “the most impressive defense of definite atonement in over a century.”
Read about it from Justin Taylor, see John Piper commending it, check out the book’s website and read an excerpt (PDF).
J. I. Packer: “I count it an honor to be asked to supply a foreword to this massive product of exact and well-informed scholarship.”
Does the Cross save?
Posted on November 19, 2013
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At Stand Firm, David Ould asks what the Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Grafton believes about salvation – and about what she describes as a “rather mechanistic and grim understanding of atonement” (among other things).
Abp Welby’s presentation to the General Synod
Posted on November 19, 2013
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Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby spoke on the first day of the Church of England’s General Synod in Westminster –
“While I was in Nairobi for the condolence visit, I was there just before the beginning of GAFCON, and I had the opportunity to benefit from meeting a number of primates who had arrived for it. This was a great pleasure, and, as always, an education. As leader of GAFCON Archbishop Wabukala was as gracious as could have been wished.
There were naturally, as you may have noticed, different views expressed about different aspects of the Anglican Communion while I was in Nairobi and subsequently, including views about me, it has to be said not invariably warm and cuddly, but I was genuinely most glad to have had the opportunity to meet, and I have to say that the overwhelming response was not only kind but also deeply encouraging.”
– full text at The Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.
Tasmanian Abortion legislation debate
Posted on November 19, 2013
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Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower:
“Today the Members of the Legislative Council are debating the extreme abortion legislation. I wrote the following letter to each Member. Please join me in praying for the legislation’s rejection or significant modification. …”
Chappo’s splendiferous life
Posted on November 19, 2013
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“As I reflect on Chappo’s life, a year after his death, my mind floods with so many splendiferous memories.”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, David Mansfield remembers Chappo.
Read The Litany lately?
Posted on November 19, 2013
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Thought not. UK evangelist Roger Carswell writes,
“I have found that using the Litany from the Book of Common Prayer has been a real help in covering issues that I would normally neglect. I hope you find it helpful.”
Here’s the 1662 version.
St Helen’s Training — Mark overview
Posted on November 19, 2013
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At the St. Helen’s Bishopsgate website, the last two of Roger Day’s overview-of-Mark’s-Gospel videos have been posted.
Effective personal evangelism: summary
Posted on November 18, 2013
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At Reformation21, Jeremy Walker has completed his series of posts on ‘Effective personal evangelism’.
“Not all Christians will be on the streets of our towns and at the doors of our communities. Some of us will do it sitting down over a cup of tea… around the dinner table or at the bedside, night after night, with our children…
I trust that these marks, rightly cultivated, will help us to be immediately effective in communicating the gospel faithfully to those who do not know our Saviour, and ultimately effective when we see God give the increase.”
Grafton elects new Bishop
Posted on November 17, 2013
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Dr Sarah Macneil (former Dean of Adelaide and archdeacon in Canberra-Goulburn) has been elected to the Diocese of Grafton – the first woman to be elected as an Australian diocesan bishop.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…