Ask Phillip

Posted on January 25, 2011 
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“Ask Phillip includes short and pithy answers from Phillip Jensen to all your questions about Christianity.” – a terrific resource from reasonforhope.tv.

Several of these videos are featured at phillipjensen.com, including “Is A Minister A Priest?”

Since the videos are hosted at Vimeo, they could be embedded on church websites or downloaded for use as discussion-starters in small groups.

Excited all over again by the Reformation

Posted on January 23, 2011 
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Mark Thompson:

“This is a book to share with the family as you encourage them to look at the Christian family album and rejoice in those who have proclaimed and defended the gospel before us, often at great cost. In an age when the Reformation is sidelined by some in the interests of Christian reunification, this is a must read. …

I cannot recommend the book highly enough. Every Christian home should have a copy.”

– high praise indeed for Andrew Atherstone’s just-published book, The Reformation: Faith and Flames. Read why here.

(From Moore Books, locally, or further afield.)

For a recent article by Andrew Atherstone, see here.

On the Dublin Meeting: GSA Editorial

Posted on January 22, 2011 
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This editorial from the Global South Anglican website, based in Singapore, expresses some of the reasons a significant proportion of the Primates won’t be going to Dublin next week.

“What is most disturbing and difficult is that given the intractable miry situation the Communion is already in and being further driven into, there was hardly any timely and intentional prior consultation and collegial engagement of all concerned (or at least as many as reasonably possible) in preparing for the Meeting to ensure certain degree of significant and principally legitimate outcome to hold and move the Communion together.

In light of the critical importance of the Meeting, the preparations are gravely inadequate.

… it is with great sadness that some Primates have arrived at the decision that it is neither right nor proper for them to be present at the Dublin Meeting.”

Bruce Ware on the exclusivity of Christ and the gospel

Posted on January 22, 2011 
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Colin Adams at Unashamed Workman provides links to the audio files from last week’s visit to Scotland by Dr Bruce Ware from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr Ware’s topics included “Exclusivity of Christ and the Gospel”.

He also spoke on the latest assaults on biblical Christianity  – with a focus on the teaching of Brian McLaren (who was invited to speak at the last Lambeth Conference). Well worth hearing.

See Unashamed Workman for the links. (Related: Earlier stories on Brian McLaren.)

‘There could be sandwiches to spare in Dublin’

Posted on January 21, 2011 
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“Pity the poor caterers. The next Primates’ Meeting starts in Dublin in four days’ time — and no one knows how many Primates will actually turn up.

At the end of last year, it was announced that ten Primates from the Global South intended to boycott the meeting, in protest at the inclusion of the US Primate after rows over gay bishops and same-sex blessings. The Church Times understands that this number might have risen to 14 out of the possible 37 Primates eligible to attend…”

– Report from The Church Times.

Anglican Communion website.

Expositions for Expositors — John Woodhouse on 1 Timothy

Posted on January 21, 2011 
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Moore College Principal Dr John Woodhouse has been preaching on 1 Timothy in the College chapel.

He expounds the letter with a view to helping preachers think about how they might do the same. Very helpful and refreshing.

The video files are on Vimeo, with thanks to Audio Advice. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)

Links to each talk below: Read more

Australia Day Convention 2011

Posted on January 20, 2011 
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Australia Day Convention IV will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney 10am – 5pm, Wednesday 26th January.

Phillip Jensen is speaking on Work and the Christian Life. When you consider that many people spend over 70% of their waking hours at work, it’s an important topic!

From the archives — Are we stronger than He?

Posted on January 20, 2011 
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Six years ago, we published this paper by David Short, Rector of St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver. It’s a good reminder of what is (still) at stake around the Anglican Communion. PDF file here.

(The paper was first delivered at The National Canadian Anglican Essentials Conference in Ottawa on August 31, 2004.)

Taking Christ’s church seriously – a tonic for the confused and disenchanted

Posted on January 19, 2011 
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“Talk about refreshing! I was recently encouraged to read the relatively recent book by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck, Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion (Chicago: Moody Press, 2009). It helped that the person recommending the book was my principal, John Woodhouse. He said I’d like it. And he was right.

Book endorsements, in my experience, seem to be getting more and more out of touch with reality. They make grand claims which just aren’t met when you shell out the money and buy the book. But on this occasion the endorsements by J. I. Packer — ‘As I read, I wanted to stand up and cheer’, by Mark Dever — the authors are ‘theologically faithful, fresh, and insightful’, and Al Mohler — ‘a powerful word of correction, offering compelling arguments and a vision of church life that is not only convincing, but inspirational’ all hold up. I was genuinely excited by what I read. …”

– Mark Thompson hopes you will read the book and stand up and cheer with Jim Packer.

(Best prices here.)

The emergence of legal Christian publishing in China

Posted on January 19, 2011 
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“About the year 2003 it became possible to legally publish some forms of Christian literature in the People’s Republic of China.

Ten years ago, legal Christian publishing was barely on the radar screen, but today the situation is far different. The demographic and publishing statistics are staggering…”

– There are important publishing opportunities in China, according to this article from the current The Banner of Truth Magazine, republished by Desiring God.

Judge rules against Christians in UK B&B case

Posted on January 18, 2011 
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“The Christian owners of a guesthouse who restrict double rooms to married couples have been ordered to pay £3,600 in damages to a homosexual couple, but leave to appeal has been granted.

Earlier today His Hon. Judge Andrew Rutherford declared it was unlawful for Peter and Hazelmary Bull to operate their policy and deny a double room to civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy.

The judge ruled that under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations, introduced under the previous Government, civil partnerships must be treated in the same way as marriage…”

– report from The Christian Institute. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

Dever on Conversion and Evangelism

Posted on January 18, 2011 
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Last October, Mark Dever spoke on ‘Conversion and Evangelism’ at Boyce College, on the campus of the Southern Baptist Seminary.

The 18 minute talk is a 6.2MB download. The end of the talk is cut off, but the message is a straightforward reminder of the necessity of conversion.
(h/t Faith by Hearing.)

ANiC Parishes file application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

Posted on January 15, 2011 
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Parishes File Application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

News Release from the Anglican Network in Canada

14 January 2011

“Today, the Trustees of four Vancouver-area Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) churches filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, the BC Court of Appeal decision (November 15, 2010) which removed their right to use their church buildings and awarded the church properties to the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) Diocese of New Westminster. The four churches are St John’s (Shaughnessy), St Matthews (Abbotsford), Good Shepherd (Vancouver), and St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver).    Read more

Unconsciously recasting the nature of gospel ministry

Posted on January 14, 2011 
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“Back in Jerusalem, in the early days of the Christian church, the apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word of God (Acts 6:4). Later, the apostle Paul dedicated himself to proclaiming the crucified Christ (1 Cor. 2:1-5) and spoke insistently of his prayers for those with whom he had shared the gospel (Phil. 1:3-11; Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-18; etc.) This was the pattern of ministry that Paul commended to those to whom he gave responsibility among the churches (1 Tim. 4:11-16). …

In an era when some fear their backs are against the wall and that we must do everything in our power to arrest Christianity’s slide into oblivion, the temptation to rework this classic understanding of Christian ministry is felt keenly…”

– Mark Thompson reflects on the not-so-subtle pressures to change the nature of gospel ministry.

CMS NSW Summer School concludes

Posted on January 14, 2011 
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CMS NSW Summer School at Katoomba has concluded. Hugh Palmer, Rector of All Souls in London gave the Bible Studies, based in 1 Corinthians. Starting this evening, Hugh is speaking at CMS Victoria’s “Summer Under the Sun”.

CMS NSW has made available the audio of his first talk – on 1 Corinthians 15. Well worth hearing.

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