Jews for Jesus founder dies

Posted on May 28, 2010 
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“Dear friends,

If you are reading this, it means that I have gone on to my reward.  As I write this, I can only think of what the Scriptures say and that is, ‘Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him.’…

I hope I can count on you to show love and respect for the Jewish people, but Jewishness never saved anybody. Judaism never saved anybody no matter how sincere. Romans 10:9 & 10 make it clear that we must believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus in order to be saved. There are no shortcuts. There is no easy way…”

– Jews for Jesus founder Moishe Rosen fell asleep in Christ last week.

See also this tribute by Ray Ortland. New York Times obituary here.

New resources at BeThinking.org

Posted on May 27, 2010 
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The UCCF’s BeThinking apologetics website has some new resources. Worth having a look.

Bryan Chapell on Young, Restless, & Reformed

Posted on May 26, 2010 
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Bryan Chapell, from Covenant Theological Seminary, was interviewed by Ligon Duncan on the phenomenon of the new Reformed movement, and the Acts29 church planting network. Helpful background on what’s happening in the US.

It’s a 64MB mp3 file. (h/t Justin Taylor.)

The Australian on the new Roman Missal

Posted on May 23, 2010 
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“On the cardinal’s desk sits an impressive, red-covered tome of 1266 gilt-edged pages, the new English edition of the Roman missal: one of a handful of copies in the world…”

– Two things stand out in this report from The Australian – a return to the concepts of the Latin mass, and a focus on theological clarity. What might reformed, evangelical Anglicans learn from this revision?

Why we still need Confession of Sin

Posted on May 22, 2010 
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It’s become trendy for churches to drop a corporate confession of sin. Kevin DeYoung writes:

“If your church does not regularly confess sin and receive God’s assurance of pardon you are missing an essential element of corporate worship. It’s in the weekly prayer of confession that we experience the gospel. It’s here that we find punk kids and Ph.D.’s humbled together, admitting the same human nature. It’s here we, like Pilgrim, can unload our burden at the foot of the cross.”

– read his full article here. Want some help? One place to start is Better Gatherings.

Anglican TV on St James Newport Beach vs. the Diocese of Los Angeles

Posted on May 21, 2010 
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Last week, Kevin Kallsen of Anglican TV interviewed Attorney Eric Sohlgren about the continued court case of St James Newport Beach vs. the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Helpful in understanding what’s happening to many churches which have left TEC.

Expecting what God promises

Posted on May 21, 2010 
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Richard Baxter:

“What keeps us under trouble is either we do not expect what God has promised [suffering], or we expect what he did not promise [an easy life]. We are grieved at crosses, losses, wrongs of our enemies, unkind dealings of our friends, sickness, or for contempt and scorn in the world. But who encouraged you to expect any better?” (Voices From the Past, 138)

– quoted by Stephen Altrogge at The Blazing Center.

Rockhampton Synod

Posted on May 21, 2010 
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The Diocese of Rockhampton’s Synod was held last week – and reports and the Presidential address by Bishop Godfrey Fryer, are now on their website (scroll down).

– It’s a good reminder to pray for all who name Christ as Lord in far-flung regions of Australia (cp Colossians 1:9-14.).

The Good News We Almost Forgot

Posted on May 20, 2010 
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“The Good News We Almost Forgot is Kevin DeYoung’s attempt to introduce the Heidelberg Catechism to a new generation. And it seems that at a time when so many people are describing themselves as “Reformed” it is worthwhile looking to the historic roots of the Reformed tradition. Though the catechism was published almost 450 years ago, it remains relevant. The gospel it professed at the time of the Reformation is the very gospel we treasure today.”

– Tim Challies reviews the book. Get it from Reformers Bookshop or Moore Books.

Related: More Catechesis, Please.

Time to end the Nanny Church?

Posted on May 20, 2010 
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“In our area… we have been told to come up with a deanery mission strategy. But we cannot control our budget and we cannot control our staff — the ‘quota’ we pay to diocesan central funds is set by the diocesan centre, and is increasingly beyond the reach of dwindling congregations of elderly people. But we are rated as a ‘rich’ area, so the level is set accordingly.

At the same time, however, the number of clergy we are allowed to deploy is restricted to what we are allowed by the bishops, so we cannot increase the workforce who might increase the membership…”

– John Richardson also wonders about the future of the Church of England.

The next big question

Posted on May 19, 2010 
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“Taking stock after the American Episcopal Church has consecrated its second bishop  in a same sex relationship, and doubtless not the last, certain things seem to be clear; the North American revisionists are striking out regardless of the rest of the Communion, the Anglican Covenant has been effectively abandoned by the Global South as a means of restoring order and the Archbishop of Canterbury is an increasingly peripheral figure, as underlined by his silence on the Glasspool consecration this past weekend and his inaction beforehand.

But these clarifications bring to the foreground a question which many have so far been reluctant to face. According to Archbishop Peter Jensen, reflecting on last month’s Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, the Communion is now in a ‘post crisis phase’, but where does that leave the Church of England, the mother church of the Communion?…”

– Charles Raven wonders about the future of the Church of England.

“For the sake of God” — Must we surrender sexual morality?

Posted on May 19, 2010 
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“One problem faced by the communion is the habitual hesitation and tepid leadership of its leaders, starting with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop has continually spoken of his concern and fears for the unity of Anglicans worldwide, and he has even spoken of his disappointment and frustration with the American church. What is missing from Canterbury is a clear demand that the Episcopal Church correct its unbiblical practices, repent, and submit to the faithful consensus of the global Anglican family.

But now, a most interesting and provocative argument has come from a very different quarter. Columnist Ruth Gledhill of The Times, one of the most seasoned observers of the Anglican scene, now calls for Christians to just stop arguing over homosexuality and get on with whatever the churches are supposed to be doing. Liberals and conservatives, she argues, must now ‘put their differences behind them, for the sake of God, themselves and the common good.’

That is quite a startling argument, but is also an argument that is certain to gain traction in the liberal landscape of Europe and North America. Ruth Gledhill’s argument bears a closer look.”

– Albert Mohler asks if Ruth Gledhill has a valid argument.

What we need to hear

Posted on May 18, 2010 
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Michael McKinley at the 9Marks blog has this quotation from J. Gresham Machen –

“What good does it do me to tell me that the type of religion presented in the Bible is a very fine type of religion and that the thing for me to do is just to start practicing that type of religion now? … I will tell you, my friend. It does not one tiniest little bit of good….

What I need first of all is not exhortation but a gospel, not directions for saving myself but knowledge of how God has saved me. Have you any good news for me? That is the question that I ask of you. I know your exhortations will not help me. But if anything has been done to save me, will you not tell me the facts?”

— J. Gresham Machen, Christian Faith in the Modern World. (Image of J. Gresham Machen: The Theologian.)

Why nobody seems to care

Posted on May 17, 2010 
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“Revisionist bloggers and some in the mainstream press are atwitter over the lack of interest in yesterday’s consecration. They seem to think that this signals some kind of breakthrough–that consecrating a non-celibate lesbian is the new normal…”

– Matt Kennedy writes at Standfirm on why nobody seems to care about the consecration of Mary Glasspool.

Obituary: The Rev Mark Ashton

Posted on May 17, 2010 
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“The Rev Mark Ashton was one of the most influential evangelical pastor-teachers of his generation. During his time as vicar of the Round Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Cambridge, the congregation grew steadily, and dozens of church ordinands and hundreds of students benefited from his ministry…”

– From Times Online. (h/t/ SydneyAnglicans.net)

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