The magnificent beauty of God’s design for men and women – with Andrew Leslie
Posted on February 28, 2024
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Andrew Leslie is encouraging us to first take a step back from practical concerns and reflect on the beauty and wisdom of the Bible’s teaching about manhood and womanhood.
In much contemporary debate about gender we focus on practical questions about what different people can do.
However the head of Moore Theological College’s Doctrine Department says the picture of gender in the beginning is not an arbitrary divine imposition that comes with its own set of arbitrary rules and instructions. Rather, the man and the woman together – and only together – irreducibly different and yet one inconceivable without the other, created a microcosm of God’s own very being and character and glory, summing up the wisdom and creative word of God.”
Field Notes from Kenya
Posted on February 27, 2024
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From Anglican Aid in Sydney:
“On Monday 4 March [from 5.30-7pm], Anglican Aid is holding a special event, “Field Notes From Kenya” to hear from Norm Gorrie, our partner from Kenya. All are welcome!
Norm will be sharing the latest updates from Marsabit, Kenya about recovery after the East Africa Hunger Crisis, a clean water project called ‘Generate‘, and the Bible Leadership program there.
We would love to see you and any of your friends there! There is no cost to attend, but please let us know you are coming…”
– Details and links at Anglican Aid’s website.
Church of England is ‘standing on the brink of a precipice’
Posted on February 26, 2024
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“As the General Synod of the Church of England gathered once again in London on Friday, Rev Ian Paul, a member of the Archbishops’ Council challenged the agenda in forceful terms.
Suggesting that Synod had made ‘avoiding reality a bit of an art form,’ he claimed that the Church of England is ‘standing on the brink of a precipice’. A precipice which could leave the next generation with nothing but a ‘heap of ruins’ to fight over. …”
– Susie Leafe writes at Christian Today.
See Ian Paul’s challenge last Friday (link should go to 01:31:28 in the video).
“The Church of England – a heap of ruins for the next generation.”
Expository Preaching Trust’s Preaching Conferences 2024
Posted on February 26, 2024
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Encouragement from The Expository Preaching Trust:
“The Expository Preaching Trust is sponsoring two Preaching Conferences in 2024.
The conferences offer an identical program, both will feature 6 sermons on the book of Acts and each delegate will be allocated to a preaching group for individual preaching mentoring.
The main speaker will be Simon Manchester who will preach three sermons and lead a preaching group.
David Burge, David Cook and Jim Mobbs will each preach one sermon and lead a preaching group, Janet Riley will also lead a preaching group for women preachers.
First Conference: Armidale
The Dates: Monday-Tuesday, 6-7 May at St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral, Armidale.
This conference will be co-chaired by the Bishop of Armidale, Rod Chiswell, and David Cook.
The conference will be fully catered.
Full cost $50.
Second conference: Wahroonga
The second conference in Wahroonga will be co-chaired by the Bishop of North Sydney, Chris Edwards, and David Cook, and the dates are, Monday-Tuesday, 12-13 August.
Venue Wahroonga Presbyterian Church. This conference will be fully catered.
Full cost $50.
The Monday night
The Monday night of each conference will be open to the public and both Simon Manchester and David Cook will preach on Acts 7 and Acts 8-9 respectively.
Venues: Armidale Cathedral 6 May; St Andrew’s Anglican Church Wahroonga, Water St, Wahroonga, 12 August – each evening begins at 7:30 pm.
These conferences are offered for all preachers and the Trust is delighted to offer them so economically as it seeks to promote expository preaching which is both faithful and engaging.
Links to register for either conference are on this page – and additionally for the Armidale conference here.
Jesus on prayer
Posted on February 25, 2024
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St. Helen’s Bishopsgate has published the latest talk from Dick Lucas – Jesus on Prayer:
“Why bother with prayer? And how should it be done?
Jesus’ instruction is concise yet all-encompassing, embracing the eternal purposes of God, the daily needs of his wayward children and the reality of evil. It is an invitation to intimacy between the perfect father and the imperfect, but forgiven, child.”
– Listen here.
Evangelism for the terrified
Posted on February 24, 2024
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“I don’t know about you, but I find evangelism utterly terrifying.
It didn’t start that way. After becoming a Christian in my late 20s, one of the things God did in my heart immediately was help me see that following Jesus and sharing the news of Jesus were two sides of the same coin.
“How hard could it be?” I thought. Very hard, as it turned out. …”
– Dave Jensen begins a regular column in Southern Cross magazine.
Diocese of North West Australia Pipeline for leadership
Posted on February 23, 2024
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“Geraldton student Nathan Hiscock has been appointed the first Ministry Apprentice in the North West Anglican Church, in a major push to raise up homegrown gospel workers.
The position is part of the new 3-stage Ministry Training Pipeline which includes theological studies and a stint as a curate before graduating to lead a church. …”
– Encouraging news from the Diocese of North West Australia (and a reminder to pray for the progress of the gospel in that far-flung diocese).
More Diocesan news here.
Old Testament case law today
Posted on February 22, 2024
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“Friends in Christ, following historic Anglican patterns, at the Cathedral, we are committed to the public reading of Scripture, from both Old and New Testaments.
Our preaching generally seeks to expound (i.e. explain and apply) our systematic readings through one book of the Bible.
The other reading comes from the other Testament. This other reading is not generally selected to complement the sermon passage, but simply to expose us to another part of God’s inspired Word, the Bible.
After all, when Paul wrote that ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’ (2 Timothy 3:16), he was speaking with special regard to what we now call the Old Testament (since the New Testament was still being completed). Timothy had known these ‘Holy Scriptures from infancy’, and Paul said they were ‘able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15).
But often parts of the Old Testament strike the modern person as far removed from our current culture and expectations. …”
– Sandy Grant, Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, writes to the cathedral congregation about the key place of the Old Testament Scriptures.
Why the “equality” Bill is a threat to religious freedom — and what you can do about it
Posted on February 21, 2024
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“The Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 introduced by Independent MP Alex Greenwich is due to be debated next month and voted on in March.
The bill makes wide-ranging changes to 20 pieces of NSW legislation that will undermine religious freedom and entrench a radical gender ideology in NSW. …”
– Bishop Michael Stead writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
He emphasises,
“Christians need to act immediately to make our opposition to this bill known.
We need to contact our local State members. Most politicians have little idea about the contents – let alone the consequences – of this bill.
It is important they hear our concerns before the bill’s scheduled voting day on March 14.”
This is an important article and deserves to be widely shared.
See also contactyourmp.org.au for background and helpful resources.
LLF and Reconciliation- taking the wrong path?
Posted on February 21, 2024
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars Comments Off on LLF and Reconciliation- taking the wrong path?
“‘This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’
These words, from Jeremiah 6:16 were quoted by the Rt Revd Keith Sinclair, retired Bishop of Birkenhead, at the end of his address at Gafcon IV in April 2023. He had been asked to speak about the global implications of the decisions taken by the Church of England’s February General Synod to introduce prayers of blessing for same-sex couples. His presentation was masterful and measured – as befits one of the most respected conservative leaders in the Church of England – and it was met with the most extraordinary standing ovation. …”
– This post from Anglican Futures warns that the Church of England’s direction into the abandonment of Biblical morality and teaching is fixed.
“It is a certainty that there will be many private meetings and whispered conversations taking place over the coming week in a last ditch attempt to find a way of persuading Synod that a square is just a circle with pointy bits.
There is a crossroads ahead – but it is hard to see a good outcome for the orthodox.”
Image: Bishop Keith Sinclair at GAFCON IV. See his address at GAFCON IV here (it may take quite some time to load).
Creating a future proofed church – with Stephen McAlpine
Posted on February 21, 2024
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Stephen McAlpine says the real question is ‘Does the future have a church?’
The statistics are not our friend.
We have been talking on The Pastor’s Heart about dropping church attendance. Stephen McAlpine is writing about the more widespread phenomenon. …
In Australia the proportion of people self identifying as Christians has shrunk to 51% down from 67% just ten years ago.”
– Watch or listen here. Also on YouTube.
The Distorting Power of the Prosperity Gospel
Posted on February 20, 2024
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“No one wants to suffer. In my culture, and in most African cultures, suffering is seen as a sign of bad luck; or proof that you did something wrong. Interestingly that was exactly the same thinking as Job’s friends. For example, Eliphaz says this about Job’s situation: “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?” (Job 4:7-8). His point? The innocent don’t suffer.
Everyone wants their best life now. And most would simply settle for a materially better life too.
This view of suffering explains the success of the prosperity gospel across Africa. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Africa, Thomas Endjala at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary, outlines how the “prosperity gospel” ruins faith.
(Link via Tim Challies.)
Speaking of (the Church of England’s General) Synod
Posted on February 19, 2024
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From Church Society:
“Halfway through this five-year term of General Synod, Chris Moore and Ros Clarke discuss what’s on the agenda, what it’s like to serve on synod, and why you should consider standing for election next time.”
– Listen here – and there are links to papers and the livestream for those who are interested.
Pray for Mothers Union Sydney
Posted on February 19, 2024
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Today’s GAFCON Prayer Request:
“The Mothers Union (Sydney) is hosting an event at the Cathedral on February 23: ‘It takes a Village – stronger together in the family of God.’
Pray for a good attendance, online and in-person, and warm fellowship of Word and Spirit.”
I think we need to mention the war
Posted on February 18, 2024
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“By ‘the war’, I mean world war II, of Basil Fawlty fame. The war during which the Holocaust happened.
Since the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas, there’s been an alarming upswing in antisemitism in Australia. What is antisemitism? A useful definition is:
a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
– Theologian and ACL Council member Dr. Lionel Windsor reports on today’s ‘Never Again is Now’ rally in Sydney.
Related:
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s statement on antisemitism – 13 October 2023.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…