How Certain Can You Be?

Everyday Ministry

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When your friend asks you to prove the existence of God, ask him to prove that his wife loves him.

Proving the existence of God is a strange task, along the lines of proving that my wife loves me. However, we are called upon to do it from time to time by our non-Christian friends. “How can you be so certain?” they ask. “What if you’re just imagining it all? How can you prove to me that this God of yours exists?”

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Two Ways to Apologize

Everyday Ministry, Sola Panel

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Defining terms

Evangelism—telling people the good news of what God has done in Christ and calling on them to repent and put their trust in him. Evangelism involves both giving information and making invitation. (more…)

Taking the protest out of Protestant

Thought

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Now that everyone calls themselves ‘evangelicals’, Bible-believing Christians are left to cast around for a new, distinctive name that captures their emphasis. Perhaps that old chestnut ‘Protestant’ could be a candidate. But these days, is Roman Catholicism still worth protesting about? This is the second of two articles about Roman Catholicism—the first appeared in Briefing #36.

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Heaven is for sinners

Thought

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I was talking to a group of students. “Good people go to hell”, I said. “The only people who go to Heaven are bad people.”

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The Riddle of Barbara Thiering

Life, Sola Panel

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Having offended Moslems by taking the unusual step of stocking The Satanic Verses in its bookshops, the ABC has taken on another of the world’s major religions by screening The Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls on Palm Sunday, April 8. That leaves just Judaism and Buddhism—so watch for documentaries which claim that Buddha was just an overweight incense salesman, and that Moses (whose real name was Chris) lived in the 5th century AD and wrote the entire Old Testament to justify his dislike for sweet and sour pork.

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When Christians disagree

Life, Sola Panel

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In Mark chapter 9, the apostles encounter an alarming scene—they find someone casting out demons in the name of Jesus without official authorization. After a stop-work meeting, they decide that the scab exorcist is acting outside the provisions of the award and should desist immediately or face a campaign of rolling stoppages.

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John Wimber changes his mind

Thought

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Just prior to the Spiritual Warfare Conference in March, John Wimber met with three of Sydney’s leading evangelicals. The discussions, which lasted just under three hours, were requested by some Sydney people who had reservations about the Signs and Wonders ministry. Present at the meeting with John Wimber were Jack Deere and Paul Cain from the Vineyard Ministries, Dan Armstrong from Kairos, and John Woodhouse, David Cook and Phillip Jensen from Sydney. Although the meeting was conducted privately at John Wimber’s hotel it was agreed from the outset that what was said privately would be published openly later. Careful notes were made of the discussion.

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Building the Christian library: A coffee-stained gem (The Everlasting God)

Review

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The Everlasting God
DB Knox
Lancer, 1988.

I well remember listening to the 1979, Moore College lectures (which comprise the content of this book) and wondering how anyone could speak so quickly. I was awash with one theological gem after another. I bought the book as soon as I heard it was on the shelves, and have never been disappointed. My copy bears the tell-tale signs of coffee stain in one corner, marks in the margins, and that funny musty smell that books get after many handlings. I refer to the book regularly because it is so simply written and so clearly set out.

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Eastern Europe and the triumph of sin

Life, Sola Panel

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As the new decade dawns, there is a sense of optimism abroad. The recent cataclysms in Eastern Europe have led many commentators to suggest that a new era is upon us. Everything is changing—the old allegiances, the old enemies, the old arguments. They all seem to be shifting and maligning before our startled eyes.

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Consuming joy

Life

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Modern Christians are mad not to tithe! We just don’t realize what we are missing out on.

Whenever the subject is raised, we immediately think, “How can I survive if I put 10% of my salary into the collection plate instead of just flicking the bottom with my thumb as usual?” Tithing sounds hard, solemn, joyless—a feeling that is reinforced by some advocates of the practice.

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Is God a greenie?

Life

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Whose side are you on: the loggers or the greenies? Conservation has become a major political issue. The Green Independents hold the balance of power in the Tasmanian government. As Christians, where should we stand on this issue? Is there a distinctive Christian point of view?

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From every nation: A Christian multiculturalism

Thought

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Sir William Keys, the past president of the RSL, maintains that “meeting the challenge of multiculturalism is the single most important task facing Australia today”. If this is so, what contribution will Australian Christians make to this challenge? Will the Gospel of Jesus Christ contribute to this task in any way? Peter Bolt examines the issues.

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When in Rome …

Thought, Sola Panel

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With the Archbishop of Canterbury seemingly ready to defer to the Bishop of Rome, Protestant-Catholic relations are back on the agenda. Rome seems to be changing, but by how much and in what direction? The Briefing looks at some of the issues.

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No justification!

Thought

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There comes a time when even the most sacred of cows must face the mincer. Is it time to ditch justification by faith?

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