Vacuum 4 – The Enemy, That Hideous Strength

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

‘This ‘Hideous Strength’ is far more fearsome and all-embracing than Lewis envisaged over 70 years ago. The technology available is far more potent and far reaching in its ability to capture imaginations and minds than at any point in the world’s history. The political will of the opponents of Christianity is strong and unrelenting. The Church by and large appears confused and compromising. The stakes are incredibly high; nothing less than the survival of a civilization and the eternal well-being of countless souls.’

Collapse – We’ve Seen this Movie Before

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

‘The former long-serving Australian foreign minister, Alexander Downer, recently asked a very important question. ‘Could western civilization finally collapse?’ What would be your answer to that question I wonder?

Common Illusions and the Sound of the Cuckoo

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

In this time of catastrophic and ongoing decline in Christianity in Australia, and the western world generally, simplistic assessments of church vitality will only compound our missional failure. What is actually needed is a forensic critical analysis of churches and the reasons for their long-term failure to make Disciples of Jesus in anything like the numbers required if there is to be any hope of reversing chronic trends of decline

Vacuum 2 – Compassion

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

The retreat of Christianity in western countries has left a Vacuum, that has been filled with a whole range of fundamentally demonic influences that are tearing the fabric of society. While it is a spiritual vacuum, there are material consequences. One of these is the loss of the God-reflecting exercise of Compassion flowing from a deep emotional concern for the needy, whether spiritually or materially, even enemies.

When the ‘Church’ Has Lost Its Way

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

‘Our shared morality, once the glue that held the social fabric together, is being torn apart’.                                                                    Paul Kelly - 2nd March 2024․ *** Around a year ago I wrote this regarding our times; tragically it is even more relevant twelve months later – ‘In the West, we have arrived at Easter 2023 as a … Continue reading When the ‘Church’ Has Lost Its Way

The ‘Good Thing’ or the ‘God Thing’ – That is the Question?

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

The start of a new year is traditionally a time to reflect on the year ahead. To ask the question, what picture will we paint on this blank canvas of time that God has given us in the year of 2024? How does God want us to use the resources (paints) that he has given … Continue reading The ‘Good Thing’ or the ‘God Thing’ – That is the Question?

The King’s Speech and the Gate of the Year – Truth For Uncertain Times

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

As we embrace the new year of 2024, we are reminded of the timeless wisdom in the poem "The Gate of the Year" by Minnie Louise Haskins. Just as King George VI sought solace in its words during troubled times, we too can find hope and guidance by placing our trust in God as we navigate the uncertainties ahead.

Echoes of the 1930s and the Deeper Malaise

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

We live in rapidly changing times. A characteristic of this is western society's rejection of its moral operating system i.e. Biblical Christianity. This has allowed the return of what those who fought against Hitler's Nazis in WW2 thought they had defeated in western countries. i.e. antisemitism. Tragically this seems not to be the case.

‘I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel’ – Or Am I?

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

The phenomenon of the ‘Embarrassed-Christian’ syndrome, is in line with recent congregational surveys that show that when asked to select from a list of 14 priorities that they thought their congregation should invest in, ’starting a new missional venture’ came in a dismal 13th, or 2 percent of those surveyed.

Killing the Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

Posted on by Dr. Martin J. Bragger

‘Christian beliefs provided the rationale, and faith the motive energy, for western technology’