21 December 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Death of Denise Sproul, Wife of the Rev. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.

[2] Free Smart Phone App for Westminster Shorter Catechism Available from Reformed Theological Seminary

[3] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Says Religious Beliefs Should Not Be Allowed To Stand in the Way of Homosexual Rights

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[1] Death of Denise Sproul, Wife of the Rev. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.

Denise Elizabeth Sproul, 46, wife of the Rev. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. and mother of their eight children, died 18 December 2011 from the effects of leukemia. A memorial service was held today at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Andrews Church (Presbyterian Church in America) in Sanford, Florida. The Sproul family requests that any donations be made to the Denise Sproul Memorial Scholarship Fund at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Florida.

Dr. Sproul Jr. wrote of his departed spouse: “Denise, enjoying the blessed vision of our God and Father, is at home with the Lord. Cancer no longer afflicts her, and every tear has been dried away. The Queen of Orlando [Florida] casts her crown at her Savior’s feet, and together, they dance.”

Doug Phillips wrote the evening of 18 December: “And this is what I feel compelled to say: Tonight, stop and take a really good look at your spouse. Next, look at each of your children. Look really, really long and hard. Take a moment and thank God for every whisper of a moment that God has given you with them. Thank God for the little kisses offered, the stories told, the tickles dispensed, the games played, the readings shared, the silent moments cherished, the victories experienced, the losses endured, the kind words presented , the songs sung, the glances exchanged. These moments not only count for eternity, but they will be remembered for the next billion years after you leave this minuscule moment in time called “life.” Every moment with your loved one matters. Someday they or you will be gone. Every conversation matters. Every kind deed in the name of Christ matters. It all matters.”

Mrs. Tim Bayly wrote 18 December: “The path of the just is as the shining light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18 — “Tim and I rejoice that Denise Sproul, wife of R.C. Sproul Jr., has entered the full light of glory. But our spirits weep for our brother, R.C. Jr., in the loss of his beloved wife, and for Denise and RC's eight children whose mother lost her battle with leukemia in winning eternity this morning. May God gird them up in faith in the hours and days ahead.”

Douglas Wilson wrote 18 December:

“…the apostle Paul said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). The grief and sadness is all on this side of that divide, and most certainly not on the other side.

“Christians certainly grieve, but it is the kind of grief you see in airports, when someone you love is going to be separated from you . . . but only for a time. This is in stark contrast to what the apostle Paul describes as being “without God and without hope in the world” (Eph. 2:12). The phrase "without God" is rendered from just one word -- atheoi. Godlessness is hopelessness.

“So pray for the Sprouls, and thank God for the resurrection of the dead. It is no more unbelievable that we shall live again than that we were given the gift of life the first time. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”


+ Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, 407-333-4244, Fax: 407-333-4233

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org

+ Baldwin-Fairchild Cemeteries and Funeral Homes, 301 Northeast Ivanhoe Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32804, 407-898-8111, Contact Page

+ Vision Forum, 4719 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78212, 866-440-0022, Fax: 210-340-8577, Contact Page

+ Bayly Blog

+ Blog and Ma Blog


[2] Free Smart Phone App for Westminster Shorter Catechism Available from Reformed Theological Seminary

Reformed Theological Seminary has made available a free iPhone app titled “Westminster Shorter Catechism in 90 Days”, available on the Apple Computer website.

The app is a flashcard application that coaches the student through a ninety day personalized memorization program.


+ Reformed Theological Seminary, 2101 Carmel Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226, 704-366-5066, Fax: 704-366-9295

+ Apple, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California 95014, 408-996-1010


[3] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Says Religious Beliefs Should Not Be Allowed To Stand in the Way of Homosexual Rights

(Friday Church News Notes, December 16, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Hillary Clinton,” CNSNews.com, Dec. 7, 2011: “Religious beliefs and cultural values do not justify the failure to uphold the human rights of homosexuals, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday. ‘Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs,’ Clinton said. Her speech at the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations and its Human Rights Council (HRC) was delivered ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10, the anniversary of the U.N.’s adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... President Obama [signed] earlier in the day of a memorandum which the White House called the ‘first-ever U.S. government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad.’ ... Republican presidential candidates Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Sen. Rick Santorum both criticized the administration’s LGBT announcements. ‘Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money,’ Perry said in a statement, adding that the policy was ‘just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country.’ ‘Obviously the administration is promoting their particular agenda in this country, and now they feel its their obligation to promote those values not just in the military, not just in our society, but now around the world with taxpayer dollars,’ CNN quoted Santorum as telling reporters in Iowa.”


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