Find God Down Under

Goodbye for now

2011-01-07T12:26:00.000+11:00

Last week I asked my readers to let me know how often they'd like to read a post from me, and I told you I'd post the results this week. The vast majority of readers said they'd like to see me post once a month.

Meanwhile, I've been reassessing where I need to spend my time. This year I'll be doing some further study that will demand a lot of my time. So I've decided to call it quits, for now at least.

It's been fun dabbling in the blogosphere over the last 18 months or so. Thanks to all of you who've been following, reading and commenting along the way. I'll leave the site here because there are some useful links that you may like to use. But I won't be posting anything more.

So it's goodbye for now from Find God Down Under.

All the best,

Steve

PS - you can still talk to me on Facebook ;-)

New Year Survey

2010-12-31T10:19:00.000+11:00

THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY

2010-12-23T10:39:00.000+11:00

New page on my blog

2010-12-08T13:57:00.000+11:00

There's a new page on Find God Down Under that you might like ot check out, or point your friends to.

Who? Me?

2010-11-25T07:52:00.000+11:00

I wonder if you've ever seen something like this situation: Mother of 2, enjoying a little peace for a while, says herself "Aah, the kids are so quiet - hmm...maybe a little too quiet..." She searches the house and walks into a room to find some sort of mischief going on. One child is up to their armpits in something they shouldn't be, and the other is standing back engrossed in the action. The culprit, being preoccupied, doesn't see Mum come in and carries right on with the deed. The spectator, being all eyes, reacts instantly to Mum's arrival: "Mummy, look what Billy's doing. It wasn't me!"

Sound familiar? Like me, you've probably not only seen that sort of scenario, but you've been in it, right?

I was reading a story in the Bible yesterday that sounds a LOT like that. And no, it wasn't set in the Garden of Eden. Adam wasn't the only one who liked to shift the blame.

Mark Chapter 14. It's Jesus' last night on earth, the night before he faces the cross. He and his disciples are sharing their last meal together and he uses the opportunity to make a few points - important points that he wants the guys to remember. One of them comes in verse 17:

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me." They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?” “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me." Mark 14:17-20

This was not a small thing. This was not like saying "one of you will gossip about me" or "one of you will forget my birthday". To betray a person is to deceitfully work against someone who is counting on your support. But more than that, this was to betray the Messiah, the One who every Israelite could only dream might appear in their lifetime. One of these 12 men who had come to believe that Jesus was that Messiah, who were his intimate friends (Jesus twice mentions the fact that they were eating with him) would now do the dirty on the him. This was big.

The disciple's reaction - all 12 of them - was just what mine would've been: "Surely not I?" 11 of them were amazed and upset that Jesus would suggest such a thing, and Peter's attitude had not changed a few verses later when Jesus predicted that the disciples would all abandon him. Peter was adamant: "Even if all fall away, I will not." (v29). But he did. And so would I.

I wonder why Jesus included all of them when he talks about being betrayed. Why didn't he just say "Judas, I know what you're up to"? Even after they all react, he repeats himself. "It is one of the Twelve," he insists.

I think Jesus is using the betrayal by one unfaithful man to make an important point to the remaining faithful men. In effect He's saying "take a long hard look at yourselves. I want you to realize that it might've been you." He wants his disciples to understand something about themselves, and that is that they are fallible, they have within them the same potential for evil that Judas has, and that they need to be on their guard against it. Unfortunately Peter didn't get the point straight away, and consequently had to eat his words later after denying that he even knew Jesus.

It is Jesus' love for his disciples that lets them squirm for a while, so that they will learn this important lesson about themselves. It is also his love that forgives Peter later (see John 21 v 15-19). He's just that kind of God.

You and I need to learn the same lesson. We have this potential for sin always ready to pounce if we drop our guard. If we're smart, we'll learn it by watching the mistakes of men like Judas and Peter and avoiding them. But I'm not that smart. I've learned it the hard way, by saying "surely not I" and later finding out I had underestimated my potential for sin.

Which way will you find out?

Slippery Slope

2010-11-18T11:57:00.000+11:00

Well it didn't take long. The new Greens Federal MP, Adam Bandt, has won support for his motion in parliament, a motion that represents an important step towards the legalization of same-sex marriage in Australia. He, and the independent MP's who got the motion over the line, have only been in office since August. But we now have an undisguised look at his agenda. It's about a lot more than saving the trees.

I don't mind telling you it makes me both sad and sick at the same time.

Moving on

2010-10-26T09:02:00.000+11:00

I'm not looking forward to going to church this week. I suppose some people could say that about any given week, but not me. It's not that I hate going to church, by any means. But I'm not looking forward to it this week, because it will be the final Sunday for us at this church.

Carmen and I will be saying goodbye to a church family that we have grown to love dearly over the last decade or so. We'll soon be moving into a new house in a new location, and we've decided to find a church closer to home.

Even though leaving makes me sad, something that makes me sadder is seeing people thinking they are Christians, who never really connect with a church. (I've often heard the bold claim "you don't have to go to church to be a Christian.") They see themselves as a visitor, or a customer, whose role is to receive something, to consume goods and services. That approach makes it very easy to leave a church, or to go "church hopping" when the church's doesn't seem to meet their needs or expectations.

I think the Bible gives a very different picture of the church and the roles of individual believers.

"All the believers were together and had everything in common." (Acts 2 v 44)

I get the impression that these people didn't just visit occasionally. Nor did they simply show up to see what they would get this week. They shared their lives together. And it's that sharing, that "fellowship", that makes being part of a church so wonderful. During our time at The Grainery we've done a LOT of life-sharing. Let me give you a few examples:

We've lost count of the babies we've seen added to the family.
We've seen kids grow into adults, fall in love and get married and have kids of their own.
We've felt the pain of a family lose a young mum to cancer after the birth of their 4th child.
We've been looked after through hectic periods when our son was seriously sick in hospital.
We've been loved and helped when our own lives felt like they would fall apart.
We've seen people become Jesus-followers and find joy in serving him as part of a church family
We've enjoyed worshiping together, having meals together, praying together, working together, giving and receiving advice together, resolving conflict together, crying together, laughing together until it hurt and generally being a family.

And that's what makes it hard to leave. If you haven't experienced this kind of fellowship, then you're missing out, and there's no need to.

"You don't have to go to church to be a Christian." Maybe. But you have to go to church if you want to be a healthy one. What sort are you?

Interview with Geoff Bullock

2010-09-30T08:25:00.000+10:00

I just read an interesting and uplifting interview over at "Christian Faith" that I thought I'd share with you. Geoff Bullock, for those of you too young to remember, is best known as the Australian writer of some of modern Christianity's greatest worship songs, including "The Power Of Your Love" and "The Heavens Shall Declare". He's been out of the spotlight for a while now, and here he talks about why.

$1 a day

2010-09-21T06:50:00.000+10:00

Child Sponsorship

Last Saturday night I went to a dinner held at our church as a thank you to sponsors of children in a certain group of homes in India. It was a great night, and one of the highlights was a Skype hook-up with the kids in the home where we heard several of their voices and learned a bit about where they were up to in school, how old they were and something of their hopes for the future.

It brought home to me the reality that for these kids to even be able to talk about hopes for the future is a rare and precious thing - an ability that most of their peers don't have. It also re-reminded me that these kids were more than unknown faces on a photo stuck on my fridge door. They are real people who think of their sponsors as their family, and have us always on their minds. It was very humbling.

The name of the organization in Australia that manages the sponsorship of this particular group of kids is "Dunamis Outreach Australia." It began in the late 90's as a local church effort to arrange sponsorship for about 70 kids in a single home. It has now expanded to look after a total of 6 homes, housing some 400 kids.

Each of these kids needs a sponsor - and they don't all have one, which means that the resources simply get stretched further. Currently there are about 30 kids who's sponsors have withdrawn for various reasons. So there is an immediate need to find sponsors for those children. But beyond that there are more children's homes needing assistance. The need is huge, and the opportunity to be a part of it all is great.

Click on the link above to be a part of it. It only costs $1 a day to fully take care of one child.

How many can you take on?

Glass Half Empty

2010-09-17T18:03:00.000+10:00

How much grog is enough?

"OK, you boys have had enough. It's time to go home..." I can imagine publicans all around Australia saying something like this at some stage on any given night. Or more correctly, any given morning. It seems there is always someone who doesn't know when to stop, huh?

Yesterday I heard an interesting report of some recent alcohol-related research conducted right here in Newcastle. The results seem to show that if people drink for a shorter period of time, there will be less problems. Amazing!

"How did they discover this?" I hear you ask. Well, it's like this. Since 2008, the pubs and clubs of Newcastle have been required to close earlier than before. Now they are only allowed to stay open until 3.00am. I remember when this was introduced - they complained long and loud about the restrictions. But they had also complained before the changes about the spiralling levels of violence that required them to hire extra security.

Newcastle Uni's Associate Professor Kypros Kypri, who led the study summarised the results this way:

"They produced a one third reduction in the incidence of assault in the 18 months that followed the restrictions and when you adjust that for the fact that there was an increasing trend to that point in the central business district where the restrictions were in place, as well as an increasing trend in the nearby suburb of Hamilton, which we used as a control site, the effect of the intervention was a 37 per cent reduction." (Quoted by the ABC's "AM" program 16/9/2010)

Surprise, surprise! And now there are calls for this clever strategy to be brought in all across Australia. The complaints are starting already: "You can't have a one-size-fits-all approach...Newcastle had it own specific problems..." Yeah, right.

But I'm still shaking my head about all this. Here's why. I think it's sad that we have to come up with these solutions at all. Our governments spend a lot of their time and our money managing the destructive behaviours of our population. And not just in relation to alcohol. We have shooting galleries for drug addicts, programs for problem gamblers, ICAC to fight corruption in high places, investigations into terrible stories of pedophiles in the church and elsewhere, and advertising campaigns desperately trying to reduce everything from obesity to lung cancer to domestic violence to road deaths. The list is almost endless. Our society is groaning under the weight of problems caused by people refusing to self-regulate their behaviour. Instead, we have to regulate it for them.

Are you a self-regulator? The Bible tells me that Christians should be. Here's what Paul had to say about the kind of life that results when Jesus is allowed to be in charge:

^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5: 22-23)

Interesting, isn't it? Paul says there's no law against these things. Why? Because people controlled by the Spirit of Jesus are self regulated, and not towards bad behaviour, but towards love, joy, peace etc. Meanwhile, for those that want to run their own lives, the best we can do is to make rules to manage their unhelpful behaviour, and bear the cost of enforcing them.

Let me ask you, though: which one are you?

Think about your vote.

2010-08-18T09:30:00.002+10:00

3 more sleeps!
Aren't you excited?? In 3 days time, Australians will go to the polls. It's our right, it's our privilege as Australian citizens to cast our vote. But not all of us understand that it's also our responsibility. It can seem like a bit of a drag - an annoying interruption to an otherwise pleasant Saturday arvo.

I recently heard someone say that they were going to cast a "donkey" vote (a vote which is filled out incorrectly and therefore becomes invalid). Their reason was that all the candidates and parties are either corrupt or incompetent, and his vote wouldn't make any difference to the outcome anyway. There might be some natural logic in that, but because I'm a Christian I need to think on a slightly different level about this. Here's what Paul had to say about the way we should interact with our system of government:

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13:1-2)

Properly ordered government is one of God's gifts to us. In Australia we have good reason to be thankful for our governments - even if they are not all we would like them to be. And even though God governs to outcome, we are still meant to play our part. The law requires citizens to vote, and I reckon that means that Christians should play their part in the normal democratic process, and vote thoughtfully.

I certainly don't want to tell you who to vote for in this election, but I want to urge you to think "Christianly" about your vote. Let me point you to a couple of resources that might help you do that.

Australian Christian Values Checklist - a summary list of topics and responses from all of the major parites. Very eye opening.
Australian Christian Lobby - Here's a page where you can read detailed responses from the major parties to a range of topics that will interest Christians. I found this very helpful and informative. Especially the non-responses.
The Canberra Declaration - An online petition that calls on our leaders to "to protect life, defend marriage, support family, secure our religious freedom and safe guard our children". Think about adding your name before polling day.

No matter how you vote on Saturday, let me encourage you to do it prayerfully. By that I don't mean "Lord please let my favourite win". I mean "Lord, how would you like me to use my vote?...please help me to be wise...please help me to be a good citizen regardless of the result of the election result." That's how I think a Christian should approach an election.

What do you think?

Can we build it?

2010-08-07T17:38:00.000+10:00

Yes we can!

It's taking shape almost before our very eyes, this new house of ours. We got a shock a couple of months ago when we paid a visit to the building site. After a long period of rain, we expected the block to just be cleared ready for work to begin and nothing more, but when we got there the concrete slab had been laid! A couple of weeks later we rocked up and found the frame up, gutter and fascia on, and half the bricks were done.

Building a house can sometimes be a pain in the neck, but it can also be a lot of fun. For us this has been the fun kind - so far. Choosing colours, planning gardens and letting our imaginations run wild. It's very easy to be carried away with the excitement of it all, as if that's all that matters in life. But there's a thought that keeps coming back to me while all this is going on. Here it is:

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Psalm 127v1

This verse has reminded me over and over again that my life is like a house under construction (or more accurately re-construction). For me to pursue anything - whether it's a new home or a career or a relationship - without God, is simply futile. And it doesn't mean I just need to get God to rubber stamp what I want. It means I need to work on what God is already working on, because that's the only guarantee of ultimate success. Life's too short to waste energy and resources on things that don't matter to God. So the Bible is telling me not to set my goals, my dreams, my priorities by what everyone around me says and does, but by what God says and does.

What are your priorities, and how do you set them?

Challenging Video

2010-07-28T18:38:00.000+10:00

You've heard me go on about being a missionary from home for a while now. I realize that this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a christian, you could be wondering how you can tell others about your relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you're stuck for ideas. You might want to take a look at this video clip and then see if it's still too hard. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Tax Time

2010-07-11T20:22:00.000+10:00

Have you started doing your tax return yet? I'll be doing mine soon, so yesterday I downloaded the latest version of e-tax. I got a bit of surprise when I read the welcome letter. (Usually I never read the welcome letter, but this jumped out at me). Part of the letter describes some of the changes in this years tax rules.

If you've followed this blog for a while, you might recall an earlier post that warned of a push from the Greens to have the legal definition of marriage altered.Well, it looks as if they got what they wanted, because the welcome letter points out that the definition of "spouse" has been altered. And the definition is clearly spelled out later on in e-tax 2010. Here's what it says:

"DEFINITION:

Your spouse includes another person (whether of the same sex or opposite sex) who:
you were in a relationship with that was registered under a prescribed state or territory law,
although not legally married to you, lived with you on a genuine domestic basis in a relationship as a couple."

Surprisingly quiet, wasn't it? I didn't hear much debate on the issue, but it got slipped in there anyway.

In case you're wondering, I am opposed to any definition of marriage that strays from God's original design: one man and one woman committed to one another for life. Here's how it's described in Genesis:

"Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Genesis 2:22-24)

When God saw that Adam was alone He saw it as a problem, and His solution was Eve. God made the woman specifically to be the ideal solution for the man's alone-ness. She was God's gift to Adam.

This arrangement is no problem for anyone who wants God's input or influence in their lives. But as the Bible goes on to point out, all of us tend to push God away in some way or another. One of the ways this tendency seems to show itself most often is through our sexuality. We don't want God's design of one man and one woman for life. Instead, we look for other alternatives: multiple partners during one's life, either male or female- it doesn't matter.

No matter how you view it, homosexuality is a departure from God's intention. And now it seems clear that we live in a country that chooses to make that departure official. Does this concern you?

Great News!!

2010-05-26T19:30:00.003+10:00

Remember these two?

In a previous post I told you that these two women had been imprisoned in Iran for becoming Christians. This was a very serious situation for them, but today I received some great news from Open Doors. I've included it below.

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:11,12

Thank you for your prayers!
The press release of Elam Ministries reads: Fourteen months after they were arrested for their Christian faith and activities, Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh have been acquitted of all charges by the Iranian judicial authorities. However, they were warned that any future Christian activity in Iran will be seriously dealt with.
Saturday May 22, 2010, they left Iran and arrived safely in another country. Sam and Lin Yeghnazar, founders of Elam Ministries and spiritual parents to Maryam and Marzieh, met them at the airport. It was a tearful reunion. “It was very emotional when we first saw them,” said Lin Yeghnazar, “Now, we want to see them rest and recover.”
Maryam and Marzieh are eager to thank Christians who have been praying for them. “We are most grateful to everyone who prayed for us,” Marzieh said, “I have no doubt that God heard the prayers of His people.” Maryam added, “I believe our arrest, imprisonment and subsequent release were in the timing and plan of God, and it was all for His glory. But the prayers of people encouraged and sustained us throughout this ordeal.”
Both young women have shown exceptional courage, daring to tell an Islamic judge that they would never deny their faith in Christ. When Sam Yeghnazar told them their example had encouraged countless people around the world, they were quick to respond, “We are frail human beings with many weaknesses. The honour and glory go to God who has kept and used us, although we don’t know why He has chosen us. All the glory goes to Him.”
Maryam and Marzieh were arrested in March 2009 because of their Christian faith and were repeatedly placed under great pressure to recant and deny Jesus Christ. They faced repeated interrogations, weeks in solitary confinement, and unhealthy prison conditions. Both became seriously sick during their imprisonment and did not receive the treatment they needed which greatly increased their suffering. Also senior judges and officials intimidated them.
Despite this, they remained faithful to Jesus Christ and did not deny Him. After their conditional release from prison in November 2009, they have had a very trying six months waiting for their case to be heard in an Islamic court where they could have been sentenced to prison again.
“We have seen the Lord do miracles over and over again. He kept us and gave us favour in prison, and sustained us during a very difficult period of waiting for our final trial,” said Marzieh.
Maryam and Marzieh have lived through many experiences during the last fourteen months. The days ahead are not certain. However, they are determined to serve the Lord and the Iranian church. “We hope to eventually share some of what the Lord allowed us to go through to highlight the need and the opportunity for the church in Iran, but right now we will take time to pray and seek the Lord for His will,” said Maryam.
“On behalf of Maryam and Marzieh, and the entire Elam team, I would like to thank all the believers around the world who have interceded so faithfully for Maryam and Marzieh and the church in Iran,” says Sam Yeghnazar.
Please continue to pray for Maryam and Marzieh to recover fully and continue in fruitful ministry.

It's a good reminder to us Aussie Christians both that we get it pretty easy, and that we serve a great God.

Handing Over The Keys

2010-05-13T14:29:00.000+10:00

It's been a while since I posted anything here. My apologies to my loyal fans - you both know who you are - but I've been rather busy lately. The main cause of this busy-ness has been the sale of our house and then moving out. It's been over 8 years since the last time I went through this process, and I'd forgotten how much there is to do.

First there's getting the house spruced up and made presentable to go onto the market. A lived-in house is dirtier than you think! There were vast amounts of yard work to be done, too, and it all takes time. Then when the house is ready, the estate agent starts advertising and bringing people to look through the place. This is when you have to keep everything clean and tidy, junk put away, lawns mowed etc.

Eventually someone made us an offer and we accepted. This is when the real work begins. In the space of six weeks you have to either pack up or get rid of everything you own - which after raising a family and living in the same place for 8 years can be a lot. So there were cardboard boxes everywhere, a garage sale, a few give-aways to friends and several large trips to the "Port Stephens Waste Disposal Facility" - in other words "the dump".

Finally came the day - yesterday - when everything had been moved out, and what was once our home had become an empty house...sob...when it was time to "settle". That means that legally there is a permanent change of ownership. The conveyancers and solicitors shuffle a bunch of papers and money around, and we take the final step of handing over the keys to the estate agent who then passes them to the new owner.

That's a significant moment. It symbolizes a major shift in the state of things. Today, someone else owns that property and they can do whatever they like with it. They can repair, redecorate or renovate. They can knock out a wall if they want. They could even burn it to the ground if they were silly enough and I wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop it, because it's no longer mine. It has changed hands.

It strikes me that this process is very much the same as is for you and me when we come to Jesus. Becoming a Christian is essentially the act of handing over the keys of our lives to a new owner. Paul explained this to the Christians in Galatia this way:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..." Galatians 2:20

And again:

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." 1 Corinthians 19-20

Too many Christians, myself included, easily forget this important principle that when we come to Jesus he owns us. A lot of the time we tend to treat Jesus as a mere accessory to our lives, a bit like a piece of furniture that we enjoy for a while. The problem with that approach is that it allows us to think that when Jesus becomes an inconvenience, or goes out of fashion, we can simply get rid of him in a garage sale or at the "waste facility". In other words we want to own him, not the other way around. And that's just not how it is.

The only way to live a healthy, successful Christian life is to let Jesus own it. That means letting him make the adjustments and changes that he wants, even when they are not what we would like. The good news is that if Jesus gets his way in your life, the result will be better than if you do.

Don't just do something, stand there!

2010-04-25T05:59:00.002+10:00

Anzac Day

I'd like to introduce you to George and Irene. These were my grandparents on my Dad's side. This shot was taken in around 1970, when I was about 7 and it's pretty much how I remember them because within a couple of years they were both gone. Each year when Anzac Day rolls around it makes me think of my Grandad. He fought in the "Great War" (WW1) and used to march in the parade for years. What you can't tell from this photo, however, is that he spent the years after the war with one artificial leg. His original leg was hit by shrapnel when a bomb landed in his trench and he wasn't able to take cover quickly enough to avoid it. Later in hospital, gangrene took over and they had to amputate. And if that wasn't bad enough, he almost died of pneumonia in hospital, too. I'm glad he didn't or I wouldn't be here.

The interesting thing about WW1 is that it was bound up with Australia becoming an independent nation, being seen as viable and significant. As the boys marched off to the war, there was much flag waving and fanfare and most of the focus was on the glory and pride associated with our national coming of age. There were a lot of misconceptions about war. But when the soldiers limped back home, without many of their mates, shell-shocked and missing limbs, Australia began to understand the harsh reality that is war.

Spiritual Warfare.
Many Christians have misconceptions about spiritual warfare. In my limited experience they fall into one of two categories: too much or too little. They're either way too interested in demonic activity, or barely paying attention at all. People who are too interested tend to see a demon in everything and are always yelling at the devil about something (eg if they burn their mouth on their coffee they'll try to cast out the coffee demon that's trying to attack them). These people are a danger to themselves and others. On the other hand, those who are not paying attention tend to view the world with merely natural human eyes. They have no idea that there's a war going on, and tend to dismiss everything as a coincidence.

Neither of these extremes is Biblical. We don't see the writers of the Bible, or Jesus for that matter, seeing demons in everything that moves; nor are they silent on the subject. But we do see them talking seriously about an enemy that faces off against God and his people. In Ephesian 6:10-18 Paul gives us some very sound advice that will keep us balanced. Let's see what he has to say.

Power.
This passage comes towards the end of a letter in which Paul has repeatedly talked about power. The main gist is this: God has demonstrated his power in many different ways - raising Jesus from the dead, bringing us to new life, converting Paul to name a few. "Finally," says Paul in 6:10, "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Is he saying here that we are to raise people from the dead and zap people into becoming Christians? I don't think so. Here's why.

When Paul talks about God's power in all those different ways, he uses the Greek word "dunamis" from which we get "dynamite" and "dynamic". It means an explosive driving force that gets things done. But here in v10 he uses a different Greek word "kratos," meaning a position of strength and power. So, for example, the Prime Minister might say he has the power to invade another country. He would probably not have the physical resources to single-handedly take on a cranky ladies lawn-bowls team, let alone another country. But he would have the kratos power to do it, because there is dunamis power (in the army) to back him up and make it happen.

When Paul tells us to "be strong...in his mighty power" he uses the word kratos. He's not telling us to be explosive and get things done. He's not saying we should take on the devil and somehow defeat him. That would be like trying to single-handedly invade another country. Jesus already did that. Paul wants us to simply understand that if we belong to Jesus, we have been placed in a position of strength and safety which is unassailable if we stay close to him.

So much for yelling at the devil.

There's a war on.
Next Paul talks to the other extreme, those who think everything's fine. He has to point out that our "struggle" as he calls it, is not against people, it's against spiritual forces. This might be a real newsflash for some people. He wants us to understand clearly that there is a war on, it's real enough, but the enemy is different from any that we might naturally think of. We're inclined to think of an enemy that attacks by trying to injure us in some physical way (eg sickness, accident, personal conflict, job loss etc).

That's what a human enemy might do, but our spiritual enemy operates differently, because his aim is different. He wants to injure us spiritually - in other words to damage our relationship with God somehow. He might try doing it through sickness and so on, but the thing many of us miss is that he can do that in a lot of different ways, including making us very comfortable. He doesn't care whether we're happy or sad. He doesn't care about us at all - in fact how we feel is irrelevant to him. The only thing he's interested in is hurting God, and attempting to damage anything that God does. If he can achieve it by making us physically comfortable, and thereby get us to stop relying on God, he'll do it.

The point of all this is that the war is very real, but we might not notice it unless we're paying attention to the right things. We need to be on the look-out for anything that might separate us from God, not for things that merely make us uncomfortable. That's why Paul says we need to "be strong" in a special kind of way. Unless we use the resources provided by God through Jesus - that kratos power - we won't stand a chance, and we may not even notice that we've been taken out.

Stand your ground.
So how do we use God's resources? Simple, really. Paul says in v 13-18 that we need to put on God's armour (I'll get to that in a minute) and just stand there. It's interesting that in the space of 4 verses (11-14) Paul tells us to "stand" 4 times. Whenever the Bible repeats itself like that, you know the writer is really trying to get his point across. The point here is that we only need to stand. It's not our job to somehow defeat The Evil Empire of the devil. That's Jesus' job. All we have to concentrate on, Paul says, is standing our ground - in other words, remaining spiritually alive. Just don't let him take you out!

Paul goes on to say that staying alive means using the armour - that's simply a word picture for some important spiritual principles that need to be in place in your life if you're gonna make it out alive. I don't want to spend time now going through them all in detail. (Let me know if you'd like that, and maybe I'll post something later.) But these principles all boil down to something very simple. Read the passage through for yourself and see if you agree. Here's what I think they boil down to:

Fully trusting what Jesus has done, and obeying God's word

Paul says "when the day of evil comes", not "if". You can be sure that if you are serious about following Jesus, there will be forces at work to stop you. As important as Anzac Day is to us in Australia & New Zealand, I think we'd do a lot better to concentrate on preparing ourselves for the next spiritual attack.

Lest we forget.

Evening Up The Score

2010-04-05T12:20:00.000+10:00

The final post in the 3 part series is now up on Deeper Down Under

Famous Last Words

2010-04-03T03:00:00.003+11:00

John 19:28-30 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Famous last words. Why do we attach such importance to famous last words, the final words of a famous person before they die? Sometimes there's an irony that we find funny when things don't turn out the way the person might say they will. But beyond that, I think we attach importance to them because the really famous last words usually typify the life of the person dying. In some way or other they sum up what that life stood for. Let me give you some examples:

Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the rock band Nirvanah (suicide note) - ...it's better to burn out than to fade away.

Jack Daniel, founder of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distillery - One last drink, please.

Stan Laurel, comedian - "I wish I was skiing." [Nurse: "Oh, Mr. Laurel, do you ski?"] "No, but I'd rather be skiing than doing what I'm doing."

Groucho Marx, comedian - Die, my dear? Why, that's the last thing I'll do!

The Bible gives us the famous last words of Jesus. He said "It is finished." And just like the other examples, these words sum up the life of the person dying. You see, John isn't simply trying to record the facts of Jesus death - he actually leaves out a lot of other details. So why does he include these words? Because he wants us to think about them, he wants us to understand something.

When you think about Jesus' famous last words, "it is finished," the obvious question is "what is finished?" What's he talking about?

The Dream
Is he talking about The Dream he had of making the world a better place? Is this a cry of despair? He'd been trying over the previous 3 years to teach people a better way to live, and to start a new movement, a new religion. But now it looks like his time has been cut short, and his chance to make a difference in this world, to live a life of significance, has slipped through his fingers. Maybe he's disillusioned and disappointed.

Is this the cry of someone who's failed? Is he saying "it is finished...it's no use...I blew it...I give up"? If the story ended here, you'd probably say yes. This really would be the end of the life and times of an interesting person who turned out to be nothing more than a idealistic dreamer.

But the story doesn't end there. When Sunday comes around we will remember that Jesus not only died, but he came back to life - he was no ordinary man. He was exactly who he claimed to be - the Son of God - and that means he knew the story wasn't over. He wasn't just a dreamer, and his famous last words weren't a cry of despair.

The Torture
Well, if it wasn't a cry of despair, maybe it was a cry of relief. Maybe he was relieved that his death was about to take place and end the torture of crucifixion.

It 21st century Australia, when we think of crucifixion, we immediately think of this one incident - the death of Jesus. But in the ancient world, it was a form of punishment that was widely and regularly used by a number of nations, including the Romans who were in charge in Jesus case. It was a cruel and hideous form of execution, intended to torture people to death. It was reserved only for slaves, non-Roman citizens and the very worst criminals. It was used specifically to inflict the greatest possible pain for the longest possible time in the most humiliating possible way.

The gospels tell us that Jesus was beaten around by the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, then like most victims of crucifixion, he was brutally whipped. This whipping was sometimes known to cause death. At the very least it would have brought on severe trauma and shock to the body. Then, on his head was placed a crown made of thorns, which was beaten into place with sticks, causing more trauma and shock.

Following the normal practice, Jesus was made in this condition to carry a wooden cross-beam to a place outside the city called Golgotha. That is, he carried the means of his own execution to the place of his execution. This was done to publicly humiliate the victim. Jesus by this time was too weak to make the whole distance, and fell several times under it's weight - more shock and trauma. The other gospels tell us that a man called Simon was roped in to carry it the rest of the way.

Arriving at he place of execution, the condemned person was stripped naked - another humiliation - then forcibly laid on the ground with the cross beam under his shoulders. He was fastened to the beam either with ropes, or by nails through the wrists - for Jesus it was the nails. Then the cross beam was lifted onto a post with the victims feet nailed to the post not far off the ground. Low enough, in fact, for people to get right up in his face, as they did with Jesus.

This left the person with arms stretched out, naked, completely defenseless and exposed, wracked in pain, unable to move, unable to breathe properly and unable to hasten the death which would end it all. They would sometimes last like this for days. Jesus lasted six hours.

It wouldn't be surprising if Jesus' cry was one of relief that this horrible torture was about to end. Was Jesus pleased that the physical pain was nearly over? Probably. Is that all these famous last words were about? Probably not.

The Task
You see, John includes these famous last words because they belong in the story he is telling - not just to record the fact that Jesus said them. Jesus said other things from the cross that John leaves out. But these words are included because they line up with one of the themes or ideas that he's been wanting his readers to notice as they read through his book. He has a number of themes like this, that run through his story like a thread and keep popping up as you read through his book. This particular idea is this: Jesus always knew he had a job to do.

The idea of "work" or of doing what he came to do appears in almost every chapter of John's gospel in one form or another. For example,

4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

5:17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

9:3-4 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work."

But John sets the scene for all of this way back in Chapter 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

What work did God want Jesus to do?Not just to be nice to people and show them a better way to live, but to save the world. And Jesus always knew this. He knew he was here to perform a task, he knew that this task was world-wide in it's scope, and he knew that it would require him to not just be kind to people, but to lose his life. The crucifixion was no surprise to Jesus; it was the reason he came; it was the task he came to perform.

The Bible tells us that what was going on here was important. It wasn't just an influential teacher setting an example by dying for what he believed in - thousands of others have done that. This was no ordinary man, this was God in human form dying on a Roman cross. And the Bible goes on to say that this incredible sacrifice was necessary to pay for the sin of a rebellious world - yours and mine - so that we could step back into a relationship with God. God wanted to save us, to rescue us from the hell that our sin would take us to. God didn't send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

That was the task that Jesus was sent to carry out. And that's why he cried out from the cross "IT - IS - FINISHED!" He knew that he had completed the job of providing a way for the world to be rescued from the results of sin. He had done all that was necessary for you and me to be rightly forgiven for our rebellion against God, and our ignoring God, and our way of just living to please ourselves. He had done all that was necessary for God to be able to rightly call us his friends, even though we were his enemies.

Why would Jesus do that? Why would God set him a task like that?

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

He did it because he loves you. Later on in the Bible, Paul wrote to the Roman Christians:

Rom 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

John wants us to see Jesus famous last words "it is finished" in the light of that big idea. It wasn't a cry of despair, it wasn't a cry of relief, it was a cry of victory - the task is finished!

The only response God wants from you is to believe in Jesus, because whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. If you believe in him - not just with your head like "I believe Jesus really lived" or even like "I believe Jesus died on the cross", but trusting him with your whole life, you will have a relationship with this God of love. And it will never end.

So what's going to be your response?

You might already love Jesus and trust him with your life. Easter's a time to thank him for what he's accomplished for you, to thank him for finishing the task.

Maybe you're someone who's heard of Jesus before, maybe a lot, and you even enjoy hanging around with Christians, but you've never really believed in Jesus; you've never trusted Jesus with your whole life. Easter's a time to accept the invitation - give yourself completely to Jesus who did the job on your behalf, and to this God who loves you.

Or maybe all this is new to you. You've been thinking Jesus was just another teacher or something. You've never realized before that Jesus intended to die, and that his death had anything at all to do with you. Easter's the ideal time to hear this invitation: "whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." Why would you want to believe in him? "For God so loved the world..." He loves you. And he offers to take people like you and me who have been his enemies, if we gratefully accept the death of Jesus in our place, and to call us his friends.

That's why we love him. That's why we remember his death each year at Easter. And that's why John recorded Jesus' famous last words "It is finished."

Evening Up The Score

2010-03-26T15:37:00.000+11:00

There's a new post on Deeper Down Under, if you're interested.

Safe Travel

2010-03-08T17:44:00.001+11:00

Welcome Aboard!
Yesterday, Carmen and I hopped on a plane bound for Melbourne. We're looking forward to a few days staying with friends, a short training conference, and a few days alone together. We don't fly all that often, but we've enjoyed a few trips to Melbourne before and have been looking forward to this one, too.

After an hour's delay ( the plane apparently had some "unscheduled maintenance due" - not sure how that's even possible) we finally got to our seats and settled back to listen to the cabin crew run through the safety features of the plane. The flight attendant gave us a great run down on things we'd need to know in the "unlikely event of an emergency". She highlighted the overhead oxygen mask, the inflatable life jacket (NOT to be inflated until OUTSIDE the aircraft), the floor-mounted lights which mark the aisle, and the useful card in the back of the next seat that showed the passenger how to assume the "Crash Position". It even had a drawing of a plane with plumes of smoke trailing from the fuselage, just so we'd know what sort of situation we might face.

Yawn...I know I don't fly all that frequently, but let's face it: I'd heard it all before.

We began to taxi while this was going on, and I glanced our the window and saw one of the ground crew with both arms raised above his head, giving the thumbs up. I wasn't sure who he was looking at because of his sunnies, but I wondered if maybe he was letting us know that he was glad the "unscheduled maintenance" had gone off without any further hitches. "You little beauty!"

It occurred to me as we taxied out to the end of the runway, that I had developed a habit of not really listening to the cabin crew and their safety talk. I'd learned to say to myself "I don't need to listen to this, nothing's going to happen anyway." But I suddenly realized that if we found ourselves facing an actual emergency, I wouldn't know what to do. I'd be all "What did she say about the mask? Where is it - under the seat? When do I inflate the vest - in the aisle?" Not much use, really.

The reason they give us the talk as we taxi to the runway, and not as the plane is crashing, is so the we are prepared. Ready before things go wrong.

Sadly, many, many people treat God's word that way. "Ho hum...heard it all before...I don't need this...nothing's going to go wrong anyway". The difference between our everyday lives and a plane flight, is that flights usually end up OK, but in your life, you will eventually face an emergency of some sort. But the Bible is there to pre-pare us for what will come, so that we automatically know how to react when things go pear-shaped. Here's what it says:

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

If we treat God's word the way I typically treat a pre-flight safety talk, we are making life much harder on ourselves that it needs to be.

Nice day for a Green wedding

2010-02-25T12:59:00.002+11:00

Today is a worrying day for Australia. The Australian Federal Parliament will today begin debating "The Marriage Equality Bill" which was introduced last year by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. This bill, if passed, will remove the requirement for a marriage to be legally defined as being between a man and a woman.

Anticipating an interesting debate and calling for a conscience vote, the Senator has apparently made some interesting remarks. Among the most telling is this one:

"Unfortunately we have both major parties led by conservative men who have outdated views, ideological views on this issue," she said.

Your world-view will determine whether you agree with her or not. If by "outdated" she means views of marriage that match up with the Bible, which not many people today would consider relevant (let alone authoritative!), then I would agree that in that sense they are outdated. But I would disagree that it's unfortunate that out leaders hold those views.

As a Christian, I hold to the view laid out in the Bible that God exists and that He has designed all that we see to function a certain way. In addition, He has created us as moral beings with moral obligations toward Him. He's the boss, and we are not. When we come to the subject of marriage, as with everything else, the Christian view is that God's opinion is what counts. And His opinion on marriage was laid out very early:

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Gen 2:24

And just in case you're thinking "oh, that's in the Old Testamant when God was intolerant and cranky, not like the warm accepting Jesus of the New Testament," Jesus reiterates this principle by quoting the same verse. He essentially says that it should be this way ecause that's how God made it. In fact nowhere in scripture do we read anything that supports the idea that marriage can be thought of as anything except one man and one woman for life.

The debate is clouded somewhat when words like "outdated" and "intolerant" are thrown into the mix, because they wrongly suggest that the Christian view opposes positive things like freedom and equality. We simply believe that equality and freedom and every other good thing find their definitiion first of all in relation to God. And if God is excluded from the debate, then rules don't really matter that much, do they?

Be careful who you vote for, that's all I can say.

Two for the price of one

2010-02-13T16:31:00.000+11:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, but there's a reason. I've been working on a second blog - as if one wasn't enough to keep me busy!

The new blog has a very specific purpose. Over there I want to teach the Bible a bit more deeply than I can here. So I've aptly called it "Deeper Down Under" . If you'd like something a bit meatier than the offerings here, feel free to click through for the theological equivalent of a 3 course meal. Otherwise stick around here and I'll try to keep serving up the theological equivalent of a happy meal. Either way, I'll find your feedback helpful.

Each to his own.

Leave your brain at the door?

2010-01-30T11:52:00.000+11:00

Christians are sometimes accused of being of below average intelligence - have you noticed? This accusation typically paints followers of Jesus as belonging to the world's uninformed, uneducated, unthinking masses who turn to "religion" for direction. We are told that science has proven Christianity to be false, that we are fools who believe the opposite of what the evidence suggests.

I'm not a biologist, a physicist, or a chemist. I'm not an astronomer, a philosopher, or a geologist. In fact, I'm not any kind of scientist. I'm a steel salesman and part-time theologian with a marketing degree. What am I supposed to do when the scientific community asks hard questions that I can't answer?

That's when it's good to know that God has his people in all walks of life. As well as working mums, tradesmen and even steel salesmen, he has scientists and academics working in various disciplines. There are people who have asked the hard questions, and know how to arrive at technically intelligent answers - and they still follow Jesus.

One such academic that has had a great influence on me is Dr William Lane Craig. (I know that this blog is supposed to have an Aussie emphasis, but I have to let you know about this guy.) He's an American philosopher and christian apologist who has spent many years engaging the atheist community in rigorous debates on the existence of God, the reliability of the Christian scriptures and the resurrection of Jesus. He heads up a ministry called Reasonable Faith and their website is full of resources for those who want to know what good reasons there might be for believing that Jesus is worth following.

I highly recommend a visit to the website. One especially useful resource available from the site is the regular podcast called "Reasonable Faith" which is a radio style program (approx 20min) in which Dr Craig looks at various issues related to defending the Christian faith. It's worth checking out.

Also for a taste of Dr Craig's interaction with atheists, check out the video below.

BOOK REVIEW - "Terrify no More" by Gary A. Haugen

2010-01-16T17:27:00.002+11:00

Here's a book that made me wonder whether I've ever known what is going on around me. It made me wonder what on earth I've been doing with my life, and what I should be doing with it.

This book, if you dare to read it, will drag you from your comfortable world of air conditioning, lattes, free health care and 000 security, and plunge you head-first into the hideous world of human trafficking and child sex rings. It's not R-rated, but confronting none-the-less.

Try to imagine being a young girl, say 8 years of age. Imagine being sent by your parents to a foreign country on what you think is an exciting holiday, only to discover on arrival that you are not allowed to return home. Why? Because you've been sold to a brothel owner. Imagine being forced to "service" a never-ending queue of men - many of them violent, all of them strangers - and smile while you're at it, or face a beating. Imagine no prospect of relief, or of escape, or of rescue.

Now multiply that scenario thousands of times over. Hard to comprehend, isn't it? But it's true, and this book gives the real-life story of a dedicated group of Christians who have made it their mission in life to attack this sickening situation. They call themselves International Justice Mission (IJM).

Determined, persistent and incredibly courageous, the people of IJM are highly trained professionals doing what they do best - catching bad guys. "Terrify No More" (W Publishing Group) describes dozens of different situations where IJM has intervened, but the bulk of the book is devoted to one difficult raid on the notorious brothels of "Svay Pak", a village in Cambodia. It's a nail-biting look at the pointy end of justice, and if it doesn't get you in, you are one tough cookie.

One important feature of IJM's work is their strategy of doing more than simply rescuing victims and getting them appropriate care. They go beyond that, working to bring the perpetrators to justice in order to reduce the opportunity for more girls to be sucked into this vortex of misery. They are aiming at nothing less than an all-out assault on the child sex trade itself. Here's how Haugen puts it:

"Our mission was to break that deadly cycle of resignation and despair and to demonstrate that it was possible to unravel the web, rescue the children, and then get the perpetrators sent to jail. It would take committed operations over many years to clean up a place like Svay Pak, but our immediate mission was to stop the abuse of these kids and change the calculation about what was possible. Of course that is always the toughest step. If people thought it was 'possible' to rescue these kids and bring the bad guys to justice, it would have happened a long time ago. But the darkness had grown too thick, so thick that dozens of children could be openly sold off to pedophiles and sadists and there was just 'nothing that could be done about it'. And, truth be told, there was a lot more evidence to support that conclusion than there was to challenge it."

But challenge it they did - and with amazing results. Do yourself a favour and get this book. Meet some of the people who do this incredible work and meet some of the victims who have been rescued. Try to read it without a burning desire to break out of your comfort-zone and help somehow.

I dare you.

What makes something right or wrong? Pt 2

2010-01-06T11:11:00.008+11:00

In Part 1, I made the point that if God doesn't exist, and if we are therefore only here by accident, then our lives have no purpose, meaning or value. There is no reason for me to be here, nothing I do or say matters in any lasting way, and I'm essentially worthless. This grates harshly on our self esteem because most of what we do shows our deep yearning for for purpose, meaning and value, but the conclusion seems inescapable to me.

In this section, I want to explore the impact all this has on our morals, our sense of right and wrong.

What would you expect to see in a world populated by people who believe that they and everyone around them are what we might call a "random accumulation of molecules" (RMM), each having no purpose, meaning or value and ultimately no accountability? Here's some of what I think you'd see - you might think of more:

1. Suicide, homicide, and genocide.
2. Theft
3. Abuse of various types
4. Self centred hedonism & escapism
5. Inequality & poverty
6. Relationship nightmares
7. Addictions

I would expect to see these things because if I am convinced that I have no purpose, meaning or value, all that's left is for me to try to gain for myself some pleasure or benefit along the way, whatever form that may take, and no matter what it may cost you - because you don't matter either. It's no surprise to me that this is exactly what we find. We live in a world that believes it's an accident.

Some might argue that those things are wrong in themselves and we don't need a "god" to tell us that, but my question is WHY are they wrong? If we're accidents, why is anything wrong? When we describe something as being wrong, what exactly are we saying?

The generally accepted view seems to be that we consider something to be wrong if it brings any sort of harm to an individual, to a society or to the human race as a whole. So, for instance, theft harms an individual, drug trafficking harms a society and the use of nuclear weapons threatens the entire human race, and we consider all these to be "wrong". We rank the seriousness of these "wrongs" based on the value we attach to the victim.

But where did this view come from, if God doesn't exist? It can only be that we made it up. It's a human invention, something that the RMMs have found useful for ensuring the smooth running of their society. The problem with this is that it is subjective; what constitutes "smooth running" is a matter of opinion.

For some RMMs, smooth running might mean that everyone believes the same things, observes the same principles, obeys the same laws and shares equally in the world's resources. This would make it "good" to force a common belief system on everyone.

Other RMMs may disagree, saying that smooth running means survival of the fittest, dog eat dog, every man for himself. By definition, this would mean sharing the world's resources unequally, and would theoretically make poverty, malnutrition and genocide "good".

Still other RMMs might define smooth running as freedom for every individual to live as he sees fit. This would make suicide and addiction "good" things.

But it all boils down to a difference of opinion among RMMs. When we say "we should be free" or "we should fight injustice" or "we should reject racism", where does the "SHOULD" come from? Why should I treat you well? Should I do it because you are a valuable human being in your own right? (Why are you?) Should I do it because you treat me well? (What if you don't?) Should I do it because you have a great contribution to make to society - you're a doctor, for instance? (What if you're not?) Who's to decide what's right and good or wrong and bad?

Perhaps all that's left is the view of the majority. Perhaps the "right" thing is the popular thing. Perhaps the greatest singer always wins Australian Idol, perhaps living together generally leads to more functional families than marriage does, perhaps democratic elections always put the best candidate into office, and perhaps the Rwandan genocide was "good" for Rwanda. Perhaps.

We like the idea of having a say, but very few thinking people would always agree with the majority about what is right or good. I think that's because the majority views you and me as RMMs, having no value except the value of anything we might contribute to them (a la Victor Chang). Outside of that, we are expendable, and it's "good" for the majority to treat me as it sees fit. If that means genocide, well that's OK. Until next week, that is, when the majority thinks something different. We are on dangerous ground if our morals are set by the majority.

But that's exactly where we are. That's why it's no surprise to see the state the world's in. To return to my original point, it seems perfectly obvious to me that right and wrong, good and bad, can't exist in any meaningful way unless God exists outside of it all. Without that point of reference, our moral standards are at best flexible and unreliable, and at worst, completely pointless.

Personally, I believe God does exist, and that he made you. That means I think you have a purpose, your life has meaning, and you are of tremendous value - whoever you are. Why do I think that? Because God thinks it. It's up to me to treat you well not because you bring something of worth to the table that might help me, and not even because I want to do the "right" thing, whatever that is. In the end, I need to treat you well because God is God, and He says I should - even when I don't want to.

What do you think? Feel free to chip in with a comment.

What makes something right or wrong? Pt 1

2009-12-22T06:53:00.012+11:00

A funny thing happened to me a few days ago. After an absence of a couple of weeks, I was browsing through a blog that I regularly read and comment on when I noticed my name in one of the articles. Naturally, that got my attention. The article was titled Can there be morals without religion? and was written in response to a comment I had made on an earlier article.

After reading what others had to say, I wanted to respond, but I didn't want to hijack someone else's blog to say everything that was on my mind. I'll say it here, instead.

The main thrust of my comment was that our sense of what's right and wrong is bound up with whether or not God actually exists. Let me elaborate a little.

For many people, we exist simply as the product of natural selection (ie evolution). They hold to the idea that we were not created by some higher power and that all life has instead come from countless random interactions of elements and forces which themselves popped into existence somehow. For these people, we originated from the primordial soup and are really nothing more than accumulations of molecules that have taken a particular shape we call human life. A number of things flow out of that point of view.

Firstly, an accidental universe means that our existence is without purpose. No one decided that we should or would be here; we just happened. There is no more purpose for my existence than there is for that of a rock. As far as the universe is concerned, it doesn't matter whether I exist or not. The fact that my body consists of molecules that are more organized than the rock's molecules boils down to a loooong string of accidents. I may not LIKE this unavoidable implication, but I can't blame anyone for it because no one did it, right?

Second, if we are accidents, we are also led to the idea that not only does my life not matter, but given that it does exist, it cannot possibly mean anything. Meaning is a relative term. For something to have meaning, it needs to have a fixed point of reference so that it can be understood. If you read in a novel the line "do you realize what this means??" there is always a context for that question, a backdrop, a history that will provide meaning for the incident that provokes the question. For my life to mean something, it must be compared with something fixed, something which itself matters and has meaning.

I could say, for instance, that my life has meaning if I am a good dad and raise my kids to be responsible members of society. But if society isn't fixed, if the individuals who make it up (including my kids) are accidental combinations of molecules, my life goal of being a good dad only has meaning to the extent that the molecules have meaning.

Thirdly, an accidental universe implies that we are of no value. The idea of value, like meaning and purpose, is a relative term. My house is currently up for sale, and even though I have put a price tag on it, it's actual value is only what someone is willing to pay for it. My value as a person is determined not by what I think of myself, but from outside myself. If the universe is an accident, then the only place from which I can draw my value is the people around me - the accidental molecules. I may as well ask a rock what I'm worth. I know that humans are able to answer me where the rock can't, but the answer I'm given is worth about the same.

So, if God doesn't exist, I can't see how we can avoid the conclusion that we are without purpose, meaning or value. That's enough to think about for now.

What does this have to do with right and wrong? I'll talk about that in Part 2.

Narrow Escape.

2009-12-11T06:28:00.015+11:00

Some bits of the Bible can be hard to digest; they read a bit like a telephone directory, and put me to sleep within one or two paragraphs. But for many of us, there are other bits that are the more enjoyable, understandable parts. These are the stories. Everyone loves a good story.

Some of them, like Jesus' parables, are fictional and are told simply to illustrate a truth that Jesus wants to get across. But others are historical accounts, telling of real-life events that happened to real people, like Joseph, Samuel, Moses and David.

Have you ever read the stories of David? They are some of the most gripping accounts in the whole Bible. They would make a terrific movie. But why are they there? Are we supposed to copy David's life? No, he stole another man's wife and had him killed. So are we meant to treat his example as something to avoid? Well, not entirely - the Bible calls him a man after God's own heart. So how are we supposed to understand them?

The stories are there to teach us not about David, but about God. This week I was reading one these nail-biting stories. David and his bunch of rough-necks are on the run from King Saul and his army. They've done nothing to provoke him but he wants to get rid of David once and for all. Saul finally corners him in the mountains. Here's a sneak peek at what I wrote in my diary...

1 Sam 23:26-28 "As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying,'Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.' Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines."

This story is about God rescuing David from Saul, but I notice that even though the timing is incredible, there is nothing too surprising or supernatural about the means of the rescue. It was a very common, almost normal thing for the the Philistines to raid Judah. And even though Saul tried his best to catch David, God frustrated his efforts though a million different, ordinary things.

Conversely, as God's anointed servant, David was able to repeatedly escape by the skin of his teeth, land on his feet and eventually perform the task God had called him to. The difference was that David was a man after God's own heart, and Saul was not.

When God calls me, and anoints me for a task, as long as my heart is inclined towards him He will see things through, and position me for it despite circumstances. Opposition will be uncomfortable, even terrifying, but ultimately unsuccessful.

Lord, please help me to rest on this great truth, that you are for me in everything as long as I don't turn away from you. You are the Lord of circumstances, and your purposes for me will stand.

How about you? What's your reaction when circumstances go against you? Do you muster up some positive "power of the human spirit" type thinking, or do you rely heavily on God who alone has the power to manage circumstances?

It's not for the faint hearted.

2009-11-23T16:13:00.023+11:00

These two young ladies look as though they haven't a care in the world, don't you reckon? Happy, attractive and potentially having a future with all the possibilities open to women of their age. They're probably all those things, but don't be fooled. Behind those smiling eyes is a serious side, a steely resolve to follow Jesus no matter what it costs them.

And it could've literally cost them their lives. Their names are Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30. According to Opendoors, they have only just been released from prison in Iran after a nine month ordeal. They were put there because they had converted from Islam to Christianity, and that's a capital crime called "apostasty" under Islamic law. It was only after a great deal of international pressure that they were released, but there are still charges hanging over their heads, and some legal tap-dancing to be done.

I have a friend in Iran who tells me a little of what it's like to follow Jesus in a hostile environment. He says:

"I have some Christian friends and I can talk to them about Christ and Jesus but this is so dangerous in Islamic Republic. If government's officials find it out, they will be in big dangerous trouble. Rest religions except Islam are not allowed to propagandize their religions and their beliefs in Islamic Republic. A crime like this equals execution. This is violent and barbaric!...We are trying to stop these violent laws. I decided to join demonstration for this ...this maybe fall me in a big trouble but I don't want be in shame against my conscience. Please pray for us..."

This shouldn't surprise me. Even a brief look at the New Testament makes it clear that suffering fierce, often violent opposition was a very normal part of Christian life for the earliest believers. And it's been that way ever since, in various places around the world. It shouldn't surprise me - but it does. Why?

In Australia, it's very easy to be a Christian. Most Aussies have only one strongly held belief about religion: everyone should be able to think what they like. Not many people oppose my decision to follow Jesus - unless I foolishly tell them that Jesus expects them to follow him as well.

But for many Christians in Australia, unlike my Iranian friend, it costs us very little to follow Jesus. The biggest thing we have to worry about is feeling left out, ignored or at worst, mocked.

Something tells me that this easy-believism we have allows us to become a bit hap-hazard about following Jesus. It's common for us to call ourselves Christians as long as it's comfortable. As long as the music is loud, the coffee is good and the sermons are short. And as long as it doesn't require us to do anything that will annoy people, anything that will bring opposition. I think some of us are kidding ourselves that we belong to Jesus at all.

Jesus knew that opposition was part of the deal when he called people to follow him.

"Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23)

His hearers knew what taking up a cross meant. They knew he wasn't calling them to a warm fuzzy religious passion. He was calling for obedience - the type that hurts, and costs and provokes opposition. The type they know about in Iran and lots of other places. I think we could learn a lot from them about what it means to follow the man who went to the cross.

What do you think? Post a comment.

What are you worth?

2009-11-12T06:04:00.013+11:00

High profile murder.
On the 4th of July 1991, many Australians weren't thinking of anyone's independence. Instead, we woke up to the news that Dr Victor Chang had been murdered in broad daylight on a Sydney street. The two men convicted over the killing had been attempting to extort money from him, but when he refused to co-operate, one of them whipped out a gun and fired the fatal shots.

Why was this such a shock to us? Murders are always shocking, and they take place with surprising frequency. But why are we still talking about this one? I mean there was a murder in my suburb a few years ago, but I can't remember who or when or where or what the circumstances were. Why not?

Perhaps our awareness is kept higher by the media. They don't keep revisiting the murder in my suburb, but they do keep mentioning a high profile incident like Dr Chang's death. What made it high profile?

Dr Chang was a world famous pioneer in the field of open heart surgery, particularly heart transplants. His work has been literally life-giving to many people. No wonder his death hit the headlines.

This line of thought was triggered last week with the news that one of the two men convicted over the murder was soon to be released having served his minimum sentence of 18 years. Apparently the Corrective Services Minister, John Roberston found it necessary to step in at after this announcement, pointing out that "Victor Chang was an incredible doctor I think his murder shocked everybody." No kidding?

But what's that got to do with it? I couldn't help raising my eyebrows at the hidden suggestion that this particular killer, because of who he killed, is somehow less entitled to be released after serving the minimum sentence than any other killer. Was Dr Victor Chang, who was certainly a clever man who made a valuable contribution to society, worth more than the anonymous, forgotten victim of the murder in my suburb? Is our worth as individuals measured by what we do?

If this is how we measure a person's value, then I'm in serious trouble. I'm not a pioneering heart surgeon, or a great advocate for world peace. Heck, I'm not even a sports star, and we all now how necessary they are to our society.

Fortunately, the Bible tells me that even if people think about me like that, God doesn't. He values me because He saw fit to make me.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13)

That tells me that He has a greater interest in me than even my mother did! And in case you're not sure about it...

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!'" (Luke 12:22-24)

OK, so I'm more valuable than a bird. Big whoop. But it doesn't end there, does it? The Bible tells me that God has an incredible love for all of us, the heart surgeon, the anonymous victim and the murderer alike. In fact, if we're measured by what we do, we're all in trouble with God. But get this...

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

That's where our sense of worth ought to come from: He thought I was worth dying for. That's why I think He's worth living for. What about you? Do you see yourself the way the rest of the world does, or as God does?

We're all Asylum Seekers.

2009-11-01T07:33:00.021+11:00

Here we go again. There's another boat load of would-be Australians knocking on our door. Another stand-off between a Federal Government on one hand, trying to manage an ever-increasing influx of newcomers, and a mass of people on the other hand who appear to have nowhere to go to escape a life of misery back home.

There seems to be a steady stream of people wanting to call Australia home. The Department of Immigration website says that from July 08 to December 08, "Humanitarian Settler Arrivals" increased to 5416, up 11.5% on the same period the previous year. Of course that figure is made up of more than just "illegal" arrivals, but it says pretty clearly that more and more people are beating a path to our door. And can you blame them? Who wouldn't want to live here, hey?

It's a divisive issue, this, and as a nation we don't quite know which way to respond. Even Mr Rudd isn't quite sure. He wants to be "tough but humane". (I suspect he wants to please everyone).

There are strong arguments for strengthening the borders, coming down hard on unauthorized arrivals, discouraging the people smugglers. Apart from anything else, we want to remove any incentive for the traffickers to make a buck at the expense of genuine refugees. That incentive, if we allow it to remain, will encourage not a wave but a tsunami of new arrivals in leaky boats. There are proper channels in place through which people can apply to live in Australia if they want to, and jumping the fence isn't one of them. We want our laws respected (even if many of us don't respect them ourselves). People who break them ought to get justice, we say.

On the other hand Aussies pride themselves on lending a hand to someone in need. We want to be seen as the friendly nation, welcoming anyone and everyone and offering a place of safety to genuine refugees. We're good blokes (and blokettes). We have sympathy for anyone who hasn't had the good fortune to live in a place like Australia, with its stable economy, its democratic system of government and our peace-loving lifestyle. We want our nation to be seen not as a regional bully, but as everybody's maaaate. We know that many asylum seekers have been misled about the opportunities that they might find here. They haven't tried to break any laws. People in such a predicament need mercy, we say, and we want to be the ones to offer it to them.

Justice and mercy. Tough but humane. It's a difficult mix - impossible even.

God faces the same dilemma with all of us. We expect God to overlook everything we do (ie show mercy) and at the same time we demand that he do something about man's inhumanity to man (ie show justice). As Mason Cooley once said: "Good deal: justice for you, mercy for me"

I think we all have something in common with the 78 Sri-Lankans on board the "Oceanic Viking". We're all asylum seekers. The Bible points out that although I want and need a protective relationship with God, I have actually abused his generosity by trying to jump the fence. I've tried to make my own way to God, an unauthorised way, which leads to anxiety instead of asylum, strife instead of a new life, pressure instead of peace.

What's God going to do with us? Extend mercy or apply justice? He does both. In Jesus' death on the cross, God enforced justice - our fence-jumping was punished. And at the same time Jesus' death opens the proper channel for God to show us mercy - to treat us as if we'd always done things his way, and to come into his family and enjoy all the benefits and opportunities it brings. We became potentially his friends again. The Bible puts it this way:

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

And in case you think you can dodge the system somehow, check out what Jesus said:

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)

How about you? Are you prepared to come to God through the channel he has put in place, or are you still trying to jump the fence?

Archaeology supports the Bible...again.

2009-10-20T15:56:00.002+11:00

This is just a quick little post to link you to an interesting article I found over at the "Christian Faith" website. It seems that every time the archaeological world digs into the dim reaches of history, the Bible just keeps on coming up trumps.

Good news don't you think?

Who's got a Red Face now?

2009-10-14T06:00:00.001+11:00

What a furore!
Did you see the infamous skit on the Hey Hey It's Saturday Reunion special? Can you believe the extent of the reaction? People around the world are calling us racist and now our politicians are having to clean up some of the mess overseas.

An incident like this raises some important questions for us as Australians, and as Christians. As an Aussie, I ask myself "does a skit like this apply differently here than it would in other countries?" and "even if it offends no one in Australia, should we avoid something that could offend overseas?".

I think there is built deep into the Australian psyche (I'm no expert, mind you) a belief that we should laugh at ourselves, and that entitles us - at least partly - to laugh at everyone and everything else. In fact, part of "belonging" in Australia includes a lot of good natured ribbing. My workplace is characterized by this type of humour - almost to the point that it's hard to tell when someone is being serious.

Many Aussies instinctively understand this and expect that others (including other nations, it seems) should all be as willing as we are to laugh at themselves. Am I close? And if I am, is that a reasonable belief?

But as a Christian I ask myself "should I accept everything about Australian culture?" and "where should humour fit in to my behaviour?" Aussie culture dictates that we should laugh at ourselves. If you can't take a joke, than you're on the outer, you're too sensitive, too serious. And because we allow a ground rule like that to exist, much of what passes for humour is at the expense of someone else. If it causes a bad reaction we usually defend the jok-er by telling the jok-ee to lighten up, build a bridge and get over themselves. We hold humour high as if we have a universal right to poke fun at others. Sadly, this habit has even crept into churches. I've heard stories recently where preachers have said things from the front to single someone out and publicly humiliate them - "in fun".

Am I saying there's no place for humour? No. But I'm suggesting that the world's view of humour, including the Aussie "world", may need to take a back seat to God's view of humour.

So what is God's view?
Well, we have to piece that together. There's no single chapter in the Bible I can point to that you might call "The Humour Chapter". But here are a few verses that might give us some clues:

First the Bible distinguishes between good and bad laughter:

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.' " Ps 126:2
"Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools." Ecc 7:6

God would seem to want us to laugh with joy over the things he has done, and not out of foolishness. (Which one does the Hey Hey skit most resemble?)

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:9-10

James has a lot to say about the damage that we can cause by what we say, and how hard it can be to govern our words. And he even goes onto say that we should turn our laughter into mourning. "What??" I hear you ask. "Should we go around moping everywhere? That's just what the world needs - more sour Christians!" No, he means that we need to think seriously about some things, and life is not just one big Red Faces show. If you think it is, the Bible says you're a fool.

Finally, Paul has some helpful instructions for us:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. " Eph 4:29

Sometimes that means laughing, sometimes it means crying, sometimes it means shutting up. But if laughing is involved, it needs to be helpful for others, according to their needs, not my need to get a quick laugh. Now there's a good ground rule.

How do you see it? I'd love to know your thoughts. Share them in the comments.

A miss is as good as a mile.

2009-10-10T06:45:00.001+11:00

Avagoodweekend?
Whadja get up to over the long weekend? Carmen and I were invited by some good friends of ours to spend a few nights "camping" (we cheated a bit - caravan, cabin, generator for power) on their 50 acre property on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. We've been there before and as always, we had a great time of relaxing away from phones, computers, TV etc. The camp shower under the tree was a bit breezy this time, but soooo **invigorating**.

On Saturday, my friend whipped out a couple of .22 calibre rifles he'd just bought. (Yes, he's licenced.) Together we set up a few cardboard targets and tried them out. I hadn't been near a gun for something like 25 years, but luckily he reminded me which way to point it. We spent a couple of hours taking potshots at our targets and marking our initials. I have to say that this was the best fun I've had in years. Sad, really, isn't it?

I'd like to think that I enjoyed it because of the camaraderie, the fresh air and sunshine, the exercise of climbing up and down the hill to check the shots. But really it was the exhilaration of
discovering that I could actually HIT the target - this was beyond all my expectations. I even got a couple close to the bulls-eye!

I can see how this could become an addictive sport, like many other sports, in which competitors are driven by an internal desire to hit the bulls-eye (or their "personal best" in their chosen field) just one more time. Although I was pretty pleased with myself, I never actually hit the centre of the bulls-eye. There was always room for improvement.

There's a tendency in all of us to relate to God this way. We see living a "good" life, whatever that might be, as a bulls-eye to be hit. We are pretty pleased with ourselves if get close, and we assume that God will be suitably impressed by our efforts as well.

Unfortunately, God isn't impressed. Here's what He has to say through Paul:

"There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Rom 3:22-23

Ouch! We've all missed the bulls-eye. We've all resisted God's right to be God to some degree. And to that degree, we "fall short of the glory of God."

"But I got really really close!" we protest.

"There is no difference," the Bible insists.

And this is where many people go wrong. Instead of accepting God's assessment of us, we prefer to find other assessments that make us feel better about ourselves. "You're basically good." "You're only human, nobody's perfect." "You're a random accident and there is no God to worry about." "If you try harder, you can get closer to the bulls-eye."

Any relationship with the God of the Bible must begin with an understanding that God has the right to run my life, and that I don't want him to. That presents a problem to God, and a BIG problem for me. But until we see the problem as God sees it, we won't be interested in His solution, will we?

Who's assessment of your life are you listening to?

BOOK REVIEW: John Ortberg's Water Walking book.

2009-09-25T05:34:00.009+10:00

"If You Want To Walk On Water You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat" by John Ortberg

Here's a book that makes you think. At least that's what it did to me. The title seems to be stating the obvious, I know, but the obvious is so often overlooked that it probably needs stating once in a while.

Ortberg has taken a familiar Sunday School story - the one about Jesus walking on the water, and Peter joining him - and with clear illustrations and a good dose of humour, unpacked it like any good preacher. He shows why Matthew bothered to include it in his gospel and what he wanted his readers to understand from it. Essentially it deals with the problem that most, if not all disciples of Jesus have in moving from just "going along for the ride" to becoming spiritually fulfilled, victorious and productive. Being naturally timid, lazy and sinful, I stand to gain a lot if I can make that shift.

I found that his analysis made a deep impact on me at several points. Here's how...

Boat Potatoes
Boat potatoes, says Ortberg, are like couch potatoes. The disciples who stayed in the boat were like that - too stubbornly timid or lazy to move from the relative comfort of their boat. Boat potatoes have a strong aversion to risk, and as a result they experience very little of what God wants to do in their lives. I'm a natural boat potato, and it was challenging for me to read a chapter about "the tragedy of the unopened gift." He says:

"You can drift: get up, go to work, come home, eat supper, watch TV, retire, and die. Or, you can take each moment and say, 'God, this is yours.' You can offer him your spiritual giftedness - not compared with anyone else - as fully honed as you can get it, identified with pristine clarity, cultivated with relentless perseverance, deployed with unstoppable vigour, submitted with sacrificial humility, and celebrated with raucous joy."

That's what I want.

That Sinking Feeling
Failure is part of the story. It's certainly part of my story. And yours. I'm acutely aware of my shortcomings, and it was so good to read this reassuring reminder:

"If you know - really know - that you are loved by God when you feel the weight of failure, then there is no place where you will be beyond the confines of his care. One of the greatest gifts failure can give us is the recognition that we are loved by God precisely when we are in the cave of failure. It was in the cave that David cried out to God, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." As long as my sense of being valuable and significant is tied to my success, it will be a fragile thing. But when I come to know in the marrow of my bones that I am just as valued and loved by God when I have fallen flat on my face, then I am gripped by a love stronger than success or failure."

I've learned more about God's love for me through my failures that I could've learned from a million books on the subject.

Learning To Wait
Ortberg points out something that many people miss: Peter, impulsive, bull-at-a-gate Peter, didn't simply jump out of the boat on his first impulse. He asked Jesus to call him, then he uncharacteristically waited. Before that, the all the disciples had to wait in their storm-tossed boat until Jesus arrived late into the night. And Ortberg observes that waiting is something that God always includes in his plans. It's good for us, and just as integral to God's purposes for us as the thing we're waiting for. Here's what he says about waiting, patiently trusting God:

"Maybe you have a dream about certain accomplishments - it involves your work or an area of ministry. What you hoped for is not happening - you don't know why, but you know it hurts. You are tempted to try to force it - to push, manipulate, or scheme to get what you want. Or, perhaps you are tempted to give up ever trying to realize the potential God has given you and just drift. Will you have the patience not to force it, not to quit, but to wait patiently, to continue to learn about your giftedness, humbly receive feedback and coaching from others, grow one step at a time, and trust God's plan rather than what you think is your need."

All up this book managed to challenge me to get off my behind and live up to the potential God has placed in me, be it a lot or a little. At the same time, it encouraged me to be patient as I refocus on living for Him and not merely for myself. That's the most fulfilling life style of all. I thoroughly recommend this book if you want to move from just "going along for the ride" to being all God designed you to be.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

The Wrong Crowd?

2009-09-22T19:08:00.007+10:00

Does it matter who I hang around with?

I read a thought provoking post the other day over at Everyday Ethics which said in part: 'Some would say you're only as good as the company you keep. If that's truly the case, would that mean our moral or ethical report card gets a poor mark when our friends act against our personal standards of "righteous" behavior? Or are we meant only to accept, not judge, our friends for their different opinions and actions?'

It's not easy is it? As a Christian, am I tainted if I just tolerate anything and everything, or should I react against some things and come across as judgmental?

Jesus copped criticism for hanging around with the wrong crowd. Mark 2:13-22 is worth a read. Up to this point, Mark has been making the point that Jesus is not your average travelling preacher but actually the promised king - both incredibly powerful and deserving of admiration. He gives us a few examples of Jesus power, just so we get the point.

Then he surprises us by admitting that this powerful, worthy king starts picking undesireables for his followers - mere fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James & John - and now a scum-bag like Levi, a tax collector of all things! Jesus invites a Roman collaborator to become a follower! A man who cheats his own people! Surely this "worthy" king would have nothing to do with him. Would he?

Yes he would. And not just inviting Levi, but actually eating with him, building a relationship with him - and a bunch of his rat-bag mates. And the teachers of the law were right onto him - "how come you're eating with them?" They had already been challenging Jesus before this, but now he gives them a free kick.

We might ask: does it matter who Jesus hangs around with? Won't his reputation suffer by association? It doesn't seem to matter to him. His answer is very telling.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mk 2:17)

Jesus paints himself as the doctor, and everyone else as either needing the doctor or not. It's as if he's saying to the lawyers, "if you think you've got it all together, I can't help you." The lawyers were only interested in challenging Jesus, while Levi's crowd were interested in following him. One lot thought everything they did was right, the other lot knew they were all wrong. Big difference.

And Jesus is not influenced (the way I might be) by any crowd or situation he happens to be in. Mark is showing us instead that he is the influenc-er. He is the powerful king.

In the end, the issue is not who Jesus is hanging around with, but who is hanging around with him. Levi's crowd understood something that the lawyers didn't - we're all sick, we're all unrighteous, and we're all in need of the doctor.

Which crowd are you in?

Time for a Tune-Up?

2009-09-16T21:50:00.000+10:00

"How's your marriage?"

"Fine thanks."

Everyone says that. And perhaps, most of us who are married are coasting along fairly comfortably. I would've said the same until Carmen and I hit a pot-hole (more of a large ditch, really) in the road of our married life. We did a lot of hard work to get past that, and as part of the process, we heard about an organization called Oz Family Life.

These guys provide a range of resources to help families do what they do a lot better than they do. Among them are some terrific tools designed to help couples work on their marriages. They have books and small group studies, as well as a one day seminar called "A Day To Treasure" (DTT) and a weekend seminar called "A Weekend To Remember" (WTR).

We attended a WTR seminar in 2008 and really got a lot out of it. We've also helped to organize a DTT event at our church and highly recommend it to any married couple. One thing that really impressed me was that there are no open "sharing" type requirements. The seminars are structured deliberately to encourage each couple to learn and discuss together principles which will help to make marriage incredibly rewarding.

Even when things are going well, a marriage can do with some preventative maintenance. And it's amazing how much more effort (not to mention money) we pour into maintaining other things like houses and cars than we do in taking care of the most important relationship in our lives.

Oz Family Life has just had a name change - they're now called Family Life Australia. Check out their website for lots more information. I think you'll be glad you did.

Lonely at church

2009-09-14T15:00:00.001+10:00

Recently a friend of mine told me he was feeling disconnected in the church he attends. Sunday mornings have become an unpleasant time. He feels that a number of influential people in his church aren't interested in talking to him, and are quickly distracted and drawn away to talk to other more interesting people. He feels that he's considered not good enough to talk to.

This guy is not one of those people you might rather avoid. He's bright, interesting, incredibly friendly and I love talking to him. Unfortunately, I don't talk to him as often or as long as I'd like to. Why not?

His problem got me thinking. Although I'm not a paid staff member of my church, I do carry some leadership responsibility and I can see another side to this problem. I'm one of those people who want to ensure that new people are welcomed. When a new face appears in our church, I don't want that person to leave without someone taking a genuine interest in them. We want them to know that they are loved both by us and by God. So we "leaders" are usually on the look out for people we haven't met. That often means missing out on talking with the people we know well. That's the sad, frustrating fact. (Mind you, it's a good problem to have, because it means there's lots of new people - something most, if not all churches pray for. But a problem none the less.)

Is that it then? Do I have to settle for meeting someone once or twice then moving on? And more importantly, do they have to settle for that? I don't think so. What opportunities are there (for both me and my lonely friend) to overcome this problem? Here's a few ideas:

Get into a group. "Cell Group," "Home Group," "Connect Group," "Wednesday Night Prayer & Bible Study Group," - call 'em what you like, but churches have long recognized the need for the small groups outside the setting of a Sunday morning church meeting. That's because a busy Sunday morning cannot serve the same purpose as a small group. Groups provide the opportunity for much more personal interaction and understanding. A chance to know and be known - who doesn't want that? But a Sunday service in any but the smallest of churches can't provide that. It isn't meant to.

Eat together. I don't know why this works, but there is something about eating a meal together that connects people. This is especially true when you invite someone to your home for a meal, because there's an element of service thrown in. But even if your gift isn't hospitality, you can still organize to meet somewhere for a meal, or even a coffee. Go on, try it! You'll be glad you did.

Grow like Jesus. If the Christian life is anything, it's a growth process. We begin as spiritual babies, and grow up into mature followers of Jesus. One thing about all babies, physical or spiritual, is that they are consumers, not producers. And one indicator of maturity is the ability to feed oneself and ultimately feed others. Or welcome others rather always wanting to be welcomed. Growing up as a Christian means producing, not consuming. This is why it's worth "...remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35

Cut some slack. I suggested this to my friend. It's important to understand that churches are simply groups of people who are all broken in some way or other - including the leaders, including me - all in various stages of repair. I try to remember this when someone annoys or hurts me and cut them some slack. One day I'm going to annoy or hurt someone else - maybe you - and I'll need you to cut me some. Paul reminded us to "be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Eph 4:32

I'm sure that's not all there is to be said on this subject. What do you think?

Watch what you watch

2009-09-03T06:35:00.000+10:00

Poems that don't rhyme
I'm not sure what it is, but there's something about non-rhyming poetry that's always bugged me. It could be the musician in me that likes everything fitting to a beat. It kinda seems lazy, as if the "poet" couldn't be bothered making the effort to think of the words that actually work. Maybe I'm just too old school. I grew up with Aussie classics like "The Man From Snowy River" and "How McDougall Topped The Score".

So the poems of the Bible, the Psalms and some other bits, should bug me. And sometimes they do, I s'pose. But I've discovered that if I put aside my ideas of poetry (not that my ideas are that great to begin with), I start to see that the poetry of the Bible adds a heartbeat to God's message to us. Not just theory, but emotion and passion.

In Psalm 101, King David blurts out his determination to live a life that pleases God. He's taking a stand against anything that get in the way of this deep desire of his. The bit that speaks to me most deeply is this:

"I will set before my eyes no vile thing." (v3)

What does he mean by "vile"? Probably an idol of some type; for David that would've been a feature of the surrounding cultures that was constantly trying to divert his attention away from God. But it could've been lots of other things. "The deeds of faithless men" (v4), covers a LOT.

It's obvious David didn't live in 21st century western culture. I can't imagine how you could life life today without seeing anything vile, anything that temps me to turn away from God. But notice he says "I will SET BEFORE MY EYES no vile thing". He knows he can't control everything that comes into his field of vision, but he can control some of it.

What can you and I control?

I can control what movies I watch. I can control what books I read. I can control which websites I click on. Same goes for TV shows, magazines, even which people I spend time with. I can't always prevent unhelpful things coming at me, but I can prevent a lot. It might call for some tough choices, but if I have the sort of passion that David did to know God, a passion that earned him the label "a man after God's own heart", then I'll make them.

How about you?

A Half Empty Nest

2009-08-25T18:10:00.000+10:00

Up Up and Away
Well, in just over a week, our 2nd son Tony will be flying out to the USA for a 6 month stint with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). And if he has his way he'll be staying in the States, too.

It's interesting to me how relentlessly time rolls on towards these significant life-moments. Some of them can't come soon enough and seem to take forever to arrive. We'd rather put others off, but they arrive at the same relentless speed as everything else. There is a moment in the life of every parent when they are first confronted with looming reality of an empty nest. This is mine.

And now that it's here, I'm not sure I'm ready for it.

But Tony is certainly as ready as he will ever be, and it's reassuring to know that he goes hand in hand with a wise, loving and powerful God. It's also good to know that God's plan includes the empty nest:

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Gen 2:24).

The leaving is hard, but necessary because when the "wife" stage comes along "becoming one flesh" will also be hard.

Bon Voyage, Tone. (Check out some of his music).

Strike a blow against poverty

2009-08-21T12:51:00.006+10:00

Stretched
Until a couple of years ago I thought of "poverty" as pretty much a third world problem. I imagined images of little African kids starving or malnourished and figured the only way I could do anything about it was to sponsor a child, which Carmen (my wife) and I do.

But a couple of years ago Carmen began to work for a charity called Christians Against Poverty. This charity works to free people from the crippling burden of debt that characterises so much of life in Western society - Australia included. If you're like me, you know what it's like to have a debt sitting on a credit card that you just can't seem to budge. This problem is for many more than just an inconvenience, it's away of life that spirals families into poverty - even when they appear well off to outsiders.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) helps people to manage their way out of crippling debt and give them the breathing space to begin again. They haggle with creditors, appear in court for clients, arrange to have debts renegotiated or even cancelled. And for this work they receive no government funding for the work they do. The machinery is kept rolling entirely by donations, especially by regular supporters called "Life Changers".

Check out their website and see if you can help.

Does God want us to kill our kids?

2009-08-19T05:50:00.003+10:00

Embarrassing Story
The story told in Genesis 22:1-19 is a bit embarrassing, don't you reckon? God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. This was the son he'd promised many years before and who was born against all the odds in Abe's and Sarah's twilight years, the son born according to God's promise of a future nation and blessing for the entire world. In this story God takes Abraham to the point of making the sacrifice and then stops him at the last second.

So what kind of a twisted entity is this God who makes these wonderfully fulfilled promises then demands a human sacrifice to apparently end it all? And then changes his mind?? Does he make false promises? Does he like to lull people into a false sense of security then apply the blow torch to watch them squirm? Is he the Cosmic Sadist? At first glance it could seem that way, I agree.

And what kind of a nut job was Abraham? A Voice tells him to take this long awaited son and offer him as a sacrifice and he decides it must be God. Then the Voice tells him to stop. Hmmm...maybe a case for the men in white coats?

But I think something far more positive and more profound is going on here. Let's see if we can tease it out a bit...

Abraham & God
First, lets point out that this wasn't Abraham's idea. The Bible clearly tells us that Abraham loved Isaac as his "only son" (v2, 12, 16). And he had a lot riding on this boy. After God's promise in Gen 12 he'd left his homeland for an unknown destination, becoming something of a nomad. He'd waited for some 25 years for the promised child to be born in his old age. It had cost him a lot of time and patience up to this point.

Second, it's worth noticing that God has a habit of using "object lessons" right throughout the Bible. Jesus certainly did it with his parables. (You wanna know what the kingdom of heaven is like? Look at the etc etc). But the Old Testament is full of them as well. The prophets often used props to make a point (see Jeremiah 32 for instance). That's what God is really doing here, as we'll see. He's been preparing Abraham for a long time, teaching him that when God says something he can be counted on. Question is, could God count on Abraham?

Connections
There are a number of significant connections between this story and the New Testament story of Jesus and the cross. Let's look briefly at a few of them.

Mount Moriah - This was the ultimate site of the temple in Jerusalem where sacrifices would regularly be made to cover (not erase) the sin of the people, until the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on nearby Golgotha would deal with sin once and for all. There is a connection right away between this sacrifice of Isaac and the death of Jesus.
Father & Son - Isaac was Abraham's only legitemate son & heir, and he was dearly loved. The same is said of Jesus: "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'" (Mt 17:3)

Isaac & Jesus
More than that, there are some amazing parallels here specifically between Isaac and Jesus. Isaac carried the means of his execution to the place of execution; so did Jesus. Isaac was intimately loved by his father; so was Jesus. Isaac submitted to the will of his father; so did Jesus. Isaac was innocent; so was Jesus. These parallels give us some clues, not just about what Jesus would one day experience, but what God the Father would experience as well.

Imagine the horrible dread that must've weighed on Abraham as he set out for Mount Moriah, knowing what was required, seeing the unswerving, trusting obedience of his son. Imagine the excruciating anguish he must've felt as he asked himself things like "how can I go through with this act of murder?", "what purpose will this serve?", "how can this possibly be necessary?"

This story is here to tell us that God felt a similar anguish in sending Jesus to the cross. To any outside observer, both the cross and the altar look like the acts of a madman, with no obvious purpose or logic, no connection between the sacrifice and the sinner. But this incident takes place at the very beginning of the nation of Israel so that God can say to his people down the line "You wanna know what it's gonna cost me to deal with your sin? Look at Abraham."

The Substitute
The main difference between Isaac and Jesus is that Isaac was only an object lesson, a prop. That's why God provided a substitute for Isaac. And the ram that was provided points to Jesus also, because he was both the sacrifice and the substitute. No one stepped in for Jesus at the last second. That's why this story of Abraham and Isaac has so much to say to us. It says that the God who I rejected wanted so much to restore that broken relationship that he would go through the obvious pain of Jesus on the cross, but also the invisible pain of the parent allowing pain to an innocent child.

You can listen to a message about this here (mp3 28.3 MB 31 min):God Will Provide

Broken Marriage

2009-08-15T06:37:00.005+10:00

Slack

I've been incredibly slack, haven't I? Over a year since my first post. Ha! What a joke!

Well, I'll try and improve my strike rate. In the meantime here's a couple of links that may interest you.

Marriage

God's been teaching me a lot about marriage over the last few years, and I recently found this article over at Crosswalk which I found helpful. It's about healing broken marriages.

Current Issues

My cousin Garry has a blog where he discusses current issues from a Christian perspective. Check it out.

I'll be back soon with some stuff of my own.