Bible Stories For Big Kids - Blog

SAY THAT AGAIN!

5/6/2020

WORSHIP

Now that I have rediscovered the Psalms, I thought this commentary ( Scripture Union Encounter With God notes) worth sharing. It relates to Psalm 98.

"God's creation is indeed to be appreciated but not to be worshipped. God is not in the trees, the wind, the mountains, the seas or the universe. ( Reminds me of Elijah's encounter with God after Mt Carmel). God is the Creator of them all.

"Worship is not merely a state of mind or the singing of songs; neither should worship be a reflexive response before God for what he has done for you. Worship should be an act of will that is intentional, intelligently directed to the living God simply for who he is."

Needless to say, that reminded me of who God is and with the help of Google, I was easily able to find the description of what I was looking for. God is :-

OMNIPOTENT - all powerful

OMNISCIENT - all knowing

OMNIPRESENT - everywhere at all times

OMNIBENEV0LENT - all loving/good

This is the God of the Bible and the One to be worshipped.

CRITICAL THINKING

4/20/2020

A recent documentary on North Korea gave me an interesting insight on the thinking of the people towards the leaders of that country. It was like looking at a sculpture of someone from various angles, as three people interviewed gave quite different descriptions of their attitude to the leadership, but all remained true to their commitment to their leaders. In a private conversation, one young lady spoke very intelligently about her 'philosophy' of the leadership but was very reluctant to hear another point of view, and that started me thinking.

Is my style of thinking any different to hers? I could see the confines of her thinking because of what she had been taught but was my thinking about God and his values also limiting my ability to see other points of view? Do people who don't live by Christian values, have more freedom? Am I missing out on some/many things because they don't fit my values or taste?

I realise a lot of my thinking and evaluating situations is governed by my Christian ethics and that can lead to insecurity in a secular world. I have mentioned many times before about the need for Christians to get out of their comfort zone of Christian activities and be relevant to and feel comfortable in secular society but this does not mean changing Christian values or attitudes. Jesus certainly lived his life amongst ordinary people and related so well to them - he loved them for who they were.

In one respect, my style of thinking is no different to that of the young lady mentioned above, as I have chosen to see things from a Christian perspective. She may not have had the opportunity to question her values, but I certainly have and am very happy to accept the values as presented in the Bible. I have not wanted to stray from these and am now at an age where I can look back at my life and can say that these values have stood the test of time.

Critical thinking is very important, especially Christian teaching where there can be so many 'add-ons' to what the Bible is really saying. By discarding various people's 'add-ons' I have learned new and wonderful truths about God and his unconditional love.

Keep thinking!

HOME ALONE

4/6/2020

'Stay home. Isolate. Keep your distance from people. Don't visit others or have visitors....' These types of instructions from the Government are being brought to our attention every hour of every day if we listen to the media. To survive Covid 19 it really means we should be 'Home Alone'. Not a good long term prospect for many people.

Covid 19 reminds me of one of the less pleasant aspects of Easter - aloneness. If ever someone knew what it was to be alone, it was Jesus in those last 24 hours. His closest friends fell asleep when Jesus needed them most, then deserted him in the garden, although Peter to his credit, followed Jesus to the High Priest's house, yet three times, denied ever knowing Jesus, something of which Jesus was well aware. The atmosphere of bitter hatred at Jesus' 'trial' must have been horrendous let alone the prospect of a cruel physical and 'spiritual' death. Fortunately we know the 'happy ending'.

'No-one Understands Like Jesus' was a popular gospel song in my teenage years and those words have been a great comfort to me at dark times over the years. As well, Jesus has come to me it a very real way in my aloneness and I have found his love overwhelming when I needed it most.

Mental health is a very real issue and comes in all shapes and sizes but in our darkest hour, we can always talk to Jesus as he understands what it means to be and feel alone. We never need to think that no-one knows or cares how we feel because Jesus is always there for each of us.

As each of us celebrate Easter in an entirely different way this year, the message is the same - we are not alone for 'He Is Risen'! Hallelujah!

MY CONUNDRUM

3/27/2020

I am feeling guilty, well sort of. I keep thinking of my favourite Bible verses, the first one being Psalm 23 :1 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I have EVERYTHING I need" and Philippians 4: 6-7 "Don't worry about anything, but in your prayers ask God for what you need, with a thankful heart. And God's peace which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds SAFE in Christ Jesus".

With all the sad news about Covid 19, I feel 'guilty' because I have a freezer full of good food, a large pantry with dry/tin food and a cupboard with ample toilet paper, and with a phone and computer, I can keep in touch with friends and family. So why am I feeling 'guilty'?

When Cyclone Debbie hit this region 3 years ago, the next day the birds came here for food as they were really hungry, whereas we had a generator to run the electricity for fridges, freezers and cooking. The birds made me realise how different life is for those who don't have all those facilities and rely on getting food each day. And this is why I am feeling guilty.

I think about all those people in other countries who rely on paid work for that day, to buy food for themselves and their families and now with no tourists and customers, they have no work. Australia has emergency relief for those out of work or food, but many countries do not have those facilities, so how can I say to a Christian in a disadvantaged situation/country 'Don't worry' when I am well taken care of?

In my last blog, I wrote about my new outlook on the Psalms, after a friend related a visual story told to her, so now I would like to be able to reconcile the many 'don't worry' Bible verses with the very disadvantaged people of this world.

I realise there are many organisations - Christian and secular - which assist in these situations and I can pray and donate and although that will help, it still does not answer my question - can I truly tell these people 'don't worry'?

ARE YOU A VISUAL LEARNER?

2/14/2020

A friend shared with me the other day, an illustration which a counsellor gave her when she was not in a good space. The counsellor told her to visualise a green grassy area in the distance, but getting there required a walk through some mud and rocky areas. To me, a very good illustration of persevering through life's bad patches, but something/Someone was missing.

This immediately made me think of Psalm 23 - ".even thought I walk through the deepest darkness I will not be afraid Lord, for you are with me - your shepherd's rod and staff protect me." What a wonderful promise! We are not alone in those darkest hours.

However, not only did this illustration remind me of Psalm 23, but it gave me insight into the reading of the Psalms, and so I have just checked out some of them again, this time visualising the situation referred to in the Psalm and what a difference that has made to my understanding of the Psalm.

Take Psalm 2 for example. "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed....." I immediately see a modern day setting of the political leaders sitting around a huge table, discussing their plans. Now that may be far from the correct setting when the Psalm was written but is sure gives me a greater understanding of the meaning of the Psalm.

Another aspect I have adopted in reading the Psalms is looking at the text from God's point of view. I imagine God looking down at that table of people plotting together and laughing at their stupidity and the futility of their plans. Once again, that is not in the text but for a visual learner like me, it gives me a better insight into the sovereignty of God and that he really is still in control even though it may not always seem that way.

According to Google 65% of people are visual learners ( Google is always correct??????) so if this includes you, try visualising the Psalms and see what wonderful illustrations come to your mind.

REAL ESTATE ADVERTISEMENT FOR HEAVEN

1/24/2020

HEAVEN

I am interested in that land, because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for ........years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money and without price. The donor purchased it for me at tremendous sacrifice.

I am not holding it for speculation since the title is not transferable. It is not a vacant lot. For more than half a century I have been sending materials out of which the greatest Architect and Builder of the universe has been building a home for me, which will never need to be remodelled or repaired because it will suit me perfectly and will never grow old.

Termites cannot undermine its foundations for they rest upon the Rock of Ages. Floods cannot wash it away. No locks or bolts will ever be needed for no vicious persons can even enter that land where my dwelling stands, now almost completed and almost ready for me to enter in and abide in peace eternally without fear of being evicted.

Attributed to Dr Harry Rimmer (1890 - 1952)

LIFE CAN BE MESSY

12/3/2019

Some time ago a friend of mine said that when her husband retired the following year, they were going to do this and that, then other things, and I thought at the time, that I would not be so pedantic about planning that far ahead, and that is coming from a person who likes to know ahead of time, what is likely to be happening. I always preface my plans with " I hope to be doing....." because we do not know what the future brings - just as well sometimes! Unfortunately, the husband of this couple, was killed in a car accident a few weeks later.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year especially for Christians, yet the trials and tribulations for Mary and Joseph were enormous and are easily overlooked. They were getting ready to be married and setting up house, which is a big enough event in itself, but overnight everything changed. Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah - that was 'wow' in itself - then when all was settled and the baby was due any day, they had to travel to Bethlehem, about 3 days journey.

After Jesus was born, they set up home in Bethlehem, then had to flee to Egypt, leaving in the middle of the night, a journey of nearly 700 klm, then a few years later, God told them it was safe to return home, but now it was Nazareth in Galilee. No air conditioned cars in those days. And that was just the physical challenges.

What about the emotional aspect?

Joseph must have been so disappointed when Mary told him she was pregnant and not surprisingly, God had to tell him in a dream that Mary had not been unfaithful, but was to be the mother of the long promised Messiah. Imagine having a perfectly behaved child when, later, there were other children.

Then there was the disappointment of no suitable accommodation in Bethlehem at the end of a 3 day journey, with a baby due to be born. It can be frustrating enough looking for a motel at the end of a day's drive, but that is nothing compared to how Mary would have felt.

But the amusing part of this story for me, is the visit by the shepherds during the night. I imagine Mary and Joseph just getting settled after a harrowing journey, makeshift accommodation and the birth of a baby, when there is a loud knock at the stable door. Who could that be? The shepherds knew about the baby and wanted to see for themselves - hadn't the angel told them to do this? Who needed a mobile phone when there were angels to announce the birth of the Messiah? How that story must have surprised Mary and Joseph - what else was God up to?

A year or so later, along the narrow lanes of Bethlehem came the Wise Men with their camels. How people must have come out to stare at these magnificently adorned animals and their passengers. Once again Mary must have been amazed at their story of the star and the men's assumption that a special king had been born. The fact that these non Jewish men were overjoyed at meeting this very special king must also have had a profound effect on Mary and Joseph.

But let's look a little behind the story of the Wise Men. At King Herod's palace, despite his charm to the Wise Men, Herod planned to kill this child whom he perceived as a threat to his dynasty; the religious leaders who checked out the prophecy of a Messiah being born in Bethlehem showed no interest in the Messiah, yet it was the foreigners or Gentiles who recognised the significance of this child, even bringing gifts which represented the life which this child Messiah would live.

Christmas is a wonderful time of celebration, but the real meaning of God coming to earth - the incarnation- requires a response:

Reject - King Herod's response

Neglect - the religious leaders' response

Accept - the Wise Men's response.

A LIGHTBULB MOMENT

11/19/2019

I always find it exciting (in my senior years) to resolve a long standing question and yesterday that happened. There was a very good article on Facebook about God's judgement on Canaan ( in particular) and whether it was genocide. The Old Testament stories seem to depict one war after another, with God often telling the Israelites to wipe out all the people when they took over a city, a horrific idea by today's standards. But was it genocide? That has always puzzled me.

I decided to reply to the article which accentuated the wickedness of the Canaanite people and God's judgement on them and as I did, it was like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle suddenly fitting together to show the big picture. This is my reasoning:-

God loves everyone and wants everyone to be saved - that was made quite clear from the beginning of time.

Noah spent 120 years building the ark and this must have caused a sensation during that time, with many people wanting an explanation of what he was doing, yet despite the many warnings Noah must have given the people, no-one believed and wanted to be saved. God gave the people plenty of opportunities to repent of their wickedness, but no-one took up his offer, hence the judgement of the flood.

When God devastated Egypt at the time of Moses, Pharaoh's bloodymindedness was not lost on all of the Egyptian people, for when the Israelites fled Egypt, many Egyptians accompanied them. God had given them ample opportunity to recognise that he was the true God and some believed, while others chose to reject him, despite the display of God's warnings in the form of the 10 plagues.

As the Israelites progressed towards the Promised Land - the land of Canaan- word had gone before them of God's devastation of Egypt and the miracle of the Red Sea crossing on dry land, ( to name but a few miracles) so these people had the opportunity to think about the God of the Israelites and whether they wanted to believe in him. The first city to be conquered was Jericho and the story of Rahab and the spies shows that she at least believed in this God. For seven days, the Israelite army marched around the city before an earthquake destroyed it (just at the appointed time) so once again, God was giving the people an opportunity to change their attitude towards him, but they chose not to believe. This was not genocide.

But why was God's punishment on these people so severe? Taking a closer look at the lifestyle of the Canaanite people, although they had a conscience like everyone else, their moral standards really were shocking, probably the worst being child sacrifice. I cannot believe that no-one in Canaan had explored the beliefs and ethics of the Israelite God yet like the people in the time of Noah, they chose to continue living the way they wanted.

In the time of Abraham, he pleaded with God not to destroy the city of Sodom if even 10 innocent people could be found, but only Lot, his wife and 2 daughters were saved. On the other hand, Jonah gave the the people on Nineveh the opportunity to turn from their wicked ways, and they did, much to his annoyance!

As I took a closer look at the 'massacres' of the Old Testament, I realised that the people whom God judged, really were given an opportunity to turn from their wickedness but many chose not to.

The other fact was and still is, that God's standards are for real, and he does and will judge evil. Even if we do not see it in our lifetime, God will be the ultimate judge. He makes this quite clear all through the Old and New Testaments.

So, was God being unfair or unreasonable when whole cities were wiped out? At long last I can say 'no'.

WISE WORDS FOR TODAY

11/18/2019

With all the recent and current activism in so many countries, and the extremists shouting their views and silencing those who disagree, I nearly burst out laughing when reading 2 Peter 1:5-7
"....you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love." How counter cultural in today's society and yet how necessary as a Christian value in respecting others and showing Christ's love.

Another saying resonated with me "Evangelism by Attraction". It reminded me of the phrase " In preaching the Gospel, sometimes we have to use words."

Did you know that "the tongue is the only blunt instrument which grows sharper with constant use?"

Charles Kettering ( 1876-1958) said "Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice."

Teresa of Avila ( 1515-1582) " Christ has no body now but yours; no hands no feet on earth but yours; yours are the eyes through which Christ looks with compassion into the world; yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good; yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world."

Wisdom truly is timeless.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

10/28/2019

SELF AWARENESS: Luke 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet none of them are forgotten in God's sight".
I think of this each day now as the sparrows come for bird seed which I put out for the doves, but of course the greedy cockatoos make sure they get their fair share.

GRATEFULNESS: John 3:8 "The wind blows where it chooses......so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit".
My desk is close to the balcony door and the cool breeze which is so refreshing is a constant reminder that God is with me, even though I cannot see him.

CONFIDENCE: LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness".
Need I say any more except that the hymn 'Great is Your Faithfulness' is one of my favourites.

PRIORITIES: Matthew 6:33 " Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well".
When we first moved to the Whitsundays, we looked at buying a block of land on this estate where we now live, but what we thought was a good block of land, was not available. Fortunately, God had a better block for us, the one where we now live and each day, I thank God for the view, sometimes even saying to God 'have you looked at the view today?' as some days are magnificent - just check my Facebook page for photos!

SERENITY: 1 Peter 5:7 " Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you".
In 1978 I believed it was the right time for us to move from Sydney to the Whitsundays, yet the lease of the building in which we were to start a Chinese restaurant, did not work out. Once again, God had other ideas, and the building became available for us to purchase the freehold, a much better financial proposition. I am certainly not into prosperity gospel, but this is just one of the examples where God has looked after our financial interests.

These are just a few examples of how I relate to God, or how he relates to me, which ever way you look at it, and it was with these convictions that I could write the last sentence on the first page of 'Bible Stories For Big Kids'....
" At the same time God was preparing his plan of reconciliation, as he still loved the people he had created".