Bible Stories For Big Kids
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LIFE IS LIKE AN ICEBERG

8/31/2020

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 Life is like an iceberg.

When we meet people, we only see what they want us to see, and much can be hidden from our 'view'. Unfortunately, many people present well and say they are 'okay' but underneath that smile, much can be going on. The statistics of mental health in whatever form, are starting to emerge with extended lock downs due to Covid 19 and while many people are coping well or seeking assistance, many others are like the iceberg - hiding much from friends and family.
 

I have had the privilege and joy of teaching my two grandchildren Bible stories via Zoom, and I used the iceberg to illustrate these stories - Old Testament stories ( of course). As young children, only so much of the story can be relevant to the age group, but I point out that as they become older, they should take a deeper look at these stories and start asking the 'why and how' questions. There is so much depth and theology to these stories and searching for answers from the bottom of the iceberg helps us understand so much more, the greatness and love of God. 

One Bible verse I taught them was 'God created people to be like himself' - rephrasing 'in his image' but explaining this was once again difficult. As my daughter is a doctor, I asked her to simplify the meaning of DNA for the children, so I could now tell them that God gave us some of his DNA so we can be part of his family, in the same way they are part of their own family. This may not pass a theological test but it seemed the easiest way for them to understand why God loves us and cares about us so much.

We may only see what people want us to see about them but of course, true friends start to ask the harder questions when they suspect things may not be as they seem.

In the same way, we need to keep asking the harder questions  about God and his character, delving into the bible stories so that our relationship with God is not superficial, but goes  much deeper, just like that iceberg. 

And just like that part of the iceberg which cannot be seen but which supports the visible part, so a deeper relationship with God helps or supports us in life's journey of ups and downs. Praise God for his faithfulness!
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ASTONISHING

7/31/2020

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I am absolutely astonished at the number of people in Australia who are refusing to be tested, or remain in quarantine for Covid 19, when  the statistics on cases and deaths are all over the news. How can people be so stupid, mindless or plain selfish when all the information is there to support the need for these preventative measures?

However, one only needs to read the exodus of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt to realise nothing has changed in thousands of years. With all the miracles which God had performed through Moses, then the escape on dry land across the Red ( or Reed) Sea, still the majority of people, including Moses' brother Aaron, chose to worship a golden calf which Aaron had made and to equate their escape to this calf, instead of God. And that was not the beginning nor the end of the people's apostasy. Only those under the age of twenty, excluding Joshua and Caleb would ever enter the promised land of Canaan.

Jesus gave us the story of the Sower, where only some of the seed sown, would mature to become a plant, teaching us that not everyone who heard Jesus' message and experienced his miracles, would remain faithful to Jesus' teaching.

Jesus calls us to be his witnesses wherever we are but does not  guarantee spectacular results. Some do see many people believe in Jesus, while others do not have that privilege, but Jesus' message is the same - we need to be faithful to him, and leave the results to him.

Like all the preventative measures the government has put in place to stop the spread of Covid 19, God has given people the opportunity to  know him and his love for everyone, but many do not wish to take advantage of his generous offer of love, forgiveness and his faithful care.

Our responsibility is to remain faithful to God, just as our Covid 19 responsibility at the moment is to social distance and respect the rules which are put in place for our benefit.

Why should I be astonished when history is just repeating itself.
 


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'IT MAKES FOR INTERESTING READING'

6/18/2020

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I wonder how God is viewing the effects of Covid 19. I would love to  know this from his perspective.

It would be like reading Psalm 105. This Psalm talks about the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and how God kept his side of the agreement as the people left then re-entered the Promised Land of Canaan but written from God's perspective. What reminded me of Covid 19 was the plagues in Egypt. We read the story from the people's point of view in Exodus, but  in this Psalm,  God tells  what he allowed to happen and why. It makes for interesting reading.

I have previously written about how God has been so faithful to me over the years, guiding my path in life​ even when I did not know this was happening, - till I realised the implications of what he was doing and all for the best! From my perspective, this all happened to encourage and grow my relationship with God, so that now I can rely on God to help me in situations which I can or cannot control.

This was the same for the Hebrews as God gave them their own land as part of the old covenant or testament - verse 45 "that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws".  This was the people's responsibility in this covenant, yet down through the ages, they forgot their part of the agreement, turned away from God and were forced out of their own land. This was the visible sign of a broken agreement, the spiritual or theological aspect being more significant.

Yet despite all this, God made a new agreement or testament in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, and now the agreement is open to all people.

So, how does God view Covid 19? I don't know, but in a round-a-bout way, it can be a reminder to us, that God is still in control; he loves us just as he loved the Hebrew people in their time of slavery in Egypt, and he wants to continue and grow our relationship with him.

It is up to us how we respond to this - be aware that God has some interesting things to say in Psalm 95.  


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SAY THAT AGAIN!

5/6/2020

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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.
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CRITICAL THINKING

4/20/2020

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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!

 




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HOME ALONE

4/6/2020

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'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, d
enied 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!

  



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MY CONUNDRUM

3/27/2020

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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'?  
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ARE YOU A VISUAL LEARNER?

2/14/2020

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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.


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REAL ESTATE ADVERTISEMENT FOR HEAVEN

1/24/2020

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                                 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)
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LIFE CAN BE MESSY

12/3/2019

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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. 







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A LIGHTBULB MOMENT

11/19/2019

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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'. 
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WISE WORDS  FOR TODAY

11/18/2019

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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.
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RANDOM THOUGHTS

10/28/2019

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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".
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A THOROUGH GRIPE

9/12/2019

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 If you are feeling particularly negative or even slightly depressed, read no further, for, although I have not written the end of this blog, it may not have a happy ending.

In a recent commentary on Nehemiah, the author referred to 'religious nominalism',  meaning, people who believe in God, but never attend church except for maybe Easter and Christmas, thus creating problems for Christian leaders. The emphasis was on the people not being committed to attending church, but I would reverse the argument and say the problem was on the church not being committed to the people.

Let me explain my position ( this is where the gripe comes in!). As  a child, I really loved Sunday School and going to church afterwards, but looking back, it really was rather boring compared to today's standards. The bishop rarely prepared a sermon - you could tell when he did for he was a good teacher - and the Sunday School lessons were dull, but God loved me there and then and has kept loving me since. Later, the youth group was really good, with great activities and Bible studies, but there was a lot of conforming to be done. Just don't behave outside the accepted guidelines. When I moved to another part of Sydney, I was quite shocked at the lifestyle of the people on my Beach Mission team - so very liberal to what I had known, but they were great Christians. I had a lot of learning to do.

When we moved to the Whitsundays 40 years ago, our region was thinly populated, so all the Christian churches worked together. I ran the Lutheran Sunday School, played the organ at the Uniting Church and later Lutheran service, then the Anglican service and helped out at the Baptist church when needed. I even gave a children's talk at the Catholic Christmas service. However, over time things changed and as more churches became Pentecostal,  they withdrew into their own groups. As ministers became younger, so they became more arrogant - no idea why - and the congregations, more conservative and withdrawn as well. Unfortunately, as for new ideas....... One denomination did a lot of very good fundraising, so I suggested this be used as outreach as the community loved those functions. How about a short prayer by the minister or a one sentence invitation to learn more about Christianity - I heard that done in the most loving and inviting way at St Paul's Cathedral London- but no! not appropriate for a function like this. And so went the way of new ideas.

I started 'Carols By Candlelight' soon after coming here, and it was later taken over and expanded by the churches, but now it is organised by Rotary and is a secular event. The church in the Whitsundays is now  invisible to the community. Last Christmas, the combined churches had an ecumenical Christmas service, but did not invite the community - so much for outreach and mission. The last church meeting I attended, ( a number of years ago) I commented that I was concerned that the government was taking over so many roles which the church had traditionally undertaken, so should we not make a renewed commitment to ministry in our community? Shock horror. Again, so much for new ideas. 

I could recount many more negative examples and not just about churches from this area, but even I am becoming melancholy dredging up things best forgotten. What I am observing in the churches in which I have been 'involved' is that they become Christian clubs where new members should conform to the attitudes of the group, and please don't dare suggest anything new. Now, for a committed Christian, God is always teaching us new ways of relating to him and to others, so why would the church not do the same? I could make some suggestions but they would not be pretty.

Churches, like all organisations/businesses, must relate to the people to whom they are trying to reach and that takes a lot of energy and can even make some people  feel quite uncomfortable. Just look at how Jesus interacted with the religious leaders of his day. But if the church is to grow, it must fulfill Jesus' commission to 'go.....' even if that world is not a  comfortable place to be.

But the most depressing thought of all, I now realise, is, if I did find the perfect church, I would be the first to contaminate it, for I am a sinner, just like all the other people who go to church.

But wouldn't it be great to be wanted for what I can contribute, and not be limited to what I am told to contribute. At least I have many happy and satisfying memories!!!!! Praise God for that!




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A SIGN OF THE TIMES

9/3/2019

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 I am appalled at what is happening in Britain at this very time, as regards Brexit. The majority of British people voted to leave the European Union but those who do not want this to happen have tried every which way to stop this happening. And with Boris Johnson's latest move, those opposed to the exit are now accusing him of being undemocratic, yet these same people are denying the majority of their democratic right to exit the EU. So what's new!

Check out Nehemiah when he visited the returning exiled Jews in Jerusalem. After three days in Jerusalem, ( he had been travelling 1450 klm over  14 weeks)  Nehemiah decided to check out the walls of the city for himself but at night, telling no-one of his plans till he had seen the devastation for himself. He told the people of God's hand in the planning of this visit, and how God wanted the people to rebuild the walls of the city. The people's response? "Let us start building"!

No sooner had they started than Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem commenced their opposition to the project, for if the building of the walls succeeded,  their positions of authority would be reduced. They did not want the walls to be built and they tried every which way to stop the project. Sound familiar? Because Nehemiah's relationship with God was so cemented in prayer, Nehemiah was able to respond to the opposition and criticism from these officials with confidence, stating,"The God of heaven is the one who will give us success..." They did succeed but it wasn't easy, working with a sword in one hand and tools in the other.

As I read the story of Nehemiah yet again, I am reminded of his total dependence on God, a result of his time spent in God's presence. His confident and common sense approach to this daunting task is so refreshing after all the political correctness of today's society and the effort to offend no-one, resulting in many words but little action. Nehemiah knew that God wanted the walls to be rebuilt and nothing was going to stop that happening.

" The joy of the Lord is your strength" and " You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (from Nehemiah chapters 8 and 9) are just two of the wonderful verses found in this book which is such a great reflection of Nehemiah's deep and trusting relationship with God. 

This was how Nehemiah succeeded in the face of fierce opposition.




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FREEDOM!!!!!!!

7/27/2019

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 The story of Martin Luther, that great initiator of the Reformation, makes for interesting and refreshing reading. Although the book I am reading by Thomas Lindsay was first published in 1900, the style of writing is easy to understand ( even for me who now has a problem understanding the Kings James version of the Bible, even after having been brought up with it) but the topic which has had the most impact on me is Luther's simple explanation of the Gospel, or the theology of Christianity. 

Martin Luther rebelled against the corruption of the then Roman Catholic Church after having read the scriptures for himself. Having discovered the good news of forgiveness through the Cross, instead of trying to find forgiveness through the rules and regulation of the Catholic teachings, he then set about writing his sermons and thoughts so the people of Germany, his home country, could understand this for themselves.

In contrast to the superiority of the priests and the Pope, Luther defines himself  " A Christian is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone, or as St Paul puts it 'Though I be free from all, yet have I made myself servant of all".

I particularly liked one of the small booklets he wrote, where he included the contrasting lives of Christ and the then Pope. "The contrasts were: Christ washing the disciples' feet and the Pope holding out his toe to be kissed; Christ bending under His cross and the Pope carried in state on men's shoulders; Christ driving out the money-changers out of the temple and the Pope and his servants turning a church into an Indulgence mart, and sitting, surrounded with piles of money and strong boxes; and so on. 'It was a good book for the laity' Luther said."

I am finding Luther's teachings so refreshing bearing in mind that his life was in constant danger. He wrote for the ordinary person and peasant so they could understand for themselves the wonderful news and the freedom of the Gospel - I am not sure I would really appreciate  his theological discourses as much!  

This all happened over 500 years ago, yet in last week's national newspaper ( The Australian) there was an article about a contemporary issue, and the article contained a  paragraph "This repugnant statement summed up what is the first and last commandment of the ideology of political correctness: 'We love and accept everyone. Except any we disagree with. We hate those people and we will destroy them". 

That was just the thinking of the Roman Catholic Church towards Martin Luther and indeed many of the Christians of his time  - destroy those with whom you disagree, instead of opening your mind and analysing what they have to say to see if maybe they might be correct. 

Much has been said lately  about the perils of political correctness in our universities and work places, and indeed a number of prominent Christians have been brought before the authorities for quoting/teaching certain 'touchy' subjects from the Bible. The religious authorities of Luther's time did not like was he was saying, but he maintained his stance against them and look what eventuated - the Reformation and freedom of Christians from the ( usually corrupt) rules and regulations of the then Church authorities.

When Josiah of Old Testament times became King, he read the writings of the Law then set about to implement them. "He did not turn aside to the right or to the left",  and this would have not been easy as the people of Judah had not bothered about God for some time. ​

When the teachings of the Bible are neglected, especially in Christian circles, it is so easy for rules and regulations to replace the freedom of the Christian and the work of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. The life of Martin Luther is such a glaring example of this. The scriptures were available to only the most educated so gradually the Christian life became corrupted with rules and regulations. Martin Luther preached  freedom through the Cross of Christ, the true Gospel message, and suddenly all those rules and regulations became redundent.

As King Josiah refused to turn aside from what the Law said for his time, so it is important for Christians to keep learning from the Bible - the freedom we have in Christ.

​Rules, as well intentioned as they may be, will never replace the freedom we have in Christ.      
​
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FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

6/14/2019

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 King Hezekiah was in a pickle. How to respond to Sennacherib, that mighty warrior from Assyria? Sennacherib had conquered many of the small fortified cities of Judah and now surrounded Jerusalem. The might of the Assyrians was well known, and now Sennacherib set about to woo King Hezekiah and the people of Judah.

"Why bother taking any notice of King Hezekiah? You know he won't be able to deliver you from the might of Assyria. Make peace with Assyria and come  and live in prosperity, in a land which is just waiting for you. You really don't know what you are missing out on by remaining here". At a time of such uncertainty, one could not be blamed for considering the options and taking the easy way out, but King Hezekiah held his nerve. And the basis for this? "So now O Lord our God, save us, I pray you, from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone"
( 2 Kings 19:19).  

From the  time of Abraham, this was God's purpose for what would become the  Hebrew nation, the people whom God had chosen. Their mission was to worship him and only him, and God's part of this agreement was to bless them so that other nations would see that the Hebrew God was the true God. 

The New Testament version of this is not so very  different in that Jesus told his disciples to 'go and make disciples of all nations'. Christianity is not a self indulgent religion, but one to be shared with the whole world and in today's world, that can be just a difficult for many people as it was for King Hezekiah.

But with Jesus command to 'go', he provided that wonderful promise " and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age". ( Matthew 28:20)


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'GO...' - GO WHERE?

5/19/2019

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 Australia has had an election with the most unexpected results, unexpected, that is, according to the polls and media experts. The re-elected Prime Minister called the result a miracle and being a Christian, he is very familiar with the true meaning of the word 'miracle'. 

 The blame game has commenced but none of the so called media experts have admitted that the silent majority did not agree with the losing political party's proposed agenda, instead blaming this group for that , and that group for this. How could these experts get it so wrong?

They live in their thought bubble and cannot relate to what other people are thinking. They are safe in their thought bubble and do not want to even consider that others may have a different point of view. Sound familiar? 

Unfortunately this scenario is not confined to politics but can be a very familiar scenario in some churches. A number of years ago, I met a younger lady who was very disappointed with her new  denominational church group here. She said that where she came from, her whole social life centered around the church activities. That may sound idealistic but is it a practical way for a Christian to live, especially when Jesus said 'Go  into all the world.......'? I know I have said it before - how comfortable are Christians going into a pub, or mixing in a totally secular, different thinking group? If we are not comfortable there, then we need to change so that we can mix with people who think differently to us, for that is just what Jesus did, and didn't it get him into strife with the religious class - 'dining with tax collectors and sinners'!

It is so easy to lose touch with the real world and be comfortable with our own surroundings, listening to our own ideas and to those with whom we agree,  but as the media 'experts' have found out this weekend, that really is not the real world. When  I read Face Book posts from some Christian organisations, if I do decide to comment, it is usually to bring the topic away from the theological argument that is taking place, ( it is so easy to get hung up on theology)  and instead, relate my comment to a life situation. A school teacher once told me that she enjoyed listening to the Bible stories I told in Religion Class, as I made it relevant to the children. To me, that is what Christianity is about - relating what God has to say, to every day life and not just in a Christian context.

As Christianity is getting a hammering in the West ( a battering in the East and other parts of the world) it is time for Christians to step outside the confines of their church, and mix and relate their Christianity to every day people they meet. For many, this is already happening, but like the so called media experts here, for many, this may be a new experience.

​Jesus said 'Go'!
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JUST IMAGINE....

3/18/2019

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 Just imagine, even with hindsight, that we  are present at that first Easter. Palm Sunday with its show of popularity for Jesus, has  now been turned on its head with Jesus' cleansing of the Temple and his  intensive teaching during the week, added to by the hatred and hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders. Maybe, just maybe the Passover Meal will bring things back to normal, but no, this is no ordinary Passover Meal. Jesus wants to wash the feet of the disciples, and talks of being a servant, when there was still hope that he would lead a rebellion and restore the Jewish nation.

The breaking of bread and the cup of wine is suddenly given a different meaning - not sure what that was at the time - and then the look that Jesus gave  Judas Iscariot before Judas just got up and walked out of the room. Nothing was as it should be, yet we know that this  was how it was meant to be.

Good Friday - what a day that was! The atmosphere in the street as Jesus was led to Calvary, indescribable, and such a mix of emotions - horror, despair, sorrow - poor Mary, Jesus' mother, and even knowing the outcome of Good Friday, it was a harrowing experience, watching Jesus die in agony on the Cross. Then after those three hours of creepy darkness, it was all over. Time to go home, then nothing, just nothing but wait and see what might happen next.

Thank goodness Sunday morning came with the need to visit the tomb. Maybe a proper burial would help the grieving process, but no, there was to be no more grief. Just imagine being outside that empty tomb wondering what had really happened, when you hear your name called - just your name in a very familiar voice. That thought still gives me goose bumps, for that is what Jesus does - he calls us by our name to be his servant disciples, just like him.

Imagine having Jesus explain the meaning of that first Easter, from the beginning, as you walked with him along the road to Emmaus. What a teacher! and how everything suddenly fell into place as he broke the bread - definitely an 'ah ha' or 'wow' moment.

​Life  could  never be the same again after meeting Jesus! 





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WHO ARE WE?

3/4/2019

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 Identity is a hot topic today and the first thing which comes to mind is the people who choose to  identify with a culture where only a very small percentage of their heritage belongs to that culture and any visual appearance relating to that culture has long gone. Their great great grandparent may have belonged to that tribe or nation, but to identify with that culture is a big stretch of the imagination, trendy as it may be.

It has long been said that being born in a Christian country does not make you a Christian, in the same way if you were born in a garage that would not make you a car. So what is a Christian's heritage and how should we make that visible? (Thank goodness the days of wearing no makeup or dowdy clothes  - for women - has long gone - oops there were no such obligation put on men!)

This morning I read from 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" and like 'Breaking News' it put the Christian heritage back in perspective. We have heard so much lately about the sins of ( in particular) the Catholic Church in relation to  child molestation, as well as Christian organisations who are supporting persecuted Christians, then throw in the progressives who want all religion ( particularly Christianity) removed from the public square and I feel that God has been diminished and filed away in a cloud along with all the other computer  folders not needed any more. 

But of course, this isn't so. God is not 'watching us from a distance' but is here with us as  Jesus clearly said 'I am with you always'. So what does this mean for a Christian, or how should we describe our heritage?

Paul's letter to the Ephesians sets out our heritage so clearly in chapter 1. 'God, who has blessed us ... chose us.. destined us for adoption... grace that he freely bestowed on us ... in him we have redemption, forgiveness of our sins, ...we have also obtained an  inheritance,......we might live for the praise of his glory.... we were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit...' This is only part of the promises listed, but for me, it puts the sovereignty of God and who we are back in perspective. 

But how do we make this heritage visible? Like the person who chooses to identify with a particular culture but has no visible identity, so is the person who says they are a Christian but is no different from those around them. I am not suggesting the wearing of dowdy clothes, religious symbols or any other outward sign to identify us, but instead we should see what the Bible has to say.

This could be a huge topic in itself, but a clear summary is found in John 13:34-35 when Jesus told his disciples "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another ...by this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another".

Jesus death on the cross has given us a wonderful heritage, but that heritage must be visible for others to see. Easter is a good time to think again as to 'Who Are We?'



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WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

2/24/2019

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On a recent Facebook Christian group post, I read a very good article refuting the statement that 'Seeing is believing'. I thought the article was very well written, theologically sound and would have made for a very good sermon. It was clearly written by a Christian for Christians and there is nothing wrong with that, but after following some of the theological comments on FB, I decided to comment from a different perspective - that of a non Christian.  

I have not seen any more of the post and unfortunately I have forgotten the name of the group.

There were a few things which 'bothered' me about the article, the main one being that the limited FB discussion centered around the theology of the article, all of which was only relevant to a Christian audience, yet the article was  written about why many people choose not to believe in Jesus because they can't see him. The subject of the article was non Christians, yet all the discussion took place around the Christian perspective. My (unanswered) question was are Christians presenting the Gospel in such a way as to be irrelevant to non Christians? - those who want to 'see to believe.' 

I have always found Christianity to be a very practical religion and very relevant to every day life, more so since I stopped going to church here on a regular basis. The Christian groups which meet here - and there is no shortage of them - are not visible in the general community  - they are not interested in mission, and that has two dangerous consequences. The groups become inward thinking and cut off from the general public, and become irrelevant to those not associated with Christianity. As a Christian I have been treated appallingly by some Christians here ( they have probably since left the area) as I possibly think differently to the majority and that can be seen as a threat, instead of being able to accept a different point of view. I am not a conformist for the sake of conforming - I prefer to think things through.

Meeting with other Christians once or more during the week is great - Paul recommended that many times - but unless a Christian mixes with 'outsiders', loves them and can relate to them, then their Christianity is of little practical use and that is NOT recommended by Paul in his writings. If we are to live the Gospel, - we don't necessarily have to preach it - we need to see things from other people's point of view, and that is not always easy nor comfortable, but that is just what Jesus did, over and over again.

So, what is your perspective?
 


 
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JUST TINSEL?

1/4/2019

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 I have just returned from a wonderful Christmas celebration with my son and daughter-in-law and one of the highlights was the Christmas morning service at their local church. I so wanted to sing all the traditional carols and that is what happened. The church was beautifully decorated and a lot of effort had been put into making this a very meaningful Christmas celebration. The sermon was short and to the point, but unfortunately it missed the point entirely! How could that happen?

When I wrote the Advent Calendar which I published in my December blog, I was once again reminded of the depth of meaning of that first Christmas, especially when reading the songs  of  Zechariah, Mary and Simeon. All these were full of theological statements concerning the promised Messiah ( Jesus)  many from the prophets of the Old Testament, and this was in stark contrast to the shallowness of Christmas celebrated in the commercial world. I cannot comprehend how any Christian can not be in awe and wonder when visiting the Christmas story of the Bible.

Consequently, I was very interested in an article by Greg Sheridan in the Weekend Australian newspaper, 22-23rd December 2018, and so I have decided to quote some of that article here.

"...in the end, without its core religious message, everything else about  Christmas is just tinsel. There is a world of difference between tinsel with a purpose and tinsel just there to distract.

"You cannot come to any meaningful encounter with Christmas without comprehending its revolutionary supernatural transcendent religious claims.  The gospel accounts of the conception and birth of Jesus are uncompromising. Mary was a virgin and Jesus is the Son of God.  The good happy sentimentality of Christmas.......nonetheless tends to obscure just how radical and revolutionary this account is."

The Gospels and the rest of the New Testament are full of the claims of divinity and eternity - "Jesus said  'I am the resurrections and the life.'"

"The sheer outrageousness of this claim is so breathtaking that there are really only three ways to respond:deny it altogether, accept it with all its mystery or ignore it."

Mr Sheridan goes on to say that many churches and the secular world would like Christianity to go - maintain the good works etc  but forget forget the Christian message of sin and forgiveness.

"Some had asked 'can we not emphasise all the social goods that came from Christianity but leave out the theology?'...Every human being has a tendency to evil and without a basis for goodness, there can be no absolute sense of rejecting evil.....You cannot inspire people on the basis that this story ( Christian/Christmas theology) is untrue and false, but yet is full of merit. If it is untrue it has no claim on anyone's loyalty.

"The truth cannot be reshaped merely to serve the tinsel."

 I was quite shocked when I read that article for those were my thoughts entirely but so much better expressed than anything I would write.

May the wonder and joy of that first Christmas be with you all through 2019.


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ADVENT CALENDAR

11/30/2018

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 1. 1350 years before Jesus was born, Jacob blessed his son Judah and promised that Kings would be born from his family. Who would the special King be?​

2.  750 years before Jesus was born, the Prophet Isaiah said ‘A young woman will have a baby and will call his name ‘Immanuel’ (Jesus means Immanuel or God with us). Who was the young woman? 

3.  400 years before Jesus was born, the Prophet Micah said ‘From Bethlehem a great ruler ( or King)  from God will come to bring peace”.

4
  God sent the Angel Gabriel to tell Mary her baby would be the great ruler and she must name him ‘Jesus’. What does the word ‘Jesus mean?

5. 
Mary and Joseph were all prepared for the arrival of their baby, but  not knowing that....

6.
 “Oh no” cried Mary, “Go to Bethlehem. Not now, when I am about to have a baby.”

7.
 The Emperor told everyone to go to their home town to be counted. As Joseph’s hometown was Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph had to leave immediately and travel 150 klm.

8.
 When Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem, Mary  was exhausted but there was no-where for them to stay. Her baby would be born very soon – what  would  they  do?

9.
 A kind inn-keeper showed them a stable where they could stay.

10.
  During that night, Mary called out  to Joseph “Wake up, the baby is going to be born”. Did Joseph immediately take Mary to hospital?

11.
 There were no hospitals so Joseph had to help deliver Mary’s baby in the stable. They wrapped the baby in baby clothes and put him to sleep in a manger. What was  the baby’s name?

12.
 Mary and Joseph were so excited about the new baby Jesus whom they knew was God’s son, but with no telephone, they could not tell anyone  that he had been born. No-one would know or so they thought.

13.
 God was making sure everyone would know that Jesus had been born! He even sent his choir to tell the shepherds – that was much more exciting than a telephone call.

14
 The night was dark and quiet...... SUDDENLY an angel, bright as day, stood near the shepherds up on the hill. “Don’t be frightened, I’ve got great news for you – Jesus  is born.”

15.
 “God has sent to earth his son, Jesus and you will find him in a stable in Bethlehem, just as the Prophets told us hundreds of years ago”.

16.
 Before the shepherds could even say ‘Happy Christmas’ God’s choir appeared in the sky and sang praises to God in heaven, and peace on the earth.

17.
  Suddenly it was dark and quiet again but the shepherds said “what are we waiting for?” so off they stumbled in the dark, down the hill to Bethlehem.

18.
 How do you find a baby in the middle of the night? What did the angel say “you will find him in a stable”, so where is  that  stable?

19.
 Mary and Joseph were exhausted after their long long walk and the birth of their baby. All they wanted to do was sleep when ‘bang bang’ – someone was banging on the stable door. Who could it be?

20.
  As Joseph opened the door of the stable, some shepherds rushed in saying “ has a baby been born here tonight?  Can we  see him?” Mary and Joseph were shocked – how could these shepherds know about baby Jesus?

21. 
That same night a new star appeared in the sky a long way away in another country. “What does that star mean?” asked the Wise Men.

22.
 “ The new star is moving across the sky – I wonder if a special King has been born? Let’s follow the star.”

23.
 On their camels, the Wise Men followed the star all the way to Bethlehem.

24.
 The Wise Men gave Jesus very special presents for when he grew up, gold for a King, frankincense for a priest ( God’s helper on the earth) and myrrh for when Jesus died on the cross.

25.
  What can I give him small as I am?      Give my heart!
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November 22nd, 2018

11/22/2018

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 GRUMPY OLD MEN

  
Recently I was with three couples, all in the senior age bracket, and each wife had the same comment to make about her husband – how nice he was to others but when it came time to interact with his wife, how difficult he became. My eye surgeon was a grumpy old man ( he retired a week after my cataract was removed) and ‘fortunately’ I had had enough experience  in dealing with his type of dialogue, not to become angry with him. Now , I am not going to go down that path, except to say that I do feel it is a situation to be explored from a medical point of view, but what it did do was make me think of how Jesus reacted to women.

Of course, Jesus did not get to the age of being classed as a grumpy old man, but we do hear of even younger men ‘dying’ of ‘man flu’ for example – in other words, when something goes wrong, life is all about them – wives never have to suffer such debilitating conditions! I realise not all men are like this, but the proverbial joke is not without some truth.

So let’s look at Jesus, in the setting of a patriarchal society. Yesterday I read an article about Malala Yousafzai, that wonderful outspoken  teenager from Pakistan, and who was shot by the Taliban at age 15. Maybe her background was more extreme than in Jesus’ time but it did give a  contemporary  example of how women are treated in a patriarchal society – her father certainly bucked the system by treating his daughter equal to a male, starting with a good education. 

Jesus never put down women; he never ignored them; he never treated them any less because they were women – just read the gospels for examples of this behaviour  as there are plenty there.
​
But what has always really amazed me, is Jesus words to his disciple John, when Jesus was slowly dying in absolute agony on the cross. ( John 19:26-27) “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother ‘Woman, here is your son’ . Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother’ “. What man, slowly being suffocated and in excruciating pain, can think of someone other than themselves?  And that is just the human side of the story – the theological one  for Jesus was even worse. Yet here is Jesus, reaching out to his mother. That really gets to me, that Jesus  is still capable of such love, even under these horrific circumstances. I sure would not expect that of anyone.

The Bible tells us quite clearly, that Jesus was both God and human, but the human part – how much of this was ‘male’? Physically we assume him to be male, but mentally/emotionally? Was  his thinking  typical of  any  men of his time? If anyone has done  or read of a study on this subject please let me know as I am sure it would be really fascinating to explore this further.
Why did Jesus think the way he did? Could he have grown into a grumpy old man?

 Or did Jesus show us what should be normal in society and give us an example that we should follow?
​
Love was his message; Jesus is God and God is Love.
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THE BIG PICTURE AND A MORAL DILEMMA

10/16/2018

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How easy it is to forget or even lose the big picture of God. I have enjoyed reading the book 'Eternity' - the story of Arthur Stace who wrote the word 'Eternity' on the footpaths of New South Wales - that much I had heard about but there was so much more to that man's life. It was such an inspirational story.

With the modern shift away from God and religion in Western society, how refreshing was it to read in 1 Kings about King Solomon's temple. Yes, I wrote about  this in 'Bible Stories For Big Kids' but to be reminded of the greatness of God and why we are here, was good to read again. This is what King Solomon prayed when he addressed the assembly of his people. 

"The Lord our God be with us......so that all peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God - there is no other." ( 1 Kings 8:57 ff) Now that is a clear, concise statement - a Big Picture.

In the previous chapter, in his prayer of dedication of the temple, King Solomon acknowledged the magnificence of this temple, but conceded " But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built." 

Arthur Stace may have previously been an alcoholic and a thief but on encountering God, like King Solomon thousands of years before him, he realised the Big Picture of God and devoted his life to ensuring that as many people as possible heard of this one true God.

An interesting Moral Dilemma came to my attention the other day. A Christian is head of an organisation which overseas millions of dollars put through gaming machines - gambling. The article presented this person's attitude to his job and he was clear to point out that in his position, he was able to ensure that procedures were put in place to encourage responsible gambling and to recognise and assist those who have a problem - the Salvation Army is part of that support process. Then I read the article by a person opposed to gambling/gaming machines ( for good reason) and in response to the question, 'As a Christian, should this person hold this position( job)? ' and the answer was a decisive 'No'. Hence the Moral Dilemma.

I don't agree with abortion and prostitution but is it a better outcome for these to be legalised? You don't have to do much research to find the horror stories of backyard and criminal operators, situations which led to the legalising of these activities, (not that legalising them has solved all the problems). Making moral decisions on behalf of others can be fraught with  difficulties and in a perfect world, these dilemmas would not occur, but we are not in a perfect world. 

Looking back over the changes in ladies' swimming costumes, for example - from a neck to knee to a bikini - is a clear example of the changes in attitudes to moral situations. There will always be many sides and opinions  to any question regarding morals and quite frankly, I had to agree with the person mentioned above, who is in charge of the gaming machines. If it is going to happen, make sure it happens responsibly. ( in this example).

Now I have started this topic, I can hear all sorts of arguments going round in my head,  but the question will always remain as to what stance I should take on a given issue. For me, that is up to God to show me how to think through a situation, and what may be a right answer for me, may not be correct for someone else.

And that is the 'Moral Dilemma'.

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    I have always loved telling Bible stories, especially those from the Old Testament. For the past 25 years I have been teaching Religious Education in the local State School.  Each time I revisit these stories, I still find there's something more for me to learn. That's what I find so refreshing about the bible. 

    Karina Shim, Author
    Bible Stories For Big Kids

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