Tag: God

Oh Stop It, Cindy Jacobs


If someone says “hands up if you think ‘I have a word from the Lord‘ can sometimes make Christians look like a big turnoff” my hands would probably go right up. Well Cindy Jacobs is at it again.

Instead of coming from the flavour and angle of American-styled right wing politics, the likes of Cindy Jacobs could do a lot better by asking Christians to just live properly and do the right things. The Kingdom of God isnt just about anti-abortion anti-euthanasia, anti gay marriage and other agenda normally associated with conservative politics. I would probably be the last to suggest what it should be about instead. All I know is the brand of religion promoted by Cindy Jacobs, Danny Nalliah and many others of the same ilk isn’t necessarily all that the Cross and the Kingdom message is about.

In the old days, the likes of Cindy Jacobs get stoned (not medicinally) for getting it wrong. Even if it is just once. Or maybe she is perpetually stoned which is why she keeps spouting this kind of stuff.

Enough of this prophetic gaffe. Get on with living normal just lives.

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Fast Food Faux Faith


A few months ago I read somewhere that a wave of sophistication has been generated in relation to our eating preferences. Apparently we now prefer to eat much better and opt for gourmet styled, local produce focused, slow cooking and true to good flavours and nourishment type of eating, as opposed to quick and easy fast food choices.

That was all before the current economic gloom descended upon us courtesy of Christine Lagarde and the greasy Greek pole of public debt of course and I’m not sure if this cloud of economic uncertainty will swing things back down the simple and cheap mode of eating or dining.

Good food takes effort and time. It is good for us – more enjoyment, better nourishment and health, and easier on the environment. The benefits are thought to be worth the additional effort and time.

I think like good food, many other good things take time and effort. So this article in the Patheos Blog on “watered down evangelicalism” resonated with me and I thought I’d cite some extracts here, and have that article.

If we can muster enough concentration power to read past 120 or 160 characters (or whatever the length of texts tweets or text messages permit), hopefully we can work our way through this one, which I think is so very relevant.

Hopefully the following highlights/extracts help:

“Open hearts, open minds, open doors,” or “open, progressive and inclusive.” These type phrases are filled with considerable cultural codes which say many things about many things, but precious little about the Christian gospel.

Evangelicals have become experts in finding a thousand new ways to ask the same question, “What is the least one has to do to become a Christian.”

It is wrong to try to get as many people as possible, to acknowledge as superficially as allowable, a gospel which is theologically unsustainable.

We disguise our lack of theological reflection by our constant commitment to “relevance” or saying that we are reaching people “where they are.”

I sincerely believe the youth of our times want, deserve and will appreciate strong foundations and will come to appreciate that such sure footedness require more than a quick turn of phrase the social media real estate currently permits us.

I hope we all get to read the article and see the need for good theological educating.

 

 

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Marriage and Family – Dont LIke The Old Model? Think Again


Gay Couple with child
Image via Wikipedia

A report by a family law professor has found “…adverse impacts on Australian children of the rapid changes in family structure, including the rise in parental separation due to divorce and the breakdown of co-habiting relationships.”

See the news articles here and here.

That law professor is Patrick Parkinson from Sydney University and was a key policy advisor which shaped the Family Law Act 2006. The report was commissioned by the Australian Christian Lobby and you’d expect sneers arising from this to suggest somehow the report may therefore carry less weight but any reasonable consideration must not ignore the expertise Professor Parkinson brings to the subject.

I’ll make the obvious extension to same sex relationships. I have alluded to this in earlier entries, going back some years now, but it needs to be said again. We don’t know yet what the abandonment of traditional nucleus family of a heterosexual relationship, legally married, does to the well being of children and society as a whole. This model for a nucleus family is being abandoned principally to accommodate individuals who prefer to decide for themselves what is – or feels – right. That appears to be no different to what Eve and then Adam did in the Garden of Eden. It’s the age-old issue of rebellion against God and putting ourselves up as gods instead. Some call that sin.

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Lorikeets or Rosellas? My God made them all.


Were they lorikeets or Rosella? It was probably just after 5 last night when I was putting away the tools and lawnmower and tidying stuff into the green bin, when first one bird and then a flock of maybe 3-4, flew past, probably lower than they usually do. They looked extremely beautiful and their presence is always a comfort that the flora and fauna in the neighbourhood is in good nick.

How does one tell the difference between the two types? Both are about the same size and very colourful. They make a lot of noise – is this a differentiating trait? I must remember to look it up some time.

It was such a fantastic end to a gloriously sunny afternoon. After weeks of wet and gloom that have come to characterise this winter, yesterday was a huge invitation to be outdoor and Tress and I accepted it with open arms, and spent the entire arvo in the garden. When it was all done, I had a quick shower and after a glass of chilled white (still an SB) I was so relaxed I begin to doze off. Just at that moment, I was really grateful. Life felt good at that moment. It was like a glimpse of heaven crisply felt. Life can get really good by the simplest of pleasures. God‘s creation is fantastic.

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John Stott – The Passing of a Giant


John Stott has died. He was 90.

John Stott is one of my most revered christian leaders. His writings have influenced me more than perhaps anyone else, although I enjoyed reading the likes of JI Packer, CS Lewis and Gordon Fee just as much. The church will miss him badly. I will miss him. Just on Tuesday night I was at Koorong and got another one of his books (The Cross of Christ). His emphasis on good preaching should be heeded by so many today.

If you have never read any of his books, go and get one – any one (start with Basic Christianity).

John Stott has run a great race, fought a great fight, and will certainly have the Lord say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

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“Speak Life, Speak Healing”… Hmmm….


“…go, plunge yourself in the Godhead‘s deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead…”

That was Spurgeon, as cited by JI Packer.

Recently a speaker in church urged the congregation to shun the issue of right and wrong, but to choose life instead. I wondered about  that. There was a ribbing of the grey matter, of theology. We were asked to opt for life, not the choice between right and wrong.

I thought that was weird. For it is in knowing who God is – knowing what is right and knowing what is wrong about the teaching of God – that we can have life. It is a personal relationship with God and an aknowledgement of His lordhip and sovereignty over us, which gives us life. How can we acknowledge Him and His lordhip if we don’t know basic facts and truths about Him?

Anyway, I’m again grateful I am brought to this spot where I am again given the opportunity to learn and grow in Him.

And another thing…

I was just reading Erickson Millard again and this phrase jumped out at me:

“The idea that God is simply something to be used or to solve our problems and meet our needs is not religion. Such attempts to harness him belong rather to the realm of magic or technology”

I cant help but think of the “name it and claim it” branch of teaching. “Speak healing”, “healing is yours, claim it” and the likes… to me these phrases are a lot like harnessing God to solve our needs or problems. It is as though He is there to be used, so why not use it. It really sounds like magic or technology.

There is something to be said about experiencing God but there is a lot more to be said about knowing our God in all sense, as He should be known.

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An Appointment with Ted


I took a half day off yesterday to be at the Melbourne Convention Centre, aka Jeff’s Shed. It was the Premier’s VCE Award and kiddo had won something.

I jumped on a tram on Collins Street about a block and a half down from my office and got there about 15 minutes later.

The event was scheduled to be held in the Plenary 2 hall. I met Tress and Kiddo at the foyer and soon made our way into the hall. There was a range of presenters – there were some 280 winners – and we were half concerned which of the presenters would be doing that part with Kiddo’s win.

Other than Ted Baillieu the Premier, Alex Chernov the Governor of Victoria, the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Learning, and industry representatives –business executive (IBM), fashion designer (Peter Alexander), restaurateur (from Daylesford), opera singer (an indigenous person), Olympic athlete (a winter Olympic jumper), scientist (University of Melbourne professor) and environmental campaigner – all presented to different categories of winners.

Kiddo’s turn was just after the major winners – the overall VCE top achievers – and she had the Governor handing out her certificate. There was a long process to go through the other recipients after that but I enjoyed it. The whole thing took 2 hours and after that there was afternoon tea served and after taking a few photos, we left the place around 4pm.

I am very pleased for kiddo and extremely grateful to God for blessing her in this way. I hope the sense of hard work, drive and purpose never abates and she will always find joy and meaning in everything she does.

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Still Submitting?


The following entry was over 3 1/2 years ago, and I wonder what my friends and relatives in Malaysia feel now about not speaking out strongly against the Malaysian government today:

http://godsmustardseed.com/2007/09/05/submitting-to-authority/

The recent independent day celebrations in Malaysia have, as one may expect, stirred a number of publications into putting out pieces on challenges facing Malaysia today. I sent one of these (from The Economist) to a number of people and it generated a little heat. That has lead to the creation of a new blog for certain family members to further talk about this and other issues. It also lead to the discussion of that age-old issue of what do we do with a government we don’t agree with?

This latter issue was raised in conjunction with obedience to Romans 13. That chapter started with a call to submit to the authority of the existing government. Of course, in a modern democracy, you fight like crazy to have your preferred candidate making the laws and no matter what the outcome of your fight, you have to remain law abiding citizens. That is an obvious starting point. Our natural instinct tells us however, that it is a relative and malleable principle. It doesn’t take much to respond, at the very next breath, with a yes-but. The holocaust jumps out in a flash in a topic like this. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, modern Serbia, Rwanda and most recently, Zimbabwe are regimes which scream out against an unqualified plain reading of Roman 13.

The problem with qualifying any part of the scriptures is it invites analyses and second guessing, based on our values which are subjective by definition. When that happens it becomes a free for all and you might as well throw away the bible. On the other hand, you have references such as Acts 5:29 in which Peter clearly qualifies Romans 13. Is that the answer then? I guess it must be. You can and must only submit to the authority of a government which has not clearly violated God’s standards. Peter himself has echoed Paul’s advice – see 1 Peter 2:17. Yet Peter in Acts 5:29 clearly said obedience to God must take precedence.

 I have made numerous entries on my feelings on the deeds (or more accurately, misdeeds) of the rulers of Malaysia. I don’t know they are clear violations against God’s laws – I suspect so but have not clearly pinned it down. I have not openly rebelled against any particular law of Malaysia. I have merely spoken up against many of its policies and practices. I guess instead of staying and chancing deterioration and prospects of actually violating Romans 13, I opted instead to avoid the issue. I simply thought it wasn’t worth it. Maybe it isn’t the issue of not being law abiding citizens so much as an issue of opting out of an unsatisfactory regime

 

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More on Stott


I was just reminding myself of something I read on the views of John Stott on gifts, as reflected in his interview with the publication Christianity Today…

On Gifts:

The most important gift today, measured by Paul’s principle that we should excel in those that build up the church, is teaching. Nothing builds up the church like the truth, and we desperately need more Christian teachers all over the world. I often say to my charismatic friends, “If only you would concentrate on praying that God would give teachers to the church who could lead all these new converts into maturity in Christ, it would be more profitable.

Objectivity and clarity of thoughts and expression is always important.

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Harold’s Hogwash


Harold Camping is an 89 year old. He likes numbers. And dates. Based on numbers, he’s worked out THE date. According to Harold, the numbers in the Bible all work out to the world ending on 21 May 2011. That’s tomorrow. My mate is celebrating his 50th tomorrow. Should I tell him about Harold?  

I wonder what his website (http://www.familyradio.com)  will say if per chance, the clock ticks over 12am on 21 May 2011 and we find ourselves looking at 00:00:01 on 22 May 2011 with little more than a slightly sore head as a result of a few extra glasses of tipple on a mate’s 50th party.

Thankfully Harold isn’t taken too seriously, generally speaking. There are always people who would believe anything. Like the Norwegian Blue parrot, or the Arctic Grey. Enough people, apparently, to let him raise in excess of USD120 million. I wonder if Harold has given any of that wealth away, if he truly believed his own work. Or maybe he’ll disappear for a few years, and resurface with some explanatory recalculations locked away in case he is ever asked to account for the non-event.

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