Pigeon... really?
Have you ever eaten one? Or wanted to? And don't tell me it tastes like chicken!
Friday, August 01, 2008
On Tonight's Menu...
In the Chinese restaurant tonight I noticed that there was something unsual on the menu, and I just had to take a photo and show you.
Pigeon... really?
Have you ever eaten one? Or wanted to? And don't tell me it tastes like chicken!
Pigeon... really?
Have you ever eaten one? Or wanted to? And don't tell me it tastes like chicken!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Dark Knight. Welcome to a World Without Rules...
Seeing as how I blogged some Iron Man thoughts down, I thought I would follow suit with the new Batman movie. If you haven't seen the movie yet, we probably don't have as much in common as I thought, and you may not want to read on, since there are some spoilers. Here goes.
Back in the early 90’s, I remember reading a novel about the Joker. It consisted of a series of short stories. They read more like horror stories, and they had a sick morbidity about them. To be honest, I found the whole thing quite disturbing but very fascinating. It definitely didn’t read like a comic book character. It could have been anyone in the real world. And so began my realization that comic books don’t need to be comic books. They could be as dark as the real world.
That’s why Batman the Dark Knight is not a comic book movie. Unlike the Spider-man or Superman movies, it hasn’t been set in the make believe world of comic books. It is set in the dark world of reality. I’d go as far as to say that the movie is not dark. It’s black. The villain is a psychopathic murderer, and the hero…. well perhaps he is a psycho path too.
This is what I liked about the new Batman movie. It is set in a world where the rules about truth keep getting changed. This is a world without rules. Whilst Superman stands for truth, justice and the American way, in the world of Gotham, the lines are blurred about who is the hero and what is the truth. A repeated line in the movie reflects this: ‘You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain’. By the end of the movie, the White Knight (Harvey Dent) has become the villain. And Batman has descended into… what? The hero? The anti-hero? We are left to wonder if the people of Gotham want him. He is alone and isolated, with his loyal butler as his only ally. He is an outcast.
This black realism is paralleled by the use of lighting throughout the film. Visually, most of the movie is rather dark. In fact, the visually brightest scene in the movie is probably when Batman knocks the stuffing out of the Joker in an interrogation room. And as he was doing so, it was in full view of the police, with a chair blocking the only door inside. Ironic that such a brightly lit scene had the effect of showing the dark side of the Batman.
Batman’s costume also reflects this blackness. OK- here is a little bit of a Batman history trivia (feel free to skip to the next paragraph whilst I show off my knowledge of Batmania). Previous movies (and indeed, earlier comic books) made use of the yellow oval behind the bat symbol on Batman’s chest. But originally, Bob Kane, creator of the Batman, didn’t use this design. His Batman was far more brooding. In a reaction to this, the character Robin was invented to make Batman allow Batman to be less serious and lighten up a little. Eventually however the effect was that Batman got a little bit silly, and was far removed from the original concept that Bob Kane had in mind. The silliness portrayed in the Batman TV show in the late 60's starring Adam West is a great example of this. It wasn’t until Frank Miller wrote a comic book mini-series called The Dark Knight Returns that the character was considered by many to be returned to his original roots. More recently, the comics have chosen to eliminate this ‘yellow shield’ on the Batman’s chest emblem to reflect the true nature of the character.
End of history lesson.
For me, the film called into question the nature of who we are. What is your identity? Has Bruce Wayne lost himself in the person of the Batman? Batman seems to have taken over Bruce’s life. Then there is Two-Face. Originally he is the white knight of the story- somewhat of a literary foil to Batman. But by the end he has transformed into Two-Face, a nickname that he can’t seem to live down.
And of course, there is the psycho-maniac Joker. Ironically, the Joker seems to be the only one in the movie who knows who he is. He repeatedly says, ‘do you know how I got these scars?’ as though the scars have made him the person that he is. Not only that, he seems to understand others too. ‘You really get to know someone well the moment before they die’.
I must say I really really really enjoyed Heath Ledger’s portrayal as the Joker. He reminded me of that Joker I read as a teenager in that novel I mentioned. (I wonder if Heath had read this in preparation for the role?) I found myself enjoying his delivery and the energy he brought to the character. This Joker licked his lips between sentences as though he thought that what he was saying was soooo delicious. The way he walked was awkward, and the way he stroked his hair was chilling. His lines were delivered with expressive eyes and mouth movements, but it wasn’t overdone or gushing in tone. It was chilling. I, like many Australians, watched these scenes solemnly, but with great enjoyment and pride.
There were some disappointing things about the movie. I found the story a little convoluted and lengthy. Just when you thought it should end, the movie goes for another hour. And it’s intensity does not help it’s length. Plus I was disappointed I didn’t anything of the Batcave. This could have been used with greater effect to show Batman’s isolation.
There was a nice touch in the movie when a tribute was paid to a famous comic book cover, which I thought was nice. It’s a typical Batman scene- he is on the top of a building, alone and isolated, but contemplative. This is the Batman we know.
The world of the Batman is our world. In our world, the lines are blurred between who is the hero and who is the villain. The rules of life are whatever you make them to be. Ironically, this rule is the only rule that people seem to believe in.
However, as a Christian, I believe that there are rules. I’m totally glad that there is a God who has told us the truth about our world. He hasn’t blurred the lines about what the truth really is. He has told us the rules of life, and the truth about who we are. Our world was made according to truth, and works according to the rules God has set for it. In the end, our world is not the world of the Batman.
4 stars out of 5.
That’s why Batman the Dark Knight is not a comic book movie. Unlike the Spider-man or Superman movies, it hasn’t been set in the make believe world of comic books. It is set in the dark world of reality. I’d go as far as to say that the movie is not dark. It’s black. The villain is a psychopathic murderer, and the hero…. well perhaps he is a psycho path too.
This is what I liked about the new Batman movie. It is set in a world where the rules about truth keep getting changed. This is a world without rules. Whilst Superman stands for truth, justice and the American way, in the world of Gotham, the lines are blurred about who is the hero and what is the truth. A repeated line in the movie reflects this: ‘You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain’. By the end of the movie, the White Knight (Harvey Dent) has become the villain. And Batman has descended into… what? The hero? The anti-hero? We are left to wonder if the people of Gotham want him. He is alone and isolated, with his loyal butler as his only ally. He is an outcast.
This black realism is paralleled by the use of lighting throughout the film. Visually, most of the movie is rather dark. In fact, the visually brightest scene in the movie is probably when Batman knocks the stuffing out of the Joker in an interrogation room. And as he was doing so, it was in full view of the police, with a chair blocking the only door inside. Ironic that such a brightly lit scene had the effect of showing the dark side of the Batman.
Batman’s costume also reflects this blackness. OK- here is a little bit of a Batman history trivia (feel free to skip to the next paragraph whilst I show off my knowledge of Batmania). Previous movies (and indeed, earlier comic books) made use of the yellow oval behind the bat symbol on Batman’s chest. But originally, Bob Kane, creator of the Batman, didn’t use this design. His Batman was far more brooding. In a reaction to this, the character Robin was invented to make Batman allow Batman to be less serious and lighten up a little. Eventually however the effect was that Batman got a little bit silly, and was far removed from the original concept that Bob Kane had in mind. The silliness portrayed in the Batman TV show in the late 60's starring Adam West is a great example of this. It wasn’t until Frank Miller wrote a comic book mini-series called The Dark Knight Returns that the character was considered by many to be returned to his original roots. More recently, the comics have chosen to eliminate this ‘yellow shield’ on the Batman’s chest emblem to reflect the true nature of the character.
End of history lesson.
For me, the film called into question the nature of who we are. What is your identity? Has Bruce Wayne lost himself in the person of the Batman? Batman seems to have taken over Bruce’s life. Then there is Two-Face. Originally he is the white knight of the story- somewhat of a literary foil to Batman. But by the end he has transformed into Two-Face, a nickname that he can’t seem to live down.
And of course, there is the psycho-maniac Joker. Ironically, the Joker seems to be the only one in the movie who knows who he is. He repeatedly says, ‘do you know how I got these scars?’ as though the scars have made him the person that he is. Not only that, he seems to understand others too. ‘You really get to know someone well the moment before they die’.
I must say I really really really enjoyed Heath Ledger’s portrayal as the Joker. He reminded me of that Joker I read as a teenager in that novel I mentioned. (I wonder if Heath had read this in preparation for the role?) I found myself enjoying his delivery and the energy he brought to the character. This Joker licked his lips between sentences as though he thought that what he was saying was soooo delicious. The way he walked was awkward, and the way he stroked his hair was chilling. His lines were delivered with expressive eyes and mouth movements, but it wasn’t overdone or gushing in tone. It was chilling. I, like many Australians, watched these scenes solemnly, but with great enjoyment and pride.
There were some disappointing things about the movie. I found the story a little convoluted and lengthy. Just when you thought it should end, the movie goes for another hour. And it’s intensity does not help it’s length. Plus I was disappointed I didn’t anything of the Batcave. This could have been used with greater effect to show Batman’s isolation.
There was a nice touch in the movie when a tribute was paid to a famous comic book cover, which I thought was nice. It’s a typical Batman scene- he is on the top of a building, alone and isolated, but contemplative. This is the Batman we know.
The world of the Batman is our world. In our world, the lines are blurred between who is the hero and who is the villain. The rules of life are whatever you make them to be. Ironically, this rule is the only rule that people seem to believe in.
However, as a Christian, I believe that there are rules. I’m totally glad that there is a God who has told us the truth about our world. He hasn’t blurred the lines about what the truth really is. He has told us the rules of life, and the truth about who we are. Our world was made according to truth, and works according to the rules God has set for it. In the end, our world is not the world of the Batman.
4 stars out of 5.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Hymn Spot
I grew up with a rich Baptist heritage. Part of this heritage involved singing hymns in church each Sunday. This was my experience right up until I was 21 years old. God has used these hymns to minister to me lately. Here is one such hymn which I have been thinking about of late. I trust these words speak to your soul as they have to mine recently. Read these words and ponder over them often.
O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found,
And found in Thee alone,
The peace, the joy I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
Refrain:
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other name for me;
There's love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee.
I sighed for rest and happiness,
I yearned for them, not Thee;
But while I passed my Saviour by,
His love laid hold on me.
I tried the broken cisterns, Lord,
But ah! the waters failed!
E'en as I stooped to drink they'd fled,
And mocked me as I wailed.
The pleasures lost I sadly mourned,
But never wept for Thee,
Till grace the sightless eyes received,
Thy loveliness to see.
B. E., Arr. 19th Century
O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found,
And found in Thee alone,
The peace, the joy I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
Refrain:
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other name for me;
There's love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee.
I sighed for rest and happiness,
I yearned for them, not Thee;
But while I passed my Saviour by,
His love laid hold on me.
I tried the broken cisterns, Lord,
But ah! the waters failed!
E'en as I stooped to drink they'd fled,
And mocked me as I wailed.
The pleasures lost I sadly mourned,
But never wept for Thee,
Till grace the sightless eyes received,
Thy loveliness to see.
B. E., Arr. 19th Century
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
July Holiday Kids Club
The last 3 days has been quite busy with our Holiday Kids Club at church. The programme focused on 3 of the ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus- I am the Light of the world, I am the Good Shepherd, and I am the Life.
We focused on a theme each day- our crafts, activities, puppet shows and games all taught these themes. The day ended in small groups, which is where we shared the gospel with the kids based on what they had been learning during the day.
I quite felt proud of the leaders for all their hard work and efforts in wanting to explain the gospel to the kids that came along. Thanks so much to Alice, Anna, Bec, Holly, Jacquie, Meg, Phil, Rachel and Sarah - you guys are awesome!
Praise God- one of the parents wants to bring her 2 kids along to our Sunday Kids Club. If you are the praying type, please pray for this! These 2 kids made cards for us with messages inside saying ‘Thankyou for teaching us about Jesus is the light and the Lord is my shepherd! Thankyou very much I hope to see you next time!’ and ‘Thankyou for having us and the craft and the fun stuff’!
I'll leave you with some Quotes from the kids:
‘Why can’t we have this every day of the school holidays?’
Me: 'How does Jesus prove He is God?'
Kid: 'He has medals to show it.'
‘Can we play soccer??’
We focused on a theme each day- our crafts, activities, puppet shows and games all taught these themes. The day ended in small groups, which is where we shared the gospel with the kids based on what they had been learning during the day.
I quite felt proud of the leaders for all their hard work and efforts in wanting to explain the gospel to the kids that came along. Thanks so much to Alice, Anna, Bec, Holly, Jacquie, Meg, Phil, Rachel and Sarah - you guys are awesome!
Praise God- one of the parents wants to bring her 2 kids along to our Sunday Kids Club. If you are the praying type, please pray for this! These 2 kids made cards for us with messages inside saying ‘Thankyou for teaching us about Jesus is the light and the Lord is my shepherd! Thankyou very much I hope to see you next time!’ and ‘Thankyou for having us and the craft and the fun stuff’!
I'll leave you with some Quotes from the kids:
‘Why can’t we have this every day of the school holidays?’
Me: 'How does Jesus prove He is God?'
Kid: 'He has medals to show it.'
‘Can we play soccer??’
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Iron Man Movie
I saw Iron Man last Saturday night at the new Reading cinemas in Rouse Hill. I loved seeing it here because the screens are HUGE and it's Sydney’s newest movie cinema, and it’s practically on my doorstep!!!
I liked this movie for many reasons.
It had something for everyone. There was romance, there was technology, there was action, there was good acting. (People told me the same thing about Transformers- but I was bored in that movie. Not so with Iron Man).
It was plot driven. I felt as though the action in the movie was well paced, and it wasn’t mindless. It made the 2 hours fly by (I’m the kind of person who stops watching movies on DVD half way through if I get bored…I didn’t feel this at all with Iron Man). The storyline drove the movie- not the action. But when there was action, it was not gushing, or overly done with cheap CGI effects. (The scenes flying above the earth made you feel as though it was you!) Simply brilliant.
Comic book fans would have loved it. There were some tributes to die hard Iron Man fans. While I don’t profess to be a die hard Iron Man fan, I will admit to being a comic book geek. Iron Man fans would have been happy with the armour that Tony Stark rigged up while being captured in an Afghani cave. It was a nod to the golden age of Iron Man. (i.e. the way the original comic book artists conceived of the Iron Man costume). At one point, the ring tone of Tony Stark’s mobile phone sounded like the music to the original 1966 Iron Man cartoon. And of course, who could go past a guest appearance by co-creator Stan Lee?
I heard somewhere that since Marvel was heavily involved in the production of this movie, there is a plan to create an overlapping world of Marvel movies where the same characters can cross over into other movies. This means that the Marvel universe will be represented up on the big screen. This is another plus to comic book fans. Imagine if you saw a movie where Toby Maguire (Spider-Man) and Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man) were fighting side by side in a Civil War against Captain America? Or Iron Man and the Mr Fantastic were trying to deal with a rampaging Hulk? (OK, I’m showing off my knowledge of current Marvel storylines, but oooh, the possibilities!)
A word of advice- stay for the ending after the credits. Comic book fans especially. I won’t spoil it for you, but you’ll enjoy.
I liked this movie for many reasons.
It had something for everyone. There was romance, there was technology, there was action, there was good acting. (People told me the same thing about Transformers- but I was bored in that movie. Not so with Iron Man).
It was plot driven. I felt as though the action in the movie was well paced, and it wasn’t mindless. It made the 2 hours fly by (I’m the kind of person who stops watching movies on DVD half way through if I get bored…I didn’t feel this at all with Iron Man). The storyline drove the movie- not the action. But when there was action, it was not gushing, or overly done with cheap CGI effects. (The scenes flying above the earth made you feel as though it was you!) Simply brilliant.
Comic book fans would have loved it. There were some tributes to die hard Iron Man fans. While I don’t profess to be a die hard Iron Man fan, I will admit to being a comic book geek. Iron Man fans would have been happy with the armour that Tony Stark rigged up while being captured in an Afghani cave. It was a nod to the golden age of Iron Man. (i.e. the way the original comic book artists conceived of the Iron Man costume). At one point, the ring tone of Tony Stark’s mobile phone sounded like the music to the original 1966 Iron Man cartoon. And of course, who could go past a guest appearance by co-creator Stan Lee?
I heard somewhere that since Marvel was heavily involved in the production of this movie, there is a plan to create an overlapping world of Marvel movies where the same characters can cross over into other movies. This means that the Marvel universe will be represented up on the big screen. This is another plus to comic book fans. Imagine if you saw a movie where Toby Maguire (Spider-Man) and Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man) were fighting side by side in a Civil War against Captain America? Or Iron Man and the Mr Fantastic were trying to deal with a rampaging Hulk? (OK, I’m showing off my knowledge of current Marvel storylines, but oooh, the possibilities!)
A word of advice- stay for the ending after the credits. Comic book fans especially. I won’t spoil it for you, but you’ll enjoy.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A Blog Archive Meme.
I have been tagged in an Archive Meme by Ali.
This meme involves resurrecting old posts from the dark recesses of my blog archives for you to read again, dear reader!
Here are the topics of this meme:
family, friends, me, something I love, and anything I like.
So, at the risk of redundancy, here goes!
Family: Who has better parents than mine?
Friends: My times with Chris are always memorable.
Me: This post really was dug up from the dark dungeons of blogsville! But the content is appropriate given that the word 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins to describe the selfish gene.
Something I love: When people become Christians.
Anything I like: Drawing.
I tag Chelsea, Mandy, Kate, Tim and Matt.
This meme involves resurrecting old posts from the dark recesses of my blog archives for you to read again, dear reader!
Here are the topics of this meme:
family, friends, me, something I love, and anything I like.
So, at the risk of redundancy, here goes!
Family: Who has better parents than mine?
Friends: My times with Chris are always memorable.
Me: This post really was dug up from the dark dungeons of blogsville! But the content is appropriate given that the word 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins to describe the selfish gene.
Something I love: When people become Christians.
Anything I like: Drawing.
I tag Chelsea, Mandy, Kate, Tim and Matt.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Today White Australia says Sorry…
Today, the Australian government said sorry to the ‘stolen’ generation. I applaud Kevin Rudd for taking the initiative to make this historical apology.
I think it was the right thing to do. Yet too many people said 'I didn't do it. Why should I apologize?' I think this is a wrong argument.
Sometimes we have an ‘individualistic’ view of sin. We think that my sin is what matters, and all I am responsible for is my own actions.
But what we forget is that we live in a community. Humans are far more collective than we realize. When we elect a government that fights a war that we disagree with, we are responsible because we put them there. When one person sins, it affects people around us.
But sin also has consequences which flow over from one generation to the next. It affects people who come generations after us. When we don’t right the wrongs of previous generations, we are showing that we agree with their sin. The old saying is true: 'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge' (Ezekiel 18:2).
Our country prides itself upon its the achievements – we started off as a penal colony and look at the go we have made of the country. But we don’t take credit for the bad. And we need to.
And that’s why today I am proud to be an Australian. Because we said sorry. And it was long overdue.
I think it was the right thing to do. Yet too many people said 'I didn't do it. Why should I apologize?' I think this is a wrong argument.
Sometimes we have an ‘individualistic’ view of sin. We think that my sin is what matters, and all I am responsible for is my own actions.
But what we forget is that we live in a community. Humans are far more collective than we realize. When we elect a government that fights a war that we disagree with, we are responsible because we put them there. When one person sins, it affects people around us.
But sin also has consequences which flow over from one generation to the next. It affects people who come generations after us. When we don’t right the wrongs of previous generations, we are showing that we agree with their sin. The old saying is true: 'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge' (Ezekiel 18:2).
Our country prides itself upon its the achievements – we started off as a penal colony and look at the go we have made of the country. But we don’t take credit for the bad. And we need to.
And that’s why today I am proud to be an Australian. Because we said sorry. And it was long overdue.
Sorry.
"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.
We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.
We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.
For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.
A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.
A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.
A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.
A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.
A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.
We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.
We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.
For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.
A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.
A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.
A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.
A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.
A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Facebook Strikes Again
Funny thing happened to me. In 1999, my long time friend from Uni, JP and I, were on our way home from a road trip from Melbourne. Out of the corner of his eye, JP saw a guy in a ditch, by the side of the road, crawling out. Not far behind him was his car, in the same ditch. We pulled over, and took him to the police station. We drove him all the way home to Wollongong. He gave us a copy of a book he had written on the Darwin Armed Forces.
Well JP and Ness came over for dinner Friday night. And as we usually do, JP and I told stories of the shannegans we used to get up to at Uni. And the hitchhiker story came up. (Well, he wasn’t really a hitch hiker, just a stranded driver). JP wondered if we could find our hitchhiker on Facebook.
And the short of it is that we did!!!!!!!!! Now Robert J Rayner, author of the Darwin Armed Forces is my Facebook friend. So apparently he remembers me. I’ve written on his wall, but still no words from him.
Well JP and Ness came over for dinner Friday night. And as we usually do, JP and I told stories of the shannegans we used to get up to at Uni. And the hitchhiker story came up. (Well, he wasn’t really a hitch hiker, just a stranded driver). JP wondered if we could find our hitchhiker on Facebook.
And the short of it is that we did!!!!!!!!! Now Robert J Rayner, author of the Darwin Armed Forces is my Facebook friend. So apparently he remembers me. I’ve written on his wall, but still no words from him.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Pray for Evangelism
I'd appreciate your prayers if you are reading this.
I've been invited to speak at the local Rotary Club Christmas dinner to share a special Christmas message. It's quite exciting really- the kind of thing I really like about being in ministry- telling others about Jesus.
Pray I'd be clear, interesting and challenging. I'm speaking on Monday night, 6:30pm. Ta!
I've been invited to speak at the local Rotary Club Christmas dinner to share a special Christmas message. It's quite exciting really- the kind of thing I really like about being in ministry- telling others about Jesus.
Pray I'd be clear, interesting and challenging. I'm speaking on Monday night, 6:30pm. Ta!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A Christmas Meme
Ali tagged me for this Christmas meme. I'm tagging JT, Tim, and Matt.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Neither, I prefer presents.
2. Real tree or artificial? Real tree, Christmas tree farm down the road (I live in the sticks!) Will this be affected by signing Kyoto?
3. When do you put up your tree? Sometime this week? Get a life peeps!
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime in January…if it’s a real tree, make it last, I say. (And get a life peeps!)
5. Do you like eggnog? I’ll drink anything with cinnamon and honey in it.
6. Favourite gift received as a child? My golf game. You pull a lever and a golf ball pops up and rolls onto the tee. You pull another lever and a little man tees it off into a hole. And you pull another lever for it to sink and start all over again. I still have it.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? No.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad. He has all he needs.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My brother. He needs comic books.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Nothing springs to mind. But my sister once received a fake pearl necklace from my grandmother one year, and since she got it, we have had an ongoing game (running over 10 years now) where we have hidden it in each other’s room/ place. Once she went to sleep with the pearls in her pillow case. Another time I found them in my backpack at Uni. They are currently in the top drawer of my desk. Does she think I haven’t found them? Just you wait little sister…mwah mwah mwah!!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? How about a hearty ‘Merry Christmas’?
12. Favorite Christmas movie? When I was growing up, me and my brother would watch ‘The Year without a Santa Claus’ without fail. Right now, I’d say ‘It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie’.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um, how many days do I have left?
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I’m currently using the coffee percolator I gave to my Dad one Christmas. Does that count? Hey wait a second, that gives me an idea for question 8!
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? BBQ prawns are an essential part of any Christmas day eating.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? The soft glow of clear lights reflects the soothing, ambient atmosphere which I like to relax in.
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Let it snow let it snow let it snow…" only because it features in Die Hard 2, and I can’t get the song out of my head.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel down the road to my folks place.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? On Dasher, on Dancer, on Vixen, on Comet…on the rest of ya’s….Hmmmm…guess not. Points for trying?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. There’s only room for one angel in my household. Isn’t that right Maddie? *cough cough*
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning. Well, not anymore. I live alone, and I don’t give presents to myself. So, it’s afternoon now.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? All the altruistic nonsense you read in the newspapers which just helps selfish people feel better about themselves. Ok, maybe I’m just cynical?
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? Each year my siblings and I have a ‘Christmas meeting’ to work out the finer details of making sure that Christmas works well in our family. Plus my brother and I used to go out on Christmas Eve yelling ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’ for the neighbourhood kiddies. Ain’t we stinkers?
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Blow-up Santa’s. What’s with that?
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey? Yo! What’s up wiv dat homee tree bro?
26. What does Christmas mean to you? Jesus: God Saves.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Neither, I prefer presents.
2. Real tree or artificial? Real tree, Christmas tree farm down the road (I live in the sticks!) Will this be affected by signing Kyoto?
3. When do you put up your tree? Sometime this week? Get a life peeps!
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime in January…if it’s a real tree, make it last, I say. (And get a life peeps!)
5. Do you like eggnog? I’ll drink anything with cinnamon and honey in it.
6. Favourite gift received as a child? My golf game. You pull a lever and a golf ball pops up and rolls onto the tee. You pull another lever and a little man tees it off into a hole. And you pull another lever for it to sink and start all over again. I still have it.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? No.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad. He has all he needs.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My brother. He needs comic books.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Nothing springs to mind. But my sister once received a fake pearl necklace from my grandmother one year, and since she got it, we have had an ongoing game (running over 10 years now) where we have hidden it in each other’s room/ place. Once she went to sleep with the pearls in her pillow case. Another time I found them in my backpack at Uni. They are currently in the top drawer of my desk. Does she think I haven’t found them? Just you wait little sister…mwah mwah mwah!!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? How about a hearty ‘Merry Christmas’?
12. Favorite Christmas movie? When I was growing up, me and my brother would watch ‘The Year without a Santa Claus’ without fail. Right now, I’d say ‘It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie’.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um, how many days do I have left?
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I’m currently using the coffee percolator I gave to my Dad one Christmas. Does that count? Hey wait a second, that gives me an idea for question 8!
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? BBQ prawns are an essential part of any Christmas day eating.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? The soft glow of clear lights reflects the soothing, ambient atmosphere which I like to relax in.
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Let it snow let it snow let it snow…" only because it features in Die Hard 2, and I can’t get the song out of my head.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel down the road to my folks place.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? On Dasher, on Dancer, on Vixen, on Comet…on the rest of ya’s….Hmmmm…guess not. Points for trying?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. There’s only room for one angel in my household. Isn’t that right Maddie? *cough cough*
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning. Well, not anymore. I live alone, and I don’t give presents to myself. So, it’s afternoon now.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? All the altruistic nonsense you read in the newspapers which just helps selfish people feel better about themselves. Ok, maybe I’m just cynical?
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? Each year my siblings and I have a ‘Christmas meeting’ to work out the finer details of making sure that Christmas works well in our family. Plus my brother and I used to go out on Christmas Eve yelling ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’ for the neighbourhood kiddies. Ain’t we stinkers?
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Blow-up Santa’s. What’s with that?
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey? Yo! What’s up wiv dat homee tree bro?
26. What does Christmas mean to you? Jesus: God Saves.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
It's OK, you can swear!
I’m back. I’ve been away for a little bit, and plan to keep posting here. But in the meantime kiddies you can sit back, grab a coffee and read on, dear reader.
I’ve sustained a jogging injury which I’ve had for a few years now, and decided for my next plan of attack to visit a chiropractor. While I was lying face down on the bench, having the chiropractor poke my stiff muscles, he called in his assistant to do the massaging.
Now when someone massages me (and I’ve had a few) my preference is to at least meet them. But alas, I was not afforded this opportunity since, as I said, I was lying face down.
The girl just came in and just started massaging me as she was chatting to me. We were talking about muscle groups and the Bay run, among other things. She also studied anatomy at NatureCare, where I used to do some casual teaching so I could pay the bills whilst at Bible college. The funny thing was how at ease she seemed to be. Her talk was casual and unguarded. She was swearing like a trooper as she talked to me. She was saying ‘s&^% yeah’ to this and ‘effin’ oath’ to that. The conversation was quite jolly. Obviously she had done this many times. And then she asked me ‘so what do you do?’
I knew the conversation was about to change.
‘I work for a church’
‘Really?? What do you do there?’
(After all, maybe I mowed the grass and trimmed the hedges)
‘I am a minister’
I could hear her brain thinking back over all the expletives that she had used within the last five minutes.
‘That’s quite a change…’
‘Yeah’ (me agreeing)
‘What made you decide to do that?’
Now before I continue, can I just admit that I’ve never come up with a clever answer to this question? I mean, an knock-out answer which will make the best use of having a good gospel conversation. Once I said to a whole church (answering the same question) ‘because there is a heaven and there is a hell, and everyone is going to one place or the other’. I also once said to a hairdresser ‘so I can help people know about Jesus’. And this time? Well I paused for some moment. (Put it down to the massage I was clearly enjoying).
‘Because I want people to think through the big questions in life. About knowing God’
She politely agreed.
The conversation didn’t really go anywhere after that.
But it made me think that the world really does put us ministers into a different box than everyone else. I feel as though they don’t know what to do with us. Sometimes even I don’t know what to do with me! But it’s interesting that the world feels the need to stop swearing and behave around me! Perhaps they feel judged, or guilty. Maybe even unholy.
Whatever it is, I wished she felt as though she could be herself. I wanted her to keep swearing at me! I wanted her to be at ease. I wished the conversation could go on. I wished she could know I’m just like her- I’m a sinner in need of grace too! I wanted to stay in the same box as her, and not be put in a different box.
Stay tuned, I'm going back on Monday.
In the meantime, help me out. What would you say if someone asked you ‘what do you do?’ and you are seeking to share the gospel with them?
I’ve sustained a jogging injury which I’ve had for a few years now, and decided for my next plan of attack to visit a chiropractor. While I was lying face down on the bench, having the chiropractor poke my stiff muscles, he called in his assistant to do the massaging.
Now when someone massages me (and I’ve had a few) my preference is to at least meet them. But alas, I was not afforded this opportunity since, as I said, I was lying face down.
The girl just came in and just started massaging me as she was chatting to me. We were talking about muscle groups and the Bay run, among other things. She also studied anatomy at NatureCare, where I used to do some casual teaching so I could pay the bills whilst at Bible college. The funny thing was how at ease she seemed to be. Her talk was casual and unguarded. She was swearing like a trooper as she talked to me. She was saying ‘s&^% yeah’ to this and ‘effin’ oath’ to that. The conversation was quite jolly. Obviously she had done this many times. And then she asked me ‘so what do you do?’
I knew the conversation was about to change.
‘I work for a church’
‘Really?? What do you do there?’
(After all, maybe I mowed the grass and trimmed the hedges)
‘I am a minister’
I could hear her brain thinking back over all the expletives that she had used within the last five minutes.
‘That’s quite a change…’
‘Yeah’ (me agreeing)
‘What made you decide to do that?’
Now before I continue, can I just admit that I’ve never come up with a clever answer to this question? I mean, an knock-out answer which will make the best use of having a good gospel conversation. Once I said to a whole church (answering the same question) ‘because there is a heaven and there is a hell, and everyone is going to one place or the other’. I also once said to a hairdresser ‘so I can help people know about Jesus’. And this time? Well I paused for some moment. (Put it down to the massage I was clearly enjoying).
‘Because I want people to think through the big questions in life. About knowing God’
She politely agreed.
The conversation didn’t really go anywhere after that.
But it made me think that the world really does put us ministers into a different box than everyone else. I feel as though they don’t know what to do with us. Sometimes even I don’t know what to do with me! But it’s interesting that the world feels the need to stop swearing and behave around me! Perhaps they feel judged, or guilty. Maybe even unholy.
Whatever it is, I wished she felt as though she could be herself. I wanted her to keep swearing at me! I wanted her to be at ease. I wished the conversation could go on. I wished she could know I’m just like her- I’m a sinner in need of grace too! I wanted to stay in the same box as her, and not be put in a different box.
Stay tuned, I'm going back on Monday.
In the meantime, help me out. What would you say if someone asked you ‘what do you do?’ and you are seeking to share the gospel with them?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Oil aint oils.
Today I mowed the grass. Somehow the oil cap flew off the lawn mower. As a result oil was spewing out of the mower like a fine mist in the air. As a result oil was spraying onto me and I didn't realise it. As a result, I looked like I had just discovered some black gold. Texas tea. Yuk.
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Art of Forgiveness
I'm doing a 3 week series on the topic of forgiveness. Here's how it goes:
1. How God forgives
2. How we forgive
3. ???
I haven't come up with the title of the 3rd week. Any ideas? Please?
1. How God forgives
2. How we forgive
3. ???
I haven't come up with the title of the 3rd week. Any ideas? Please?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Is God a Greenie?
Here is an article I wrote for our local newspaper (bascially its my environment sermon rehashed, attempting to present the gospel in the light of the environment). I'd be interested to know what you think. David.Is God a Greenie?
If God were to go shopping would he use plastic or green shopping bags? If God owned a car, what would he drive? A gutsy Commodore V8 or a piddly Daihatsu Charade? Does God care about the environment? Would you find God singing with Midnight Oil ‘Your dream world is just about to end?’
There are many reasons why God should be a greenie. Look at our world. What happens when all the oil runs out (and it will)? How do we dispose of used uranium? What about the hole in the ozone layer and global warming? And the drought in our country? Does God care about these things?
The story of the Bible is that God does care about these things. Indeed, the Bible explains the environmental mess our planet is in. Consider are 3 Inconvenient Truths from the Bible about the state of our planet (apologies to Al Gore).
Inconvenient Truth #1: Planet Earth is God’s
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1)
One general rule in life is if you create something from scratch, you own it. Since God created planet earth from nothing, it’s His. The local valley, the local soccer field, the local rotary park- it’s all His. And He made this world to bring glory to Himself.
Inconvenient Truth #2: We are Caretakers of God’s Planet Earth
You see this in the creation account in Genesis 1.
God created man in his own image…God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1:27-28)
Humans are given 2 commands- fill the earth and subdue it. We have done pretty well at the first command (6.7 billion people so far and counting!) But we are also told to rule the earth under God. But ruling the earth does not mean ruining the earth. The earth is on lease to us as rental property. We are merely the caretakers. As the caretakers, we must manage it responsibly. We can’t do with the world what we like.
Inconvenient Truth #3: Planet Earth is ‘Sick’ because of Human Rebellion
However, instead of choosing to rule under God, we staged a coop and took control of God’s earth. We ignored our Creator. God, being the perfect gentleman that He is, allows us to rebel against Him. And the results are catastrophic.
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it. (Romans 8:20)
Our world is now ‘frustrated’. Because of human self-centredness, the world is in ecological disaster. Human greed cuts down forests to make money but that damages the environment. Killing whales to make a buck drives them to extinction. Now there are Hurricane Katrina’s and Cyclone Tracey’s. There are floods and fires, droughts and diseases.
So what will God do about our environment? Here are 2 reasons why God is a greenie.
1. God will Fix up Planet Earth
The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)
Creation is waiting to be freed from its decay. God is going to do something amazing in the future. He is not going to throw this world away over his shoulder like an empty can. He is going to renovate it. God will dismantle the creation and build it again. He will make a new heavens and a new earth (Revelation 21:1).
Because of this, Christians have a huge respect for this planet. We believe not only that God made it, but he is also going to restore it. We want God’s plans for this world to be our plans for this world.
Not that we will achieve utopia now- that’s for the future. But in the meantime Christians work for justice and environmental care because we want the world to head towards what it one day will properly be- a restored world.
2. God is now Fixing up People
Before God saves the planet, he is now saving people. He fixes up people by making them new creations.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
He is transforming humans, through Christ, into what we were created to be. Now we can have a new relationship to God, and a new relationship to each other. This includes a new relationship to our world. Now we can rule God’s creation the way we were made to rule it.
God sent His Son to pay for the fact that we ignore Him and run His world our own way. His Spirit transforms people’s hearts into people that want to serve Him and love others. Selfish people and God-ignorers become new creations. We can now live as the proper caretakers of the earth that God has rented out to us.
This means caring for the planet. It means using our world’s resources properly. It means preventing selfish pollution and needless wastage. It means giving up on materialism at the expense of being eco-friendly. It means recycling and being responsible. It means loving others by caring for the environment.
God cares for His planet and how it is used. He will fix up the mess one day, but in the mean time, he is fixing up people. Is God a greenie? Yes!
Author’s endnote- no forests were cut down in the process of writing this article.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Cause for Environmental Concern #3
(For the start of this sermon on the environment, see previous 2 blog entries)
2 Reasons Why You Should Care:
i) ‘Not Yet’- Planet Earth will be Renovated
Romans 8:19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
Romans 8:21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Our future is linked to the future of this planet. When we are glorified, creation will be glorified. When we are resurrected in physical bodies, planet earth will be resurrected as well. He will make a home fit for us to live in.
God will dismantle the creation and build it again. Creation is waiting eagerly to be what it should be. It’s waiting to be freed from its decay.
The future is physical.
God is going to rebuild this world into a new heavens and a new earth. We read in Isaiah 24 the horrible state that the world is in because of the sin of Israel. But by the end of Isaiah we read of God’s better homes and gardens plan.
Isaiah 65:17 17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
God is going to do something amazing in the future. He is not going to throw this world away over his shoulder like an empty can. He is going to renovate it. Recreate it. Make it new. A new heavens and a new earth!
Christians above all are people who have a huge respect for the earth because we believe not only that God made it, but he is going to remake it. God’s plans for this world should be our plans for this world. Too often you hear Christian’s say ‘why be concerned about this world- its all going to be destroyed anyway’.
But God plans to restore his creation. That gives you every reason to work for justice and to make creation what it one day will properly be.
We shouldn’t think we can achieve a greenie paradise now. It’s arrogant to think that we can achieve some kind of greenie paradise by changing our lifestyle. We won’t end the pains of the earth by science or technology. God is the one who will create a new heavens and a new earth. Not us.
Christians should be the ones who lead the way in wanting the world to be what God wants the world to be. The ‘not yet’ drives us to care for the environment.
ii) ‘Already’ – Planet Earth is reconciled to Christ.
The ‘now’ is that the world is being reconciled to Christ. Paul says this about Jesus:
Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
God has reconciled everything to His Son. From Bono to Peter Garrett, from my dog to the devil- all things are being reconciled. God has brought his entire rebellious creation back under the rule of his sovereign power.
That includes planet earth. God has claimed back this planet as his very own, through the death of His Son. It can now do its job- praise its Creator.
But more than that- God has claimed back people.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
God is in the process of making new creations- he transforming humans, through Christ. We have a new relationship to God, and a new relationship to each other.
Christians are now, what we were created to be. Now we can rule God’s creation the way we were created to rule it. We are God’s image bearers, and we can rule creation the way God intended. We will live as caretakers of the earth that God has rented out to us. And as his image bearers, we can help our world be what it was created to be- a world which praises God.
Planet earth is already reconciled to Christ. It can right now live for the praise of His glory. And we Christians can be involved in that right now!
So, let me give you some principles to live by:-
3. Some Principles to Live by-
i) Love
Someone once asked Jesus which was the greatest command.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Christians are people who love God and love others. We care for all people- whether they live in India or Ethiopia, or Australia.
The best way to love someone is to share Jesus with them. That’s our top priority. Saving people is more important that saving whales.
But in today’s world, one way to love others is to care for the environment.
We are to love those people who in Fiji might lose their islands if global warming becomes real.
We are to love our children so we aren’t dumping all the environmental problems on them but coming up with solutions for our own mistakes. Love is the key.
ii) Wisdom
Wisdom in the Bible is working out how to live in the world under God. We must listen to what God says about the world. And look at the way the world works. The Bible doesn’t tell us how deal with global warming. So we need to listen to scientists and environmental engineers. Listen to those who are studying God’s creation to see if we can come up with a solution to fix the mess of the environment.
iii) Transformation
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
This problem is a spiritual one. And Christians have got to stand against the greed and materialism of this world, by being transformed ourselves. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit.
So many of our environmental problems are due to selfish hearts. We must repent of selfish pollution. We must repent of double standards. If we insist on the protection of African rain forests then we have to be willing to do something in our own backyard.
Love, wisdom and transformation.
May God give us the strength to live this way. Amen.
2 Reasons Why You Should Care:
i) ‘Not Yet’- Planet Earth will be Renovated
Romans 8:19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
Romans 8:21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Our future is linked to the future of this planet. When we are glorified, creation will be glorified. When we are resurrected in physical bodies, planet earth will be resurrected as well. He will make a home fit for us to live in.
God will dismantle the creation and build it again. Creation is waiting eagerly to be what it should be. It’s waiting to be freed from its decay.
The future is physical.
God is going to rebuild this world into a new heavens and a new earth. We read in Isaiah 24 the horrible state that the world is in because of the sin of Israel. But by the end of Isaiah we read of God’s better homes and gardens plan.
Isaiah 65:17 17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
God is going to do something amazing in the future. He is not going to throw this world away over his shoulder like an empty can. He is going to renovate it. Recreate it. Make it new. A new heavens and a new earth!
Christians above all are people who have a huge respect for the earth because we believe not only that God made it, but he is going to remake it. God’s plans for this world should be our plans for this world. Too often you hear Christian’s say ‘why be concerned about this world- its all going to be destroyed anyway’.
But God plans to restore his creation. That gives you every reason to work for justice and to make creation what it one day will properly be.
We shouldn’t think we can achieve a greenie paradise now. It’s arrogant to think that we can achieve some kind of greenie paradise by changing our lifestyle. We won’t end the pains of the earth by science or technology. God is the one who will create a new heavens and a new earth. Not us.
Christians should be the ones who lead the way in wanting the world to be what God wants the world to be. The ‘not yet’ drives us to care for the environment.
ii) ‘Already’ – Planet Earth is reconciled to Christ.
The ‘now’ is that the world is being reconciled to Christ. Paul says this about Jesus:
Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
God has reconciled everything to His Son. From Bono to Peter Garrett, from my dog to the devil- all things are being reconciled. God has brought his entire rebellious creation back under the rule of his sovereign power.
That includes planet earth. God has claimed back this planet as his very own, through the death of His Son. It can now do its job- praise its Creator.
But more than that- God has claimed back people.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
God is in the process of making new creations- he transforming humans, through Christ. We have a new relationship to God, and a new relationship to each other.
Christians are now, what we were created to be. Now we can rule God’s creation the way we were created to rule it. We are God’s image bearers, and we can rule creation the way God intended. We will live as caretakers of the earth that God has rented out to us. And as his image bearers, we can help our world be what it was created to be- a world which praises God.
Planet earth is already reconciled to Christ. It can right now live for the praise of His glory. And we Christians can be involved in that right now!
So, let me give you some principles to live by:-
3. Some Principles to Live by-
i) Love
Someone once asked Jesus which was the greatest command.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Christians are people who love God and love others. We care for all people- whether they live in India or Ethiopia, or Australia.
The best way to love someone is to share Jesus with them. That’s our top priority. Saving people is more important that saving whales.
But in today’s world, one way to love others is to care for the environment.
We are to love those people who in Fiji might lose their islands if global warming becomes real.
We are to love our children so we aren’t dumping all the environmental problems on them but coming up with solutions for our own mistakes. Love is the key.
ii) Wisdom
Wisdom in the Bible is working out how to live in the world under God. We must listen to what God says about the world. And look at the way the world works. The Bible doesn’t tell us how deal with global warming. So we need to listen to scientists and environmental engineers. Listen to those who are studying God’s creation to see if we can come up with a solution to fix the mess of the environment.
iii) Transformation
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
This problem is a spiritual one. And Christians have got to stand against the greed and materialism of this world, by being transformed ourselves. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit.
So many of our environmental problems are due to selfish hearts. We must repent of selfish pollution. We must repent of double standards. If we insist on the protection of African rain forests then we have to be willing to do something in our own backyard.
Love, wisdom and transformation.
May God give us the strength to live this way. Amen.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Cause for Environmental Concern #2
Point ONE: 3 INCONVENIENT TRUTHS
Al Gore alarmed us last year by making a movie called ‘An Inconvenient Truth’- inconvenient because selfish humans don’t like hearing about the state of the environment because we may have to do something about it.
But I would like to tell you 3 Biblical ‘Inconvenient Truths’ about Planet Earth. They are inconvenient for the same reason- because selfish humans don’t like hearing these truths.
3 Inconvenient truths to consider:
1. Planet Earth is God’s Earth
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
There is a general rule in life- you create something you own it.
God created planet earth so it is his. All that you see- the valley, the soccer field, the rotary park- its all His. And he makes this world to bring glory to Himself, to sing His praises.
But this isn’t the full story, because secondly,
2. Planet Earth has been given to Humans To Rule (Under God)
Psalm 115:16 16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.
Earth actually belongs to both God and man.
God because he made it. Man because God has handed it to us.
The earth is God’s and ours. You see this in the creation account in Genesis 1.
Genesis 1:26-28 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Humans are given 2 commands- fill the earth and subdue it. We have no problems with the first command. The command to go forth and multiply is probably the only command of God’s we ever kept.
But we are also told to rule the earth. Subdue it. But ruling the earth does not mean ruining the earth. Because – and here’s the important part- we are to rule under God. God has given to the earth to run on His behalf. That means we are stewards. The earth is on lease to us. It’s rental property. We are not the landowners- we are the caretakers of God’s property. We have to manage it responsibly.
What do horses and atoms and cells all have in common? God has given them to us to improve life. We can train horses to plow fields. We can use atoms to create energy for good reasons. When I worked in the lab, we were taking strands of DNA out of one cell and putting into another cell to make medicines. We are supposed to use technology and science to improve life.
We are caretakers. But the reason we are caretakers is because God has given us the world to rent. The greenies are right about one thing- We have to care for the earth. We can’t do with the world what we like. But the greenies don’t have the same reason as us. We care for it because it’s God’s world and we are only the caretakers under him.
3. Planet Earth is ‘Sick’ because of Human Sin
There was a cosmic rebellion in the universe- we humans turned our back on our Creator. Instead of choosing to rule under God, we staged a coop and took control of God’s government.
We go on ignoring him. You see it in the way we simply ignore God as our Creator. We prefer to speak of ‘Mother Nature’ as the Creator. There’s even a company called ‘Natures way’. She is the maker of Earth. We worship her and her ways. What blasphemy! to be worshipping a false idol, instead of worshipping the God who made nature!
The result is that God lets us do it. He judges us for doing it.
And the results is catastrophic. Its cosmic.
Romans 8:20-22 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Because of our human self-centredness, God has chosen to frustrate His own world. (‘frustration here means vanity’- its useless!) Creation is not what it should be. The world doesn’t do its job. It doesn’t achieve the purpose that the creator set out for it. As a result, the world is in ecological disaster.
Now there are hurricane Katrina’s and cyclone Tracey’s. Now there are floods and fires. Its now hard to grow crops. There are thorns and droughts and diseases. Its hard to rule creation. We are under the judgement of God.
But everything is still good (I Tim 4:3). It’s to be received with thanksgiving because its made by a good God. But it’s in decay.
We keep thinking that the real problem with the world is physical. But the real problem is spiritual. The heart of the problem with the world is the problem of the human heart.
The reason why there is a drought in this country is because of the spiritual drought in our hearts. We have ignored our Creator. If we all die a thirsty death it will be because we don’t thirst after God. It’s God’s judgement upon us.
And the cycle is endless. We bring ecological disaster upon ourselves. Human greed cuts down forests to make money but that damages the environment. Killing whales to make a buck will drive them to extinction.
The world exists to bring glory to God. But we think the material world exists to feed our materialism. See how the Bible makes perfect sense of the world we live in?
There are 3 Inconvenient Truths about Planet Earth. It’s God’s. It’s given to us to rule under God. It’s now sick.
Next: 2 Reasons why Christians should care about the environment.
Al Gore alarmed us last year by making a movie called ‘An Inconvenient Truth’- inconvenient because selfish humans don’t like hearing about the state of the environment because we may have to do something about it.
But I would like to tell you 3 Biblical ‘Inconvenient Truths’ about Planet Earth. They are inconvenient for the same reason- because selfish humans don’t like hearing these truths.
3 Inconvenient truths to consider:
1. Planet Earth is God’s Earth
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
There is a general rule in life- you create something you own it.
God created planet earth so it is his. All that you see- the valley, the soccer field, the rotary park- its all His. And he makes this world to bring glory to Himself, to sing His praises.
But this isn’t the full story, because secondly,
2. Planet Earth has been given to Humans To Rule (Under God)
Psalm 115:16 16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.
Earth actually belongs to both God and man.
God because he made it. Man because God has handed it to us.
The earth is God’s and ours. You see this in the creation account in Genesis 1.
Genesis 1:26-28 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Humans are given 2 commands- fill the earth and subdue it. We have no problems with the first command. The command to go forth and multiply is probably the only command of God’s we ever kept.
But we are also told to rule the earth. Subdue it. But ruling the earth does not mean ruining the earth. Because – and here’s the important part- we are to rule under God. God has given to the earth to run on His behalf. That means we are stewards. The earth is on lease to us. It’s rental property. We are not the landowners- we are the caretakers of God’s property. We have to manage it responsibly.
What do horses and atoms and cells all have in common? God has given them to us to improve life. We can train horses to plow fields. We can use atoms to create energy for good reasons. When I worked in the lab, we were taking strands of DNA out of one cell and putting into another cell to make medicines. We are supposed to use technology and science to improve life.
We are caretakers. But the reason we are caretakers is because God has given us the world to rent. The greenies are right about one thing- We have to care for the earth. We can’t do with the world what we like. But the greenies don’t have the same reason as us. We care for it because it’s God’s world and we are only the caretakers under him.
3. Planet Earth is ‘Sick’ because of Human Sin
There was a cosmic rebellion in the universe- we humans turned our back on our Creator. Instead of choosing to rule under God, we staged a coop and took control of God’s government.
We go on ignoring him. You see it in the way we simply ignore God as our Creator. We prefer to speak of ‘Mother Nature’ as the Creator. There’s even a company called ‘Natures way’. She is the maker of Earth. We worship her and her ways. What blasphemy! to be worshipping a false idol, instead of worshipping the God who made nature!
The result is that God lets us do it. He judges us for doing it.
And the results is catastrophic. Its cosmic.
Romans 8:20-22 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Because of our human self-centredness, God has chosen to frustrate His own world. (‘frustration here means vanity’- its useless!) Creation is not what it should be. The world doesn’t do its job. It doesn’t achieve the purpose that the creator set out for it. As a result, the world is in ecological disaster.
Now there are hurricane Katrina’s and cyclone Tracey’s. Now there are floods and fires. Its now hard to grow crops. There are thorns and droughts and diseases. Its hard to rule creation. We are under the judgement of God.
But everything is still good (I Tim 4:3). It’s to be received with thanksgiving because its made by a good God. But it’s in decay.
We keep thinking that the real problem with the world is physical. But the real problem is spiritual. The heart of the problem with the world is the problem of the human heart.
The reason why there is a drought in this country is because of the spiritual drought in our hearts. We have ignored our Creator. If we all die a thirsty death it will be because we don’t thirst after God. It’s God’s judgement upon us.
And the cycle is endless. We bring ecological disaster upon ourselves. Human greed cuts down forests to make money but that damages the environment. Killing whales to make a buck will drive them to extinction.
The world exists to bring glory to God. But we think the material world exists to feed our materialism. See how the Bible makes perfect sense of the world we live in?
There are 3 Inconvenient Truths about Planet Earth. It’s God’s. It’s given to us to rule under God. It’s now sick.
Next: 2 Reasons why Christians should care about the environment.
Cause for Environmental Concern #1
OK, so I'm a little behind on this week's sermon. I've got the guts of it, but it still needs work. Besides prayer, I thought I would motivate myself by posting my sermon up as I finish it. Its a once-off topical on the Environment, so here's my introduction:
Is God a Greenie?
• Is God a greenie?
• Does God want me to use plastic bags?
• How long should I spend in the shower or have my air conditioning on for?
• What kind of car would Jesus drive? Would he be a Commodore V8 guy or a Daihatsu Charade kinda man? Hereby known as WWJD- What would Jesus drive?
• Should you vote Green? Or just use green bags instead of plastic ones?
• Should you vote at all since there is so much paper wastage on election days?
I don’t know if any of these questions have crossed your mind, but the Environment is a big issue in today’s world, and its not an issue that is going to go away.
Earlier this year The Sydney Morning Herald published an article on the front page with the headline: ‘World wakes to climate calamity’.
February 3, 2007: 2007-THE world has been delivered its strongest warning yet that human actions are causing global warming and that greenhouse gas emissions must be reined in by 2020 if humanity wants a chance to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Should Christians care about this? There are many reasons humanly speaking why we should be concerned about the environment. Here's 4:
1. Population Growth. At the moment the population of the world is 6.7 billion. But by the year 2015, it could be 8 billion. Can the earth handle such a large population? How many people could live in your house before its just too much to handle?
2. Use of resources. Can we feed 8 billion people? The earth only has a limited amount of resources. You think of oil and other fossil fuels you cant recycle. Once they are gone they are gone forever.
3. Waste disposal. Our nation is rich in uranium, which when it is used it is still radioactive. What do we do with all that waste?
4. Damaged atmosphere. Think about the damages done to the ozone layer, and global warming. The hole in that ozone layer is getting larger, and are we to blame? And is it linked to increases in skin cancers and global warming? Scientists think that by 2100 the average temperature of the planet will increase by 1-5 degrees. Is that why there is a drought in this country and is the future of our great grandchildren that they will all die slow thirsty deaths?
There are many reasons why we should be alarmed about the environment.
But as Christians we always want to be driven by God and his concerns.
Coming up:
3 Inconvenient Truths
2 Reasons Christians Should care
Some Principles to Live by
Is God a Greenie?
• Is God a greenie?
• Does God want me to use plastic bags?
• How long should I spend in the shower or have my air conditioning on for?
• What kind of car would Jesus drive? Would he be a Commodore V8 guy or a Daihatsu Charade kinda man? Hereby known as WWJD- What would Jesus drive?
• Should you vote Green? Or just use green bags instead of plastic ones?
• Should you vote at all since there is so much paper wastage on election days?
I don’t know if any of these questions have crossed your mind, but the Environment is a big issue in today’s world, and its not an issue that is going to go away.
Earlier this year The Sydney Morning Herald published an article on the front page with the headline: ‘World wakes to climate calamity’.
February 3, 2007: 2007-THE world has been delivered its strongest warning yet that human actions are causing global warming and that greenhouse gas emissions must be reined in by 2020 if humanity wants a chance to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Should Christians care about this? There are many reasons humanly speaking why we should be concerned about the environment. Here's 4:
1. Population Growth. At the moment the population of the world is 6.7 billion. But by the year 2015, it could be 8 billion. Can the earth handle such a large population? How many people could live in your house before its just too much to handle?
2. Use of resources. Can we feed 8 billion people? The earth only has a limited amount of resources. You think of oil and other fossil fuels you cant recycle. Once they are gone they are gone forever.
3. Waste disposal. Our nation is rich in uranium, which when it is used it is still radioactive. What do we do with all that waste?
4. Damaged atmosphere. Think about the damages done to the ozone layer, and global warming. The hole in that ozone layer is getting larger, and are we to blame? And is it linked to increases in skin cancers and global warming? Scientists think that by 2100 the average temperature of the planet will increase by 1-5 degrees. Is that why there is a drought in this country and is the future of our great grandchildren that they will all die slow thirsty deaths?
There are many reasons why we should be alarmed about the environment.
But as Christians we always want to be driven by God and his concerns.
Coming up:
3 Inconvenient Truths
2 Reasons Christians Should care
Some Principles to Live by
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Do you want to attain holiness?
Do you want to attain holiness? Do you feel this day a real hearty desire to be holy? Would you be a partaker of the divine nature? Then go to Christ. Wait for nothing. Wait for nobody. Linger not. Think not to make yourself ready. Go and say to Him, in the words of that beautiful hymn,
‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, flee to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace.’
There is not a brick nor a stone laid in the work of our sanctification till we go to Christ. Holiness is His special gift to His believing people. Holiness is the work He carries on in their hearts by the Spirit whom He puts within them.….Holiness comes from Christ. It is the result of vital union with Him. It is the fruit of being a living branch of the true Vine... Go then to Christ and say, ‘Lord, not only save me from the guilt of sin, but send the Spirit, whom Thou didst promise, and save me from its power. Make me holy. Teach me to do Thy will.’
Would you continue holy? Then abide in Christ. He says Himself, ‘Abide in Me, and I in you….He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit’ (John 15:4, 5). It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, a full supply for all a believer’s wants. He is the Physician to whom you must daily go, if you would keep well. He is the Manna which you must daily eat, and the Rock of which you must daily drink. His arm is the arm on which you must daily lean, as you come up out of the wilderness of this world...
May all who read these pages know these things by experience, and not by hearsay only! May we all feel the importance of holiness, far more than we have ever done yet! May our years be holy years with our souls, and then they will be happy ones! Whether we live, may we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, may we die unto the Lord or, if He comes for us, may we be found in peace, without spot, and blameless.
JC Ryle, Holiness, p48,49
‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, flee to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace.’
There is not a brick nor a stone laid in the work of our sanctification till we go to Christ. Holiness is His special gift to His believing people. Holiness is the work He carries on in their hearts by the Spirit whom He puts within them.….Holiness comes from Christ. It is the result of vital union with Him. It is the fruit of being a living branch of the true Vine... Go then to Christ and say, ‘Lord, not only save me from the guilt of sin, but send the Spirit, whom Thou didst promise, and save me from its power. Make me holy. Teach me to do Thy will.’
Would you continue holy? Then abide in Christ. He says Himself, ‘Abide in Me, and I in you….He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit’ (John 15:4, 5). It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, a full supply for all a believer’s wants. He is the Physician to whom you must daily go, if you would keep well. He is the Manna which you must daily eat, and the Rock of which you must daily drink. His arm is the arm on which you must daily lean, as you come up out of the wilderness of this world...
May all who read these pages know these things by experience, and not by hearsay only! May we all feel the importance of holiness, far more than we have ever done yet! May our years be holy years with our souls, and then they will be happy ones! Whether we live, may we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, may we die unto the Lord or, if He comes for us, may we be found in peace, without spot, and blameless.
JC Ryle, Holiness, p48,49
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
