Congrats guys! May God bless your new life together.Saturday, June 30, 2007
Congratulations Tim & Shona!
It was awesome witnessing this today.
Congrats guys! May God bless your new life together.
Congrats guys! May God bless your new life together.
Friday Friendships
Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, but I would just like to thank God for living in a city where you can pick up friendships with old friends you haven’t seen in years, make friendships with new people you have never met before, and just plain hang out with current friends! And thank God for being able to call up old friends and catch up. And laughter. That’s ALWAYS fun. Isn’t being a Christian such a blessing?
Fridays tend to make me think about the friends that I have...seeing as how its a day to enjoy friendships. Tonight a group of us went out for pizza- the funniest thing that happened- one of the girls there was trying to tell her friend that she had some green food on her teeth. Her signal was to put some green food on her own teeth. Subtle but hilarious. It reminds me of my own age old joke- which consists of putting some food on my nose at the dinner table and then waiting for someone to notice.
I need to get out more.
Fridays tend to make me think about the friends that I have...seeing as how its a day to enjoy friendships. Tonight a group of us went out for pizza- the funniest thing that happened- one of the girls there was trying to tell her friend that she had some green food on her teeth. Her signal was to put some green food on her own teeth. Subtle but hilarious. It reminds me of my own age old joke- which consists of putting some food on my nose at the dinner table and then waiting for someone to notice.
I need to get out more.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Our Only Entry to Heaven
The only righteousness in which we can appear before God is the righteousness of another- even the perfect righteousness of our Substitute and Representative, Jesus Christ the Lord. His work and not our work is our only title to heaven. This is a truth which we should be ready to die to maintain.
(Holiness, JC Ryle, p21).
(Holiness, JC Ryle, p21).
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Do you appreciate just how sinful you are?
So much of our religious teaching betrays no sign that the speaker has descended into hell, been near the everlasting burnings, or been plucked from the awful pit. He has risen with Christ—what right have we to deny it?—but it is out of a shallow grave, with no deepness of earth, with no huge millstone to roll away.
~PT Forsyth, The Church, the Gospel and Society
What sweet words- that we are risen with Christ. But do we really see how far we have risen up out of the grave? Does this come through in my preaching? My conversations? My prayers? We do we shrink from the doctrine of sin, when it makes the doctrine of our completeness in Christ even more sweeter?
~PT Forsyth, The Church, the Gospel and Society
What sweet words- that we are risen with Christ. But do we really see how far we have risen up out of the grave? Does this come through in my preaching? My conversations? My prayers? We do we shrink from the doctrine of sin, when it makes the doctrine of our completeness in Christ even more sweeter?
Thursday, June 07, 2007
A Snapshot of This Thursday
The day starts with finishing off my pastor's corner for the local newspaper. My latest article is on 'Amazing Grace'- an article arguing that 'Amazing Grace' is more than just a hymn- its a song about us! Hopefully with the upcoming movie, the article will generate some interest. And then there is the sermon series that I want to promote in the local rag on 'Eternity...everything you wanted to know but were too afraid to ask'. Also, an email about the bon fire night tomorrow night. A phone call or two. And the morning is gone.
Then there are Scripture classes. I teach year 4 in two schools. The kids are better behaved at the second class I teach than the first one. But is this because I'm better prepared for the second class, having done it once already? I have no way of knowing, other than travelling to a parallel universe to find out.
In between classes I catch up with Shannyn at one of the local cafes for a coffee. We solve all the problems of the world during this time, starting with our own.
Lunch at home. My dog is excited to see me. After lunch I send some more emails. (Our poor secretary gets a bombardment of emails from me on Thursdays...) I hope to rope in some volunteers to help move a 'woman-in-need' from my suburb to East Kurrajong. I'd call her a widow, but she wasn't married to the deceased. What do you call a woman in a de-facto relationship where the partner dies? Still trying to figure that one out. The forecast for the projected removal day is rain, so it could be unpleasant.
Finally some sermon work. Preaching on Romans 5:1-11 on Sunday morning, at 8:30am and 10am. Then I cover Ruth 1 in the evening. Ruth 1 still needs some fine tuning. (My sermon, not the actual word of God, in case you were confused!) Romans 5:1-11 is looking fine. I'm glad I did some hard work on it earlier. I look forward to preaching both. I also start writing next week's Bible study on Romans 5:12-21.
The evening- a few phone calls, more emails, a visit from Dad, and all is well in my world.
But looking forward to a day off tomorrow...a visit from my cousin, perhaps a beer with a mate, and a bonfire night at church with the local kids.
Totally reliant upon my God and in awe at this life He has given me.
Then there are Scripture classes. I teach year 4 in two schools. The kids are better behaved at the second class I teach than the first one. But is this because I'm better prepared for the second class, having done it once already? I have no way of knowing, other than travelling to a parallel universe to find out.
In between classes I catch up with Shannyn at one of the local cafes for a coffee. We solve all the problems of the world during this time, starting with our own.
Lunch at home. My dog is excited to see me. After lunch I send some more emails. (Our poor secretary gets a bombardment of emails from me on Thursdays...) I hope to rope in some volunteers to help move a 'woman-in-need' from my suburb to East Kurrajong. I'd call her a widow, but she wasn't married to the deceased. What do you call a woman in a de-facto relationship where the partner dies? Still trying to figure that one out. The forecast for the projected removal day is rain, so it could be unpleasant.
Finally some sermon work. Preaching on Romans 5:1-11 on Sunday morning, at 8:30am and 10am. Then I cover Ruth 1 in the evening. Ruth 1 still needs some fine tuning. (My sermon, not the actual word of God, in case you were confused!) Romans 5:1-11 is looking fine. I'm glad I did some hard work on it earlier. I look forward to preaching both. I also start writing next week's Bible study on Romans 5:12-21.
The evening- a few phone calls, more emails, a visit from Dad, and all is well in my world.
But looking forward to a day off tomorrow...a visit from my cousin, perhaps a beer with a mate, and a bonfire night at church with the local kids.
Totally reliant upon my God and in awe at this life He has given me.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Amazing Grace- the movie
My boss had free tickets to see a prescreening of the movie Amazing Grace. So I went along and saw it with him. (The perks!)
I have to say first and foremost I loved the movie. There were some serious and somber moments where the gruesome brutalities of the slave trade were realised. There were also some light moments, like when Wilberforce was matched up with his wife-to-be. There was romance and humour. The political scenes were well done. There was suspense as a plan was hatched to pass the Bill of Abolition. There was drama as Wilberforce delivered a stirring speech to the Parliament.
But I don’t think this movie does much to help you ‘speak’ the gospel with your friends. There is a point in the movie where Wilberforce is at the death bed of Pitt, the Prime Minister, and Pitt says ‘I’m afraid.’ Wilberforce asks ‘what are you afraid of?’ Pitt says ‘Death. I wish I had your faith.’ At this point I thought ‘now he is going to show him that he doesn’t need to be afraid of death’. But Wilberforce merely takes his hand and holds it. End of scene. What the? When I'm about to die, I don’t need someone who is going to hold my hand…I need the Saviour. I was on the edge of my seat, thinking ‘Wilby, preach it brother.’ But apparently that doesn’t make for good movie making.
The difficulty is that the movie doesn't really explore the Chrisitan motive behind the ethics. It just explores the ethics of slave trading. I see this movie as a ‘flag waving exercise’. It adorns the gospel. It shows that Christians have stood up for Christian issues and they have been unpopular about doing so. And Christians still do the same thing today. When we speak up against the plight of refuges, or about euthanasia, or killing fetuses or embryos, its because we believe in the value of human life, that all are equal- men, women, Africans, Australians, embryos, elderly…all are made in the image of God, and are to be cherished as such.
It also strikes me that one of the challenges of atheism is to come up with a good reason why slavery is wrong. I mean, if people have no created worth, (the atheist's view) then surely it is OK to view people as commodities to be used, rather than people within relationships who are to be cherished?
Movies like these put Christianity into the public sphere, which is always a good thing. (The 200th anniversary of slave trade abolition in Britain was 25 March, 2007, so the movie comes at a significant time). I'd recommend going to see it. Who knows how God might use it? Perhaps you can use the movie to speak of Newton- the wretched man that he was- guilt driven, yet found by God. And explain the story of the well known words, Amazing Grace. Perhaps you can take your post modern friend along who doesn't believe in a category such as 'wickedness' and see what he thinks.
Incidently, here's some interesting trivia on Wilberforce: he used to say Psalm 119 to himself from memory when he was most under pressure. Not bad for a psalm which is 176 verses long. Wilberforce chose that particular psalm because its about the importance of relying upon God’s word.
I have to say first and foremost I loved the movie. There were some serious and somber moments where the gruesome brutalities of the slave trade were realised. There were also some light moments, like when Wilberforce was matched up with his wife-to-be. There was romance and humour. The political scenes were well done. There was suspense as a plan was hatched to pass the Bill of Abolition. There was drama as Wilberforce delivered a stirring speech to the Parliament.
But I don’t think this movie does much to help you ‘speak’ the gospel with your friends. There is a point in the movie where Wilberforce is at the death bed of Pitt, the Prime Minister, and Pitt says ‘I’m afraid.’ Wilberforce asks ‘what are you afraid of?’ Pitt says ‘Death. I wish I had your faith.’ At this point I thought ‘now he is going to show him that he doesn’t need to be afraid of death’. But Wilberforce merely takes his hand and holds it. End of scene. What the? When I'm about to die, I don’t need someone who is going to hold my hand…I need the Saviour. I was on the edge of my seat, thinking ‘Wilby, preach it brother.’ But apparently that doesn’t make for good movie making.
The difficulty is that the movie doesn't really explore the Chrisitan motive behind the ethics. It just explores the ethics of slave trading. I see this movie as a ‘flag waving exercise’. It adorns the gospel. It shows that Christians have stood up for Christian issues and they have been unpopular about doing so. And Christians still do the same thing today. When we speak up against the plight of refuges, or about euthanasia, or killing fetuses or embryos, its because we believe in the value of human life, that all are equal- men, women, Africans, Australians, embryos, elderly…all are made in the image of God, and are to be cherished as such.
It also strikes me that one of the challenges of atheism is to come up with a good reason why slavery is wrong. I mean, if people have no created worth, (the atheist's view) then surely it is OK to view people as commodities to be used, rather than people within relationships who are to be cherished?
Movies like these put Christianity into the public sphere, which is always a good thing. (The 200th anniversary of slave trade abolition in Britain was 25 March, 2007, so the movie comes at a significant time). I'd recommend going to see it. Who knows how God might use it? Perhaps you can use the movie to speak of Newton- the wretched man that he was- guilt driven, yet found by God. And explain the story of the well known words, Amazing Grace. Perhaps you can take your post modern friend along who doesn't believe in a category such as 'wickedness' and see what he thinks.
Incidently, here's some interesting trivia on Wilberforce: he used to say Psalm 119 to himself from memory when he was most under pressure. Not bad for a psalm which is 176 verses long. Wilberforce chose that particular psalm because its about the importance of relying upon God’s word.
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