Thinx 64: Meekness

Last year our church was working through the Beatitudes. I keep finding material in the Old Testament that hearkens back to Jesus' sermon. In this case, meekness. 

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
-- Psalm 37:11 NIV

This is almost word for word quoted by Jesus 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
-- Matthew 5:5 NIV

The rest of Psalm 37 reads like a commentary on the whole concept of godly meekness. Well worth reading and thinking about.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2011

Thinx 63: A Devotional

(These are the notes of the devotional given at the monthly meeting of a para-church organisation. More words than these were said, but these are the only ones that were recorded.)

When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, you'll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you're not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won't get to the bottom of it.
--- Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 (The Message)

We can never see the full picture. Mind you, there's no harm in taking the time to develop an appreciation of even a small part of it. We should try to find out what God has been doing, because

There is comfort and encouragement in being reminded of God’s provision.

We find cause for praise and thanksgiving.

We find reasons to pray and to act, and through those actions become part of what we see him doing.
We see God working, just as Jesus said.

Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began persecuting him. So he told them, "My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” For this reason the Jewish leaders were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.

So Jesus answered them, "I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."
--- John 5:16-23

And we have the privilege of working with God. Jesus did the things he saw his father doing; we do the things we see Jesus doing – not acting on our own initiative but as prompted by God through his Holy Spirit. We honour the Father by honouring the Son. We honour him through our faithfulness toward him in all aspect of our lives – including through prayer and good works.

I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
--- John 14:12-14

So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.
--- Galatians 6:9

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2008

Thinx 62: More Grace Bridges stuff

Visit Grace Bridges - Science Fiction Author

Thinx 61: Faith Awakened Review

'Faith Awakened', by Grace Bridges, describes a virtual utopia inside a post-pandemic dystopia. It's "Second Life" and "Earth 2" on steroids, where you are your own avatar, wired directly to the network (thanks to a cable punched through your forehead.) As for the dystopia, while your body whiles away the years in solar-powered cryosleep, the rest of the world perishes, thanks to a genetically-modified air-borne ebola.

There are two interwoven narratives. The first describes life in dystopia and the events leading to the pandemic. Then there is the discovery of utopia, and a hurried escape into it. Finally, there is an emergence into a world reborn: safe, clean … and massively depopulated.

The second narrative describes an idiosyncratic utopia, modelled by a computer in response to programming performed by its inhabitants before their entry into it. The virtual reality software takes care of the details -- when it works.

There is spirituality here too: both narratives refer to an Awakener, a semi-personal figure who brings them out of darkness into light, who meets them in both the real and the virtual world, and who is somehow involved in their physical and spiritual salvation. Who is he? That remains to be revealed, it seems.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2007

Thinx 60: Faith Awakened

Yes, I've read it and I'm writing a review. Stay tuned.

Thinx 59: Something I said at Communion

This piece of bread is food. It reminds us of the Passover. The food was preparation for a journey -- the Exodus. For us it is also a preparation -- for the journey of Faith.

Eating this is an act of worship, part of the worship that began at conversion and that will continue through this service and out into the week.

Every thought, word, and action which reflects the glory of God is an act of worship, even the eating of something as simple as a piece of bread.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2007

Thinx 58: Revenge

What is it about human beings: we get hurt and then say to ourselves, "Okay, you hurt me, I'm going to hurt you back." And escalation seems strangely inevitable -- there's no way of measuring our pain against some external standard, so we never give back exactly what we have received. In any case, everyone's perception of pain is not the same. So we set out to make them really hurt, often hurting ourselves -- doing some kind of violence to our souls -- in the process.

As God says to us, through Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:7, "Why not be wronged? Why not be defrauded?" We defraud God often, making promises which we do not keep. We do that which wounds God. We hurt him with out disobedience. We break the first commandment, listening to and obeying the voices of the flesh, the world and the devil. Does God turn around and give us as we have given him?

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2007

Thinx 57: Catalyst #2

Another reason why I'm part of Riverton Baptist Church's Catalyst group:

What do you do when carers don't care? What do you do when government agencies no longer work out of love and respect, but instead treat people as an inconvenience, a burden to which the barest minimum of care is to be given, so that a box can be ticked and a pay-packet collected? How do you seek, and actually get, justice for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the immigrant? What do you do when people suffer injustice, not just at the global level, but also at the national, and community levels? How can issues of unfair treatment be addressed in a way that is appropriate but also effective?

I went to the Catalyst training because I was interested in the global issues. But I also went because I wanted to find out if Catalyst's methods could also be used to make a difference at the community level. I have found that the methods work across the board.

Do you want to make a difference now, and for eternity? Consider Catalyst.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2007

Thinx 56: Catalyst

One reason why I'm part of Riverton Baptist Church's Catalyst group:

Seven years ago last Sunday, my father died. His passing was noted in a number of places, including the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald, in Column 8, and Wesley Mission's Sharkwatch.

My father was a dangerous man -- dangerous because he acted on his beliefs. He believed in Jesus (and that's often enough danger for most.) However, he also believed that the government, though in its place by the behest of God, is nevertheless a human organisation. Government, at all levels, is staffed by men and women, all subject to the foibles, fears and failings that are part and parcel of being sons and daughters of Adam.

Dad also knew, better than most it seems, that the government is neither all powerful, all present nor all knowing. In fact, quite the opposite: it needs the help and efforts of others in order to get anything done; it often can't see past the end of its own nose; and it is totally incapable of reading people's minds.

So my father set about improving things for the government of his day: he wrote letters -- sometimes 10 or more per week. He sent them to the government, and to the media, by mail, by documents exchange, and later, by email. He wrote on a wide range of subjects: from Starr-Bowkett Societies through to pointed debunkings of whatever the government's "spin of the day" may have been. He wrote tight, dense prose, fortified with legalese, squeezing into a sentence what others often take a paragraph to achieve.

And he did this consistently from the mid 1950s through to the end of the 1990s.

I am the eldest of his children. I am the son of a catalyst. My methods are not his, but his passion is in my blood.

I am also a son of God, and his love compels me to confess his gospel, and also to act upon it.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2007

Thinx 55: Gifts ... without Repentance

Gifts ... without Repentance, an amazingly insightful posting, from Paul F. Mitchell who wrote it for his "ninetyandnine" site back in May 2003.

Please pardon the jargon, but the article 'resonates' with me, especially in this excerpt:

God gave the gifts because He desired them to be used. Man created the obstacles. God never forbade sports, or dance, or music. God simply said, “Sin not.” Centuries later, man decided he had to help God out and define all the “modern” ways we sin. God said, “Be holy.” Man decided that holiness should go beyond the scriptural parameters, and began trying to define holiness by setting boundaries. God said, “I’ve come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly,” and man said, “Here’s your abundant life—you can’t do this, this, this, this, or this…and, oh yeah, you can’t do this or that, either. Now aren’t you blessed!”

Thinx 54: Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength: The Annual Anti-Easter Pageant: 2007 Edition

More brilliance from Weekend Fisher.

Thinx 53: Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength: Christianity in Tolkien: What Is Wisdom?

Every so often I stumble over a gem. This is certainly one.

Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength: Christianity in Tolkien: What Is Wisdom?

Thinx 52: If you had permission ...

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-- Gil Bailie.

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
-- Frederick Buechner

If you had permission to do what you really want to do, what would you do? Don't ask how; that will cut your desire off at the knees. How is never the right question; how is a faithless question. It means "unless I can see my way clearly I won't believe it, won't venture forth." When the angel told Zechariah that his ancient wife would bear him a son named John, Zechariah asked how and was struck dumb for it. How is God's department. He is asking you what. What is written in your heart? What makes you come alive? If you could do what you've always wanted to do, what would it be?
-- John Eldredge, "Wild At Heart", p. 200

When I read that I pulled out my notebook and wrote the following:

* Pastor a church ... preach

I really enjoy preaching. It's a scary, exciting adventure. Very carefully, you pick up the two-edged sword by the blade. Even as it cuts others, it's cutting you.

* Coach men to be men and women to be women

What is the church's role? To enforce cultural stereotypes or to challenge them?

Society at large can't make up its mind about men. Having spent the last thirty years redefining masculinity into something more safe, sensitive, manageable and, well, feminine, it now berates men for not being men.
...
Christianity, as it currently exists, had done some terrible things to men. When all is said and done, I think most men in the church believe that God put them on the earth to be a good boy. The problem with men we are told, is that they don't know how to keep their promises, be spiritual leaders, talk to their wives, or raise their children. But, if they try real hard they can reach the lofty summit of becoming ... a nice guy. That's what we hold up as models of Christian maturity, Really Nice Guys. We don't smoke, drink, or swear; that's what makes us men. Now let me ask my male readers: In all your boyhood dreams growing up, did you ever dream of becoming a Nice Guy? (Ladies, was the the Prince of your dreams dashing ... or merely nice?)
-- John Eldredge, "Wild At Heart", pp. 6-7.

It's also time to remind everyone that we are all on the front-line of a great spiritual conflict.

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.
-- Ephesians 6:13 (NET)

And when is this evil day? I used to think it was some time in the future. It's right now.

taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
-- Ephesians 5:16 (NET)

And yes, you will be wounded. The battle is spiritual ... and very real. And the enemy hates you with a violent and implacable hatred.

So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.
-- Revelation 12:17 (NET)

* Tell people what they can do.

So much time goes into telling Christians what they can't do that they never find out what they can do. Each church tradition has its rules regarding what is acceptable and what isn't. I grew up in an Anglican church; made my first conscious commitment through YFC; was discipled through the Uniting Church; was discipled and then sent out as a missionary by a Presbyterian church; married a Baptist; attended a Brethren assembly while studying with Wycliffe/SIL; worked for an Anglican-derivative church in Pakistan; attended a Southern Baptist (planted) International Church in Pakistan; and now attend a Baptist church in Western Australia.
I've been around. And yet, for all that, I still know more what not to do than what to do. I still don't have much in the way of experience of sharing my faith; I still don't know how to lobby a politician; and I still don't know where to even begin challenging our godless, evolutionized cultural milieu.

* Take kids on urban mission trips

People who want to get missionary experience usually go overseas. That's fine if you can afford it, or if you have a mob of people behind you who are willing to help you afford it. But there are also lots of possibilities for missionary experience within our own city. Western Urban Associates are into this kind of thing and can link you up with those who do authentic hands-on urban mission.

* Take apologetics students on witnessing trips, exploring and using every evangelism method known to man

I studied apologetics in Bible College. So did a friend of mine. We each passed our respective units. Trouble is, we never actually went out and "did" apologetics. It'd be great to have an apologetics teacher who says,

"Okay, for next week's class we will meet in Hay Street Mall, near the entrance to Wesley Arcade. First I will go and demonstrate how to start a conversation and direct it into a discussion about Jesus. Then we will break up into small groups and each have a go at doing the same. Then we'll go up to Corey's new shop in West Perth for a coffee and debrief."

* Tell the truth about who we are: that there is no such thing as a 'Carnal Christian' -- teach the all-sufficiency of Christ

I've been very much encouraged by Tom Wells's book "Christian: Take Heart!" It thoroughly debunks the 'Carnal Christian' teaching, and is massively encouraging in the process. It's message deserves a wider readership and a sensitive handling from the pulpit

* Help develop a programming language for the world that doesn't require the programmer to know English

Apparently Sun Microsystems went into China a while back claiming that the Chinese could all learn Java in 3 days. It didn't work. Imagine, now, going in with a programming language based on Chinese, or into Bolivia with a programming language based on Quechua, or into Zambia with a programming language based on Nyanja. The vast majority of computer programming languages are based on English, and no one seems interested in doing anything about that, because ...

It comes down to an inability to see outside the comfort zone, or to comprehend the extent to which [programming language] monoglossia pervades. We are not going after people who can already program. [And] we aren't asking people to switch, although that would be nice. [Rather,] we are after the 78% of the population who find it difficult to master a second language (or in the case of southern China, the 83% that are incapable of learning a third, when they have had to get Mandarin in addition to Cantonese, or in Java, where they have had [to] master Indonesian in addition to Javanese, Sundanese or Balinese). These are people who are cut out of advanced scientific or commercial work because their brains can't do English.
We already know this elsewhere; this is after all why we do Bible translation -- because we can't expect Achinese or Andaman Islanders to learn Aramaic and Hebrew ... [before] Christianity on the off-chance that it might appeal to them
-- Diarmuid Pigott, personal communication, December 2006.

Okay, that's my list. What's yours?

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2007

Thinx 51: Vested Interests

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, 'What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.' But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.' He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
-- John 11:47-52

So really all they cared about was their holy place and their identity as Jews. Nothing which might threaten that was permitted. 'All mine, bunny.' I'm not sure I see a connection between the reformation of Judaism and the fall of Jerusalem. Indeed, it would appear from history that it was due to the fact that Judaism was not reformed that Jerusalem fell.

And when he approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, he things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."
-- Luke 19: 41-44

The John passage gives the other side of the occasion. Jesus says, in Luke, that they do not recognise the time of their visitation. The Jews, in John, do not recognise the time of their visitation. If fact, they are threatened by it.

And am I like this? Does Jesus want to visit me and am I afraid of what is good for me? If I resist will judgement come upon me like a storm and raze everything to the ground?

[Memories of Pakistan -- Thursday, 16 January 2003 8:52:59 AM]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 50: Repentance

and [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."
-- Luke 24:46,47 (NET)

I am still reeling, not from recent charges of selfishness, which are largely true, but from reading Luke 24:47. It is also part of the Great Commission and yet how often do we hear it read? "... that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."

How often do we hear about repentance these days when we are talking about people becoming Christians? We hear more about 'asking Jesus into your heart.' But this is fatally flawed: We start with ourselves, acknowledging that something is missing and seeking something that will fill the hole. We find the Filler and that's it; after he has come it would seem that there is nothing further to be done. He's there. You're fine, the gap has been filled. You are now complete and can get on with life. Jesus has become merely a piece of spiritual polyfilla, shoring up a crack in one's psyche. After that, what is he?

But if we start from the need to repent, and with that the knowledge that repentance is not so much a once for all event but a continuing process, then Jesus' own line 'repent and believe' (Mark 1:15) puts the focus not on the hole that needs to be filled but rather the life that needs constantly to be refocussed on God, by a change of behaviour (the 'repentance' part) and a change of mind (the 'believe' part).

Luke talks frequently about repentance leading to a change in behaviour -- Zacchaeus' belief in Jesus was demonstrated by a change in attitude to his riches and by a change in attitude toward those whom he was hired to tax. He now saw the poor not as defenceless ones ripe for exploitation, but as ones valuable to God and in need of assistance. And he saw that his behaviour in the past had been unjust and that he needed to make amends. The Law stated that he had to give back double what he stole.

For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for ass, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.'
-- Exodus 22:9

Zacchaeus knew that he had been guilty of a breach of trust and so did as the Law required. Zacchaeus however gave not double but rather four times as much -- double double -- not because he was compelled to but because he wanted to. It was an expression of his repentance and belief.

[Memories of Pakistan -- 9 January 2003]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 49: Made Free

'Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."'
-- John 8:31-32

This feeds into the whole repentance/belief thing because abiding in the word is a constant purposive activity, a deliberate choice to orientate oneself around, by and through the word of Christ. Such is the mark of the true disciple. And knowing the truth experientially frees. As McDonald says in his 'Memo to the Disorganised #12':

If my private world is in order, it will be because I absorb the words of Christ into my attitudes and actions.

[Memories of Pakistan -- 13 January 2006]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 48: Even God Has His Limits

And when he approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."
--Luke 19: 41-44 (NASB)

You can only push God so far. Eventually, having pushed him away and away and away, he will finally pronounce a verdict upon you and you will find that you have received in full all that you inevitably get by pushing him away. In Jerusalem's case God declared judgement on it: "if you do not want to see, okay, from now on you can not see." Jerusalem did not recognize Jesus as the Seeker and the Saver. All they wanted was another king to rule in place of Caesar and to let them blithely and blindly continue as 'God's chosen people', never fulfilling their role as a light to the Gentiles. They wanted, not a new system, but the existing system with different rulers. They got the existing system: AD70. Jesus arrived declaring a different system but Jerusalem didn't want to see. So God made them unable to see.

We can only push God so far. Then we may find that what we thought we wanted is actually not what we want at all. But by then it may be too late to turn back. Constant rejection of God cements into one's character the habit of rejection. Eventually, the heart hardens -- impervious to all influences, internal and external.

Jesus goes on to clear out the temple. The religious rulers try to kill him. The common people hang upon his every word.

[Memories of Pakistan -- 3 Jan 2003]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 47: Deity

So much about Jesus deity in John: he has the power to lay down his life and the power and authority to take it up again. We may be able to lay down our lives for our friends but no one can take his life back up again once he has laid it down. But Jesus can.

Then he says, "I and the Father are one" (10:30) "... the Father is in me, and I am in the Father." (v38). It's as if v38 is to clarify the reality of the oneness of v30. Not just a composite oneness, not just a "Royal 'We'", but oneness of essence, each being in the other.

John 12:10 and the Jews were also considering killing Lazarus. Too many were leaving the fold. The instant legend of the resurrection of Lazarus needed to be turned into a myth, so that the Jews could say, "Yes, we heard it too, but see, he is dead. They only 'thought' he was raised. It was all a trick; smoke and mirrors stuff."

Here Jesus offers so much, and we, being more like the Pharisees than we are prepared to admit, cling tightly to what we have rather than give it up for something way better. It's just that in the giving up, we may have to give up power, prestige, position and so on, which isn't easy the older you get.

[Memories of Pakistan -- Friday, 17 January 2003 9:59:16 AM]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 46: Deity of Christ

'"The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."'
-- John 5: 22-23

These words of Jesus are as clear a declaration of his deity as any other. They belong on the short list which included such pearls as John 8:58 [Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."]

That all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father? So then all worship, honour, praise, thanksgiving, service, sacrifice, prayer etcetera goes as much to the Son as to the Father. As much as we honour the Father by our declarations of worth and the actions which reflect our belief in him and his worth; all this goes equally to the Son.

How can anyone say that the deity of Christ is a recent thing and not to be believed?

[Memories of Pakistan -- 11 January 2003]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 45: Comfort and Growth

"... we exult in hope [expectation] of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope [expectation]; and hope [expectation] does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
-- Romans 5:2b-6

As a colleague was saying last night on the way home from the office, God seems more interested in our welfare than in our comfort; that sometimes there is no comfort, or indeed anti-comfort (tribulation) and yet God is there ensuring our longterm welfare by bringing out of that absence of comfort the more useful attributes of perseverance, proven character and hope.

[Memories of Pakistan -- Tuesday, 6 May 2003]

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 44: The Coalface

Where is the coal-face? When I'm praying, interceding for others, that's the coal-face. Whatever battles are fought in the world, they are fought first in prayer. Wherever I am praying, that is the coal-face.

I could be back serving as a missionary in PNG or Pakistan and yet be far from the place there God wants me to be; though it may appear to be for service, sometimes a change of location may be for the purpose of escape.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 43: On Dying For One's Faith

"Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
...
"Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come. You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire to the work of your hands. --Job 14:1, 13-15 (WEB)

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. --Phi 1:21 (WEB)

Dying for one's faith is easier than living for it.

In dying, someone comes and takes away your life -- makes your body incapable of holding life.

In living, no one comes to take away your death -- your body remains able to hold life, much as you may, from time to time, wish otherwise.

In death, you have your one moment to glorify God, before being released into his presence.

In life, you have the opportunity to glorify God day after day. He is still present but there is no release.

In death, you can set your burden down, your work on earth is done.

In life, your burden remains and your work continues.

Living for one's faith is harder than dying for it.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 42: For the Children of Wrath

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
--Rom 11:29

If the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable, 'without repentance' as other translations put it, does this mean that the call to mission and service that God placed on my life in the mid 80s still applies?

One might think not. I have spent about 8 of my 45 years as a cross-cultural missionary. Some might say that I have done my dash, that now is the time to rejoin the rat-race.

Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you shall have peace.
--Jer 29:7 (WEB)

Vast numbers of Australians are surging over the cliff into the abyss. Can I stand by, or go along with the flow, and do nothing about the lives about to be destroyed before my eyes? At the edge of the precipice, I will fly. But others will plummet.

Can I, can we Christians, avoid being damaged by a society in decline? Australia continues to erase the name and the memory of God out of all traditions and institutions. History repeats itself, for other cultures have done this too, and have suffered accordingly.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves.
--Rom 1:18 (NLT)

If the stealing of children on their way to and from school increases, how long before it's one of our kids? If road-rage increases, how long before someone we know and love is damaged by another's anger? If corporate corruption continues, how long before we suffer the loss of savings and investments?

Are we somehow immune from societal collapse? No! We are not. If we do not actively seek the peace of the city and the soclety in which we live, we will suffer, and so will our children.

If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can't [contain].
--Jer 20:9 (WEB)

If I believe then I must speak, and I must act. I cannot simply care for the church and leave the outside world to take care of itself. We need pastors, preachers, and Sunday School teachers. But we also need evangelists, chaplains and SRE teachers. We're well set up for those who frequent our houses of worship. But what of those who never darken the door of a church; whose parents and grandparents are un-churched? Is there nothing to be done for the children of wrath?

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 41: Chocolate and Easter

Sometimes we're so far in, we can't see. Sometimes those on the edge have better vision.

The punch line is quite late in the "Sports Journo Day" article, some distance past the discussion about a spurious ancestor of mine.



And yes, Laurie Axtens is related to me; he's one of my younger brothers.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 40: Where are the witches when you need them?

'Granny Aching would have done something about monsters in our river,' said Tiffany ... And she'd have done something about what happened to old Mrs Snapperly, she added to herself. She'd have spoken up, and people would have listened . . . They always listened when Granny spoke up. Speak up for those who don't have voices, she always said.

'Good,' said Miss Tick. 'So she should. Witches deal with things.
--Terry Pratchett, "The Wee Free Men", p. 43.

Is it only for witches to speak up for those who don't have voices? Is it only for witches to deal with things? If so, where are the witches who are speaking up for the foetuses of the world? Where are the witches who are dealing with the daily annihilation of the weak and helpless?

There are rights for everyone, even for the down-treading minority, but there are no rights for the unborn. They are alone, silently bearing, in their own tiny bodies, the cost of their parents' irresponsibility. They twist, they turn, they writhe in their agony, but no one hears, and presumably, no one cares, not even the witches.

It is a terrible thing to drown at sea, but okay to die from saline injection. It is a fearsome thing to be approached by a grim-faced soldier bearing a sword. Why is it different when the soldier is a surgeon and the sword a curette? People are appalled and think it an affront to humanity, a war-crime, when Kurds are murdered in their thousands by chemical weapons. But no one bats an eyelid when millions die from RU486.

Where are the witches when you need them? And if they are silent, who will speak up for those who don't have voices?

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 39: At my funeral

At my funeral I want a few songs played. Admittedly, I won't be around to see that it happens. I may well die anonymously, remembered only by God. Nevertheless, these are the songs I would like people to hear:

'2 Corinthians 5:17', from "G.T. and the Halo Express #5 -- Made to be a V.I.P.", © 1990 King Communications.

'Passing Through', from "Jesus Rocks the World" by Colin Buchanan, © 2004 Wanaaring Road Music Pty Ltd

'Jesus draw me ever nearer (may this journey)', from "New Irish Hymns" by Margaret Becker, Maire Brennan and Joanne Hogg, © 2001 Kingsway Music.

If the original can't be found for the '2 Corinthians 5:17', at least have a really good pianist play the bridge, and let the supporting band forget that they're at a funeral; in other words, belt it out!

So am I expecting to die in the near future? No. From time to time, when the black dog's around, I get to asking God to kill me. But generally, life is good. Okay, there are some issues which remain unresolved, and these are like large stones in the stream bed. Thus life is a complicated swirl of current and counter-current, abrasion and turbidity, air-pocket and whirlpool.

So far God has ignored my occasional pleas for death. I expect he will continue to ignore them until his purpose for me has been fulfilled. By then I will likely have given up asking and will more likely beg not to have to die. Given what awaits me in eternity, I expect God will ignore that plea also.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 38: Rightly handling the word of truth?

we refuse to ... tamper with God's word
-- 2 Corinthians 4:2b RSV

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully;
-- 2 Corinthians 4:2b WEB

Everytime we attempt to harmonise Science with the Bible, it is always the Bible that ends up getting tampered with and adulterated, not that of the naturalist / materialist / humanist. It's the Word of God that gets the scissors and glue treatment, not the textbooks on anthropology, geology, biology and astronomy. Stop talking about harmonising Science with the Bible when you actually mean the opposite: harmonising the Bible with Science!

As the years roll on, Science 'discovers' what God has been telling us since the beginning. For instance the Bible tells us that every colour of skin is descended from Eve. And now the Human Genome Project agrees. Is this a once in a million? You wish!

What is Science anyway, and what does it mean to be 'scientific'?

Thinx 37: Something to say when leading communion

In the first communion, Jesus took food and drink and gave them spiritual significance. These are not 'elements', this bread and this wine / juice. They are food.

Why do we eat and drink? To stay alive. We eat and we drink and our bodies digest the solids and the fluids and use the proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to, as they say, 'keep body and soul together.'

In the communion we are reminded that Jesus is for us true food and true drink. We are encouraged to remember that when we eat and drink physical foodstuffs, we also need to eat and drink of Jesus; taking into our hearts and minds those things that will keep our spiritual life strong and lead us into greater spiritual maturity.

If we fail to do that, we become weak. It is said that '7 days without prayer makes one weak.' I'd add '... and meditation', for prayer is out-going -- we talk to God, asking for things (for the meaning of the word 'pray' is 'ask'). Meditation is in-coming -- we listen to God, reading, and if reading aloud, hearing his words, mulling over them and seeking to understand their every nuance. This is listening to God through his word. This is the eating and drinking of the real food and real drink.

If you have no desire for intimacy with God through Jesus Christ, or having the desire, do not wish to act upon it now, let the food pass you by. But be warned: every refusal cements into your character the habit of refusal. However, life here on earth is short and full of trouble. Who knows when you will pass this way again? Perhaps you will not be given another opportunity to choose. Where you spend eternity rests on the choices made here and now.

the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.

-- 1 Corinthians 11:23b-27

Thinx 36: Weeds and Wheat -- an appeal to the Weeds

Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' ..."
-- Matthew 13:24-28a RSV

Sadly, many of you are weeds ("tares" in older translations.) The devil has planted you here. Your purpose is to impact Christians individually and corporately so as to render them ineffective, by whatever means are at your disposal.

Fear not, weeds, for we do not know who you are. And you are safe, for now, because God has told us not to try to pull you out. God has said he will send his angels out to do that on the Day of Judgement.

" ... the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels."
-- Matthew 13:39

But we will know you by your fruit, by what you produce during the course of your life. Good consistently comes out of good hearts, and evil out of evil hearts.

Gossips give themselves away. So do those who do the things God hates:

There are six things which the LORD hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers.
-- Proverbs 6:16-19 RSV

Weeds, you have nothing to fear from us. We will not hunt you down to destroy you. We will not try to pull you out of the congregations you inhabit, for to do so would endanger the wheat.

The servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather [the weeds]?' But he said, 'No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest ...'
-- Matthew 13:28b-30a RSV

Do not fear us, weeds. Instead, fear God. When Jesus returns he will cause the weeds to be gathered and the wheat to be harvested. The wheat he will keep. The weeds he will burn.

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
-- Matthew 13:40-43a RSV

Weeds, it is not too late for you. Miracles happen: you can become wheat, and thus avoid destruction. Repent, that is, change your way of thinking. Acknowledge before God the reality of your situation. Stop taking your guidance from the devil, the world and the flesh. Start listening to, and obeying, God. Align yourself with his purposes. Believe in him. Seek his kingdom and his righteousness. There is still time.

Jesus came ... saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
-- Mark 1:14b-15 RSV

Every time you knock back the hand that offers you life, you cement into your character the habit of rejection. Before it is too late, before rejection of God becomes a way of life leading to death, repent and believe!

As for you who are wheat, pray for the weeds. Confirm your status as wheat through daily repentance and belief: Daily realign yourself with God; Daily act in obedience to his word; Daily conform your thoughts, words and actions to those of God through prayer, meditating on his word, and obeying his commands.

© Bruce M. Axtens, 2006.

Thinx 35: Van Nguyen

So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
-- 2 Corinthians 5:20 RSV

Van Nguyen's plight is our plight. His brother wilfully pushed God away, so God let him go. The splash and ripples following his plunge affected everyone around him.

We also have relatives, friends and neighbours who wilfully push God aside. Can we avoid being impacted by their plunge into darkness when God lets them go?

We must pray, and we must speak, and we must act. All or nothing. Discuss the issues with God in prayer and get yourself realigned to his plans and purposes. Take the issues up with the world around you through your words, spoken and written. Act out the reality -- be a living example of the plans and purposes of God.

Can we stop the rot? Is that the most important question? Is faithfulness to God, no matter what the cost, important? Can we love a world that pushes God away? God loved us. Can we love others? Or are we so complacent, so apathetic, that we're happy to let the world go to hell, and to live as if we will be unaffected by its plunge?

Thanks to Shaphan Cox, who, a week or so before the execution, stood up in church and challenged us to think: to examine the issues, and dig beyond the the facile sensationalism and sentimentality of the media reports.

Thinx 34: Prayer

[Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name. ...'"
--Luke 11:1-2a RSV (altd.)

Didn't the Pharisees and the Sadducees know how to pray? Or was Jesus' kind of prayer too much a statement of dependency for the Jewish leaders to handle? If the Pharisee / Tax Collector (Luke 18:10-14) story shows the depth or prayer among the religious elite, then likely Jesus's disciples would have been pleasantly surprised by what they had seen and were about to hear.

'Father' -- at once a declaration of dependence; of family ties between God and man; of the immanence of God immediately kept from Sugar Daddy sentimentality by 'in heaven, hallowed be your name' celebrating God's transcendence and holiness. The almighty, omni-everything God, is approachable. Humble fellowship with him is possible and actively encouraged!

© Bruce M. Axtens, 2006

Thinx 33: Life: Too Short Or Not Short Enough?

You are mortal: live today as if it is your last.

... you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
-- James 4:14 RSV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
-- Ephesians 5:15,16 RSV

Here's the tension, then. On the one hand, knowing that life is short, and that I need to make good use of limited time. And on the other hand, aching for this life to be shortened.

and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."
-- Revelation 21:3,4 RSV

Don't get me wrong: I like being alive, my wife loves me and our children are a delight. And yet, I can't remember having faced so much change ... and so much pain. Of all the years of my life thus far, this has been the toughest.

My body is fit and mostly healthy, and yet I often find myself, with tear-filled eyes, crying out for Jesus' return.

I relate well to Psalm 88. It's one of, if not the, darkest of the Psalms. The writer, Heman the Ezrahite, has it bad: troubles, pain and tears. Everyone shuns him. Even God appears not to be taking any notice.

O LORD, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me?
-- Psalm 88:14 RSV (altd.)

Yet Heman still clings to God, still calls out to him. God is testing Heman. I think Heman is passing the test. Am I?

Thinx 32: A letter to the Editor - Intelligent Design, Evolution and the Word of God

Dear Editor,

Mr Bastian has, very nicely, alerted us to the dangers of an uncritical acceptance of the Intelligent Design movement. ID is quite happy to tell us that certain aspects of the natural order are too complex to have come about by chance. However, it is not as quick to tell us where this intelligence may be found. By doing so they leave the way open for all kinds of weird claims, including that we were originally engineered by aliens from outer space.

It would have been better to have stopped there, but Mr Bastian then proceeded to defend Evolution, claiming that it "sits comfortably within the providential purposes of the designer God." What utter rubbish! If we presuppose that the Bible is authoritative then we are duty bound to accept God's account of Creation as given. He says he did it in six days (Genesis 1) and reiterates the claim when giving the Law to Moses (Exodus 20:11). Jesus used the Genesis account to support his arguments (Matt 19:4) and Paul used it as his first argument in his evangelical appeal on Mars Hill (Acts 17:24). If Genesis is wrong, it rips the foundations out from under Moses, Jesus and Paul, and leaves us with nothing to say. If Evolution is true, then Christianity is a joke.

Yet, as an account of how things came to be, Evolution is totally inadequate. One of its foundation principles, 'Chemical Evolution', has been studied for centuries under its other name, 'Spontaneous Generation', and has been shown time and time again to be impossible.
Likewise Mutation and Natural Selection: Genetic information must first already exist before mutation can occur. And mutation only damages, it does not add. Natural selection culls -- it reduces diversity in a population to suit the conditions of a particular time and place. No longer can we breed a Doberman from a Chihuahua -- the genetic information is no longer there. And for all our thousands of years of dog breeding, no one has managed to evolve a dog into some other kind of animal.

As for Chance, even that is powerless against the laws of physics and chemistry. No amount of chance combinations of chemicals can come up with a living cell. And no amount of randomness can give sonar to bats or chemical weapons to bombardier beetles.

Out of the Protestant Reformation came a three-fold program designed to return the church to the faith handed down by the Apostles, namely, 'sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura' (by grace alone, by faith alone, by scripture alone). We have the grace and faith parts down pretty well but not the scripture part. Instead we fancy the so-called wisdom and knowledge of our cultural milieu, and try as hard as we can to modify scripture to suit its present mythology.

For as long as we consider the word of Man to be of greater worth than God's word we will never see the revival we crave. Instead we face the real prospect of social and cultural collapse -- the salt, having lost is flavour (by loving the world's point of view more than God's), watching helplessly as the meat (our society and culture) putrefies, destroys itself and ultimately disappears, taking us along with it.

Yours sincerely,
Bruce M. Axtens.

--

This letter was published in The Baptist Advocate, December 2005. The letter to which this responds can be found in the November 2005 issue.

Thinx 31: Suffering

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are King over the flood
I will be still and know you are God
-- "Still" by Hillsong United. Album: Hope (2003)

Do our worship songs create unreal expectations? What if instead of "soaring above", we have to "sink below", or even "plough right through"?

There's an older song based on Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
-- RSV

When you walk through the waters, and when you pass through the flame, you don't drown and you are not burned up. But you can be soaked to the skin, and all that you carry may get washed away; you can get scorched and all that you own may be destroyed.

You may, in fact, die. Looking at that from God's perspective, it's not a problem: you have been saved; who you are now is only part of the story. There's also the eternity of who you will be in the new heavens and new earth. Fearsome as are floods and fires, you will not perish. God holds you in his hand; nothing can snuff you out of existence.

So be of good courage. The valley may run deeper than any you have ever experienced before. Torrential rains and turbulent waves may threaten. You may know painful sorrow and the loss of all things. But someone has been this way before. Remember him when the fires of hardship and affliction come roaring at you like a wind-driven bushfire.

Keep your eyes on your Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Friend. The consummation of all things is at hand.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2005.

Thinx 30: Grace

Friday sees me on my face.
Saturday seems me crying for grace.
I scream, "Sunday!"
-- One Bad Pig, "I Scream Sunday".

I stuff up.
I humble myself.
I wonder if I'll ever see any good.
And then God makes the bus wait for me.

I've been spending a lot of time weeping lately.
I have some big unresolved hurts.
It seems no one is listening.
But God made the bus wait for me.

I met a young mother on the train with her one and a half year old son.
The young woman said she'd only just turned sixteen.
The father hadn't been seen for the best part of a year.

A friend said, "That's life."
Maybe so, but does that make it right, good and just?
And the sixteen year old mother of an 18 month old son:
who will make the bus wait for her?

Thinx 29: Intelligent Design

If there's a difficulty with Intelligent Design it's this: which intelligence? God? gods? aliens from another planet?

There's more at stake than merely Creationism in the back door. To say "yes" to ID might also give credence to the claims of Scientology (maybe the Thetans are the intelligence) and of pagans (maybe the intelligence is that of the planet itself, or of Zeus, or Odin, or any of a large number of imaginary deities).

If I'm supportive of ID, it is a careful and cautious support. The ID bandwagon is not immune from hijackers.

Thinx 28: More (useless) quiz results

Your Brain is 53.33% Female, 46.67% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

---

You scored as Goth. Your A Goth! Goth 35% Rocker, Mosher 20% Prepy 20% Emo 20% Chav, Townie, Rude Boy, Ned, Kev 15% Skater 10% Trendy 5% What Group Are You? Chav, Rocker, Skater, Emo, Goth, Trendy, Prepy E.c.t created with QuizFarm.com

---

I don't think there were Goths back in 1978 when I finished High School. I was a bit wierd (some might say I still am). One of my best friends was so so so into Beatles and Bob Dylan. I got stuck into Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and Brian Eno instead.

---

You scored as Loner. Loner 75% Drama nerd 50% Geek 38% Punk/Rebel 31% Stoner 25% Prep/Jock/Cheerleader 19% Goth 13% Ghetto gangsta 6% What's Your High School Stereotype? created with QuizFarm.com

---

Definitely a loner. Didn't like it. Wanted to be otherwise. But a loner nevertheless.

---

Thinx 27: Love

It is easy to love someone who is lovely or lovable. If anything can test the mettle of love, it is when the object of one's love loses its loveliness and ceases to be lovable. Then most of what pretends to be love gutters and dies. Love that lasts only during Spring and Summer but dies in Autumn and Winter is not true love. It is like Fool's Gold: shiny, attractive and utterly worthless.

True love lasts through both good times and bad. It lives through and loves through all the seasons of the soul and of the body. It may not be shiny and attractive but its worth is incalculable, and blessed beyond all measure are those who share it.

For the rest, what was rushed and grabbed is now as last season's fashions. How many there are who take the cheap copies and reduced prices, who pay little and weep many times. Few, by contrast, who purchase the Designer version, weep over its exorbitant price, and are happy.

Thinx 26: TRUTH TRANSFORMED ...

Thinx 25: Reconciliation, Part 1

Notes (recorded on a borrowed iPAQ Pocket PC) for a sermon which was being prepared for 25 September 2005, but which, due to illness was never delivered.

"So here we are walking home, late at night, thinking about the sermon, about fathers and fatherhood but even more so about mercy and reconciliation and the need for someone to take the first step. In the case of our salvation, God took the first step."

But God has shown us how much he loves us -- it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!
--Romans 5:8 GNB

Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.
--1 John 4:10 CEV

"Everything starts with God. But having gotten past that, we find ourselves, as Christians, in situations where we have to be like God for a reconciliation to occur. We have to lay aside our rights and privileges and humble ourselves and become like a servant ..."

... of his own free will [Jesus] gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death -- his death on the cross
--Philippians 2:7-8 GNB

"We find ourselves in situations where we have to do for someone else what God did for us. We have to take the first step for the other person. Even if we are in the right, we have to give up, voluntarily, sacrificially, our 'wealth' -- the higher moral ground where we reckon we stand. We have to lay all these things aside, have to let go of our pride, so that we can meet that person where they are. Rather than pride, pomposity and platitudes we need to approach that person with humility, respect and love.

This is how Jesus did it for us: he put aside his wealth, his position, his privileges -- all the things that he had every right to bear. He put these all aside, and in love and humility made himself one of us. He came down and met us at our level rather than demanding that we somehow lift ourselves to his."

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
-- Philippians 2:5-11 RSV

"We have to do the same as Jesus. We have to actively seek our on 'kenosis'. We have to let go of stuff, stuff that stands in the way, stuff that makes reconciliation impossible. For as long as we hold on to what we consider to be our rights, as long as we presume to hold ourselves above that person, for whatever reason, we will never know reconciliation with that person. For as long as we demand that the first move be made by the other, we will never have the closeness, the depth of relationship, indeed the fellowship we desire."

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
--Philippians 2:12,13 RSV

"We need to make the first move. The other person may not even have the power to make the first move, even if they have the inclination. God is at work within us to will and to do. God is not at work in the ungodly in this way. They do not necessarily have the desire to be reconciled. And even if they do, where can they find the power to carry it through? How will they be able to resist all the temptations that assails us when we attempt to restore relationships? The Evil One will not permit such a thing without a fight, and who, without Christ, has the power to resist him?

We need to make the first move, with all respect, humility and love. And without condescension, saying 'I'm doing this for you because you obviously can't.' Leave obvious things obvious. Don't succumb to the temptation to editorialise, to pass comment on their spiritual health or lack thereof.

We Christians have the responsibility, even the necessity, of emptying ourselves so that others may be filled. Only by relinquishing our rights, within limits, can reconciliation be achieved, a relationship started or restarted, and true fellowship enjoyed together."

For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end.
--Ephesians 2:14-16 RSV

"In the case of two believers, it falls to the person who first becomes aware of the situation, to do something about it. As with the case of Christian and non-Christian, one's being in the right has very little to do with the issue: fellowship and community are at stake. Whether you fell that you're "always the one" who has to get the ball rolling, the issues at stake are the preservation of fellowship and not providing Satan with footholds from where he can launch greater attacks."

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
--Ephesians 4:26,27 RSV

There are six things which the LORD hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers.
-- Proverbs 6:16-19 RSV

"Pride is the biggest single killer of churches, marriages and families. For as long as we stand on our dignity, we stand firmly within the sphere of Satan's influence. Are you 'always the one'? It doesn't matter. What's more important, for you to be right or for you and your father, mother, brother, sister, pastor, spouse, child to have a relationship, one with the other? What's more important, to be vindicated or to have real fellowship that is alive and growing?

As soon as we become aware that something needs to be done, we need to be the first to do something about it, even if we've been the first to do something about it seven times out of the last ten. Do not wait for the other person to get his/her act together. Act now while an opportunity exists. If you leave it too long, the opportunity will be lost and the restoration of relationship even harder to achieve. Dig now before the concrete sets.

Time does not heal all hurts. Instead these hurts just get buried under all the other stuff that happens in life. Once buried they fester and so poison the heart and the mind. The longer you leave it, the worse it will inevitably become. To deal with a breaking relationship promptly shows how much you value it. Just as untreated cuts lead to infection and even gangrene, so to leave a damaged relationship untreated is to pronounce a death sentence upon it, a slow and agonising one."

So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
-- Matthew 5:23.24 RSV

"Jesus there doesn't say to wait for your brother to make the first move. Has the man down the road suddenly taken a dislike to you? Make the first move! Is your spouse treating you like a stranger? Make the first move! Do you want to have a dad but have become estranged from the one you grew up with? Make the first move! By making the first move, you make people able to respond; you free them to face the situation in ways that did not expect because you related to them God's way. No one expects to be approached respectfully, in humility and with love. And yet, when they are treated in this way, the vast majority are deeply moved and open up, slowly or quickly, to the process of reconciliation and eventually to the presence of the Reconciler himself."

Thinx 24: Layers

We all remember in the movie "Shrek" where Shrek and Donkey are talking about "layers". Shrek's focus is on the depths within his own heart that are only accessible by digging through various outer layers. Donkey, however, misses the point completely and starts raving on and on about parfait glasses.

God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.
-- Ecclesiastes 7:29 GNB

And yet there is some truth in the parfait glass concept.

Our church has just finished working through the "40 Days of Purpose" programme. The five basic purposes of Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, and Evangelism are like the parfait glass itself: core concepts which do not change.

We, by our choices, pour into that glass things which will change: the child who sees his purpose in terms of the primary school he attends, and focusses his attention on worshipping God in that context eventually has to graduate. The glass does not change but certainly the layers do. As we live out each phase of our lives, so the layers in the glass change.

God also spoons into the parfait glass things which will change. Some of those things may be creamy, or crunchy. Some may taste nice, some not so nice. Some may indeed taste awful. But there they are, in the glass, put there by the God who cares more about our character than our comfort. The glass doesn't change but the experiences do. These various layers may be impacted by our thoughts, words, and actions. Something sweet may be rendered sour through stupidity. Something bitter may be made sweet through selfless sacrifice. But we still have to eat it. That is, we still have to work our way through it -- growing all the while -- until that set of experiences is finished and another set is served.

Thinx 23: Bible Translation, Literacy and Distribution

• The Bible League


• The Bible Society in Australia


• Church Missionary Society (CMS)


• EQUIP


• Gideons International in Australia


• Global Recordings Network Australia


• Lutheran Bible Translators Australia


• Scripture Gift Mission


• Wycliffe Bible Translators


• Wycliffe Associates Australia

Thinx 22: Why not consider ID (Intelligent Design)? Because ...

‘Even if all the data point to an intelligent designer, such an hypothesis is excluded from science because it is not naturalistic.’

-- Scott Todd, Kansas State University immunologist, correspondence to Nature 410(6752):423, 30 Sept. 1999.

But no one asks the question, "Does science have to be naturalistic?"

And no one asks the deeper question, "What does 'scientific' mean?"

Thinx 21: Growing up?

Ok, so I'm setting limits and actually obeying them, but what about all the stuff that doesn't get done because I'm in bed instead of staying up to finish?

I'm more able to deal with today having slept well last night, that much is true. But I'm still haunted by the knowledge that some things still aren't getting done.

I'm choosing to do the right thing (not necessarily the easiest thing or most pleasant thing). Trusting God to take care of the details is likely the next step.

[Our church is doing the "40 Days of Purpose". This post (and subsequent posts) reflects my reactions to what I'm reading and to the outcomes of actions taken]

Thinx 20: The name of Jesus

O sons of men, how long will my honour become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?" -- Psalm 4:2-3 NASV

Why is it that the name of Jesus, which is to me a badge of honour, is used almost worldwide as a word for cursing and swearing? What is it about that name that lends itself so well to being used as a filler, almost adjectivally? If you have to say something, why not say, "Oh, Buddha", or "Oh, Krishna", or "Oh, Mohammed"?

If Jesus and Christianity are so useless, why mention them at all?

Thinx 19: Redundancy in prayer

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words... " -- Matthew 6:7 RSV

This injunction, amongst other things, seems to be against redundancy in prayer. It may be echoing something Solomon said in Ecclesiastes

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few. -- Ecclesiastes 5:2 RSV

And we are good at redundancy. How many times have I prayed, "Lord, please be with so-and-so." How redundant is that! What meaningless babble! Doesn't Matthew 28:20 say, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age"? Why ask God to do what he's already been doing for thousands of years?

More's on the way. Stay tuned.

Thinx 18: Giving Way

Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
-- Prov 25:26

A while back I met a girl who had been a Christian: brought up in a Christian home, attended church and youth group etc. Then she went to university and "lost her faith".

Why does this happen? One usually goes to Uni expecting to become wise, by walking with, talking with and listening to the wise. Why do so many young people become fools in the process? It's as if all the ungodly, sinners, and scoffers of Psalm 1 have moved into and taken over the universitites. Our youth enter these institutions expecting to pick up a dose of higher learning. What they often experience in the process is theft, murder and destruction: theft of joy, murder of faith and destruction of dignity.

What can be done about this? Presupposing that useful knowledge and skills can yet be found in universities -- it's the mechanism we use in our culture to teach the young useful, socially uplifting, professional skills -- how can churches, pastors and parents prepare their young for the challenges they will face?

Christian presuppositions differ from those of the present social milieu. We have different creation stories: Christians presuppose an intelligent God who created us deliberately and for a purpose; the university presupposes a mindless, purposeless process of chemical and biological evolution which, by mutation and natural selection accidently brought us into being.

These creation accounts are mutually exclusive. Each claims to be an accurate reflection of reality. Those who claim theses accounts as their own look out at the natural world and interpret it accordingly.

The university asserts itself as the purveyor of ultimate reality. Its claims are consistent with its presuppositions. But are its claim true?

As Christians, we need to train our children to listen well and to ask the right questions; to be able to enter the university and challenge it: challenge its claims; identify and challenge its presuppositions; hold it accountable for all it has been and now is.

We have sent our children out as sheep among wolves, and many have been eaten. Have we forgotten to teach them to be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents? (Matt. 10:16)

Thinx 17: Good Books

Phillip E. Johnson's Reason in the Balance. If I could afford to I'd send it to every Christian leader in the state. If you've ever wondered why Christians in general are treated as though on a continuum between simple-minded idiot and right-wing religious bigot, this book will tell you. Reason in the Balance also gives the beginnings of a manifesto for changing the situation -- if you have enough courage to take it on.

Thinx 16: Self Analysis

Gluttony 88% Sloth 63% Pride 63% Greed 25% Lust 25% Wrath 6% Envy 0% Seven deadly sins created with QuizFarm.com

Thinx 15: Spiritual Insanity

So, what I think may be from my self, from the world, from the devil ... or from God. The skill then is in being able to discern and act accordingly.

"'And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.' But when [the Pharisees] heard this they were cut to the quick and were intending to slay [the apostles]." -- Acts 5:32-33

From the Pharisees point of view, these apostles were cheeky beyond all measure. Imagine inferring that they had not obeyed God! Why, they obeyed him perfectly in all matters of the law. How dare anyone suggest otherwise? As for this Jesus fellow, he had broken the Sabbath countless times, so who was he to parade himself as a paragon of virtue? So what that he had healed even someone born blind? The fact was he did not keep the law and the traditions and thus was beyond the pale, beyond listening to. The only thing he was fit for was destruction lest he turn the people away to his blasphemous and disobedient ways.

The fact was that the Pharisees were beyond reasonable argument. They had pushed God too far and he had washed his hands of them, giving them in full the blindness they had tried so hard to attain and maintain. Only to one or two had he shown any mercy.

The apostles on the other hand had no illusions about their own self-importance or their own ability to keep the law or their ability to please God by their own efforts. They had been thorough-going sinners and knew it -- why else would Peter in Luke 5.8 tell Jesus to depart from him? They knew only too well where they had been and where they stood before God and knew that their only hope was in Jesus, who alone could set them free from sin, from death, and indeed from themselves. The apostles were repenting and believing. They were sane, fully aware of who they were, where they had come from and where they were going.

The Pharisees, by contrast, were spiritually insane.

And yet how easy it is to become just as spiritually insane. How easy it is to be deluded by self, social system and Satan. How easy it is to get wound up in a whole bunch of rules that end up attempting to substitute for wholehearted obedience to God.

I need to be on guard always, watching lest I fall into the same insanity that afflicted and ultimately destroyed the Pharisees.

Thinx 14: Enemies

It seems sometimes I am fighting against myself ... and losing.

Why is this so surprising? Hasn't God said that we have three enemies? The last is the Devil (though powerful he is not our primary foe, yet gets the most credit for our woes); the second is the world (the anti-God or apathetic-to-God social milieu); and the first, the chief and yet the most disregarded, the flesh (our fallen self-centered nature*).

Yes, I am fighting against self, yet am so lacking in self-awareness that I don't realise I'm in battle until after I've lost.

---

* from Three Enemies of the Christian Life, an editorial in the Brethren Revival Fellowship website at www.brfwitness.org

Thinx 13: Lostness

Luke 19:10 "For Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Funny how only those who know they are lost get found and get saved. Those who have no idea as the reality of their lostness have no time for Jesus on their schedules. (Though God is merciful to us all and at least tells us, if we have ears to hear.) Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, enough to climb a tree and look silly doing so. He knew something about himself, enough to know that he needed to see Jesus. Maybe he knew he was lost. Maybe he knew he needed saving. Maybe he just wanted to see Jesus. Really, really, wanted to see Jesus. Enough not to care how stupid he looked climbing a tree.

Luke 18:25 says that it is easier for a camel to go through eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And this surprises the disciples no end. So here then we have Zacchaeus. A rich man. (Luke says he's rich.) From the Jews point of view he is blessed of God to be rich and well on his way to the kingdom of God and yet he is not. Rather, he needs Jesus and seems to know this. Note too that he brings forth the fruit of repentance -- that is, his conversion results in real changes in behaviour. Not so many public conversions in this and the last century where a lot of noise and media hype is made of conversion but no fruit comes.

Thinx 12: Response to Crisis

Every time I weep before the Lord, every time I cry in pain to my God, every time I drop my wearisome burdens at his feet ... I worship him. How? Each act declares his worth, saying, "I come to you in my sorrow, for you have known grief and have carried my sorrows. I come to you in my pain, for you have known suffering, and know what grieves and wounds me. I know that I can speak my heart in your presence, for your knowledge of me is complete, your love for me has no limit and you listen without reproach."

Every act of dependency on God declares that he is worth depending on. Every act of trust in the Lord declares that he is worthy of trust. Every moment spent clinging to Jesus cries out to all who hear that he alone is worth clinging to, trusting in, depending on. This too is worship.

Thinx 11: Cultural Blindspot?

"... 'How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?' ..." -- John 9:16

This is a worldview question. If God alone has the power to heal, then only those in harmony with God can heal and only by his authority. Sin is rebellion toward God. The sinner cannot heal because he is out of relationship with God and therefore can not act by his authority. Jesus heals so Jesus must be in good relationship with God. But he breaks the Sabbath. Therefore he is a sinner. Therefore he is out of fellowship with God. Therefore he should not be able to heal. But he heals.

"'... We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing, and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." -- John 9:31-33

We don't have this problem, though we ought to. We have the problem that we attribute healing to agents other than God. God doesn't appear in our worldview because we've convinced ourselves that he didn't create the universe. Instead, the universe created itself. With God out of the picture, so to speak, we need then to identify what agents bring about positive change. We see man as the healer, medicine as the healer, science as the healer. We see man doing amazing things so we glorify man and his knowledge. Only when a limit is reached is there a sudden reaching out for God. Sometimes he permits himself to be found. Other times not.

And we, like the Pharisees, say "we see" (v41) and yet we are utterly blind to ultimate reality. And so our sin remains.

Would that we were able to see God as he really is, and the universe as it really is. But instead, we are deaf, blind and mute. We do not hear the still small voice of God. We do not see his hand in all things. And so we are unable to speak of his glory. We are crippled, crippled beyond all measure.

Thinx 10: Belief systems

Why is Evolution always touted as scientific? Science, that is the scientific method, is about forming hypotheses based on observations of the world around us, testing those hypotheses and proving them right or wrong in a process leading to a complete understanding of the thing observed. The Pythagorean Theorem is based on the observation of the nature of right-angled triangles -- the tests proving the theory are clearly defined and repeatable.

Evolution supposedly happened in the past. No one observed it. Its truth or falsehood cannot be tested. No one can verify that it happened as has been suggested and the way it is supposed to have happened has changed many times in the 30 years since I started high school. I heard on the ABC only yesterday that British researchers are now proposing that dinosaur extinctions occurred before the meteoric impact that supposedly caused their extinction.

I am thus unwilling to refer to Evolution as a "theory". It must remain a hypothesis until it can somehow be proved. To cling to it, to trust in it and to rely upon it as a true account of the beginning of all things sounds more like religion that it does science.