Christmas miracles
Numerous movies, TV shows, stories and songs have been written on miracles and Christmas. Did you know that at Christmas we celebrate a miracle? The Bible claims that the conception of Jesus was a miracle. So, He was a miracle baby. But how can anyone believe that this was true? After all, I am not aware of any other miraculous conceptions reported in human history. (more…)
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A great victory
The first cricket test against England finished recently after just two days of play! England batted first and scored 172 runs, which seemed too low. But then Australia only scored 132 runs, giving England a lead of 40 runs on the first innings. In the second innings, England was 1 for 65 (105 runs ahead, with 9 wickets in hand). They would have been feeling confident of winning the game. But then the Australian bowlers took 5 wickets for 23 runs and England scored only 164 in the second innings. This meant that Australia needed to score 205 runs to win, which was higher than all the previous innings. So the English would have still been confident of winning, especially after their fast bowlers had terrorised the Australian batters in the first innings and Khawaja (the Australian opening batter) was injured. So the barmy army of English supporters was in full swing while things were going England’s way. What happened next? Australia was rescued by Travis Head who hit 123 runs off 83 balls! It was an amazing effort. He was a hero and won the game for Australia. And the barmy army were silent. (more…)
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Prophecies about Jesus: His death, burial and resurrection
Mark Taylor (captain of the Australian cricket team, 1994-1999) told Sam Konstas to ditch the ramp shot and go back to basics to force his way back into the (Australian) Test cricket team. The basics are the foundation of whatever you are talking about. Builders know that if the foundation isn’t right, the whole structure will fail. (more…)
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Imagine everlasting peace
Do you know that throughout recorded history there has never been a period of complete global peace? Though some consider we have been in a state of “long peace” since the end of WW2 that isn’t the reality for the millions who have lived in Myanmar, Rwanda, Nigeria, Congo, Somalia, Libya, Vietnam, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, Palestine and so many more countries. (more…)
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Giving thanks in everything
A prayer at the end of a thanksgiving service for an aged care provider
The Bible says that Christians are to, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th. 5:18NIV). And those who are filled with God the Holy Spirit will be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). We can give thanks in everything because God is in control and He is always with those who trust in Him. That’s why each November we publicly honor God and thank Him for the work done through our organization over the past year. (more…)
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Life is not fair
A young boy eagerly trained all year to make the school’s soccer team. He was up at dawn every morning, kicking the ball against the fence, running drills until his legs ached. Tryouts came—and he played better than he ever had. But when the list was posted, his name wasn’t there. Instead, a student whose father sponsored the team got the spot. At home, with tears in his eyes, the boy asked his dad, “Why? I did everything right. It’s not fair.” His father said, “You’re right—it isn’t fair. But life often isn’t. The question isn’t whether life is fair; it’s whether we’ll choose to trust God when it isn’t”. (more…)
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Be ready for whatever the world throws at you
When do you feel at your weakest and most vulnerable? Perhaps it’s when you’re experiencing financial insecurity or if a relationship isn’t going the way you hoped. Perhaps you feel weakest when you’re faced with uncertainty whether it’s uncertainty about your children, about your health, or about your future. Perhaps the everyday demands of life simply leave you exhausted and unsure how you will muster the energy to face another day. (more…)
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Prophecies about Jesus: He would live in Galilee
There are many prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament. For example, Isaiah said that honor and “a great light” would come to the region of Galilee. Galilee was part of the northern region of Israel. In Old Testament times, Israel was mainly invaded from the north because there was desert on the east and south and the Mediterranean Sea on the west. So, Galilee was targeted in many enemy attacks. (more…)
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Terms and conditions
The terms and conditions (T&Cs) of the multinational tech company, Apple, have been the subject of controversy. The T&Cs length, complexity, and potential to be used to entrench Apple’s market power have led to serious criticism. Can we compare Apple’s T&Cs to the T&Cs God put in around the “apple” of the Garden of Eden? (more…)
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The paradox of the cross
What does the death penalty have to do with love? The crucifix was a brutal means of capital punishment in the ancient Roman empire. Death by crucifixion could take between 6 hours and 4 days resulting from excessive bleeding, dehydration or progressive suffocation. It was an extremely painful and shameful way to die, inflicted upon those considered repugnant. And yet today we hang pretty crosses from our ears and necks, tattoo them into our skin, hang them on our walls – bejeweled, ornamental, celebrated. (more…)
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Clean forever
Sometimes getting dirty can be fun. Painting, cooking, gardening, sport, can all be activities we do for fun that may get us a little messy. Sometimes getting clean can be fun. Having a shower and putting on fresh clean clothes after a sweaty, muddy, football [soccer] game feels great. (more…)
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Jesus can help you find the best version of yourself
If you were to imagine the best version of yourself, what, or who, would you imagine? (more…)
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Prophecies about Jesus: His virgin birth
In about 700 BC. the Arameans and the kingdom of Israel planned to attack the kingdom of Judah from the north. This was an attack on a descendant of king David and so was an attack on God’s promise that the Messiah would be a ruler who was a descendant of David. But God told the Judeans not to be afraid and gave them a sign. (more…)
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The original Christmas gift
Can you remember what you got for Christmas last year? How about 5 years ago? How about 2000 years ago?
The magic and excitement of receiving gifts at Christmas has somewhat diminished for me as I’ve gotten older. Like most Australians I am blessed with having everything I need and a lot of what I want. Throughout the year I am my own expert self-gifter. I can search and click, and have exactly what I want delivered to my front door within days. It kind of takes the shine off receiving a gift from someone else who may not really know what I like. (more…)
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The cure for death
What would you be willing to do or sacrifice if it meant having the cure for death? The shadow of death looms over all our lives – rich or poor, young or old. It is the great inescapable equaliser that cuts across nationality, social status, physical ability, gender, sexuality, and belief. (more…)
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When Jesus returns
The sound of a father’s footsteps approaching the front door – the same thing can mean different things to different people. For the two year old that sound may be the most exciting noise she’s heard all day. For the teenager who has just crashed the car it may elicit dread. For a child feeling scared and alone it may be the sound of comfort and relief. How we feel and respond to someone’s return depends on our relationship with them. (more…)
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Jesus is the rock you can stand on
I’m in deep, deep trouble again. I’ve cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside. My life leaks away, groan by groan; my years fade out in sighs. My troubles have worn me out, turned my bones to powder. To my enemies I’m a monster; I’m ridiculed by the neighbors. My friends are horrified; they cross the street to avoid me. (more…)
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Train for eternity
Exercise and sport provide a myriad of benefits to our wellbeing. There are physical health advantages such as better heart and lung health, higher bone density, lower blood pressure, better balance, flexibility and function. There’s also the psychological gains of physical activity changing brain chemistry to improve mood, reduce stress, promote sleep and boost memory function. Not to mention the social positives that come with many sports – being part of a team or group joined together with a common goal. Although exercise and sport often involve a level of discomfort and hard work it’s easy to understand why, with such an impressive list of benefits, we see crowded sports fields every weekend and can find a gym or two in almost every suburb. (more…)
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Go for gold!
Many of the world’s best athletes and sports competitors are striving for victory at Paris, after spending hours each day practicing and developing their skills and directing their minds to the task ahead. (more…)
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Eternal glory awaits those who …
Have you ever dreamed of excelling at something? Being the world’s best? Having crowds cheer for you? To have people say your name with awe and speak well of you. Respect. Kudos. Glory. Fame. (more…)
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Evidence for the God of Christianity
According to a 2023 survey, about half of Americans believe in God, the lowest number in history. And globally (omitting China and Russia), an average of 40% say they believe in God “as described in holy scriptures”. (more…)
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Blood as a symbol of death in the New Testament
When we sing songs like “Nothing but the blood of Jesus” and “Forgiveness is bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ”, do we understand what the words mean? Or when we hear that our sins can be washed away by the blood of Jesus, what does that mean? (more…)
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God left no stone unturned for you
What would you do to get back someone precious that you’d lost? What lengths would you go to to find your missing child, friend, spouse or parent? How far would you travel? How long would you look? What price would you pay? (more…)
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Darkness and light in Galilee
Light is defined as the electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 380 and 750 nm, which is visible to the human eye. This light is a source of illumination. And sunlight provides the energy that green plants use to create sugars mostly in the form of starches, which release energy into the living things that digest them. This process of photosynthesis provides virtually all the energy used by living things. Darkness is the absence of visible light. (more…)
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