Don’t let Christians put you off Jesus
Suppose there’s a man in a town with a history of shady business practices and fraudulent dealings. He also happens to be a regular church-goer.
Many people where he lives know the man to be shonky and would say they’ve been ‘ripped off’ as would people in other towns. What’s terrible is that some people where the man lives say, ‘If that man is a Christian, then I don’t want any part of Christianity’. And, at one level, their reaction is understandable.
The story raises questions about what it means to be a genuine Christian and what churches and other Christians should do when people say they are Christian but their actions clearly aren’t. You can imagine that the answers aren’t always easy. (more…)
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Take a closer look at Easter
If we took a closer look at Easter, what would we find – a chocolate fantasy or important history?
In the 8th Century, the English monk, Bede, spoke of how the name of the pagan goddess ‘Eostre’ was used for the ‘Easter month’. Bede’s words have long been seen as proof that Christians simply replaced existing cultural rituals with their own. But the problem is that there isn’t much hard evidence for the English Goddess ‘Eostre’ or her Spring pagan festival. However, there’s lots of evidence that Christians throughout Europe, from the medieval period onward, used eggs and rabbits as symbols of new life.
As for the chocolate versions, well Joseph Fry of Bristol made the first chocolate Easter egg in 1873. Ever since then Easter has been very chocolaty and run, almost entirely by the major supermarkets. (more…)
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We all need forgiveness
No matter how interested you are in cricket, it’s Australia’s national game. Indeed, when he was Prime Minister, John Howard, reckoned he had the second most important job in the nation after the Australian cricket captain. If that’s true, then a year ago, in March, we had a crisis of national leadership when our nation’s captain, vice captain and another player were caught tampering with the ball.
One year later, on March 29, 2019, the most severe bans ever handed down by Cricket Australia for on field behavior will come to an end. After a year’s forced absence, former captain, Steve Smith, and former vice captain, David Warner will once more be eligible to play for Australia, New South Wales and their Big Bash teams. (more…)
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Soul food
Once, when Jesus was speaking with His disciples, He challenged them with this…
“what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26NLT).
In the Bible, the soul is the center of a person’s being. It is the soul that longs for something or hopes or is crushed or weighed down. When a person’s soul delights in evil then it’s the soul that deserves death and punishment because a person should love God from the core of their being.
So Jesus’s warning about losing our soul should be taken seriously. If we don’t draw close to God and invite Him into our life now, then don’t expect or demand good things in the future. Jesus’s warning is both blunt and bleak. But He’s giving it to us so we’ll take action. And that’s a kind thing to do. (more…)
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a txt msg frm God
When the clock strikes 00:00 on New Year’s Eve mobile (cell) phones all over the world start buzzing with New Years’ wishes from friends and family. Huge numbers of text messages are sent, probably because people send group messages to everyone in their phone. Entire phone address lists spammed with something like, ‘Happy New Year – Have a good one in 19 – Cheers Danno’. Boring, predictable, though very friendly and nice.
It makes one wonder how we’ll cope in the future when everyone we’ve ever met or bought anything from sends us a New Year’s Eve greeting. Perhaps our artificial intelligence assistants (the Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant of the future) will gently mention that we’ve got ‘greetings from many current and former friends’, and if we ask, “Oh, who from?”, well they can tell us if we really want to know. (more…)
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God’s gift
Walmart in the United States stays open 24 hours of every day of every year … except for Christmas day. It’s an example of how, all over the world, Christmas is so much bigger than Easter. It’s estimated, this year, Australians will spend $11 billion on Christmas presents – and that’s just the presents – not the food or travel. So, why is Christmas so much bigger than Easter? Surely part of the answer has to do with whether we prefer a beautiful little baby or the horrible murder of an itinerant preacher. Where’s the contest? Babies are cute and cuddly! Fresh and innocent… full of promise and potential. While Easter is all about the awful thing that happened to that little baby when he grew up and became a man.
So, can’t we just focus on the Christmas story? Can we not marvel and dwell on the miracle of childbirth and especially… especially the wonder of God coming amongst us in human form?
No. Jesus didn’t come to be a perpetual baby. His mission was not to be the cutest or the most cuddly. When He grew up Jesus spoke most clearly about His mission to His disciples. This is what He told them. He “…came not to be served but to serve others, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
What happened at the cross was an intervention by God on behalf of the human race. The shedding of Jesus’s innocent blood was a payment or ‘ransom’ to satisfy God’s requirement that blood be shed for sin. Jesus’s death on the cross allows us to escape that payment. And it’s the reason why people everywhere can have peace with God. Is it any wonder the cross is the universal Christian symbol.
Back when Jesus was born, an angel said to shepherds at night nearby,
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11).
When those shepherds went to gaze on the baby held in the arms of Mary, His mother, they knew He was their ‘savior’. What they couldn’t have known is how His death on a cross would be the solution and how generations to come would find there, comfort and joy.
Bible Verse: Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Prayer: Dear God, I praise you for sending Jesus my savior.
Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Posted December 2018
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Put your mind at rest
“Grant me sexual purity and restraint, but not yet” – is the famous prayer of a young Saint Augustine. You see, Augustine enjoyed his numerous affairs and hedonistic lifestyle too much to change. Born in North Africa in 354 AD, Augustine described himself as a “slave of lust” before he eventually yielded and put his faith in Jesus at the age of 31. This great event occurred because he was so impressed by the faith of his mother and other Christians close to him.
Augustine’s conversion is famous because he chose to share his story and because he was so insightful about what God was doing in his life. Indeed, great quotes from Augustine have continued to help Christians from every subsequent age understand more deeply what God has done in their life. In fact, Augustine may just be the most quoted Christian in history.
For example, Augustine understood how universal the problem of sin is. He wrote, “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.” And he knew how hard it is to change. Here is another insight, “The mind commands the body and is instantly obeyed. The mind commands itself and meets resistance.”
In the Bible, King David wrote emotionally about how hard it is to face up to God and confess sin. Psalm 32 records his experience of shutting God out.
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. (Psalm 32:3-5)
When Augustine finally understood this and gave his life to Christ it was the words of Paul in the New Testament of the Bible that convicted him.
Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:13-14)
In response Augustine wrote these famous words about his new relationship with God,
Oh Lord, restless is the heart until it rests in you
Bible verse: Psalm 32:3, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long”.
Prayer: Great are you, O Lord … because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you (from Augustine’s book: Confessions)
Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Posted, November 2018
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Sydney’s biggest billboard
Apparently, around the world, the Sydney Opera House is more famous than Australia itself. Whether in sparkling sunshine or on a luminescent night, the vision of the Opera House, with its brilliant harbor setting, has come to represent both a spirit of unflinching boldness and a quest for architectural purity. It features regularly, along with the Pyramids of Giza, the Taj Mahal and the Empire State building, in top ten lists of the most important and famous buildings of all time.
Recently, Australia’s new Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, with his background in marketing, said it was, “the biggest billboard Sydney has”. His insight came amidst a public furore over whether a new horse racing event should have its ‘barrier draw’ splashed across the buildings sails.
The issue really ignited when radio shock jock, Alan Jones, got involved. With interests in the racing industry reportedly in excess of $20 million, Jones threatened and bullied the Opera House CEO, Louise Herron, declaring he’d get the Premier to overrule her that day if she didn’t agree to the display. That same day, the New South Wales Premier did just that.
Sydney has always been a venal city of jostling egos where confected outrage masks vested interests. In Sydney big gambling happily feeds on the suffering of failing families addicted to pokies and ponies. The taxes and donations reaped from both are so huge that Governments dare not reign them in. Indeed, successive governments have been thoroughly compromised and cowed.
So, despite the sparkling lure of Sydney Harbor and its world famous, world heritage listed Opera House, Sydney is a place that desperately needs God. Whether by day or by night, it needs God in its soul. And the most precious, important thing that God can give – indeed has given, is His dear Son Jesus.
Jesus came to die on the cross so that sinners might get a fresh start… even bullies and those who profit from the misery of others, or those who accept bribes and inducements… or those who fail their families by gambling away the grocery money. Really, anyone can get a fresh start by believing in Jesus.
If the Opera House truly is a billboard to the world, then how fitting that God’s offer of a fresh start be writ large on its sails.
Bible verse: John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for being willing to forgive anyone for anything. Help us to realize just how great the gift of eternal life is that’s available through your Son.
Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Posted, October 2018
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Leadership that lasts
Over ten years, Australia has had seven prime ministers. ‘Madness’ said Malcolm Turnbull, the last prime minister to ‘get rolled’. Meanwhile, the media in other countries are describing us as the ‘coup capital of the world’. Here in Australia, voters are wondering exactly who and what they voted for.
The problem with changing leaders so often is that it’s hard for Prime Ministers and governments to implement a long-term vision. It takes time to build trust and relationships. It takes time to develop big ideas and work through obstacles to achieve them. But if leaders are being ‘rolled’ on a regular basis then the general public are entitled to think none of those good things are happening.
Although we Australians feel a little embarrassed about our leadership changes, it’s worth noting that political instability is commonplace in every country. And it’s always for the same reasons. We have a revolving door of Prime Ministers because political parties and the wider general public can’t agree about what the future should look like. Add jealous, personal rivalries and prejudice and you get instability.
But the Bible speaks about a leader whose vision stretches beyond the borders of this country into all of eternity. It speaks about a government where everyone who belongs will be happy and united – including people from all races and tribes.
That leader is Jesus. Here is how two prophets writing thousands of years ago described His rule. The great prophet Isaiah said,
“… The government will rest on his shoulders … his government and its peace
will never end” (Is. 9:6-7)
While the prophet Daniel spoke not just of an endless rule, but of a safe place open to every tribe and people group,
“He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).
If you’re cynical and jaded about leaders then Jesus is a reason to start believing again. If politics have burned you badly then know that Jesus won’t let you down. He’s the true King, the real messiah, a leader you can be genuinely excited about!
Bible verse: Daniel 7:14, “… His kingdom will never be destroyed”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you that Jesus is a leader we can trust and who will lead us home to heaven.
Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Posted, September 2018
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Fake news
Donald Trump points from his podium to the assembled news media and yells, ‘Fake news… They’re all fake news!’
His menacing words and tone are nasty. And because it’s a blanket condemnation, his words are unfair and untrue. Yet, Trump has tapped into a global grievance. According to the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, worldwide trust in the media is at an all-time low. And it’s not hard to see why. The media’s commercial and ideological agendas seem all too obvious.
Certainly, there is a bias directed against Christianity. Too often, media commentators are ill informed and dismissive when they speak about God and the Bible. Many blithely assume the most qualified person to determine the existence of God is a prominent scientist (usually a physicist).
For example, a few years ago on the 7:30 Report, Leigh Sales asked the following question of the cosmologist, Lawrence Krauss, “Why has science not yet done away with belief in God?”. The assumption amongst many journalists is that religion and superstition overlap perfectly – but that, hopefully and eventually, science will do away with God. After all, if He were real, God should be detectable in a test tube or with a large radio dish.
Such boundless confidence in science seems to come from the fact that science keeps providing technological marvels to help us in our everyday lives as well as in understanding the natural world. But God is supernatural and spiritual. Which means, He’s not a measurable part of our natural world. Instead, as Creator, He’s outside its bounds.
Ironically, the one place where God intervened publicly and dramatically is a place where observational scientific methods (such as repeatable experiments) aren’t applicable. That place is the cross of Christ nearly 2,000 years ago. There, God sent His Son to die for the world making it possible for us to return to Him in relationship. This was a historical event, which is more like forensic science than operational science.
However, the cross makes for a pathetic news story. Indeed the Bible says, ‘The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:18).
But how do we know what’s fake? Perhaps the Bible itself is fake news? Consider this, when Jesus’s empty tomb was found, the Bible recounts how the chief priests conspired to bribe the Roman soldiers guarding Jesus’s tomb to spread a report that Jesus’s disciples had stolen the body. If the Bible is trustworthy then Jesus rose from the dead. If it’s fake news then that story is spin.
As always, the only way forward is to think carefully (and prayerfully) about the reliability of the source.
Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 1:18, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the way your words in the Bible reveal your integrity and faithful love to all generations.
Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Also see: Using history and science to investigate ancient times
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God’s mercy is bigger
If you look in a newspaper or history book you won’t find the real history of the world. You see our version of history is so different from what matters to God. When we think of great battles in history we probably think of the Napoleonic Wars or World Wars I & II.
But to God, the great battles of history are those waged each day inside a person. The struggle we have to either resist or give in to temptation. God notices when we’re not kind to others or we boast or steal or slander or decide to acknowledge Him as our creator and sustainer… or not. These decisions are, by far, the most significant battles in history.
In the Bible, one of the first Christian leaders, Paul of Tarsus, spoke of his own personal battle with temptation. He said this in a letter he wrote to the church in Rome,
I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway (Romans 7:18-19).
We can all identify with these words. So, can there be any hope when the catalogue of our mistakes is so long and when the cost of our bad decisions to others, ourselves and the honor of God – is so great? The answer is ‘Yes – because God’s mercy is bigger than our mistakes!’ He is willing to forgive.
There’s another way in which our version of history is different to God’s. We keep thinking certain people are more valuable than others. Perhaps those of a particular race, or class or those with wealth, fame, power or good looks. But God cares about every person equally. And He’s prepared to forgive the sin of anyone – no matter how much baggage is in their life.
In a letter to Christians on the island of Crete, Paul spoke with wonder about why Jesus’s death on the cross was such good news. He explained that it means that we can be forgiven by God. He wrote,
… When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
So, no matter how many your mistakes, take them to Jesus and the cross where He is willing and able to deal with them.
Bible verse: Titus 3:4-5, “… When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit”.
Prayer: Dear God, please help me to trust that your mercy really is big enough to deal with all my mistakes.
Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
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The book that reads you
In the months leading up to my decision to become a Christian I read the Bible intensely. I remember being impressed that an ancient book could be so relevant in a modern world. Yet, two things stood out most of all for me.
Firstly, the sense I had that God was present as I read. I had never felt this before with any other book. It seemed as though how I responded mattered to God. And the Bible exposed me. It read me accurately. It knew the wrong things I had done – the selfish thinking and pretending to be somebody that I wasn’t. As I read I struggled with the knowledge that experiences can be manufactured by the mind. Did I want there to be a God? Or was God revealing Himself to me? Over time, my struggle with skepticism decreased.
The second thing that stood out was how impressive Jesus was in the four gospel accounts of His life. At the end of Jesus’s famous, Sermon On The Mount, Matthew, the author of the gospel reports that, ‘crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority’ (Mark 1:22). I can appreciate this sentiment. Jesus really does teach with wisdom and authority. Elsewhere in the gospels people are in awe at His power over the physical world – demonstrated repeatedly with various, extraordinary miracles. Given the integrity of Jesus’s words, it didn’t seem reasonable that those events were clever deceptions.
So, despite the age of the Bible, it read my need and provided a solution – Jesus. It was Jesus who spoke of the possibility of knowing God and it was Jesus who died on the cross to make the hope of a fresh start with God possible.
In the Bible, the book of Hebrews describes what I, and many others have experienced. It says:
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.
So, if you’ve never read the Bible, then my encouragement to you is … find a copy and begin by reading the shortest biography of Jesus – Mark’s gospel.
Bible verse: Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for speaking to us through the Bible in ways that soften our hearts and move us to you.
Acknowledgement: Written by Malcolm Williams, Director of Outreach Media.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
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You can trust God with your data
There’s good reason to be worried about what happens to our data. Smart phones and computers store so much of our personal information. For example… intimate photos, political opinions, religious beliefs, bank account details. Or those emails from when you were sacked or that argument you had with your mother-in-law. The potential for embarrassment or even blackmail from data in the wrong hands is significant.
But whose hands are the wrong hands? Google, Facebook and Amazon try to profile our every thought and action so they can either sell us things or else sell our profile to advertisers and other companies. Tim Cook, the head of Apple, says, ‘When an online service is free, you’re not the customer – you’re the product’. Recently, Apple has been telling its users that ‘Privacy is a human right’. But then, can we trust Apple?
And is privacy a human right? It’s certainly a time in history where it’s harder than ever to leave past mistakes behind and start again. In a globalized, connected world, one can’t just escape over a border and disappear to start again somewhere else. The Internet preserves and reveals all kinds of mistakes that we’d prefer to be forgotten.
In case you weren’t aware, since God is our maker, He has access to all our data. In the Bible, King David prays to God and says, ‘Even before I speak a word, O Lord, You know it all’ (Psalm 139:4). Therefore, since God knows about our every evil thought, word and deed, the question is, ‘What will God do with our data?’ Will He punish us by exposing our mistakes and shaming us before everyone?
No. You’ll be relieved to know that God’s radical promise to those who come to Him in repentance and prayer is that He will entirely erase this data. 2000 years ago, at the cross, God put all our shame and embarrassment onto Jesus. And since our crimes have now been dealt with, God has decided to forget about them. In the 8th Century before Jesus came God spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying:
“I am the One who takes away your sins because of who I am. And I will not remember your sins“.
So, turn to God in prayer, acknowledge all your secrets to Him and thank Him for His kindness to you in Jesus.
Bible verse: Isaiah 43:25, “I am the One who takes away your sins because of who I am. And I will not remember your sins”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for dealing with my sensitive data. Please help me to live a life without shame.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
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Housing crisis?
Australia has a housing crisis. Tonight, on average, 44,000 homeless young people will sleep rough. Meanwhile Anglicare Sydney reports, “almost 1 in 10 people aged 55 years and over supported through [our] Emergency Relief program are experiencing insecure housing including sleeping rough, in tents, couch surfing and using their family car as a form of shelter”.
Why, in a wealthy modern economy like Australia, is a widowed grandmother being forced out of her home to live on the streets? Yet this is happening. And why are rents so high? In 1960 less than 8% of our income was spent on housing – today it’s closer to 21% on average. And in the major capital cities it’s a lot higher (in Sydney, it’s nearly 40%!).
This is not the place to address the reasons we’re in such stress. But if you’re one of those many people struggling to cope then know this… God is aware of your situation. And, in the Bible, Jesus speaks of a future where God will provide permanent and free accommodation in heaven for all eternity.
2,000 years ago, at a time when things were even more uncertain than ours, Jesus told His followers, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (The Bible – John 14:1-3).
When Jesus speaks of heaven as a house, He’s reassuring us that God is well and truly able to look after us. His words are so enormously comforting. No matter how dire our situation is now – even if we’re on the street or worse, Jesus promises heavenly security for those who trust in Him. In this bright future God promises to let us live with Him in close friendship and fellowship.
And not just in any old house. It will be a place where, “He will wipe every tear … and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (The Bible – Revelation 21:4).
You know that old real estate cliché about ‘Great potential’? Well that’s you and God. So, trust in Jesus now to secure your place.
Bible verse: John 14:2, Jesus: “My Father’s house (heaven) has many rooms”.
Prayer: Dear God, grant me the faith to trust Jesus’ promise that I am welcome in your house forever.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
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When God uses evil for good
Evil is a difficult topic to think about objectively at the best of times. If you’ve only recently struggled with something terrible then you may be feeling raw and angry with God and wondering why He’s allowed your life to take the path it has. But please try and put your feelings aside to consider freshly both the goodness and wisdom of God. Both these qualities are things the Bible asserts repeatedly.
The Bible has much to say about evil. It reassures us that God abhors it and promises us that, for those who trust in Jesus, a time is coming where there will be no more sadness or evil.
Yet, the difficult truth, repeated throughout the pages of the Bible, is that God uses evil to bring about good. When you’re struggling with depression or a relationship breakup or the loss of a loved one then this is hard to hear. But it doesn’t make it any less true. Surely, if God were good He would eradicate all evil? Surely, He would allow people to live happy lives at all times?
One day that wish will be fulfilled in a place we think of as heaven. But, in the meantime, God’s plan is to use evil as a teacher leading us to wisdom. This is not such a strange idea. We’ve all had the experience (or at least heard) of something dreadful producing something good. For example, a wild fire or flood ravaging a community and drawing them together. Where previously there was alienation and grudge bearing, now there is love and forgiveness.
Paradoxically, the greatest evil in all history was the murder of God’s only son, Jesus. When He came amongst us, Jesus was without sin. Yet mere human creatures, made of clay, murdered the creator of the whole universe! This monstrous act was always part of God’s plan to save humanity from judgment. The evil intent of Jesus’s murderers was within that plan – yet they were still responsible for their evil. From this greatest of all evils, came the greatest possible good for humanity. Jesus gave His life to pay for our sin at the cross.
When times are good it’s easy to ignore our Creator. But when things are difficult we’re prompted to think. God’s strongest desire is that adversity and struggle teach us the wisdom to want to draw close to Him. Thankfully, Jesus’s death makes that possible.
If you’d like to spend more time teasing out the ideas in this difficult topic then head to this link.
Bible verse: Isaiah 45:7, “I (God) create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you that Jesus suffered such terrible evil for my sake. Thank you for those tests and trials that lead me to trust you more.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Also see: Unexpected good
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Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
When Christian hypocrisy is so bad it draws public rebuke in the form of a parody song – there is a deep problem. In her song, ‘Mercedes Benz’, American rock singer, Janis Joplin sarcastically prays to God for a luxury car so she can compete with her friends, “who all drive Porsches”. Next she asks for a color TV, followed by a night on the town. “Prove that you love me, and buy the next round” she sings.
The mind space of some Christians is hard to fathom. Speaking about Himself, Jesus said, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man (Jesus) has no place even to lay His head‘ (Matthew 8:20). Yet the advert on the back of one Christian magazine boasted, ‘Our pastors all drive late model Mercedes Benz cars’. The point was clear, ‘You can see how much God loves our church, because we’re all so rich!’
But Jesus said that if anyone wanted to be His disciple they should, ‘give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Him’ (Mark 8:34). Sadly, in the rich West, Christians struggle to give up their own way. It’s so easy to justify the quality lifestyle products, expensive holidays and renovations. Would you rather be noticed as the one who has the most or the least? So Christians join the endless, upgrade cycle of every other Western consumer.
Meanwhile in other parts of the world – or just your own neighborhood – there are people without. The release of Joplin’s song in 1970 coincided with a terrible famine in Nigeria caused by the Biafran civil war. One reason the famine shocked the world is this photo taken by Peter Williams in 1969 showing three young boys looking hauntingly at the camera. Their unflinching gaze asks so many hard questions. In obvious need of urgent food and safety, it’s not clear who will help.
Yet the Bible challenges anyone reading it to help those who are less fortunate. The logic is simple… if God is prepared to love us by sending His son to die for us at the cross, then how can we also, not be generous to others?
The author James in the Bible wrote this about prayer.
“You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure” (James 4:2-3).
It’s right to pray for our daily bread. But let’s also pray for opportunities to be as generous to others as God has been to us.
Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a person who gives cheerfully”.
Prayer: Dear God, please help me to be more generous to others.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
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Who are you following in 2018?
We can follow people on social media like Facebook. And we are influenced by the people we follow and listen to. For example, social media influences our relationships, shopping, and education.
Like most people living in the post Christian 21st Century Joe had heard of Jesus. But he didn’t know much about him. So, deciding to educate himself, he Googled some answers. Here’s what Joe said afterwards.
“He’s probably Scandinavian… from Norway or Denmark. You can tell by his pale skin, long blonde hair and blue eyes. But he’s definitely not a Viking. He’s more like a guru. In all the movies and old paintings he looks really chilled. In fact, ‘Chilled Nordic Jesus’ seems to be the most popular kind of Jesus.
“But there were others. I also found, ‘Religious Jesus’ or ‘Church Jesus’. He’s in paintings and stained glass windows everywhere. And he loves medieval Gothic churches. He’s closely related to, ‘Out of this world Jesus’ or ‘Ethereal Jesus’ who you can also find in churches – usually looking right past you. It’s hard to tell if he’s super focused or stoned or just not very interested.
“When I read articles I came across different reasons for why Jesus came. So, ‘Great moral teacher Jesus’ joins a succession of teachers down through the ages who taught us how to live better lives. On the other hand, ‘Killjoy Jesus’ is always watching and ready to condemn us when we stuff up. But ‘Genie Jesus’ is really great. He’s available for party tricks and special rescues – unfortunately only prayers from the super spiritual seem to work.
“The last Jesus I found was ‘Political Jesus’ – he was a bit of a failure. He wanted to cut a better deal for poor people with the Roman and Jewish leaders. But he didn’t succeed. Instead he was killed. There really does seem to be a lot of confusion about why Jesus died.
If only Joe had listened to what Jesus said about himself instead of the opinions of others. If he’d only looked in the Bible instead of online he could have skipped the clichés and found the real, authentic Jesus of history… born in Palestine… who probably had brown skin… who lived well before stained glass and gothic church architecture and who challenged religious hierarchies. Joe could have heard Jesus say that he “came to seek and to save the lost” and that his plan was to give his life, “as a ransom for many”. And he could have read these immortal words…
“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).
So, don’t follow a cliché. Follow the Christ revealed in the Bible.
Bible Verse: John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life”.
Prayer: Dear God, please help me to follow Jesus in 2018 and to understand more about Him as I read about Him in the Bible. Amen.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2018
Posted, January 2018
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What Jesus wants for Christmas
What a precious thing is a baby! The news that a little tiny human has safely made its way into the world is such a miracle, such a cause for celebration. Even when there is mourning or hardship, a new baby can bring hope.
On the first Christmas when baby Jesus arrived there was the usual joy and celebration. But there was so much more than that. Angels sang in the sky, shepherds dropped everything and came, wise men followed a star… all to honor and worship this new baby.
When God sent His Son into the world, in the form of a baby boy, He did it for us. In John’s gospel it says,
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life“.
This is one of the most famous verses in the Bible, perhaps because it states so simply the most important things. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to help us. This is why Christmas is special! It’s a time to celebrate the gift God gave to us long ago that shows how much He wants us to join His family. What we need to do is believe in Him.
There is a beautiful Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti that was put to music and became the carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter”. It tells of the unlikely and difficult place where the baby Jesus was born, of angels singing praises to welcome the new King, and of shepherds visiting and bowing down and of wise men who traveled a great distance to honor Him.
The author wonders what she could give to Him as a tribute.
“What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
Yet what can I give Him,
Give my heart.”
The Wise Men brought gifts fit for a King to honor the newborn Jesus, but there is nothing that we can give that is enough. All Jesus wants for Christmas is YOU!
Bible Verse: John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for the precious gift of your Son. Please forgive me and help me to worship and honor you all year long. Amen.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
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The faith of a geochemist
Associate Professor David Cohen of the University of New South Wales, Australia, says:
For geologists and geochemists like myself, the planet is a vast laboratory. Our task is to make sense of the physical and biological evidence for the processes that have shaped our planet. We begin by observing and measuring and then we propose models to explain those observations. Our goal is to provide a scientific narrative – a sort of geological book of Genesis – that explains how the world came to be like it is.
Much of the planet’s history can be linked to ‘plate tectonics’. It’s now the commonly accepted view that the world has seven large plates on its surface that move. This model explains such diverse evidence as continental drift and the distribution of earthquakes. While the plate tectonics model seems so elegant, effective and obvious to today’s generation of geologists, there was significant opposition by some leading geologists when it was first proposed. Yet, the evidence for the model is overwhelming, and underpins much of our geological thinking today.
In the same way that I have faith in the evidence for plate tectonics I also have faith that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has made it possible for me to be friends with God forever. But what does the biblical evidence about Jesus demand in terms of a model? And what and why do I believe?
At the end of the famous Sermon on the Mount, Matthew records the response of those who were listening to Jesus:
“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, for He taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.” (Mt. 28-29).
I can relate to that crowd. It’s not just the teaching of Jesus that appeals to me, but also extraordinary events and miracles that reveal His nature and support His claims to be the Messiah promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, prophets such as Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, the writers of the Psalms and many others predicted that one day God would send a Messiah, or anointed King who would save people from their sin. Jesus fulfils these promises in convincing ways, which are extraordinary and specific. For example, Isaiah 53 paints a very detailed picture of the sufferings Jesus endured on the cross. Jesus understood that He was fulfilling these promises. He said to His disciples:
“The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that He sent me” (Jn. 5:36 – see also Lk. 24:26).
And Jesus knew that the prophets predicted a terrible execution for the Messiah. But He also knew that afterwards He would rise from the dead. Speaking to His disciples He said:
“We’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man (Jesus) wlll be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence Him to die and hand Him over to the Romans. They will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him with a whip, and kill Him, but after three days He will rise again” (Mk. 10:33-34).
The reason Jesus gives for His death is that it is a ‘ransom’ or payment for sin (see Mk. 10:45). But Jesus explains that it is essential to trust in Him for forgiveness. He says that He is ‘the way, the truth and the life’ and that we must trust in Him for forgiveness.
Nothing in science beats a predictive model that’s subsequently confirmed by new evidence. My decision to follow Christ was gradual, not revolutionary. It was the result of considering the events and ideas presented in the Bible and observing the faith and actions of other followers of Jesus over some years. I found the evidence in the Bible about Jesus to be compelling proof of His nature as God. This includes His words, His actions, His resurrection from the dead and His appearing before many witnesses.
If the Biblical evidence points to Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, what is the implication for our future? Jesus says this:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25)
This is the core of Christianity. Not church traditions but a simple set of propositions in the Bible. It’s why I believe.
Bible Verse: John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for all the evidence about Jesus in the Bible. Help us to always put our trust in Jesus.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
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500 year anniversary
500 years ago on October 31st, 1517, a young Catholic monk called Martin Luther nailed a piece of paper to the doors of the Wittenberg Castle Church. You can still visit this site in Germany today. Luther’s paper contained 95 objections or ‘theses’ that set off a theological earthquake that eventually came to be known as the Protestant Reformation. It bears this name because of escalating ‘protests’ and challenges to ‘reform’ that Luther and others made from this point onwards.
The Roman Catholic Church was earning vast sums of money by selling salvation. For example, the monk, John Tetzel, visited towns and cities selling indulgences on behalf of Pope Leo X. Indulgences supposedly speeded up entry into heaven from purgatory for yourself or your loved ones. But the Bible says nothing about this.
In its corruption, the church was teaching that a person must, through good works, please God. But because every person is sinful this was impossible. Luther saw that the effect on his native German people was to leave them without assurance of ever being friends with God – a situation that grieved him.
Luther’s study of the Bible, specifically Paul’s letter to the Romans, had shown him that God didn’t expect us to try to work at making ourselves acceptable. Rather, in his spectacular generosity, God has already reached down to us offering salvation freely through Jesus Christ.
Luther’s breakthrough was that in the death of Jesus Christ, salvation and forgiveness are free gifts from God. So, there is nothing we need to do accept trust in God. So, good works don’t secure salvation. Rather, they are the response of joyful, thankful faith.
After the publication of the 95 theses Luther continued to refine his thinking and challenge the Church of Rome. Sometime later he wrote:
‘… we do not depend on our own strength, conscience, experience or works, but depend on that which is outside ourselves, that is on the promise and truth of God.’
Martin Luther was a complicated man with many faults. As the leading cause of the split with the Church of Rome, his legacy is much debated. Yet his strident declaration to all the world – that salvation is ‘Sola Fide’ or ‘by faith alone’ in Jesus Christ – was much needed. It was as though a key had suddenly unlocked a door that had been ignored by many for centuries. It was an overwhelmingly exciting moment. But, of course it wasn’t a new discovery; it had been there in the pages of the Bible for almost 1,500 years.
Bible Verse: Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us”.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you that, at the cross, Jesus won salvation for all those who have faith in Him. Help us to always put our trust in Jesus.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
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Stream some reality
We’re the ‘still generation’. Heart rates barely crest the flat line as we flab and sprawl motionless for hours, bingeing on episode after episode… after episode… Most of all we’re bingeing on Netflix – consuming huge amounts of data watching ‘House of cards’ and ‘Suits’ and ‘Stranger Things’. Anything that will take us to ‘fiction world’ where our pulse can race with fear and love and excitement – somewhere better than our own dreary reality.
Some shows are like the mute button on our lives. They grab us so completely that we’re drawn into the very skin of the main character. When our hero sees a threat, we feel their fear. When they see the beautiful girl, we fall in love. When they conquer the world, we feel proud. In ‘fiction world’ there are always people better than we are… stronger, braver, smarter… good looking. A place with heroes we can pretend to be.
But meanwhile, God is keeping the services running – like sunshine, oxygen, gravity, temperature control and so on – things that sparkle and matter if you take the time to notice. And in God’s real world there are urgent responsibilities – to love and care for those around us. Mom, Dad, Gran, the kids, the neighbors… even the dog. The really urgent responsibility though is to spend time with God – someone you can easily forget if you spend all your time online. You see, inside ‘fiction world’ God barely gets a mention or else He’s mocked or taken for granted. But when you turn reality back on – you remember that God is the one in control. It’s His reality. He made it and He promises in the Bible that if we draw near to Him He’ll draw near to us.
Oh, and if you’re looking for an exciting superhero – you know, someone who saves the day, then don’t look to fiction. In reality, Jesus sets the standard in action heroes. When He arrived amongst us humans He came with a terrifying challenge – to give His life selflessly so that we might live. By dying on the cross, Jesus defeated death making it possible for all people to come close to God. Which means your own reality – dreary or not – can feature the most exciting true story of all.
Bible Verse: James 4:8 “Come close to God, and God will come close to you”.
Prayer: Dear God, in a world full of stories – help me to remember who you are and why your Son’s story is first in importance.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
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Build your house on the rock
When Jesus wanted His listeners to understand how important it was to put His words into actions, He chose to tell a parable…
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:24-27NLT).
Not everyone ends up building an actual house. But we all have to build a life. Which means, in a world that gets harder and more complicated with each passing year, we need to make wise decisions. Decisions about where it’s safe to live, how to earn money, who we can trust to hang out with… and lots and lots of moral decisions. For example, every day there are temptations to lie, steal, slander, be cruel or at least indifferent to someone we can help. And sometimes a terrible test comes along when we least expect it. People have woken up and, without any planning, made split decisions that have landed them in jail… or worse. We can lose our temper in a parking lot or agree to cover up corruption at work.
So, if building a life is like building a house then how do we build wisely? How do we avoid the rain, winds and floods that tear lives apart? Jesus tells us to build our life foundation on His words. When He said this Jesus was concluding the most important and world changing speech of all time – His famous Sermon On The Mount. In it He asks people to be honest with themselves and God. And He challenges people to live their lives to God’s high standard. Deep down we know these things are right.
Are you ready to start a fresh building? Considering this magnificent fact may be a help… Jesus willingly went to the cross and sacrificed His life for the sake of the world. It shows us that His words aren’t empty. On the contrary – they’re solid as a rock.
Bible Verse: Matthew 7:24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock”.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
Posted, August 2017
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God: Fill the earth and subdue it
The earth is in trouble. Forests are disappearing. Rates of extinction for animals and plants are 1,000 times greater than before the industrial revolution. Every minute a garbage truck’s worth of plastic slips into the world’s oceans. By 2050 the amount of plastic by weight floating at various depths will equal the total amount of all fish (World Economic Forum report).
Recently, scientists have started calling our age the Anthropocene era – the first point in history in which humans have become the major environmental influence on the planet. Sadly, so much of our impact on the world is destructive of other forms of life.
Are we pleasing God? When God told us in Genesis – back in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, that we were to: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground”. … did God want us to care for creatures other than ourselves? Did He want us to care for plants and ecosystems? Or should we just focus on increasing the human population?
The answer to these questions is found in the same chapter of Genesis. As God looked at each part of His creation He declared it to be good (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) and very good (Gen. 1:31). Which means creation is not just good because it helps humans survive and thrive. It is also good in and of itself – having both instrumental and intrinsic goodness. And because we humans have been given the task of ruling creation it’s our responsibility to safeguard this intrinsic goodness. Which is terribly difficult. But then, making hard decisions is the lot of all rulers. As we balance competing interests, sacrifices will be inevitable.
Some may say that, since God promises ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ when Jesus returns, we shouldn’t be too bothered about this world. After all, isn’t it going to pass away? Yet that would be ignoring both God’s command and basic common sense. You see, since we have no timetable for Jesus’s return we must plan for both the short and long term. Indeed, our wait for Jesus could be a long time. Are we really happy to leave a toxic and treeless planet for our children’s children?
If you’ve only just realized the extent of your responsibility to God’s creation then please take action where you can. It’s your duty.
Bible Verse: Genesis 1:28 “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground”.
Prayer: Dear God, please help me to be a wise ruler of your creation every day as I wait for Jesus to return.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
Posted, July 2017
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Apply daily to look good on the inside
When it’s high in the sky the sun’s beauty is fierce. Though, as it sets, your gaze can be full and frank. From a rooftop late in the afternoon, something more beautiful and more terrifying held the gaze of King David. Most men experience turmoil at the sight of a beautiful, naked woman. A primal, instinctual urge turns interest automatically into desire. Only a forceful act of the will can turn the gaze. But David kept looking. On an adjacent rooftop a woman bathed. The teller of David’s story tells us, ‘She was very beautiful’. Yet, although Bathsheba was married, David took her anyway. Then, when she became pregnant and the sin couldn’t be concealed, David organized for the murder of her husband, Uriah.
When you read the fuller version of this Bible story you’ll notice many lessons. Chiefly, that God sees who we really are. And He’s angry when we behave badly. With David, God’s anger burned. He cursed his household with evil, further adultery and the death of the child conceived with Bathsheba, promising that, ‘the sword shall never depart from your house’.
David and Bathsheba’s story also has lessons for us about beauty. Firstly, contrary to popular complaint, beauty is no modern obsession – it’s always been a thing… because every society believes that good-looking people have more worth. Secondly, beautiful people get ahead in life. Bathsheba’s husband was not an Israelite. Yet her beauty overshadowed this stigma. David simply couldn’t resist her. Later, their son, Solomon, reigned as King at the highest point in Israel’s history. Thirdly, we learn that outward beauty is no guarantee of anything nice on the inside. The Bible tells us that David was also good looking. Specifically, ‘he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome’. But God made it clear that this wasn’t the reason he chose him. He said, ‘man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart’.
Well, as we’ve seen, David’s heart became a corrupt mess. Later in the Bible (Psalm 51) he pleaded with God for help to make him beautiful on the inside. He cried, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a loyal spirit within me.’
So now, a disturbing question remains, ‘What does God see when He turns His fierce gaze upon me?’ Deep down we know the answer. Yet when we read the Bible we discover that God is willing to help. He’s willing to forgive and to come into our hearts so that we might become beautiful to Him.
Bible Verse: Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a loyal spirit within me”.
Prayer: Dear God, please forgive those things that I’ve thought, said and done that are ugly. Please help me to be beautiful on the inside.
Acknowledgement: This blogpost was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2017
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