Friday,
August 16, 2002
ORGINAL POST :: 14th December 2001
Christmas 2001
Two thousand odd years ago - God made himself human and entered the world in a way foretold hundreds of years before. He lived and walked amongst His creation. At the age of 30 He began His job on earrth - to show people how to be forgiven for rebelling against the God who made us. 3 years later he died, having predicted His death and it's nature. 3 days later he rose to life again, appeared to many witnesses and then ascending into heaven. Jesus claimed to be God.
Jesus said he was the ONLY way to God
Jesus said that only by faith in Him could people be forgiven
Jesus died and rose again This man who was God offers you forgiveness and a chance to relate to the God who made us. All you have to do is admit your rejection of God, belive that Jesus died to take the punishment that you deserved, trust that His death brings you forgiveness for all your rebellion, follow God and live your life His way not your own. The truth - is what you need - it is the end of mystery - the truth will set you free. last edit: 14.12.2001
23:51
ORIGINAL POST :: October 22nd 2001 War A little over 10 years ago - July 1991 - I became a christian. It was a life changing moment and I have written about it elsewhere and won't go into in detail here. In 1979 I moved from Bondi Beach to Greystanes and that too was a life changing moment for the 9 year old that I was - a feeling of loneliness and displacement such as I had never felt before filled my life, and only very slowly has it gone away. It sounds so cliché just to write this, but September 11 was a life changing moment. For the first time I really - more so than in the Gulf War - caught a real glimpse and felt just the tip of the iceberg of the fear and pain that people in war torn countries must feel. But it was real. I know Australia is insignificant and not likely to suffer direct terrorist attacks - but the horrors which are war, I suddenly realised, could reach out and touch me in Australia. And I try and imagine myself in Afghanistan - try and imagine that America was targeting our military - bombing night and day - threatening to invade our country and kill our leaders - how would I feel as a civillian who does not support our current govt and had no input into it's election [I vote Christian and then Labour], no input into the things it decides.
And my only thought is that America has to stop the bombing.
In every war since WWII the percentage of people killed who were civillians has risen until I believe it is about 80% on average.
As a christian, I can not think of any cause that is worth killing another person for.
Nor can I imagine any earthly cause worth dying for. The only thing worth dying for is to tell someone, gently, lovingly,
the awesome truth of the gospel about Jesus Christ
and to stand for Him and the freedom to tell others about Him.
And I don't think that other people should die to protect me, and I know that other people should not die because of the actions of the leadership that they may be powerless to remove and oppose - not a single life is worth wasting - no matter how many other lives it may save. My freedom is in heaven and the forgiveness I receive in Christ - not governments, not free speech, not a constitution or a rule of law. Do I thank God that I have these things - yeah, but not often enough. Do I appreaciate that others have given me this [at the cost of their life] - yes, but not often enough. Will I kill to keep them, or ask others to do the same - no.
As a christian, I can not think of any cause that is worth killing another person for.
Nor can I imagine any earthly cause worth dying for. The only thing worth dying for is to tell someone, gently, lovingly,
the awesome truth of the gospel about Jesus Christ
and to stand for Him and the freedom to tell others about Him.
So, what do I say is the answer? Amercia should use it vast resources and military might to rebuild afghanistan - if they really think they have to destory the Taliban then do so, but not with indescriminate measures. Build roads, hospitals, water purifacation plants, sewerage, drainage, electrical grids - shower the people in gitfs. Maybe in the background hunt down the terrorists if you must - but commit troops to the ground who will build infrastructure and teach the people how to use it - don't destroy what little this country has and then maybe rebuild - rebuild now and seek justice for those at the same time.
And finally I know that Musilims and Afghans and all Arabs are not terrorists, no more than all White Anglos are war mongering.
Men have cloaked evil in religion for a long time - from the crusades, to Indonesia, to the latest attack in Israel - God is not evil and does not call upon His followers to carry out terrorist attacks or war -
but instead to speak the truth in love.
And so in love I offer this reminder
That God, the one and only - loving creator and ruler of this world -
loves and forgives all of His creation.
He sent His son in to the world - to live and to be crucified and to rise again.
So that whoever believes in His Son will be forgiven
but whoever rejects His Son will not be forgiven and will have to pay the penalty for their Rebellion.
last edit: 22.10.2001
17:44
ORGINAL POST :: September 12th 2001
Terrorism Rocks the US and the World......
That was how our day started yesterday with the news of a major terrorist attack against the USA. How did I feel - anger, loss, fear, uncertainty, sick - yeah all of them.
As I learnt more about what had happened in America and as I spoke to and heard from many people and after tonight's prayer meeting at church I felt strange - I couldn't help wondering about all the other people who died on that day, people who the world didn't think about, didn't tape or mourn or express outrage about. What happened was wrong, what happened was evil - and yet what happened speaks so softly compared to all the other evil and wrong things that happen on that day.
Don't get me wrong - I mourn with all who are in this tragedy.
Does what happened reduce hope - no - because the evil which perpetrated this crime has been dealt with and will get what it deserves. [Psm 73]
God may appear indifferent but that is all it is, appearances, the wrong appearance brought about by looking in the wrong places and with the wrong eyes - 2000 years ago this loving creator and ruler of the world dealt with the evil which is in this world once and for all.
Since that time He has been waiting, reaching out, giving people the chance to turn from their hatred and sin and evil - to be forgiven and given a second chance. And we have been rejecting him all the time - and so God; who has given us free will; must suffer along with us when the evil is carried out. We have been rejecting the only hope, the only constant, the only trustworthy.
Men have cloaked evil in religion for a long time - from the crusades to the latest attack in Israel - God is not evil and does not call upon His followers to carry out terrorist attacks or war - but instead to speak the truth in love.
And so in love I offer this reminder
That God, the one and only - loving creator and ruler of this world - loves and forgives all of His creation.
He sent His son in to the world - to live and to be crucified and to rise again.
So that whoever believes in His Son will be forgiven but whoever rejects His Son will not be forgiven and will have to pay the penalty for their Rebellion.
last edit: 14.09.2001
16:41
ORGINAL POST :: April 7th 2001
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Everything has a symbol, a logo. Nike has a tick - McDonald's its Arches, a bitten Apple for Macs, a penguin for Linux What about the symbols of easter? An empty tomb? A cross? A nail? |
The nail is the best symbol for easter. It reminds us of what easter is all about - that Jesus Christ came to earth and died for us, people who had reblled against God's rule of their lives. Jesus then rose again and went to be in heaven and wait for us who believe he died for our sins to join him. Sin is the disease - the bad things we do are the symtoms. Jesus is the only cure. Want to know more? Ask me... |
16:33
ORGINAL POST :: March 22nd 2001 - Mac OS X comes out on the 24th. This is the much awaited update to the Macintosh operating system. From the Beta release it is clear that this is be an awesome operating system ... combining the ease of Mac use with the power of Unix [Free BSD kernal] this will become the ultimate operating system.
OR WILL IT?
I mean these guys consistantly produce the best designed, engeered, ground breaking, trend setting, standard defining software and hard ware - but they can't market it. I used to think that Microsoft was dumb, was sad, pathectic, copiers not innovators - but now I see that they aint dumb - no they can sell us crap and we buy it. Apple has pure gold [titanium even] but still has the puniest market share.
They couldn't sell - nay give away - a bucket of hot water to a person on fire. People would buy the glass of dehydrated water with a crack in it from Microsoft - why, marketing.
It's hard to sell the best - I know, I'm a christian, when we try and tell people about God we tell them the truth and this can be unsettling, we tell them a truth which includes a call to respond - and that's confronting, we tell them a truth which can change their lives and give them forgiveness from the God who made them - and that's the most important news anyone can hear.
But it is the best, and only way, to live in this world - we know it and we need to tell other about it, so that they can enjoy the best too.
16:31
ORGINAL POST :: March 8th 2001 - Listening is so hard to do. It means giving up what I think is important so that I can think what you think, so that I can understand what it is you are trying to communicate to me.
It takes effort - reflecting on what I hear, putting the words said into the context of the delivery - body language, tone, speed - repeating back and asking questions. All the while not thinking about my reply until I am certain that I understand your message, so that we can actually converse, not just talk at each other.
Have you tried to really listen? It's not easy at all.
Imagine trying to listen to God - in so many ways it's a one way street, we pray, we tell him oh woes, we sing at Him. But do we stop and listen? And how do you hear God anyway? Is he loud, soft, does he cough first to let you know? Does he even still speak today?
In the bible it tells us that God has a still, small, voice. He encourages us to be still and know that He is God. It's easy to miss God's voice. And yet he speaks in so many things - nature, the lives of Christians, and for those who are Christians His Spirit is inside us and He is talking to us all the time - pointing us to Jesus. And for those who aren't Christians he speaks to you as well - through his people, through the things which go on in your life - your good times remind you of his provision, your bad times how bad things would be without a God.
But it all is for nothing if we aren't listening - "be still and know that HE is God"
16:30
ORGINAL POST :: March 1st 2001 - Unless you're from a different planet then you probably heard about the death of Sir Donald Bradman - I read one newspaper describe him as simply the best ever sportsman in the history of the world.
His batting avergage was 99.94 which is unlikely to be surpassed [100 is the best you can be and had he not scored 0 but 4 or more in his final innings would have gained an average of 100]. He has also been creditted with being a most humble man untouched by his fame and influence.
But you know if he isn't a Christian then all that he did will count for nothing, and anyway what difference in eternity does having an average of 99.94 have - none. Christians telling people about Jesus is making a difference for eternity. Why waste your life only ever pursuing the things of this world - you come with nothing and leave with nothing - the only thing that will last is the person who you tell about Jesus and who accepts Jesus as their saviour. May sound harsh but it's also true.
Will what you put all that effort into today last into eternity?
16:29
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