Value

Big news in our city at the moment, is a landmark decision on euthanasia. A man who is quadraplegic has taken his case all the way to the Supreme court and has won the right to die. For those unfamiliar with it, he is being fed through a tube into his stomach. This win means that they can cease to feed him and he will essentially starve to death.

This whole thing makes me so angry. Angry because the essential argument for death, is that he has a low "quality of life". Because he can't scratch his nose, wipe his bottom, and do other things that we take for granted, his life quality is not enough to warrant life? If we take this logic to it's endth degree, anyone who is in a similar position could and/or should die. After all, they don't have the same quality of life as full bodied persons! Then what about people with low IQ's or disease, or other socially unacceptable issues? Why don't we show compassion and help them die?

It also makes me angry because this man thinks that he has nothing to contribute. But where is his family? Where are the people who can see his value is far greater than the ability to blow his own nose? Where are the advocates for life, those who love him as person not for what he can do for them?

Of course, I am also angry because we claim (the vast majority of Aussies) to believe in the 10 commandments, but then when it comes to this issues, forget that murder is one of them. Where is the compassion? Where is the love? Where is the sanctity of life?

Pursuit

By John Piper

So Tozer rejected the false logic which says: if you have found God in Christ, you need no more seek him. I reject that, too. And I join Tozer in replacing it with these words, "To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love..."

Matthew Henry is right: "Wherever there is true grace there is a desire for more grace." When Paul said, "Don't be drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18), his aim was to make God-aholics out of all believers. The Spirit is not deadening; he is addicting. The evidence that you have him is that you want more of him. Continued indifference to growth in grace is a sign of no grace…

When a man falls in love, he is driven by an inner compulsion to know his beloved. And therefore he goes hard after her and spends time with her. When a student admires his professor and treasures his wisdom and that professor invites the class to his home, the student goes! I had a great teacher in seminary. And when he offered a course in his home called "Hermeneutics for Eggheads," I signed up immediately. It didn't matter what the title meant. It was my teacher's course. It was my teacher's home. That's all I needed, because I wanted to know him. The first reason to go hard after Christ is to know him.

Go Deeper!

Grace

We are in a series on grace at church at the moment called "Extravagant Grace". It has been a real joy to open this topic up and give it some thought over the last few weeks.

Last sunday I spoke from Romans 6:1-2 "what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"

I love the fact that God gives us a grace that we can enter into salvation with, and remain in salvation with. Their is a grace for us to overcome sin! Praise God for that.

Sadly though, many people do not have this attitude. It wasn't that different in the Apostle Paul's day, hence the above verses! D.A. Carson comments on this. He says :-

“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer and obedience to scripture, faith and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated”.

Let us decide to live in grace!

A song from the Heart

I am amazed at how a song can "grab your heart". "How Great Thou Art", "How I trust Him" (the song I want played at my funeral) and so many other great songs have the capacity to transcend time and move us toward God.

Lately we have been enjoying "Revelation Song" on Melissa Greene's (from Avalon) latest solo album. This song isn't new either. It was written by Jennie Riddle back in 1999 in her personal worship time. Pulled in various directions with changing nappies, cooking dinner, and the call of the Spirit to write a song, she did the latter. And while this song is simple in its chord work, it is lyrically profound in its portrait of God, using Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Revelation 4.

I was the worship leader at Mount Lawley Church on sunday (my first time since we planted there) and we did this song. It moved many of us (including me) to tears. Just a wonderful time of worship...

Here are some of the lyrics:-

Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat

CHORUS Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything
And I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows, of living color Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be to You the only wise King

CHORUS

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder At the mention of your name
Jesus your name is power Breath, and living water Such a marvelous mystery

CHORUS

It is so important that we following the leadings of the Spirit. Whether it be in writing a song like this, or in studying scripture, witnessing to a friend, or being obedient in some way. These promptings that He gives us are so key to our spiritual walk. And when it comes to worship, I want to be moved by thoughts that remind me of just how big and wonderful our God is. He alone is worthy of our worship!

Post-Easter

Easter has come and gone again! 4 days (and a few weeks before) of hot cross buns, and chocolate. Now it is time for a diet and detox...sigh.

But this is also the time to reflect on what God did that first Easter. To look at the cross and resurrection with fresh eyes. Allowing God to bring about new life in us once again.

Following the calendar of events, we are inbetween the resurrection and the ascension. The disciples were in a period of time when things were falling into place. Prophecy and teachings now made sense. There was an excitement that they didn't have before. Jesus is alive!

They got to watch Jesus return to Heaven with the promise that He would come back for them. But in the meantime, they would have Pentecost. The Spirit came in Acts 2 in power and glory. Calvary and Pentecost are connected. God is with us through the presence of His Spirit. I am pleased to say that there is a freshness in my life that I didn't have last week. Praise God for that! With moving house and all that, I needed renewal. But what I really want is a fresh Pentecost. Join with me in that prayer!

Entertainment

Over the last month, Natalee and I have been able to go to a few concerts. It has been great. We have enjoyed The Fray and Coldplay as a couple. Coldplay was ridiculously good as a concert. The visual effects was just as good as the music. And Coldplay are great musos! Nat even got to go to Phantom of the Opera, so she has had a particularly blessed month!

The benefit of going to a concert is that you go to be entertained. Through the melody, and harmony, the music takes us on an emotional journey. We enjoy our favourite songs, singing along with gusto (hoping the stranger next to us isnt put off!) and go home exhausted from the hours of traffic congestion! We talk with our friends about how good it was, and look forward to the next night out.

But the problem is that so many people treat church the same way. It is a show to go to. We expect to be entertained, humoured, and kept engaged. If the show was good we even tell our friends. "So and so is such a great preacher", "this worship CD is just the best"...and I am the first to admit having uttered those phrases.

But the church of Jesus Christ isn't a show. It isn't something that we "go to". It is who we are. We are called to be the people of God. To live in covenental community with each other. Along the way we may put on events, but they are not who we are. It is the beauty of Christ's presence amongst a diverse group of people, with various ages and backgrounds, all magnifently saved by the same cross of Christ. Our joy is found in Him, when we come together. He is the one that I want to talk about. "Look what God did", not "look at how good we can be".

Jesus forgive us for treating your church like a show...

Going Green

No this post is not about the global climate crisis. It is St Patricks day and even before leaving home, am aware that people out there are dressed in green, eating green food, and drinking lots of green drinks. You would think that Australia was settled by more Irish than English! The love of green is all around.

And so, for the record, I am not wearing green today!

But I am going to allow myself to reflect on the main guy today. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was an interesting guy. Originally welsh, he went to Ireland following a vision that called him there. It should be noted that he was stolen at the age of 16 and forced to work in Ireland as a slave. So I doubt that he had fond memories of the place. But he knew the call of God.

Wading through the myriad of stories, it is clear that he worked outside of the strict boundaries of the Roman Catholic church (funny that they still made him a saint!) and baptised thousands of people. He refused to be bought by the wealthy, and lived a simple life. The fact that Irish still celebrate his life today is testimony to the impact that this Roman British missionary had on them.

Going deeper? Am I willing to serve people who have wronged me in the past? Am I obedient to the call of Christ to tell the world about Jesus? Am I able to overlook wealth and riches for the greater gain of Christ's call?

Food for thought.

Perseverance

Here is one for the perseverance file:-

A South Korean grandmother has failed her driving test for the 771st time, setting a new record for the country.The 68-year-old has taken the test almost every working day since 2005 and has no intention of giving up.Identified only by her last name, Cha struggles with the written test. The pass mark is over 60 per cent, but the elderly lady averages only 30-50 per cent.The wannabe road warrior has spent almost $6000 in test fees. Cha sells food in a handcart and wants a car to expand her business.One local cop said, “I feel sorry for her and if she ever passes I’ll make a commemorative tablet and give it to her,” as reported in The Korea Times.

So when you next feel lke giving up, just think of Cha!

We sold our house!

We have had our house on the market since mid 08 and have finally sold it! Ironically enough, there were 3 families who wanted to buy it in June and one of them has finally made the purchase. On the practical side, that is how long it has taken them to sell their house, thanks to the global economic crisis!

On the spiritual side, we have gone from the wilderness into an oasis! BTW thanks to our family and friends for your prayers! It has been a very testing and trying time.

Psalm 107:35 says "He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings." Praise God for the oasis! I pray the same for you in those things that are dry and empty in your life!

Wisdom

In the ongoing tragedy of the fires in Victoria, we have seen both the best and worst of human behaviour. Some people have been absolute heroes and make us so proud. Firefighters are just one example!

Unfortunately, one of the pastors in our nation has gone too far, and says that the fires are the wrath of God. Thankfully leading pastors have been very quick to disqualify his statements, and a great response by Pastor Rob Buckingham can be seen here:-

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=67125396069&id=746348696&ref=nf

God give us wisdom in knowing how to speak on your behalf!

Where is God in Disaster?

As I write this, Australia has the worst bush fires in the nation's history. In fact, the worst natural disaster in our short history. The southeastern state of Victoria has had 31 separate bush fires moving through which have destroyed entire towns. So far 126 people have been confirmed dead with that total expected to rise to 230 as remains are identified.

The tragedy is on so many levels. The standard advice in bush fires is for people to either flee early or remain. If they choose to remain in their homes, then they need to stay and fight rather than trying to flee in cars at the last minute. Too many people die in their cars in bush fires, and this weekend has been no exception. TV footage shows many cars strewn on the highways, burnt out with families inside. But things took a turn for the worse this time. The fires were so bad that people who stayed to fight with their homes, have perished in them. It is just horrific. One man put his children in the car to leave, went back into the house to collect something, only to find that the kids burnt to death in that short moment. Just tragic.

The normal question for us to ask in times like this "where is God"?

The answer is that He is right here.

I was speaking with Mark Hayles (Asst National Leader for IPHC) this morning about both the bush fires in Victoria and the flooding in Queensland. He reminded me of the verses in Isaiah 43:1b-2 “...fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you...when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God....”

On a macro level, God wants to move upon our nation. The outcome of natural disasters can be one of two options. Either we will turn to the Lord in our sorrow or turn from Him. Israel went both ways over the course of their history.

In this regard, God is ready to move, but He is waiting for our response. Prayer and intercession, fasting and giving are all examples of our response to our God. May we turn to the Lord, our God. May we find Him in our need.

May the Lord lead you this week in your response to Him, in this tragic hour.

Tree or Sawdust?

Psalm 1:3 “He shall like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Here we find a tree that doesn’t wither but prospers. This is the kind of person that God wants you to be. Someone who stands tall and strong. A person who can withstand the storms of life. Someone who is fruitful enough to bless people here and now, and there and then! Like the Survivor Tree in Oklahoma City, we can turn tragedy around into triumph, bringing hope to people’s lives as we share the Gospel.

The contrast in this chapter is with the wicked person who has become mere sawdust. They are blown away by the wind. What a comparison – tree or sawdust!

This kind of life can only be built on the Word of God. Verse 2 says that we meditate on it i.e. chew it over. Make the decision today, to build a life that is like that tree, and not sawdust!

Behavioural Change

Have you ever wished you could change your behaviour? Felt locked into a routine or addiction that was destructive? Or been part of a community where things were not being done in a Biblical way?

Part of our journey to go deeper into the things of God, is to deal with our theology. Theology is not a topic for “spiritual eggheads”. Theology is what we believe about God. Hence we need to have good theology.

Now good theology always starts with who God is and then works out into practical ways. Orthodoxy forms orthopraxy. That is to say; if we don’t like the way that we are behaving (orthopraxy) we need to go back to what we believe (orthodoxy). The opportunity for change does not come through a self help programme, but through a revelation of God.

This is why our spiritual intake is so important. Spiritual growth doesn’t start with activities, programmes or ideas. Spiritual growth starts with God. This is why we pray and fast. Seeking God results in us knowing God in a deeper way. His Word says that when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:7). Speaking of the Word, there is no way that we can develop good theology without studying the Word.

Let’s make the commitment to go deeper into the things of God in ‘09. It will change how we live!

Children

Our IPHC missionaries to Borroloola, Les & Sally Freeman had a baby last week. Jael Faith was born, weighing 7 pounds. Praise god for her safe arrival. Please pray for the family as they make the long journey back from Melbourne to Borroloola.

"A child is a revelation from God. Prophets receive visions, mystics ponder the ineffable, great preachers deliver God's word. The greatest revelation comes through flesh and blood. Every child is a fresh, unheard-of image of God, and children keep coming and coming because the world has not yet conceived of all the fullness of God's glory."
Mike Mason, The Mystery of Children

An Athiest's Confession

Here is a very interesting article:-

Matthew Parris is a newspaper columnist for The Times of London and a self-described atheist. Surprisingly, though, in a December 2008 column he wrote an article titled "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God." Parris admits that saying this runs counter to his beliefs, but he cannot ignore the difference that he sees in African Christians. Parris, who grew up in Africa, writes:-

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there…. It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But traveling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too—one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects, and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good….

[When I lived in Africa] we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world—a directness in their dealings with others—that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

Back in Black (and other colours)

The Friend family is officially back home. We got back on saturday (10th) having spent a couple of weeks in Binningup (2 hours south of Perth) in a coastal holiday village. For all those in the Northern hemisphere right now (hi Jasmine!) that meant that we had sun, surf and sand for enough time to get a decent tan. And our first full day home was 38 degrees celcius (over 100F) so I felt like going back to Binningup again! But it is good to be home.

We have spent the last 8 years in Binningup for our family summer holiday. It has its own set of traditions and routines that make it comfortable. Kaleb is only 10 so he wouldnt remember a time before Binningup. It is part of our lives now. I am so grateful to God for the blessing that He has made for us in this getaway. Through marriage we are related to the family there and they graciously allow us to use their cottage every year. May God bless them richly for their generousity.

But what is a family holiday really about? I think the greatest gain is the connection that is made. You are spending time together. Just being together is the greatest joy. The joy isnt found in winning a game of canasta (Em won this year, she is so proud that she beat her Dad!) the joy is in being with one another.

Isn't it the same with God!? The real joy is not found in leading someone to Christ, or preaching a great sermon. The real joy is found in being with Him. The rest is just a bonus!

These holidays I feel like I was able to connect with my family and my God at a deeper level. It was the best holiday... ever!

What about you?