Seriously

 

For the past few weeks I’ve been privileged to attend a series of study lectures on various topics, collectively termed under the title of “Seriously”. These were designed to enable the attendee to consider how various aspects of the physical, cultural and metaphysical world give evidence to the reality of God and reflect His greatness.  The series was hosted by author Jonathan Clerke and some of the presentations from this and previous years may be viewed through YouTube by searching on Jonathan Clerke Official.

 The various topics presented provided much food for thought and I hope I can share a few of my impressions over time in this blog, with the disclaimer that I am not a trained scientist or university trained professional, as were the presenters of the series, but rather someone who has loved and attempted to follow Jesus for a long while and learned through personal study and life experiences. As Christians, when we learn, it is not merely for our own edification. The great commission of Christ is to share what we have with others, in order for God to be known, received and glorified.

One of the great privileges of being human is the ability to ask deep and serious questions about the nature of our being. How did the world around us form? How did humans get to be on this earth? What is the purpose of our being? Are we more than a brain in a body? What is the soul? Could artificial intelligence evolve to the point of independent thought/ reasoning/ selfhood and ultimately overtake humans? How do features of the natural world indicate intelligent design?

As we question and learn, we unfold further questions, we seek more answers. Our place in the universe and our relationship to the world and its peoples around us is the basis for all science, culture, law and religion. As Christians, by both professional research and by faith, we believe that the Bible can be trusted completely to reveal the triune God – God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit as the One who created this world and made mankind in His image. 

Some would say a Christian approach is mere naïve supposition. Others would say it is the result of logical conclusion. No matter:

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Music styles by Wayne Collett

Have you heard people denounce Christian music published by Hillsong or Bethel?

 

Have you heard someone complain about worship songs these days, saying…

 

“The trouble with modern Christian music is that it’s so ‘self-centric’; it’s all about ‘me’ and ‘I’ and ‘we’, with far less reference to God.

 

Can God be glorified by lyrics so skewed towards ‘self’ as in the following example?

 

Some may say “NO”.

 

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

A well-known Christian song comprises the following:

 

Me

I

I’m

 I

My

My

I

I

Me

Me

 Lord

Me

His

My

He

My

I

We've

We've

God's

We'd

 

The song?

 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

 I once was lost, but now I’m found,

Was blind, but now I see.

 

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

 

Through many dangers, toils and snares

 I have already come,

'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home.

 

The Lord has promised good to me,

 His word my hope secures;

 He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

 

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease

 I shall possess within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

 

When we've been there ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun,

 We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we'd first begun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let your heart, through the filter of the Holy Spirit speak.

 

God is the author of his own praises; expressed through the love of his people.

 

Do not be quick to quench the Spirit.

 

Dwelling

 

“Dwelling” is one of those words that can be a verb, adjective or noun. I can be dwelling in a home unit (verb). I can give you the address of my dwelling place (adjective).  Or I am looking for a dwelling with two storeys (noun). Dwelling usually relates to our home or where we live.

There is another use for the word, and that is to refer to deep thinking. We can dwell on many things, but often we hear the words “to dwell on the past” in a negative context. If we’re thinking happy thoughts about the past, we’re usually “remembering” or “reminiscing”, but if we “dwell” in the past there’s a sense of being there, not just in a place but at a time.

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” So sayeth William Faulkner in a popular quote. Memories can bring us great joy as we recall special, happy times. They can also be a source of tremendous pain, anger, regret, shame and bitterness.

When we dwell on past experiences, we can remember the situation we were in as if it were still happening, going through it again and again, detail by detail, as if we somehow expect that this time it will be resolved, that there will be an answer, that it could turn out differently. I wish I had said that…, I could have done this…. yet always we are left with the reality of what was. The same emotions that churned through us when the event first happened recur.

Dwelling on negatives can have severe long- term consequences, including depression and mental illness. Satan loves to keep people dwelling in the past, because then they can be far less effective in the present.

I can’t stress enough the role that a qualified counsellor can have in assisting a person to come to terms with past hurts. Pastoral care workers, ministers, psychologists, doctors and psychiatrists can all be sources of help.

In addition, God has given us His Counsellor, three in fact. God Himself is the source of all righteous counsel. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is described as:

 “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

And Jesus, just before He was crucified, told His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit:

“ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[c] in you. “(John 14:16-18).

Christians talk about the “indwelling” Holy Spirit. We still have our old, fallen human nature, but we also receive the Spirit of God, which lives with us always. The Holy Spirit is a powerful, mystical force that guides and counsels us. It can bring protection and hope in dark times.

It can be liberating to consider that if I now dwell on the past, the Holy Spirit can dwell there too. I can receive God’s comfort and understanding. Jesus Christ bore every sin and shame that I may have felt on the cross, that I might be free from sin and death.

I cannot change what has happened in the past, but I can ask Christ into my life in the present, to live the rich and fruitful life that He had always planned for me. I can commit the past to Him, to deal with, for He does so far better than I ever could.

The apostle Paul, who, through the inspiration of God, wrote a considerable portion of the books of the New Testament of the Bible, formerly hated Christians. Following a personal encounter with Christ Paul became zealous for God, preaching and teaching wherever he went. He at times felt great shame for his former life, yet knew he was forgiven. He wrote:

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

The Bible is full of verses that uplift and sustain us in times of trial. Here is one about dwelling:

“27The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’ 28So Israel dwells securely; the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled in a land of grain and new wine, where even the heavens drip with dew.…” (Deuteronomy 33:27,28).

 

The Bereans

" As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men." Acts 17:10-12

 

Much has been made of these few verses in the book of Acts in relation to the Bereans, and it's usually in the context of checking what people preach against what is said in the Bible. Whilst this is essentially correct and is a very good practise anyway, perhaps we miss the context of what Luke is recording here. 

The Bereans received the message with great eagerness. Why?

What was the message that Paul and Silas were proclaiming?

What were the scriptures that the Bereans were examining the message against? 

Jesus, throughout His ministry referred to the Old Testament books of the Bible- the books of the law and the Prophets, the Psalms and others. When tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4 e.g.) and when preaching in the synagogue (Luke 4 e.g.) He quoted scripture.

The scriptures of the Old Testament are what the Bereans would have had available to study before the visit of Paul and Silas. Now we must really consider what the Old Testament is all about. Is it a chronicle of the history of the Jewish people? Yes. Is it a description of the sin of fallen humanity and mankind’s inability to live to the standards of God? Yes. Is it prophecy about future event? Definitely.

The Bible is the word of God, written by various authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus Himself is known as the Logos, the word of God. The purpose of the Bible is to reveal God, especially through His Son Jesus Christ, that we may know Him and His great love for us, and enter into relationship with Him through Christ. Everything in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation ultimately points to God’s glory through His Son, Christ Jesus.

Many of the books of the Old Testament contain prophesies about the coming of the Messiah. It seems plausible that the Bereans were used to studying the scriptures. We are told that as Paul and Silas taught, the Bereans checked the teachings every day against what was recorded. If they were not already in the habit of studying the word, it is hardly likely that they would do so to authenticate the message.

What was the message that Paul and Silas taught? It was the gospel. Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection. How Christ fulfilled the prophecies. He was the long-awaited Messiah who died on the cross, God’s perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. How Jesus changed sinful men into redeemed people who loved God and lived for Him.

Paul, with his scholarly knowledge of Jewish law and scripture would have eloquently taught how Christ fulfilled every prophecy of the Old Testament. Paul was fully devoted to Christ and gave Him all the glory for his (Paul’s) ministry and no doubt the Holy Spirit was working through the disciples. No wonder the Bereans eagerly received the good news that they had been waiting for and believed.

(Similarly scholars today far more learned than I have convincingly demonstrated to some of the Jewish faith the number of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ.)

The Gospel, as always, is central to this story. We, like Paul and Silas, have the responsibility of sharing the gospel with the world. We have the responsibility (and great joy) of studying God’s word, so that we can eagerly await what is yet to come.

 

A long way from Macedonia, St. Barnabas Chapel, Norfolk Island. The gospel is still being proclaimed throughout the world.

 

 

Caring

 The clients that I encounter daily in my workplace are adults who are severely intellectually and physically impaired. They are highly dependent upon others to care for their basic needs of everyday living. 

We live in a world where diversity is often acknowledged and celebrated as the good thing that it is, yet paradoxically the need to care for the most vulnerable - the aged, the impaired, the unborn- can be called into question.

At worst, some would say that people with profound disabilities should not be assisted to live. 

What is the worth of such a significantly disabled person?

I would argue- tremendous worth.

Each person on this earth is created by God, in His image, and for His glory.

Far from being in a vegetative state, even people with profound disabilities each display their own human personality- in looks, actions and ways of relating to the world. 

I was reminded of this recently when I was with a very impaired young man, waiting for an appointment. He was dozing in his chair and while we were waiting I decided to read to him from the Bible app. that I have installed on my phone. I read the first chapter of Genesis. The effect on him was immediate. His eyes opened wide, and he smiled. He cannot speak but I believe that he responded to the words. He attends church, so perhaps the language of the Bible is familiar to him. God's word touches every heart that is soft and responsive to Him. The smile of a disabled man can touch other hearts and I'm sure it touches God's heart. 

When we care for the most vulnerable people in our society, the society as a whole benefits from this attitude of care. We were all once helpless infants in the womb. Many of us will be stricken with life-limiting illnesses, or suffer mental illnesses such as depression, and many will live to become frail late in life. It is one of the highest ideals of a society to care for each other. I truly believe we touch God's heart and change the course of nations when we do so. 

When we cease to do so, society as a whole disintegrates into a self-serving survival of the fittest. We march again down the road to Auschwitz, where certain people are deemed to be unworthy of life- to satisfy eugenics theory, to satisfy economic concerns, to satisfy political ambitions. 

Guest story - Wayne Collett

 God speaks to us individually in many different ways. He speaks through His word, the Bible. He may speak through the wise counsel of a fellow believer. He often speaks through the ministry of His pastors and teachers. He may speak through the ministry of His Holy Spirit in our thoughts and in our prayer life. The many resources that we have available in the media can also be a source of connection with God.

My husband Wayne sometimes feels prompted from God by a series of images or a storyline resembling a parable. I would like to share this recent story which Wayne felt strongly that he should write down. 

I would like to stress that this is not a criticism of academic learning. There are many lessons contained in this story, amongst them the need to balance what is known and what is done.

Perhaps God has in mind someone for whom this story was intended.

"

There was once a man who owned a very large tract of land.  The land was extremely fertile and abundant permanent water flowed through it from the East and the West.

The man looked at the land and gave thanks for the blessings God had showered on him and he thought to himself, “such fertile land will not only feed my family but, with good stewardship, provide for the whole nation.”

So, the man set about tilling the soil.  He removed rocks and obstacles.  He diverted streams and irrigated the whole of his land and eventually it was ready to produce a great harvest.

Over time, the land became more fruitful and the man was able to feed his family and to produce enough crops to feed his neighbours as well.

Now the man had a son.  When the boy was young his father told him of his vision to feed the nation so that none would ever be hungry.  The father said to the son, “Be diligent at school and equip yourself for the task that will one day be yours, for the prize will not be reached in the span of just one lifetime.”

The boy pondered on his father’s words and as he grew, the weight of responsibility became greater, knowing that one day it would be up to him to fulfil his father’s vision.

Being faithful to his father, the boy acquitted himself well in his studies but when the time approached for him to finish school he said to his father, “let me go to university to attain a degree in an agricultural field so that when I return, the things I have learned will increase the land’s yield many times.”

The father was pleased that the son shared his vision to make the land prosper and he agreed that he should go to university.

For three years the son studied hard and as he had done in school, excelled in his studies; his eyes on the day when his father’s land would produce a massive harvest.

At the end of three years the father said to the son, “It is good that you have applied yourself so well, together we can make the land blossom.”. But the son said to the father, “I have been approached by one of my lecturers and he thinks that with my aptitude I could attain a master’s degree.  Let me take one more year and I will return to take up the challenge.”.

The father said, “It is good that you wish to expand your knowledge so that when you return the harvest will be even greater.”.

Once again, the son applied himself with zeal; his eyes still fixed on the day when his father’s land would produce a massive harvest and feed all the people.

Another year passed and the father once again enquired of the son and the son replied, “I have been singled out by one of my tutors who feels I should work towards a Ph.D.  With a doctorate I can return home and train many more sons to work the land and produce a harvest beyond our imagination.”

The father again replied, “It is good that you have held onto our vision so diligently and for so long.  When you return, we will truly see a great harvest multiplied.”

So, the son spent another two years away from home and worked hard at his dissertation.  He applied all that he had learnt and authored a thesis that would become a text book for those who work on the land.

The father was very proud of his son and again he wrote to him and said, “My son, you have worked hard and have achieved great distinction.  Now it is time to return home and put to work all that you have learnt.”.

But once again the son replied, “Father I have wonderful news.  Because of the success of my work the university has offered me a professorship.  Just think; I will be able to train up a whole generation of farmers of the land.  They will know the best principles of land and animal management and will guarantee none will want for food in the future.”.

The son waited for his father’s reply, confident of his praise for his steadfast diligence to his dream.

Many months passed and no word was received from his father, so the son set off to return home and tell him of his news. But when he crested the hill which overlooked his father’s land, he was shocked to see the fields barren.  The canals that had supplied water to the fields were silted up and dust blew across the landscape.

As he approached his father’s house, he saw an old woman sitting beneath a lone shade tree; her face was drawn and deep lines like the ones now scarring the ground were etched across her face.

It was then that she lifted her gaze and he realised it was his mother.

“What has happened?” the son exclaimed, and “Where is my father?”

His mother said, “It is good that you have returned home and we are all very proud of what you have achieved my son.” To this the son said to his mother, “I will return to the university and train up a generation to restore the land and fulfil the promise I made my father.”. But the mother turned to her son and said, “Your zeal for your father’s vision does you credit my son, but there is little point. You see, I am the only one left and all the others have starved to death.”

© Wayne Collett 2021

How do I become a Christian? and the Good News (reprinted periodically)

 The Gospel

In the beginning, God, (God the Father, Jesus Christ his only Son and the Holy Spirit), created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, including the first man, Adam and the first woman, Eve. God created humans to live in relationship with Him, but gave them free will to either obey Him or be disobedient. Satan, the devil, whom the Bible identifies as a fallen angel, tempted Eve to sin by disobeying God and she in turn tempted Adam to also disobey God. For their disobedience Adam and Eve were cast away from God’s presence and the wonderful life God had created for them and through them all their descendents were destined to be born sinful.

Yet throughout history there have been men and women who sought after God. Humanity became so depraved that God destroyed the earth with a global flood, but saved Noah and his family. Through Abraham God established the nation of Israel, who would be God’s favoured people. Moses, Abraham’s descendent, led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments and many laws of conduct. Because of the sinful nature of man, these laws were not kept, and a system of animal sacrifices was instituted to make atonement for the sins of the people. However, the people both individually and as a nation continued in a cycle of falling away from God and returning to Him.

During the history of the nation of Israel there were prophets who foretold that a Saviour would be born, to save humanity from its sinfulness. Their prophecies were fulfilled when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Jesus is the only Son of God. He was sent to this earth and lived amongst us as a human, without losing His divine nature. In all things Jesus honoured and obeyed His Father, God. During His ministry on earth, Jesus performed many miracles and taught us regarding God’s nature and way of living. He was tempted by Satan but was without sin. He travelled with a group of disciples who were the foundation of the church – God’s people on earth.

In the same way that animals had been sacrificed to make atonement for man’s sin, it was the purpose of God to send Jesus to earth to become a total sacrifice, once and for all time, for fallen humanity. As was His destiny, Jesus was arrested, tried for heresy and crucified on a hill outside Jerusalem called Calvary. At the time of Christ’s death the curtain in the Jewish temple was torn apart, symbolising that the old system of God only being able to be approached by certain people and in certain places, was finished.

Now all could come into right relationship with God through the shed blood of Jesus, by committing their lives to Him in repentance and faith.

The Bible tells us that Jesus descended into hell and has total dominion over Satan and evil. On the third day Christ rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples and many others on earth. He gave his disciples the “great commission” to go into all nations and preach the gospel. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to the earth at Pentecost (ten days after Jesus’ ascension). The Holy Spirit is not only alive in the world, but indwells in those who have committed themselves wholly to God and gives such attributes as comfort, counsel, power and discernment. God's temple is now not a building, but the people in whom His spirit dwells. In the same way the church is not a building but the body of Christian believers on earth.

The Bible tells of spiritual battles between good and evil in both earthly and heavenly realms. It includes indications of great tribulation yet to come. We are told that Christ will return to this earth, the second coming, when He will defeat the evil forces raging in the world and will judge the living and the dead.

We who have committed our lives to Christ still struggle in our humanity with temptation to sin, and must choose daily to live in obedience to His will. We grow in our faith through prayer, study and reflection of God’s word, the Bible; and by meeting regularly in fellowship with other Christians.

All this is a fairly factual summary of some of the content of the Bible. But most of all, our lives as Christians are lives that are transformed. We know a love that surpasses anything. We know a deep joy within our spirits springing from God's Holy Spirit within us. We know a power beyond ourselves which touches others and transforms them too. We have a confidence that even when life is difficult and deeply sad and broken and disappointing, we have a relationship which sustains and comforts and gives us hope. God is faithful and He has the best in store. Christianity is not a killjoy set of rules which will spoil your fun. It's the most fantastic life you could ever hope to imagine....and then some more.

How do I become a Christian?

The Bible tells us that there is only one way to relationship with God and that is through Jesus Christ:

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

“Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:5-6)

To become a Christian, you need to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to honour God and for the forgiveness of sin and that He rose again and ascended to His Father God.

You also need to admit or confess that you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness through Christ. This is known as repentance. Repentance involves confessing that we have done wrong, saying sorry to God and committing to living a life in obedience to God's ways. Becoming a Christian does not make you suddenly perfect. We all still struggle with temptations and failures in this earthly life and continually need God's grace and forgiveness. Repentance does mean that we look to God for wisdom and guidance to resist temptation.

You then need to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Just as a wedding ceremony begins a marriage, so a prayer of confession and faith can begin, but is just the beginning, of a relationship with God. An ongoing relationship includes learning about God through Bible study; baptism, conversations with God through prayer, and encouragement through Christian fellowship in a caring church.

The following is a prayer which could be used to begin this relationship. You may wish to pray it alone, personally, or you may wish to discuss your decision with a Christian friend or pastor first to fully understand:

Dear Heavenly Father God,

I come before You acknowledging You as the only one God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Thank You, Father God, for sending Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, honouring You and making a way for sinful people to come back into relationship with You. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Please forgive my sin and cleanse me I pray. I receive Jesus Christ into my life to be my Lord and Saviour for the rest of my days. May You give me strength through the power of the Holy Spirit to live my life as a Christian. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen

May God bless you with an ever-increasing knowledge of His wonderful presence and endless love as you continue to seek and serve Him.

Ephesians 3:14-20 :

^"For this reason I kneel before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Ame