Merry Christmas 2006

Its 8:59Pm. Christmas Day 2006 Officially over for me. A wonderful Christmas. Yesterday, I took my God daughter to see The Nativity Movie. We attended a simple Church service last night, the Church was over flowing.

Woken at the 'Crack of Dawn' by my boys. Unwrapping gifts. For me this year a hydration pack (for cycling and running), some redwine, and tea leaves. Also an inspiring book on raising Children.

Christmas dinner with in-laws - a magnificint meal cooked by my wife's cousin - a Chef. Then off to the beach for a swim and beach cricket.

Kids in bed. Finally. I'm about to crash.

If anyone still reads this, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas also.

Seasons

Its nearly THAT season again.

-Scuba Diving
-Surfclub
-Barbecues
-Christmas
-Australia Day...
-And of course Noahs.

Just love summer!

Selfish Ambition

Dealing with Sin. Self. Selfish Ambition.

Its been said before. There is a lack of love in today's Corporate. Maybe there has alway's been.

"What does it prosper a man to gain the whole world - only to lose his own soul in the process?".

Note to self. It's been a while since I immersed myself in His Word.

Night Minds

"You were blessed by a different kind of inner view: it's all magnified.
The highs would make you fly, and the lows make you want to die.
And I was once there, hanging from that very ledge where you are standing.
So I know
I know
I know,
It's easier to let go.

But I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see,
So we can both be there and we can both share the dark.
And in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds
And into the light at the end of the fight.

...and in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds
And into the light... at the end of the fight..."

From Missy Higgins' "Night Minds". (Great Song).

Photo: Westminster Abbey.Sept 2006.

A Little Ray of Sunshine

This is our new addition...



Teah (Tay-ah) Grace. Born 26/09/2006

God's Grace in the gift of a girl.

Tagged

Kel has tagged me to answer a whole bunch of questions around the number 4. Like Kel I'm gonna make my own rules up :-) and just choose 4 of the questions to answer.

4 Jobs You Have Had In Your Life:
Bank Officer,
Export Sales Admintrator,
Business Analyst,
IT Project Manager

4 Places You Have Lived:
Melbourne; Vic
Karratha, WA;
Perth, WA

4 Websites You Visit Daily (or often):
http://signposts.org.au/
http://www.srosurf.com/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://economist.com/index.html
http://www.gantthead.com/

Ok that's five!

4 People To Tag:
Too Shy!

Uncovered

"We all know how silver seams the rocks, we've seen the stuff from which gold is refined, We're aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock. Miners penetrate the earth's darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating darkness. Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes. Earth's surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks. Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it. Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don't know it's there. Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains. They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems. They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth's secrets to light." Job 28

You know, it’s truly winter here, Down Under. But not quite.

I’ve not posted for such a long time. Been digging deeper and to uncover precious gems. Two Gems I now have in my possession.

1. Diligence is the only thing in life that never goes unrewarded.
2. We can be truly living the ‘Christian life’. But not quite.

Shepherds

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"-Luke 15:4

I just read the following statement on a Blog: “We are never instructed to chase the ‘Back-slider’ - they know better!”.

Has Christianity has lost its message of true Grace ... Grace for the least deserving?

Where has the ‘Parable of the Lost Sheep’ gone? … I cannot remember the last time I heard that message preached.

Has it been lost itself and replaced by the seven sins that inhibit your self-improvement, Leadership and your Prosperity - “negativity, regret, complacency..." etc?.

Like the term “Tithe”, “Backslider” is not used in the orthodox denomination I grew up exposed to – until I started mixing with more 'progressive' groups.

And why is it that diligence in faithfully proclaiming the heart of the Gospel message and financial transparency always found in the same places?…

Where is the heart and the compassion for the ‘Backslider’ anyway ... ? The one who has been ‘Lost’ … often at the care of the high-living, fast-talking Shepherds??

It is eveident that the Good Shepherd has the time and will walk the extra mile to find that one lost Sheep. It is of the greatest value to him.

"Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep".

The message I hear loud and clear from the Pentecostal and Contemporary Churches is:

“Be one of my 99 compliant, low-maintenance, Sheep - or I won’t waste my time with you!”.

There is a ray of hope:

"GOD, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I'm going looking for them. 12As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I'm going after my sheep. I'll rescue them from all the places they've been scattered to in the storms. 13I'll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I'll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. 14I'll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. 15And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. 16I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited.
".

Please Come Back, Good Shepherd and Saviour of my Childhood!.

Error

This is one for the Prosperity Gospel Teachers:

"For their error is not displayed as what it is, lest it should be stripped naked and shown up; it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, and made to seem truer than the truth itself to the inexperienced because of the outer appearance.

As one better than I am has said about these matters, a precious stone like emerald, which many value greatly, can be put to shame by a clever imitation in glass, unless there is someone on hand who can test it, and show what was done deceptively by art; and when brass is mixed with silver, what untrained person can easily prove it?

So then, lest some should be made prey of through my fault, like sheep by wolves, not recognizing them because of their outwardly wearing sheep’s clothing-whom the Lord warned us to guard against26 talk like us, though thinking very differently”,

http://people.bu.edu/dklepper/RN212/irenaeus.html

Cultastic

"Rollsy” an ex-Phil Baker regular commenter has started his own Cult, err, Blog.

It’s a 'crack-up' – and he is recruiting…people and money!

Dispense

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

I have just returned from an annual ‘Daddy Camp’ where a number of guys I have known for some time get away with their children.

The focus is friendship – but most importantly nurturing memories and building a foundation for kids.

I guess that it's all about us taking the initiative on behalf of our kids, taking them on the journey – and hoping that one day they will continue on by themselves building the same foundations for their own Children.

The same could be siad of our faith.

I have to say that after several years of hard thought, reading and reviewing the topic of Baptism and Children, I have gone from a staunch and somewhat militant proponent of ‘Believers Baptism’ - to now an strong advocate (though not in the same militant sense) of infant Baptism.

Over recent years, I have come to appreciate the depth of thinking of our orthodox forefathers, the way they took the scriptures seriously and fought to keep their doctrines when under assail from new movements.

I purchased a beuatiful old book from Serendipity Books the other week entitled ‘Christian Nurture’ by Horace Bushnell first written in 1888 (I have the 1967 reprint). It is as relevant today as it was when it was first written.

The book looks at the doctrine in depth as well as the history of the practice and after reading this book – amongst many others (including the scriptures) I am currently making arrangements to have both my Children baptised – and will do so for our third due in October.

Infact, I now realise that it makes less sense to withhold my children from this gift.

I am not going to write the detailed defence for infant Baptism myself on this blog – though Sydney Anglicans provides a great synopsis here.

Absolute Truth

"Nero vs Paul and the truth

In A.D. 64, a fire broke out in Rome. It raged for six days and seven nights, totally destroying a great part of the city. Nero falsely charged the Christians for the blaze and punished them with, in Tacitus’ words, “the most exquisite tortures,” including being nailed to crosses and set ablaze to serve as torch-lights for Nero’s gardens.

This was the man who, that same year, held the Apostle Paul captive in chains in one of his dungeons.

I’ve seen pictures of this dungeon, a cistern hewn out of solid rock. A trap door in the ceiling was the only way in or out. A small rock ledge next to one wall just above ground level was the only break in the even hardness of the stone floor. It was the one place a doomed prisoner, lying on the cold stone, could prop himself up and write."

Read the rest here:

On Bitterness

The Process of Overcoming Bitterness (Ryan, Intervarsity Press) is:

1) Face the Hurt
2) Be honest about Feeling Anger
3) Grieving
4) Let Go
5) Choose Growth
6) Find Purpose

Quote

"Exegetically and thus dogmatically and ethically the New Testament is against tithing as a regulation in the new covenant. Desire for more money also for more money in the church and for the church must not blind our eyes to the ways employed for getting more money? Jesus does not want to be misunderstood".
Lenski, R. C. H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel (p.907-909):

Change and Seasons

We are nearing the end of Summer. It really has not been that Hot.

I have made a decision to defer my studies this semester, that means I won’t complete my Masters until next year.

A break will be good as a couple of great opportunities have landed on my lap that requires my focus.

Dive Blog 2

Photo Credit: KRendel

Dived again Saturday morning. "South Park" which is 3Km from shore on the Marmion Marine Park.

Despite the swell it was 10m visibility at 16M. Highlights: Schools of Bullseye, Caves & Swimthroughs...and the guy in the expensive camoflauge wetsuit - so that the Sharks won't spot him...but wearing a flourescent orange BC (jacket). D'Oh.

Dive Blog

Ten metre visiblity (better than photo shows). Three mile reef. Metre Long Dusty Morwongidencent (sp?). Western Blue Devilfish. Plenty of Crayfish. Caves. Low swell. Little drift. Little breeze. Buddy - Peter the Cop.

Present Clarity II

Yesterday i posted on the need to be more congniscient and appreciative of the present momment.

Last night, I spent most of the night with my 21 month old in PMH (Children's Hospital) - Yes, he is fine.

A pin-prick rash around his neck coupled with off-colour behaviour had us and the doctors thinking of the worst.

Amidst all the goings on in the emergency room, my son falling asleep on my chest repeated 'dadda - joel, dadda -joel' as if he was consiciously aware of the momment as shared only by the two of us.

A lesson on priorities and the importance of the present momment from the mouth of a babe.

Present Clarity

As someone who enjoys tea, especailly when poured from a pot - and I often wonder why sometimes a cup of tea tastes better than others.

I'm not going Zen, but I thought that there is some truth in this:

"The Vietnamese Buddhist monk and philosopher, Thich Nhat Hanh, writes about enjoying a good cup of tea. You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.
Only in the awareness of the present can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup. Only in the present can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy. If you are ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea.

You will look down at the cup, and the tea will be gone.

Life is like that. If you are not fully present, you will look around and it will be gone. You will have missed the feel, the aroma, the delicacy and beauty of life. It will seem to be speeding past you. The past is finished. Learn from it and let it go. The future is not even here yet. Plan for it, but do not waste your time worrying about it. Worrying is worthless. When you stop ruminating about what has already happened, when you stop worrying about what might never happen, then you will be in the present moment. Then you will begin to experience joy in life".

- Brian Weiss, MD. From his book "Only Love is Real"

Beyond Now

“If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed [and] if we are not willing [to change], we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect.”
Jacques Cousteau

Contemporary Church?

This photo from our recent trip to Melbourne seemed to uncannily capture the present point along my spiritual "journey".

Post Church.

Balanced

In Yancey’s book "I was just wondering" he deals with the reality of suffering and the issue of “positive thinking” in the modern church.

He claims that the once “morbidly minded” (melancholy) evangelicals who were led by the likes of Wesley etc. competed with the “healthily minded” (overly optimistic) sects like Christian science - which (early last century) thrived in times of unprecedented prosperity.

(Interestingly, the influential Word-Of-Faith movement also has much of its roots in Christian Science as well as pentecostal revivalism).

These sects ‘met their waterloo’ when the reality of the depression and the World Wars hit - “a monstrous fact that exposed the flaws in their vision of the world and humanity”.

But what Yancey claims is that this “healthy mindedness” is now characteristic in the Christian church and he concludes his mini-thesis with the statement ”I hope and pray an even more ominous fact does not arise to smother the ‘healthy-mindedness’ that has swept evangelicalism in the last few decades”.

My personal view is that we do need to allow times for melancholy reflection and teaching “in the correct season” and with correct perspective - otherwise Yancey’s concern may be well placed.

Australia Day 2006

This may sound like a tremendous boast, but I think that we Aussies live in the best country in the World.

Today it will be the beach, a barbecue in the Park, the Beach, a barbecue at home - for something different. I will also head to the 'lookout' a converted water tower to watch the Austrlai Day fireworks. Thats what its all about.

I'm cutting a CD with my favourite Australian Songs:

1) Flame Trees - (Cold Chisel)
2) Cool Change - (Little River Band)
3) Better Days - (Pete Murray)
4) Down Under - (Men at Work)
5) Happy Birthday Helen - (Things of Stone and Wood)
6) Reckless - (Austlian Crawl)
7) Sounds Of Then (This is Australia) - (GANGGajang)
8) Making Gravy - (Paul Kelly)
9) Never Tear Us Apart (INXS)
10) Great South Land - (IceHouse)
11) Power and the Passion - Midnight Oil
12) Woking Class Man - (Jimmy Barnes)

Who knows...I may even add I Sitll Call Australia Home - (Peter Allen) as a hidden track.

Have a Great Australia Day...

(Let me know if you would like a copy Marisa).

Contradictions

Which of the thieves on the cross, reviled Jesus?
a) Both of them (Mt 27:44)
or
b) Only one of them (Lu 23:39-43)

What was Jesus offered to drink on the cross?
a) wine mixed with myrrh (Mk 15:23)
or
b) vinegar mixed with gall.( Mt 27:34)

How did Judas die?
a) He hung himself (Mt 27:5)
or
b) He fell & burst open. (Ac 1:18)

When did Jesus curse the fig tree?
a) After going to the temple (Mt 21:12-19)
or
b) Before going to the temple (Mk 11:15-21)

How many foremen and chief officials did Solomon have?
a) 3300 foremen and 550 chief officials (1Ki 5:16, 9:23)
or
b) 3600 foremen and 250 chief officials (2Ch 2:2,18, 8:10)

Where did King Josiah die?
a) Meggido (2Ki 23:29-30)
or
b) At Jerusalem (2Ch 35:23-24)

How old was Jehoiachin when he began to reign?
a) eight (2Ch 36:9)
or
b) eighteen (2Ki 24:8)

Who made the following prophecy?
“They took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
a) Jeremiah (Mt 27:9-10)
or
b) Zechariah (Zec 11:12-13)

Who bought potter's field?
a) Judas (Acts 1:18)
or
b) The chief priests (Matt 27:6-8)

via Nilmot

On Faith and Fancy

Placed a comment in a discussion regarding faith at signposts that I wanted to capture for my records here.

Kierengreen states “…. We may define faith, as a firm belief in something for which there is no evidence.

Kierentgreen what you write about is what I would term as being ‘Blind Faith’….and Blind Faith is not the faith of the sincere thinking Christian.

In coming to a conclusion and decision regarding my faith in Christ, I have based my decision on firstly being open, taking time to analyse the available evidence, using intuition and finally taking that leap of (educated) faith….

In the words of Jack Welch, Chemical Engineer, CEO GE (and non-Christian):

“In life there are no formulaic answers to many of life’s problems…because often there is no black-and-white answers…the (analysis) process gets you to a darker shade of grey”.

I believe analysis must fallow the ground and provide initial direction, then intuition will take you a little farther.

And then, finally, it is faith takes you the remainder of the distance

Nilmot

Nilmot now has his own Blog.

Welcome to the blogosphere Nilmot! He has started an interesting discussion on "Is the Bible Infallible".

Check-it-out.