Wednesday, December 14, 2005

the chronicles of narnia

Are you interested in the new movie called "The Narnia Story" then you might find this website interesting. http://www.narniastory.com/

a $10,000 offer

Check out this test to see if you can win the $10,000. www.tenthousanddollaroffer.com/

lust

Here's an interesting website setup so that people looking for pornography are confronted instead by the words of Jesus. http://www.lustadultery.com/

the main thing

Here's an interesting article about the simplicity of being a follower of Jesus. http://www.spiritled.com.au/files/The%20Main%20Thing.pdf

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

wait ... a journey to discovering the heart of God by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried; Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate and the Master go gently said, " Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply. "Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!" Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word. My future and all to which I relate hangs in the balance, and tell me to Wait?" I'm needing a 'yes' a go-ahead sign. Or even a 'no' to which I'll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe, we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut, and grumbled to God,
"So, I'm waiting.... for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine and He tenderly said I could give you a sign. I could shake the heavens and darken the sun. I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run. I could give you all you seek and pleased you would be. You'd be have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint. You'd not know the power that I give to the faint. You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair; you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there. You'd not know the joy of resting in Me when darkness and silence are all you can see. You'd never experience the fullness of love when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove. You would know that I give, and I save, for a start, but you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart. The glow of My comfort late into the night, the faith that I give when you walk without sight. The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask from an infinite God who makes what you have last. You'd never know should your pain quickly flee, what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true, but, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
So, be silent, my child and in time you will see that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me. And though oft My answers seem terribly late, my most precious answer of all is still ... "Wait"

Thursday, December 08, 2005

templates for lots of business stuff

This page is worth checking out for free management and training templates, resources and tools. http://www.businessballs.com/freeonlineresources.htm

spiritual gifts

If you want to grow in effectiveness and serve God joyfully it's really handy to know how God has gifted you to serve him. This spiritual gift inventory found at http://buildingchurch.net/g2s.htm is a useful tool in discovering your spiritual gifts.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

the cost

In my view one of the greatest dangers to a genuine faith is when someone makes a decision to follow Jesus based on the idea that Jesus will then make them happy by fixing up their problems, or that Jesus will make them prosperous.
Don't get me wrong, there is a peace and a joy that comes when we are in right relationship with God, but the peace that Jesus promises is a 'peace in the midst of difficulty', not 'peace because of lack of difficulty'.
The reason to follow Jesus is because we recognise that we have fallen short of God's standard and that we cry out to God to give us forgiveness based upon the sacrafice that Jesus made on the cross.
Jesus when praying for his disciples in John 16:33 says "In this world you will have trouble, But take heart! I have overcome the world." later he says in John 17:13 "... so that they have the full measure of my joy within them."
Jesus in praying for his disciples promises that those that follow him will know peace in spite of the fact that the world hates those that genuinely follow Jesus.
Are you ready to face difficulty for the sake of Jesus? A genuine follower of Jesus is able to say, perhaps with trembling knees, "YES, I will follow my Lord and God no matter the cost, even if the cost is my life, my comfort or my possessions!"

baptism

Here's a study guide I just created about baptism. Go to www.cmponline.net then select "exploring Christianity" then select "baptism". It's a made up from a couple of other resources which are referenced appropriately.

Friday, December 02, 2005

is bias wrong

I think it's true to say that everyone has a bias, I have a bias and so do you. Is bias wrong? Well, I think it's a reality so the problem comes not in that we have a bias, it comes when we don't recognise our bias.
Another way of saying bias is to use the term agenda, as in what is my agenda?
My personal agenda is to try to convey as accurately as possible the teachings of the bible.
However, at this point something else comes into play. My agenda might be to convey the bible but my agenda is influenced by my experiences, and because my experiences are necessarily limited, then my agenda will be somewhat narrow.
So even if my agenda is good and noble, my experiences might influence my agenda such that it is not accurate.
Do we give up then? No, but we must constantly seek to be open about our bias/agenda and hold our personal views firmly but not without a willingness to modify them, that is we must always be open to learn from the views of others, recognising of course that they too have a bias/agenda that is somewhat narrow because of their experiences.

media bias

Does media coverage reflect the views of society? Well if surveys of Journalists in America is any guide then you have to be very wary of media reports. (see http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/biasbasics.asp & http://www.theihs.org/libertyguide/article.php/744.html)
Consider the current debate on the death penalty. If you went by the views of the media you would believe virtually everyone is against the death penalty. But studies show that the split in Austalia is actually about 53/47, almost an even split.
Now popular opinion doesn't make something right, but surely the media should more fairly represent the views of the society.
Interestingly enough the views of journalists as a group are more liberal than the population, that is they more highly agree with abortion, more highly believe adultery is morally okay, more highly believe in homosexuality as a life choice, more highly believe that the death penalty is wrong.
So when you read your paper or listen to the news broadcast you are hearing the views of people who are almost diametrically opposed to the teachings of the bible on most topics, so we each need to heed the biblical mandate to 'judge carefully' the things we hear.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

who I've learned the most from

I find life pretty strange at times. Over the last five years I've really grown and changed and the people who have influenced me more than anyone are the people whom I would most disagree with about certain issues. I've discovered that I can respect, appreciate, learn from and love people whom I disagree with. Thanks Paul and Louise for your graciousness, your kindness and your willingness to live out your faith, you are a real inspiration to me.

amnesty

Just because my previous blog discusses an unpopular view of the death penalty, it doesn't mean I don't respect and appreciate the work of Amnesty. I would encourage you to check out there site and support their work. I obviously hold some contrary views but it doesn't stop me being a supporter of the tremendous work that they do and to financially support them. http://www.amnesty.org.au/
In particular I'd like to give a great big thanks to two people who I know do tremendous work for Amnesty. Helen and Louise are two great ladies who are doing brilliant and important work for Amnesty, so 'go girls' as I'm continuing to thank God for the important work you are doing.

death penalty

I've been thinking about the imminent death of Nguyen Tuong Van and the whole debate around it. It seems that I'm in the minority in that I actually believe in the death penalty. (Please read to the end to see my unexpected conclusion to this arguement.) Now before you crucify me for the uncommon belief let me make an arguement.
I believe that the bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death. In the story of the women caught in adultery (found in John 8) Jesus does not dispute the fact that the women was rightfully condemned to death as it is the law of the bible. (see Leviticus 20:10).
So if someone is caught in sin, in Nguyen case drug trafficing I cannot argue that the death penalty is not valid.
Now you say in the case of the women caught in adultery Jesus saved the women, surely that means he was against the death penalty?
Well to argue the point let me give an analogy.
If someone were to kill someones child then I believe that the parent has the right to insist on the death penalty for the biblical punishment for murder is to be killed.
However, as a Christian and a believer in grace, I would hope that if it was my child that I would extend grace and mercy and not insist on the death penalty.
So let me summarise. I believe the death penalty is valid, but if I had the option of imposing the death penalty then I wouldn't, not because it wasn't valid, but because God's grace extended to me means that I need to extend that grace to others.
In the eyes of God I'm guilty and deserve to be condemned, but he has by grace extended to me forgiveness, his giving forgiveness does not mean the death penalty for sin is wrong, it just means it has not been exercised.
I'm not sure I've made the greatest arguement, but there it is anyway, my vent on the whole debate.
I'm of course willing to have my mind changed, but to change my mind requires me to be convinced that my understanding of God's teaching is wrong. In the end I'm accountable to uphold the truth of God not the current trend of human teaching.