Month: August 2020

Magpie Season

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It’s magpie season in Australia. Every year, these normally friendly and intelligent birds become aggressive towards people who enter their territory. It is mainly the males who do this and it seems that they are protecting their newly hatched babies from invaders.

I usually count magpie season as going from August 1st to the end of September.

This year my first swoop happened on the 4th on the edge of town at the Civeo miners village. This is later than the previous few years where swooping started round about July 25th. That was probably due to warmer conditions in the drought.

Most magpies swoop and make a clacking noise with their beaks as they approach. It can be disconcerting but if you stay calm it is only a short while before they leave you alone.

There was a magpie we christened “Nut Job”. He lived at the other end of our bridge. He would swoop without warning and hit the helmet with some force on a bad day. He would also jump at the faces of little children. As this is across the highway from a school it was not very safe. He seems to have disappeared, whether due to natural causes or lead poisoning it is hard to say.

People try all kinds of things to ward them off. Holding a stick about your head works when walking. Cable ties on the helmet can work for cyclists. At the moment I keep the podcast turned up and look at the road ahead, pedalling as fast as I can.

So we have a couple of months of excitement ahead of us. At least you can see a magpie, not like a virus!

Reflection on Romans 8:14-25

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Scripture

Since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share in his glory, we must also share in his suffering.

Observation

All who are led by the Spirit of God are God’s children. We have not received a spirit of slavery, but the Spirit of adoption. We call Him “Abba, Father” because we are His children. We are heirs of the Father’s glory, but if we are to share Christ’s gory we must also share in His suffering.

All creation is waiting eagerly to see who God’s children really are. The creation was subjected to bondage by Adam’s sin, but it will join God’s children in freedom from death. We also have the hope of release from sin and suffering.

Application

We are heirs of the Father, joint heirs with Christ.

Everything that God owns He will share with us. This is the way it was meant to be before Adam and Eve sinned, bringing death and curse into the world. People were supposed to work in partnership with God to unlock the secrets of the creation.

When God recreates the heavens and the earth, we will once again walk in perfect fellowship with God, in a world where there is no death and no sorrow.

As heirs of God’s glory, we will share in His morality and character to a far higher degree than we do now. No temptation and no sin will block us from communion with Him.

We will walk with greater dignity and self-esteem. Bullies and abusers will no longer peddle their suffering. We will see ourselves as God sees us- the pinnacle of creation.

All of this is ours. We are already in the family, so we already share in the benefits. But much more will come our way.

In the meantime, as we enjoy the benefits of being Christ’s joint heirs, we must also share in His suffering. In the west, this might mainly be insults and name calling at the moment, although some have lost their jobs for their stand. In many parts of the world, suffering with Christ is a literal fact of life.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for adopting me into your family. Thank you for the promise of inheritance. Amen.

Spiritual Gifts- The Word of Wisdom

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“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NIV

This is the first article in a series about the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, These gifts are often called “Manifestation Gifts” because their operation is a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Each believer is able to operate in all of these gifts from time to time according to the need of the moment and the faith of the believer.

In the NIV, the first of these gifts is described as the “message of wisdom”, while the NLT translates it as “the ability to give wise advice.” Both of these are problematic because they suggest that this wisdom is human wisdom. The original Greek term is literally “word of wisdom.”

The gift of the word of wisdom may be defined as a special impartation of wisdom or knowledge of how to act in a current situation. This is not human wisdom but God’s wisdom given in a particular context.

This seen in many situations in the Old Testament where people are facing a dire situation, but a prophet comes along and tells them how to act at this moment in order to see God’s rescue. Often God’s wisdom runs exactly opposite to human wisdom or common sense. This is because human wisdom is rarely directed at exalting God and is constrained by experience.

We see this exemplified in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat received word that a huge army is coming to invade his country. His first response is to pray, “Lord we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Then while he is consulting with his leaders, a prophet tells him not to be afraid because this battle belongs to the Lord. Jehoshaphat then does something remarkable: he sends out his army, but with musicians and singers at the head of the army singing praises to God. The Lord causes the invading army to turn upon itself and it is completely destroyed without the army of Judah even lifting a weapon.

Nobody would come up with a plan like that, but it was the wisdom of the Lord.

In practice, the word of wisdom comes as a deep conviction of what needs to be done next. When a person or a church feels like they are under siege and surrounded by enemies, it may seem impossible to determine what needs to be done. The word of wisdom may come from the least qualified person, but it will show clearly the way ahead, which may not even have been considered. The word will carry the conviction of the Holy Spirit and it will be confirmed by others as being genuinely from God.

The word of wisdom is a gift that individuals and churches need to exercise often. We are the poorer in every way because we do not listen for God’s wisdom.

Ephesians 3:2

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 3:2. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 3:2

Surely you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.

On a first reading, it may appear that this is is saying that Paul is in some privileged position in which he manages (or administers, as the NIV puts it) God’s grace. This seems to give Paul an almost God- like status, if this is what he is saying.

While it should be acknowledged that apostles have great spiritual authority in their area of responsibility (or perhaps a greater sense of spiritual authority than most believers), it would be wrong to say that they have a particular administration of God’s grace to dispense it where and how they see fit.

It should also be acknowledged that the original Greek text of this verse is also very ambiguous. Perhaps the New Living Translation puts this verse as well as any: “assuming, by the way, that God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.”

Stewardship, or administration, here is seen as a responsibility or a calling. Paul seems to have felt his his particular role in the Body was to take the message of salvation to the Gentiles.

The cross had opened up the way of salvation to all people, not just those who were Jews by birth or by choice. The early, mainly Jewish, church was slow to see this. When we read Acts it is almost as if God had to shout this truth into people’s ears. Even when the early Christian leaders acknowledged this, they was slow to actually take the gospel to the Gentiles .

Paul feels that his ministry is to the Gentiles, even though he is a Jew of the highest qualifications. God has laid on him this burden of responsibility to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

His “stewardship of God’s grace” then is to take the message to as many Gentiles as possible.

So Paul is saying here “surely you have heard of this responsibility that I have for you to preach the gospel and take God’s grace to you.”

Paul says this stewardship was given to him. It is a gift that God placed on him. He didn’t claim it for himself. He did not earn it, or even seek it. This stewardship of God’s grace is itself a grace- an undeserved gift from god.

Paul started his ministry by going to the Jews in each town, but despite his studies as a Rabbi, he had much more success with the Gentiles than with the Jews. He did not choose this ministry or stewardship, but God placed is upon him, or released it through him .

The result was a tremendous extension of the gospel right through the Roman Empire, indeed today, right through the whole world .

Key points in this verse

  • Paul’s stewardship of grace was about the responsibility he felt to take the gospel to all the world
  • Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was both a responsibility and a grace
  • Though Paul preached to the Jews as well as the Gentiles, his responsibility or calling, was to the Gentiles

Reflection on Romans 8:1-13

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Scripture

The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Observation

There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ. The power of the Spirit of God has freed us from sin and death. In Christ’s body, God declared an end to sin’s reign.

Those who are dominated by sin think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. The sinful nature is hostile to God, so people who are under the reign of sin cannot please God.

When we come to Christ, the Spirit of God comes in to us to live in us and to bring us eternal life. This is the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, and will give life to us in the same way.

Application

The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and He will certainly bring life to our bodies. The Spirit is like a guarantee that we will be saved.

Christians can rise above the despair of our culture by affirming that we will live for ever. Life is more than 70 or so years of meaningless existence. We were made for eternity.

The Holy Spirit assures us that we are destined for eternal life. We have been set free from the law of sin and death. We have been given a new nature, a nature that is being equipped for heaven.

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in me, and will in the same way raise me from death also.

For christians, death is not the last word. Death has been defeated by Christ, and it no longer has a hold on us.

Prayer

Hallelujah! Father, I thank you that through your Son you have conquered death, and through your Spirit you assure me of eternal life. Amen.

Fighting The Battle

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The Bible makes it clear that humans in general and christians in particular are engaged in a cosmic battle between God and satan. This starts in Genesis chapter 3 and continues all the way through both the Old Testament and the New Testament to the book of Revelation.

It is no surprise that while this battle has engulfed every human being since Adam and Eve, in the end God wins the war and puts things to right. It is also no surprise that one of satan’s most successful tactics in the war is to persuade most of the combatants that the war is not really happening, with the result that most christians live as civilians in the middle of the battlefield.

In a recent video on the topic of spiritual warfare, John Alley describes an incident in which he was struck down by a mysterious illness at the beginning of a church service. He ended up in hospital suffering severe vertigo. As people prayed, he was healed enough to go home after a short stay.

In recounting this incident, John makes this statement, “Most of the things that come against us have a spiritual root.” He goes on to say that when things happen in our lives we need to spend time listening to the Holy Spirit to discern the cause or the source of the problem.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, against the spiritual forces of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Much of what we might interpret as “bad luck”, “the pandemic”, the family curse or nasty neighbours, is in fact a spiritual attack that is directed against us.

Satan does not want you to thrive in your walk with God. He will do everything possible to undermine you and destroy your relationship with God and with other people. The challenge is to look beyond the surface events and to see the spiritual forces at work.

So when things happen, whether illness or family issues or emotional imbalances, the first thing we need to do is to seek the Lord. Be still and come into the presence of the Lord. Ask Him what the root cause is and listen to what He says.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 is the discernment of spirits. This is the ability to see and identify what particular evil spirits are at work in a situation. God knows what is going on and how the enemy is attacking you, and He can tell you what to do.

Having identified the exact cause of the problem, address that thing in the name of Jesus and command it to leave. You have the authority to do that in the name of Jesus. As a believer, you can command these evil spirits to go.

Then give thanks to God for His victory.

You may get some push back. You will get doubts in your mind, condemnation and ideas that you are not good enough or don’t have enough faith. Don’t listen to those voices. Keep pushing in, trusting God for the victory.

We were created for victory and have been given every necessary weapon to win the victory. We don’t need to be pushed around by the Devil. He is a defeated foe. Jesus won the victory for us when He died on the cross and rose again to life.

Reflection on Romans 7:18-25

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Scripture

I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a save to the sin that is still within me.

Observation

There is nothing good in our sinful nature. We want to do what is right, but we can’t do it. Regardless of what we intend, we end up doing the wrong thing.

Paul says he loves God’s law with all his heart, but even so, he is captive to another power at work in him. There seems to be no way out.

But praise God! The answer is in Jesus Christ. He supplies the answer to the dilemma.

Application

As a zealous Pharisee, Paul was passionate about God’s law. Before he came to Christ, he thought that the law of God was the answer to sin.

All christians, including Paul, have been given forgiveness and righteousness from God through Christ.

But still sin has a hold over us. We can let our old sinful nature dominate our lifestyle to the point that people around us cannot see any difference in our lives.

The law cannot fix this problem. No kind of legalism can solve the dilemma. Only surrendering ourselves to Christ will make us truly righteous.

When christians sin in one part of our lives, it is a sign that we not really handed that part of our lives over to Christ. We are still controlled in that area by our sinful nature.

To be set free from sin, we must continually yield our mind, body and soul to God. We are called to be holy to the Lord, set apart for His purposes. That means every part of our lives is to be holy.

It is not my efforts or striving that brings this into being. No, it is the power of God in me.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for setting me free from sin. Please help me to surrender every part of my life over to you to be used for your glory. Amen.

Fish Tank Experiment- Conclusion

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After 6 weeks of trialling Vibrant which is claimed to use a mix of bacteria to rid tanks of algae, I can only conclude it is a failure.

Today I scraped the algae off the sides of my tank ans resumed my previous routine of cleaning tank decorations and siphoning water and algae from the bottom of the tank.

What a disappointment.

It is a pleasre to be able to see my fish again, though.

Reflection on Romans 7:7-17

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Scripture

Sin took advantage of these commands and deceived me; it used the command to kill me. But still the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

Observation

Paul is not saying that the law of God is itself sinful. No, the law shows us our sin. We didn’t know it was wrong to covet until God’s law told us so,

But when we know coveting is wrong, sin immediately causes us to do the wrong thing. The law’s commands bring life, but sin uses the same command to kill us. The law itself is holy, righteous and good.

Application

It is the nature of sin to take what is good and turn it to evil. Although Paul is talking about the Jewish Law here, it is true of any good gift from God.

Sex is God’s good gift, bringing babies into the world and deepening the connection between husband and wife. Sin takes this life-giving thing and uses it to wreak havoc in society through babies born to single mothers, adultery, pornography, prostitution, child trafficking- the toll of human suffering goes on and on.

Drugs, used correctly, are a gift from God for healing, pain relief and many other positive things. But misuse of them causes addiction and health issues, even death, as well as crime and corruption.

Every good gift from God has the potential to be twisted by sin so that what is meant to bring us joy and life brings instead misery and death.

So I need to constantly examine my heart. Do I bring life to myself and others, or do I bring death? Am I walking in the ways of God’s goodness, or am I seeking my own benefit?

Prayer

Lord, I am so aware of the tendency of sin, of my sin, to hurt others and myself. Please help me to live in submission to you. Amen.