What did Jesus mean when He said we had to become like children to receive the Kingdom of God? What childlike qualiites does God wish us to foster?
As we finish our series on 1 John, we are going to examine why we need Jesus, not only for avoiding sin, but for experiencing love.
My childhood friend, Thian, who I knew since elementary school in Bangkok, visited me from Canberra recently. We had some good catching up to do and spent much of our time in our usual light-hearted talks. It is such a blessing to have genuine friends who you can catch up with after a long period and still feel like you’ve never spent years apart.
by: Shane
I remember three sisters who attended my primary school growing up. Sadly they were victims of horrendous bullying and I shudder to think of the long term psychological scars. I don’t know the exact trigger for the bullying, but I guess they came from a poorer family and spoke and dressed differently.
The youngest sister, Mary, was in my class. On one occasion, I remember the mother of the girls having an angry outburst at a school BBQ and running across the playground. Many of the children and their parents were pointing and laughing, some exclaiming, “She isn’t even wearing a bra!”
I recall feeling bewildered, and thinking “I am not perfect, will they laugh at me too?”
by: Maggie
As the Lunar New Year festivities draw to a close my mind is led back to the book of John, which I mentioned some time ago on this very blog.
I still cannot claim to fully understand the Jewish lunisolar calendar with its shorter lunar year, compensatory 19 year Metonic cycle and extra month thrown in every two or three years. But I do know that John referenced many festivals in his gospel.
One mentioned is the ‘Feast of Tabernacles’. And, as John so often does, there is a direct parallel drawn between this feast and the words in John 1:14(a) which are “And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us”. This festival originated in Moses’ time and was commanded by God as a commemoration of liberation from Egypt (Leviticus 23:40-43). So it is fitting that John would introduce us to Jesus as he comes to dwell among us.
Another festival highlighted in the Book of John is that of Passover. This commemoration too originates in Moses’ time. This festival reminds the Israelites of the tenth, and worst, plague of Egypt in which all of the first born died unless a sacrificial lamb had been slaughtered and its blood put upon the doorpost to ensure God’s protection.
It becomes clear through reading John that Jesus himself becomes the sacrificial lamb to save us from death.
Again you can read into this so deeply and draw parallels between the bread associated with the passover and Jesus being the bread from heaven.
Nowadays we don’t always follow these old festivals but as Easter draws near (if you don’t believe me just check out the seasonal section of the supermarket!) it is a good to remember the real significance of festivals that roll around year on year.
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Cor 5:7 NKJV)
by: Ben
“Peace in Midst of the Storm” Jack Dawson
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippines 4:6-7
What do you envision when you think of a peaceful life? A life free from trouble and drama, or perhaps full of luxury and ease?
When we normally think of having a peaceful life, we assume this means a life where hardships for the most part are removed and thus tranquillity results. We pray for the removal of impediments so peace can prevail.
However, God’s peace is not necessarily about removing tribulations as it is about fortifying our hearts and minds in spite of them. God’s peace stands in the midst of hardship, not in the absence of them.
God’s peace is depicted as a guard to our hearts and minds. It is active during troubled times. It is not the default passive peace that befalls us when on a relaxing holiday for several weeks. His peace transcends circumstance.
This type of peace perplexes the natural world and the natural man. That is why it is called the peace that surpasses all understanding.
How do you obtain God’s supernatural peace? It is a gift to believers “in Christ Jesus” who petition their requests to God.
Jesus states in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
In Mark 4:39, Jesus calms a storm. His disciples wake him while aboard a ship fearing for their lives. Jesus commands the storm ‘Peace! Be still!’ and the storm ceased. Jesus later scolds his disciples by asking “Why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Note how Jesus is recorded as sleeping during a storm. His disciples full of fear and doubt wake him asking in verse 38, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” The lack of faith in Christ Jesus is the real hindrance to our peace. God’s peace is an inner calmness despite the outward storm. It is a gift to those who have faith in the promises of scripture and a source of strength when we need it the most.
The next time we find ourselves wrought with anxiety, may we be graced with this peace that can calm both a stormy sea and any tempests that howls in our hearts.
by: Ruth
As I was browsing the news headlines recently, I came across the story of Steve Stephens, a man who streamed live Facebook footage of him randomly shooting an elderly gentleman in Cleveland, Ohio. Steve walked up to the gentleman and said “Found me somebody to kill… this guy right here.” He proceeded to shoot the man in the head, killing him instantly.
The son of the murder victim gave an interview to a television network about how his dad was a good man who would not hesitate to give someone else the shirt off his back. During the same interview, the man’s sister was hugging him while resting her head on his chest. She managed to squeeze out a few words, saying, “I feel like my heart is gonna stop…” That was all she could repeat.
My heart broke seeing the elderly gentleman helplessly raise his hand to shield himself from the gunshot. It broke again when I saw the grief his family was going through. My eyes started to get teary and, before I knew it, I began to sob like a baby (I haven’t cried like that in years). How disgraceful it is that we have diverted so far from the original plan of the Creator. How far humanity has fallen.
This Easter season, we commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus through His death on the cross. We know He didn’t have to die. We know that as sinners, the human race could have been left to the doom we collectively chose. But through the physical anguish and crushing weight of all our sins, He proceeded to give His life for us all. He must have had the elderly gentleman who was shot in cold blood in mind when He made the choice to submit to the cross and eradicate sin once and for all. He must have had the Syrian children who were gassed in mind. He must have had victims of genocide, victims of slavery… victims of all sin in mind as He executed the plan of salvation despite feeling so separated from His Father to the extent that He cried out “Why have You forsaken Me?”
Later in the day, I came across a clip one of my friends shared on Facebook. It was a video of a group of youth singing in front of Jesus’ empty tomb. The words go “Hallelujah! You have won the victory. Death could not hold you down. You are the risen King. Seated in majesty. You are the risen King.” I began sobbing like a baby again. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can all confidently look forward to the resurrection day when we’ll be able to say, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthian 15:55 NLT). When we see the King enthroned in majesty, we’ll finally witness the realisation of that great and comforting prophecy which reads, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT)
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
by: Shane
So I decided to take my three year old son Andrew to see the Myer Christmas Windows in the city. Something that’s been a tradition in my family for years, as my Grandmother used to take me when I was a little girl. This year was as popular as ever with quite a few people, many of them families watching each performing window. The theme this year incorporated Luna Park & a Melbourne Christmas in the 1960s. It was quite well done.
After we watched the last colourful, musical window which ended the story, there was then a prominent single window of three lovely gold figurines of baby Jesus in his manger and Mary and Joseph looking down at him lovingly. Andrew and I talked briefly about the scene (and I was glad that Andrew recognised the baby as Jesus). It then hit me that nobody else was stopping to look. I saw in the reflection of the glass that a couple behind me glanced at the window as they walked past but they didn’t stop. Nobody stopped. It really saddened me and unexpected tears began to well. Here we had all these parents and children eagerly watching the “Luna park” themed Christmas story just adjacent to us but nobody was interested in stopping to look at the true Christmas Story. Not even for a brief moment. I thought to myself, “What has our society become? Is it really that secular now?” It seems that we are fast losing our Christian faith, and it’s sad, it’s concerning.
A bit later, Andrew and I arrived at Christmas Square where to my delight there was a nativity scene, and the story of Jesus’ birth was written on a board next to it. I noticed a young boy of about 10 years reading it and then I saw a Mum exclaiming to her young child, “Oh baby Jesus. Look, there’s baby Jesus!” This warmed my saddened heart and it restored my “faith” in our society a little.
I still wonder though if the true Christmas story has been lost amongst the masses. Amongst all the present buying and Santa Claus excitement, does the average person even pause to give one thought to the true meaning of Christmas? To the significance of the birth of Jesus and what He has done for us/for them?
I suppose it’s up to the rest of us to teach the true story and to encourage such thinking, such recognition and the true acknowledgement of Jesus.
by: Naomi
LOVE… PASSION… SUFFERING
We hear the word passion used a lot these days. We are encouraged by the 1000s of self-help career books and online blogs about ‘how to find your passion.’
It is a modern day scavenger hunt. Hundreds of online articles promise to help you find your passion in six steps, eight steps, four steps, etc.
We are so busy looking for our passion, have we ever stopped and considered what the word actually means?
Passion derives from the Latin passus – to suffer. It was used in Medieval Europe to describe the sufferings of a martyr. Martyrs underwent tremendous suffering before their inevitable death for their beliefs. They considered dying for their deep convictions an honor.
It would be hard to mention passion without love. The two are woven together. Passion is essentially the unstoppable fortitude of love.
We marvel at stories of people who persevere through great struggle to achieve their goal. Sometimes the struggle is abolishing slavery, blocking corrupt legislation, making a speech, working two jobs to send your kids to school, painstakingly researching a cure for a disease, or trying to understand advanced calculus. Their dedication reveals an extraordinary dedication for a higher principle than any material gain.
Christ exemplified the meaning embedded in the very heart of love and passion. The greatest passion belongs to Him – The Passion of Christ.
His passion was and still is for us. He suffered and died for the love of humanity.
King Solomon poetically captures the intensity of love/passion in the following verse:
SOS 8:6 … for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
I encourage you to reflect on Christ every time you hear the word passion. For the word is intertwined with Christ’s zest for humanity. Christ’s passion testifies of His love.
If you are searching for your own passion, I can’t give you a step-by-step guide on how to find it. However, in light of this word’s origins you can now ask a far more guided and thought provoking question. Ask yourself “For what am I willing to suffer and sacrifice my life for?”
by: Ruth
SPLASH
Test. splash
Run. splash
Music. splash
Trump. splash
These are examples of the random-seeming words produced by Julius Popp’s word waterfall entitled bit.fall.
I admit it was ambitious to go to an art museum with our nine-month-old son. We felt entitled to at least one adult centric excursion. After all, it was our nine-year wedding anniversary.
The MONA in Hobart did not disappoint. Well, at least the third we got to enjoy before our bub dictated otherwise.
The museum is entirely underground. Three stories carved out of solid rock. Bit.fall was the most impactful for me. (Perhaps because it is the first one in the exhibit, and every art piece thereafter I was placating our son.)
Words are created using water which appear for a moment until they splash with a cracking echo into the drains below. The words are temporary. You process them with brevity of thought and then it is on to the next word. It is hypnotic and a major waste of time but that is the artist’s point.
Bit.fall encapsulates the constant barrage of distraction within our digital age. Our phones herald new messages, meet ups, and Facebook posts with catchy sounds, and once hooked, we become victim to the plethora of ‘link bait’ stalking us on nearly every web page.
I see an ad, a word, a picture, news feed or a status update.
I view.
I consume. My phone vibrates.
I move on. Splash
Although these distractions waste my precious time, I feel I have lost something far more important – Focus.
Matthew 8:23-27 is a well-known but amazing story of how Jesus commanded the stormy seas to be calm. The storm caused the disciples’ fear that ultimately revealed their lack of faith. Their distraction was a storm. They lost their focus.
In addition to storms, the modern world is bathed in distractions. Where once we may have watched the occasional TV show, we are now drowning in a sea of personalised content.
It is not that news, YouTube, status updates are bad or even sinful but they are common snares that detract from experiencing the abundance of life. I have found personally that it robs me of my ability to think deeply and reflect.
In a feeble but sincere attempt to reclaim my focus and thoughts, I have deleted the Facebook app from my phone. I have to sign on using my computer (pre 2007 style). This is just enough effort for me to forget to check it at all. I have also unsubscribed to a number of email subscriptions this week.
These minor changes have given me more time to reflect on important matters and my focus is slowly coming back. I still get distracted and admit I struggle to concentrate.
I am comforted by the fact that despite the disciples’ lack of faith, Jesus still calmed the stormy seas. There are no prerequisites for God to rescue us whatever our snare.
On that thought, I would like to finish on the serenity of Psalm 107:28-31 instead of a distracting splash.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.