"They came, tons of them, bringing along the paraplegic, the blind, the maimed, the mute—all sorts of people in need—and more or less threw them down at Jesus' feet to see what he would do with them. He healed them." Matt 15:30
I've written before about the faith and determination of these people bringing the sick to Jesus. Jesus had climbed a mountain yet tons of people still struggled up with their handicapped family & friends. But it's the next bit that caught my interest today. They virtually chucked the sick at Jesus' feet to see what he would do with them.
You get a sense of absolute frustration here. These people have reached the end of their rope. They have family & friends with handicaps and have reached the point of desperation. So they struggle up a mountain for one last effort to find a way out of their seemingly hopeless situations.
What did Jesus do with them? He healed them!
This is the Jesus we worship. He is the God of last resort at times for people. It would be good if we sought him out at the start, not when we are desperate. Yet, he is the God that does stuff that no human can!
I have been watching General Bond's welcome meeting today (as you do at work!). It's only 2hrs 20mins long if you have the time.
http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/EF83AFD7532CF1218025784F0034CE06?openDocument
At the end of the meeting the General uses a well known song which I have sung many times, but in light of my reading today these words jumped out
At the moment of my weakness,
When my need for pow'r is plain,
And my own strength is exhausted once again,
Then my Lord has made provision
For the day of my despair,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer,
Then my Lord has made provision
For the day of my despair,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.
God made a provision for the day of despair for those on the mountain all those years ago and today he brings provision for our despair and his Holy Spirit hears our prayer.
Thank you for being the God who solves the impossible and delights in being there for those who have run out of hope.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Isn't there another way?
Not a biblical blog today....
There are many things I don't understand. I don't understand the AFL's match review panel and it's anti Hawthorn viewpoint (ok. I know I am biased). I don't understand the Army's headquarters decision making. I don't understand the Gillard government's carbon tax policy. It seems ridiculous to me. And I don't understand inflation....
Today the CPI figure was released and our inflation rate for the year to March was 3.3%. The cost of fuel went up 8.8%, vegetables up 16%, fruit up 14%, pharmaceuticals up 12.5%, deposit and loan facilities up 4.6%. In other words, the things that ordinary people need in order to live have gone up. And once Ms Gillard's carbon tax comes in, watch the electricity bills go up... again...
So, what are the economists saying. "Inflation is on the march. Put up interest rates." I'm not an economist and maybe a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic, but how does putting interest rates up help the majority of people. People still need to eat, educate their kids, buy pharmaceuticals. And, as many people have no choice but to live in outer suburbs with little or no public transport, thanks to decades of incompetent governments, they have to drive cars which use petrol. What is an interest rate rise going to do for them? Do they stop eating because their mortgage or rent has gone up, again?
If some people are still buying too many tv's or BMW's surely there is another way to cool demand. Why put up interest rates which hurts the vulnerable the most? It all seems rather unethical to me? What would be a Biblical solution? It's an interesting question. I doubt very much that God would choose to put up interest rates because the poor are very much at the forefront of his concerns.
I do believe that capitalism is the best of a bad bunch of options. But sometimes the policies of these highly paid public servants leave me shaking my head.
There are many things I don't understand. I don't understand the AFL's match review panel and it's anti Hawthorn viewpoint (ok. I know I am biased). I don't understand the Army's headquarters decision making. I don't understand the Gillard government's carbon tax policy. It seems ridiculous to me. And I don't understand inflation....
Today the CPI figure was released and our inflation rate for the year to March was 3.3%. The cost of fuel went up 8.8%, vegetables up 16%, fruit up 14%, pharmaceuticals up 12.5%, deposit and loan facilities up 4.6%. In other words, the things that ordinary people need in order to live have gone up. And once Ms Gillard's carbon tax comes in, watch the electricity bills go up... again...
So, what are the economists saying. "Inflation is on the march. Put up interest rates." I'm not an economist and maybe a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic, but how does putting interest rates up help the majority of people. People still need to eat, educate their kids, buy pharmaceuticals. And, as many people have no choice but to live in outer suburbs with little or no public transport, thanks to decades of incompetent governments, they have to drive cars which use petrol. What is an interest rate rise going to do for them? Do they stop eating because their mortgage or rent has gone up, again?
If some people are still buying too many tv's or BMW's surely there is another way to cool demand. Why put up interest rates which hurts the vulnerable the most? It all seems rather unethical to me? What would be a Biblical solution? It's an interesting question. I doubt very much that God would choose to put up interest rates because the poor are very much at the forefront of his concerns.
I do believe that capitalism is the best of a bad bunch of options. But sometimes the policies of these highly paid public servants leave me shaking my head.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Is deafness worse than the occult?
1 Sam 15:22-23 "Then Samuel said,
Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
is far worse than fooling around in the occult."
I've often thought that the occult is really bad. And it is. But what about not listening to God? Bad? Yeah, maybe, but not that bad. This verse says it is far worse to not listen to God than to be involved in the occult.
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel gets the word from God to go and anoint the next king. He has his own ideas about which son of Jesse might be the right one to be chosen. But the one who God wanted wasn't even in attendance at the worship event. If Samuel had not listened to God and failed to ask Jesse if he had more sons than those who were present, who would have ended up king? I doubt it would have been David. And that would have been disastrous.
Not listening to God is not just an act of disobedience it also results in us making wrong choices because we trust in our own wisdom instead of trusting in God.
Maybe not listening is worse than the occult after all.
Forgive me God for not placing the correct importance on stopping and listening for your guidance and direction.
Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
is far worse than fooling around in the occult."
I've often thought that the occult is really bad. And it is. But what about not listening to God? Bad? Yeah, maybe, but not that bad. This verse says it is far worse to not listen to God than to be involved in the occult.
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel gets the word from God to go and anoint the next king. He has his own ideas about which son of Jesse might be the right one to be chosen. But the one who God wanted wasn't even in attendance at the worship event. If Samuel had not listened to God and failed to ask Jesse if he had more sons than those who were present, who would have ended up king? I doubt it would have been David. And that would have been disastrous.
Not listening to God is not just an act of disobedience it also results in us making wrong choices because we trust in our own wisdom instead of trusting in God.
Maybe not listening is worse than the occult after all.
Forgive me God for not placing the correct importance on stopping and listening for your guidance and direction.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
What else can I learn from one of my favourite stories?
Today my reading was one of my favourites, one that I have blogged on before. It is the story of Hannah who was childless and promised God that if he would give her a child she would give the child back to God. And she did. She took Samuel to the temple and left him with the priest, Eli. And, of course, God blessed Hannah's devotion by giving her 5 more children.
In all of life's stories there are other people involved, others who are a part of the script. In this story there is Elkanah, Hannah's husband. These Old Testament times often seem brutal and the way in which women were treated often makes me squirm. But Elkanah, who also had another wife who did bear him children, obviously loved her deeply and showed a great deal of compassion towards her. He, I think, can take part of the credit for the outcome of the story. For without his love Hannah might have given up, or might have been totally ostracised because she hadn't given him children.
The other character is Eli the priest. I cringe at the first mention of Eli in this story. Hannah went to the temple to pray "Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably" (1 Sam 1:10). Eli's response? He accused her of being drunk. Great. Poor Hannah is already at her wits end and the priest's response is to accuse her of being drunk. To her credit Hannah didn't give him a mouthful back (I think I might have). And to Eli's credit, after hearing Hannah's explanation his attitude changed, although there is no record of an apology.
So what do I make of this great story today. Nothing earth shattering. Having persisted with reading this far you must be disappointed! Firstly, as with Elkanah, it is a must that we show compassion to innocent people. Who are the innocent in our society today? Or who in my circle of contacts is innocent? I am treating them with love and respect?
Secondly, am I guilty of being like Eli? Making judgments based on what I see and not what is really going on. How rude and insensitive of Eli to speak to Hannah the way he did. There is no excuse. Who, today, will I come into contact with and make and ill informed initial judgement? How about finding out some facts first rather than being judgemental as a first response.
In all of life's stories there are other people involved, others who are a part of the script. In this story there is Elkanah, Hannah's husband. These Old Testament times often seem brutal and the way in which women were treated often makes me squirm. But Elkanah, who also had another wife who did bear him children, obviously loved her deeply and showed a great deal of compassion towards her. He, I think, can take part of the credit for the outcome of the story. For without his love Hannah might have given up, or might have been totally ostracised because she hadn't given him children.
The other character is Eli the priest. I cringe at the first mention of Eli in this story. Hannah went to the temple to pray "Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably" (1 Sam 1:10). Eli's response? He accused her of being drunk. Great. Poor Hannah is already at her wits end and the priest's response is to accuse her of being drunk. To her credit Hannah didn't give him a mouthful back (I think I might have). And to Eli's credit, after hearing Hannah's explanation his attitude changed, although there is no record of an apology.
So what do I make of this great story today. Nothing earth shattering. Having persisted with reading this far you must be disappointed! Firstly, as with Elkanah, it is a must that we show compassion to innocent people. Who are the innocent in our society today? Or who in my circle of contacts is innocent? I am treating them with love and respect?
Secondly, am I guilty of being like Eli? Making judgments based on what I see and not what is really going on. How rude and insensitive of Eli to speak to Hannah the way he did. There is no excuse. Who, today, will I come into contact with and make and ill informed initial judgement? How about finding out some facts first rather than being judgemental as a first response.
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