Riddles

Check on Google if it's driving you nuts. 

Here's another one to crack...

Question : What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Answer: Is that a fertilised or unfertilised egg?

A riddle is an apparently impossible problem. However, when the answer is revealed it is usually very simple and the person is left asking themselves why they couldn't see it before. The essence of a riddle is a single mystery and everyone loves a good mystery. To be able to solve a riddle is a sign of intelligence so we feel pleasure when we uncover the answer. The answer has been hidden and surely only the wise could have revealed it ; )

God loves to reveal the answer to a mystery if our ears are open! My friend Paul Shaw shared with his Karakia group the story of Moses and the Burning Bush and he asked them if they believed it.
One day as Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, out at the edge of the desert near Horeb, the mountain of God, suddenly the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him as a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw that the bush was on fire and that it didn’t burn up, he went over to investigate. Then God called out to him, “Moses! Moses!”
“Who is it?” Moses asked.
“Don’t come any closer,” God told him. “Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Moses covered his face with his hands, for he was afraid to look at God.) 
Exodus 3:1-6

The Karakia group is a mixture of people, young and old (including a converted leader of the Mongrel Mob!). Needless to say, the youngest more easily believed the story of the Burning Bush. The adults struggled to believe the story so Paul pointed them to the Sun. Every day the Sun burns so fiercely and the fuel is never burnt up! So we can see the Sun and know that a Burning Bush isn't much of a problem for God!

The story of the Burning Bush also contains the wonderful answer to a mystery about whether there is life after death. 1600 years after God had appeared to Moses, the Sadducee's came to Jesus to try to prove that there was no life after death but Jesus proved to them from the above passage that it was true.
“But now as to whether there will be a resurrection—have you never read in the book of Exodus about Moses and the burning bush? God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and I am the God of Isaac, and I am the God of Jacob.’
“God was telling Moses that these men, though dead for hundreds of years, were still very much alive, for he would not have said, ‘I am the God’ of those who don’t exist! You have made a serious error.”
Matthew 12:26-27

Jesus favourite method of teaching was in parables. Parables are a step up from a riddle, they are like a symphony compared to a pop song. They contain answers to multiple mysteries. When you go to Church and listen to a sermon, it is usually a straight talk explaining or instructing on a subject. Jesus didn't teach like that. His sermons used mystery to explain truth and were loved by the crowds. To be able to wrap up eternal truth in a story and make it interesting is a great skill. 2000 years later we are still talking about them : ) How many stories of today will be talked about in 4015 AD? Not many I would bet.

Jesus' level of intelligence was far beyond that of his enemies. He was easily able to respond to questions designed to trap him.

Then the Pharisees met together to try to think of some way to trap Jesus into saying something for which they could arrest him. They decided to send some of their men along with the Herodians to ask him this question: “Sir, we know you are very honest and teach the truth regardless of the consequences, without fear or favor. Now tell us, is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”
But Jesus saw what they were after. “You hypocrites!” he exclaimed. “Who are you trying to fool with your trick questions? Here, show me a coin.”
And they handed him a penny.
“Whose picture is stamped on it?” he asked them. “And whose name is this beneath the picture?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Well, then,” he said, “give it to Caesar if it is his, and give God everything that belongs to God.”
His reply surprised and baffled them, and they went away.
Matthew 22:15-22

And equally he was able to easily expose his opponents by presenting them with a trap of his own!

When he had returned to the Temple and was teaching, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders came up to him and demanded to know by whose authority he had thrown out the merchants the day before. 
“I’ll tell you if you answer one question first,” Jesus replied. “Was John the Baptist sent from God or not?” 
 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say, ‘From God,’” they said, “then he will ask why we didn’t believe what John said. And if we deny that God sent him, we’ll be mobbed, for the crowd all think he was a prophet.” So they finally replied, “We don’t know!” 
And Jesus said, “Then I won’t answer your question either.
Matthew 21:23-27

The crowds loved the things Jesus said which exposed the dishonesty and stupidity of their leaders. We could do with a bit more of that in our day and age ; )

A lot of people have difficulty in grasping how Jesus' death on the Cross can save us from our sins. For a child it is not a problem, they just believe it. But for an adult, life is much more complex and prevents them obtaining the peace that Jesus offers. They retain their feeling of guilt because they haven't found the key to solving the riddle. They need to understand the mystery of the Cross.

The answer to the riddle is that Jesus is God : ) If God himself has paid for our sins, what has Satan left to accuse us of after that? It's really that simple.

The Potter and his Son

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are the Potter. We are all formed by your hand. Oh, be not so angry with us, Lord, nor forever remember our sins. Oh, look and see that we are all your people. 
Jeremiah 18:8-9

Morris & James is a well known pottery in Matakana about an hour North of Auckland.

We visited there on 28th November and were given a generous free tour of the extensive site by the owner who is the Potter. The most remarkable thing of all was that the entire plant is operated by only 2 workers - the Potter and his Son - producing 1000's of pots a year.

The sculpturing time is only the length of a pop song but the entire process takes several months.

What I can remember from the tour;
- Clay is excavated on site
- 1000 tonnes per year.
- Sifted
- Mixed with west coast black sand
- Extruded into bricks
- Left wet for a month
- Processed into tubes
- Sculpted into pots (shown on the video)
- Transported to drying room
- Dried for a month
- Pots shrink as they dry
- Put in oven to 925°C . Sand turns to glass and comes to the surface giving red terracotta colour
- Painted, glazed and heated to 1060°C making the glassy effect




The illustration is a timeless one. The Bible says that in the beginning we were formed from the clay in the ground. 

 The time came when the Lord God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And man became a living person. 
Genesis 2:7


You may not be convinced about the Creation but the fact remains that our bodies are composed of all the elements in the ground. It is an evidence for God. And the Potter is not averse to starting his work all over again should it not turn out the way he envisioned!


Soon I will be turning 50 years old with what changes that may bring. I will be changing jobs very soon and with that a new direction! Perhaps you won't recognise me in a while. Don't worry, I'm the clay in the Potters hands, I'll turn out alright.

 

Friday the 13th

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." 
Matthew 16:24

ISIS are an extremely cunning and dangerous enemy. Following the horrific Friday 13th November attacks in Paris, the terrorists made this statement; “A group of believers from the soldiers of the Caliphate set out targeting the capital of prostitution and vice, the lead carrier of the cross in Europe, Paris..."

The mention of the cross is very interesting. Paris is not the carrier of the cross at all. France is a secular country.

In fact, the ones who carry the cross in Paris and in France are the very few believers who follow after Jesus and love their enemies and turn the other cheek when struck. For this reason, carrying the cross is shameful, humiliating, of no value in this world. For carrying the cross means to identify with and suffer like Christ did when he died for us. The terrorists have hijacked the word "martyr". Terrorists are murderers. Jesus was a martyr, an innocent who died so that the whole world may be saved.

The terrorists are referencing the Crusades, provoking a powerful emotional response and trying to create a war between Christians and Muslims. In fact they want neutral sympathisers to join them because at the moment they are small in number but there is a large population of fence sitters.

The governments of the world justly respond in war. Unfortunately when "Christian" France (or Britain, Germany, US, NZ etc) responds with violence it is exactly what ISIS want, especially when innocent Muslims are killed. The neutral ones are more likely to become pro-ISIS.

On a personal level, the time when you can sit on the secular fence is over. Your government is making decisions for war that will have repercussions across the world. You will have to decide one way or the other whose side you are on.

This is not a normal war. ISIS are going to randomly kill anyone who isn't like them in any country including their own. Secular, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu or Buddhist they do not care.

There are 2 wars being fought, one is the one we can see like in Paris last weekend. But the other is a spiritual war between good and evil which we cannot see. I've said it before, we are not fighting people, what we are really fighting is an unseen evil of the kind you see in a Friday 13th horror movie. Therefore choose to fight like Jesus did, taking the Gospel to the Nations with prayer, with humility and in suffering.

Jesus is coming back soon. Even though it's likely to get worse for a time, Evil will not win. If you read to the end of the story you will find that ISIS are heading straight for the Lake of Fire along with all murderers.

"It is finished! I am the A and the Z—the Beginning and the End. I will give to the thirsty the springs of the Water of Life—as a gift! Everyone who conquers will inherit all these blessings, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But cowards who turn back from following me, and those who are unfaithful to me, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those conversing with demons, and idol worshipers and all liars—their doom is in the Lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This is the Second Death.”
Revelation 21:6-8

We cannot sit on the fence or turn back and be safe! We need courage to follow Jesus until the end.

So as one wise leader once said;
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15

Two Haka's

I was told to prepare 2 messages for today in case New Zealand lost their Quarter Final against France. It was either going to be like a marriage or a funeral, which HAKA was it going to be?

Ka mate Ka mate
It is death It is death

Ka ora Ka ora
It is life It is life

Ka mate Ka mate
It is death It is death

Ka ora Ka ora
It is life It is life

Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru
This is the hairy man

Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra
Who caused the sun to shine again for me

Upane Upane
Up the ladder Up the ladder

Upane Kaupane
Up to the top

Whiti te ra
The sun shines!

Like 2007 or 2011...


Graham Henry, the coach of the All Blacks recently described the 2007 Quarter Final defeat against France in Cardiff as "Hell".

4 years later on Sunday 23rd October 2011, it was the morning of the Rugby World Cup Final against France and I was preaching on the topic of the "End of the World" which it would have felt like if we had lost! Later in the day we joined the vast crowds in town to watch a tense final against France. The last 20 minutes in Aotea Square there was an eerie silence as it looked less and less likely that the All Blacks were going to win. When the final whistle went with the score 8v7, there was a great sense of relief and the celebrations started. It was "Heaven" but it would have been "Hell" if the result would have been reversed. I think there would have been a riot.

Hell is not a place that people think is real anymore although they are happy to hope for Heaven. But you can't accept 50% of what the Bible says. It's 100% or nothing. What we believe is very important because it determines how we will live our life. If the afterlife isn't real, if there is no Heaven or Hell for each one of us, then by all means go out and do whatever's legal and then some because it doesn't matter at all.

I remember walking home from school one day in England in 1972 and looking at some graffiti on the wall which had someones life dates. You know - their birth to their death - and thinking that one day in about 70 years time I'm going to die. At 6 years old I thought that. Even as children we know this truth. I also remember wondering what it would be like when the end came, when the lights went off. I couldn't see beyond the blackness, there was nothing I could imagine beyond that moment. I believe a lot of people do not know what lies beyond deaths door and it must be scary to think about so they don't! We don't talk about death, it's a conversation killer.

Billy Joel summed up what the World thinks when he sang
"They say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun
You know that only the good die young"

But Jesus said;
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Matthew 7:13-14

I hope you will listen to Jesus and not Billy Joel!

But what did Jesus mean when he said "enter through the narrow gate"?

I know my friend Glenn Tabor's favourite verse is John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture." 
John 10:9

In making these statements, Jesus ruled out every religion as being a way to Heaven. Religion is people trying to find their way to Heaven by following a set of rules or being good. Which we know we can never do by the way! The only way in is a person and that person is Jesus. What is your immediate heart felt reaction to these words? This message is offensive and people refuse to believe it. "But I'm a good person..."

I want to read one of the most famous passages in the Bible from John 3 where Jesus said to see the Kingdom of God, "you must be born again".

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

There are a few people you meet who are truly good people. Nicodemus was one of those types. He was very religious (but he could have been atheist as well), a fine upstanding man in the local community, a good example to all. But he came secretly to see Jesus at night when the crowds had all gone home. He started with the formalities "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

It is the type of statement of respect we give when we meet an important person. It's a way of getting to the more important things we want to know about someone. But Nicodemus no doubt had plenty of questions in his heart. Ones about whether Jesus really was the Messiah fulfilling the prophecies that he had learned from when he was a young religious Jew. Nicodemus was waiting for, searching for the Messiah all his life. All his learning had not satisfied his desire to know how to get to Heaven, which was the ultimate question in his heart. Religion will leave you thirsty. Even though Nicodemus was very good, very religious, he didn't have any experience with the Spirit of God. It was like being in the dark.

But Jesus could see in his heart - he can see in yours as well - and Jesus replied as if answering the question in Nicodemus' heart which was "How can I be sure to go to Heaven, how do I get there?"
Jesus doesn't need us to verbalise what's in our hearts, he can already see inside so he speaks to Nicodemus' real heart question "How do I get to Heaven?"

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

Nicodemus needed to be "born again", born of the Spirit, so he could understand the things of God because even though he learned them all his life and was now old, it was all just in his head, a blackness like some mystery.

Many people simply do not know. They are good people, religious even. There are hundreds of millions of good, religious Buddhists, Hindus Muslims, Jews, Humanists and Atheists but they aren't born again! And if they're really honest with themselves, they know they are missing something important and they don't know why, just like Nicodemus! That is the question in their heart that they need answered.

So Jesus answers Nicodemus' real question by saying you must be born again, by the Spirit, because only the Holy Spirit can give life from Heaven, we cannot attain it ourselves. A dead man cannot bring himself back to life!

Nicodemus didn't understand. “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. Do you want to know God but you can't understand anything the Bible says? You are like Nicodemus.

Jesus then tells Nicodemus what's wrong - that he needs to believe in Jesus. That was the problem the Pharisees had. They knew Jesus had been sent by God but they didn't believe him when he said he was the Son of God. And so because they didn't believe, they could not be born again.

If I don't believe what someone says, I won't do what he says! But if I love and trust someone as my friend, I will do what they say showing I believe him! Jesus tells Nicodemus the most famous words in the Bible, and he says them to all of us.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Why does our eternity depend on believing in Jesus? Because that is God's only condition and we should be very grateful it is so easy! By believing him, we are born again and that is the only way to enter the Kingdom of God - through the narrow gate.

The only real reason people don't is because they want to live the way they want. They don't want to follow a narrow path, they want to be able to live how they please, go where they want, experience everything they can while they still have breath. Though that way is wide and commonly followed, it is a dead end. Ultimately they have chosen the shadows over the light because they think they will have time to change.

They are following the advice of Led Zeppelin in Stairway to Heaven
"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run 
There's still time to change the road you're on."

But Jesus said in John 3:8
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”. 

The Spirit comes and goes like the wind, you have got to accept the offer when it's on the table. You may not get another chance!
For he says,“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2

I hope you will listen to Jesus and not Led Zeppelin!

Let me tell you it is not as easy a decision as you might think. The Devil doesn't give up without a fight! The Bible says today if you hear Gods voice come. Today is the day of salvation. Don't say you'll do it later. Because the Holy Spirit is like the wind and you cannot expect he will be available on your beck and call. People who think they will repent on their deathbeds cannot be sure to find faith in those moments. It is a terrible risk.

I remembered the lead up to when I was born again. I was young but you don't have to be. It's when you hear God's voice, that's when you have to respond. In December 1976 my cousins arrived for a holiday, 2 years after we had emigrated to New Zealand. It was really great to see them.

In early 1977, I started at Papatoetoe Intermediate. The year brought a lot of changes. In May, Star Wars was released, we couldn't wait to see it!

A couple of weeks later, June 12th 1977 (I still have a momento), the Boys Brigade that I was a part of had a parade from Old Papatoetoe to the Baptist Church. It's not too far to walk. My best friends father preached that day. It was the first time I really heard the Gospel preached and really understood it. The message was a a bit scary as it talked about Hell. Hymn 417 (I think) was sung. The preacher called forward anyone who wanted to give their life to Christ. Luckily we were sitting near the front. It was just a couple of steps away. My friend Gary Poulgrain also went forward. You may not think so but it is not easy to leave your chair to go to the front when the preacher calls. There is a huge battle going on and it's a good thing if someone's been praying for you!

The experience of being "born again" is different for everyone but for me it was emotional with tears. I felt different, I felt relief. But that afternoon many doubts and fears came rushing in. I felt as if I was caught up in a frightening battle. I now understand that the devil doesn't give up anyone without a fight. You may think you are your own boss. But if you don't believe in Jesus you are in chains and you don't even know it!

A few weeks later we started discipleship classes. I always felt that I hadn't had all the experiences that had been described and that my own experience was lacking. The Bible says that all who believe the Gospel are born again. There are no additional qualifications to just believing. If you believe the Gospel, you are born again. If you don't believe it, you are not and the Bible says you won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. People scoff at this but you must be born again, you must believe. All your good works count for nothing at the pearly gates. Only that your name is written in the Book of Life. The day you believe it is written there! Do you need to make sure of that today?

Here I am nearly 40 years later and I still believe and even more so!

In memory of Glyn Jones

Fire!

Just under 5 weeks before the ISIS murders in Paris on Friday November 13th 2015, I was on Elder duty. In order to start the time for Open Church when everyone share their testimonies, I shared mine since Saturday October 25th 2008. Within 6 weeks I had made the decision to leave my job and begin the journey to full time mission in France.

John 1:14-17 14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace AND truth came through Jesus Christ.

Today it is Open Church. I would like to encourage our young people to share what God is doing in their lives but first let me tell you a brief testimony of my own. As some of you know, I have been helping run a Soccer Academy through PACT for the last 7 years. This is the story so far...

At the beginning of 2007, I had an idea to set up a soccer academy after taking our boys to a small holiday programme run by Wynrs in Royal Oak. Good things take time. Over a year later, I approached Brent, the director of PACT with the idea. We prepared a schedule, applied for some grants and ordered the gear but just 2 weeks after we started, I broke my leg at a football tournament in Mt Maunganui during labour weekend 2008. Through the support of others we managed to complete the first academy and have been running it ever since.

After going on a family trip to UK/France at the end of 2012, I had a new thought to go on a mission trip to Mexico to run a Soccer Academy for a couple of weeks. On Christmas morning at breakfast with some friends, Tim Wills who some of you know, advised me to contact Kim Beale who is running soccer missions from NZ.

I happened to meet Kim at Easter Camp in 2013. As a result of that, Sean got a trial with the NZ Crosswhites and was selected to go to Australia. Kim was planning a soccer mission to Chile/Paraguay at the end of 2013, I was going to go but unfortunately the trip had to be cancelled as too many pulled out at the last moment. However, this year Kim asked me to be his assistant director for the the Crosswhites for their trip to Sydney to compete in the National Titles. It's been quite a commitment but last week we took a group of 4 teams over there. Though we didn't win, it was a great experience making all the years effort worthwhile. The kids were awesome. I am very happy that Kim makes the message of the Gospel core to what he's doing and the football comes second to that. Over the same 7 years,

I have had another parallel development in my life as a direct result of breaking my leg resulting in a trip to France in May. They are both connected in a way I don't know yet. In 2016, Kim is taking a group to Valencia to one of the top sides in Spain and I have this thought to go. We will be able to receive coaching from some top Spanish coaches at the same time as seeing how our team performs against their academy sides. I also think I'm meant to go back to France for a period of time, I have a lot of thoughts on that and smaller details are slowly being filled in. But obviously there are some difficulties in doing that which I'm still processing.

In fact it can be and often is a struggle to do the things that God gifts to us and there can be unexpected twists and turns. For a lot of us it is part time but I'm sure working full time is exactly the same. I do want to say that this is what gives meaning to our lives and is not for nothing. Which is why I'm ready to do it! For me it has been the culmination of; Initial inspiration God working out the connection details Reading the Bible, listening and receiving words Support of others The work is easy but the difficulty is in the commitment

Matthew 11:39 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Step by step we run the race before us.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
 3-2-1 the tortoise is off ; )

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." 
Jim Elliot 


Idol

“You may worship no other god than me. “You shall not make yourselves any idols: no images of animals, birds, or fish. You must never bow or worship it in any way; for I, the Lord your God, am very possessive. I will not share your affection with any other god! “And when I punish people for their sins, the punishment continues upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate me; but I lavish my love upon thousands of those who love me and obey my commandments. 
Exodus 20:3-6 

I recently came across this article on ancient idols in the Guardian newspaper. Idol is a word we use in our talent finding TV shows. A lot of people want to be the one the crowd loves. They want to be the one up on the stage receiving the adoration.

Recognition is a deep human need. At the same time, we want to give our adoration towards someone or something. Why do we feel the need to give all our love in such a way. And why do we love anyway?

There are people around the world leaving food, money, flowers at the feet of statues. Some might even kiss it's cold stone feet.

An idol is something you give your your love to, diluting your love and sometimes even taking the place of everything else. Normally it's not a family member or a loved one but it could be. Once your whole world revolves around that one thing, it's an idol.

Perhaps you can identify one thing that all your happiness depends on. If so, you may have an idol to deal with. What's the problem with it, if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad? The reality is that nothing in this world lasts. If it doesn't leave you, you will leave it. You will leave empty handed but you don't want to leave empty hearted.

Foxhole

"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested. “Don’t you even fear God when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done one thing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.”
Luke:23:39-43

In my last post, I realised I was stepping into very dangerous territory by presenting the Bible's view on marriage. I am running in to no man's land like in Lord Tennyson's famous poem...
"Cannon to right of them,
  Cannon to left of them,
  Cannon behind them 
  Volley'd and thunder'd;
  Storm'd at with shot and shell,
  Into the jaws of Death
  Into the mouth of Hell
  Rode the six hundred"

Aside from being regarded as irrelevant in our enlightened modern world, to repeat certain parts of the Bible is in danger of being considered hate speech. We may not face execution as in Pakistan but we can be imprisoned for saying what is written in the Bible.

We either believe the Bible or we don't. If we throw out the unpalatable parts, we distort the message of Jesus which is that he is the only reconciliation between the World and God. We are all identified as sinners by the Bible, not one of us can claim innocence.

The Church today isn't speaking out as it should against all the life choices considered by the Bible to be sin - adultery, fornication, pornography, prostitution, living together without getting married. We are focusing on one or two sins as if they are the only sins God is angry about.

Why don't we? When we were young children, we had no problem with these laws because they didn't affect us. But now we have broken them ourselves, it is much more difficult to accept. We would rather find an alternative explanation for our behaviour that denies all accountability.

Even as believers we may not truly feel sorry for what we have done. It is very easy to accept that in general you are a sinner but it isn't personal enough to get a reaction. People react differently when their sins are named in public. They want to keep things private. It's unlikely to be any different to the way the homosexual community reacts when their lifestyle is named as sin.

Like the two thieves condemned by their sins to execution on the Cross, they will either react with anger or with fear to the judgement placed on them (fight or flight).

I accept that a person can be born gay. I think this affirms the Bible's position that we are all born sinners rather than contradicting it. Everyone can claim that they were born "that way" in excusing their sins. Is it just our genes? That is a cop-out to avoid admitting responsibility.

But it won't fool the Judge! Will the Judge feel sorry for us? Yes he is compassionate. Does that mean he will let us off? No, of course not, he is a judge to enforce the law. The law will hand down a sentence for every crime.

Then we're all doomed! Now finally you understand our predicament. 

That's why the Gospel is such Good News : ) Without it, we are all lost, even the best of us. God himself paid the sentence due to us, winning our war and providing the only Way out. So easy that even the most simplest of us can find it, even a child. No exams to pass so even the least talented can attain it. That is why it is the wisdom of God.

It is rare for me to talk about the Law. I don't want to point the gun at anyone, that will only start another war. I have enough faults of my own. But I do feel that people don't understand the war they are in and are not facing up to the Truth that one day, not too far off, they will die and have to face God as Judge. And without having placed their faith in Jesus, they are lost forever :' (

They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Both criminals cried out to God to save them, one in anger, one in humility. For one, it was his belief in the goodness of God that saved him. So which of the 2 criminals do you identify with?


"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
 John 3:16

Love and Marriage

My friend just got married at a fabulous location in Bordeaux, France. I wished I could have been there but he sent me some photos and I can tell you it was absolutely beautiful. They will have a lot of great memories for the rest of their lives : )



Not that a beautiful wedding guarantees a successful marriage. When asked prior to his marriage if he was "in love" with his fiancé Lady Diana, Prince Charles famously answered with the caveat "whatever in love means"... Ding Ding Ding !!!

In our culture, people want to marry someone they love who loves them at least as much. Of course around the world there are many different and controversial views on marriage and I won't go there today!

Rate yourself on the love and marriage scale 1 to 10;

1. Sorry I don't know what love is, I think I must be royal ; ) 
2. No thanks, there's no such thing as the "One", I'll keep my options open! 
3. Yes we're gonna make it legal some day but who really needs the piece of paper? 
4. What's love got to do with it? I've just ordered a Russian bride, thanks Google : ) 
5. Why not? I'll try anything once ; ) Let's go to the church NOW, Viva Las Vegas! 
6. The chance of finding the "One" is minuscule. That's why an arranged marriage by the people who love you most is best... It had to be you : ) 
7. I'd like to know who's making this stuff up because it's like I already knew you and I always will : ) 
8. The world changed the day we met. Our love is eternal, I'm a Montague and you're a Capulet! 
9. "Search your heart, search your soul and when you find me there you'll search no more! You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you" 
10. I promise you today, tomorrow and forever! "I, ___, take you, ___, to be my husband/wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honour you all the days of my life."

It's a good thing to know what you are looking for in another person. If you want to know if you have found true love, you will find 1 Corinthians 13 a useful checklist. It's even better if you can replace the word "Love" in this passage with your own name!

"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him." 
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The truth is none of us achieve 100% of the high standard of 1 Corinthians 13! But I'm sure every prospective wife is looking for more than a mere pass mark from her future husband : )

There's something more that the Bible teaches about marriage that people today are missing out on by not making the connection.

Not only did God in his love create woman for man, perfectly suited to all his needs and take an oath to keep them together (which he cannot lie). But also, in doing so he painted a picture for all time to show how much Christ loves the Church and how the Church loves him back like a bride filled with joy at her wedding.

So when you go to a wedding, and you feel all the love and hope and faith that two people place in each other, you should realise that is how God feels about YOU and will commit to you forever if only you will accept his marriage proposal! How about it?

There are three things that remain—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 
1 Corinthians 13:13

Impossible

The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:25-26

In any other realm but faith, people are congratulated for believing in the impossible. If there weren't people who believed in the impossible, we would not have computers, mobile phones, flight, put a man on the moon, you name it. But if you say Jesus came back from the dead to give us eternal life, most people will think you're a simpleton who believes in fairy stories!

A lot of people think the Bible is a very negative book, full of outdated laws and unfair punishments. They think that even if God exists, it is impossible to live the way he wants us to and want nothing to do with religion.

Yes, I agree it is impossible but they didn't read it to the end. The books of the law are only the first 5 of the 66 which describe the impossible problem. That's less than 10% of the story!

The remaining 90% of the Bible is full of positive accounts of people triumphing in all kinds of impossible situations. It's a very inspirational book with a dramatic conclusion and I'm sure that's the reason it's the World's best seller. People don't always realise the Bible is a great story - the story of Jesus Christ who is God the Saviour coming to save mankind from destruction. Whatever impossible situation you may face in your life, you can find hope at every twist and turn. Even the atheist knows that the most likely survivor in a disaster is the one who maintains hope, a positive outlook. But if you go just one step further and believe, you will have not only hope but courage. You won't be clutching at straws in the worst of situations. Read it to your kids when they are young so they understand the whole story and they will grow up fearless.

In some parts of the story, the skeptic could argue that the people emerged as winners because of their own strength or skill, that even though they credited God, it was actually them that did it.

For example David defeating Goliath. Small shepherd boy against Giant elite soldier. The odds were overwhelming that Goliath would win but there is always a small chance of an underdog victory in any battle... and David was a crack shot. Goliath severely underestimated him and everyone knows pride goes before a fall.

I randomly picked 5 places where the chance of victory was ZERO. If I could have gone into William Hill and placed a bet on each of these situations, I'd be a very rich man and Mr Hill would be bust : ) The situation was impossible and the victory could not be explained by man's efforts;

1. The Israelites escaping through the parting of the Red Sea
2. Jonah saved from in the Big Fish
3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego rescued from within the furnace
4. The feeding of the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish
5. The raising of Lazarus from the dead

It would be interesting to compare your list of 5! If I look at these ones through Heaven's eyes and had to pick the one that really stands out to me, it's the one from near the middle of the Bible, the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

In all the other 4, God told the listener what was going to happen in advance. Since God cannot lie and is in control of every situation, the outcome was certain. It didn't matter that the situation was impossible, God was going to bring about what he said so there was no need for doubt and fear. Have you got a promise like that from God? The situation is impossible but from Heaven's perspective it's already done.

But for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego there was no word from God. They knew that if they refused to obey the King's law to worship the statue, they would be thrown into the furnace, the most painful of deaths.

I remember seeing a documentary a few years ago called 180. People were given a moral dilemma scenario in Nazi Germany where they could save their own life if they would shoot a group of Jews. When faced with the harsh reality of their own imminent death, half said they would shoot the innocent to save themselves.

It would have been very easy for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to bow down and worship the statue to save their own lives, but they refused and fearlessly told the King that even if God would not save them from the fire, they would never do as the King said.

This provoked the King to such anger that the blood in his face was so strong that it darkened with rage. When you take the biblical stance against the culture you may well provoke a response like that. Would you be prepared to lose your life for someone you believe in? With these times we are living in it may not be long before we're presented with a choice like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Sound impossible? Don't you believe it!

So the soldiers bound Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and threw them into the furnace which was 7 times hotter than usual (at least 1500°C then). You may think that was a long time ago and was what ancient "civilisation" did to people, but modern civilisation did the same thing to the Jews in WWII.

So far it's just another history lesson then suddenly it crosses into the realms of the impossible...

1. To Nebuchadnezzar's astonishment, he saw 4 men walking around in the flames unbound.
2. The 4th looked like a god. Some say the 4th was an angel, some even say it was Jesus.
3. When Nebuchadnezzar called them out neither they nor their clothes were harmed and they didn't even smell of smoke.

You can try for a scientific explanation, write it off as a magicians trick and even deny that it is an historical account even though Nebuchadnezzar is a historical figure...

But make an honest comparison to a story from the same era like Greek mythology. Is it myth or mystery?

“But Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal it up so that it will not be understood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased!” Daniel 12:4

The world is changing rapidly in a way that it could never have done before the internet. The Daniel prophecies have long been known but now they are being understood by our generation. We are living in those times which Paul wrote to Timothy about

"You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian." 2 Timothy 3:1

This message has evolved a little from where it started. As I was preparing by checking the facts about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego on Google, I could not find the evidence I wanted. More evidence will exist, I just didn't have enough time to find it all, or perhaps it hasn't even been discovered yet. Wikipedia told me that scholars say the Book of Daniel is a legend but I'm convinced it's true.

When Jesus gave his end of the world sermon in Matthew 24, he referred to the Daniel prophecy regarding the abomination in the temple as a trigger point for worldwide persecution immediately before his return. If Jesus taught literal meaning from Daniel, how much can we trust the expertise of these modern scholars? They look like unbelievers masquerading as men of God.

Certainly the writer of Hebrews believed the story was true when he makes reference to men and women of faith in Chapter 11.
33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

I am sure the only real reason scholars think it is a legend is because the story describes things that are impossible scientifically speaking. If their microscopic faith is enough for them to enter Heaven, it's going to be highly embarrassing for them when some of these great Bible characters step forward to tell their stories in full detail on the big screen : )

We have to prepare to keep our faith strong because this generation is casting a lot of doubt our way. Science, which is like a god to the world says everything must be explained by evidence leaving no room for doubt and faith. Yet Christians will always be people of faith because without faith it is impossible to please God.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

Have you thought about why you believe? It can be hard to put in words why you love someone but it's good to do that : )

I don't believe in vain and neither do you.
I believe that there is no such thing as impossible.
I believe because I trust the men who wrote it. These men in the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken from their homes and their names changed to be Babylonian gods instead of their Hebrew names which had a one true God meaning.
I believe that suffering has a way of making you honest.
I believe because the men who wrote it had nothing to gain in this world.
I believe because so many prophecies on Daniel (and 100's of others in the Bible) have already come true far more accurately than Nostradamus.
I believe because it is written in a way that has a ring of truth.
I believe in God because it makes sense of the world and the human condition.
I believe because life is so complex in it's design, it's beauty and it's goodness.
I believe because the Gospel is holy being both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
I believe because without God there is no hope or meaning in this world.
I believe because the evidence for God is overwhelming. Life and the Universe/The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ /Prophecy/Dreams/Miracles/Life after death accounts/Sin, death and the existence of evil/The Bible/Love and Justice/Spirit world /Language/The pattern of history/Mankind search for meaning/Testimony/Guilt... do you want me to continue?

I believe because good is greater than evil. Love is greater than hate. Peace surpasses understanding. Death has lost its sting.

An invitation to believe the Gospel is an invitation to believe the impossible. This tiny flame will soon ignite the fire that burns so fiercely and never goes out!

I arrived at the end of this passage with the feeling that there is a gulf that cannot be stepped over with science or evidence from history. It was impossible to cross to the other side unless something was there to take me over. Many people will arrive at the end of their lives like that with no hope to get across. There is no other means than by faith in Jesus. The gulf is bridged by faith. Yes we believe in the impossible but we take the leap of faith to find something solid underfoot.

Two Cents Worth

Having proposed an alternative way for the Church's property to be put to good use, and saving a fortune in maintenance costs, I would like to look at one of those fundamental parts of the Church service - the Offering.

Frankly the offering in it's existing form is not serving the original intention and is providing ammunition for the non-believers to fire at the Church. Our media regularly report on churches which have an overemphasis on tithing. In some cases the people giving cannot afford to give as much as they are encouraged to.

The faithful are told that "You cannot out give God". This is based on the fact that Jesus taught "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." Jesus also said that "purity is best demonstrated by generosity" and "blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God". These are all wonderful promises of God! But God is not a pokie machine. He will do exactly what he says but in whichever way he chooses and a money return is one of many options.

Jesus made the observation that it is not the amount of money that is given but in relation to how much the person has. In the case of the widow who gave two copper coins, it was all she had. Jesus commended her for her devotion to God.

Being human our giving can also be selfishly motivated and a poor excuse for not helping when encountering someone in immediate need. The Pharisees came under heavy fire from Jesus many times for this, for example in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan was the unexpected hero in the story because he showed love and generosity towards someone who by race was his enemy.

The offering is meant to be a joyful time in the Church service. God loves to see people giving generously with a joyful heart.

I would like to suggest that it is the system that we are using that is in error. It puts unfair pressure on the poorest in our congregations, leads to false motives, joylessness, pride and even stinginess. Like that, it brings no pleasure to God at all, is upside down and needs to be overturned like the tables in the Temple for the exact same reason.

Please read Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and compare it to the current way we do the offering in Church i.e.

1. The offering plate being passed around and/or
2. Something resembling a piggy bank located near the entrance/exit so you feel bad or proud twice or even three times in one service (if 1. is also applicable).

The only similarity is the frequently touted "10%" as the law on how much to give. I remember someone asking me once "Is that 10% of your Gross Income or Net?" and then he followed it up with "Do you want Gross or Net Blessings Brother?". Pack your bags, we're going on a Guilt Trip!

Part of the error seems to be that we have mixed up the tithe and the offering. The tithe was from the harvest so an annual event. If the land was shared, everyone contributed and so the poor still got a fair share of the remaining 90%. In the case of a single wealthy landowner, the responsibility of tithing would fall on them and not on the poor at all. 

If we followed the Lord's original instruction on the tithe, we would have;

1. A full banquet once per year in Summer or Early Autumn
2. The absolute best quality food and drink including the finest wines
3. Far too much food for the regular congregation so we would have to invite our neighbours, friends, family and possibly to their great surprise and God's delight - our enemies.
4. Leftovers to distribute : )
5. Every third year a distribution of the entire tithe to the wider community and particularly those on the fringe of society like the foreigners, widows and the orphans. 
6. A Community event for everyone to get really excited about.

Do you think the Media would criticise the Church for that? Well probably but... do you think the Public would be interested in the message of a Church like that? I think so!

All of this would practically demonstrate to them that the Lord is, despite what they've heard, extremely loving and generous towards everyone. This prepares people to receive the Gospel which has the true riches, liberty and love that they are thirsting for the Church to show them : )

PS

I'm not saying to abandon the offering completely. That is still necessary because the church workers (usually the pastor) need an income to do their work and it is right for the congregation to support them. In fact the Bible says a worker is worthy of their wage! 

I'm also not saying to get rid of all Church buildings because some of them are very beautiful and the result of hundreds of years of devoted construction and as with art, can inspire people to recognise there is a greater world to hope for. I'm just asking, do we need all of them, can they be put to better use in these end times we are living in?

In a smaller church gathering in a home, the expenses would be a lot less, especially if everyone uses the gifts that God has given them : )

Monopopopodopolous

We used to play Monopoly when we were young. I don't know about your family, but games of Monopoly always ended in a fight, wild accusations at the banker, the loser storming out, money tossed, board and pieces up in the air. The following week, all would be forgiven and the pantomime would start all over again.

Those Parker Brothers sure knew a thing or two about life ; ) Monopoly is all about property ownership. The more property you own, the more expensive they are, the more rent you can collect, the greater your chance of winning. Everyone has bought into this concept to the detriment of our society. A friend told me that properties in London are now being bought for their capital gain alone and not even rented out leading to a housing crisis.

As in Monopoly, our house could be exchanged for debt up to the value of the house, however the title would then pass from us to the bank.

Which brings me back to my last posting. Greece has a mountain of debt and cannot repay it. The EU creditor is unwilling to write off any of the debt. It is an impossible situation hence the crisis. If it was any other kind of disaster, aid would be pouring in from all over the World. But in this case, no one it seems, wants to help. The Greeks are feeling pretty unloved right now.

As we all know, the wealth in our World is disproportionately appropriated. A lot of it is locked up in property or in businesses. Since an asset can be exchanged for debt, does anyone love and trust Greece to give up their assets in exchange for the Greek debts? So far no one has put their hand up.

Is this the right moment in history for the Church to step in and rescue a nation? Every Christian regularly gives to the work of the Church and to people in need but even so, the Church itself is extremely wealthy in regards to the buildings it owns. Do we need all of these Church buildings? We can meet in people's homes. In fact the Church is the people not the buildings!

The Church doesn't need to be rich to spread the Gospel. Jesus didn't even have his own bed let alone a home!

Are there any Churches who are willing to gift some or all of their buildings to Greece and start meeting in homes instead? Mr Tsipras refused the blessing of the Church at his inauguration, however we can bless him anyway : ) If we would do that, we may win back a brother!

Puzzle

Can you solve the Hong Kong elementary school admission test for six-year-olds, who are required to solve it within 20 seconds? The kids find it easy, the adults have a lot of trouble!

As adults we live in a very complicated world. Our problems seem so big and unsolvable. We Read About It in the newspaper and we cannot agree on a solution.

Take the fierce debate in Europe about what should happen to Greece with their mountain of debt (€320b). If things keep going the way they are, there will be a war soon.

The biblical principal of debt cancellation after a period of time needs serious consideration. It's in the Lord's Prayer ("forgive us our debts as we forgive those who have debts against us") and the parable of the unforgiving servant but it also makes economic sense in a world that over time develops extreme wealth and poverty at the same time. Surely this is not right and everyone knows it!

There needs to be a check in place that prevents this from happening. Take the time to read Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 14:22-15:11. You may not agree with it all but you will see the Lord's generosity is towards everyone. He is very concerned for those who are living on the fringe whether they may be a single person, a family, a community or a nation.

What needs to happen to resolve the Greek crisis is very simple. The debt must be forgiven so that Greece may start again. There must be no strings attached. Ironically, this is what happened to Germany after the end of World War II.

Of course the adult me says why would anyone take such a big loss and why would anyone want to loan money to Greece after that? But the biblical principle is they should! The Lord is very forgiving and generous towards us so we must also be!

Think it through for yourself and decide whether it could work. Better still, ask a child how to solve the Greek crisis : )

New World

We live in a troubled World where the big hand seems to be ticking ever closer to Midnight. We can let our fears overtake us.

And yet Hope comes knocking every morning : ) Unless you are deaf and blind you can at least do one of watching the sunrise and listening to the birds singing.

Lamentations 3
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

These words were written 1000's of years ago by someone in great anguish because of the suffering in their country and they remain true to this day. So take a moment at the start of the day to take it all in. That's how a New World begins!

The Tricolour Communion

6 months ago I invited my French friends to dinner on Pentecost Sunday, May 24th 2015. I knew it would be a holiday the following day in France and I would make all the arrangements. I told them I was turning 50 this year and Pentecost signifies 50 days after Easter Sunday so it would be a good time to get together!

Of course, the time together would be brief and then perhaps I wouldn't see them for some time after that. In the gap in between, I began to think about how I could make that moment memorable for them, but nothing came. 

In the plane going over I was practicing by watching French movies when I happened to watch a trilogy of movies called Bleu, Blanc and Rouge. They were very good... At the end of the first movie, the passage from 1 Corinthians 13 is sung which concludes with the 3 things that remain - faith, hope and love.

As it turned out, the apartment I booked was in the capital of Brittany, Rennes, for the nights of 22nd to 24th and on the Friday not Sunday my friend Galeb cooked us a French meal, Magret de Canard, much better than anything I could have done : )

Before we ate, I read the 1 Corinthians passage to my friends and told them that because of these 3 things, we never needed to be sad with moments that pass into memory so quickly. It was a very good moment which will not be forgotten!

On the night before Jesus died, he shared the Passover meal with his friends as all of Israel was doing. He had made all the arrangements in advance and no doubt spent some time thinking about what to say to his friends knowing that he was about to die. Something that they would never forget. 

We don't know how much of what Jesus said to them was planned in advance or inspired but in that moment, the regular Passover meal was transformed into something much greater to represent Jesus death on our behalf. And he told them to Remember him with this meal until he would came again. All of these 3 ingredients of faith, hope and love are in this meal we now share together. Incredibly, we and all other Christians do this to this day, proving the truth of 1 Corinthians 13:13 : )

The Last Post

Today in New Zealand it is 100 years since Gallipoli - April 25th 2015.

People across New Zealand are gathering for the Dawn Services. The soldiers who fought in that War have all departed but their bravery is remembered by young and old today. There were 1000's in attendance - so many people from the community! Anzac day is the day when we join with our allies and old enemies alike. We honour the bravery on both sides and we say "Never Again". Anzac Day gives us a sense of unity and nationhood. The strength of that spirit that paved the way for us to live in peace and enjoy the fruit of our land is remembered today. We must dedicate ourselves for the ideals for which they died.

Only the Police are thinking about the threat of a jihadist terrorist attack that has been in the papers this week. There is always an ambulance present in case one more brave soldier falls!

WWI was the war to end all wars. We know it didn't but Remembrance Days speak down the years and tell us never again ,"lest we forget".

We stand together and the national anthem is played. The crowd slowly warms to singing the national anthem and the sound rises but it's a meek effort. Perhaps it is because we are not used to gathering in Community and singing together but this poor effort would never happen in some countries! 

Mr Miki Apiti from the Royal NZ RSA tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign of April 2015 to January 2016 from the Maori perspective. All the Maori tribes except Waikato went to war it was noted. The motives for going were varied. Some wanted combat to show they were true warriors even without the more sophisticated weapons of their European allies and Turkish foes. Some Maori were seeking citizenship (in their own country!) - they wanted to belong. Many went to see the world but they went without knowing the reality and horror of war.

A battalion of 477 men landed at Anzac cove on July 3rd. They found themselves wading ashore under heavy fire. They did not want to be found lacking in courage and the chant we now hear at All Black matches of "Ka Mate, Ka Mate, Ka Mate" was heard echoing around the coast. In the campaign 50 were killed and many more wounded. Only 60 remained at the end when they were evacuated in December 2015. 

Reverend Ross Browne speaks and prays that war should end because it is a denial of God's love. I'm left with a question. Soldiers fought because they loved their families and their countries. I can see God's love in them. They went to battle not to ordinary jobs. There is a time to fight out of love. The minister reads the beautiful passage from Isaiah 2:3-4 that tells of that great day that is coming soon!

"Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."

Out of great suffering comes great hope! The spirit of Anzac is passed on through the generations so we can carry it always until that Great Day.

We sing Psalm 23, The Lord Is My Shepherd. That old song of the warrior king who fought and won so many battles.

War is a reality of our World but it will not always be! The day is coming and it is soon here when the swords will be turned to ploughshares, when we will feast at a table laid out in the presence of our enemies. Our enemies who are invited as friends : ) Is this possible when we look around at the conflict in this world and the seismic differences in beliefs, it can leave you shaking your head. Yes it will be, Jesus will do it! Even his enemies Imagine it without knowing how it will happen.

The President of the RSA Graham Dolan speaks and thanks the crowd for coming. He remembers the places where all our soldiers have fallen around the world, where their very bones lay, the known and the unknown. A soldier issues a loud commandment to the regiment still standing. The flags hang without a breeze to fly them. There are still a few soldiers left from WWII but soon they will also be gone. 

The President lays a wreath at the cenotaph. Many of the schools in the area have gates of stone inscribed with the dates of the war. I remember the strong impression they gave me when I looked up at them when I was young.

He thanks us for coming! Mum's and Dad's are thanked for to getting our children to the occasion. He invites us all to breakfast at the RSA even though they could never cope with the numbers. He realises and quickly puts the prices up from a gold coin donation : )

He notes that despite the bad press our town gets, there is more good in the Community than is reported. He says the Press should be here to witness the 1000's who have turned out.

The Last Post is played and a Maori word is given. 

The Anzac declaration is read.
"They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, 
Nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning we will remember them
We will remember them"

Then a minutes silence. The dawn chorus of the birds singing can be heard and then the loud engines of another big bird as it departs from the nearby Auckland airport. 

A last prayer is spoken. Amen.

The Last Revolution

After our disastrous excursion into Spain, I am nearing the end of my story ("at last!" you say) and of course every good story needs a dramatic conclusion! As it happens, I have no lack for inspiration because the final destination on our tour was Paris. Just like a cyclist in the Tour de France, I am going to change gears rapidly to reach the finish line. Excusez-moi!

In July 1989, it happened to be the 200 year anniversary of the French Revolution, the beginning of "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" and we were there for the celebration!

Paris was filled with reminders particularly in the places that existed for that amount of time like Le Jardin des Tuileries and of course La Place de la Bastille, the very starting place!

First of all we needed somewhere affordable to stay and that was the Moulin Rouge. The woman at the hotel gave us one of the cheap rooms up a narrow flight of stairs. The double bed was very small, I'm not sure she thought we were brothers.

By this stage we had virtually no money so almost anything to eat was good. I don't think our hotel had enough stars for a free breakfast so we went looking for some cheap options of the food kind around the hotel. The croissants in Paris are amazing and of course fruit and cheese can make a good meal.

The city is very beautiful but like all the big cities, if you don't have money, you need to be creative. We went to see the famous churches of Montmartre and the Notre Dame and walked along the Seine. The museums and art galleries are very cheap but we couldn't afford the time or money. Instead, we enjoyed the street artists and the skill of the skateboarders near the Eiffel Tower. Even the con artists and tricksters were entertaining to watch. Of course, we had to climb the Eiffel Tower which in 1989 was 100 years old! It's virtually free and it's a must to view the city from up there.

My ginger beard was getting more ridiculous by the day and our shirts and shorts were completely out of place in stylish Paris. Probably we looked more like the Sans Abris than tourists. At least we had a ticket home. We might have looked and smelt bad, but we had a place where we belonged : )

By the end, it was a relief to go home. There is only so long to live as a stranger. I remember the French school kids on the train to Calais singing popular songs in perfect English bringing us some comfort but it wasn't until we finally crossed the Channel that we could truly relax.

Playing in my head now is the sound of a French Revolution song from a very good vintage year of the 1960's ; ) It is a version of a well known anthem that captured the optimism of the times.

"Où que vous soyez, accourez braves gens.

L'eau commence à monter, soyez plus clairvoyants.

Admettez que, bientôt, vous serez submergés

Et que si vous valez la peine d'être sauvés,

Il est temps maintenant d'apprendre à nager

Car le monde et les temps changent!"

From Les Temps Changent

In July 1989 the waters were once more rising. Within a few months, a Revolution was going to bring down Communism throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

It's more than 25 years since the Revolution of 1989 and we live in a World which faces challenges on an even greater scale. Then the enemy was Communism, now it is Terrorism. The walls of stone around people's hearts are even thicker and higher now. But change is coming and it's not far off now.

The World is heading for a Final Revolution and like Jeremiah, I have to tell you it's going to be more traumatic than we have ever experienced before. Open your eyes so you will not be taken by surprise!

Try as people will, the next Revolution won't be won with guns and tanks nor by people mobilising against the governments of the world because into that vacuum will only step something even worse. After all, we all have conflicting ideas of the way the world should be : )

This Final Revolution is not physical against flesh and blood. It is against the unseen principalities and powers that built and fester inside those walls and rule over this World with an iron fist.

And when The Last Battle is won, we won't recognise the World we have lived in, because a New World will dawn where the last will be first and the first will be last and a Worthy King will reign...forever.

"Et le sort et les dés maintenant sont jetés
Car le présent bientôt sera déjà passé.
Un peu plus chaque jour, l'ordre est bouleversé.
Ceux qui attendent encore vont bientôt arriver.
Les premiers d'aujourd'hui, demain, seront les derniers
Car le monde et les temps changent!"

Au Revoir!