Author: admin

I’m writing this blog in Indonesia where Christie and I are doing some ministry. Every time I come to Asia one of the things that stands out to me is all the advertising for “lightening, brightening, whitening” products. That’s right. In Asia many people would just LOVE to have lighter, whiter skin. Some stay out of the sun or carry umbrellas so that their skin doesn’t get darker.

Contrast this with the desire of many white-skinned people who see a suntan as a desired goal. In Australia there’s no market for whitening products unless it has to do with teeth. In Australia, the UK and USA it’s all about fake tans and tan accelerators. There’s even Tanamins (tanning vitamins): “Did You Know You Can Get a Dark, Beautiful Tan with as Little as One Hour of Sunning per Week?” Must get me some of those! But wait, research shows that consuming large amounts of canthaxanthin (the agent in tanning pills) can cause damage to the eyes because it settles not only in the skin, but also in the retinas. This can cause the formation of crystals in the retinas, which can affect eyesight. Other side effects include stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhoea. Maybe I’ll just hold off on that order.

But it’s not just our skin color we’re dissatisfied with. What about hair? I remember my cousin, who had stunning curly hair, straightening it before she went out by putting her hair between two tea towels and ironing it. Of course those with straight hair curl it, and some guys who lose their hair spend thousands of dollars on hair plugs, hair weaving and other treatments. Some settle for the comb-over. Personally, I spent $20 on a pair of clippers and keep it short and sweet. I was speaking with a lady yesterday whose daughter has lovely blond hair – dyed black! There’s plenty of Asian guys here who’ve bleached their hair to make it blond but it goes kind of a weird orange colour – not a good look.

Then there’s body shape and facial features. There’s a booming cosmetic surgery industry in Indonesia (and other Asian countries) and Australians are the main customers. Now I’m all for making the best of what you have but some people take this way too far. Google “plastic surgery disasters” and you’ll see what I mean. It’s important to eat healthily and exercise frequently, but unless you’re one of the 2% who are genetically blessed enough to look like a cover model, you’ll just have to get a grip on reality. It’s worth remembering too that most cover models don’t look like cover models. Most are wearing a considerable amount of Fotoshop by Adobe, and most runway models meet the Body Mass Index physical criteria for Anorexia. They might be cover models but they’re not good role models.

Talking of genetically blessed, over the past couple of years I’ve spoken to a number of guys who were struggling with depression – two of them were elite athletes, one was a personal trainer and one was a model. They are all genetically blessed. They were all depressed. Yes, that’s right, this means your happiness isn’t just a six pack away!

If you’re trying to find inner contentment, happiness or joy in life by way of external factors you’re going to live a life of disappointment and dissatisfaction. So, what steps can you take if you find yourself being frequently dissatisfied with your lot in life?

1. Be the best you can be. That is, make the most of who God created you to be but also accept the things that you cannot change. Eat healthily, stay active – and stay off the scales!
2. Appreciate your body. Stop comparing yourself with others. Research has shown that frequent comparing tends to increase negative body image. Frequent checking of yourself in the mirror has the same effect.
3. Remind yourself that most often the media does not reflect reality.
4. Practice “thought-stopping” when it comes to negative statements about yourself. Make a list of the things you like about yourself.
5. Cultivate healthy friendships. The Bible teaches that “bad company corrupts good character.” Limit your time with people who engage in negative talk of any kind including about body image.
6. Cultivate what the Bible refers to as “the inner self” or “the hidden person of the heart.” That’s the real you, the eternal part of you. Make sure that’s fit and healthy (read 1 Timothy 4:8).
7. Develop an “others centered” life. Much of the obsession with body image, and the resulting dissatisfaction, comes from being far too self-focused. Internal joy is elusive while it remains a goal in its own right. Finding an outlet where you serve others, especially those less fortunate than you, will not only help them but you will also find a kick-back – the satisfaction in life that you have longed for.

Watch and enjoy this video.

Australia’s former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, opened a can of worms on Q&A last week when he justified his viewpoint on gay marriage by referring to the Bible’s stance on slavery. In addressing the pastor who asked the question, Mr Rudd said, “Well, mate, if I was going to have that view, the Bible also says that slavery is a natural condition … because St Paul said in the New Testament, ‘slaves be obedient to your masters’. And, therefore, we should have all fought for the Confederacy in the US war. I mean, for goodness sake, the human condition and social conditions change.”

Mr Rudd was right – and wrong. Paul did say, ‘slaves be obedient to your masters’ (Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22). But his other statement was wrong. The Bible doesn’t teach that slavery is a natural condition. That was a quote from Aristotle (Aristotle’s Politics, Book One, Chapter five).
Mr Rudd was also correct when he stated “the human condition and social conditions change.” That’s true and is certainly reflected in the Bible’s teachings on many subjects. Over the centuries the church has had to come to grips with the fact that the earth is not flat, women are not second-class citizens, black races are not inferior to white people and the earth is not the centre of the universe. At one time or another all of these things were believed and taught by the church – and Bible verses were quoted in defence of these teachings.

So, what does the Bible teach about slavery? It teaches three main things:

1. It gives laws for the proper treatment of slaves by their masters.
2. It gives guidelines on how a slave should work and respect their master.
3. It gives total condemnation of slave trading and the trafficking of people.

Slavery was commonplace in Old Testament times. In the light of this, the Bible gives some generally good and fair laws on the proper treatment of slaves. The purpose of this was to bring justice and order into a culture that prior to this had been lawless (Deuteronomy 15:12-18). Consider the following:

• Some sold themselves into slavery (Leviticus 25:39; Deuteronomy 15:12-17); others were sold to pay debts (2 Kings 4; Nehemiah 5:1-8).

• Jewish slaves could not be held for more than six years and were given a choice to leave (Exodus 21:2). They could voluntarily choose to remain (Exodus 21:5-6).

• Slavery was more an occupation – servanthood with rights. Their religious rights were protected (Exodus 2:10), as were their civil and economic rights including the right to own their own slaves (2 Samuel 9:9-10).

• Those who came into slavery with a wife and children could take them when they left.

• Slaves who were abused by their masters were to be set free (Exodus 21:26-27).

• Protection of foreign slaves seeking asylum in Israel (Deut. 23:15-16).

• Whether one was an Israelite or foreigner, provisions were in place for the protection of slaves (Leviticus 24:17,22; Exodus 21:20). A minor personal injury, such as the loss of an eye or a tooth, was to be compensated by giving the slave his liberty (21:26-27).
The New Testament does the same. In the times of Jesus there were between 70 and 100 million people living in the Roman Empire, about 50% of these were slaves. The economy of the entire Empire was dependant on slaves. Slaves had no legal rights and were viewed as the personal property of their masters. Some wealthy Romans owned as many as 20,000 slaves. The New Testament authors wrote their books and letters in the context of their culture and economy. In the light of this, the apostle Paul gave instructions on how Christian slaves and masters were to conduct themselves towards each other (Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-4:1), and also to encourage slaves to seek their freedom if at all possible (1 Corinthians 7:21).

Finally, the entire Bible condemns the practice of “man-stealing” (kidnapping) as well as the trafficking of people for slavery (see Exodus 21:16; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). The Hebrew people were severely mistreated in slavery by the Egyptians and God acted decisively to set them free (Exodus 7-14). The same is true for more than 400 years of the African slave trade during which an estimated 15 million Africans were forced to leave Africa to cross the Atlantic to be sold into slavery. It was people of Christian faith, like the Quakers and William Wilberforce, gripped by the Bible’s condemnation of slave trafficking, which finally brought the practice to an end.

Today it is estimated that there are over 27 million people in the world who are subject to slavery: forced labour in agriculture, fishing, mining and factories, domestic servitude, as well as the sex trade. Once again it is Christian organisations that are at the forefront of working against this illicit trade. Why Christians? Because we are motivated by a God who, through the teachings of the Bible, has made it clear that His ultimate purpose is for the freedom of all people. May we work for nothing less.

I’ve taken the title for this blog from an article in this week’s BRW magazine. It’s a refreshing and inspiring article about some asylum seekers who arrived on our shores by boat and have become major contributors to Australian society. It’s an important article because so often “boat people” are typecast in a particular, mostly negative way.

The BRW article tells the story of people like Huy Truong who arrived in Australia on a boat carrying 40 other Vietnamese people in 1978. He was just seven at the time. Twenty-one years later he founded the gifting site wishlist.com.au with his wife Cathy and two sisters. They sold it last year to Qantas and he is now a private equity investor.

Tan Le also came by boat with her mother, three-year-old sister and 70-year-old grandmother. Le was just four years old. Speaking of the dangerous boat trip to Australia she says, “If you think there is any other chance of surviving in a reasonable, meaningful way, you wouldn’t choose such a difficult path and venture into the unknown.” People escaping the prospect of imprisonment, persecution, torture or death because of war, their faith or their race will take drastic action to secure safety for themselves and their families. I would, wouldn’t you? In 1998 Le was named “Young Australian of the year” and is now co-founder of Emotiv, a producer of headsets that read brain signals and facial movements to control technology.

Nathan Werdiger was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He arrived in Australia in 1949 as a humanitarian migrant and subsequently founded the Juilliard Corporation, one of the biggest landlords in the Melbourne CBD.

In 1947 Frank Lowy (Westfield founder and Australia’s second-richest person) was a 15-year-old refugee from war-devastated Slovakia. In a speech last year he described himself as a “boat person,” one of 700 who escaped Europe in a rickety tub designed for 70. He arrived at Sydney airport on Australia Day 1952. He was 21.

Each of these people expresses concern over Australia’s over-politicizing, and current harsh treatment, of asylum seekers. Many of Australia’s boat people, past and present, come from places where there is no formal queue to join. One of the solutions to this is for Australia to establish processing facilities in South East Asia where the Immigration Department could assess people’s claims and then re-settle genuine asylum seekers in Australia or other nations. This has the potential to stop the people smugglers who are currently profiting hugely from the illegal traffic of people and are responsible for the drowning deaths of many.

This would also end the current detention of people on Islands like Manus and Nauru, as well as the harsh policy of releasing asylum seekers into the Australian community without giving them the right to study or work. This policy does nothing to support our economy (in fact it is imposing long-term costs on Australia) and only causes further damage to those who are already traumatised.

Huy Truong says, “There’s no better way of humanitarian relief than to give people the opportunity to earn their own keep and feel proud about being a contributor to their society.”

Frank Lowy adds, “To imagine a better life for you and your family and to make the leap of faith required to leave behind all that is familiar calls for a special kind of courage.” Australia has greatly benefited from the courage of these four people (and many others like them). What if they had been intercepted in Australian waters and sent to Manus Island? They would have missed out and so would we!

For further reading check out:

How refugees changed Australian business

Boat People: A Christian Response

In her article “Digging Wells or Building Fences”, Dr Sheila Pritchard tells the story of a visitor to an Australian outback cattle ranch being intrigued by the seemingly endless miles of farming country with no sign of any fences. He asked a local rancher how he kept track of his cattle. The rancher replied, “Oh, that’s no problem. Out here we dig wells instead of building fences.” The implication, I hope, is obvious. There is no need to fence cattle in when they are highly motivated to stay within range of water, their most important source of life.

Sheila goes on to use this illustration as a paradigm for a type of spiritual growth that is based on digging deeper wells rather than on building higher fences. Paul Hiebert, in his 1978 paper “Conversion, Culture and Cognitive Categories,” writes along similar lines in describing true Christianity as a “centered” rather than a “bounded” set.

In a bounded set you are either in or out. You either fit or you don’t and the lines are clear. The goal is to get someone on the outside of the line to the inside. The problem here is that, as human beings, we tend to judge people on externals whereas God looks at the heart. A person could be seen to believe all the right things and behave in all the right ways and yet not have a relationship with God at all. This was certainly true of some of the religious people of Jesus’ day (see Matthew 15:1-9), who were theologically orthodox, kept the Law, mostly lived good lives, studied the Bible, prayed and tithed and yet were moving away from God.

The Old Testament presents a bounded set. It was about erecting fences like circumcision, the Law and Jewishness. The morning prayer from the Jewish prayer book read, “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has created me a human and not beast, 
a man and not a woman, an Israelite and not a gentile, circumcised and not uncircumcised, free and not slave.” The Temple was built as a bounded set with the Courts of Priests (for priests only), the Court of Israel (for Jewish men only), the Court of Women (for Jewish women only) and the Court of Gentiles (where proselytes could gather). It was all about those who were “in” verses those who were “out.”

When Jesus came along He dismantled the fence (and some people took offense). Jesus demonstrated the end of the bounded set and introduced a centered set approach to God. The fence was removed so that EVERYONE could come towards God and drink from the Well. One of Jesus’ first spiritual conversations was with a Samaritan woman (see John 4:1-42). She was definitely outside the fence for many reasons – she was Samaritan, female and had led an immoral life. Much to her surprise, as well as the surprise of His disciples, Jesus engaged her in a fascinating dialogue in which he encouraged her to come into relationship with a God who loves her: “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman responded positively to Jesus’ invitation, and so did the entire Samaritan town in which the woman lived.

The Bible reports that when Jesus died on the Cross, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The veil was a “fence” designed as a “keep out” sign. Jesus ripped the fence up showing that the way into the presence of God was open to all (Cf. Ephesians 2:11-22).

Thus Jesus demonstrated a centered-set approach to a relationship with God rather than a bounded set. In a centered set the thought is about moving towards the center, moving towards Jesus. Here, as long as you are moving towards the center, growth is good. Some arrows may be moving faster or slower, but the goal is to be moving in.

centrered setAs important as Christian conversion is, it’s important to realize that it’s not an end in itself. The Christian life is a journey – a process – not just an event (2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Peter 1:9). Paul Hiebert put it this way; “A Christian is not a finished product the moment he is converted.” Christianity is not just about “getting over the line” or “getting into the circle.” It’s about a long obedience in the same direction. Every choice and decision we make, every act we perform is to be put through the filter of “will this lead me closer to Jesus or take me away from Him?”

Growth is an equally essential part of being a Christian. Having turned around, one must continue to move towards the center. There is no static state: conversion is not the end it is the beginning. We must think in terms of growing to Christian maturity (2 Cor. 3:18; Philippians 1:6; 3:13-14).

In a bounded set you are either “in” or “out.” A person would be either a “Christian” or a “non-Christian.” In a centered set all those who are moving towards the centre are included even though they are all at different stages.

In 1 Corinthians 14:23 the apostle Paul speaks of three categories of people that he would expect to see in a church gathering: believers, unbelievers and the unlearned. The unlearned are people who may have become Christians but they don’t know much about the Christian faith. Paul teaches the church to be sensitive to people who are at different stages in their spiritual journey so that they will be attracted to Jesus rather than repelled. We need to be sensitive to people in everyday life as well, not just in the church gathering.

I’m told that 80% of Australians are open to having a spiritual conversation. They might not be ready to come to a church service but they want to talk about spiritual things. I’ve certainly found that to be true with the people I chat with in every day life.

So often our goal when it comes to those who haven’t chosen to be Christians yet is about getting them “over the line.” But not every person is ready for that. Some are and that is wonderful, but for those who aren’t what is it that I can do or say (or not do or say) that will move them a little closer to Jesus?

The Engel Scale was developed by Professor James Engel as a way of representing the journey from no knowledge of God through to spiritual maturity as a Christian believer. It’s a useful tool to have in mind when you’re having a discussion with someone about spiritual things.
engel scale

The goal in a conversation or a friendship is not about “getting someone converted.” This can so easily lead to friendship with an ulterior motive – to “love with hooks.” When we genuinely love people and have their best interests at heart, our motive will be to help them in any way we can in their quest for truth and spiritual fulfillment. How can we help them move just a little closer to Jesus? How can I take down fences that the religious too-often erect to keep people out? How can I dig a well that will attract people to the water of life that Jesus provides for all to quench their spiritual thirst?

Last weekend at Bayside Church I spoke about “Passing the Baton.” It was a message that resonated strongly with a lot of people. You can listen to or watch the message at this link:

Passing the Baton – Ps Rob Buckingham

In the message I read an article from Rachel Marie Martin’s blogspot that lists 51 things you can do that will bless your kids. This list inspires me as I seek to be a good dad to my kids. I hope it inspires you too:
(51 Things You Can Do That Will Bless Your Kids)

The humour of Christ is the title of a very old book by Quaker author Elton Trueblood in which he examines in detail 30 humorous passages in the Gospels.  Other books have been written that explore humour in other parts of the Bible.

A great deal of this humour of course doesn’t come through once the Bible is translated.  It’s like when I preach in other countries through an interpreter; some jokes just don’t translate, and other things that I don’t think are funny become absolutely hilarious.  Much of my life is like this.

In English, the humour of the Bible doesn’t always come through, Christianity (and some Christians) has become far too serious.  Some church services I’ve attended over the years have been devoid of humour.  Religious people so often are characterised as glum.  And yet with a book that has hundreds of verses about joy and gladness and delight; and a creation that is full of colour, and flavour and beauty; should not the people who are created in the image of God reflect those same qualities?

Elton Trueblood points out in The Humour of Christ, that because of the need to explain the suffering of Jesus, the sad parts can overwhelm the happy parts.  But Jesus was only the “man of sorrows” in relation to His work on the cross – and even that He endured with joy (Hebrews 12:2).  In fact Jesus taught his followers that their sadness would only be for a short period of time and that his ultimate goal was for their joy to be full (read John 16:19-24).

Some may want to point out that the Bible records that “Jesus wept’ not that “Jesus laughed.”  But this is mentioned because it was news, that is, an unusual event.  Our newspapers don’t tell us the sun rose this morning, they don’t report on all the people who made it to work safely.  The news reports unusual events – otherwise it’s not news. The Bible doesn’t record that Jesus laughed because it wasn’t news, and there’s plenty in the Bible to indicate that Jesus was a happy man.

Hebrews 1:9 teaches us “God has set you [Jesus] above your companions
 by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  He was a joyous man because He was filled with the Spirit and thus had the fruit of the Spirit including joy (Luke 10:21).  Jesus attracted people. Children especially loved Jesus.  They would climb up into his arms and he would bless them.  No one is attracted to sour-faced individuals.  Jesus told people to “Be of good cheer” (Mt 9:2) – surely He practiced what He preached!  Jesus gave His joy to others – you have to have it to give it (John 15:11).  Jesus used humour in His teachings.  Statements like “take out the beam from your eye;” strain out a mosquito and swallow a camel;” and “a camel going through the eye of a needle” would all have been funny to Jesus’ hearers.

The overly serious Pharisees accused Jesus and his disciples of being gluttons and drunkards.  Of course they were neither, but in the eyes of the stern religious people of the day they were guilty because they associated with people who were.  The first miracle Jesus did was turning water into the best wine at a seven-day wedding feast.  Unfortunately some of the Christian faith over the centuries has been about turning the wine back into water!

Jesus lets Matthew throw him a huge banquet with all of his tax-collector buddies invited (Luke 5:27-39).  The happy party causes the religious leaders to criticise, complain and talk of fasting and prayer (obviously because that is more spiritual than eating with friends).  Jesus responds with humour, sarcasm, a parable, and then a sigh that despite his presentation of truth they, like fools, will stick with their old ways.

Even the morose and peevish John Calvin (known for burning opponents at the stake) had to admit in his Institutes of the Christian Religion (III: 19:9): “We are nowhere forbidden to laugh, or to be satisfied with food, … or to be delighted with music, or to drink wine.”  Thanks John, we needed your permission!

Humour celebrates the goodness of God, the world God created, and the life God gives. It is an accepted fact of medicine that humour is good for our physical health (Proverbs 17:22) and is usually the best way of coping with the trials and disasters that come our way.  If we aren’t careful we can let circumstances suck the joy right out of us.  Humour can lighten the load.

Too many religious people are so serious and sour they repel people rather than attract them. Legalists have a great eye for criticism, but a dull ear for wit. Because humour requires a somewhat “playful” disposition and a willingness (at least temporarily) to suspend all seriousness, many people—especially those with strong and well-defined religious beliefs—may be reluctant to give up their trademark seriousness.

The New Jerusalem Bible translates Colossians 4:6: “Talk to them agreeably and with a flavour of wit (“seasoned with salt,” RSV), and try to fit your answers to the needs of each one.”  Greek comic writers used the verb artyo, meaning “to season,” as seasoning with the salt of wit. Of course humour can get too “salty” and like other good things become degenerated.  Funny need not be filthy.

When times are tough, Paul says stand firm and “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil 4:4). Humor is a key component of joy.  Jesus said to stop dwelling on the evils all around and borrowing potential troubles from tomorrow (the normal daily dose is quite enough, he wryly observed), rather borrow hope and joy from seeking the Kingdom of God (see Mt 6:33-34). The Christian walk should be a joyful one and the Christian message should be communicated joyfully.

There is plenty in life to smile and laugh about.  A forgiven person walks lightly upon the earth and with childlike freshness is quick to smile, quick to see and think the best of others, and easily brought to laughter.  He is hopeful of the future, confident of who he is, and able to lift up and bear the burdens of others.

Our lives are made better by genuine faith and authentic humour.

Steve Buckland says, “A glad Jesus messes up many people’s theology.”  I would add, “Many people could do with their theology being messed up.”  So let us set aside the notion that Jesus was a humourless, grim-faced, dour, unsmiling prude.  We serve a joyful savior.  He was the Man of sorrows. He is now the Man of gladness.  Let’s imitate Him and be the people of joy Jesus made us to be.

If you ask the question, “could you do with more money?” I’m sure most of us would reply with a resounding “yes.” There are a couple of challenges with this though.

Firstly, most people live about one-third beyond their means. That is, most of us are in debt. So, for those who think their problems would be over if they simply had a pay rise, think again. Unless you modify your behaviour a pay rise is the last thing you need because you’ll simply put yourself into a higher debt level and still live one-third beyond your means.