New Years bring new things – good and bad.  One of the not-so-good things so far in 2009 has been the escalating hostilities between Israel and Gaza; and not only has it divided the Middle East it has also divided the world. We’ve seen demonstrations in various nations – some opposing Israel with others showing their support.  And there are good arguments both ways.

If we were having enemy rockets landing indiscriminately in Melbourne on a regular basis I can’t see our government standing by and not taking action. Southern Israel has been subjected to this for a long time and has demonstrated restraint and patience. On the other hand it was Israel that initially supported Hamas financially many years ago in an attempt to destabilize Yasser Arafat’s PLO. One could suggest that Israel is merely reaping what its sown.

But the real problem runs far deeper than politics. The real problem is that innocent people on both sides are suffering and the suffering is disproportionately falling on the residents of Gaza where hundreds of people have lost their lives.

Mission Network News reports that Christians are hurting with the rest of local residents. Windows in Gaza Baptist Church were blown out when a missile struck a police station across the street. About 40 deaths were reported in the attack. In the words of one local believer: “Seventy percent of the Christians want to leave Gaza because they are very afraid. But we love Gaza. It’s our country, we have roots here, and our homes are here. We will not know anyone if we go somewhere else.” In addition, some Christian families from Gaza that visited Bethlehem over Christmas were reportedly separated from loved ones when Israel sealed the border. How would we feel if that was us?

Right now the best thing the church can do is pray for lasting peace – and not take sides! God loves everyone and is not willing that anyone should perish. That should be our desire too.

One of last year’s biggest selling books was The God Delusion by prominent British atheist Richard Dawkins. In the preface Professor Dawkins states his purpose – to convert religious people to atheism.

Well, he’s now promoting his atheist gospel again by endorsing an advertising campaign on London Buses declaring the slogan: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The slogan started as an aside comment from a comedian in response to a church campaign that pointed people to a website that indicated they’d be going to hell if they didn’t believe in God. The comedian suggested a response to “assure people”, which was picked up by Richard Dawkins and has ultimately generated funding from the general public for about $50,000 in donations.

Professor Dawkins says: “Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride – automatic tax breaks, unearned ‘respect’ and the right not to be ‘offended’ … even on the buses, nobody thinks twice when they see a religious slogan plastered across the side. This campaign – to put alternative slogans on London buses – will make people think; and thinking is anathema to religion.”

I agree with some of Professor Dawkins’ statements especially about the importance of making people think. Being a Christian doesn’t mean a compulsory lobotomy. I also like the honesty of the slogan: “There’s probably no God …” – even atheists aren’t sure if there is one!

The biggest issue is the mistake certain churches have made to run religious ads that “threaten eternal damnation”. When are they going to wake up to the message Jesus came to proclaim? The message (the gospel) is GOOD news. A person being damned is not. The first message Jesus taught was that He had come to proclaim the time of God’s favor; the season when God would accept all people just the way they are (see Luke 4:19). Jesus made it clear that salvation is for the whole world. He also stated that His purpose was not to judge or condemn people (John 3:16-17; 12:47), but to save them.

Why does the church feel it has the freedom to preach another gospel, which is not a gospel at all? If they had been smart the church would now be running a campaign on London buses with the slogan: “There’s probably a God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” But we’re not that smart yet are we?

In recent weeks there has been much controversy surrounding some comments made by cleric Francis McNab of St Michaels Uniting Church in Melbourne. Macnab wanted to start a new faith for the 21st century (as if we needed another one!) declaring that “The Ten Commandments were one of the most negative documents ever written.” Dr Macnab says “Abraham is probably a concoction, Moses was a mass murderer and Jesus Christ just a Jewish peasant who certainly was not God. In fact, there is no God…” Considerable attention was given to these claims by the media, and St Michaels were embarking on a $120,000 advertising campaign to promote this new faith.

The Uniting Church has responded quickly to this controversy by asking Dr Macnab to remove the Billboards and apologise for any offence he has caused to Christians as well as those of other faiths. I greatly admire the Uniting Church’s responses which can be viewed on their Website:

http://victas.uca.org.au/main.php?pg=download&id=239857

http://victas.uca.org.au/main.php?pg=download&id=239854

http://blogs.victas.uca.org.au/synod2008/?p=155#more-155

Although Dr. Macnab’s statements may have caused some short-term damage and hurt, long-term good can come from this. It’s good for us to be shocked out of our comfort zone and forced to re-examine our faith. It’s good for us to stop and ask what we believe and why? I find that my own faith always goes deeper and becomes stronger as a result of being examined afresh.

Also, we need to understand that there will always be those who attack the Christian faith. One of the more recent attacks on Christianity came from British sceptic Richard Dawkins and his book The God Delusion. Dawkins wrote the book to convert people to atheism. Right now Dawkins is running an advertising campaign in the UK under the slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” It started as an aside comment from a comedian in response to a church campaign that pointed people to a website that indicated they’d be going to hell if they didn’t believe in God. An acquaintance of mine who works with the Uniting Church has posted a response to this on the Facebook group associated with the campaign suggesting an alternative logo: “There probably is a God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Now that sounds like a good definition of real Christianity!

Melbourne has been shocked this week by the out of control antics of students from Xavier College. Balaclava-clad students stormed the school; a student was injured in a game of murder ball. Letterboxes were damaged, a car was jumped on and residents surrounding the school were terrified.

But why are we shocked or surprised by this? We live in a relativistic society where moral laws and attitudes are being eroded; where it’s okay to show pretty well anything on TV; and where movies depict the grossest violence, language and morality. We can’t have it both ways. If longstanding principles and Christian values are removed then so will the restraint that such principles and values bring.

But please let’s not typecast all young people as thugs and hoons. And let’s not just blame the schools for this although the education system is partly to blame. The ultimate responsibility comes back to parents who need to take charge of their kids; teach them well and discipline them firmly and lovingly. It’s no good sending your kids to a Christian or church-based school (such as Xavier) if the same values are not lived out and taught at home.

All this is summed up so well in the following poem that was written by a 15 year old student from Geelong. It’s called The New School Prayer:
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That’s no offense – it’s a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God’s name is prohibited by the state.

We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the ‘unwed daddy,’ our Senior King.
It’s ‘inappropriate’ to teach right from wrong,
We’re taught that such ‘judgments’ do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It’s scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!

With the world’s financial crisis continuing to bite hard I found it amazing to read a number of news stories this week that highlight the difference between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”

The first story was of a Chinese businessman who earlier this week lost $3 million while gambling at Crown Casino. $300,000 of this money was lost in less than five minutes playing big-stakes baccarat. The Herald Sun reported that the man showed little emotion as his riches were swept away. “He seemed pretty calm about it all,” one witness said. “It’s big money but obviously he can afford it. He was still smiling.”

This story was in stark contrast to another story just six pages later headlined “Victorians sink into more debt” and detailing a dramatic increase in bankruptcies and home repossessions, as well as, an increased number of people going without food and heating in order to pay phone bills and bank fees.

Skip another five pages and we find an article on a relatively new drug that has been proven highly successful in fighting advanced stages of colon, breast and lung cancer. The problem for most people is that the drug is just too expensive. Each course costs between $2,500 and $5,700 and is beyond reach of many people. So, people are dying unnecessarily because they simply can’t afford a treatment that is readily available.

Now, back to our Chinese businessman – and many others like him – who have so much money they can smile as they lose $3 million. Now I know the arguments that this money will stay in Australia and some of it will boost government coffers. But how much of it will relieve the plight of those who are genuinely struggling to get by or simply stay alive? Meanwhile, Crown Casino are about to embark on a $500 million upgrade to its Southbank site. Yes, that does mean extra construction jobs for Victorians, but at what cost to society in general?

Those who have the privilege of wealth need to realise that with every privilege comes a responsibility. The wealthy have a responsibility to help those less fortunate. People like Bill and Melinda Gates get it. Many others do too. But still far too many don’t! If you’ve got it you have a duty to give it. Get it?

It’s now official – the tax hike on alcopops drinks has had no affect whatsoever on the level of binge drinking in Australia! How surprising! Sure, the sale of alcopops has decreased but Mr or Ms Drinktoomuch has now switched to mix-your-own drinks buying cheap spirits and fruit juices or sodas.

I’m not sure where our Federal Government got their advice from on this issue but it seems like a no-brainer to me! The problem is not alcopops – or any other alcoholic drink, or even the availability of alcohol. This was proven in the prohibition era when the alcohol industry simply went underground and some people still drank too much because that’s what some people will do.

Hiking a tax on one brand of alcohol is like putting bandaids on measles spots. It might hide the problem for a short period of time but the real problem is still simmering beneath the surface – because the real problem is internal not external.

The problem that binge drinkers have is something within them. That’s true of all life-controlling problems and banning something or increasing its cost will only shift the problem; it will never cure it.

Jesus came not to put bandaids on our problems but rather to address the core issue – the human heart. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus’ solution? To give us a new one – a heart that desires to do the right thing; to live a life of goodness, moderation and self control.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

The Olympic Games have come and gone for another four years – or have they? Right now in Beijing 4,200 athletes from 148 countries are taking part in the 2008 Paralympics. The Paralympics are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental, and sensorial disabilities. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputees, visually impaired athletes, and those with cerebral palsy.

I find the Paralympics so inspiring! There are paraplegics in wheel chairs playing basketball. There are amputees with prosthetic limbs running faster than I can with two good legs. These are men and women who face great difficulties and overcome them.

We saw another amazing example of this kind of character a few weeks ago when Nick Vujicic was featured on Sixty Minutes (Nine Network). Nick was born without arms or legs and yet this young Christian man travels the world speaking to and motivating thousands with his faith, humour and upbeat personality.

And then there are the others – people who face similar challenges (or less) and yet go through life with a grudge; a huge chip on their shoulder; an “I hate the world and it owes me” attitude.

What makes the difference? One word – RESOLVE! People like the Paralympians and Nick Vujicic have resolved not to allow their disability to be their enemy. Instead, they have made it their friend and have succeeded in life despite the setbacks.

What are you facing at the moment? What is your attitude to it? What have you resolved to do despite it? Consider the Paralympians, Nick Vujicic and Jesus Christ “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Succeed, despite the odds!

From time to time we hear about a high profile Christian leader who hasn’t been living up to the high calling of their profession. When details come out about inappropriate behaviour there are a number of emotions that we experience – shock, anger, disappointment, grief, bewilderment and so on. All these emotions are justified and need to be worked through in a godly way.

In the last two weeks we’ve heard of two such cases. First there was the news of Todd Bentley’s marriage break up because Todd had “entered into an unhealthy relationship on an emotional level with a female member of his staff” (click this link for more details). Todd and Shonnah are now receiving counselling and Todd has been stepped down from the ministry for at least nine months.

Then the news about Mike Guglielmucci for whom many of us had been praying since the “diagnosis” of cancer in 2006. This now all seems to have been a hoax that Mike had kept up for over two years even deceiving his closest family and friends. Mike too is receiving professional help.

Even though I personally have many questions about both of these situations, I think it is vital that we remain godly in our attitudes. It’s fine to be angry – but not to sin (Ephesians 4:26). It’s also quite legitimate to be disappointed, shocked and grieved – after all we had hoped for better things. But above all we must remain spiritual. In Galatians 6:1 Paul says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” One of the signs of true spirituality is the gentle restoring of a fallen brother or sister. We are also exhorted to watch ourselves. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else’s mistake but which one of us is free from the risk of likewise becoming caught in a sin from which we find no escape without accountability and help from others?

So in the coming weeks and months I encourage you to use some energy to pray for Todd Bentley, for Mike Guglielmucci and their families. Times will be tough for them because of emotions that will war within them and a merciless media who rub their hands together with glee because another of the righteous has fallen. Let us not be guilty of shooting our wounded. Let us pray for restoration and grace.

Our family has really enjoyed watching the Olympic Games. It’s been inspiring to see the results of the amazing dedication and hard work of sportsmen and women from many nations of the world. That’s what I always find staggering – the work, sacrifice, self-control, self-denial & training that goes on day after day for months and years leading up to an event such as this. And then, in a matter of seconds or minutes the event is over and only one person – the best of the best – wins the ultimate prize: a Gold Medal.

The dedication of these men and women is to be admired and emulated by those of us who live under the name of Jesus Christ. Why is that people will go to great lengths to win a temporary prize but not lift a finger to win something eternal? The Apostle Paul uses the Olympic Games of his day as a challenge that is still worth taking on:

“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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Running to win; strict training; self-denial and sacrifice – not popular concepts by any means! The majority will never live like this but they will admire those who do!

What I have believed and taught for years has finally been backed up by research – children are born believers!

I don’t have time in this blog to go into the theology of children and their eternal salvation.  If this topic is of interest to you listen to this message in the Answers to Searching Questions series in which I address the question, “What happens to babies and young children who die? – Do they all go to heaven?”

Now, back to my original statement – children are born believers!  The Age recently reported that “Infants are hardwired to believe in God, and atheism has to be learned.”  According to Dr Olivera Petrovich, an expert in psychology of religion, belief in God is not taught but develops naturally.  Her findings were based on several studies particularly one of Japanese children aged four to six, and another of 400 British children aged five to seven from seven different faiths.  The conclusion: “Atheism is definitely an acquired position.”

This has certainly been born out in my own experience over many years of teaching Religious Education to children in Primary Schools.  There was always the one or two kids who would be atheists but it was always as a result of what they had heard their parents articulate about there being “no God.”  All the other kids – including those from homes where no particular faith was adhered to – believed in the existence of God and were fascinated by discussions on spirituality and life after death.

What a huge responsibility there is in parenting a child – to protect this inherent belief in God and to nurture it into a vibrant faith that remains a strong foundation throughout the child’s life.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”  (Mark 10:14-16)

What a huge responsibility there is in parenting a child – to protect this inherent belief in God and to nurture it into a vibrant faith that remains a strong foundation throughout the child’s life.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.”  (Mark 10:14-16)

Last week Christie and I watched with fascination an excellent program on TV hosted by Jamie Oliver.  I’d heard about this controversial show and some of the feedback that had occurred when it was aired in the UK.  On this program Jamie demonstrated how badly battery hens and chicks are treated in British egg farms.  During one scene he showed how cute fluffy male chicks are deprived of oxygen and literally suffocated to death.  As the camera panned around the audience many were in tears at the senseless horror they witnessed with their own eyes.

During the program the stark truth dawned on many in the studio audience – and I’m sure on many of us watching in our homes:  this mistreatment of hens is going on all the time to provide us with meat and eggs and we weren’t even aware of it!  But now, thanks to Jamie Oliver, we are aware and we can do something about it!  Things are already changing in the UK and I would imagine some hard questions will be asked in Australia too – and rightly so.  Matthew 6:26 reveals that God cares for his creation including the animal kingdom.  Proverbs 12:10 says “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal …”

As I continued to watch Jamie’s presentation I started wondering about what other horrors are allowed to go ahead unhindered even in our “civilized” society simply because people are unaware of what’s going on.  We are aghast at the treatment of hens, but what about the treatment of innocent babies in the womb who are terminated in their thousands right here in Australia?  What if society were similarly exposed to a program that demonstrated how cruel an abortion really is?  Of course it will never happen – it would simply be too horrific to watch.  But if we speak out for chickens shouldn’t we also speak out for vulnerable babies rather than pass laws that seal their doom?  After all Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Australia has become the fattest nation in the world, with more than 9 million adults now rated as obese or overweight, according to a new report: Australia’s Future ‘Fat Bomb’ from Melbourne’s Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.  The report shows that Australians now outweigh Americans and face a future “fat bomb” that could cause a vast increase in sickness, premature deaths and place a huge burden on our health system.

The latest figures show 4 million Australians — or 26% of the adult population — are now obese compared to an estimated 25% of Americans. A further 5 million Australians are considered overweight.

But soft bodies are not our only problem.  These statistics show that many Aussies also have soft minds!  In other words, we know what to do but we just don’t do it.

There is no lack of information on the importance of a balanced, healthy diet and regular exercise.  We all know these things are important but for whatever reason over half of us do little or nothing about it.  We lead sedentary lives; spend countless hours watching TV while snacking on unhealthy processed foods; and think that the five food groups are pizza, chocolate, coke, French fries and KFC.

On the flip side of this is another problem – obsession with body image.  In the last decade there have been approx 40,000 surgical procedures related to weight loss.  Fad diet books often fill the Top 10 most sold books and we are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about what foods are good and bad for us.  Many guys are aiming at the false ideal of looking like the cover model on Men’s Health magazine – after all, happiness is a six-pack is it not?  Women are confronted with pictures of skinny models and told they need to look like this as well.  What is rarely understood is how these people get to look like this in the first place – a combination of good genes, hard work, extreme dieting and airbrushed photos (that’s right, most of these men and women don’t even look like there own photo!).

The Bible teaches us to look after our bodies; after all, they are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Learn to eat healthily.  Find an exercise that you enjoy – and that is age-appropriate – and do it 2 or 3 times a week.  But please don’t buy into the media image of the beautiful person.  True beauty is what emanates from the inside of you and it is that which will last forever – long after that beautiful body of yours has returned to the substance from which it was made – dust!