tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77775933397120557192024-02-29T10:43:15.003+11:00Thinking spirituallykyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-85495286209868729302024-02-25T20:20:00.000+11:002024-02-25T20:20:23.701+11:00Giving as Spritual Discipline<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">SIW 25.02.2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Looking at
bible verses about giving I read one that I have read and heard a lot of times
before but somehow the emphasis changed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thus,
when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And I got
this mental picture of someone parading with trumpets and throwing money in the
air and I nearly laughed out loud. It’s such a ridiculous scene, isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well that’s
a clear picture of how giving shouldn’t look so lets have a look at what the
discipline of giving looks like.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first
thing I think we want to consider is whether the discipline of giving is the
same as *just* giving. Why do we say giving is a spiritual discipline? Why is
it not just something we do? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well the
difference between giving and the spiritual discipline of giving is in those
two words: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">spiritual <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and
discipline </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discipline
is something we do that yields benefits in the future. There can be a reward at
the time we do it but the real benefits come later. The difference between
disciplined giving and random giving is that discipline is intentional, we
think about it and plan for it. Discipline is regular and consistent. It might
be a small habit but the results build over time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If we think
about exercise, we might get a runners high or we might lift weights to get
“the pump” and make our muscles look temporarily bigger but the real reason we
exercise is so we can have long term benefits. Little by little we get fitter
and stronger, we barely notice but the results add up<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So what
spiritual benefit is there when we give in a disciplined way? Giving makes us
more like Jesus. It helps us to get closer to God. Giving is a practical way to
show love and showing love, loving our neighbour, is what God wants us to do<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>“Jesus said
unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And
the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For there
will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall
open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your
land.’</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Flexing our generosity muscle makes us more generous. And practice makes things
easier, so that when life gets harder or the gift we want to give gets bigger,
more difficult, more sacrificial, we are already good at giving.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So we know
that the spiritual discipline of giving is giving in a way that will yield
results in our spiritual life. It’s one of the ways we can build treasure in
heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When Paul
was planning to visit Corinth he wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On the
first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money
in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections
will have to be made.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
instruction is for everyone to give. To do it weekly and proportionately.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We give
intentionally and often, so what will we give? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can give time: being unhurried with people,
giving time to encourage or teach or help out. We give time when we join the
worship team or sit with someone who is sick or in pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We might
give our talents by playing music in church or using our love of reading to
read to a child or offering our talent for cooking by making a meal for
someone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We give when
we have an attitude of generosity and everyone likes to be treated generously.
Sometimes the person we need to really be generous to is ourselves. Giving through
our attitude means giving the benefit of the doubt, assuming good intentions
and knowing that everyone has unseen burdens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then of
course, there is the giving of material goods and money. When we think of
giving we usually think of money and that’s because money is versatile, when we
can’t assist with a need in any other way, money allows us to contribute.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What is
disciplined giving? It’s something we do to please God, to show gratitude and
obedience to God and to become more like Jesus. It is regular, it is
intentional and it is holistic. It is an attitude we live with and it leads us
to give in a variety of ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> W</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ho should
give? Paul says to the Corinthians</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each one
must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He wants us
to be cheerful in giving, to put our heart into it, not to see it as an
obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thus,
when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.
Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the
needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that
your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward
you. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every one of
you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How should
we give? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When the
bible talks about giving How to give is the really big topic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We just
heard from Corinthians that we should give in proportion to the way we have
been given. If we don’t have much, we are not required to give so much, if we
are well and truly blessed we are asked to share.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lets hear
directly from the word about giving:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each one
must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He wants us
to be cheerful in giving, to put our heart into it, not to see it as an
obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He wants us
to be discreet. We give to help and we give to serve God, nobody needs to know
about it because God sees. It’s a private thing between God and us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Give to
everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not
demand them back. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He wants us
to generous or you might even say overly generous, giving to those who ask and
not expecting a return.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Honor the
LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your
barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here we see
giving as a priority. Giving the first fruit, not giving our left overs but
giving first, honouring God with our gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bring the
full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby
put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of
heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In these
verses God asks for us to give in faith. Give to me, he says, test me out, give
so that it hurts and wait to see what I give back. Wait to see that you won’t
be in need. Find out that the blessings will be poured out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I wonder
what blessing we might receive if we really give?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What might our
lives look like if we give holistically, generously, regularly, and in faith.
How might we be changed? How could our communities, our families and our
churches be impacted by our giving? <br />
On a website called Generis, I saw a quote that says it better than I can:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Giving is
not about getting money out of pockets. It’s about reverence, honor,
faithfulness, and gratitude to God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Giving has
the power to transform the giver, to remove idols from our hearts, because it
is not merely a transactional act. It’s an intimate act of trust and a tangible
act of obedience to the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></p>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-42501340028002824212023-12-01T08:25:00.001+11:002023-12-01T08:51:58.206+11:00Come all you Unfaithful<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Sydney Inner West 03/12/2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Advent week 1</span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Reference: Romans 8: 1-8</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Theme song: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-QHbpYjuIg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-QHbpYjuIg</a></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Come all you
unfaithful. It’s so different, isn’t it? So unexpected. I want to read to you
the way the song came about, in the words of the writer, Lisa Clow:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">I was struggling. It had been a long year and a half. Finances
were stressful, I miscarried twins, and on top of it I was battling a deep
relational bitterness. </span><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">My church </span></i><i><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">was having their annual service where they kick off the
Christmas season with carols and special songs and I, was not singing. I told
them that I wouldn’t be able to sing, but what they didn’t know is that I was
too overcome with shame to stand on stage before my church.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 14.4pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 14.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">That
Sunday morning, I stood at my seat as they began to sing “O Come All Ye
Faithful” and the first line of the song just clobbered me. It hit me like a
giant wave of guilt. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><em><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 13pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">O come all you faithful, joyful and triumphant!</span></em><i><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 14.4pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 14.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
remember hearing those words and thinking, “I have been so unfaithful. My joy
has dwindled, and I am a triumphant…failure.” And I didn’t sing the rest of the
service</span><span style="color: #555555;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 14.4pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 14.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">At
that time, when Lisa was ashamed, sad, bitter and grieving she felt like a
failure, she may have felt like the descriptions in The Message translation Romans
8, that she was living under a low lying black cloud, fated to the tyranny of
sin and death, part of the disordered mess of struggling humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 14.4pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 14.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">But
we see from the words of the song that this is not the end of the story and we
come to the point where the sacrifice of the Lamb Of God brings us to a place
of healing:<span style="color: #555555;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">O come, guilty and
hiding ones<br />
There is no need to run<br />
<br />
Christ is born for you<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">He's the Lamb who
was given<br />
Slain for our pardon<br />
His promise is peace<br />
For those who believe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Now, I’m supposed
to be thinking about the shepherds today and I’ve been stuck on the song writer
but the shepherds are coming because I just mentioned the lamb!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">And God went to a
lot of trouble to make sure the shepherds knew who they were visiting when they
went to see the baby in the manger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">These shepherds
were not ordinary shepherds, they were the priestly shepherds who were
responsible for the safety and suitability and ritual cleanliness of the lambs which
were sacrificed in the temple and we know this because in ancient Israel, the
only sheep which were allowed to be any where near municipal boundaries were
the sacrificial flock, all the others had to live in the wilderness. These
shepherds and their sheep were in the fields, in walking distance of Bethlehem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">So they were cared
for by these shepherds who were priests and knew the scriptures backwards and because
they had to make sure the lambs met all the ritual requirements, the shepherds were
responsible for the salvation of the whole community.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">When a ewe was
ready to lamb, the shepherds took her to a safe place because they couldn’t
just have these lambs born in a field and vulnerable to the elements and
getting hurt and things like that. And we know where the shepherds took these
ewes, they took them to the “Tower of the Flock” where it was safe and clean
and protected. And when the lambs were born they were wrapped up in cloths to
make sure they didn’t wobble around on their cute little newborn legs and fall
and get hurt. And they were kept still until they were calm and could be
allowed to walk around.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 14.4pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 14.4pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Show picture</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LDfJj8NMih3x6-WyT_rlrGGuDjjFvXdE4nseYPfFP5wLbC7DfIhlMQ0rhHU-bCWFFsE4eH8qR25QwTmvSdDCgpQzkRNBJZA6ivqYZyTzWC3tL5NsbKNgqfjVFZYkiOAB-_WhIExPYkPD1YHDyeea28mzvabRzTqJtT5iGVhpYSxD_0vl83uthFZa79Ec/s470/migdal%20Eder.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="470" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LDfJj8NMih3x6-WyT_rlrGGuDjjFvXdE4nseYPfFP5wLbC7DfIhlMQ0rhHU-bCWFFsE4eH8qR25QwTmvSdDCgpQzkRNBJZA6ivqYZyTzWC3tL5NsbKNgqfjVFZYkiOAB-_WhIExPYkPD1YHDyeea28mzvabRzTqJtT5iGVhpYSxD_0vl83uthFZa79Ec/w400-h300/migdal%20Eder.jpeg" width="400" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">There is a tower on
the site still today but it’s a very tall and well made tower so I think this
one is closer to the tower that was standing at the time. It’s interesting that
when we think of the shepherds watching over their flocks we just think they
were watching but watching over really suggests that they were on top of a
tower like this. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt;">So when the angels
said to the shepherds “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” they didn’t have to go looking in
every manger in town for this child, they knew which manger it was, it was the
only one where there were swaddling cloths ready to wrap a lamb and keep them safe
and pristine and it was the one they used for all the pure temple lambs. And being
shepherds, they would have taken a special interest in the prophecy in Micah
4:8 which told them that the Messiah would be born in a tower like this “But
you, tower of the cloudy Shepherd, of the daughter of Zion, your time has
arrived and the first Ruler of the Kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem has
come”</span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">How did Mary get to be here in this tower? Well when Mary and Joseph arrived in
Bethlehem and needed somewhere to stay, they customarily would have gone to the
home of a relative and been put up in a guest room but women usually tried to
birth away from home so that their house wouldn’t become ritually unclean and
it would have been quite usual to go somewhere else. So it may have been less a
case of no room at the inn and more a case of you can’t dirty up our house but
we’ll take you down to the place where we take the ewes, it’s quiet and safe
there, a great place to birth undisturbed.</span></div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The shepherds knew
the prophecy because it was so intimately linked to their work and to their
location, they understood the symbolism of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes,
they were the people who ensured and verified the purity of the lambs, they
knew where to look.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">And if you had
something to reveal, something that wouldn’t be recognised or understood or
respected by everyone, you’d want to be careful to choose the right people to
reveal it to, the right people to then take the news to the world. The shepherds
were the right people to understand what they saw, the right people to explain
to the world, the right people to verify that Jesus was the Lamb of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">And so, we come
back to the lamb of God, the lamb who achieves the purity we never can, the
lamb who makes us clean and free, who is perfect and makes us perfect if we are
in him. And we can be confident that we no longer need to be feeling
unfaithful, dirty, ashamed. God showed us without question that Jesus is the
only sacrificial lamb we will ever need:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 22.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He’s the Lamb who was given</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Slain for our pardon</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">His promise is peace</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For those who believe</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 22.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So come, though you have nothing</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Come, He is the offering</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Come, see what your God has done</span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><br /> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"></span><p></p>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-64498853400153875082023-03-20T19:59:00.001+11:002023-03-20T19:59:14.033+11:00Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 4:35-41<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPFtilb2odOY89WvTRyc1gBET9Mk2b73krRtHqMIBNfIrs-ZR-NAKf8f5c4x7ds08lPwIJsokyClQwo5M2EbLZpB8gu15XTwkt9AkreLfTexSHULS_9T79u9C695Y1Xftj7iV7fTxBbirBuZbnyfj9mHQHyYo5E3HWrS-gwwxdq7TaQVWNwTUSS46mw/s3731/Rembrandt_Christ_in_the_Storm_on_the_Lake_of_Galilee%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3731" data-original-width="3002" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPFtilb2odOY89WvTRyc1gBET9Mk2b73krRtHqMIBNfIrs-ZR-NAKf8f5c4x7ds08lPwIJsokyClQwo5M2EbLZpB8gu15XTwkt9AkreLfTexSHULS_9T79u9C695Y1Xftj7iV7fTxBbirBuZbnyfj9mHQHyYo5E3HWrS-gwwxdq7TaQVWNwTUSS46mw/w321-h400/Rembrandt_Christ_in_the_Storm_on_the_Lake_of_Galilee%20(1).jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-86da9b23-7fff-fad1-b974-b6f7d0c39736"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you ever seen this painting? It’s Rembrandt’s imagining of the scene we find in Mark 4 where Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee. It’s dramatic, ,isn’t it?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lets have a quick look at the characters in the painting:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This fellow here (bottom right) seems to be sea sick: hanging over the edge of the boat, clutching his head. I feel like this bloke has no ability to really respond in any way except the way his body is reacting. He can’t help out, he probably can’t comfort anybody, he’s just there trying not to make a mess.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then we have the fellow in white. I don’t know what he’s doing. Maybe he’s fallen and hasn’t got back up yet, maybe he’s so terrified he’s frozen there. Whatever he’s doing, it’s not having a lot of impact on the situation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Up around the mast we have some disciples who are busy. These men are probably the experienced sailors of the group and I suspect the storm is far too big for them to really gain control of the boat but they are doing what they can: Getting sails down, making things as safe as they can and maybe trying to get into a position where they will be able to recover if the conditions ease.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also have the disciples who have woken Jesus up, I think these guys are experiencing the fear that shows up as anger. They say “teacher, dont you care if we drown?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It feels as if they are almost accusing Jesus of abandoning them.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now let's see what Jesus is doing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus has recently gathered his disciples, he’s done some healings and driven out some demons and on this day he’s been preaching. Then he suggests this trip across the sea and everyone gets in the boat and Jesus goes to sleep. There are people who say he is asleep because he’s just plain old tired and there are those who say his sleepiness is all about showing how unconcerned he is. Anyway, he’s asleep and this storm comes up and it’s a huge storm . the waves are dumping into the boat and the wind is howling and things are really bad.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, some of the disciples are fishermen and they’re probably used to boats and storms but the writer is telling this story to the Jewish people who were not sea going people and in fact they have stories about monsters in the sea: we have the leviathan appearing in the Psalms and in Job. And there is the story of Jonah being tossed out of a boat into the belly of a fish so the audience to this story have the understanding that he sea is scary and it’s dangerous and then to add to this scary, possibly evil sea, these fishermen are so scared that they grab Jesus and they say “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So there’s a cultural understanding that the sea is scary and it’s a kind of metaphor for evil and Mark is telling this story where even the fishermen are terrified.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need to note at this point that the disciples called Jesus “teacher” So far, they had seen him preach and heal and exorcise demons but he hasn’t revealed exactly who he is yet. The disciples are thinking he’s a teacher or maybe a shaman. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, back to the boat, the terrified disciples wake Jesus and there’s actually no hint that they know he can do anything about the storm “teacher don’t you care if we drown?”</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They just want him to be awake while they are suffering through this, they want to know that this experience is shared.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Jesus gets up and the bible says he</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “rebuked the wind” Now some commentators who are more scholarly that i am have said that the use of the word “rebuke” doesn’t suggest there are demons but to me there is an echo of the times when Jesus rebukes satan so it’s possible that the writer of Mark is suggesting that Jesus is chastising an evil presence. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And after rebuking the wind, Jesus says to the wave “Quiet”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Be still” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And they did. The wind died down and it was completely calm.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who would have imagined or expected that? The raging storm had just stopped.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus is showing, for the first time, that he is God. He shows it by commanding the wind and the waves to be still. It’s not something a teacher, a wise man or a healer can do. It’s supernatural and the people knew that only God has command of the elements and that the earth recognises the voice of Jesus because it was his voice that commanded their existence to start with</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus’ authority as God is demonstrated in his words: the command “Be still” sounds like a reference to psalm 46 “Be still and know that I am God”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus is , I think , the original genius of literary references and I’m sure these devout Jewish people recognised that “Be still” led them directly to Jesus identity.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus has demonstrated who he is by his words and by his actions, </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has stilled the earth itself by speaking. He has unleashed God’s sovereign power. The kingdom is right there, right here</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has verbalised who he is by his reference to the psalms</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as we look back to the start of the story, we see that his authority is also demonstrated by his timing. He is God, he knew the storm was coming before he got in the boat, he chose this time to go out on the sea and go to sleep.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mark finishes the story telling us that after Jesus stopped the storm, he said to the disciples “Why are you so afraid. Do you still have no faith?”</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The disciples were terrified and asked each other </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today you might not have Jesus in your boat. You might be saying to him “Don’t you care that I’m drowning?” or maybe he is saying to you “why are you afraid? After everything you have seen, where is your faith?”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s listen to this song and consider what is happening in our conversation with Jesus.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxLV4zRmhm8</span></span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-54181937611643673162021-11-28T19:12:00.001+11:002021-11-29T16:32:38.530+11:00An Advent Sermon<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Mary’s Love <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">December 12, 2021 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9PAA5tsuaQ</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">I’d like you to think about the video we saw, where we have
Mary, tucked up in a barn with her newborn. She talks and muses on the future,
anticipating that people will come and see Jesus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mary is floating in a delicious bubble of love, one we
sometimes call the newborn bubble but Mary’s is not just any newborn bubble….<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The whole scene has come about not just because of a human
boy meets girl love story but because God loves us “For God so loved the world
that He gave his only son……”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And John goes on to talk further about Gods love “Beloved,
let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born
of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God
is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his
only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If we look at all the relationships of love in this scene we
see that God loves Mary as an individual, and He sent Jesus because of his love
for humanity. Mary loves Jesus because she’s His mum, she also loves Him
because she loves God and is loved by God.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We know that after Mary met the angel Gabriel and discovered
her pregnancy she must have felt a whole spectrum of emotion: fear, joy,
exhaustion, uncertainty but the umbrella over it all and indeed the base of it
all, was love. Maybe we can describe it as a love sandwich.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We know that Mary was bathed in love because she was soon
visited by this bunch of shepherds. They were craggy and smelly, the sheep came
with them, there were flies and dust and Mary wasn’t there saying don’t touch
my kid you dirty shepherd, wash your hands, don’t breathe on him. She was there,
listening to their stories about an angel, matching it up with her conversation
with an angel, recognising that this was really supernatural, taking it all in,
viewing it as treasure to store in her heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we think of Mary storing treasures in her heart, we are
thinking of a mum who is overcome with love for her child, her love is here and
now but it also stretches into His future. While Mary was recovering from the
birth she welcomed the faithful who came with stories and gifts and praise for
this baby who is love in human form.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Considering all this from twenty-one centuries later, it is
as if Mary could have been nodding in agreement with the words that would be
written a thousand years later:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, o
come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Him, born the King of Angels!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a mum, Mary was cherishing these early days with her son
and celebrating her new family and I’m sure she was looking forward to the ceremonies
that were coming up. Even now in a secular society we look forward to a
christening or a dedication and if our faith is important to us, dedicating a
child can be an emotional occasion. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mary would have been looking forward to welcoming Jesus into
the Jewish faith through his circumcision on his eighth day and then the ceremony
called The Redemption of the First Born or Pidyon ha’ben. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The ceremony of Pidyon Ha’ben is described in Numbers and
Luke talks about the day of Jesus’ ceremony. So if the ceremony is described in
Numbers, and every Jewish person knows what is involved, why does Luke talk
about Jesus’ ceremony?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lets have a little look at the redemption of the first born:
It traces back to the time after the Jewish people fled Egypt and the Lord,
because of His great love for His people, used Moses to lead all the ancestors
of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, out of slavery and into freedom. And it is
explained in Numbers:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the
firstborn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you shall set apart to the
Lord the first born. And when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you
shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the
house of slavery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Pharaoh refused
to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the
firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. I sacrifice to the Lord all the
males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since the days of Moses, the custom of The Redemption of the
First Born has been an important event in the Jewish lifecycle.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In biblical times the
father would take his infant son into the Temple and find a godly priest, and
As the father presented his son, the priest would ask him “What is your
preference – Will you give me your firstborn for service in the temple or will
you redeem him for five shekels?” The father would then state his intention,
either to give up his son for priestly service or to redeem him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And now the father would pay the five shekels to buy the
baby back from the temple and as the money changed hands, the priest would
chant blessings over the boy and say<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe who
has sanctified us by his commandments and commanded us concerning the
redemption of the firstborn. Amen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe who
has kept us in life, sustained us and brought us to this occasion. Amen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And just like we do now, there would be a meal in
celebration of this child and in memory of the way God blessed the Jewish
people.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s go back to the question of why Luke talked about the
day Mary and Joseph did this for Jesus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph and Mary
brought their newborn baby boy to the Temple to show their love for God and
their gratitude for His faithfulness. Mary would be made ceremonially clean and
Jesus would be bought back from the temple.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lets listen to what happened when Jesus was taken to the
temple for his ceremony:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“There was in Jerusalem a man named Simeon. This man was a righteous
one, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him. It has been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would
not die before he had seen the Messiah. Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the
Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him
what the Torah required, Simeon took him in his arms, made a blessing to God,
and said, ‘Now, Lord, according to your word, your servant is at peace as you
let him go; for I have seen with my own eyes your salvation which you prepared
in the presence of all peoples –a light that will bring revelation to the
Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mary and Joseph would have been wanting and expecting Jesus’
ceremony to be performed by a devout man but Simeon went above their
expectations, he had been looking for the Messiah and he had recognised that
this little baby was actually the Messiah.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How special was Simeon? When I see a baby I don’t even know
if they look like their mum or their dad, I can’t really tell if they are a boy
or a girl, I can’t see what their eye colour might be….. but Simeon looked at
Jesus and said “THIS is the person we’ve been waiting for”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So Joseph handed Jesus to Simeon, and Simeon asked Joseph
for the five shekels and said the blessing and then he said some more. The Holy
Spirit had been talking to Simeon so he started to talk to Mary and he said <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This child will cause many in Israel to fall
and to rise, he will become a sign who people will speak against; moreover, a
sword will pierce your own heart too. All this will happen in order to reveal
many people’s inmost thoughts’”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There weren’t a lot of people there that day but just there,
the few of them, Simeon quietly made the announcement to Israel that this
little baby was the Saviour they had all been waiting for.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So Luke is telling us about the very first time Jesus was
presented to the Jewish people, at his pidyon ha’ben or Redemption of the First
Born Ceremony.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The last presentation of Jesus to the Jewish people also
happened in Jerusalem but this Simeons prophecy would come true. Jesus stood
before Pilate who said Jesus must be crucified and we know that the crucifixion
pierced Jesus body with nails and a sword. The piercing that Simeon told them
about thirty years earlier would happen and Mary would have her heart broken,
full of love and sorrow and sadness when her boy Jesus gave up His life because
he loves us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That would be a day of mourning many days, months, and years
ahead for Mary. But on the first day in Jerusalem with Jesus and Joseph, it was
a magnificent day of celebration. Love was present on this day and it would be
present every day of her life with Him. Love had come right on time, just as
the angel had said. Now her heart and life never would be the same.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you wonder how our hearts might be changed if we receive
this great gift of love? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the holiness
and the revolution and redemption of Christmas was active in our lives?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The music team is going to come and we will be able to
consider our response to God’s love as we sing to “O come let Us Adore Him”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are some alternative words on the screen and you might
like to choose the words that resonate with you:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O Come Let us adore Him<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O let me glorify Him<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let me reflect my Saviour <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For He alone is worthy<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-16383398178983897352021-03-05T12:23:00.005+11:002021-03-05T12:23:58.292+11:00World Day of Prayer 2021<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdw9sX9KIdxSjFqrbzoJs93lb4rSjovAhupnyxdwspmlpX_iVeAdq9Y_2h-sIyRHAQgGYmTlQ9qScqSKLwW6P6XQN_eFbYaoKLh4zqm0TQPUTz-GvDhok78PsdMrrBsiuWd7I_jxnHvbb/s1416/WDP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="971" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdw9sX9KIdxSjFqrbzoJs93lb4rSjovAhupnyxdwspmlpX_iVeAdq9Y_2h-sIyRHAQgGYmTlQ9qScqSKLwW6P6XQN_eFbYaoKLh4zqm0TQPUTz-GvDhok78PsdMrrBsiuWd7I_jxnHvbb/w274-h400/WDP.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Our God,</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">You are the one foundation,</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">the unshakeable rock to your worldwide church,</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">the reason and focus for our denominations, organisations, family and faith, actions and attitudes.</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">May we anchor ourselves in you.</span><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Let us accept the changes we sometimes fight, knowing your plan is perfect and you will stabilise us through all light and shadow, every peak and valley.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Rising seas and deadly winds tear lives apart for our Pacific hosts but they are strong in you, their faith is persistent and they show us the way.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Reward and strengthen them.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">We experience strength through your love</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">your love flows to us and from us, changing hearts,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">transforming lives.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">We build on you.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Amen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div>I was asked to write a prayer for World Day of Prayer. The host nation is Vanuatu. </div>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-18822108649928318912020-07-23T17:42:00.005+10:002020-07-23T17:42:45.708+10:00What I believe<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My course requires to write 600 words about my personal belief system relating to faith. I might as well put it here:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe in a God who created the universe, knows everything, is all powerful
and is everywhere. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He
has the ultimate control over what happens all the time and everywhere,
including in my life. I find comfort and hope in this idea of God. I try to be
obedient to Him and then I can be released from a lot of worry because I know
He will take care of the rest. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that this God is intimately interested in me and can be relied on to
provide what I need. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This
provision is in His timing which can often feel extremely late. Waiting on
God’s timing can be very uncomfortable and often seems very last minute,
sometimes we will be hanging on by the skin of our teeth before we feel that He
has acted. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that I can directly access God through prayer or reading the Bible and
there is no need for any kind of intermediary. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Others can pray for me or I can pray for
others and this is a good thing but I can access God without having to rely on
any other individual. Prayer might be very deliberate and well articulated or
it might never be expressed but felt as a desire of the heart.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe Jesus was the human form of this God. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">When God seems very abstract it might be
helpful to look at the documented life of Jesus.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Bible is the document
God wrote for our guidance and encouragement and that it should be interpreted
carefully, with prayer and generosity.</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> The way we read and understand the
Bible will be tailored by God so that different aspects will jump off the page
at different times. Interpreting to suit our<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>own purposes should be avoided though I acknowledge that we can’t always
know when we are doing that, which is the reason we read in tandem with
praying.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that a relationship with God is the way to have the most meaningful
life. On earth and after. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Jesus
was separated from God when He died. That death and separation served as the
proxy for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me and for all of humanity. It
means we don’t have to endure separation from God. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that our relationship with God starts when we understand and
acknowledge our need of Him. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This might manifest differently for different people but we
all come to a point where we have a need of a greater power, our own resources
are not enough to help us with the issue we face.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in left 138.75pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that a person does not need to understand God in the Judeo Christian
tradition as I do, to be able to know Him and have a relationship with Him. </span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">It is not for me to judge who
is in relationship with God or exactly what that will look like.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in left 138.75pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
believe that my continuing relationship with God is made possible by his love
toward me, (not by my good works) but the relationship will end if I don’t love
Him (by loving others)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">If my relationship with God
is made possible by His love and only by His love, it frees me from the tyranny
of trying to work hard to be in God’s favour. When I am secure in His love, the
mental energy I might have spent in trying to “be good” or “do good” can
be<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>used more productively.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-71933631179829970522020-01-15T20:58:00.002+11:002020-01-15T20:58:46.886+11:00fires , climate , faithI am not of the mindset that *insert bad news story* is a punishment from God or a message from Her or any other thing. I usually see disasters as disasters and God as God but this time it is different.<br />
<br />
I can see the fires as a disaster of our own making, a symptom of impending climate catastrophe. And I do. The enormity of the suffering pains me. The depth of ecological loss angers me. My own helplessness frustrates me. It's a distressing, depressing situation.<br />
<br />
Or I can try to find some hope, which I also do. I look for the stories of humanity, of resilience and compassion, generosity, selflessness. There are good news stories and I look for them, enjoy them, share them.<br />
<br />
The positives I speak of are nice but they are not enough. Stories of communities pulling together, wildlife carers, millions of dollars in donations and burrow sharing wombats are not enough to shift my despair.<br />
<br />
I don't think anything can really shift my despair over climate change but as I see my nation react I have just the tiniest glimmer of hope. My hope is like a dying match, little more than a glowing splinter and wisp of smoke in a vast universe of blackness.<br />
<br />
Is it possible that this huge crisis can shift people out of their complacency? Is it possible that our government will start to listen to the people who cry out for action? Will the suffering we see inspire a deeper compassion? Will we repent of our selfishness?<br />
<br />
I do believe that the earth can heal if we allow it. And I believe in a God who will honour our attempts to make things right, if we are committed and genuine. I do believe this situation can be turned around<br />
<br />
I also believe that it probably won't be. I hope I am wrong but I think we are creating our own armageddon.<br />
<br />
The only place I can find hope is in my faith. These times are so very bleakkyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-71482324238271157612018-06-20T16:07:00.001+10:002018-06-20T19:44:20.853+10:00Heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSQLXlQRgxR9JdwomX1mcdLy4QUZn27c-TA4CtfTGVb7W0ucPzLe6wdO1s8XkZRADjKVMJhIsI_hxZeOutMAYJFld-bjOYKHNGe7XUgrcQhaaef4nfCxtO16dYd2xagBWGcUN_oQNivej/s1600/35548055_1949021578462100_7738264880968368128_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="982" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSQLXlQRgxR9JdwomX1mcdLy4QUZn27c-TA4CtfTGVb7W0ucPzLe6wdO1s8XkZRADjKVMJhIsI_hxZeOutMAYJFld-bjOYKHNGe7XUgrcQhaaef4nfCxtO16dYd2xagBWGcUN_oQNivej/s320/35548055_1949021578462100_7738264880968368128_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This question came up on my Facebook feed and there was some lively discussion around the question. I added a comment and was taken to task for it so I thought I'd post the conversation here.<br />
It will most likely ruffle feathers and that is ok, all I'm after is thoughtful, respectful ideas.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;"> KYLIE:</span><span style="color: #1d2129;">The way I think about it, God is love so if you make a choice to live with love, you will most likely go to heaven, no matter what your religion is. Jesus showed us what love is and it's probably easier to live with love if you know about Jesus but I don't think Christianity as we understand it is a prerequisite to heaven or a lot of people would be excluded</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;">OTHER PERSON:<br />Sorry, Kylie, but this is completely against Christian and certainly Salvationist theology. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." There is but one way to Heaven and that is through faith in </span><span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;">Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Do you really think that if "as long as you live with love" was an option for getting into Heaven, that God would have asked His one and only son to endure what He did, as a sacrifice for you? For me?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">KYLIE:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;">I think that our entry to heaven is in accordance with our understanding. I also know that the Holy Spirit speaks to people who have no, or different understanding of God. Or who know God but don't name Him as such.<br />Jesus was sacrificed for us but do </span><span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129;">we need to know his name in order to benefit from his sacrifice?<br />What if a person who doesn't know anything about God in the formalised way we have been taught, hears the Spirit, responds to the Spirit and continues to do that for their lifetime. Is that person excluded from God's presence for all eternity?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-73512120493599618292018-03-24T12:38:00.000+11:002018-03-24T12:53:51.354+11:00RestorationWhen I revived this blog I wanted it to be non-denominational but I find that many of my thoughts around a spiritual journey are (understandably) related to my own denomination of The Salvation Army. This has left me with a bit of a blog identity crisis!<br />
<br />
While I figure out what direction to head in, let me just throw in this thought.<br />
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My despair at the state of our planet is well documented and I was only partly exaggerating when I said recently that the damage we have done to the environment leaves me so distressed, I almost want to kill myself when I think about it. At the same time, I have been convinced (only through my own instinct) that if we could just show some genuine effort with the environment and give mother nature a chance, her power of regeneration would stagger us.<br />
My hopes that the earth can be healed seem to be confirmed by what I am reading for Lent, a review of the restoration that is promised by the events of Easter:<br />
<br />
"It is God's plan to see the relationship between creation and humans restored to what it was intended to be in Eden.<br />
This is what Jesus has enabled - a restoration and reconciling of all relationships"<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text Rom-8-20" id="en-NIV-28137" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28137B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28137B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> in hope</span> <span class="text Rom-8-21" id="en-NIV-28138" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">21 </span>that<span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NIV-28138a" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NIV-28138a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A19-23&version=NIV#fen-NIV-28138a" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</span>the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28138C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28138C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28138D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28138D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span class="text Rom-8-22" id="en-NIV-28139" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">22 </span>We know that the whole creation has been groaning<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28139E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28139E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. </i>Romans 8: 20-22</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Rom-8-22" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span class="text Rom-8-22" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our efforts at environmental stewardship are far too little and very much too late but maybe we will find some kind of restoration from our destruction if we would only try.<br /><br />Your thoughts always welcome.</span></span></div>
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<br />kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-41291237104291177232018-02-18T21:37:00.001+11:002018-02-18T21:37:23.974+11:00A Circuitous RoadLong term readers of my other blog "eclectica" are aware that the church I attended all my life was amalgamated with three others last year. There was a long period before the amalgamation when we were unsure what would happen to us as a church community. The uncertainty and sense of helplessness were painful but with a very sick bottom line and diminishing numbers it was inevitable that a dramatic change would need to be made.<br />
In the pre-amalgamation mess I thought God told me that my church would not be closed. It seemed an unlikely idea but i made a mental note of it.<br />
Then we were amalgamated and the four congregations moved to a new location. It certainly felt as though my home church at Earlwood had closed but the building remained and some of the weekday activities that happened there continued. I felt that as long as the building was functioning, there was hope for a genuine community to exist there again.<br />
When the church became mostly vacant there was a suggestion that it could be used as a charity store, which would have been a church endeavour but not a church. This would be a long term plan, with extensive regulatory requirements.<br />
A few months on, I happened to hear of another congregation nearby whose building had been condemned. They were desperate for a new location and I suggested they could make temporary use of the building at Earlwood. The relevant people got in touch and within the month there was a new community worshipping in the building, keeping life in it, stopping the dust from gathering.<br />
The new community in the building are Chinese speakers and they have appealed to a demographic that the original congregation did not.<br />
Today, it was announced that the Earlwood site could not be redeveloped because of the expense involved in meeting updated building codes and local council regulations on truck access etc so it has been decided that the church there will <i>remain a centre for worship. </i><br />
Being human, all of the people from the various original congregations feel that they are in a temporary place and they all hope for a "permanent" location. Things won't stay the same in the foreseeable future but that is ok.<br />
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I always anticipated that anything I posted here would be generalised musings on Christianity, not the specifics of one church, but I feel that this story is worth telling and I think there will be more fascinating twists and turns to come. Maybe there is just a little inspiration for someone.....<br />
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Bless you<br />
<br />kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-31816383195403189102018-01-01T16:00:00.001+11:002018-01-19T07:50:40.414+11:00IntercedingI have been making an effort lately to put more thought into praying for people or situations outside of my normal orbit. It's easy to pray about my own needs and those close to me but it takes a bit more intention to take a wider view.<br />
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I put together this 50 point list of things I would like to pray about in the future and I have dated them so I can focus on something different for (nearly) each week of the year. Another approach would be to take a different topic each day and repeat the list throughout the year.<br />
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Jan 1 Premature babies<br />
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Jan 8 Sick children and their families<br />
Jan15 The bereaved<br />
Jan22 Police service<br />
Jan29 Paramedics</div>
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Feb 5 Fire fighters<br />
Feb 12 Other First responders<br />
Feb 19 World leaders<br />
Feb 26 Church leaders<br />
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Mar 5 The local church<br />
Mar 12 Refugees<br />
Mar 19 The homeless<br />
Mar 26 Those who are suffering through illness</div>
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Apr 2 People marginalised by disability<br />
Apr 9 Those experiencing poverty<br />
Apr 16 Those disadvantaged by a criminal record<br />
Apr 23 people facing unemployment<br />
Apr 30 People isolated by sexual identity</div>
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May 7 Those suffering with addiction<br />
May 14 The justice system<br />
May 21 Policy makers<br />
May 28 lost friends</div>
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Jun 4 Missing persons and the people searching for them<br />
Jun 11 Colleagues or employees<br />
Jun 18 Clients<br />
Jun 25 Our managers<br />
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2 Jul Friends<br />
9 Jul Children<br />
16 Jul Spouse<br />
23 Jul Family members<br />
30 Jul Medical research<br />
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6 Aug Victims of abuse<br />
13 Aug The future of humanity<br />
20 Aug The health of the earth<br />
27 Aug Prisoners<br />
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3 Sep Recovery programs<br />
10 Sep Local community<br />
17 Sep Schools<br />
24 Sep Teachers</div>
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1 Oct P<b>eople who serve me:</b> barista<br />
8 Oct Checkout operator<br />
15 Oct Garbage collector<br />
22 Oct Cleaner<br />
29 Oct Postman<br />
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5 Nov Doctor<br />
12 Nov Hairdresser<br />
19 Nov Priest/ minister/pastor<br />
26 Nov News stories<br />
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3 Dec Armed services<br />
10 Dec Animal rescuers & their charges<br />
17 Dec Domestic abuse survivors<br />
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kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-81236072051741354212017-12-24T11:15:00.003+11:002017-12-24T16:16:05.429+11:00The Lord's PrayerPrayer sometimes becomes a list of things we want fixed, or at least it does for me. It might not be entirely self interested because I spend quite a bit of time praying for people or situations other than myself but it's still not ideal. There's a thing I do to counter this bad habit and that is to pray The Lord's Prayer in my own words, taking the existing words of the prayer and modifying them in whatever way comes to me at the time. There are many expert and academic commentaries available for The Lord's Prayer which might be at odds with my musings and that is ok. At some stage I might incorporate some more "learned" ideas but right now, what I do with it is a discipline for me.<br />
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<b>Our Father, who art in heaven,</b><br />
my heavenly father, who loves me like my own dad but with more wisdom and more ability to change my circumstances.<br />
<b><br />hallowed be thy name, </b><br />
you are worthy of all praise, all honour, all glory. You give every good thing, you model what I should be. I want my life to reflect you.<br />
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<b>Thy kingdom come, </b><br />
I want to play my part in fulfilling your purposes and I want your love, grace and mercy to be extended to all people by all people. A world without war, discrimination, racism, road rage, domestic abuse....<br />
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<b>Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.</b><br />
Your plans play out uninterrupted in heaven, your love is uncontaminated there. I want to see that and be part of that here in this earthly life and then i will have a little of heaven on earth<br />
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<b>Give us this day our daily bread </b><br />
I'm trusting you, God, for the things I truly need. I might not live on lobster and chocolate, and I might not have a lot at any time. Your promise is to supply day to day, not years in advance. I may not be rich in material things but you will give me what I need for a healthy and satisfied life, I just need to believe that you have my best in mind<br />
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<b>And forgive us our trespasses, </b><br />
forgive me when my own interests, annoyances, grievances, immaturity, selfishness and small mindedness hurt you or those around me<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>as we forgive those who trespass against us.</b><br />
and when others fail me, I will remember that I am fallible. I will remember that hurting people hurt people. When I see pure evil, when forgiveness seems impossible and unwarranted I will forgive anyway and in doing that I stop the chain of hurt<br />
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<b>And lead us not into temptation</b><br />
You wouldn't lead us to temptation so the wording of this is a bit funny, blame translation. Help me to stay away from what i know to be hurtful<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>but deliver us from evil.</b><br />
protect me, my friends, my family, the people I haven't met and will never meet. Rescue us as individuals and as humanity, rescue us from ourselves, honour our attempts to get things right, heal us and the earth from our stupid ways<br />
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<b>For Thine is the Kingdom,</b><br />
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<b>the power and the glory, </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>forever and ever.</b><br />
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God, you are "the one" you have the power to do all things, all goodness comes from you, all love, all joy, all peace, all healing, all beauty....<br />
It's all yours so I want to reflect that and rely on that and see that grow. Forever.<br />
<br />kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-49757507792268907762017-12-14T16:19:00.002+11:002017-12-18T09:03:09.590+11:00The Coming of Jesus as experienced by Elizabeth<b>Luke 1</b><br />
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When we think of the Christmas story we don't often think of Elizabeth but she was probably quite intimately involved with Mary and I think her story has something to say to us. </div>
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Elizabeth came from a priestly family, she was upright and kept the commands of her faith. She was a good woman but she was infertile and in those times a misfortune like infertility was thought to be a punishment from God for some kind of misdemeanor. You could forgive an ancient woman for feeling that it was a punishment: she had nobody to care for her in her old age, nobody to carry the family name and always the social stigma and shame. </div>
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Imagine the speculation of the neighbours. Imagine living through 20 or 25 years when you might expect to be fertile but no baby ever came. What would a woman have done to deserve that? As she got older her hopes must have gradually and painfully died.</div>
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This woman, Elizabeth endured years of pain and shame and her hopes were gone. She must have wondered what she had done to deserve this.</div>
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Then one day, her husband came home from a shift at the temple and he was mute. An angel had visited him and told him they would have a child but he wasn't sure about it and so the angel struck him mute but Elizabeth didn't know this, she wasn't there and she didn't see an angel herself. </div>
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She must have wondered what was happening to her or maybe her husband wrote it down for her, we know that he could write but could she read?</div>
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So, there was potentially some fear and confusion about the pregnancy and I wonder what she thought she was suffering from. Then Mary comes for a visit. If Elizabeth hadn't already found out what was going on, Mary would have been able to tell her. By this time Elizabeth was six months pregnant and we know that Mary stayed for three months, long enough to support Elizabeth through the last months of pregnancy and probably the birth. I would imagine she might have been persuaded to stay for the circumcision when the baby was eight days old, as well.</div>
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Elizabeth might have mentored Mary through the early months of Mary's pregnancy, she might have been a mother figure to Mary and had the opportunity to have a surrogate daughter for a little while.</div>
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When the baby was eight days old and about to be circumcised the rabbi was going to call him Zacharia after his father but we see Elizabeth speak up and say that her son is to be called John. This woman who had been stigmatised by her position in time and by her infertility was speaking up! to the rabbi, a powerful man, and being listened to. What a turn around that was.</div>
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God's favour on Elizabeth is evident as she transforms from a sad and isolated figure into a respected woman, close to the mother of Jesus, it was like influencing royalty. We can't forget the greatest blessing in all of this, her baby boy, which of course brought joy to everyone around, like all children do.</div>
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We don't know whether Elizabeth lived to see John grow up but it is recorded that he was the greatest of all prophets. It is my opinion that once God blessed Elizabeth with a child He would also have given her the opportunity to see him grow into the man he was destined to be and I think that she saw him become a celebrated man of God. </div>
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Elizabeth was hurting but she was patient and faithful and she eventually became so uplifted that she was influential with mary, her voice was heard by powerful men and her son grew to become a highly respected, Godly man.</div>
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For Elizabeth, the coming of Jesus brought healing, joy, respect and comfort. Her long years of torment were turned around in spectacular fashion and her faithfulness was repaid many times over.</div>
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<i>Home League Christmas 06.12.2017</i></div>
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kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7777593339712055719.post-38476536294648214592008-10-09T23:44:00.005+11:002008-10-11T09:59:44.651+11:00Jeremiah 29:11<div align="left"><em>He knows the plans He has for me:</em></div><div align="left"><em>To help and not hold back,</em></div><div align="left"><em>Bring life to the hopes He's placed in my heart</em></div><div align="left"><em>and bless me for all of time.</em></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em></em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>My Father has good plans for me, </em></div><div align="left"><em>To strengthen and beautify,</em></div><div align="left"><em>My Jesus might be reflected in me</em></div><div align="left"><em>and heaven on earth be mine.</em></div><div align="left"></div>kyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.com9