Peace, perfect Peace

There was a king who wanted a painting that depicted peace and tranquility.After he had examined many paintings, he finally settled for one that had a rushing, noisy waterfall in it. His friends asked why he chose this painting when there were others that seemed more peaceful. His reply was that he had noticed that the artist had painted a little bird sitting on her nest in a cleft of the rock just behind the waterfall and she was apparently not disturbed at all by the rushing noisy water pounding the rocks below, but was at peace despite her surroundings, and that was a lesson he wanted to learn.

We all long for peace of mind, and some way that we can relax and forget our anxieties; all our days can be go, go, go, full on from the minute we wake in the morning until we turn in at night; and even if we have a husband, wife or partner who is selfish or unloving and, or, possibly, children that are demanding, or a job that is taxing, we will not necessarily have a peaceful sleep.

When (not if) we find ourselves in such positions (or similar) we have two options offered to us. One option is to examine the proposition put forward by Jesus when He said "Come unto me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Of course, unless we have been brought up in a Christian environment, this is probably the last option that we would consider; a bit like the man who was walking in a fog and accidentally fell over a cliff; as he was falling he grabbed the branch of a tree that was growing out of the cliff face. Looking down he could see nothing but swirling fog, so he looked up and saw the same thing, so he yelled out "Is anyone up there?" and the reply came "yes, my son". So he yelled out "can you help me?" and the reply came "yes, if you will have faith". So he said "what do I have to do to have faith?" and the reply came "let go of the branch". There was silence for a while, and then the man yelled out "Is there anyone else up there?" First options don't always impress us, do they?

The second option is the one adopted by many people, and that is to spend a lot of time going to parties, night clubs, raves, music festivals etc... where the secular music can be degrading, as is the dancing and dressing. At such functions they often drown their sorrows in alcohol or other drugs that seem to give them a sense of elation for a while. This, of course, can then lead them to make choices that they wouldn't normally make but, because they are partly intoxicated, their judgement is blurred and they can easily find that they get involved in immoral behaviour, which they regret in the light of day (assuming the can stand the 'light of day' with the headache from the 'hangover'.) Then there is always the possibility of fights, or car accidents following such parties.

At best, this second option is fairly expensive and a very temporary relief from the real world that is still there the next day, and after some time all this can lose its glamour, and leave us depressed, lonely and feeling degraded.

Coming back to that first option then; Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." You see, we have an entirely different approach here as God "didn't send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved" and Jesus himself confirmed this when He said "that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but inherit eternal life." Why, for goodness sake, would He adopt this attitude?

Well, you see, God never wanted things to be as they are now, it was His plan to be the loving Father to His very large family, so he made us a planet with every imaginable thing that we could want. Just think of the variety of fruits and other foods and spices, with their remarkable flavours. Think of the variety of trees and the beautiful timber, and the flowers on the jacarandas for example (and all the others). "Loving our neighbours as we loves ourselves"; but, we sinned and went our own way. All is not lost. He loves you, as an individual, and wants to reinstate you as his loving child, and even make you a joint heir with Jesus (His son) who died for our sins so you can go free again, if we will only believe in Him and repent.
Think of the variety of flowers and their wonderful colours and perfumes. The glorious scenery and the wonderful animals and rich soils that can grow anything. Stacks of minerals, suitable for everything we could imagine. Think of the way he has been recycling one lot of water for thousands of years. God wanted us all to just enjoy and share these wonders by "Loving our neighbours as we love ourselves" but we sinned and went our own way. All is not lost. He loves you, as an individual, and wants to reinstate you as his loving child and even make you a joint heir with Jesus (His Son) who died for our sins so you can go free again if we will only Believe in Him and Repent. Regards, Tom

She hurt my Feelings

I received a letter from my sister who was attending Teacher’s College in Sydney, and boarding with some people in the suburb of Ashfield. My sister and I had always been good friends, but in this letter she had pushed the boundary of friendship too far. She said she had been attending Ashfield Baptist Church and had become a Christian and I was a sinner and must become a Christian too, or I would go to Hell. I was dumbfounded by this. (and found her “bedside manner” most offensive), because I was brought up in a Christian country, went to church occasionally and lived a reasonably decent life, so I considered that I was already a Christian, certainly not a Sinner.  So why on earth did my sister, write and tell me that I was a sinner, and needed to become a Christian”?  I put this question to my Dad and he replied that “she has probably got mixed up with some Religious Fanatics.” So I threw her letter in the Garbage Bin and shook my head in disbelief.

 

 However, she had also sent me a little booklet, and out of curiosity I read it. A quote from the New Testament struck me, where it said: “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” and “The wages of sin is death” (meaning eternal separation from God), “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord.” Well then if that was the case, I figured that I had better look into this more closely as there just might be something in what Anita had said, and in John’s Gospel I found that Jesus Himself had said: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life.” His implication being that those who don’t “Believe” in Him Do Perish! “So the Good News was that the Son of God, (Jesus Christ), paid for our sin by dying on the cross and rising again, Therefore, He can offer forgiveness to anyone who truly repents and asks to be forgiven. And I can assure you I was delighted to know that, as it was more like the assurance that I wanted to hear.

Just as these sheep had come under the shelter of the tree for protection from the sun’s heat. I had also come under God’s protection from ultimate heat.

 

It was then that I realized why most people, who have accepted this forgiveness, want to go to church and pray and read the bible and so on. It is not in an effort to gain salvation, (as I had previously thought), because if they believe in Jesus they already have that Salvation, but they do these things in order to get to know Jesus, and God, more intimately and find out how they should behave as God’s children now that they are under His protection.

Possibly there are more people around the world who do not understand Christianity than there are who do understand it. This is because some churches perform too much ritual which causes many people to look on Christianity as a religion, when it is really not a religion at all, but is an intimate relationship with a person.  That person being the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In the mind of many people there seems to be the idea that in order to please God, or should I say, to “not fall out” with Him, or to gain His forgiveness, they must religiously perform certain rituals, (Nothing could be further from the truth, and is absolutely untrue). Nevertheless, some religions, require their followers to face in the direction of a particular shrine, and pray a certain number of times per day.  Others have to burn incense or turn prayer wheels, or repeat certain phrases, or make certain sacrifices and ritualistic prayers. The idea being that if they do these things consistently they will somehow earn themselves a good place in the next life. Well, I am sorry to say that they are wasting their time because the Bible points out that “it is by Grace that you are saved through faith, and that not of your selves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8) The Apostle Paul, commenting on this, said that in the light of all Jesus did it was reasonable for us to accept His forgiveness and change our ways. Thus we are given help right away, and a “Complimentary free ticket” to Heaven when the need arises, with no strings attached, Wow! How about that for a great outcome?

However, Jesus knew that Sin had to be “Erased” from our “resume” though, and He, being the sinless Son of God, was the only one who had the qualifications to achieve that, and, praise God, He did it. How dreadfully He must have suffered to achieve that for us though, and how loving of Him it was to make it so easy for us? Unfortunately, some of us are still too proud to accept that forgiveness. I know this, because I even hesitated for a while myself.  

Christians are believers in Christ, the one who paid our entire debt and has done all that could be done for us.

As He knocks at our heart’s door then, it is now up to us to accept Him by opening our heart to Him.

Of course, we can also reject the one who died at terrific cost to purchase our Salvation, if we choose to.

The decision is ours, not God’s. So think it through, because the Almighty God who designed these flowers and looks after them, wants to reinstate you as His child and look after you too, and thankfully He actually said that we are much more valuable to Him than they are. Best wishes, Tom.

Like a Tree,

I took this photo of a tree at my son and daughter-in-law’s property near Gilgandra.

That tree, which is immense, must have found a very reliable source of water in order to keep itself in such good condition and be able to remain “green and growing” and not be troubled at all during the severe drought that is crippling the district at present. Now how did it do that? After all, the paddocks are so dry that the sheep have been hand fed for years. Well Psalm No 1, in the bible has the answer, it says that a “tree planted by a river of water shall bring forth fruit in its season and its leaves shall not wither and it shall prosper”.  The reason for that result is that it sends its roots down through the river bank to where there is water and consequently it is immune to the circumstances surrounding it and droughts and hot winds cannot stop it from prospering. I photographed this particular tree because it is growing beside a sandy bottomed creek and as there is

moisture underneath the sand it has sent its roots down to claim that water. To prove this point I took this next photo as some of the creek bank has been washed away and those roots have become exposed so you can plainly see that it is not dependent on surface moisture that is erratic, but relies on a dependable supply that is below the sand.   

You will notice that the tree on the right of the photo has died and I guess that was because it wasn’t near the creek; and the pine trees on the left don’t look that happy either. So you see, that Psalm writer who wrote those words about three thousand years ago, knew all about droughts and how a tree can cope with them, and this also shows us that droughts are not something new and are to be expected in many parts of the world, as are all sorts of other problems.

The interesting thing is that the Psalmist wasn’t really talking about trees: he was just using them as an illustration to show you and me, and all the other people who have lived, (and those who will come after us), that we can be just as prosperous in the difficult situations we may find ourselves in, as a tree is when it is planted beside a river or a creek, if we know where to look for help.

His actual words say that if we don’t follow the advice of ungodly people and don’t get involved with sin, and don’t be scornful about God, but instead “delight ourselves in the law of the Lord” and constantly think about His directions, we too will be like that tree and “everything we do shall prosper.” Jesus confirmed this when He died and rose again to reinstate us as “Children of God and Joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17), which is what happens to us when we repent (which means change our direction), and believe on the Lord Jesus, asking for his forgiveness for past sin. Then, like a tree that sends its roots down to draw on the life giving moisture in the river or creek, we can also draw on God’s “living water” as Jesus said in John 4:10-15. When we do that, Ephesians 3:17&19 says “That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love…… know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God,” thus His love and guidance is available in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, as we draw on it and stop worrying, because “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge of Christ.” (Philippians 4:7). Now that is a long way better than battling on our own like a tree away from the river or creek! And then there is also our assurance of Eternal Life. I ask you, what could be better? If we haven’t already done so, (and pride is keeping us away from all that), then don’t you think that for Heaven’s sake, (as well as a better life right now), and in appreciation of God’s Kindness, we should “pocket our pride”, and join the winning team?          best wishes, Tom. 

The Box or the Diamond.

 

I had been in love with Audrey for some time and at 21 years of age I realised that she was the girl I wanted to marry and share my life with (“until death us do part” as the wedding vows say), So I went to the Pharmacy in Bourke that was an agency for

Angus and Coot, (jewellers in Sydney), and chose a diamond ring, somewhat like the one in the photo. It cost me 2 month’s wages, and they supplied a nice little padded box for free. I gave Audrey the ring and the box at her 21^st birthday party.

I don’t think Audrey valued the box very much although she may have found it handy on occasions, however I am glad to say she was happy to wear, and show the ring to all the family and friends who were present at the party, and I got a lot of pleasure out of that.

Can you imagine how disappointed I would have been if she had ignored the ring and just been in raptures about the box? That would have been ridiculous of course, but did you ever stop to think that the majority of people in the world do the equivalent of that? We have a tendency to pamper our bodies that God placed our Souls in, which are just “boxes” which have a limited lifespan. Whilst we more or less forget to nurture the “real Us”, (our Souls), that God put inside those “boxes” and that have an eternal lifespan. How frustrating that must be for God when He sees that we have our priorities wrong.

You see God designed each one of us as those Diamond rings are designed. He does not “mass produce” people. Everyone he designs has unique bodily features like our own DNA, voice, finger prints, looks, and so on.  But He also made us to be an expression of “His image and likeness,” in our natures, attitudes and personalities which should copy His. The body that was given to us is just a useful vehicle for us to move around in, (similar to the car we use to make our bodies more mobile).  God has set this world up with all sorts of things for us to engage in and enjoy, just as the city council has supplied wonderful play areas for children: Unfortunately, though,

children are just miniature human beings, and although some of them come to the play park anticipating adventure and joy, and share with the other children. Some others come with a “chip on their shoulder,” and selfishly take over the equipment and make it unpleasant for everyone else.

 Of course, they all have to go to their homes eventually, so some children go with joy in their hearts whilst others go home grumpy. It was the same play park that they all had access to, the difference in the outcomes is caused by their attitudes whilst they are there. Similarly, after we have spent our life in this world we too will have to go to our Heavenly Father’s “Home”, and some of us will go happily because we have accepted Jesus forgiveness for sin, and then followed His instruction to love our neighbours and therefore “shared this play Park world” with them. Whilst others will not reach that home in Heaven at all, but will be re-directed to a “Mannus Island” sort of place (only worse), where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew Chapter 13 Verse 50). Why? Well, some people think they can ignore the rules and gain entry to the Heaven that God had prepared for them, without accepting the entry Visa Jesus bought for them, which is only available to those who repent and believe on Jesus, and ask God’s forgiveness for sin. (Heaven cannot be “gate-crashed”).

Fortunately, though if we haven’t yet committed ourselves it is not too late to comply with the above conditions and be free to “go home” to one of those “Mansions” that Jesus said He went to prepare for us when our body dies.

Children come to the Play Park where all the equipment they could possibly want is provided. They don’t bring that equipment with them and they cannot take it home. The whole idea is for them to enjoy themselves and only take home Spiritual things, like happiness, friendship, kindness. I see a parallel here to our life on earth because we come into this beautifully equipped world, bringing nothing with us and although we are to use and enjoy it all whilst we are here, we can take none of these physical things with us when we leave. However, we can, and should, make friends with the God who provided all this, and eventually take the Spiritual things we acquire, such as love, Joy, friendship and kindness back with us to Heaven where He has arranged for us to spend eternity in one of the mansion Jesus went to prepare for us. Housing is expensive here, but God supplies it free for his children there.

God bless you as you think this through, because this is the most important decision we ever have to make.   It is God’s very adequate Spiritual Superannuation Policy. Don’t miss out!         Regards. Tom.

How Perfect is Perfect?

One morning, about 50 years ago, my wife Audrey, and I were just about to get out of bed when we heard the rattle of cups and saucers and a lot of whispering coming from the kitchen. Sensing that our two daughters, Rueleen and Jenelle, were planning

something secretly, to surprise us, we decided to wait and see   what they intended to do. (At that time they were a bit younger than they are in the photos here). Sure enough we had guessed right because a few minutes later they came into our room carefully carrying a tray with two cups of tea, and a SAO biscuit with butter and Vegemite in the saucer beside each cup.  Audrey and I sat up in bed with pillows behind our shoulders and received the tray onto our laps with great delight, whilst they stood at the end of the bed all excited to see how we enjoyed our tea and biscuits.

 

Needless to say we were excited by the fact that they cared enough to do this out of love for us. After we had sipped our tea and tasted our biscuits they asked “How is it?” Of course, with smiles on our faces, we replied that “it was perfect.”

Now what did we mean by “perfect”? Was the tea made exactly the way we liked it? No it wasn’t; it contained too much milk and sugar. How about the biscuit, was it perfect? No not really, it would have been better on a separate plate as some tea had made one edge of each biscuit soggy. But all that paled into insignificance as we realised the love that prompted their effort and the delight they had in doing something for us, and we certainly never criticised their effort because it was absolutely perfect in our eyes.

When these girls grew up they had families of their own and when we went to visit them they would serve us morning or afternoon tea and now the tea was exactly right, and so were the biscuits or whatever they served with the tea, and it was “perfect” because they had, over the years, observed how much milk and sugar we liked, and experience taught them to be careful to not let the biscuits, (or whatever they served) get wet, and that was lovely. However, if they hadn’t improved we would have been disheartened. Nevertheless, there is nothing they could do now that would be more perfect in our sight than what they did that first time, and it lives forever in my memory and I’m sure in Audrey’s memory too, even though she is now in Heaven.

The above is a parable of the Christian life. When we first become Christians by accepting God’s forgiveness of our sin, (through what Jesus accomplished for us in giving His life as a “Ransome” for ours), we are then only “Babes in Christ” for starters, and endeavour to live a life pleasing to Him, but we will frequently make mistakes without meaning to. This is normal, and just as Audrey and I overlooked the mistakes our daughters made that morning and considered that what they had done was “perfect”, so it is that the Angels in Heaven and God Himself are delighted with our first efforts and see them as “perfect”. 

Of course, here again, if we are sincere we will study the Bible, (particularly the New Testament) and endeavour to correct any imperfections in our behaviour in order to show our love to God for all He has done for us, and also practice trying to “love our neighbour as we love ourselves,” as Jesus told us to.

If we make mistakes they are overlooked if we immediately ask for that forgiveness, because mistakes come from the entrenched bad habits we have acquired over the years and it can sometimes take a while to eliminate them from our behaviour patterns. As Paul (one of the greatest Christians ever,) said “not that I have already attained perfection, but I press on”.

but to deliberately sin and defy God’s directions is something different and would show that we didn’t get the message properly, so is not acceptable behaviour.

Of course, Christians don’t gain forgiveness and Salvation through good behaviour. Jesus earned that privilege for us by His sacrificial death and resurrection, but we are required (indeed it is our privilege), to endeavour to live lives that glorify God who has made it possible for us to inherit eternal life with Him, irrespective of how badly we may have sinned in the past.

Best wishes with that, Tom.

Easter. What is it all about?

What is Easter all about? Just this: New Birth. That is what it is all about; Chickens and eggs? Most certainly. Rabbits? Certainly not, they have nothing to do with it. You see, Easter eggs, (or ordinary eggs) have represented “NEW BIRTH” for centuries because

chickens illustrate “new birth” very well.  Recently, however, Cadburys and other chocolate manufacturers, decided to promote “bunnies” (even though they have no religious significance)

Next question: Why New Birth? Well you see, Jesus Christ, who was sent by God and who was ‘one with God’, (because God was in Christ Reconciling the people of the world unto Himself), pointed out to a very religious Jew, (who came to see him one night), that in order to please God, every one of us “must be born again”. In short, (just as these chickens are beginning a life un-tainted by the world, with not even a spot of dust on them), each one of us must make a new start, cleansed from all our past sinfulness, and replace our attitudes of selfishness, greed, unkindness, resentment, lustfulness and so on, with attitudes of Love, joy, peacefulness, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness and self-control. These latter virtues being the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit who wants to be our Helper and guide when we decide that we want to be “Born Again” by accepting God’s forgiveness for past mistakes and changing our direction.

Next Question: Why all this talk about New Birth? Couldn’t we just make a “New Year’s Resolution” to change our ways, be better people in future, and thus qualify to enter eternal Life in Heaven when we die? Well yes, that sounds simple enough and would be good if it was possible, indeed Jesus himself (just before He was Crucified) hoped that God might be able to find another way when He prayed “Father if it be possible, let this “cup” pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” But there was no other way because “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God and the wages of sin is death”. You see, whenever someone breaks a law, a price has to be paid, and in this case we could not pay it ourselves. Lovingly Jesus Christ “took the rap” on our behalf so we could go free for eternity. Do you think He deserves our thanks for that? 

Next Question: What is so special about Easter in this regard? I mean, couldn’t we be Born Again at some other time of the year, for example Christmas? Absolutely! Being Born Again is not confined to Easter, any time during the year is as good as any other. The special thing about Easter is that it commemorates    the day that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life on the cross at Calvary in order to make it possible for our sins to be deleted. Remember God was in Christ, if that hadn’t been the case Christ’s death would have availed nothing for you or me. When this very special man died, (being the Son of God), he had “been tempted on all points like as we are, and was yet without sin” so was unique in that He, and He alone, was capable of cleansing us from all unrighteousness. So we get a clean “New Start” in life if we repent, ask forgiveness in prayer, and sincerely endeavour to follow His directions of how to live as Children of God in future (as laid down in the Scriptures). May each one of us be truly thankful as we fully grasp what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. “Oh that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me for it was on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me.” As John chapter 3 and verse 16 says; “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

                                          Praise God! and Thank you Jesus.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Our Provider

I was just looking at this Star Jasmine creeper at my daughter’s place and this Cootamundra wattle tree in East Dubbo. These photos don’t do them justice; they are spectacular. I asked my young Great Grandson to count the flowers on the creeper this morning but of course he wouldn’t even start to do so because it would be an impossible task, (like counting the stars in the sky). Our God who designed all these things really thinks big. However, He also is a genius for detail. Every tiny flower is crafted to perfection as you see here with every minute detail complete. Each tiny flower has its own tiny seed waiting to be pollinated and it has its own scent and nectar to attract insects. Likewise, each tiny ball of wattle is not only pretty but also has pollen for the bees to collect as they fertilise the seed there too.

The same planning went into designing you and me, we may be part of a crowd of people, just like these individual flowers are part of the tree or vine, but Jesus points out that each one of us is very special to the extent that God knows how many hairs there are on our heads and “He loves us with an everlasting love”, as a good father loves his child unconditionally. He won’t “Gate crash” our lives though, but wants to guide us to the extent that He has promised to “Direct our paths” if we are prepared to “Trust in The Lord with all our heart”, and “in all our ways acknowledge Him”. Actually it is similar to the way the Satellite Navigation System in a modern car guides us as we travel. We tell it where we want our destination to be, and then we rely completely on its ability to navigate us down the best route to that destination.

When we become Christians we tell God that we are looking forward to our ultimate destination in Heaven. We should then ask Him daily to be the equivalent of our Satellite Navigation System to guide us down the best path for us to travel, (as He has requested that we do in the bible quote mentioned in the paragraph above). Non-Christians don’t do this; they just go blindly ahead and do whatever they think might be best, which of course often results in some very unhappy outcomes and sometimes they even blame God which is quite unfair. After all, if we decide to not follow the instructions of our Navigation Satellite System when travelling by car and end up lost, it is hardly fair to blame the System.  Likewise, if we decide to ignore God’s directions in the Bible it is hardly fair to blame God if we end up in a mess. However, God knows our weaknesses so He “didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved”. So the big picture might look alright: But in Gods sight it is the individual flowers that count: And when it comes to people the same applies. As clearly shown in John’s Gospel where Jesus said “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him, shall not perish but have eternal life.”  That “whosoever” covers ordinary sinners like you and me who make up the big picture, so we shouldn’t forget how much we are loved, and make the most of that outstandingly Gracious offer whilst we can, (forget your pride and independence). Hell is full of people who used to be proud and independent. Instead be proud of our Heavenly Father and become fully dependent on His grace and guidance.                    Best wishes.  Tom.