Conventions
No not traditional ways of doing things but political conventions. We don't have these in Australia. To my foreign eye they are really quite peculiar. Seems a little too much Ra Ra and talky talk. But if it stops us having civil wars when we disagree I am all for them. But I don't have too watch them. But I can't stop. It's like watching a car crash. I just can't avert my eyes. At least Jon Stewart doesn't have to make these looks silly. They have done all the work for him.
Preach It! Don’t Police It!
God is clear about this. Our job is to communicate, by whatever means appropriate, the message of the good news (1 Cor. 9:22-23, Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 5:20 etc.)
There was a time in my life when I thought that I needed to police the preaching of the gospel by others. I defined the gospel as anything in the New Testament and if people didn’t preach what I taught on the matter, then they were judged by me as agents of Satan and not deserving of the name, Christian.
God was patient with me and eventually I opened by my ears to the teaching of the very New Testament that I felt I had done such a good job of policing. I started to notice that nowhere in the Book was anyone judged as lost for the preaching except for the
1. Preaching a different gospel to Paul and the apostles (Gal. 1:8-9). The gospel, according to Paul, was not the whole New Testament. It was and is the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for us (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Titus 3:16).
2. Teaching that Jesus is not the Christ and did not come in physical form (1 John 2:22, 4:2)
If someone teaches the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, who am I to judge them? Just because they don’t agree with me on a list of teachings that I think is important doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t give glory to God because of them. Paul addressed this issue while considering all the preachers he knew. His conclusion was “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,” Philippians 1:18.
We don’t get to be the ones who must be listened to because we get everything (or even most things) right. No one does. We get to be the ones who preach the gospel because God got everything right in Jesus. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s words on this. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5. “But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” 1 Corinthians 1:23. “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.
Church, let’s preach the gospel. Let’s work with whomever we can to get the message of the cross to a hopeless world. Let’s not be judgmental of others because they are different. Let’s give glory to God that His Son is being proclaimed.
There was a time in my life when I thought that I needed to police the preaching of the gospel by others. I defined the gospel as anything in the New Testament and if people didn’t preach what I taught on the matter, then they were judged by me as agents of Satan and not deserving of the name, Christian.
God was patient with me and eventually I opened by my ears to the teaching of the very New Testament that I felt I had done such a good job of policing. I started to notice that nowhere in the Book was anyone judged as lost for the preaching except for the
1. Preaching a different gospel to Paul and the apostles (Gal. 1:8-9). The gospel, according to Paul, was not the whole New Testament. It was and is the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for us (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Titus 3:16).
2. Teaching that Jesus is not the Christ and did not come in physical form (1 John 2:22, 4:2)
If someone teaches the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, who am I to judge them? Just because they don’t agree with me on a list of teachings that I think is important doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t give glory to God because of them. Paul addressed this issue while considering all the preachers he knew. His conclusion was “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,” Philippians 1:18.
We don’t get to be the ones who must be listened to because we get everything (or even most things) right. No one does. We get to be the ones who preach the gospel because God got everything right in Jesus. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s words on this. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5. “But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” 1 Corinthians 1:23. “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.
Church, let’s preach the gospel. Let’s work with whomever we can to get the message of the cross to a hopeless world. Let’s not be judgmental of others because they are different. Let’s give glory to God that His Son is being proclaimed.
My Mother
Memories of My Mother, Kathleen Little, by George Little
1921-2008
I always would ask my mother what her middle name was. Middle names were important in our family and there was a reason for each of the ones given to me and my brothers. But mum would never tell me her middle anme. She never did. I found it out many years later from my brother Andrew. Her middle name was Minnie, which I think embarrassed her, but I remember with a lot of fondness. It was her mother’s name. Maybe someone in succeeding generations might pick that up again.
In all my early memories of my family, mum is always there. I have a distinct memory of her taking Andrew and I fishing below the weir in St George in western Queensland, where I was born. She didn’t know much about fishing. She just knew that we loved it. We didn’t catch any fish that day but I caught a life long memory.
Mum always cared for us. She was devoted to her three sons. I wasn’t the easiest child and she was very patient with me. I remember she would reheat the porridge from breakfast and give it to me after school. It was a little lumpy and too this day that is the way I really like it. I could never understand why people disliked lumpy porridge.
When I decided to answer the call to preach the gospel mum didn’t understand it at all. She always emphasized getting a conventional education and building your life on that. The idea of her troublesome son becoming a preacher just didn’t fit into her plans for me. Over the years she got used to the idea and for many years now she has spoken proudly of her son, the preacher. I was so glad she finally came around.
I was able to be with mum for a few days a couple of weeks ago. My son, Ben and I, would come and visit her at the Gold Coast Hospital a couple of times a day. She was so happy to see us and we were glad we could talk with her and spend time with her in her last few days. Ben wore a sports jersey one day with pinstripes on it. She made sure she commented how much she liked it. She always liked a man in pinstripes.
In our family there is a much told story of the day when mum, Julie and I and the grandsons were walking on the piers at the Broadwater looking at all the expensive and beautiful yachts. I think Ben was around 10 years old. Mum said to him, “Ben, when you grow up, will you buy one of these yachts for me.” Without missing a beat Ben replied, “Don’t be silly Granny you will be dead by then!” too which mum laughed herself silly. And she did the same thing every time we retold the story. Well, she has passed on now and somehow I think that she is still laughing and enjoying being with God. Mum always loves a good laugh. One day we will all join her there and have a good laugh.
Family
Ben,Alexander,
and Harrison.
The three best sons a father and mother could ever have. July 2008
Living the Real Life
What is the real life in 2008. Is it baseball (Manny to LAD Wow)? Is it dinner? Is it friends? Is it peace? Is it a good movie? Is it the NBA? Is it a blog?
Life is full of so many good things. But is that all there is to life. A man once had all this and more and after many years of such a life he said, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV.
Life is full of so many good things. But is that all there is to life. A man once had all this and more and after many years of such a life he said, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV.
Wow. Life in its simplicity according to the one who made us. Take it and run with it.
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