Monthly Archives: July 2013

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The Royal Baby!!!!

Category:Church sign of the week,News

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Have you seen the fuss? Lucky you weren’t living in the U.K. It’s wall to wall there. They have only had 2 news stories for the past week – the Ashes and the Royal baby.

For obvious reasons we’ll ignore the Ashes but we can’t ignore H.R.H. baby George. He’s barely a few days old and already his life is mapped out for him. Which schools, which college, which regiment. I wouldn’t be surprised that in a cupboard somewhere dark, where nobody will stumble across it by accident, is the order of service for his state funeral. He is one special child.

But lets not forget that’s what he is – a child. 1000’s of children have been born this week and to most of those new parents their child is a prince or princess, the very centre of the world. William and Kate are experiencing what a lot of new parents are going through, the joys and the worries. The adjustment to life looking after a new little person.

Every child is special, every person is special. As we grow up and grow older we forget that. All those people we see walking past us everyday in the street or on the tram is special is someone, they have something that makes them laugh and something else that makes them cry. They have hopes and dreams, they won’t be the same as yours but they have them.

This week let’s try and make an effort to remember that everyone is special and treat them that way. Look at them as Jesus does, with eyes full of compassion and love, and treat them as “fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of people bound on other journeys” as Dickens put it.

And as we wish William and Kate and H.R.H. baby George every blessing, we do to all the other new parents of children born this week. God bless them all.


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160!

Category:Church sign of the week,News

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The Melbourne Welsh Church is 160!!!!

So all I want to do this week is say a few thank yous.

Firstly to God. For all the blessings he has given to this church over the past 160 years and for the privilege of preaching and living out the Gospel in the heart of Melbourne, and also for the promise of his future love and grace.

To all those visionaries of 160 years ago who decided to open the church and who worked so hard to see the idea fulfilled.

To those who have worked, and still work, tirelessly for God’s cause here in so many ways, both big and small.

And to those who have worshipped God and found the love of Jesus in our little building.

I say thank you and God bless you.


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Judge less, love more. #Gospel

Category:Church sign of the week,News

And so I bring up the same theme again….

Why?

Because so many people don’t get it!

Take a look at the pictures below – when you look at them ask yourself what you see.

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Let me tell you what I think God sees…

Picture 1 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 2 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 3 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 4 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 5 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 6 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 7 God sees people whom he loves and wants the best for

So what did you see?


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Knowledge and wisdom

Category:Church sign of the week,News

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

I love silly bits of trivia like this. I collect them, write them down, read them and laugh time and time again. I’m easily pleased.

This one makes me think though – knowledge and wisdom are two very different things and I think that I’d rather have wisdom than knowledge.

For example – there are people who know the rules of competition ball room dancing and take part enthusiastically, then there are those who know the rules of competition ball room dancing and are wise enough not too!

The Bible is full of little pearls of wisdom –

Ecclesiastes tells us – A living dog is better than a dead lion.

Proverbs reminds us – Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

And – If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit.

There are loads more – what gets me is that there are so many Christians that don’t get the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

The Bible makes it very clear, time and time again, that wisdom is a very precious thing. If you read this blog regularly then you know I’m not one for quoting endless Bible verses but here’s just one to show my point – Proverbs 16:16 “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

I know how to build a bookcase, with doors that open automatically and a working light. I read the instructions online. I’ve got a list of everything I need from the wood to the motors. I have absolutely no intention of building it. It would be terrible, I couldn’t do it! Even with all the tools and time a plenty I would mess it up. I’m wise enough to know that.

So why do so many Christians, who really know their Bible, not have the wisdom to see what it says. Not long ago I heard a ‘famous’ (we’ll use that term lightly, he’s someone the media goes to to get a scandalous quote) Christian say that the Bible says that God hates Australia because of all the Asians living here. So, if I understand that statement correctly, God hates Australia and Asians and told us this, in the Scriptures, way before Asia or Australia were discovered. So for millennia there was a passage in the Bible that mentioned Asia and Australia and nobody knew what it was talking about. That’s also about half the people living in the world God created and he hates them, it’s also most of the pubs and eating establishments in London! He’s quite selective this God of his. I don’t want to follow him – to me that’s the wisest course.

And then I read what the God I follow says is wisdom – James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.

Not a mention of hatred of Australians or anyone else.

So knowledge of the Bible is one thing

And the wisdom to understand it is something else.

I pray for both.

20130727-112621.jpg


  • 0

The Royal Baby!!!!

Category:Church sign of the week Tags : 

 

Have you seen the fuss? Lucky you weren’t living in the U.K. It’s wall to wall there. They have only had 2 news stories for the past week – the Ashes and the Royal baby.

For obvious reasons we’ll ignore the Ashes but we can’t ignore H.R.H. baby George. He’s barely a few days old and already his life is mapped out for him. Which schools, which college, which regiment. I wouldn’t be surprised that in a cupboard somewhere dark, where nobody will stumble across it by accident, is the order of service for his state funeral. He is one special child.

But lets not forget that’s what he is – a child. 1000’s of children have been born this week and to most of those new parents their child is a prince or princess, the very centre of the world. William and Kate are experiencing what a lot of new parents are going through, the joys and the worries. The adjustment to life looking after a new little person.

Every child is special, every person is special. As we grow up and grow older we forget that. All those people we see walking past us everyday in the street or on the tram is special is someone, they have something that makes them laugh and something else that makes them cry. They have hopes and dreams, they won’t be the same as yours but they have them.

This week let’s try and make an effort to remember that everyone is special and treat them that way. Look at them as Jesus does, with eyes full of compassion and love, and treat them as “fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of people bound on other journeys” as Dickens put it.

And as we wish William and Kate and H.R.H. baby George every blessing, we do to all the other new parents of children born this week. God bless them all.


  • 0

160!

Category:Church sign of the week Tags : 

 

The Melbourne Welsh Church is 160!!!!

So all I want to do this week is say a few thank yous.

Firstly to God. For all the blessings he has given to this church over the past 160 years and for the privilege of preaching and living out the Gospel in the heart of Melbourne, and also for the promise of his future love and grace.

To all those visionaries of 160 years ago who decided to open the church and who worked so hard to see the idea fulfilled.

To those who have worked, and still work, tirelessly for God’s cause here in so many ways, both big and small.

And to those who have worshipped God and found the love of Jesus in our little building.

I say thank you and God bless you.


  • 0

Judge less, love more. #Gospel

Category:Church sign of the week Tags : 

And so I bring up the same theme again….

Why?

Because so many people don’t get it!

Take a look at the pictures below – when you look at them ask yourself what you see.

 

Let me tell you what I think God sees…

Picture 1 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 2 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 3 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 4 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 5 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 6 God sees a person whom he loves and wants the best for

Picture 7 God sees people whom he loves and wants the best for

So what did you see?


  • 0

Knowledge and wisdom

Category:Church sign of the week Tags : 

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

I love silly bits of trivia like this. I collect them, write them down, read them and laugh time and time again. I’m easily pleased.

This one makes me think though – knowledge and wisdom are two very different things and I think that I’d rather have wisdom than knowledge.

For example – there are people who know the rules of competition ball room dancing and take part enthusiastically, then there are those who know the rules of competition ball room dancing and are wise enough not too!

The Bible is full of little pearls of wisdom –

Ecclesiastes tells us – A living dog is better than a dead lion.

Proverbs reminds us – Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

And – If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit.

There are loads more – what gets me is that there are so many Christians that don’t get the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

The Bible makes it very clear, time and time again, that wisdom is a very precious thing. If you read this blog regularly then you know I’m not one for quoting endless Bible verses but here’s just one to show my point – Proverbs 16:16 “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

I know how to build a bookcase, with doors that open automatically and a working light. I read the instructions online. I’ve got a list of everything I need from the wood to the motors. I have absolutely no intention of building it. It would be terrible, I couldn’t do it! Even with all the tools and time a plenty I would mess it up. I’m wise enough to know that.

So why do so many Christians, who really know their Bible, not have the wisdom to see what it says. Not long ago I heard a ‘famous’ (we’ll use that term lightly, he’s someone the media goes to to get a scandalous quote) Christian say that the Bible says that God hates Australia because of all the Asians living here. So, if I understand that statement correctly, God hates Australia and Asians and told us this, in the Scriptures, way before Asia or Australia were discovered. So for millennia there was a passage in the Bible that mentioned Asia and Australia and nobody knew what it was talking about. That’s also about half the people living in the world God created and he hates them, it’s also most of the pubs and eating establishments in London! He’s quite selective this God of his. I don’t want to follow him – to me that’s the wisest course.

And then I read what the God I follow says is wisdom – James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.

Not a mention of hatred of Australians or anyone else.

So knowledge of the Bible is one thing

And the wisdom to understand it is something else.

I pray for both.