Moving north ??

Tuesday 4 June 2013

So there has been a most extraordinary set of circumstances unfolding for a while.  Some would say fate, some say fatalistic, I say it is a simple but profound manifestation of God's sovereignty.

Go back a little first.  What am I supposed to do with a 5-6 year growing desire to undertake some sort of full time ministry based Kingdom work?  So I can do a little admin, teach a little, think a little.  I have good skills in discrete areas ... what can I do in the Kingdom?

Why does my mind continue to go to country Church ... up there in the 'outback' there are few people, few Churches, seemingly few opportunities.  Yet I found myself musing over their plight.

Maybe it's a little course to think this way but it seems that the high-flying teaching folk sit in their luxury in the big cities - leaving the country towns to poke along as best they can.  Church attendance in the country has seriously declined over the last couple of decades ... partly I guess because the teaching folk are not there.  but there must be another big driver for the decline.

Anyway that has been my growing burden for quite some time.  Can you imagine it ... there are children of God with little Church, little teaching, and little fellowship with like minded children of God, and they are all scattered over the place in the country.  What can be done?

More tomorrow ...

Monday 10 June 2013
Ha ... so that was a long tomorrow.  Busy little boy here.
So the minister of a small collection of Churches has been in touch with me and done the screening exercise and asked me to go take the services up in rural Victoria.  Wow!
Presbyterian Churches ... delightful 'old' buildings replete with stained glass windows, proper 'pews' with those tail-numbing hard-boards - must remember to pack a cushion for Amanda whenever we go up together.
So there are three Churches all with small congregations.  Evidence of the decline of religion right in front of me.  What a delight to travel all day stopping in to 3 different groups, joining prayer meeting, conducting the service and then delivering God's word in the teaching.  Such a thrilling thing to do, and yet such an aweful thing as well.  But when we see heads nodding, eyes tearing up at the mention of Christ, seriously happy folk after service ... that is the Gospel at work.
Lunch happens in a fourth Church and I/we are always made most welcome.  Nice bunch of folk.

So then ... should a warn out old fogey like me even dare to consider doing something more full time with these people?  What am I to take up such an honour at this late stage of my life ...

I only know of two questions to ask around this so far ...
1: Does this lead me/us into temptation or sin?
2: Is there a Church to attend if we move?

Q1 - I see nothing that would cause me to reply 'yes'.  But I probably need to look deeper - in particular at my motives etc.  Reminds me of Jeremiah's words ... the heart is deceitful and wicked above all things.

Q2 is pretty meaningless since I would be working in Churches ... that said I still need great heaps of instruction - the kind you get from solid pulpit teaching.  I guess Tim Keller's CDs are going to get flogged around a bit.

Anyone reading this is welcome to join us in prayer for this decision.  Also what other questions should I be asking?

Does God Exist?

Many people want to know the answer to this question. This question is right up there as the big question about the meaning of life. Some say yes, some say no, and others don’t seem to worry about this God stuff much at all. In this way everybody sits in one of three groups.

First, there are those that openly claim there is no God. These people are known as atheists. Whether they really do believe but don’t want to be seen to believe, or if they truly don’t believe, only they can say.

Second, there are those that do believe God exists, and they are quite happy to tell others about this God. Their God is important to them.

The last group are those that just don’t seem to have an opinion either way. They don’t really care, and don’t want to know anything about God.

Into which group do you fit? Why?

This is one of the more important questions that will confront you during your life. If God does exist, then this must mean that, as the being that is created and ruled, there are certain obligations that you must fulfill. If He does not exist, then you can live your life just like what is promoted in the television commercials and glossy brochures – if it feels good just do it.

Assumptions

Theology is the term that means ‘study of God’ and it comes from the Greek Theos [God] and Logos [treating of, or word]. Any study of the Christian Bible, and in particular, any study of Christian theology, must commence with the premise or assumption that God does exist.

There is a second necessary and essential assumption. Before we can use the Bible to learn about God we must also believe that this God who does exist, has revealed Himself to us in the Bible. It is then quite logical for us to try to learn about God, and to put together a theology of God, by inquiring as to what the Bible says.

Proof by Faith

We cannot measure God, nor can we find Him in the cupboard or in the refrigerator. Nobody in your family has seen God. Your neighbours have not seen God. The people in Zambia have not seen God. None of the presidents, prime ministers, queens, kings, or other rulers has seen God. Nobody has ever seen God’s face.

It is not possible to objectively prove God by subjecting Him to tests in a laboratory. Belief in the existence of God is by faith. But our faith in God’s existence is built on certain and reliable evidence and that evidence is found in the Bible. Also, God Himself is revealed in nature.

Proofs in the Bible

The Bible does not prove God’s existence – it pre-supposes it. Look at the following verse in your Bible:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Note here that the Bible just assumes that God is. There is no need for any proof because God is, and He is the focus of all that the Bible says. Imagine writing a letter to your friend and in that letter you write “Mum said blah, blah …” You did not need to prove that your Mum existed to your friend.

The very first thing that God does in the Bible is to create everything. This is explained in the Bible as ‘And God said …’ and all through the early chapters in Genesis this pattern is repeated.

Let’s look back at what we said a few moments ago. There is no objective proof that God exists. Believing that God exists requires the exercise of faith. That faith is entirely reasonable as it is based on God’s revelation to us in His Bible.

A Christian has a double-proof. Christians are people to whom God has given great mercy by calling them to Himself. A Christian then knows there is a God by His witness to them each and every day. This topic will be explained more in a later section.

Proofs in Nature

When we talk about nature in this way, we include the entire earth, atmosphere, space, the planets, stars, galaxies, and indeed the whole universe. The universe speaks openly and without doubt of a powerful and majestic Creator. The great diversity of life, the sheer complexity of living things, and the precision of the countless billions of stars in the universe, are very strong evidences of a knowledgeable creator. Look at these verses

Romans 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Notice also how the last sentence makes natural revelation a condemner of those who refuse to believe – they are without excuse. That God exists is plain to every person.

Can you see God in the universe? Explain.

‘Rational’ Arguments

Some argue [Anselm, Hegel] that because we can conceive of God, and that since existence is a characteristic of perfection, then God must exist. This is known as the ontological argument, but it is not held in high esteem by most.

Another group propose that the accurate idea of cause and effect are the grounds for proving God’s existence. All things must have a cause; therefore the universe must have a cause. They argue that God is the only possible explanation. Again this view is not very popular because it can be refuted by asking the question ‘Who or what then caused God?’

An extension of cause and effect is that everything reflects intelligent design. This does not further the proof for the existence of God because intelligent design does not necessarily mean that God created. Intelligent design only requires an intelligent being capable of such things.

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From what language is the word ‘theology’ drawn? What two words from that language combine to make the one word?

What would you say to explain to an atheist that God does exist?

Are there other passages in the Bible that speak of God’s creation outside of Genesis?

If you believe that God exists, what effect does this have on you? How does that modify your worldview?

“The growing list of countries running, or intending to run, Atheist adverts on buses are [sic] Britain, France, Spain, Italy, the USA, Canada, and Ireland. Places most likely to disallow displays of Atheists [sic] advertisements on buses are Australia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Africa, and other politically/religious dysfunctional regimes.” (June, 2010) [www.atheistfoundation.org.au]

Discuss this quote from the Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc (1970)