Monthly Archives: July 2017

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Charlie GARD: Who Decides?

A drama has been unfolding at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London that has captured the attention of the world. Eleven month old Charlie Gard has been treated by the hospital for a very rare mitochondrial disease. He has brain damage and cannot breathe by himself.

The hospital wants to turn off his life support machine. Charlie’s parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, disagree. They have the opportunity to take Charlie to the United States to undergo experimental treatment which might, just might, prolong or improve his life. They managed to raise over $1 million for this purpose but the hospital said ‘No.’
The case was taken to the UK Supreme Court and they sided with the hospital. The court said there was no benefit to taking the child to the USA and his suffering would only be prolonged. Then Charlie’s case went to the European Court of Human Rights. They also agreed with the hospital and UK Supreme Court.
‘The domestic courts concluded that it would be lawful for the hospital to withdraw life-sustaining treatment because it was likely that Charlie would suffer significant harm if his present suffering was prolonged without any realistic prospect of improvement, and the experimental therapy would be of no effective benefit,’ the said the court.
British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, though expressing sympathy for the parents, declined to intervene. Johnson’s spokesperson said, ‘ … it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie’s best interests.’
The court decision paves the way for the hospital to turn off the machine at any time. The goal is for Charlie to ‘die with dignity.’ Yet, it is really time for Charlie to die?
The World Is Watching
Though Charlie’s parents have failed to persuade the hospital, courts, or their government, they succeeded in attracting world attention. Thirty-seven members of the European Parliament (MEP) expressed their support for Charlie’s parents to take their son to the USA. They wrote to PM Theresa May to express their ‘deepest concerns about the outrageous outcome and Charlie’s case, which infringes Europe’s most fundamental values, particularly the right to life, the right to human dignity and personal integrity.’
Their letter continues: ‘How is it then possible that even today, in the 21st century, in times when we ourselves designate our era as one which respects fundamental values of life and human dignity, that the United Kingdom does not act in the best interest of its citizens? Is this truly the way we want to go?’ they asked. The implied answer is ‘No.’
Pope Francis has offered the Vatican’s children’s hospital Bambino Gesu, which would take care of Charlie for the rest of his life. US President Donald Trump has offered to help in any way possible.
Two Issues to Consider
The tragic story of baby Charlie raises a variety of issues. While some will say ‘It’s complicated,’ in other ways it is amazingly simple. Two issues we need to address.
The one was raised by the 37 MEPS: The right to life. All civilisations encourage the fostering and preservation of life, if for the simple reason that without it there is no future. While leaving aside the issue of abortion, it is still generally agreed that life must be protected. The hospital and courts could argue that there is ‘no hope’ and that prolonging life is prolonging pain.
However, there is another way to look at it. If there is a chance, however small, to bring hope and healing, then a ‘life-affirming position’ is that opportunity should be taken. Taking Charlie to America sends a message that life is a priority, even if it is an uphill battle. Apparently, there is a boy in America who had a similar disease and is now 6 years old. An Italian child in a related situation has been treated and is surviving, too. Even if Charlie does not make it, the experiment in the USA could learn value insights to could help other children. If Charlie’s parents and the world can say, we done everything in our power, we fought a good fight, that would be a victory in itself.
Another fundamental issue has to do with parental rights. Who is better positioned to determine what is in ‘the best interests of the child?’ Is it the parents or is it the state? If we believe in the importance of family, and that parents are the best ones to raise their children, then ultimately it is the parents who should decide what is best for their child. A government-run and funded health care system provides universal benefits but it also takes away the decision making from the parents. It is the hospital, bureaucrats and the courts that decide what is in the child’s best interests. Basically, it is the old adage: He who pays the piper calls the tune.
Is it in a child’s ‘best interests’ to have the life-support machine turned off when there is the promise of treatment elsewhere? Is its the child’s best interests to die in a hospital room when they could die at home in the warm environment of parents?
When it comes to your child, who do you want to decide what’s in their best interests? With Charlie Gard, as well as everything else, it is time to ‘watch and pray,’ and, when necessary, take action.

Photo: Adobe Photo Stock

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Paul’s Secret to Changing the World – Part 02

Paul the Apostle is one of the top 5 most influential people who ever lived. He turned the world upside down. In this series, we are exploring ‘Paul’s secret’ of how to change the world. That secret is found inPhilippians 3:7-12.
In our first part, we learned Principle One: Don’t let your natural gifts get in the way of God’s grace. Be willing to surrender them all to God in order to live by grace and truth (John 1:14,17).
While natural gifts are a form of grace, a person who is infused with God’s grace will accomplish far, far more.
Principle Two:
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith — Philippians 3:9
The second secret of a world-changer is found in the above verse, which leads to Principle Two: Make sure it is Christ’s righteousness, not your own, that is found in you.
If you want to partner with God to change the world, you will be far more effective living in His righteousness. Yes, God can and does use the unrighteous, but the most powerful vessels are those who are righteous in Him.
Definition of Righteous
Righteousness matters. It is the key to God’s kingdom and the good things He offers. Jesus made it plain: For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven – Matthew 5:20. What is this righteousness that makes the difference between heaven and hell?
‘Righteousness’ comes from the Greek word dikaiosyne(δικαιοσύνη)and ‘righteous’ from dikaios (δίκαιος). There essential meaning is to be ‘upright, faultless, virtuous, guiltless, acceptable and approved of God.’
Righteousness applies to God and people. The Lord is righteous in many ways, not the least of which is that His actions and nature are in agreement. His people need to be the same.
Put another way, to be righteous means two things:
1.       Right-standing before God;
2.       Right actions on behalf of God.
Benefits of Righteousness
The Bible promises great benefits to the righteous:
•    God blesses and protects the righteous (Psalm 5:12),
•    God watches after them and hears their cry (Psalm 34:15);
•    God delivers them out of all their troubles (34:17);
•    They are never forsaken (Psalm 37:25);
•    They shall never be moved (Psalm 55:22);
•    They are rewarded (Psalm 58:11);
•    They are glad (Psalm 64:10; 68:3);
•    They shall flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon (Psalm 92:12);
•    Their desire shall be granted (Proverbs 10:24);
•    They enjoy an everlasting foundation (Proverbs 10:25);
•    They are kept safe in the Name of the Lord (Proverbs 18:10);
•    They shall shine forth in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43);
•    His fervent effectual prayers avail much (James 5:16);
•    They have eternal life (Matthew 25:46);
Yet there is a dilemma. Our righteousness is not good enough. We learned that Pharisees righteousness fell short of entry into the kingdom of heaven. From an earthy point-of-view, they would have been considered very ‘righteous;’ however, Jesus makes it plain that from a heavenly view, they were not. How about the rest of us? Isaiah 64:6 says ‘But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.’
Source of righteousness:
If unrighteousness brings condemnation, how can we obtain true righteousness that brings justification and salvation? That gets us into God’s kingdom? That enables us to change the world?
Thankfully, it comes from our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is righteous (I John 2:1). Through His atoning death on the cross, the Righteous One died in the place of the unrighteous. When we accept, by repentance and faith, the free gift of the gospel of Christ, we upload to Him our sins and unrighteousness; Jesus downloads to us His holiness and righteousness. This divine exchange gives us the wonderful gift of justification: meaning we are declare ‘not guilty’ and ‘righteous.’
Now that you are made righteous through faith in Christ and the gospel, you are positioned to be a changed person and an agent of change in the world. In our next article, we will learn Principle Three of how to be a world-changer. To be continued.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

HOMEWARD-BOUND: Why Study the Book of Ezra

For thus saith the LORD, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place – Jeremiah 29:10
The Hebrew people were prophesied to go into captivity because of their sin; yet, in grace and mercy, after 70 years they would return home to Judah. The Book of Ezra, which was once attached to Nehemiah as one book, tells the needful story of the fulfilment of this prophecy. Ezra was the religious and Nehemiah the political leader.
The twin-themes of the Hebrew prophets of the Old Testament was condemnation for sin yet comfort and consolation in mercy; of rebuke and restoration; of reprobation and revival. We see in Ezra that there is hope in God and He always keeps His promises.
HEBREW NAME
‘Ezra’ is the Aramaic version of the the Hebrew ezer. It means ‘help,’ which is something God is more than willing to do.
AUTHOR
Ezra is universally considered to be the author of the book that bears his name. This seems reasonable since parts of the book are written in the first person with lots of vivid detail. Ezra was a priest and scribe (7:6,21).He is considered the reformer who reformatted Israelite worship in the post-monarchy period. Some even call him the ‘Father of Judaism.’ This may be because of his putative founding of the Great Synagogue, which settled the canon of Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible or TANAKH), and the codification of Jewish law and practice.
Ezra was a contemporary of some important leaders of his day: Nehemiah, the Israelite leader; Gautama Buddha (560-480 BC), a reformer of Hinduism who founded Buddhism; Confucius in China (551-479 BC), the founder of Confucianism; and Socrates in Greece (470-399 BC). Like the 18th century AD Enlightenment Genius Period, Ezra’s era was a beehive of reform and restoration. While we are not necessarily endorsing all that was done by these non-Biblical personalities, we recognise they played a pivotal role in history.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the One who leads out of Babylon. In Him there is forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation, and revival.
THEME OF EZRA
The physical, political, and spiritual restoration of the nation of Judah.
KEY VERSES
Who is there among you of all His people? May his God be with him! Now let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem (1:3)
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (7:10)
SUMMARY OF EZRA
Cyrus the Great, as prophesied by Isaiah, gave a decree that the people of Judah were free to go home after 70 years of captivity and rebuild the temple of the God of Israel. The Book of Ezra tells us the story of two returns from Babylon. The first return was led by Zerubbabel, a ‘prince of Judah,’ around 536 BC a small minority took up Cyrus’ invitation: 49,897 out of 1.5 million Israelites.
During the next twenty years the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt. Opposition arose to this rebuilding but the prophets Haggai and Zechariah exhorted the people to persevere. When king Darius discovered the decree of Cyrus, he commanded that the work of temple re-commence. It was completed in 516 BC. These events are covered in chapters 1-6. A few decades later Esther becomes Queen of Persia.
The second return happened 80 years later after the first under Ezra himself. He and 2,000 people travel the 1,500 kilometres to Judah without any armed escort; only the protection of God. He wanted to rebuild the spiritual side of his people and became the great reformer, compiler, and organiser, leading to the formation of canon of the Old Testament and Biblical Judaism. He discovered the people had intermarried with foreign women who did not worship the God of Israel. They confessed their sins and responded positively to the Word of God. Reformation and revival were the results.
OUTLINE OF EZRA
I.         First Return from Babylon with Zerubbabel (1:1-6:22)
A.     Zerubbabel (1:1-2:7)
1.       Cyrus’ Decree & Gifts (1)
2.       Census of the Returnees (2:1-63)
3.       Completion of the Return (2:64-70)
B.      Rebuilding of the Temple (3:1-6:22)
1.       Foundations (3)
2.       Rebuilding Interrupted (4)
3.       Temple Completed (5-6)
II.      Second Return under Ezra (7:1-10:44)
A.     Ezra returns (7:1-8:36)
1.       Artaxerxes (7)
2.       Census of Returnees, spiritual preparation (8)
B.      People Edified (9:1-10:44)
1.        Ezra intercedes because of intermarriage (9)

2.        Revival in Israel (10)

(Photo courtesy of blueletterbible.org)
Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Seven Pillars to Understanding the Future: Pillar Six




In this important series we have been learning the pillars that help us to make sense of the future. So far, the pillars we learned include:
         




Pillar 01: Bible Prophecy is the key;
Pillar 02: We live in a spiritual world and the challenges, problems and solutions are equally spiritual;
Pillar 03: We have power and victory over the enemy;
Pillar 04: We are called to fearlessness;
Pillar 05: We are simultaneously ‘dead’ and ‘alive;’
Pillar 06: To this we now offer an important sixth pillar: God provides a way of escape. Think of it: the world is in a mess. The problems are of such a nature that they appear to be unsolvable. Ultimately, the only way forward is the ‘God-solution.’ He either will supernaturally clear the way or He will take His people out of the way. God makes a way where they seems to be no way. Isaiah says God makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19).
The testimony of Scripture confirms this. If God does not make a way of escape, then Psalm 91, and other passages and promises, are meaningless. Consider the story of David in I Samuel. Through no fault of his own, his king and father-in-law Saul pursued him with murderous intentions. If he did not have a divinely appointed ‘way of escape,’ he would have been destroyed.
David’s Place of Escape: Adullam
One of those places of escape was the Cave of Adullam (I Samuel 22:1-2). It was either located in the Valley of Elah, west of Bethlehem or in the nearby Judaean wilderness. It was an ideal place: nearby to David’s family but hard to discover and not in the line of fire. David was not the only person to have a fall out with Saul. There were those who were in distress, indebted, and discontented. They had no future with Saul so they decided to hitch their future with David’s. So 400 men gathered there and Adullam became the recruitment ground for David’s mighty men.
Adullam, a centrally located quiet place, provided refuge, rest, refreshment, and recruitment. Here David’s family could meet with him. The refugees were transformed into a fighting fit force. Some of the psalms may have been written here. From Adullam David and the mighty men were launched into their stellar military career.
Consider the great victories that David and his mighty men achieved: They warred and defeated the Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, and Arameans. Damascus, capital of Syria, was captured by David and he put a garrison there. The rebellions of David’s son Absalom and Sheba the son of Bichri were suppressed. Most significant of all, David and the mighty men had achieved a military victory that eluded Joshua, the judges, and Saul: the conquest of Jerusalem. This Jebusite enclave was converted into a royal city and holy city.
Think about it:all this stemmed from a sojourn to a quiet place, a way of escape, called Adullam. Modern mortals need an Adullam more than ever; consider the paradox that despite so many time-saving devices, we complain about having no time. ‘I’m so busy’ is the constant refrain and, unfortunately, much of the busyness is in vain. Don’t expect any ‘brownie-points’ from the LORD; He is not going to tell anyone, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, you were so busy!’ It is fruitfulness, not busyness, that wins the prize.
God’s ‘Way of Escape’ in Scripture
Consider other instances were God provides a way of escape:
•      Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-8): the human race got a fresh start;
•      Jacob’s Peniel (Genesis 32:30): Here Jacob won a wrestling match and became Israel, ‘Prince of God;’
•      Joseph’s Storehouse (Genesis 41:34-36): the chosen family and Egypt were preserved;
•      The Torah’s ‘City of Refuge’ (Numbers 35:9-15): People were protected from the avenger of blood;
•      Ruth’s wings of the Lord (Ruth 2:12): she transferred her trust from the gods of Moab to the God of Israel;
•      Psalmists ‘hiding place’ (Psalm 32:7; 119:114) & ‘secret place’ (Psalm 91:1) refuge,’ ‘fortress’ (Psalm 91:2);
•      Proverbs ‘strong tower’ (Proverbs 18:10): Whoever comes into this tower is kept safe.
•      Psalm 91: Your insurance policy about future protection;
•      Nahum’s refuge 1:7: The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
•      New Testament: Egypt became refuge for Holy Family & the wisemen’s gifts sustained them. God takes care of today, tomorrow, forever;
•      Jesus tells us Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of our head perish.
•     The Lord promises a ‘way of escape’ in Luke 21:36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
•     To the Philadelphian Church, again Jesus promises protection from the hour of tribulation: Revelation 3:10: Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The evidence is there for all to see. Now, more than ever, it is time to trust God with all of your heart, all of the time. He will make a way for you.

Next time, we will discover the seventh and final pillar.
Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Jerusalem: A Burdensome Stone – Part 02

Last month, we learned that Jerusalem is the Number One foreign policy issue and will get increasingly more global attention in the days ahead. We also reviewed Jerusalem’s history from the time of its founding 4,000 years ago until the time of Christ. We continue.
David in 1,000 BC made Jerusalem his royal city and the holy city. A millennium later Jerusalem in the 1st Century AD welcomed Jesus of Nazareth on His triumphal entry. They uttered Messianic cries of ‘Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.’ Yet, less than one week later, this same city turned on Him with fury. He was betrayed, arrested, mocked, condemned, and crucified on a rugged Roman cross. His crime was written on a sign nailed above His head: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ Christ, Son of David, was being crucified because He was a king and Rome would only tolerate ‘kings’ that were propped up by them, including the puppet Herodian dynasty.
Jerusalem Chronology: Decades later in 70 AD, David’s 1,000 year old capital was destroyed by the Romans, Herod’s temple was burned to the ground, and the Jewish people dispersed. From the time of the Roman destruction and the end of Jewish autonomous rule, Jerusalem was occupied by a series of rulers, including:
•    Roman rule (63 BC – 325 AD): In 135 AD, the city of Jerusalem became a heathen Roman city called Aelia Capitolina and remained so until 325 AD;
•    Byzantine Period (325 – 638 AD): This was a period of Roman Christian rule from the capital of Constantinople; the Persians temporarily occupied the city in the 7th Century AD.
•    Arab & Muslim Period (638 – 1099 AD): This was under the Umayyads and Abbasid Islamic empires; the Dome of the Rock and al Aqsa Mosque were built on the Temple Mount late in the 7th century.
•    Crusader Period (1099-1187 AD): The Christian crusaders from Europe conquered the Holy Land in 1099 AD. The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque became churches during this era; the last crusader kingdom came to an end when Acre fell in 1291;
•   Ayyubid Period (1187-1259 AD): Their greatest leader was Saladin, who retook Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. Also, Jerusalem was temporarily returned to Crusader rule from 1229-1244 AD;
•   Mamluk Period (1259 – 1517 AD). Walls of the city removed and the population declined;
•   Ottoman Turkish Period (1517 – 1917 AD): Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the Old City of Jerusalem’s walls, which are the ones we see today (1538-1541). Apart from that, the city languished for four centuries;
•   British Mandatory Rule (1917 – 1948 AD): The League of Nations, incorporating the November 2, 1917 Balfour Declaration, awarded a mandate in Palestine to the British. It is a modern concept, an ‘occupation with an expiry date,’ to prepare country for independence;
•   Divided city (1948 – 1967 AD): During the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948, known in the Jewish state as the ‘War of Independence,’ Israel captured West Jerusalem and Jordan the Old City, Mount of Olives, and eastern suburbs. The border inside Jerusalem was along the western wall of the Old City (not the Western ‘Wailing’ Wall), scarred with barbed wire, mine fields, and sniper fire. Residents could not cross from one side to the other;
•   Reunification (June 7, 1967): At the height of the Six Day War, the Israel Defence Forces captured the Old City and Mount of Olives and reunited the city. By the end of the month, Israel annexed the eastern sector, declared Jerusalem as its indivisible, united, and eternal capital.
When it came to future peace talks with the Arabs, Israel declared ‘Jerusalem is not negotiable’ and this was its policy for 33 years. In the year 2000, at the Camp David peace summit between Israel’s Ehud Barak and Palestine Authority President Yasser Arafat and hosted by US President Bill Clinton, the status of Jerusalem was put on the negotiation table for the first time. Barak was willing to divide the city if it would lead to permanent peace. Though Arafat rejected Barak’s proposal, from that point onward Jerusalem never left the negotiating table. This move ensured that the nations would become even more involved in the affairs of the holy city than ever before.
Now that international interest is at an all-time high, the nations will discover that Jerusalem is a burdensome stone for all people (Zechariah 12:3). To be continued.
Upcoming ‘Understanding the Times’ Tour: August-September 2017
A Burdensome Stone: Jerusalem and the Middle East in the Age of Trump (updated) will be the topic of the upcoming third annual, Australia-wide ‘Understanding the Times’ speaking tour. Click on to the link below for the schedule.
vision.org.au/events

Baptist

Baptist Camping – Life as an Intern 

I am almost eighteen months through my Internship with Camp Wilkin and looking back, I have grown so much is so many areas of my life. My knowledge of my Christian faith is much deeper and I am challenged every day to think about my relationship with God.

I have also learnt a lot through my certificate four in outdoor recreation which has opened up opportunities for careers and jobs that I could take where ever I go. It has also given me skills that I could use at other times in my life. My personality has also developed a lot. Learning to live in a share house and working out our frustrations together. Learning how to provide customer service or giving the kids your greatest smile even if you might not be feeling well. Learning how to work hard and give it your all. And I just love walking around the camp and saying good morning to all the staff here and having a short conversation about whatever comes to mind, or being invited for dinner by one of the families or even to do some craft or cooking together really builds a community around the camp. It’s the day to day life here that really helps you develop.

Today is a Tuesday, I woke up early to have devotion with the other Interns and the senior staff. Chase will often run us through some interesting part of the Christian faith and at the end we discuss it and answer questions that help us look deeper and work out how we can apply what we learnt to our life and our job. The Tuesday devotion is also a good time for other interns or staff to run devotions themselves which helps us develop our ministry skills. Today though it was just a time of prayer where we went around and prayed for various things like learning how to treat each other better or more personal issues.

Then we had the big staff meeting where we start with a devotion from Robyn which was about how we should stop viewing our worth through our own eyes but rather remembering how much God values us. We then went around the table and shared what we would be working on that week and then we finished with our prayer list that we had brainstormed.

One lunch time a week I get an extra thirty minutes off so that I can go down and volunteer at Sea Side Seconds Op Shop for an hour. As part of the Internship we are to volunteer somewhere in the community that is related to the church. I started with helping with the youth group which was fun but lots of the other interns also help there and I felt like the op shop was a better fit for me. The ladies there are very nice and friendly and love the extra help. Most of the time my job is to put all the items out in the store but I do a lot of other things too like pricing and they even taught me how to use the cash register once.

I also went to small group today. At 7.30pm on a Monday all the interns and other young adults from around Anglesea gather in one of the rooms on camp to do a Bible study. Chase leads this too and it is probably where I have learnt the most about my faith. Its very casual which means that its easy to ask questions about the topic, debate or just discuss what where learning. I love new topics which I haven’t heard of before and when I don’t understand it, I ask lots and lots of questions until it finally makes sense. And its the topics where I ask the most questions, where I learn and remember the most. We have covered things like ‘all things not done through faith are sin’, forgiveness, predestination, spiritual gifts, evangelism and lots more. Sometimes we spend a lot of time praying for each other too.

Part of the Internship is also our study for a diploma in theology. So far I have completed six out of eight units and I really look forward to the last two. The first unit I did was on church history and I found it quite interesting learning about how the Bible was put together and the various people that helped form the church. The next unit was held at Whitley college in Melbourne which was a lot of fun as we went rock climbing and to a chocolate restaurant during our free time there. The unit was on Christology, something I had never hear of so it was intriguing thinking about this new concept. There was a unit on Evangelism where we learnt about different ways to share our faith and even did some practical activities. Last year there were also two units on how to grow as leaders. These units were very different, being once a week instead of in an intensive and focused on personal growth. I think everyone enjoys this class as they get to know about themselves, each other and how to be good leaders. And the latest unit I did was on how to study and look deeper into the Bible. This was a very intense unit with a lot of late nights and hard work but the knowledge is useful for reading the Bible and trying to understand the context of what’s written and what the meaning of that passage might be. My next unit is coming up soon. It will be on caring for others and will be held up at Whitley so I think it will be a lot of fun.

On Sundays I go to the Anglesea Baptist Church here. At first I wasn’t too keen to go as the hymn could be pretty slow and old and nearly everyone seemed to be over fifty. This year though I have really started to enjoy it. The church is slowly changing and I’m finding a good sense of community there. I came from a big church where no one really knew I existed and now its nice to walk into church and have lots of people come and say hello and then have a chat after the service with coffee. The other interns tell me that the number of kids turning up to youth group has increased a lot this year too. When I went at the start of the year, only two kids turned up. The first years were very happy to say the other week that when they got together with the Torquay youth group a few weeks ago, we beat their numbers for the first time. Anglesea had thirteen youth turn up to meet with the twelve youth from Torquay. I hope that the numbers and the ministry continue to grow and provide a great place for teenagers to fellowship together.

We also have a few Ministry camps every year. We had a great time at our Youth camp earlier this year with a great turnout and with one of the Interns and many of the youth giving their lives to Jesus or getting prayer. We had Sean Feucht from Bethel Music as well as Aaron and some other great speakers come and teach us and the youth some great things. The youth were so empowered as well. Many of them would go back to their rooms together at night and just sing, praise God, give their testimonies and pray for one another until late into the night. We also had Prison Fellowship last year where we had the children of people in prison come and have a good time and learn about God. Recently we also had work camp with was just a good time of fellowship and improving the camp site. And I am also excited to do some knitting and arty stuff with a friend and many other ladies who will be coming for craft camp soon.

Today I was also helping to plan the Interns mission trip to Thailand which will be happening for the first time this year. I am very excited to be able to have such an amazing experience such as seeing the growing church in an overseas developing country and being able to share our faith and help others over there.

On top of all the great ministry things we get to experience, every day we are able to get out with the children coming to camp and teach them the activities we offer and help them have a good time. As one of the first year interns told be the other day “no matter how tired I am, when one of the kids laughs as they go down the flying fox or tells me how much fun they are having, I get the energy to keep going for the rest of the day”. Being able to make relationships with the campers and teachers that come in and enjoying being active and getting outside makes each day worth it.

I have really enjoyed my eighteen months here so far and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year hold.

Find out more about Baptist Camping’s Internship program here http://baptistcamping.com.au/internships/

By Hannah Ruge

Source: BUV News

Baptist, News

Baptist Camping – Life as an Intern 

I am almost eighteen months through my Internship with Camp Wilkin and looking back, I have grown so much is so many areas of my life. My knowledge of my Christian faith is much deeper and I am challenged every day to think about my relationship with God.

I have also learnt a lot through my certificate four in outdoor recreation which has opened up opportunities for careers and jobs that I could take where ever I go. It has also given me skills that I could use at other times in my life. My personality has also developed a lot. Learning to live in a share house and working out our frustrations together. Learning how to provide customer service or giving the kids your greatest smile even if you might not be feeling well. Learning how to work hard and give it your all. And I just love walking around the camp and saying good morning to all the staff here and having a short conversation about whatever comes to mind, or being invited for dinner by one of the families or even to do some craft or cooking together really builds a community around the camp. It’s the day to day life here that really helps you develop.

Today is a Tuesday, I woke up early to have devotion with the other Interns and the senior staff. Chase will often run us through some interesting part of the Christian faith and at the end we discuss it and answer questions that help us look deeper and work out how we can apply what we learnt to our life and our job. The Tuesday devotion is also a good time for other interns or staff to run devotions themselves which helps us develop our ministry skills. Today though it was just a time of prayer where we went around and prayed for various things like learning how to treat each other better or more personal issues.

Then we had the big staff meeting where we start with a devotion from Robyn which was about how we should stop viewing our worth through our own eyes but rather remembering how much God values us. We then went around the table and shared what we would be working on that week and then we finished with our prayer list that we had brainstormed.

One lunch time a week I get an extra thirty minutes off so that I can go down and volunteer at Sea Side Seconds Op Shop for an hour. As part of the Internship we are to volunteer somewhere in the community that is related to the church. I started with helping with the youth group which was fun but lots of the other interns also help there and I felt like the op shop was a better fit for me. The ladies there are very nice and friendly and love the extra help. Most of the time my job is to put all the items out in the store but I do a lot of other things too like pricing and they even taught me how to use the cash register once.

I also went to small group today. At 7.30pm on a Monday all the interns and other young adults from around Anglesea gather in one of the rooms on camp to do a Bible study. Chase leads this too and it is probably where I have learnt the most about my faith. Its very casual which means that its easy to ask questions about the topic, debate or just discuss what where learning. I love new topics which I haven’t heard of before and when I don’t understand it, I ask lots and lots of questions until it finally makes sense. And its the topics where I ask the most questions, where I learn and remember the most. We have covered things like ‘all things not done through faith are sin’, forgiveness, predestination, spiritual gifts, evangelism and lots more. Sometimes we spend a lot of time praying for each other too.

Part of the Internship is also our study for a diploma in theology. So far I have completed six out of eight units and I really look forward to the last two. The first unit I did was on church history and I found it quite interesting learning about how the Bible was put together and the various people that helped form the church. The next unit was held at Whitley college in Melbourne which was a lot of fun as we went rock climbing and to a chocolate restaurant during our free time there. The unit was on Christology, something I had never hear of so it was intriguing thinking about this new concept. There was a unit on Evangelism where we learnt about different ways to share our faith and even did some practical activities. Last year there were also two units on how to grow as leaders. These units were very different, being once a week instead of in an intensive and focused on personal growth. I think everyone enjoys this class as they get to know about themselves, each other and how to be good leaders. And the latest unit I did was on how to study and look deeper into the Bible. This was a very intense unit with a lot of late nights and hard work but the knowledge is useful for reading the Bible and trying to understand the context of what’s written and what the meaning of that passage might be. My next unit is coming up soon. It will be on caring for others and will be held up at Whitley so I think it will be a lot of fun.

On Sundays I go to the Anglesea Baptist Church here. At first I wasn’t too keen to go as the hymn could be pretty slow and old and nearly everyone seemed to be over fifty. This year though I have really started to enjoy it. The church is slowly changing and I’m finding a good sense of community there. I came from a big church where no one really knew I existed and now its nice to walk into church and have lots of people come and say hello and then have a chat after the service with coffee. The other interns tell me that the number of kids turning up to youth group has increased a lot this year too. When I went at the start of the year, only two kids turned up. The first years were very happy to say the other week that when they got together with the Torquay youth group a few weeks ago, we beat their numbers for the first time. Anglesea had thirteen youth turn up to meet with the twelve youth from Torquay. I hope that the numbers and the ministry continue to grow and provide a great place for teenagers to fellowship together.

We also have a few Ministry camps every year. We had a great time at our Youth camp earlier this year with a great turnout and with one of the Interns and many of the youth giving their lives to Jesus or getting prayer. We had Sean Feucht from Bethel Music as well as Aaron and some other great speakers come and teach us and the youth some great things. The youth were so empowered as well. Many of them would go back to their rooms together at night and just sing, praise God, give their testimonies and pray for one another until late into the night. We also had Prison Fellowship last year where we had the children of people in prison come and have a good time and learn about God. Recently we also had work camp with was just a good time of fellowship and improving the camp site. And I am also excited to do some knitting and arty stuff with a friend and many other ladies who will be coming for craft camp soon.

Today I was also helping to plan the Interns mission trip to Thailand which will be happening for the first time this year. I am very excited to be able to have such an amazing experience such as seeing the growing church in an overseas developing country and being able to share our faith and help others over there.

On top of all the great ministry things we get to experience, every day we are able to get out with the children coming to camp and teach them the activities we offer and help them have a good time. As one of the first year interns told be the other day “no matter how tired I am, when one of the kids laughs as they go down the flying fox or tells me how much fun they are having, I get the energy to keep going for the rest of the day”. Being able to make relationships with the campers and teachers that come in and enjoying being active and getting outside makes each day worth it.

I have really enjoyed my eighteen months here so far and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year hold.

Find out more about Baptist Camping’s Internship program here http://baptistcamping.com.au/internships/

By Hannah Ruge