Highlights of links to online news and opinion pieces from December 2017.
Monthly Archives: January 2018
Speaking Out For A World Made Right
Baptist World Aid Australia will be in Melbourne on Monday 19 February, for its 2018 Catalyst Launch.
“Catalyst is a grassroots advocacy program that equips individuals and churches to speak up for the kind of world that God wants – a world free from poverty and exploitation,” explains Baptist World Aid’s Catalyst manager, Eliza Johnson.
Catalyst groups meet regularly to learn and pray about issues of global justice, but, importantly, they also act.
“There are currently about 60 Catalyst groups in churches across Australia,” says Mrs Johnson. “I am constantly inspired by the creative ways they find to raise awareness about issues of injustice in their communities, from movie nights to clothes swaps!”
And Catalyst groups are making a real difference.
“Over the last few years we’ve seen Woolworths and Coles commit to stocking more ethically certified Easter Eggs,” and we’ve seen our Government make huge progress on enacting a Modern Slavery Act in Australia – something we’ve been campaigning hard for”.
In the year ahead, Catalyst groups will campaign on the issue of modern slavery in supply chains and take part in the Australian Baptist Church’s national domestic violence campaign.
“The theme for 2018 is Redeemed Relationships, for a World Made Right,” says Mrs Johnson. “Catalyst members will use their voices to stand alongside people who are victims of injustice, as we work with God to bring about a world made right”.
Anyone who’d like to find out more about Catalyst is welcome to attend the launch at Syndal Baptist Church on Monday 19 February, from 7pm.
Register your attendance at: https://baptistworldaid.org.au/catalyst-launch-2018/
Speaking Out For A World Made Right
Baptist World Aid Australia will be in Melbourne on Monday 19 February, for its 2018 Catalyst Launch.
“Catalyst is a grassroots advocacy program that equips individuals and churches to speak up for the kind of world that God wants – a world free from poverty and exploitation,” explains Baptist World Aid’s Catalyst manager, Eliza Johnson.
Catalyst groups meet regularly to learn and pray about issues of global justice, but, importantly, they also act.
“There are currently about 60 Catalyst groups in churches across Australia,” says Mrs Johnson. “I am constantly inspired by the creative ways they find to raise awareness about issues of injustice in their communities, from movie nights to clothes swaps!”
And Catalyst groups are making a real difference.
“Over the last few years we’ve seen Woolworths and Coles commit to stocking more ethically certified Easter Eggs,” and we’ve seen our Government make huge progress on enacting a Modern Slavery Act in Australia – something we’ve been campaigning hard for”.
In the year ahead, Catalyst groups will campaign on the issue of modern slavery in supply chains and take part in the Australian Baptist Church’s national domestic violence campaign.
“The theme for 2018 is Redeemed Relationships, for a World Made Right,” says Mrs Johnson. “Catalyst members will use their voices to stand alongside people who are victims of injustice, as we work with God to bring about a world made right”.
Anyone who’d like to find out more about Catalyst is welcome to attend the launch at Syndal Baptist Church on Monday 19 February, from 7pm.
Register your attendance at: https://baptistworldaid.org.au/catalyst-launch-2018/
Source: BUV News
What Is The Church – Part 01
Matthew 16:18 (KJV) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
When you hear the word ‘church,’ what comes to mind?
• A white weatherboard building with a high steeple with a cross at the top?
• A basilica or cathedral with magnificent architecture and stained-glass windows?
• A building with a large pipe organ that belts out traditional music?
• A denomination?
• A building with a cross?
• A set of doctrines?
• A group of Christian meeting together?
In other words, what on earth, is the church?
Background to An Important Announcement
Jesus and the disciples were in the vicinity of a thoroughly heathen Gentile city of Caesarea Philippi, now known as Banias at the foot of the Golan Heights. It was only 6 kilometres away from an equally heathen Israelite city called Dan. Micah’s idol was installed at the founding of the city (Judges 18:14-27; 30), and Jeroboam built an altar to the golden calf at Dan (I Kings 12:28-30). This sin resulted in the eventual demise and deportation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Could this be the reason Dan is not even mentioned in the list of 12 tribes found in Revelation 7?
Yet where the night is darkest, the light shines brightest. It was in this ungodly region, not in the precincts of Jerusalem, or among the religious elite of Israel, that a most transforming revelation and proclamation was made.
Jesus asks His disciples a telling question: Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (Matthew 16:13).
There was a variety of responses: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
Then Jesus turns His attention to the ones who should known Him best – the disciples: But whom say ye that I am (verse 15).
Without hesitation, Peter answered Jesus: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).
Jesus the Christ
Before we can understand the nature of the church, we need to know about its Founder. Knowing the real Jesus helps us to appreciate church more.
The Founder of the church is Jesus of Nazareth. The New Testament teaches He is the ‘Christ,’ Χριστός Christos, Greek for ‘Messiah’ (mashiyach), which means ‘The Anointed One.’
What is Messiah? It comes from the promise God made to David, known as the ‘Davidic Covenant,’ (II Samuel 7:1-17; I Chronicles 17:1-15). Tenets of the covenant are simple yet powerful:
1. God said he would give David a son and heir;
2. David’s son would succeed him to the throne;
3. David’s son would rule from His throne forever (I Chronicles 17:12, 14; Luke 1:33) and;
4. David’s son would also be God’s Son (I Chronicles 17:13).
So ‘Messiah,’ ‘The Anointed One,’ would simultaneously be ‘son of David, Son of God.’ He is the ‘anointed of the anointed,’ just as He is the ‘King of kings and Lord of Lords’ (Titus 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16).
Next time, we will see how church is defined.
EUROPEAN CHRONICLES PART 01: Looking at the history, heritage, and challenges facing the mother continent
Great Britain’s Contribution to Civilisation
When think of the words ‘Britain,’ ‘Great Britain,’ ‘England,’ and/or ‘United Kingdom,’ what comes to mind? Red double-decker buses? The Queen waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace? Fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper and season with salt and vinegar? Furry-hat Beefeaters? Rugby and cricket?
In the gallery of today’s nation-states, Britain, along with a handful of others, clearly stands in a category called ‘unique.’ Great Britain is a leader among nations and this article will show, in part, its oversized contribution to civilisation. It has had 1,000 years to develop some of the finest traditions, institutions and inventions in history.
Before, if not during, the 2016 Brexit-remain referendum on Britain’s EU membership, a constant refrain came out of Europe. Perhaps not worded so starkly, it essentially said that Britain was no better than any other of the 28 members states in the EU. Instead of complaining about its large EU contribution, or the open borders, or the erosion of sovereignty – the European Union leadership hinted it was time for Britain to ‘pay up,’ ‘stop the whinging,’ and cooperate in building the European project.
Is Britain no different or better than any other country in the EU? Could such wording, even if only implicit, have driven the British electorate towards Brexit? What makes Britain stand out from other European countries?
Consider: Britain has the fourth biggest military, along with the sixth biggest economy in the world. London is a prime economic and banking hub, with over 1 million people employed in the sector. Even after Brexit, this arena is expected to continue and flourish.
Parliamentary Democracy: Thanks to the Magna Carta of 1215, which codified the rights and protections of the people, Britain’s democracy evolved to be highly representative of the people. It has been an inspiration throughout the world. ‘Common law’ and ‘rule of law’ have also been a massive contribution to civilisation, starting with those nations that were once under Britain’s rule. The writings of John Locke (1632-1704), English philosopher and physician, the ‘Father of Liberalism,’ greatly influenced Voltaire, Rousseau, and the American revolutionaries, reflected in the American Declaration of Independence.
Constitutional Monarchy: Britain, along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other nations, are beneficiaries of this system of government which is demonstrably the most stable of all. The reason is that the head of state is above-politics, representing all parties. In republics, often times the head of state is a politician and has to to do much ‘horse-trading’ in order to get things done. Also, the apolitical monarch/governor general denies absolute power to any of the other branches of government: executive, judiciary, legislative, and military. That’s why a coup d’tat is much less likely in a constitutional monarchy.
Technological progress: Britain spawned an agricultural revolution and an industrial revolution. Charles Babbage invented the first programmable computer in the 1820s. A Briton named Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in the USA (1876). The first steam locomotive was given to the world by Richard Trevithick (1804). British inventor John Logie Baird developed the first publicly demonstrated television (1925). Railways, automobiles, and gas turbines, are a British invention.
And here is an interesting point: the world-wide web (www) came out of Britain. First of all, do not confuse this with the American-invented system of networked computers, which we call the internet. A British computer scientist named Tim Berners-Lee developed the system of webpages and websites, using interlinked hypertext documents, which are connected via the internet.
The above is only a very partial list of the technological contributions coming out of Britain.
TRADITIONAL VALUES CONSERVATIVES (TVC)
Society is in great flux and the pace of change is at a dizzying rate. In addition, civility in the public square is falling while societal fissures are widening. Why the acrimony? Why the divisiveness? Why do the two sides seem to speak different languages?
Welcome to the culture war.
It is of the utmost importance that we ‘understand the times’ to know what we need to do (I Chronicles 12:32). This includes the half-century old ‘culture war,’ between the left-wing ‘progressives’ and the right-wing conservatives. Left unchecked, the culture war aims to redefine, if not destroy, western civilisation as we know it.
In Part 02 of this series, we looked at the topic of the ‘progressives,’ or better described as ’secular-progressives’ (SP). These are the people who are leading the charge for change – at any price. They have been stunningly successful at capturing the mainstream media, academia, judiciary, big business, and occupy the major left-wing parties (e.g. Australian and British Labour Parties and the American Democratic Party). But it does not stop there — they have also taken over part of the erstwhile conservative parties (e.g. American Republicans, Australian Liberal Party, and British Tories). Even major international organisations like the United Nations and European Union are heavily progressivist. This movement is so entrenched in the current culture that even conservative governments are powerless to make significant changes.
In this article, we will look at the other side of the equation: the conservatives. But not just any conservatives, since conservatism is clearly in crisis. Classic conservatism believes in limited government, an unbridled economy, strong national defence, and high (Judeo-Christian) moral values (think of Ronald Reagan). The modern version is different, for it excludes one or more of these pillars, while embracing one or more tenets of SP.
Today people use the label ‘conservative’ but might hold positions that would shock conservatives of yesteryear. The reason is that today’s ‘new-conservatives’ may still believe in free market economics and/or limited government – meaning a government which is not as big as SP’s want – but are libertarian when it comes to moral issues. In this, they can have an identical moral position to SP, which includes hot-button issues like abortion and marriage redefinition. These ‘modern conservatives’ tend to be more materialistic, libertarian, perhaps utilitarian, and are more than willing to cast aside moral scruples in the name of ‘relevance,’ ‘tolerance,’ and ‘inclusivity.’
This article will seek to describe the classic conservative, as described above. They, more than any other, seek to counter the offensive waged by secular-progressivism (SP), either on public policy and morality. Our term will be traditional values conservatism (TVC).
Mindful of the ‘Whole Person’
For starters, perhaps the single-most important distinctive between the two sides is that TVC takes a wholistic approach to humanity. SP focuses on people mostly from a materialistic, economic point-of-view, as do the ‘modern conservative,’ who have forsaken Judea-Christian values, without admitting so. TVC believe that entire person matters: body, soul, and spirit. Rather than ignoring the spiritual, ethical, and moral side, TVC embraces and advocates all these, believing that they make for a better society.
TVC can be described by a Bible-verse: I Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast to what is good. TVC conservatism is not against change; it supports rightful, meaningful change but opposes ‘change for change’s sake’ or ‘change for the worse.’ If something continues to be useful, it should be retained or ‘conserved.’ Things that have outlived their usefulness, even if they are ‘good,’ can be replaced with something better.
To be continued