The Rich Fool – A Lent teaching from Dave Hack

This Lent, Common Grace and Bible Society Australia invite us to rediscover Jesus's profound teachings veiled in everyday stories. As we come together, we're praying for ears to hear these teachings of Jesus afresh, to let them get past our defences and under our skin, as they transform us to make things right in this world.

The Rich Fool – A Lent teaching from Dave Hack

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCSaGxK8X4M]

Our desire for more things will never be satisfied by more things.

In today’s video teaching, Dave Hack reflects on the Parable of the Rich Fool. The man at the centre of this story was not foolish about how to make money, but he was foolish enough to allow money to dictate his actions. 

The parable of the Rich Fool is a clear statement on greed. Greed is more than just hoarding possessions. Jesus makes comment about the misguided value which greed attaches to wealth. In pursuing wealth, we are left empty. It is a hunger which cannot be sated and which ultimately leads us away from what gives our lives true value: connection, love and relationship with God. When greed is in the driver’s seat, we lose sight of the values of kingdom living and the freedom these bring. We lose sight of the way that we are loved in all our imperfections; instead we focus on what we do not have. We lose sight of the need of our neighbour who suffers in poverty because we are driven by consuming. Ultimately, greed delivers us into the greatest state of poverty: the meaning of our lives becomes wealth and possessions, not the abundant life Jesus has invited us into.

This series has been produced by Common Grace and Bible Society Australia.

Click here to read full article.

Source: BUV News

Vegetable Pancakes: Corn, Carrot, Zucchini

This recipe has been a favourite in our family for years. You should be able to squeeze 2, if not 3, of you ‘5 of day’ out of this vegetarian delight. Can be made with gluten-free flour, if need be.
Serves 4 (3 pancakes each)
1 cup flour (regular, wheat, or gluten-free)
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
6 Tablespoons butter, melted, cooled
2 zucchinis, grated
2 carrots, peeled, grated
1 cup of corn (canned or frozen)
2 Tablespoons plain yoghurt
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1.   Whisk milk, yoghurt, cheese, eggs & butter together in a large jug. Place flour in a bowl. Make a dent in the centre of the flour. Stir in the milk mixture until it is thoroughly mixed. Take the grated zucchini and squeeze out the liquid. Add zucchini, corn, carrot, parsley, and the parmesan to the milk mixture. Stir until everything is mixed and add salt and pepper to taste. 
2.   Add a Tablespoon of oil to a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable pancake mixture to the pan. Press into shape with a spatula. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp. Repeat, serve, and enjoy.

Prophet to the North – Why Study the Book of Hosea?

Prophet to the North: Why Study the Book of Hosea
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. 8Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure Hosea 8:7-8
Introduction
A prophet from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, prophesying to the Northern Kingdom, Hosea is a faithful man who marries an exceptionally unfaithful wife named Gomer. How else can it be since she was a prostitute? The prophet’s marriage was like a metaphor of God’s relationship with Israel, which is likened to a troubled marriage with an unfaithful spouse.
Hebrew Name of Hosea
The prophet’s name comes from Hoshea, meaning ‘salvation.’ The great conqueror of Canaan, Joshua the son of Nun, has the Hebrew name Yehoshua, meaning ‘Yahweh’ or ‘God’ is salvation.
Author of Hosea
Though the text is written in the first and third person, it is commonly believed that Hosea was the author of the prophetic book that bears his name. His assignment was daunting: he was called to minister to his nation, the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This Israelite entity started on the wrong foot from the beginning: its founding monarch Jeroboam I instituted the worship of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. This ‘sin of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin’ would be replicated by all 19 monarchs of Israel. For this reason alone, the Word of God says the Northern kings did ‘evil in the sight of the Lord.’ Add to his domestic problems with Gomer and you can see Hosea lived a troubled life.
The Northern Kingdom was outwardly prosperous but decaying inside. Whatever Hosea experienced with Gomer was replicated multifold with God and Israel. He ministered for around 50 years, up to and including the conquest of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria and the deportation of the population into Mesopotamian captivity (722 BC). Hosea was a contemporary of Amos the Judaean, who also ministered to the Northern Kingdom, and of Isaiah and Micah, prophets to Judah. Apart from his compassion, integrity, and that he fathered 3 children, we don’t know anything else about him.
Portrait of Christ in Hosea
Jesus is the Son of God who is called out of Egypt (11:1). Likewise, He is faithful and the Lord, called to serve double-minded, two-timing Israel.
Theme of Hosea
God has in love, grace, and faithfulness called Israel to be His special people. Despite their unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery, there is the promise of restoration. Spiritual adultery of Israel was shown in the worship of Baal, the fertility cults, and temple prostitutes. Gomer mirrors the unfaithfulness and adultery of the nation.
Yet, the faithfulness of God becomes all the more apparent and He longs to show mercy and give redemption to Israel. Yet, in the face of their impenitence, judgement must follow. God’s covenant-keeping nature also readily manifests, since He deals with humanity by covenant. The Lord can be trusted to keep His word. Finally, God’s willingness to love Israel despite everything is a faithful testament of His love for all humanity.
Key Verses of Hosea
For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. 6Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. 7And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than nowHosea 2:5-7
Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. Hosea 4:1
And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. 8How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. 9I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the cityHosea 11:7-9
Summary of Hosea
Hosea is the first of the 12 minor prophets. He is only one of two who prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel and he is the only one from the North. His marriage to Gomer was difficult due to her unfaithfulness, which mirrors what God had to deal with in Israel.
His first child was a son named Jezreel: God scatters and speaks about the destruction of the Israelite dynasty, specifically the House of Ahad, including his wicked wife Jezebel and his 70 sons – he must have had a large harem (II Kings 9:13-37; also chapter 10). The 2nd child was a daughter called Lo-Ruhamah: not loved or pitied. The third child is a son called Lo-Ammi: not my people. It was as if God was divorcing Israel, but it was not the end of the relationship. There were promises of restoration.
The second part of Hosea were poetic prophecies about the consequences of Israel’s unfaithfulness, which include moral, ethical, and political sins. Yet, the grace of God shines through, as there is the promise of forgiveness and restoration if Israel repents.
Outline of Hosea
(NOTE: Israel means the ‘Northern Kingdom’ & its golden calves at Bethel & Dan; ‘Judah’ means the Southern Kingdom, ruled by the House of David, custodian of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem)
Hosea’s Miserable Marriage (1-3)
1:1:                  Background
1:2-3:               Hosea marries Gomer, a prostitute
1:4-2:1:            Hosea’s 3 children
2:2-2:13           Judgement on Israel for idolatry and adultery
2:14-23            Restoration follows judgement (a common theme of the prophets)
3:1-5:               Gomer redeemed from harlotry
Faithfulness of God and Unfaithfulness of Israel (4-14)
4:1-19:             God speaks of Israel’s idolatry
5:1-15              Judgement of Israel
6:1-7:16           Israel ignores the invitation to repent
8:1-9:9             Israel will be destroyed (722 BC)
9:10-17            Israel’s record of unfaithfulness to God
10:1-15            God judges Israel’s sin
11:1-4              History of divine deliverance
11:5-11                        God still desires Israel to obey Him
11:12-12:14     Both Israelite kingdoms have forsaken God and ignored the prophets
13:1-16            God’s redemption rejected
14:1-9              Repentance by Israel will bring restoration

International Women’s Day – Words are powerful: let’s use them to better the balance and better the world

The International Women's Day is celebrated around the world on 8th of March and is a day to reflect on how far we have come and how far we still have to go to truly achieve gender equality. This year's theme is #BalanceforBetter and we've invited women leaders here at the BUV to share with you their thoughts to better the balance and better the world.

Week 3: Words are powerful: let’s use them to better the balance and better the world
By Debbie Campbell
Head of Ordination

I often listen to ABC Radio National when I’m driving in the car. Last week I tuned into Paul Barclay’s ‘Big Ideas’ program – the session was entitled “Macho politics and women’s rights”. The program discussion highlighted how tough-guy politicians, from Russia to South America, use sexual language to undermine their female opponents and champion a return to traditional gender roles.

Comments from Dr Nicole Curato, Senior Research Fellow, University of Canberra, caught my attention. She drew attention to the casual misogynist and sexist language of some male world leaders. The word ‘casual’ particularly struck a chord with me. While deplorable, much of this ‘casual’ language is used in such a way that it assumes a high level of acceptance or at least tolerance from those who hear it. These leaders do not expect to be “called out” on their language.

When it to comes to sexist language and comments, this can be a characteristic of Australian society and even of our Christian church culture.

One of the most belittling experiences of my adult life came as the result of a mature male Christian minister taking a verbal swipe at me during a Christian Religious Education training session. I was the person facilitating the training – up the front and in the middle of my presentation. He was one of the people participating in the training. His comments were made very loudly for all to hear. They were sexist and couched as a joke. I was left momentarily speechless, and later confused that perhaps I had misheard him. At the time, I wondered if anyone had really noticed what he had actually said; certainly no one objected, not even me. Publicly, I pretended that it was of no consequence but it was. 

Certainly sexist language can be used overtly as a weapon but it can also be used thoughtlessly or unconsciously in a way that excludes women. Referring to humanity as ‘mankind’, to Christian love as ‘brotherly love’; or using other male specific words or pronouns when referring to groups of people that include both genders, can signal – consciously or unconsciously – that the male gender is the normative and preferred gender. I grew up thinking of God as male because, in my experience, God was always referred to as ‘He’. How wonderful it was to discover and explore, later in my Christian life, the rich treasure of female imagery in the Scriptures used to describe God (e.g. Gen. 1:27; Isaiah 49:15; 66:13; Matt 23:37), and how wonderful to have my understanding and experience of God deepened and enriched by this female imagery. Moreover, how important it was to be reminded that human gender categories can never define or contain God – they are simply metaphors used in our attempts to describe the nature of God.

I am very privileged to be able to journey with those individuals within our Baptist family of churches who are called to the ministry of ordained pastoral leadership. Including discernment candidates, 33% of our ordination candidates are women. I look forward to the day when 50% will be women. The calling of these women and men is to servant leadership: to lead and nurture faith communities where, through words and actions, all people are welcomed into full participation in the life of the church. One way we can do this is to speak up and use our words to affirm and celebrate God’s call of women into pastoral leadership.

International Women's Day – Words are powerful: let’s use them to better the balance and better the world

The International Women's Day is celebrated around the world on 8th of March and is a day to reflect on how far we have come and how far we still have to go to truly achieve gender equality. This year's theme is #BalanceforBetter and we've invited women leaders here at the BUV to share with you their thoughts to better the balance and better the world.

Week 3: Words are powerful: let’s use them to better the balance and better the world
By Debbie Campbell
Head of Ordination

I often listen to ABC Radio National when I’m driving in the car. Last week I tuned into Paul Barclay’s ‘Big Ideas’ program – the session was entitled “Macho politics and women’s rights”. The program discussion highlighted how tough-guy politicians, from Russia to South America, use sexual language to undermine their female opponents and champion a return to traditional gender roles.

Comments from Dr Nicole Curato, Senior Research Fellow, University of Canberra, caught my attention. She drew attention to the casual misogynist and sexist language of some male world leaders. The word ‘casual’ particularly struck a chord with me. While deplorable, much of this ‘casual’ language is used in such a way that it assumes a high level of acceptance or at least tolerance from those who hear it. These leaders do not expect to be “called out” on their language.

When it to comes to sexist language and comments, this can be a characteristic of Australian society and even of our Christian church culture.

One of the most belittling experiences of my adult life came as the result of a mature male Christian minister taking a verbal swipe at me during a Christian Religious Education training session. I was the person facilitating the training – up the front and in the middle of my presentation. He was one of the people participating in the training. His comments were made very loudly for all to hear. They were sexist and couched as a joke. I was left momentarily speechless, and later confused that perhaps I had misheard him. At the time, I wondered if anyone had really noticed what he had actually said; certainly no one objected, not even me. Publicly, I pretended that it was of no consequence but it was. 

Certainly sexist language can be used overtly as a weapon but it can also be used thoughtlessly or unconsciously in a way that excludes women. Referring to humanity as ‘mankind’, to Christian love as ‘brotherly love’; or using other male specific words or pronouns when referring to groups of people that include both genders, can signal – consciously or unconsciously – that the male gender is the normative and preferred gender. I grew up thinking of God as male because, in my experience, God was always referred to as ‘He’. How wonderful it was to discover and explore, later in my Christian life, the rich treasure of female imagery in the Scriptures used to describe God (e.g. Gen. 1:27; Isaiah 49:15; 66:13; Matt 23:37), and how wonderful to have my understanding and experience of God deepened and enriched by this female imagery. Moreover, how important it was to be reminded that human gender categories can never define or contain God – they are simply metaphors used in our attempts to describe the nature of God.

I am very privileged to be able to journey with those individuals within our Baptist family of churches who are called to the ministry of ordained pastoral leadership. Including discernment candidates, 33% of our ordination candidates are women. I look forward to the day when 50% will be women. The calling of these women and men is to servant leadership: to lead and nurture faith communities where, through words and actions, all people are welcomed into full participation in the life of the church. One way we can do this is to speak up and use our words to affirm and celebrate God’s call of women into pastoral leadership.

Source: BUV News

Call of God Series Part 05: How to Respond to God’s Call Practically

Now that you know God has called you, where do you go from here? How do you respond to His call in a practical way?
We began to address these questions in Part 04 of this series. Using Romans 12:1-2 as our guide, we learned that our motivation to respond to God was because of His great mercies. Our bodies are to be presented to God and used as a ‘living sacrifice.’ In addition, our minds are surrendered to God for renewal, which will keep us from thinking, acting, and speaking like the world. More on this in a moment.
Here are some other points to make you effective in responding to God’s call:
1.       Forget the world: We need to learn how to turn our backs on the world. This phrase ‘the world’ can be misunderstood. We are not talking about planet earth, with the beautiful trees, plants, waterways, terrain, and skies. Instead, it has to do with the cosmos, the worldly government order or system, under the immediate command of fallen humanity but ultimately under satanic influence. The Bible teaches that the whole world lies under wickedness (I John 5:19) and the wicked one; Satan is ‘prince’ of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and ‘god’ of this world (II Corinthians 4:4). Scripture condemns friendship with the world, which is rightly considered enmity towards God (James 4:4). For those who crave to be ‘relevant’ with the world, be very careful: you cannot please God and the world, anymore than you can serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Therefore, in responding to God’s call to become a living sacrifice, Paul gives us a straightforward command: Do not conform to the world. If we insist in thinking, acting, speaking and supporting the world’s agenda, we are of no use to God. It is like salt losing its saltiness, only good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden underfoot of men (Matthew 5:13). If we repudiate these things, we become useable and fruitful.
2.       Renew the mind: Responding to the call of God promises transformation – we will be like new people. Such transformation comes by the renewal of our minds. We will be like the thoughts we think or as scripture teaches, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). Renewal of the mind is like a detox and reprogramming of our thoughts. This takes time and discipline. Four ways to renew the mind include: 1) The Word of God – memorise in your mind, retain in your heart, confess with your mouth; 2) The cross of Christ. Embracing the cross, as Paul did (Galatians 6:14), means you will relinquish bad thoughts and they will be replaced with good. 3) The Holy Spirit will help you think new thoughts; let Him lead you in this area; 4) Christian fellowship – you will be like the company you keep (Proverbs 13:20), so make sure you are with people who ‘fear the Lord,’ have the right priorities, and will be a positive influence on you (and vice-versa)
3.       Understand God’s Will: If you will follow through with all the above mentioned steps, the greatest benefit is divine direction. A world-denying, renewed mind will be in an optimal position to discern God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will. Furthermore, you will be able to seek God and exercise your faith to obtain the provision necessary to fulfil His will. Then ‘write the vision,’ make it plain, so whoever reads it will run with it (Habakkuk 2:2-3). Once you know God’s will, write it down, put the appropriate Scripture promises with it, and confess these passages to the Lord. You will be amazed when God’s will comes to pass before your eyes. But no wonder, you laid the groundwork with proper consecration, totally on God’s terms.
Follow these steps and you are on your way. However, we want to offer at least one more article. Stayed tuned for next month’s edition of the Issachar Teaching eLetter.