Monthly Archives: November 2019

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

RECIPE: Vegetable Korma

This simple recipe helps you to get your 5 out 5 vegetable quota in a tasty dish.
Servings: 2
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup korma paste
1 small thinly sliced brown onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander stems
1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 2cm chunks
1 carrot, finely diced
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable stock
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk, plus extra to drizzle
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 kale leaves, stems removed & finely chopped.
1 cup coriander leaves, plus extra to serve
1 cup cooked Quinoa, to serve
Directions:
1. Heat coconut oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the korma paste for 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and coriander stems until translucent. To this add the red capsicum, zucchini, carrot, and cauliflower to the korma paste and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add vegetable stock and coconut milk to the pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the peas, kale and coriander until the kale wilts and the peas are cooked. .
3. Serve the korma on the quinoa, topping with coriander, salt and pepper.
4. ENJOY

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Mountain of Esau: Why Study the Book of Obadiah? Part 01

But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions — Obadiah 1:17
Introduction
It represents an famous and age-old rivalry between two brothers, Jacob and Esau. This conflict extends to the New Testament with Herod the Great’s attempt to destroy the young child Jesus. We are refer to the regions of Edom versus Judah and the Book of Obadiah, shortest of all the Old Testament prophetic books, is very clear who will win this struggle.
Obadiah predicts the fall of the nation of Edom, neighbour to Judah, especially because they gloated at the suffering and conquest of this region and its capital Jerusalem.
The great symbol of Edom is its majestic mountains that tower over 2,000 metres above sea level. Edom is the eastern neighbour to the Arabah, Valley of the Desert, which is a sub-region of the Great Rift Valley and shares a north-south border between Jordan and Israel.
Edom comes from the Hebrew word ‘red,’ and this is because of the colour of the lentil stew Esau ate in exchange for his birthright. Jacob’s brother moved to Mount Seir and set up residence. From the time of the twins until the fall of Jerusalem, the rivalry between the two siblings and their respective regions continued unabated.
Edom would not allow Moses and Israel to pass through its territory on the way to Canaan. David’s Joab helped subdue Edom, but it fought against Judean king Jehoshaphat and successfully rebelled against Jehoram. Judean king Amaziah conquered Edom, but the pride of his conquest was also his undoing. Under feckless Judean king Ahaz, Edom regained its independence. The Nabateans, an Arabian type people, forced the Edomites to migrate to Southern Judah, where they were forcibly converted to Judaism and became known as the Idumeans (Edom and Judean). The most famous, even notorious Idumean was Herod the Great, the Roman puppet king who tried and failed to kill the Christ child.
While Edom applauded the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BC, they paradoxically tried to defend the city – and failed – when the Romans destroyed it in AD 70. After that date, we hear no more about the Edomites. They disappeared from history, along with Herod’s temple.
If one place in Edom illustrates its greatness, it is Petra, the rose-red city carved in the rock. This vast ancient city that encompasses many hectares can only be reached by a narrow, natural 1.2 kilometre canyon called ‘The Siq.’ Its lofty position, with 200 plus metres cliffs, and difficult to access entrance made it very aloof and prideful. They felt they could go out, raid caravans on the King’s Highway, and safely retreat to their stronghold. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? (verse 3). Such a stance guarantees disaster. Proverbs 16:18 states: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Obadiah confirms the pride and fall of Edom. TO BE CONTINUED

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Issues the Demand the Church’s Response Part 01

Sunday is coming and it is time to prepare the sermon. What shall we preach? The short answer is: The Word of God (II Timothy 4:2?). Not just preach about the Word but from the Word. The ideal is that every sermon is Word-based, Spirit-anointed, Christ-centred, and God-honouring.
And, it is important that the Word preached is the Word received by the preacher. Downloading prepared sermons from the internet is not fresh manna.
Hungry Christians are complaining about what is preached. Here are some of the options:
1.       Motivational messages: These can encourage people in practical areas (how to be successful, raise good children, build self-esteem) but tend to ignore basic sound doctrine like repentance, faith, sin, the resurrection and last judgement.
2.       Politics: The pulpit is used to exhort people to back a political cause, often though not always from the left. Such sermons will often be politically correct.
3.       Mish-mash: These are poorly-prepared, waffly comments that might be strung together but the necklace is not made of pearls.
4.       Word of God: We need to proclaim and expound God’s Word, which is good seed to the non-Christian, milk to the baby in Christ, and strong meat to the mature. It is a lamp to our feet and light to our path, quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.
We can all agree that Number 4 is the only way. Yet, there is something else. We have to make the Word applicable to daily living. If we don’t, then it’s like healthy food whose nourishment is not absorbed into the digestive system, thus denying the benefits of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Burning Issues
A while ago I received an (group) email from a young Canadian Christian named Brady Shearer, who runs a business called Pro Church Tools https://prochurchtools.com
He did a survey about what people, particularly younger wants, wish their pastors would talk about. None of these are milquetoast items – they are hot, spicy, provocative, and potentially explosive. The topics are also very current. Yet, if the church won’t talk about these issues, be assured that the world will – and we will not like the answer they’re giving.
Using the topics Shearer gleaned, let’s look at these one-by-one. I would also like to make clear at the outset that I don’t claim to have great expertise on all these topics, nor do I claim to have the definitive answers. Yet, as one who has been observing and commenting on the world scene for years, I do have something to share. If any of my readers can come up with a better understanding of these subjects, from a Biblical view and with a good attitude, I would be more than happy to hear.
Shearer’s topics included:
1.      Politics: abortion, ill treatment of immigrants, systemic racism, normalisation of sexual abuse.
2.      Mental health
3.      Domestic violence: 1 in 4 women will experience severe violence by an intimate partner in its lifetime.
4.      Abuses of all forms: Spiritual, sexual, power
5.      Pornography & masturbation
If you are a preacher, would you address some or all of these issues? If so, how would you do it?
In our next issue, we will look at the ‘hot potato’ issue of abortion. TO BE CONTINUED

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

CULTURE WAR SERIES PART 16: The Only Solution

In the history of peoples and nation-states, conflict comes in two forms: internal and external. Which do you think is more deadly?
One prime example comes from church history. During the early years of the church, it was considered ‘counter-cultural’ and an enemy to the occupying Roman empire. Christianity was called a religio illicita, meaning ‘an illegal religion.’ There were periodic and savage outbreaks of deadly persecution. Yet, during heat of these dangerous days, the church did not diminish – it thrived. It is the proverbial principle of the diamond. As long as it is strong internally, it can withstand the mightiest of blows. Tertullian was quoted as saying ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’
However, there was a mortal threat to the church: the enemy from within. The Bible rightly warns against ‘false brethren,’ ‘false christs,’ ‘false prophets’ and ‘false teachers.’ They are the proverbial ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing. With their false doctrine and divisive heresies, they posed a greater threat to the Church than what any external foe could do.
The goal of the far left, including extreme progressives and cultural Marxists, is to alter, if not destroy, western civilisation. They have managed to do more damage to the West in just 50 years, than external foes have done in centuries. Because the culture war is a ‘conflict from within,’ ‘westerner pitted against westerner,’ in every respect it is a civil war. Remember, the American civil of the 1860s killed more Americans (655,000) than two world wars combined (116,000 in World War I and 406,000 in World War II).
How can we bring this long, protracted culture war to a close? There are several options:
1.       An armed conflict: Defeat the other side in a military engagement. With 350 million guns, there is plenty of ammunition. This, of course, is a horrible option, though not totally out of the realm of possibility;
2.       An economic depression: This would ‘wipe the slate clean’ regarding mammoth debts, discredit utopian ideologies, and bring us back to square one and hopefully some common sense. This option is not only simplistic, it is dangerous and destabilising. The cost is simply too great;
3.       Give it some time: If we give ourselves enough time, all of these issues will be sorted out. How much time do we need? At least 200 to 300 years! Well, we don’t have that much time to begin with. Besides, the destructive nature of this war precludes lengthy waiting – there might not be much left to sort out if we do wait.
None of the above are even remotely good solutions for our societal conflict.
What is the answer?The key is in remembering that at its core the cultural war is spiritual. It is not merely flesh and blood that are in disagreement. Thus, the person you see on the other side is not the true enemy; indeed, the real enemy is the one you cannot see. According to Ephesians 6:12 we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities, powers, and hosts of wickedness in high places. As has been shared already, the culture war is spiritual and the solution is equally spiritually. TO BE CONTINUED

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Britain’s Challenges Part 02

Nations, like individuals, face challenges in life. Yet, it is no exaggeration to say that the United Kingdom is facing its biggest crises since the end of the Second World War. Yes, more than 30 years of trouble in Northern Ireland, or the 1990s scandals that rocked the Royal Family and saw the divorce of Diana and Charles, who is the heir to the throne.
As we learned in the last article, challenges include persistent calls for a ‘second referendum’ on Scottish independence. The shifting of the leftists and progressives from the Left to the ‘far Left,’ while some on the right are drifting leftward as well, embracing policies that would have been unthinkable a few years before. The UK election of 2019 offers a solid glimpse into the shifting political sands.
Most importantly immediate issue is the Brexit deadlock. Three and a half years after a referendum confirmed that the majority of UK voters wanted to leave the European Union – a ‘divorce’ to a 46 year old union – the nation still has not left. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to leave by the 31 October 2019 deadline, but parliament hemmed him in on every side. They said ‘No’ to a no-deal Brexit, the unprecedented demands on how the executive branch should negotiate with the European Union. Then parliament signalled agreement with his EU brokered deal but NO to his quick timetable. With such an impasse, the only logical course of action was to turn to the British public and have them decide by means of an election. As Johnson said, he did not want an early election and especially in the winter, but parliament left him no choice.
Northern Ireland
This province of the United Kingdom is arguably the most Christian. These friendly people are also poetic prayer warriors who can inspire an entire congregation by their supplications. ‘Socially progressive’ items like abortion and same-sex marriage are not legal in Northern Ireland – at least not yet. Northern Ireland’s parliament at Stormont has not met for over 2 years and the concern is that the ‘mainland’ may seek to impose these and other items by fiat, which is exactly what’s happening now.
Also, the question of the border with the Irish Republic is also worth watching. At present, there is no hard-border between the two sovereignties on the emerald isle. At Brexit, apart from an agreement, some kind of border may be imposed, supposedly endangering the 1998 Good Friday agreement that put an end to 30 years of ‘The Troubles.’ This point is highly debatable but it is worth watching.
From Queen to Charles
While the Queen has reigned with distinction since 1952, and appears to be in good health, at the age of 93 it should be obvious that she is in her last years. Since most Brits have grown up only knowing her as their monarch, and television has made her the most visible queen in history, the thought of her demise is seen as most unsettling and distressing. In reality, this should be the least of their problems. The chances of a smooth transition are excellent. After all, Prince Charles and William, collectively, have had over a century (71 years and 37 years, respectively) of preparation for the role of king.
In our next article, we will see how impressively ‘resilient’ this nation has been … and why. TO BE CONTINUED

Baptist, News

From Fields to Follow

In Victoria today, many people from the city are moving to the Growth Corridors because they can’t afford inner city. For this same reason many who migrate from other countries also end up settling in the growth corridors.

Not long ago, the Officer region consisted of paddocks and cows, but it is now a key suburb in the rapid expansion of the South East Growth Corridor, with significant infrastructure and housing estates being developed in the area. This means that there are thousands of people moving into our region and it presents great Gospel opportunity to represent Jesus through sharing the good news, blessing the local community, caring for the poor and lonely and raising disciples on mission.

Follow Baptist Church started as a dream in the hearts of some of the people at Beaconsfield Baptist in 2012. The dream was to plant a new, vibrant, faith community in the Officer Region that would reach new people with the Gospel.

We publicly launched as a Church in July 2015 and 3 acres of land was generously donated to us in central Officer. We have since grown from 31 committed people as part of our Core and Launch Teams to celebrating with almost 300 attendees at our recent 4th birthday celebration. By God’s grace, we have grown to become a vibrant, Jesus loving community in Officer!

One of the great joys of the Follow journey so far is that we feel as though we are growing up with our local community, and that they already view us as a significant part of it. We also love seeing God at work with many new Christians and people being baptised.

Recently someone from our congregation had a conversation with a Muslim man at Hallam Hotel. This encounter led to further conversations and the man has now committed his life to Christ. It was a joy to meet him recently and talk of the freedom he has found in Christ and how he loves that Follow is a place with so many cultures who gather to worship in one name. This is a foreign idea for him, but as he explained, it “feels like 100 kilos has been lifted from his shoulders” He is now wanting to be baptised!

The big dream for Follow is that we will bloom where are planted in the Officer region. We will be fruitful and then multiply to establish new Churches throughout the South East. We desire to see real transformation happen in the South East of Melbourne and we would love for you to join us in prayer for a move of God! We know and believe that God can do immeasurably more than we could ever hope, dream or imagine, according to His power at work in us for His glory!

Pastor Luke Williams
Lead Pastor, Follow Baptist Church

Our Vision and Mission
Our vision at Follow has always been very simple. Our vision is Jesus. He is the one we look to in all things, He is the one we want to imitate and follow with our lives. Our mission is almost as simple; to Follow Jesus in our community for His glory! We have probably all seen long vision documents which sound amazing, but nobody actually remembers them. We chose to make it simple enough for our people to remember.

Our Name
People often ask why we are called Follow Baptist Church. We were praying about what to call a new Church and during that period, a relative had been to the Melbourne Art Gallery and had taken a photograph with hundreds of words on it. As I looked at the picture the word that jumped off the page was the word Follow. Essentially following is what discipleship is all about and that’s who we want to be; followers of Christ. It is an ancient word, but it’s also a modern one as we ‘follow’ people on social media, so we felt it was a word people connected with. As far as we know it is the only Church in the world called Follow!

Our Ministries
The Growth corridors are vibrant places to live where new things are always happening. With affordable housing and many education and employment opportunities, the South East is an attractive place to live. This creates a wonderful opportunity for us to reach a high percentage of young families and children settling into the area.

While there are many positives of a corridor such as this, there are also challenges. Many people feel lonely or isolated in our area and there is a higher percentage of homelessness, poverty, mental illness and youth suicide than in other regions of Victoria. This is tragic; however, it does provide opportunities for us to minister and serve in those areas to bless our community. We believe Officer should be a better place because we are there! 

All of our missional activities are under the banner of the Bless Collective.

The Bless Collective Food Van.
After researching and seeing the needs of our local community, we consulted with our local community and council to ask them how we could best serve our community. The needs we saw and they had identified, matched up and those discussions led to the establishment of the Bless Collective Food Van. Every Tuesday & Thursday evening we meet in what was a notorious Pakenham Park adjacent to Pakenham Station. Over the years Bourke Park has been associated with addiction and drug dealing, violence and homelessness. The council felt that it was a key place to meet real needs in our region. We meet there twio nights every week and have developed a community connection HUB to help break isolation, build relationships and alleviate the pain people are feeling. We set up tents, tables and chairs and provide cooked meals for all of our guests. We don’t judge people who come to the Bless Collective but seek to develop meaningful and ongoing relationships. We have also partnered with Cardinia Shire Council, Orange Sky (Portable Laundry) and Clean as Casper (Portable Shower Truck) to make a HUB for our community, while also providing a referral service for our guests who need additional support. We have recently employed a new Food Van Manager who has valued experience in these areas and we look forward to new and creative ideas to further help people break down these cycles in life and find wholeness in Christ.

Mainly Music
Our mainly music program has expanded to back to back sessions predominantly filled with unchurched families. This has flowed onto a parenting course and it has been a joy journeying with new families and to see several of them cross over into a faith community as a result.

Officer Secondary College (OSC)
We have the privilege of running a breakfast program every Tuesday morning at OSC as well as running a No Limits mentoring program for Year 9 boys. It has been a wonderful way of connecting with both staff and students.

Timbertop Christmas Festival
In 2018 we were approached by a local resident’s group to work with them to deliver a Christmas celebration is the new Timbertop Estate in Officer. It was a special event where we were able to take our portable coffee cart, provide a sausage sizzle and perform and sing Christmas carols at such a significant time of year. The mayor opened the event and it is the first carols event in the Officer region.