An interview with Anna McGahan
Monthly Archives: October 2020
Take Your Rest: The Fourth Commandment Part 05
The Sabbath & the Book of Hebrews
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour,
and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it — Exodus 20:8-11
From Blessing to Burden?
The 10 commandments offer a concise portrait of God’s alpine high standards; they have been a bedrock for western civilisation and a major reason for its blessing. Of all the commandments, the fourth should be greatly celebrated: it is called the Sabbath rest.
Who wouldn’t want a regular day off?
As we have learned in earlier articles, the very commandment that was meant to bestow blessing became a great burden by the 1st Century AD – the time of Jesus. There were so many manmade ‘do’s & don’ts’ on how to keep the Sabbath ‘holy’ that one wonders if they all could be remembered, let alone observed. It drained the joy right out of the day
Jesus cut through the clutter with His statement that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath: the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). For most Christians, we have accepted the concept of ‘Sabbath’ being on the first day of the week, a celebration of the new creation in Christ.
Insights from the Book of Hebrews
In order to have a complete and balanced understanding of the fourth commandment and rest, we need to turn to the Book of Hebrews 3:7-4:12.
Four times in this passage it makes a reference to Psalm 95:7-11, which says Today, if you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart.
What does this have to do with the rest of Sabbath?
• Weekly Sabbath: A day of rest on Saturday from your normal labour;
• The promised land: When the children of Israel possessed the land of Canaan under Joshua, this was a type of rest. God promised the land to their father Abraham and now it was theirs. Instead of wandering through the wilderness or fighting off the locals, every man could ‘rest’ under his own vine and fig tree (1 Kings 4:25; Micah 4:4). The Israelites have arrived and possessed their ‘rest.’
• Ultimate rest: Making it to heaven, the Kingdom of God, and New Jerusalem, is the final rest. Our life and labours for God lead us to this destination.
Merely having a day off on Saturday or Sunday is not necessarily the rest of God. Jesus’ opponents – Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, scribes, chief priests – all observed Saturday Sabbath, but they in no wise pleased God or prepared themselves for the His rest.
Remember the words of Hebrews 3:7-11, quoting Psalm 95
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.
The Israelites during Moses’ day rested the Sabbath but God says in Verse 11 they shall not enter His rest.
Why couldn’t they enter into His rest? And how can we?
1. Refusal to listen to God’s Word: God is always speaking (Hebrews 1:1-2) but we are not always listening. If you belong to Jesus, He says that His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27).
2. Hardened heart: Rejecting God’s voice leads to a hardened heart, and that is more deadly to the spirit than hardened arteries to the body. It is a form of blindness and deafness.
3. Missing out on God: Stubborn spiritual deafness means tempting God, rejecting His grace and miracles, erring in the heart, and ignorance of God’s ways. A person can miss heaven’s best if they persist in this condition.
No amount of Sabbath-keeping will remedy this dire situation. So what is the solution? Faith in God and His gospel is the key to pleasing Him, accessing His kingdom, and entering into His rest. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Just as faith is commended, doubt and unbelief are condemned. In fact, Hebrews 3:12 speaks of the worse sin of all: the evil heart of unbelief. Any other sin can be atoned by faith in the gospel of Christ, but if you can’t believe, the gospel will not profit you. That’s why we need to mix the word of the gospel with faith (Hebrews 4:2).
Ironically, we are encouraged to labour in order to enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:11): This is not talking about hard manual labour. It is referring to effort to draw close to God in faith and to let the atoning work of Christ on the cross be credited to your life.
Faith and rest: Your standing in God is not determined by what you do but what Christ has done. Believe in receive.
In conclusion, regarding the Sabbath, a disobedient hard-heart will preclude you from God’s rest, even if you do observe the Sabbath. But a life of faith will cause you to please God, enter into His rest, and everyday belongs to Him.
The Day of the Lord – Amplified: Why Study the Book of Zephaniah Part 01
INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH
King Hezekiah was one of Judah’s great and righteous kings. Unfortunately, the next two kings, Manasseh and Amon, with a combined reign of 57 years, did great wickedness in the sight of the Lord. Manasseh, in particular, specialised in evil and tradition says he executed the prophet Isaiah. With his demise there was no prophetic utterances for around 70 years. Judgement was becoming riper by the day.
Amon’s untimely death brought an eight year old Josiah to the throne (640-609 BC). Would he be like his immediate predecessors or harken back to the time of Hezekiah? It was in this period that God raised of Zephaniah to influence Josiah. He outlined the nature of judgement, the Day of the Lord, and the promised restoration of the remnant. Though only three chapters long, Zephaniah teaches us much about the last days.
HEBREW NAME OF ZEPHANIAH
‘Tsephan-yah’ means ‘Yahweh Hides’ or ‘Yahweh Has Hidden’
AUTHOR OF ZEPHANIAH
The great grandson of Hezekiah, of royal seed, familiar with the court, and a Judean aristocrat, Zephaniah lived with great danger. King Manasseh was prepared to sacrifice royalty to the hideous false god Moloch. It could be that Zephaniah was ‘hidden’ during this period, thus experiencing the mercy and preserving power of God.
It is highly possible that Zephaniah was the catalyst for revival in the days of Josiah, who in his 12th year commenced his great work of reform. His works were not enough to stave off ultimate judgement on Judah, which happened by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. Zephaniah warned that judgement would come but would be tempered by the remnant and restoration.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST IN ZEPHANIAH
(3:17) Mighty in our midst to save and rejoice.
Jesus Christ tied Zephaniah 1:3 to Matthew 13:41 and 1:15 with Matthew 24:29; these are references to the second coming. Though Messiah is not directly mentioned, it should be obvious that He, and He alone, is the one who brings the great judgement and restoration.
THEME OF THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH
Zephaniah, of royal seed, sought to address Jerusalem and Judah after the torrid reigns of Manasseh and Amon. He spoke of judgement as the ‘Day of the Lord,’ which punishes the wicked. For those who repent and are part of the faithful remnant, they will not be judged at all. They will be restored and rewarded.
The most concise description of the Day of the Lord is given in Chapter 1: a day of wrath, trouble, distress, wasteness, desolation, darkness, gloominess, clouds and thick darkness; that’s the bad news. But for the faithful remnant, it will be a time of purifying, worship, righteousness, singing, vindication, fearlessness, God will be in the midst and rejoice over them with joy. Sorrow will be removed and it will be a time of gathering, honour and praise, and restoration.
Josiah and Jeremiah were both influenced by the ministry of Zephaniah.
KEY VERSES OF ZEPHANIAH
1:14-15 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.
TO BE CONTINUED
Beyond Covid-19: Is There A Word from the Lord? Part 05 Prosperity During Crisis
Crisis: It is not a happy, ‘feel good’ word, and we would prefer not to even hear about it. Yet, as the maxim goes: When you understand the nature of a problem, you are halfway towards a solution.
Yet there is more. While for some, crisis can mean the ‘end of the world,’ for others, it can be the womb of opportunity. Biblical greats faced serious crises, in some cases, insoluble by human means. When God was all they had, they wonderfully discovered that God was all they needed.
With bush fires, droughts, pandemic, lockdown, riots and recession, is it even possible to even contemplate surviving, even succeeding, where others struggle or fall?
The answer is ‘Yes.’ It is possible to prosper during crisis.
Here is a prime example. It comes from the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 26: If you think our challenges are great, spare a thought for the Biblical characters. The patriarch Isaac dwelt in the promised land, as God commanded him, yet his faith was being put to a severe test. The ‘land of milk and honey’ was afflicted with drought and famine.
What do you do?
The normal response was to do what everyone else was doing – Go to Egypt. His father Abraham, and his son Jacob ended up doing that very thing and for the very same reason – famine. In that great land the mighty Nile River provided the water and fertile soil to make it a breadbasket. As the holy family found out in Matthew 2, Egypt was also a refuge from danger. However, if we are going to prosper in crisis, we have to go beyond the ‘good idea’ and embrace the ‘God-idea,’ even if we are the only ones doing it.
The God-Idea: This comes by ‘waiting on the Lord’ and ‘hearing the Word of the Lord,’ since God speaks (Hebrews 1:1-2). In Isaac’s case, God told him to do the exact opposite that everyone else is doing. God said to ‘Dwell in the land’ (Genesis 26:2-3). Isaac wisely chose to ‘follow the cloud, not the crowd.’
Promise for obedience: God promised to bless, cause Isaac to inherit the land, see Abraham’s covenant fulfilled, plus bestow on him many descendants and be a source of universal blessing. Remember, that New Testament believers have also been given many promises and they are all ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). However, God expects our full cooperation for this to come to pass.
Response: Jesus often said that, ‘many are called, but few are chosen’ (Matthew 22:14). What makes the difference between ‘many called’ and ‘chosen few?’ The ‘chosen’ say, ‘Yes’ when God calls. While Isaac’s verbal response was not recorded, his actions spoke louder than words. (26:6): So Isaac dwelt in the land. He was truly chosen.
Reap: (26:12) Isaac chose to obey and dwell. This verse gives a remarkable point: Isaac sowed in the land and in the same year he reaped 100-fold – and the Lord blessed Him. He prospered with flocks, herds, and servants. Remember, this sowing and reaping was in a time of drought and famine. Yes, it is possible to prosper in crisis, but one must do as Isaac did.
When a person comes to Christ, they are not just part of their earthly family – they join God’s family. At the new birth, they become dual-citizens of their native land but also of God’s kingdom. And, remember this, the person of faith is not just tied to the local, national, and global economy; if they obey Biblical principles of finance, they are stakeholders in God’s ‘recession-proof’ economy.
Next time, we will explore this topic more, as well as how to handle opposition.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Andrew Scipione – Lessons for Leadership
How do you lead a response to a terrorist incident? Andrew Scipione was the NSW Commissioner of Police during the Lindt Cafe siege of 2014.
2020 US Presidential Election: Watch & Pray
The US Presidential election will be held on Tuesday 3 November 2020. It is clearly the most unusual US election in history. It has been defined and limited by a pandemic. There was no big party convention with 1000s in attendance. Many events have been virtual. One candidate is hardly on the campaign trail at all, preferring to stay in his basement. Who could have imagined such a scenario, even a year ago?
One of the big concerns for the 2020 election is that voters will be looking at personality rather than policy. This is a big mistake. Serious governance is influenced by personality but ultimately guided by policy. There are serious issues at stake and we need to focus on them.One of the big concerns for the 2020 election is that voters will be looking at personality rather than policy. This is a big mistake. Serious governance is influenced by personality but ultimately guided by policy. There are serious issues at stake and we need to focus on them.
The Economy
This is often the Number One concern of most voters. In normal elections, the health of the economy can make or break an incumbent leader. Again, the situation is unusual: at the beginning of 2020 the US economy was in great shape in most areas (the federal deficit being the exception). Then the pandemic came, the economy was partially closed down, growth stagnated and many lost their jobs.
While there has been a partial reopening and rebounding, unemployment is an still and issue and also the US federal deficit. There was a stimulus bill of 2 trillion (two times a million dollars a million) earlier this year and there is the plan to run up another 2 trillion, with around $25 trillion currently.
Do we really want to pass on this debt to our children and grandchildren?
And if we demand fiscal responsibility and restraint, the government will turn around and ask: which federal programs do you want to cut first? Let’s start with ‘kosher food,’ and get rid of the pork ….
Questions: Do the candidates promise a tax cut? Or a tax increase? Will they retain tariffs on steel and China, or will they lift them? (Remember: tax cuts can stimulate business, which brings more revenue. Higher taxes are not necessarily applied to the deficit – usually, they go to fund new programs).
Foreign Affairs
As a superpower, US national elections are never exclusively about the United States. Its role as a military and economic leader influences what happens in the rest of the world. While there have been some peace breakthroughs in the Middle East, there are challenges ahead: UK and Brexit, negotiating a trade deal with the European Union and USA; Iran, its nuclear program and EMP capability (which they claim could affect 90% of the US population); the Iran nuclear deal JCPOA; the rise of China, its economic and military ambitions, and Covid-19;
Questions: What are the candidates policies on Iran and China? Do they want to send troops to the Middle East or withdraw them?
The Judiciary
The Trump administration has appointed literally 100s of judges at different levels, including two confirmed to the US Supreme Court. His appointment of ‘conservative’ justices is not necessarily a political thing, but constitutional: they take the constitution as it is written, which advocates limited government, separation of powers, balance of powers. ‘Liberal justices’ look at the Constitution as ‘living, breathing,’ and have been able to find ‘rights’ to socially progressive issues that are nowhere mentioned in the Constitution. This is called ‘judicial activism,’ or legislating from the court bench. This is a breach of the separation of powers and balance of powers principles of the Constitution.
Questions: Do the candidates want originalist conservative justices or judicial activists? Do they want to ‘pack’ the Supreme Court?
Moral Issues
This covers several areas but especially abortion, which continues to be a ‘hot-potato’ 47 years after the US Supreme Court legalised it. The court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was considered a compromise which was meant to put the issue to rest. Instead, it has been seething for decades; the most contentious American issue since the abolition of slavery 150 years ago. The two presidential candidates diametrically opposite positions on this issue.
Questions: Where do the candidates stand on abortion?
National Sovereignty
Immigration, legal and illegal, is a big ticket item throughout the western world: Europe, Australia, Israel, and the United States. Do you want border enforcement?
Style and Size of Government
Do you look to the government to meet your needs? Do have health care funded by the government called ‘Medicare for All?’ A Green New Deal? Or do you want limited government, which maximises freedoms?
Gun Control
For non-Americans, it is hard to understand the emotion attached to gun ownership in the United States. It is an indisputable right of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. There has been far more heat than light on this issue, but the bottom line is this: Should the Second Amendment be honoured or should there be even more stringent control on guns than there already is?
Religious Liberty
America has always been a beacon of religious freedom, starting with the English Puritans who sailed from Plymouth, England on the Mayflower and established the Massachusetts colony exactly 400 years ago. Yet, there are ominous signs that the New Left deliberately aims to curtail religious freedom for the sake of ‘equality,’ ‘tolerance,’ and ‘social justice.’
Questions: What priority, if any, do the individual candidates have on religious liberty? It is a high priority for you? Or it is expendable in order to advance the rights of sexual minorities?
Power in prayer
Whether you are American or not, you all have a vote. It’s call effectual fervent prayer with avails much (James 5:16b). With the stakes so high, be informed and prayer without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
It’s time to ‘watch and pray’ (Matthew 26:41)
A NOTE ON RESOURCES:
For the sake of being informed, here are some resources:
Intercessors for America offer a plethora of information on all sorts of issues. You can find them at:
The Democratic Party platform can be found here:
The Republican Party, because of the limitations of the 2020 convention, decided not to adopt a new platform, but continue to use the 2016 America First agenda. You can read the 2016 here:
https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/docs/Resolution_Platform_2020.pdf
A comparison of the policy positions of the Democrats and Republicans can be found here.
https://downloads.frcaction.org/EF/EF18H05.pdf
Nothing new under the sun
Why does life appear so random and meaningless?
Tear Australia Renames as it Strengthens Ties to the Global Tearfund Family
TEAR Australia, which along with Ethos is part of the Evangelical Alliance family, is renaming itself to Tearfund, reflecting its closer ties with the global Tearfund family’s fight against poverty and injustice.
Ep 177: How can I be mentally fit?
Some surprising tips to building mental fitness
Ep 176: Where can we find hope in a Coronavirus world?
The search for hope in an uncertain future