RECIPE FOR CHAOS

If the whole Bible was made into a movie, some parts would be too graphic for any censorship board to handle. This morning, I read the last three chapters of Judges, a portion of Scripture that describes a series of unbelievably brutal and hideous events. The wanton bloodshed and sheer stupidity of people who were supposed to be God’s witness in the world – well, it blows the mind.

I think a lot of people have the wrong impression about the Bible. Some detractors seem to think that it’s dull and dry, full of pious do-gooders who are about a zillion miles removed from real life as the rest of us experience it.

Other people seem to think that the Bible is just a vast compilation of rules and laws that are designed to spoil everyone’s fun.

Truth is, the Bible gets right down to the nitty-gritty of life (in the three chapters I read this morning, the emphasis is very much on the gritty!)

The last verse of Judges reads like this: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Although that might sound good and noble, it was actually a recipe for disaster. Lawlessness and violence prevailed throughout the land because there was no consensus about what was right and what was wrong.

The Bible continues to speak powerfully to every generation. To ours, it shouts a warning about the consequences of neglecting God. Without the moral consensus that God provides, chaos is always going to reign. Either that or tyrrany and dictatorship.

There is much talk these days about domestic violence, bullying, sexual abuse, obesity, suicide and a host of other social issues. But the answer is not more legislation, more royal commissions, more expensive government committees. The answer is to be found in a national revival, a return to Christian faith and values. As long as the Bible is pushed aside as dull, irrelevant or socially constrictive, the rot will only continue.

Australia, and indeed every nation, needs to come back to Jesus.

TRYING TO SILENCE WHAT MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE – A VERY OLD STRATEGY

This morning, over breakfast, I read a fascinating article in the recent VoxPoint newsletter about homosexuality and what is known as reparative therapy. A significant number of gays are seeking help to change because they are desperately unhappy in the homosexual lifestyle. Reparative therapy is a controversial psychological treatment aimed at helping such people to alter their sexual orientation.

The therapy is controversial because, if sexual orientation can change, then most of the propaganda from the gay lobby is summarily discredited. To say that “we were born this way” implies that we all must accept homosexuality as a normal, perhaps even God-given, state. The dogma that one is born either hetero or homo suits the agenda of the gay lobby.

The VoxPoint article mentioned a prominent American psychiatrist, Dr Robert Spitzer, who was professionally intimidated over several years because he published a major study showing that homosexual orientation could be changed. That was apparently an unacceptable conclusion, despite the evidence that he carefully presented.

Then I read on Facebook about a certain Professor Bengtsson who changed his mind about climate change and suddenly experienced rejection and intimidation from the academic community to which he had belonged all his working life. The negative pressure was so great that he became concerned even for his physical health.

Then, in my daily Bible reading, the next chapter to read was Acts 4 and I saw the same thing. Verse 2 talks of people “being greatly disturbed that [the apostles] taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” It was an uncomfortable truth because they thought they had gotten rid of Jesus and His teachings.

What was their response? Threats and intimidation. Same response as we see today when people speak out a truth that upsets certain apple carts. To me, resorting to such tactics is evidence of intellectual bankruptcy and insecurity. If some idea or ideology is wrong, counter it with truth, not with threats.

Praise God the apostles spoke up boldly, refusing to obey man rather than God. May all God’s people have such boldness!

THE REAL LORD’S PRAYER

John chapter 17 is the chapter that rightfully deserves the title "The Lord's Prayer".  Jesus, who is actually God incarnate, is about to end His earthly life. It is a crucial moment in history. So what would be the intimate thoughts of Jesus at that moment?  What concerns and desires would weigh upon Him? John 17 tells the story.

Some people have suggested that Jesus exper-ienced a moment of weakness at Gethsemane when He prayed for His cup to pass away but there is no hint of weakness here, only persistent and steadfast dedication.

The prayer is actually a combination of assorted prayers and declarations about His finished work. Ten times in the passage, we read the words "I have."  By reading verses 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 18, 22, 25 and 26, we can see what Jesus considered to be His greatest accomplishments.  There is no mention in this prayer of miracles or signs and wonders (not that I would disparage such things in any way – I’m a true believer in miracles for today!)  But no, the prayer is not about miracles. Instead, v14 is typical of His statements within this prayer: "I have given them (the disciples) Thy Word..."

Of the eight requests made by Jesus in His prayer, two of them concern the glory of the Father and six of them are prayers for the disciples.

Jesus prayed that His disciples should be: a) protected (kept) through God’s name, v11; b) kept from the evil one, v15; c) sanctified by the truth, v17; d) united as one, v21; and e) that they would be with Him and see His glory, v24.

The other one, by the way, is found in v9 and is only a general prayer.

It is easy to see the fulfilment for some of these prayer points.  But consider v21.  Jesus prayed that His disciples should be one, in the same way as He and the Father are one.  It seems impossible, but the prayer of Jesus is proof that it WILL happen.