Faith

Two Messages Exploring Our Humanity

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Pieter Stok

Recently two videos have been recommended to me. Both (with the usual caveat that we read and watch material critically) are well worth watching and being challenged by.

The first was recommended by one of my daughters (an introvert) and she found this to be very affirming of her own character and traits. Teachers and pastors, I believe, will be challenged by this.

Susan Cain speaks about the power of introverts

The second is also a TED video and speaks of vulnerability. Brene Brown speaks of her own journey. Christians, I believe have a chapter to add to this story about the one who made himself totally vulnerable for us, but even by itself, it is a powerful image of our humanity.

Brene Brown speaks about vulnerability

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Two Images of God’s Unique Creation

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Pieter Stok

All God’s creatures are unique:

An Emu getting up close and personal. He was after my wife's bread roll.

Here is proof! A marsupial that doesn’t often drink and a bird that doesn’t fly.

A Koala drunk on eucalyptus leaves having a snooze.

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The Night Sky – continued

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Pieter Stok

After being amazed by the night sky two nights ago, my wife and I spent time looking at Psalm 8. Here are a few thoughts:

1. Psalm 8 echoes Genesis 1. We see God’s creation reflected in the Psalm: from stars to fish but it ends in the highpoint – the creation of man in his own image.

2. It is very easy to feel insignificant after staring at the stars for too long. But both Genesis 1 and Psalm 8 remind us that we have been created (and recreated in Christ) with a purpose – to glorify God.

3. The Psalm starts with “Lord,our Lord“, This opening acknowledges both the majesty of a creating God but also the intimacy of a God with whom we are called into relationship.

4. The thought that my wife, especially, delights in, is that God uses the small and weak, that is, “children and infants” to give Him praise, and by so doing His enemies are silenced. It is so easy for us to take on the world’s ideals and methods of strength and power. God’s are totally different. His son at the weakest moment, dying on a Roman cross, achieved victory over death, sin and Satan. The seemingly small and weak in the family of God share in, and can attest to, that victory and thereby silence the mocking world.

Your homework! Find a good, cloudless, night time place where pollution and light pollution is absent. Spread a blanket on the ground and just stare and wonder at the majesty of the stars. Then read Psalm 8 (use a torch) and allow God to remind you of where you fit into His eternal plans. As Jesus’ brothers and sisters we share in His eternal rule.

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The Night Sky

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Pieter Stok

Tonight my wife and I were looking at the night sky with the aid of the Night Sky app. We are in the country away from the city lights and pollution. The night sky is just brilliant with its display of stars. The Southern Cross, Orion, and big orange Betelgeuse were all set against the brilliance of the Milky Way.

Every time again it is a “wow!” moment.

Now I have two essential choices to make about the origins of this majestic picture. One, it is a giant accident with spectacular results or two, there is a divine hand behind all this.

In Psalm 147:4 we read, “He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” This reveals two incredible aspects of God: His omnipotence and His attention to small details. If the name of each of His stars is important to Him, then what about us, whom He made “a little lower than the angels?”

Psalm 8 tells me that I am important to God. Looking at the stars reminds me of this!

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Youth

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Pieter Stok

“Youth is wasted on the young” George Bernard Shaw

Energy to spend

on chasing, running and childishness.

To have passions that ignite.

Intoxicating dreams that abound

of worlds and hopes, futures

and possibilities.

To be young again!

To have time to wonder

and aspire,

fall and rise

without broken bones –

or bruised hearts.

To be a Jeremiah

– set apart,

Josiah

– doing what is right

David

– with a youthful love of God

or Mary

– with a humble heart.

The priceless, momentary

gift of being young

must not be chained or bound

in our past mistakes.

Free the young

to prophesy and envision,

thrive and grow

so our jaded hearts are gladdened

and God rejoices.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry, Reflections | Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, God, Poem on Sunday, poems, poetry | 2 Comments

Seasons

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Pieter Stok

A few years ago we lived in the UK for 16 months. What struck us was the distinctiveness of the seasons – the warmth and humidity of the Summer, the cold of the Winter and either the coming to life or the dying of Spring and Autumn.

Below are two videos taken from either end of a local street made up of photos taken approximately once every week (or so) over a year. This was not a technically precise exercise. (Click on the photos to be taken to the videos).

Stanier Square

Stanier - Other end

Even in a suburban environment we have glimpses of God. We don’t have to go to the edge of the Grand Canyon or into the starry outback in Australia. The changes of the seasons, the springing into life of the trees, the blossoming of flowers, wherever we are, are all reminders of the divine hand of God.

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The Bible in Graphs

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Pieter Stok

http://www.chrisharrison.net/index.php/Visualizations/BibleViz

At our staff devotions this morning a colleague showed us a graph of the Bible references between the Old and New Testaments. It was a clever pictorial representation of which OT book and chapter connected with the New. In other words, all those references in your Bible have been connected visually. This doesn’t contradict what I said in yesterday’s post about looking for meaning where it is not warranted. In fact, it shows how the meaning and intent of Scripture is beautifully linked. If you are a visual person, this could be a valuable representation of the Word for you. It doesn’t remove the need to read Scripture, however it can add to our appreciation of it.

Chris Harrison has a variety of charts of various aspects of Scripture. http://www.chrisharrison.net/index.php/Visualizations/BibleViz

Categories: Bible, christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Uncategorized | Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith | 2 Comments

William Shakespeare and Psalm 46

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Pieter Stok

William Shakespeare wrote the translation of Psalm 46 in the King James or Authorised Version on his 46th birthday. So the story goes. Forty six words in from the beginning of the Psalm and 46 words in from the end (leaving Selah alone) you find the the words “shake” and “spear.” (Melvyn Bragg, tongue in cheek, “The Book of Books.”) Keeping that in mind, I thought I might have written the translation of one of the Psalms in the NIV. Lo and behold, I went through Psalm 139, one of my favourites, and applied some clever counting, and surprise, surprise I found my name scattered through the Psalm. I must have a claim there somewhere.

I smile when I read stories like that, but it does hide a deeper issue. People seem to enjoy looking for truth in the patterns, letters and numbers rather than the words themselves. May I suggest that the Bible has many, many lifetimes’ worth of reading and studying its actual words in order for us to find, know and do God’s will, that looking for the trivial is not just a waste of time but counter productive.

In Psalm 119:105 we read: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. The truth about the Bible doesn’t get much clearer than that!

Categories: Bible, christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith | Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith | 4 Comments

Warning Signs

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Pieter Stok

Yesterday we were showing a friend along the Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles. There were signs alerting people to the dangers: steep cliffs, falling rocks and so forth. But many people blithely ignored the warnings. Some climbed on the fences to scream at friends way below. Others went to crumbly cliff faces to take a better picture.

What is it about human nature that we disregard clear warnings? We see it in all aspects of life: foolish driving, dangerous work practices, crazy stunts and more.

The saddest area of deafness is in human spirituality. The Bible has many warnings about foolishness. Eccl 4:13 “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning” is just one. We think we can thumb our nose at our Creator.

The unique attribute of Scripture is that it both warns and guides. It tells us about the danger of human foolishness and blindness but it also gives us the antidote – the solution, and that is a relationship with God through Christ. This deals with the biggest danger – death. Eternal death.

Next time we see a warning sign, just remember that it is important. Past experience has been put to good use. More importantly, you can also see it as a metaphor for God’s warning and God’s solution.