The Vine September 2013

Edition 37, September 2012

Connecting Christadelphian Young People

Me You Him Us

The Vine is published quarterly by the Sydney Christadelphian Young People (SCYP)

FROM THE EDITOR

COORDINATOR Georgia Muir.

EDITORIAL TEAM Georgia Muir, Dan Blackwood, Naomi Joseph, Cecelia Muir & Isaac Pogson.

LAYOUT/DESIGN Isaac Pogson.

MASTHEAD DESIGN Alisa Thompson.

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS (in order of appearance): David Henry, Rob Hall, Ben & Naomi Joseph, Eliza Davis, Michaela Teal, Martin Russell, Belinda Burns, Abi Edgecrombe, Kylie Shamwah, Sam Collins PHOTOGRAPHY: Laura McKinlay (pg 3, 6/7, 19 & 27), Lauren O'Toole (pg 8/9/10/11, 18 & 23), Georgia Muir (pg 9 & 20/21), Jess Hyndmarsh (pg 13), Tim Mogg (pg 14 &15) COVER ART: Georgia Muir The Vine is published to the Glory of our Heavenly Father, through whom all things are made possible.

Opinions expressed in The Vine are the authors’ and are not neccessarily held by the Editorial Team or the SCYP. All Bible quotations are from the New International Version (1978) unless otherwise stated. e: thevine@scyp.net To view past editions online visit: scyp.net/thevine & issuu.com/scyp

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Hey there, Welcome to another edition of The Vine! The third for 2013 in fact! Hopefully you’ve been enjoying them and are pumped for another awesome-packed edition!

We’ve got great articles inside these covers - mythbusting, prayer-making and personality-examining are just a few things that describe them.

There are also a few apologies I need to make - we had some mistakes last edition! Sorry to Kate and James Morgan and also Jodie Errington for having their names wrong, and Val Muir for not giving her the credit for the origami tutorial.

So, with all that said, enjoy reading some views about God! Georgia

CONTENTS

HIM EDITION 37 _ SEPTEMBER 2013 4

Myths and Misconceptions

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Who cares about 'Creation'?>

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Drawing Near

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Praise in the Park - Newcastle

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The Shim Sham Shuffle

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Great Expectations

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'I love you and I like you'

22 ACBM 23

Don't You Worry About That!

24 Crossword 26

Music Review

27 Grapevine

Misconceptions

Myths and

In 2013 we live in an atheistic society in Australia. The single biggest "myth" about God is that God doesn't exist.

But God does exist. He is real. He is everywhere, by His spirit. But we can’t see, touch, taste, smell, or hear Him. Our belief in Him is reliant on our faith in Him. But whether or not we believe doesn’t separate us from the fact that He is real and present.

Hebrews 11 explains it as well as it can be explained, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

By David Henry 4

"Here’s a fairly quick look at some popular and common myths or misconceptions about God." “We should fear God”, or, “God is love.”

Yes, and no. God is not all one thing. God is often perceived as being only, for instance, love. That lends the idea to think that God is “nice” and will therefore “let us all off the hook”. Or God is thought of in terms of fear or anger, filled with vengeance and retribution.

“If God is so good why does He allow evil to happen?”

This is often a leading question when something bad has happened in the world.

God doesn't allow bad things to happen or not happen. They just happen.

Look at Jesus’ world 2,000 years ago in Israel. The Jews, God’s chosen people, weren’t in charge.

Injustice reigned supreme. We would think if God was going to do anything about bringing people to account He might have done it then. But He held off because that wasn’t the plan.

“Okay then, God is untouchable and too far out there for Him to be real in my life.”

The veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross. That gave us, the most ordinary, average, everyday, common person, the ability to go before Him with our prayers and supplications.

“God wants us to follow rules and lead a joyless, fun-less life.”

“Once we’re baptised God solves all our problems.”

But problems persist, difficulties arise, sadness visits even after baptism. Baptism doesn’t eliminate the worst of things we’ll experience in life.

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

Romans 14:16-18 “Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too.”

“God only listens to prayer.”

More misconceptions to think about, and in no particular order: God loves the Jewish people more than any others.

God requires us to be perfect before we’re baptised.

God wants an eye for an eye.

God’s will cannot be changed.

God doesn’t love someone as sinful as me.

God wants too big a commitment from me.

Not at all. He hears our thoughts, he sees our hearts, he knows our longings and desires.

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Who cares about ‘Creation’?

Few of us do.

Those who have studied or indeed have practiced in a field of natural science may have a better theoretical appreciation of how marvelously we are created, and how effortlessly the natural world around us exists.

Regardless of the strength of your scientific background, we all live inside a human form, and we all have a practical degree and first hand experience in physical life - both in sickness and non-sickness (health). Good health is something we take for granted. It’s now become an expectation that we should always ‘feel well’, and so in the 21st century when we sense the on-set of the common cold we simply down the trusty ‘Day & Night’ tablets and forge on, treating our body as though it were a man-made machine in need of an oil-top up.

The world in which we live is actually much more complex.

If we’re not convinced of creation’s natural beauty from a distance, we can study it in detail only to find the same. Take for example the reproductive processes implicit in nature … a tree bearing seed has the capacity to reproduce itself many times in one season. We exploit this to feed ourselves; we rely on it when buying the groceries to stuff our faces for the ensuing week! The simplest form in existence, an amoeba, (why simplest?

– well it consists of only one cell) has the ability to reproduce itself again and again and again and faster than that in ideal conditions. Much larger, more complex organisms, (such as ourselves) also have the ability to reproduce, but have we ever stopped to consider which of man’s creations has the ability to reproduce itself?

A Coca-Cola factory produces vast amounts of coke-filled cans and bottles every hour, but can any of these outputs create another of itself? Can the world’s most advanced micro-chip reproduce itself?

A self-replicating machine would need to have the capacity to gather energy and raw materials, process the raw materials into finished components, and then assemble them into a copy of itself. Further, for a complete self-replication, it must, from scratch, produce its smallest parts, such as bearings, connectors and delicate and intricate electronic components. It just ain’t gonna happen!

Can you imagine this all happening by chance? Even man, with all his intellect, has no hope of ever achieving a self-replicating anything … and yet we are surrounded by selfreplicating creation machinery everywhere! And this self-replicating machinery can also sustain serious damage from external forces - physical, disease, malnutrition - and simply manages to repair itself. Perhaps we sometimes miss the trees for the forests.

And so what does the person who had the most powerful chunk of grey-matter have to say on this topic?

“Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe – a spirit vastly superior to that of man; and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble”.

This sits well with Isa 57 v15. Further; “I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know his thoughts, the rest are details.”

The Genesis record sets this out in simple terms, translatable into any tongue, for all generations to read. How amazing is this.

Rob Hall

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Drawing near: your unique worship-relationship style Sometimes I think I can read people’s thoughts – it doesn’t take much. You know those people who you can tell what they are thinking by one single glance? It might just be a facial expression, their stance, hand gestures, the words or tone they are using. Sometimes people are like an open book and in one instant I can tell how they feel about me. I know if they’re mad, I know if they’re in-love, I know if they are disappointed, relaxed, nervous or impatient. But with God, I’m not always so sure.

The basis of Christianity is about growing a relationship with an invisible being. It’s not as simple as a quick glance to catch a facial expression, or get a reassuring squeeze of the hand or a kick under the table to let you know where your relationship is at. So how do you know how you’re doing? How do you maintain a relationship? How do you keep it personal?

Throughout the whole bible, God asked humans to move in his direction and become close to him through different forms of worship. In the Old Testament, Israel’s population was encouraged to “worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 29v2) and to bring offerings before Him at the temple. People followed a one-size-fits-all religion. There were rules about what you should wear, where you should go, how much you should give, what you should do if you were feeling far away from God. It was very complex, very routine, very ritualistic, but at least you knew where you stood with God. At least you knew if God was happy with you or not. Once a year the High priest would go into the most holy place and make ‘atonement’ for the sins of the people and everyone knew where they sat in their relationship with God. When Jesus came he emphasized a system of worship that was no longer a one-size-fits-all religion but a deeply personal relationship. Jesus said he had come to “fulfill the law” (Matt 5v17) and that “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4v23). Paul explains this personal worshiprelationship like this: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...”

(Hebrews 10:19-22).

This verse says that everything that stood between us and God has been removed through the blood of Jesus. “I don’t feel adequate”, “I don’t have the right words”, “I’m a sinner” - all of this was dealt with through the blood of Jesus. There’s no ritual we have to follow anymore, no prescriptive rules about how we should come to God. This verse from Hebrews asks us to take advantage of an invitation – Jesus has opened up an invitation that sits waiting for us and we can have confidence to enter into a deep, daily, spiritual relationship with the Father and draw near.

We often think of worship as an event that we attend, something that involves a specific emotion, artistic expression, music, raised hands, movement, clapping. We treat it like a kind of isolated thing – out on it’s own – a bit disconnected from the reality of our everyday lives. We book in praise and worship events weeks in advance and wait in anticipation for them to come around. Or we plan and structure the event so it’s the biggest and best experience we can have – And don’t get me wrong, that’s a great thing…But I think worship is more than that, I think it runs deeper.

Colossians 3v16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” This verse says that the “word of Christ” should not only affect you in your spiritual life like teaching and singing, but in “whatever you do”. So connecting with God cannot only be when we’re singing our hearts out at a worship night, or studying a passage of scripture, or at church or a conference. This personal worship-relationship doesn’t only come into play when we’re on a spiritual high, this relationship needs daily attention so we can grow closer to God and build a strong connection with Him. But the question is…How? God wants us to draw near to Him, but how? I want to have a vibrant, daily relationship with God, but how?

How do I connect, how do I express this? I want to draw near, but how?

An author, Gary Thomas, wrote a book called Sacred Pathways that outlines his observations about different ways that people draw close to God. These are not biblical categories, but I think they are helpful in coming to understand our unique styles of worship. Although the only path to God is through Jesus, we all have our unique way of coming to know, love and accept Jesus and, in turn, connect with God. See over the page to define your style!

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You see, if we don’t understand that people develop a connection with God differently, then we can fall into some pretty big holes. One of greatest temptations is to expect that following after a spiritual role model will bring us closer to God. It’s a pretty classic example – we look at someone who we think is godly, they are in-touch with God, they seem to have this amazing, unquenchable thirst for God and it’s tangible in their life. Then we think “I want that kind of relationship. I want desperately to draw near to God as well”. Then we think, “I wonder how they do that” and we discover that perhaps they attend a silent monastery once a month where they spend 2 days in complete silence, just being with God and feeling his presence. Then we think “THAT is the way to connect with God…I must get myself to a silent monastery”. Then, once we get ourselves to the monastery, we realise that there is only silence. Then we think “I don’t feel anything, why? There must be something wrong with me, or there must be something wrong with God.” The trouble in this example is that the role model almost certainly follows an ‘aesthetic’ type of worship, and the other person requires a different stimulus to draw them close to God. You see, if you think that the only way to reach a healthy worship-relationship with God is through one particular avenue, then you can end up misjudging your own spirituality. You can pass by the road that leads you to Jesus while trying to walk someone else’s journey.

Another temptation is to begin judging other churches or other believers. Maybe the activists look at a church full of enthusiasts and start thinking “so how many wells has your church built in Africa?” Or the enthusiasts look over at a church full of intellectuals and think – “Oh boy, they have not yet found the joy of the lord: we’ll pray for them”. Or in a marriage, the intellectual wife complains “my husband won’t be the spiritual leader in our family” without considering that her husband doesn’t connect with God through considering bible parallels, he’s a care-giver and connects with God when he voluntarily picks-up the elderly for bible class.

So although we are all on the same journey, we are all seeking the same goal and we all want to draw near to God, the road we travel will be different and our expression and experience in trying to gain a connection will vary. People who follow different styles will respond differently to the bible, will pray differently, will serve differently at church and God will work differently with them in their every day lives.

One final verse from James 4v8: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you”. Take some time to think about the way this works. God has done everything possible to reach out to you. In sending Jesus, he has broken down any “wall of separation” (Ephesians 2:14) that made it difficult for us to draw near. He has opened an invitation that sits and waits for anyone to respond and in reply, he promises that if we draw near, he will draw even closer to us. This is the essence of worship – a daily, deep, open connection with the Father. So choose an activity that you can fit into your own routine that works for you. Move in God’s direction in your own unique worship-relationship. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you.

This article is based on a series of talks I listened to called “You’ve Got Style” by Andy Stanley. If you’d like to hear the full series go to: http://store.northpoint.org/you-ve-got-style-1.html Written by Ben and Naomi Joseph

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The Traditionalist: You worship God in the processes you take. Religious structure and traditional symbols that have lasted the test of time are where you experience God. You enjoy reading prayers of others, singing ancient and holy hymns, following a daily-bible-reading-companion that has been used for hundreds of years and feeling connected to worshippers throughout the generations who have done the same. This means you’re going to need to make a daily habit of kneeling beside your bed with palms together, or reciting a well-known prayer. But of course, we need to be careful that these things are not merely words – maybe you want to do some research into the history of the prayer? Or maybe you have a family prayer that you can learn and recite together.

The Naturalist: You connect with God in nature. You feel closest to God on a bushwalk, watching a sunset, at dawn in the surf, or watching the stars. You’re going to need to invest in one of those waterproof bibles you can buy and it’s going to need to be compact, because you’re going to want to connect and soak up the word while you are outside in nature. So this week, maybe download an audio-book of the bible to your iPod and get out for a run while listening to it.

Drawing Near: Define my Style "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you"

The Aesthetic: For you, worship is all about finding quiet time when you are alone and able to focus on connecting with God. The passage about “the still small voice” sums up the essence of a spiritual relationship. Your favorite times at church are the seconds before a prayer is said and the moment straight after communion, when everything is silent for a moment and you simply remember that God is filling that space. Because it’s you and God…That’s it. It’s going to be important for you to try and find a daily, quiet space. Maybe it means you need to find a half hour in the morning or night when everyone else is in bed, or maybe you can combine this with a walk: just to get some peace and quiet away from the world. Or maybe you want to look into booking yourself into that silent monastery retreat… just find something that connects you personally and make it happen.

The Intellectual: You draw near to God through understanding parallel concepts in scripture and being able to connect the dots. A spiritual experience for you was when you understood the promises to Eve, The Serpent, Abraham and David and how they culminated in the person of Jesus. You enjoy drawing and colouring in your bible and finding new truths about God across different sections of scripture. You love a deep, intellectual, religious commentary and possibly leading a small group or giving a talk at church. This means that to build up your relationship with God, you’re going to have to invest in some good reading material – maybe a few commentaries, some Christian books, a good online concordance. Maybe make a plan to visit Koorong once every 2 months or so. And have a chat to a leader at your church or youth group about preparing a presentation, or being involved in a study group.

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The Sensate: Sounds, Sights, Touch, Taste and Smell. For you, it’s about the harmony in the music, the beautiful artwork on the walls, the feel of the pages between your fingers, the sweet taste of the wine, the smell of the incense burning. When your senses are firing, it’s a spiritual moment and you and God are rubbing shoulders. Now, your heightened awareness can sometimes be the biggest help and also the biggest hindrance when it comes to relationships with others. Sometimes you catch yourself thinking: “I just get the feeling that they don’t like me very much…” and you know this kind of thinking is detrimental to your wellbeing. But you can also gauge really well where others are at emotionally. You know that there are things going on behind the scenes in people’s lives that are affecting their relationship with you, or maybe it’s the other way around. You must push beyond the uncomfortable. Use your feelings, emotions and touch to approach the issues you have with the person. Do it over a meal. Meet up in a positive beautiful setting. Use your senses as a positive influence on your relationship with the person.

The Activist: You connect with God when you’re changing the world. A spiritual experience was that time you volunteered for a charity and felt like you made a difference. You love historic characters like Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, The Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa – spiritual people, living spiritual lives that provide hope for others.

You believe Jesus was a radical, socialistic, revolutionary freedom-fighting warrior and you love it! You’re pumped for the Kingdom and you’ll do anything to make it happen now! But there is a temptation to become obsessive in your endeavors. Go and speak to the person that you feel is holding you back from making a change for the better.

Hear their side of the story. Really listen. And always be honest with your intentions for the changes you want to make. Treat the people that are “standing in your way” as you would the people you are trying to help.

The Care Giver: You have an affinity with the Activists, but you feel connected to your spiritual self when making a difference in the life of an individual. You worship God by looking after the widow, the poor, and the hungry. You see how God works in the lives of others. You get great spiritual satisfaction when you are working as God’s hands and feet. You rarely have big conflicts with people, but when you do, they will seem huge and insurmountable. You are the person that knows that good relationships with others are vital for healing. So as much as it hurts to heal your relationships with others, Jesus says you will draw closer to him if you really truly love those around you and overcome the barriers you face in difficult relationships.

The Enthusiast: God’s cheerleaders. You’re the people with your hands in the air at praise nights. There’s always a place and time for a “woohoo!” You love praise and worship music. You’re highly emotional and don’t want to be weighed down by the details. You’re closest to God in the emotion of the moment - when the music is loud and the lights are down low, or you’re caught up in the excitement of a sermon. So in your daily life, this means that you need to dedicate some time to filling your heart with God’s music or thoughts; you need to get happy on the download button and fill your iPod with stimuli – both music and sermons – and then try to make a habit of getting this into your heart every day.

The Contemplative: You have a real heartfelt devotion, you journal your prayers, you enjoy coming up with ideas for exhorts or worship songs. You enjoy living inside your thoughts with God, just reading a passage from the Bible, listening to a worship song and sitting with the ideas, images and feelings that it portrays. You don’t necessarily do this alone, in fact you enjoy oneon-one discussions about your spiritual ideas and feel connected to God when others understand and contribute to these thoughts. So you’re probably going to need to find a quiet half hour each day to just sit and contemplate. Allocate yourself some time each day – when driving to work, or during your lunch break – make some dedicated time to listen to a praise song or do a bible reading and just ruminate on its meaning. And maybe tape a little reminder note on your coffee mug to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

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Praise in the Park

Newcastle, 29 June 2013 Have you ever had to change plans because of the rain? Well if you went to Praise in the Park Newcastle you would have been redirected into the warmth of Gosford Hall. Welcoming well-known faces you might have wondered if this preaching event had lucked out with bad timing.

Soon the church is teeming with the chatter of close friends and sweet smell of free coffee. Filled with affirmation from a morning preaching to the converted, you settle in under the fairy lights, excited for the first act.

The Heritage College band was made up of toddlers who had suddenly grown into enthusiastic, talented young people. You’re unable to avoid the contagious joy that comes from young people who love praising God. The rain is forgotten as the sound of worship takes over.

You love the music but you can no longer ignore the juicy smell of BBQ. Time for some lunch and maybe you’ll even do some preaching. But you don’t.

You grab another coffee and head quickly back in because you have just heard that Susie is on. You were going to be sociable but now everyone in the hall is quiet. Susie brings the music that feeds the soul because vulnerability is powerful. Lyrics offered up in such a way stay with you all week.

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By late afternoon you’re feeling a buzz; perhaps it’s your third coffee, or it could be that Damascus Road has the whole crowd singing along. After the set there is still energy, and musicians from local and afar jump up for a spontaneous jam session. Audience members demanding “the classics” were not disappointed and fun runs through the rest of the afternoon.

On reflection, the rain helped bring to light what we have to share with others. We have the ability to share faith comfortably with friends and a joy that comes from praising God. In God’s timing there will be another Praise in the Park Newcastle and we pray that you will be there.

by Eliza Davis

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The Shim Sham Shuffle – Wow, what a night! On the 27th of July 2013 we all got together at Hurstville Hall to have an awesome time boogying the night away. This was a 40’s and 50’s theme and boy did everyone look the part! The night started off with some mingling and dinner of retro American style food and of course the 50’s milk bar itself – complete with the finest milkshakes money can buy. Then the real fun started when some professional rock ‘n’ roll dance teachers came in and taught us all how to dance properly. We all rotated partners so it was a very social occasion and amazing fun. After the teaching was done the incredible big band took the stage and played a great selection of songs that we could all dance to and try out our

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newly learned moves, including “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, “Spider Man” and “In the Mood.” There was some great music by Pete & Julia Gaston and Bradley Stone (and friends) that had us all swingin’ away and enjoying ourselves immensely. We topped it all off with some dessert and then danced and mingled until it was time to head home. All in all a great night – thanks to all the people involved and especially to Dan Blackwood, Sam Collins, Lizzy and Phil Pooley for keeping the project going to the end. Best of all we raised over $5000 for Praise in the Park 2014! This truly was a night to remember.

Review by: Michaela Teal

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

BY CHARLES DI ... MARTIN RUSSELL “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

“So, like, I’ve totally been asking God for, like, a Ferrari.”

“That’s so cool man. Wish I’d, like, thought of that.”

“I know – like, it’s gonna be sweet when it comes.”

Good luck.

“So, like, I’ve totally been asking God for, like, an iphone.”

“That’s so swag. Wish I’d, like, thought of that.”

“I know – like, it’s gonna be amazing when it comes.”

Hmm. What are our expectations from God? Which of these two situations would we expect He would be ‘able’ to achieve?

Does God answer our requests? Is it chance that we may end up with an iphone? Is it lack of faith that we don’t end up with a Ferrari?

These are all questions we ask when thinking about our expectations of God. What do I want from God? What should I expect from Him? It’s challenging to place a right/wrong statement on this.

Different ways we might think about it: • We could say that we should expect nothing from God, rather it is He that places expectations on us; a serving relationship only; all about obedience; no reward necessary. 1Sa 15:22 Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. Deu 4:1 Israel, listen to the laws and rules I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you will live...

• We could say that we expect/hope for a reward from God, in the future. 2Ti 4:8 There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord ... shall give me at that day.

• We could say that we expect what we ask for – anything. Matt 17:20 - If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move a mountain. Luk 18:7 ...shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him...

• We could say that we might expect God to reward those that are faithful, both now and in the future.

Job 42:10 ...the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Gen 13:2 Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

1Ki 3:13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour...

Gen 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand...

• We could expect a life time of suffering – after all, believers in God shouldn’t really fit into the world we know. Jesus suffered, Job suffered, Samson, Jeremiah and John. Glory in adversity.

• We could also say that we might expect Him to provide for us with the bare necessities only.

Mat 6:26 Look at the birds. They don't plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?

What is right? What is the company line? What can we expect of God? With that many different types of examples, and evidence seemingly supporting them, it can be confusing.

How does it work?

How much we expect from God almost seems like a conflict between our faith and humility.

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FAITH: We are faithful enough to ask and expect that God will respond. Eg, “Pray for rain, you better take an umbrella”. OR “Pray for a Ferrari, better build a garage”. ?? ... but ...

HUMILITY: we are humble (and realistic) enough to understand it might not be God’s will, and that we might not need rain right now, or a Ferrari.

And these two characteristics dance an interesting battle in our mind.

When someone we know is on their absolute deathbed, we might pluck up the courage to pray that God might return them to health. Our logical reasoning in our human mind tells us that it is ‘impossible’ for that person to get back to full health. Yet we know God is the owner of ‘impossible’ – “With God, nothing is impossible”.

So we might pray, but then we add “if it be your will”, almost like a contract fine print. And there is nothing wrong with saying that – in fact Jesus did it just before his crucifixion. But right here is our battle. The battle between what we want, w hat we think is realistic, what we know is possible and what we think is God’s will.

It’s all tied upin what we expect from God. Do we believe in short term miracles, or do we rather think that God works long term only?

So many questions – no answers. Maybe that’s the point. There are no exact answers that fit every situation. As well, we are all different and we all approach God from vastly different backgrounds and structures.

Personally, I see God as a long term player. My theory is that He is more likely to fulfil your questions / expectations in the long term than short term. But I’m sure many other people have their own interpretation and ‘take’ on this topic. How long is long term? I don’t know!! It could be an hour to 100 years (or even 7,000 years!). But He will answer!

Fortunately, that brings out the one certainty. God answers what you ask (aka prayer). He might not fulfil, but He will answer. I would stake my life on it. And the best thing – His answer or communication is immediate. A prayer to God is like a superhighway/NBN/direct link to Him. You have for that moment direct access to the creator. He knew what you were going to ask before you asked it (Mat 6:8). He is able to answer it immediately, back down the line – it’s just we don’t know how to listen to the answer (yet!).

But don’t head down that “Well if He already knows what I want, why should I ask?” route. Prayer isn’t about getting stuff. It’s about communication. With no prayer we have no communication. How can He answer if you haven’t asked?

So what are the possible answers to your prayer? It’s pretty simple: • Yes • No • Wait Using the Ferrari as the example: • Yes: BOOM, the Ferrari immediately appears in your garage. Impossible? No. (2Ki 6:17 Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes so that he may see." The LORD opened the servant's eyes <insert BOOM> and let him see.)

• No: Sorry, no, not at all. No Ferrari now, in the short term or in the long term. It’s not going to help you, others or God (Mat 26:39 ..."Father, if it's possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.")

• Wait: Basically, it’s a yes, but not yet. You’re not ready for a Ferrari yet (long term prayer). (examples: Hannah, Israel in the land, thief at the cross)

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Expectations are not just about prayer. They cover a whole load of other areas. Here are a few more.

Can we expect ...

• a relationship with Him if we want it? Yes. • forgiveness if we ask it? Yes. • answers if we seek them? Yes. • eternal life if we choose Him? Yes. • an immediate answer to a request? Yes. • inner peace? Yes. • a fulfilment of promises He’s made? Yes. Can we expect ...

• riches? No. • popularity? No. • stability? No. • security? No. • acceptance? No. • answers if we don’t seek them? No. • a relationship with Him if we don’t keep in touch? No. • eternal life if we reject Him? No. We can also expect that God will never, ever, ever forsake/give up on us (Heb 13:5). If anything can comfort us, surely it is that!

----So the flipside - What does God expect from us?

Some people think that God expects nothing from them, but will for some reason answer their requests. They don’t have a relationship with Him, but question why He could let something bad happen to them.

Some fit God into their lives when it suits them.

Some balance between God, others and self.

Some fit their lives completely around their concept of Godly behaviour to the detriment of others and self.

Some lock themselves in isolation to keep ‘unspotted’, and are so inward focussed they miss the point of being around for other people (Jam 1:27 Pure religion before God is to visit the fatherless and widows and keep unspotted from the world).

Only Self

Focussed

God and Others Focussed

Only God Focussed

Where is the perfect ‘sweet spot’ that God is after? I don’t know there is one exact perfect spot for everyone. It’s very broad. It’s pretty obvious it isn’t at the extremes – a relationship with God is essential (not only self ), but it can’t be just with God (what about your neighbour?) – as Jesus’ two commands state. By the way, I don’t think the order of those two commands is by chance – • Love God first • Love others as yourself second So the ‘sweet spot’ seems like it should be more towards the “God” area and “Other” area than self.

I’m pretty sure that if you are reading this, you know you aren’t at that ‘sweet spot’ yet. You know you could do more. You know that God expects more of you. If you are anything like me, you sit in a meeting on a Sunday or 18

during a moment of self reflection, and realise you don’t do enough. And in that moment you resolve to do better, to involve God in everything you do, to be in constant conversation with Him, to take in more from what He’s left for us, to help more people.

But again, if you are anything like me, you walk out of the place or move on from the moment and completely forget the new resolve. I really hope that’s ‘normal’, because I do it all the time. But I am reassured that that is one of God’s expectations – to constantly strive to do better.

God’s other expectations are also important to mention: Does God expect: • faith, hope and love? Yes. • thanks and praise? Yes. • us to spread the word? Yes. • a relationship with communication? Yes. • acknowledgement/baptism? Yes. • faith in action? Yes. • obedience? Yes. • a constant striving to do better? Yes. Does God expect: • money? No. • popular followers? No. • endless knowledge? No. • isolation? No. • perfection? No. • sacrifice? No. • professionalism? No. God’s basic expectations are pretty clear, and fairly obvious if we take the time to get to know Him. If you want it all wrapped up in one spot, try this: Mic 6:8 He hath shewed you, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? ----So how do we deal with the disappointment of unmet expectations? How do we deal with an answer to a prayer that is either ‘no’ or ‘wait’? Just hang in there? Just wait?

We know God ‘knows’ best. That’s an absolute fact. Whatever our unmet request may be, God has a reason. It might be to build faith. It might be to teach a lesson. It might be to build character. Joseph was in prison for years for something he didn’t do, and he surely prayed to be let out – but the time wasn’t right for God. Israel prayed for a Messiah, but God waited. We pray for the kingdom, but God is yet to answer in full.

We want/demand answers immediately. But God doesn’t work like that, and through patience He delivers what is right. Joseph was delivered at the perfect time to take a presidential position. God delivered a Messiah at the perfect time in history. He will deliver a kingdom at a time that makes complete sense.

Have belief that He is doing best, knows best, and has perfect fingertip control of the world and of the way that every aspect of your life might pan out. Throw abandon to the wind, back off and stop thinking you have any control in the first place. God has a plan in mind, so let it happen!

So what do I do? I’m waiting for something to happen? In the words of Monty Python – “Get on with it!”. In other words – pray, expect an answer, get on with life. He HAS answered, He MIGHT fulfil! He’s just waiting for you to ask and “get on with it”.

stop | pray | do

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'I love you and I like you' Warning: I'm writing this like I'm just having a conversation with you with something yummy to eat, so I break grammar rules all over the place!

So we're told that God loves us, but does that mean he always likes us?? This is an unhelpful question. It's an unhelpful way to think about God, I think. Perhaps it's about getting specific on what you mean when you ask the question. Do you mean generally, do you mean in a specific area, do you mean in this moment, or that moment...??

Are you asking God if he approves of something, a choice, a direction, a pleasure that's hard to give up?

Or maybe you find it hard to understand why God would take any interest in you at all, let alone like you - but you get that he loves you, because he's got to, right??

This is important, because, friend (because we know each other so well), let's face it - it's just not as black and white as you think, or as simple for that fact. But in any case, to answer plainly, yes. God likes you. Let's get this very clear. He may not enjoy all the things that you do, but, pretty simply, he 'likes' you.

However, I wonder if it's possible for you to be ok with the possibility that God does and doesn't like you. I think the most relevant likeness to this idea is when my mother used to say (cause I'm so mature now haha) "I love you, but I don't like you right now!"

At times, it may seem that we have a fickle God... fiercely protective, unforgivably strict, outpouring with love, then raging with jealousy, then quietly peaceful, then burning with anger, at times reflective, patient, chatty, then silent for years. Does this yoyoing state of emotions remind you of anyone? If I'm not mistaken, it's awfully like people. It's very human.

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Don't lose sight of this.

The other thing I often think about is this: God didn't make a mistake when he made humans. If you believe that God knows all that has happened and will happen, then you inadvertently accept that he is ok with humanity as it is. I know you will have all sorts of opinions on that statement, but I guess what I really mean is that God is choosing to let humanity run its course.

Can I just say, it doesn't make sense that a God who has as much power and control as the one we have would let an imperfect world exist if he didn't have a vision - so this is it for me...God is content with less than best, because he has a vision. He values what will come out of 'us' far more than he values the option of just creating it perfect in the first place. And in this, I think all the questions we have about God relating to us, loving us, liking us, putting up with us end in an almighty YES! Trying to convince you that your God is on your side is like your best girl friend (sorry if you're a guy insert male equivalent here) telling you that you look pretty, 100 times a day, every day. It's as reliable as the sun rising every day, it's as relieving as relieving a bursting bladder, it's as frustrating as NSW losing the origin (for the 8th year in a row!!) it's as directive as traffic lights (in most places anyway), as unique as DNA, as poetic as 'Bon Iver', as covered as a 'Birdy' song, as simple as 1+1...... It's repeated a thousand times over. The end. You get my point?

God created you like this, with something in mind - so fundamentally, He 'likes' you.

Strip it back until you get the right question start with what you know about God. You see, the problem people had with putting rules down was that they lost sight of the intent behind the rule... we're a bit obsessed with ticking the boxes, and can forget why the boxes exist in the first place! So really, God wants us to THINK. Think about what we do, the effect it has on your life, on those around you, and what effect it has on God (Isn't it an incredible thought to think that we can affect God deeply.....).

That's your first job. The rest merely flows on from there.

There are no prescriptions for this, but it might help if you start with a few questions that will get you to think about building values in your life, cultivating things that will make it easier for you to see the good you can do. Let's start with 3: 1. Do you care if God 'likes' you?

that. It's like I get what he's trying to do, I care about it, and I'm trying to be like that for other people. You know, it doesn't always happen - but I'm aware and trying....and thankfully, that's enough.

So maybe just forget about the rules for now, and simply think on what God has done, and made, and what that speaks. God is in the things he says as much as he is in the things he doesn't say, in the things he does as much as in the things he doesn't do. He remains a mystery at times, not to be distant, but to be discovered. After all, isn't that what we all want? To be discovered and valued for who we are...?? God never intended to be made into an image, he warned us about that. Try to see God for who he is, and not what he can do for you, or even for what you can do for him - that, my friends, is what he would like most of all.

Written by Belinda Burns

2. What do you think/know about what God values? (eg beauty, honesty, humour) 3. What do you value?

To me, God is never unjustly angry, never jealous for an unjust cause, never quiet without reason; he is zealous for love, he is passionate about beauty, he is extravagant and generous, and most of all (and I feel this most in my season of life now) - he is patient. He is a God who is content to put up with a world and a system that isn't perfect yet.

I suggest to you that all the things he (God) shows to us (including the vast array of emotions and responses he has) are the things he values in us. So when I'm patient (with myself and others) he likes 21

acbm Asia-Pacific

Christadelphian Bible Mission

by Abi Edgecrombe The ACBM is an organisation that was set up by the ecclesias throughout Australasia to co-ordinate preaching efforts throughout the Asia Pacific region.

This was done some 50 years ago, and since then, the gospel has spread to over 20 countries; there are now over 5,000 brethren and sisters in the Asia Pacific region!

So many exciting activities are conducted every year – from Youth Conferences and Bible Schools, to vacation care activities for school children and orphanages, to preaching campaigns and Bible Education Centres.

• Be more flexible • Be more transparent • Be more engaged • Collaborate with other welfare organisations like:

• Meal-a-Day Fund

• Tim Stone Mission Fund

• Bethézer Foundation • Utilise updated technology As part of the review recommendations the ACBM has changed its name from the “Australasian” to “Asia Pacific” Bible Mission. This reflects the growing number of brethren and sisters around the region and the increasing frequency of these brethren and sisters travelling to other regions on mission work of their own. It is so exciting to see these developments and the enthusiasm of our extended families.

Check out our new logo too – another part of the changing face of the ACBM to re-invigorate our activities.

It is so exciting to see the raw enthusiasm of our brothers and sisters and young people in these areas.

As an example, look at the passion of two members of the ecclesia in Nepal. They travel for 13 hours by bus every Friday to spend Saturday with their brothers and sisters learning and enjoying fellowship – and then they travel home 13 hours by bus every Sunday!

Amazing dedication. Elsewhere there are young people who travel for up to 2 days by bus, boat and bike to get to youth conferences.

On a local front, recently the ACBM conducted a review of its operations here in Australasia to test whether the organisation was operating at its most efficient. There were some really interesting and relevant call outs from the feedback received through the review. Some of these were:

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There are lots of ways you can get involved. The NSW team is putting together a new plan on how to operate so there are great opportunities to use your skills to help our brethren and sisters. There are some initiatives that specifically require the skills and energy of young people – so reach out to us if you’re keen!

One awesome opportunity is the Preaching / Youth Conference to be held in Malaysia at the end of 2014.

Called “Cahaya” which means Light is Malay – this Conference is going to be centred around mission work – with workshops and learning opportunities in the first week and then a second week of practical mission work in areas around Asia. Check out the advertisement for more details (www.cahaya2014. com).

The ACBM is reaching out to you as a young person to help you connect with, encourage and support other young people and brethren and sisters around the region. There’s plenty to do, so they can always use your help!

Don't You Worry About That!

“What is your name?”, Moses asked God. Curiously, the answer seems to be an echo of what Moses said about himself:- Moses: “Who am I?” (Exodus 3:11) God: “I am that I am! (Exodus 3/14).

It seems to be an innocent enough question. Moses had to go back to Pharaoh and present a case, it seems reasonable that he should give his Sender a name? Perhaps not. It is God in control, and He will meet the need.

Note the italic “am”. The italics in the KJV indicate that there is no “am” in the Hebrew here. There cannot be, because those who know tell us that the Hebrew has no present tense for the verb “to be”. (It has no need. If you can say “I” then of course you are!) The English language props up the “I” by adding “am”. This is a redundancy, like saying “a round circle”.

The tense may actually be future, “I will be”, but in any case is not talking about existence but about being noticed, or sensed. God is not saying He will exist, He is saying He will be sensed. John actually writes about it: “…that which we have heard, which we have seen with the eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (1 John 1:1,2).

God “will be” whatever is necessary to meet the need.

Jesus said so in Matthew 11:19.

It explains why John the Baptist was a severe kind of person, but Jesus was a “friend of publicans and sinners”. “Wisdom is Justified of her children”. “Whatever it takes” we might say, or perhaps even: “don’t you worry about that!” God will rise to the occasion - our simple role is to trust.

Kylie Shamwah

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C R O S SW O R D "God" Verses - From the NIV Across

Down

2. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

1. "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."

3. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

4. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

5. "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."

6. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

7. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul."

7. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

8. "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

12. "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless."

9. "And the words of the Lord are flawless."

14. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father."

10. "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

11. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

13. "'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' declares the Lord."

17. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

18. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

21. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.'"

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15. "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

16. "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

19. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

20. "The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

EXAMPLE ANSWER "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."

G E N E S I S 2 V 2 25

MUSIC REVIEW

New Empire Symmetry (2011) WORDS BY SAM COLLINS

The first time I saw New Empire live was somewhere around 2008/2009. The reason I saw them was because one of their support bands was one of my favourites at the time – Playjerise. In my opinion back then, New Empire were too ‘try hard’ – with haircuts almost too big for the stage, a little bit too much show pony business and they seemed to take themselves too seriously for their age and where they were at in their musical careers at the time. While I had to admit that they had a few good catchy tracks with pretty good lyrics, I wasn’t keen at all to see them again, and never went out of my way to do so. Their main fan base seemed to be made up of 14-16 year olds, and I wondered if they would be capable of breaking out of that age group and creating both music and an image appealing to older fans.

Since then, and despite my determination to ignore New Empire music when it arose, the band continue to grow, finding themselves in both overseas and Australian tours and supporting artists such as Good Charlotte, Relient K and Owl City. I was extremely impressed when I heard one of their new tracks on the radio, ‘One Heart/Million Voices’. I fell in love with the song instantly, with a slight suspicion while listening that this amazing track sounded something like the band I’d tried so hard to avoid.

Sure enough, my suspicion was confirmed when the radio host 26

announced the band as New Empire. I was still sceptical – I told myself that it was probably a one-off lucky track, and tried to remember that I’d seen them a few times before and wasn’t taken.

After continuing to hear this track numerous times, I soon learnt that it was the official theme song for the 2012 London Olympics on Australian television, and realised that this band was maybe better than I realised.

It was mid-2012 when I saw that New Empire were playing at one of my favourite music venues.

I felt compelled to head out and watch them – the gig was in their hometown of Cronulla, so I figured it would be a good place to see them again. If I didn’t enjoy their music I knew I’d at least enjoy the company I was with and the delicious food which the venue had to offer. To put it short I was blown away by their performance.

As a band they seemed to have matured so much since I last saw them live. Beautiful melodies, harmonies, crafty and catchy riffs, interesting key signatures, great lyrics, normal haircuts and genuine guys – my opinion of New Empire had suddenly changed.

Still, I decided I may have caught them at a lucky performance and convinced myself that I didn’t need to purchase their album. Over the following week, however, I found myself playing their songs over and over in my head. I purchased their latest album ‘Symmetry’, and it has been one of the most listened to

albums I have ever had. It must be about a year ago now when I bought it – I’ve listed to those songs a ridiculous amount of times and I still love it.

‘Symmetry’ starts off with an incredibly feel good, catchy track called ‘Across the oceans’. It’s really fresh with a cool riff that repeats itself throughout most of the song, and an interesting drum beat. There are a number of other highlight tracks, including track no.4 ‘Ghosts’ which has an amazing melody and a real R&B feel, and the final track ‘One Heart/Million Voices’ which features an epic breakdown and some kind of key signature I still can’t figure out. There is a total of 12 tracks on the album, not all of which I’m totally taken by. I must admit that there are about 3 tracks which I skip nearly every time I listen to the album as the intensity of the songs is just a little too much. I won’t name these tracks but rather leave it up to you to make up your own mind! All songs are both written and produced by the band’s front man, Jeremy Fowler, who comes across as an all-round nice guy and who, most importantly, can sing live. It took me a long time to come around, but I’m glad I did! Check this CD out and try to see New Empire live if the opportunity ever arises – they are a brilliant band with a lot more great music to come. ß

BIRTHS Chloe Patience Palmer (Rosie & Darren) BAPTISMS Phil Hall Lizzy Halliwell Ben Oostahaizen ENGAGEMENTS Rob Hall and Cas Thiele Phil Hall and Alicia Mansfield Zac Carroll and Sara Wigzell Sam Collins and Sally Thompson WEDDINGS Rosie French and Murray Palmer

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