July 7, 2008 at 2:42 pm (Books, Fizzy Musings, Personal Devotional)
Tags: Bible, Christianity, Jesus, devotionals, God, Books, Bible Study, devotional, Scripture, Spirituality, Christian, Saviour, Savior, meditations, Isaiah 61, Deuteronomy 10, Nehemiah 9, mercy, forgiveness, xenophobia, superhero, comic books
I’ve been reading a book about comic book illustration (1), and was amazed at how a hero can be represented by the shape and style of his / her appearance. Qualities including nose shape, muscle build, the shape of the neck, even the back, they all contribute to identifying the hero by appearance alone.
Being one of those individuals who tends to think too much about most things, I started to wonder what a Bible-based conception of a real hero would be. Far be it from me to reduce my Lord to a mere mythical action figure, so please don’t think that’s what I’m doing. However, His life displayed heroic qualities that go far deeper and are more profound than sculpted abs, muscular thighs and a big chin!
I think Isaiah 61 is a beautiful portrait of the amazing work of the Saviour. I hope it is an encouragement to you.
Isaiah 61:1-3 (The Message)
The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace - a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies - and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory.
He’s out there, healing the brokenhearted who turn to Him. He’s bringing a message of life and joy.
Now, read of the Lord’s amazing character:
Deuteronomy 10:17-18 (New Living Translation)
“The LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and takes no bribes. He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.
The Lord is not a xenophobe! 
Justice for those who cannot achieve it for themselves, the poor, the needy, the widow, the lonely, the orphan. And God is not swayed as humans are. He cannot be bribed into action.
And finally, on these thoughts, the Lord is merciful. He freely forgives, even those who have turned on Him.
Nehemiah 9:17 (New Living Translation)
But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and full of unfailing love and mercy.
Wow!
(1) Hart, C (2007), Simplified anatomy for the comic book artist: how to draw the new streamlined look of action-adventure comics, Watson-Guptill Publications: New York, USA. ISBN-13 9780823047734.
PS - I am enjoying this comic anatomy book. Look it up if you’re into drawing! Even though I don’t personally draw in this style, it is always a useful exercise to expand one’s horizons. And it’s really helped me learn about anatomy, as it applies to drawing, without going into excessive detail.
(2) Scriptures accessed 7 July 2008 at http://bible.crosswalk.com/.
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May 17, 2008 at 8:37 pm (Fizzy Musings, Personal Devotional)
Tags: Christmas, Bible, creation, Christianity, Jesus, Bible Study, New Testament, devotional, Advent
Luke 3:23-38
When Jesus began his work, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, so people thought, of Joseph, who was the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (GNT)
- What nationality is Jesus, according to this genealogy?
- Can you find Biblical references to any of the individuals listed here?
- How far back in history does this genealogy trace Jesus’ human family? Does it suggest any gaps (in a plain reading of the text)?
- How old was Jesus when He began His work? What does this suggest to any 20-something Christians who are worried that they’ve missed their ministry calling?
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May 17, 2008 at 8:31 pm (Fizzy Musings, Personal Devotional)
Tags: Advent, Bible Study, Christianity, Christmas, devotional, God, Jesus, John 1, New Testament, Religion, Spirituality
John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (TNIV)
Where the other three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) focussed more on the natural aspects of Jesus’ birth, the Gospel according to the Apostle John gives us another perspective.
- Who is the person addressed as “The Word?”
- In the first paragraph, what are three attributes of the Word?
- What does this passage say about Jesus’ role in Creation?
- Who was the John who wrote this Scripture, and who was the John mentioned in the text? Are they the same person?
- What have we received from Jesus Christ?
- How do we know God the Father?
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May 17, 2008 at 8:24 pm (Fizzy Musings, Personal Devotional)
Tags: Christmas, Bible, Christianity, Jesus, Matthew 1, Bible Study, New Testament, history, Religion, Advent
Matthew 1:1-17
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Ram the father of Amminadab, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, and Jesse the father of King David. Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Azor the father of Zadok, Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. (NIV)
- What does this Scripture text say to people who thought that Christianity might be an excuse for Anti-Semitism?
- What about for those who suggest that the Old Testament is irrelevant to Christianity?
- Why was Jesus’ genealogy important?
- Can you find records in the Old Testament of any of these individuals? Who were they and why is it significant that Joseph was their descendant?
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May 17, 2008 at 8:23 pm (Fizzy Musings, Personal Devotional)
Tags: Christmas, Bible, Christianity, Jesus, Bible Study, devotional, Advent
Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (NIV)
This passage has some interesting implications… at least, I get a lot out of it!
- When Mary got pregnant, was she married to Joseph?
- What does this suggest about the significance and importance of engagement, before marriage, if Joseph considered divorcing Mary (even though they weren’t yet married)?
- Joseph is described as a “righteous man.” What did he plan to do? How was this righteous? (Considering that an adulterous woman could well be stoned to death in those days.)
- How did God communicate to Joseph? Do you consider this a valid means of God communicating with humans? How did Joseph respond to God’s instructions?
- Did Joseph and Mary ever consumate their marriage? Was Mary a perpetual virgin?
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May 17, 2008 at 8:21 pm (Fizzy Musings, Personal Devotional)
Tags: Christmas, Bible, Christianity, Jesus, Bible Study, Religion, Advent
Luke 1:56-80
Now it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, and it was a boy. The word spread quickly to her neighbors and relatives that the Lord had been very kind to her, and everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, all the relatives and friends came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they asked the baby’s father, communicating to him by making gestures. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John!” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Wonder fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “I wonder what this child will turn out to be? For the hand of the Lord is surely upon him in a special way.”
Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited his people and redeemed them. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant with them, the covenant he gave to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness forever. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” John grew up and became strong in spirit. Then he lived out in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. (NLT)
- What was Zechariah’s prophecy over his son?
- What was his prophecy about the Saviour?
- How does Zechariah describe God’s personality here?
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March 26, 2008 at 12:21 pm (Fizzy Musings, apologetics)
Tags: apologetics, Christianity, creation, devotional, faith, Genesis 2, God, Hebrews 11, Jesus, Psalm 33
This is from the Days of Praise devotional (January 3, 2008), written by Dr Henry Morris. I couldn’t have written it more clearly, so I’ve reproduced it here.
”Instantaneous Creation”
“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created” (Psalm 148:5).
The concept of “fiat creation” is opposed by evolutionists and all who believe in the so-called geologic ages. Nevertheless, this is clearly the teaching of the word of God, and God was there! Psalm 148 exhorts all the stars to praise the Lord, and then notes that, as soon as God spoke, they “were created.” Similarly, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. . . . For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6,9).
It is worth noting that whenever the verbs “create” or “make” are used in reference to God’s work of creation, they are never in the present tense. God is not now creating or making stars or animals or people as theistic evolution requires; at the end of the six-day creation period, in fact, God “rested from all His work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3).
This is the teaching of the New Testament also. “The worlds |that is, the space/time cosmos, the ‘aeons’| were framed |not ‘are being framed’| by the word of God |not ‘by processes of stellar evolution’|, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear |not ‘out of preexisting materials,’ as required by theories of chemical and cosmic evolution|” (Hebrews 11:3).
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself confirmed the doctrine of recent creation. “From the beginning of the creation |not, that is, four billion years after the solar system evolved| God made them |Adam and Eve| male and female” (Mark 10:6). Thus, those who believe in the geological ages are rejecting both the Biblical record and the authority of Jesus Christ in order to attain ephemeral acceptance by the ungodly. This is a poor exchange! HMM
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March 25, 2008 at 12:05 pm (Fizzy Musings, apologetics)
Tags: aliens, apologetics, beliefs, Christianity, God, Jesus, salvation
A recent question that a Christian asked of me:
“Do you think God created life elsewhere in the universe? Otherwise, why would it be so big?”
Some thoughts:
- The Fall of humanity subjected all Creation to the curse of suffering and death (Genesis 3; Romans 8:19-22). So, would intelligent, sentient aliens would suffer for human sin? Is this just?
- The Church, the Body of Christ, is described as as ‘Bride.’ One day the Bride will be married to the Bridegroom (Revelation 21). Is Christ a polygamist? (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:7; Ephesians 5:31.)
- The Bible tells us that God specifically created humanity as His image bearers (Genesis 1:26-27). What about the aliens? Are they super-intelligent yet soulless? Or did God send Jesus to die for them, on their planets, too?
One of my favourite books on this topic is Alien Intrusion, by Australian apologist Gary Bates. It offers a balanced and sensible approach to the topic of alien life forms, and their relation to different worldviews.
I found a short article that summarises some of Bates’ main arguments here. Here is a brief excerpt and a link to the rest of the article.
Did God create life on other planets?
Otherwise why is the universe so big?
by Gary Bates (2006)
Many people, Christian or otherwise, struggle with the notion that the earth is the only inhabited planet in this enormous universe.
Those who believe life evolved on the earth usually see it as virtual ‘fact’ that life has evolved on countless other planets. Discovering life on other planets would in turn be seen as confirming their evolutionary belief.
But even many Christians think, ‘God must have created life elsewhere, otherwise this enormous universe would be an awful waste of space.’ However, our thinking should be based on what God said He did (the Bible), and not what we think He would or should have done. [Read more...]
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March 23, 2008 at 11:42 am (Fizzy Musings, apologetics)
Tags: apologetics, Bible, Catholicism, Christianity, Easter, Gospel, Jesus
Good question! It was one that I often wrestled with as a teenager. Why did we, as Roman Catholics (as I was at the time) celebrate the brutal, torturous death of Jesus? What was the significance of it?
While I don’t have time right now to exposit on it (it is, in essence, a central aspect of the Christan Gospel message), I have written a summary of the Gospel message at http://darthmaulmakesmesmile.wordpress.com/the-bible/.
CMI have published a brief article, “Genesis and the Cross,” on their apologetics ministry website. Here’s a brief extract and link to the rest of the article.
Genesis and the Cross
by Tas Walker [Published: 21 March 2008]
It may seem odd for people to celebrate the humiliating defeat of their leader and hero. But the suffering, shame and death of Jesus Christ are a source of hope to Christians.
No one wants to live in a world where evil is ignored, or worse still, approved. Everyone yearns for justice when they have been mocked, insulted, betrayed or abused. [Read more at http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5679/...]
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March 13, 2008 at 11:10 am (Fizzy Musings, apologetics)
Tags: apologetics, Bible, Christianity, creation, Gospel, Jesus
It’s a reasonable question - if Earth’s history is one of suffering and pain, how could a loving God have created all this? It’s a question that I asked many times… But, for many years, no Christians were able to give me an answer (2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Peter 3:15). That’s not to say that there aren’t answers.
Here’s a link to an article that discusses this issue - written for a Christian audience.
Excerpt from: http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/508/
The god of an old earth
Does the Bible teach that disease, bloodshed, violence and pain have always been ‘part of life’?
by Ken Ham
The late Carl Sagan, in his book Contact, wrote:
‘If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn’t he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why is he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there’s one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He’s not good at design, he’s not good at execution. He’d be out of business if there was any competition.’1
It’s easy to understand why Carl Sagan viewed the God of the Bible this way. Sagan believed that the fossil record, with all its death, mutations, disease, suffering, bloodshed and violence, represented millions of years of Earth’s history. …
Read more…
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March 13, 2008 at 10:59 am (Books, apologetics)
Tags: apologetics, Bible, Christianity, creation, Gospel, Jesus
The poor long-suffering people around me often have to sit through my impromptu apologetics preaching sessions. I can’t help it! Well, I’m sure I could learn to keep my mouth closed but I’m just really enthusiastic about it. I might be biased because it was largely apologetics that opened my mind to the possibility of accepting Christ.
My all-time favourite apologetics resource technically isn’t a book - it’s a magazine! I have been subscribing to it for a few years now and, when each new edition rolls around every 3 months I can’t wait to sit down with a cup of organic green tea and read all about the latest in science, faith, archaeology and society. I feel like I’m starting to sound like one of those awful mid-afternoon telemarketing shows. That’s not true, though. I’m not being paid to promote it!
Anyway, if you’re interested in finding out more, it’s called Creation magazine. As the name suggests, it’s focus is on the world around us, and finding God’s hand at work in nature - whether the amazing diversity of lifeforms, or the complexity of the Universe - I find it an inspiring read.
It’s published in Australia, by Creation Ministries International, and available in a number of countries.
To learn more, try the following links:
About Creation / subscriptions - http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/3871/97
Article archive - http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/23
CMI also publish Journal of Creation, which offers a Bible-based slant on science. I personally find it a bit technical at times, but if you’re science-minded it should suit you.
To find out CMI’s position on the Gospel, the Bible and science / faith issues, try their “What We Believe” page.
For apologetics articles on a variety of topics, go to their “Frequently Asked Questions” Topic Index.
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February 18, 2008 at 1:34 pm (Fizzy Musings)
Tags: 1 Thessalonians, afterlife, Bible, Christianity, death, doormat, eternity, family, farming, grandparents, grief, Jesus, loss, mourning, rural Australia
Photography by Matt.
This photo was taken at the old family farm. We went there last week for a visit to my relatives. I miss that place so much, where most Saturdays I’d go there to help out. It was a dairy farm for the most parts, but at times also ran beef cattle and other assorted livestock.
The family lives in a newly built house a little way down the front paddock, but this photo is of the doormat at the entrance to the old house. It hasn’t been that many years since they moved into the new house, so I was amazed to see just how quickly the garden moved in to overtake the house. The once clear view from the lounge room window is now obscured by masses of trees. Ferny tendrils have pushed in under windowsills.
The sight of the doormat really affected me. Perhaps it’s because I remember it as a fully intact mat. I’m pretty sure it used to say, “Love is… a warm welcome,” with a cutesy image of two naked people hugging. An innocent image, not smutty - just to clarify that! Now here it was, ripped in half, in tatters, obscured by the leaves and plants that encroached on the old house.
How many times had I once crossed over that mat, stepped indoors - without knocking on the door - and run down to greet my grandparents in there? Like I said, I was usually there on a weekly basis through my childhood. We had grown up in the town just 15 or 20 minutes’ drive away. Now, here I was, only six or seven years since I last stepped inside that particular house, and feeling just how quickly things had moved on. The day prior to last week’s farm visit would’ve been my grandfather’s 87 th birthday - but he passed away in September 2007. It really hit me - he wasn’t there anymore. Because I had become quite ill shortly after his death, I had not spent time grieving. Now, it was beginning to well up within me, this immeasurable sense of loss.
In the last few years since I first moved out of my parents’ home, I have lost both my grandfathers. It is still astoundingly painful, at times, when I reflect on their loss. They were such an integral part of my life, and now there is this gaping spiritual hole where they once were.
This grandad, the one from the farm, was a big part of my life. How grateful I was to have him in my life for almost 26 years. Not only did we see him regularly at the farm, he was sports teacher at my school, and a swimming coach at the local swimming pool. I often attended mass with him on a Sunday morning, where he’d always buy me a large bag of mixed lollies. We would often talk, and I’d listen to his tales of fighting in the Second World War.
My other grandad, the one who lived just around the corner in our country town, was the local public school principal (I went to the Catholic school). He would often take us on day trips to various sights, whether impromptu visits to the beach (about 20 minutes away), to movies, or tourist attractions. He helped me develop a thirst for learning that he demonstrated throughout his life. He passed away when I was barely 20 years old, and I’m so grateful that one of the last few times I saw him alive was at my wedding, the first day in a long time that I had seen him outside hospital. He died relatively young, in his 60s, and it was a tragic and unexpected passing.
I can’t explain how much I miss my grandfathers. I feel so sad that my own children never really got to know their great-grandfathers. I was pregnant with my eldest when the first grandfather passed away. My children did get to meet farm grandad, though, something for which I am grateful. Their great-grandfathers on their father’s side had died many years ago, well before I met my husband.
It often strikes me just how quickly time moves on. It reminds me of that C.S. Lewis quote, where he says that the only reason we ought to be surprised at time is if, ultimately, we’re called to be eternal beings.
From the Bible:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
(Today’s New International Version, from http://bible.crosswalk.com/)
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