I guess we all sense that we are entering unchartered waters this upcoming 2014. There’s precious little good news.
So …here’s 12 smiling tips for 2014 to consider.
1. Do Not put Yourself into Trouble
It is obvious to any casual observer of the news that the world is in bigger trouble than it has has been for a long time. So, there is no value in putting ourselves in a bigger hole of trouble. With a good sense of humour we can reflect upon and learn from our mistakes. There is a spiritual cause for every good effect …as much as there is for every bad effect. Good spiritual causes begin with our thinking, words and actions being in tune with God, our Creator and Saviour. “As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. A whip…
I asked this question on an internet Forum the other day and here’s what one astute woman replied:
“Because I believe it is meaningful to focus, on a day set aside in scripture for Holy Purpose, on how this ancient observance pointed forward to the work of Christ back then, and backward to it now … and forward again to when and how He will finally complete the work of bringing many sons and daughters to glory.”
So …i replied: “Now, that is a good comment.
Yes, Pentecost is a fascinatingly positioned Holy Day, in the middle of the 3 harvest seasons (barley-wheat-fruit) …and is pivotal in the Plan of God regarding the Father’s and Christ’s loving family relationship with us.
It points back to “The Wavesheaf” (Christ – Barley – First of the firstfruits) links up with Pentecost (the Firstfruits – Wheat) …via 7 stages of sabbaths and 49 days to the Jubilee 50th day …and then points to the final Festival harvests of abundant Fruit, yet to come.”
Pentecost has to be counted
The instruction for counting Pentecost is found in Leviticus 23:15-16. It tells us to count 50 days from the day after the Sabbath that falls during the festival of Unleavened Bread.
Unlike any other Holy days which are appointed specific days of the month on which to be observed, Pentecost is commanded to be counted by God and is nowhere set down, in scripture, as a specific date, such as 6 Sivan.
“And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath (mi mohoratha-shabbat =from and including OR beginning with), from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall you number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.” (Leviticus 23:15-16)
Why called Pentecost?
It is commonly called Pentecost, from the Greek pentekoste which means pente = 50 and koste = Count …count 50.
So, even in the name Pentecost we see we are commanded to count 50 days, and not to take it into our own hands and give it a set date, such as 6 Sivan.
The Jews refer to it in various ways. One is as Shavuot, meaning “Weeks,” because the date of its observance is determined by counting a specific number from an earlier religious observance.
Another name given it is Hag Hakatzir, the Festival of the Harvest, for it marks the harvesting of the wheat, the last grain harvest of the spring harvest season. And, in that context, it is also called Yom HaBikkurim, the Day of the Firstfruits.
Pentecost reminds us of 2 Great Events
Pentecost reminds us of 2 great events that occurred in history—the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and the giving of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.
Regarding the giving of the Law …In his book To Be a Jew, Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin writes:
“Shavuot commemorates the awesome event experienced by the children of Israel seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt when they camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula. This event was the Revelation, when God’s will was revealed to Israel. It marked the declaration of the Ten Commandments … While the exact manner of this communication between God and man is not known and was always subject to various opinions by the great thinkers and Sages of Israel, it was an event of awesome proportions and a unique spiritual experience that indelibly stamped the Israelites with their unique character, their faith, and their destiny.”
Pentecost is also a celebration and reminder that God works in us through His Spirit.
For us to change from the ways of our carnal, proud and stubborn human nature and to be led by God’s Spirit, is a miracle.
Christ foretold the giving of His and the Father’s Holy Spirit, to us: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8 New American Standard Bible).
Christ’s prophecy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, when the gift of the Holy Spirit was made dramatically known to the disciples: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” (Acts 2:1-5)
Peter then explained on that Day of Pentecost how other people can receive God’s gift of the Holy Spirit: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself” (Acts 2:38-39, NASB).
Throughout the book of Acts we read example after example of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit being given to people, who believed in God and repented of their sins and were baptised and received the laying on of hands of the ministry. Their lives were changed for the better as they were led by God’s Holy Spirit from that time forward.
The changes were so evident that they were even accused of having “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Such was the transformation of their lives through the indwelling power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Being led by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of which the Father and Christ, His Son, are composed.
Just as we are humans composed of flesh, so the Father and Jesus are composed of Holy Spirit.
Without the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us, God does not consider us as belonging to Him: “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” (Romans 8:9)
Paul explains that being “led by the Holy Spirit” of God is vital, if we are to be considered as a Christian and a son or daughter in God’s Family: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14).
“Christ in us” (Colossians 1:27) is what happens when we have God’s Holy Spirit within us.
That can only happen with faith, repentance, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands of Christ’s ministry.
Once we receive God’s Spirit we allow God, through His Spirit, to lead our lives His way of life, not ours.
It then produce the qualities of true Christlike character in us of “love, joy peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility and self control.” (Galatians 5:22-23
With God’s Spirit within us that we are regarded by God as His children. (Romans 8:14-17).
How does God’s Spirit work in us?
Here are some examples of how God’s Holy Spirit, within us, leads us.
God’s Spirit keeps us in contact with God’s mind: God’s Spirit works with our mind. The apostle John describes it this way: “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit [which] He has given us” (1 John 3:24). Through the Holy Spirit, which is given to us, we can be influenced by God for the good. This is in contrast to the situation in the world around us and our own human nature.
God’s Spirit provides a deeper understanding of God’s Word and His will for us: As 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 tells us: “But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (emphasis added throughout).
God’s Spirit gives us Spiritual Discernment: Without that Spirit, a person cannot understand God’s divinely expressed Word and will, “for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
God’s Holy Spirit helps us in overcoming: There is nothing too difficult for us with the power of God working in our lives. Romans 8:26 tells us that God’s Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. Paul, the writer of the letter to the Romans, speaking for all of us said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27). The Christian life is to be one of overcoming. We must not believe that God wants us to remain just as we are whenever we are called. Instead, we must “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Christianity is a lifetime of overcoming and growing;
God’s Holy Spirit convicts our conscience and helps us see sin as it really is. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, which would be given to His followers after His death, Jesus Christ said it would “convict the world of sin . . .” (John 16:8). God’s Spirit within us, working with our conscience, helps us to recognize and avoid sin. The guilt that we feel is real, prompted by recognition of sins. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice “cleanse[s] your conscience from dead works to serve the living God,” meaning that we have forgiveness from God, and, through repentance, we no longer need feel guilt for our sins. Christ’s sacrifice washes away the sin in our lives, but we must still come to understand sin and how it affects us. Repentance must precede the forgiveness that God promises to each one of us, and repentance means change and effort to avoid sin, which is the breaking of God’s laws. (1John 3:4)
God’s Spirit produces godly fruit in our lives. Just as an apple tree produces apples, God’s Spirit produces a particular type of fruit in the life of a Christian. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit that should be evident in the lives of those who are led by God’s Spirit, which are: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.
God’s Holy Spirit comforts and encourages us. Jesus Christ promised to send His followers “another comforter” (John 14:16, KJV). True comfort and reassurance come from the Spirit of God dwelling in us. We need not be unduly worried about the future or what may happen to us. God’s Spirit gives us the reassurance that whatever happens will be for the good “to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This provides an outlook on life that is quite rare in our world today. It is certainly possible for a Christian to become discouraged, but it is through the Holy Spirit that we can begin to look upon life differently. As noted above, peace is one aspect of the fruit of God’s Spirit in the life of a Christian.
Pentectost is an annual reminder of God’s gifts of His Law and His Spirit to us
Keeping Pentecost reminds us:
we have been given the awesome opportunity to be part of the Firstfruits to follow Christ as the First of the Firstfruits in the First Resurrection, yet ahead for us: “Of his own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:18)
Pentecost is an annual reminder of God’s gift of His guidance system for our lives – His Laws, commandments, statutes, ordinances, principles, precepts and wisdom of how to live His way of life; and
Pentecost is also a reminder to be eternally thankful to Him for blessing us with the gift of the power of His Holy Spirit …through faith, repentance, baptism, and laying on of hands …so that we have His power to overcome temptation and sin …and to develop the mind and character of Christ within us.
Pentecost is the pivotal Holy Day in the centre of the sacred year, which encouragingly reminds us of our salvation and eternal life in God’s Family.
PS: You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Request on the Church webpage …OR you can FREE download by clicking on to: Bible Study Course.
Heyyy! Come join lovely Lydia, our grand daughter, as she guides us around the beautiful and fun things at the Clermont country Show. There’s even pig racing and fireworks, too!
Lydia, at 18 months, already knows that “where my heart is …that’s my home” and her heart is with her Mum and Dad and her family, in God’s loving care.
Children like Lydia, remind us to “take time to smell the roses” and treasure the joys of living this life of adventure that God has given us.
After all …to a child like Lydia …love is spelt quality T-I-M-E.
So, let’s take time to relax and enjoy these magnificent prize winning roses.
Our talented niece, Wick is a second cousin to Lydia, and here is her 1st and 2nd prize artworks. Notice how she has a sparkling eye for detail.
Lydia knows “should you encounter a problem along your way …change your direction, but not your destination”.
As you can guess, Lydia is a ball of energy with plenty of get up and go! So, here’s her Dad, Rob, showing her how “what you lose on the swings you can always pick up on the roundabout of life.”
Ahhh yes …Lydia is a natural …and naturally …she loves all natural things. So, for her doing some cross-country riding on a real natural Shetland pony is so much fun, too!
After a cross-country ride on a Shetland Pony, Lydia can hardly wait to watch her next fun favourite .act at the Show..the piglets race!
Of course life is not all fun, beer and skittles. Lydia knows that there are some first time challenges …that even though we might be a little bit frightened or awestruck …we face the fear …and the fear just disappears!
…and isn’t that just so true of the ups and downs of the ferris wheel of the cycle of life?
For every low there is the sublime thrill of rising to achieve the natural highs in life.
When we apply the 7 Laws of Success we can enjoy the real joy of the excitement of fireworks in our life!
PS: You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Request on the Church webpage …OR you can FREE download by clicking on to: Bible Study Course.
At low tide, after sunset at Illawong Beach, Mackay, is a great time for my Grandson Matty and me, to observe the amazing Soldier Crabs …that God has designed and engineered with meticulous detail and awesome capabilities.
No one thinks of a crab as having much intelligence at all, but God has put Soldier Crabs in a league of their own.
Soldier crabs are one of zillions of extraordinary creatures that reveal God to be the awesome Designer, Engineer, Creator, Lifegiver, Lawgiver, and Sustainer. “Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, is clearly perceived in the things that have been made.” (Romans 1:20, RSV)
Soldier crabs (Mictyris longicarpus) are a unique group of crabs that have amazing God given design features that make them different from other crabs.
Instead of flattened bodies their bodies are spherical which assists in their corkscrew burrowing into the sand.
Unlike other crabs, they can walk forward as well as sideways.
Just as well they can march forward.
Can you imagine what would have happened if the soldier crab had evolved only sideways movement like other crabs?
It would have driven their sergeant major crab crazy!
Just imagine the confusion of hundreds of crabs in army formation moving to the right while hundreds of others are moving to the left.
“Heyyy Oh Ooopps!!” cries the Sargeant Major. “We have a disaster pile up on our hands!”
Soldier crabs enjoy family camaraderie
They emerge from their holes in the sand at low tide and move in large groups of dozens or even thousands of individuals. They move together in the same direction creating the illusion of moving sand.
As they move they place sand into their mouths with their pincers eating the organic detritus matter contained amongst the grains leaving behind small, cleaned round pellets of sand called pseudofaece, now devoid of organic material.
So God has designed them to be a huge army of vacuum cleaners to keep the beach flats sand, filtered and clean …so it is not able to go sour and smelly.
They have some extraordinary internal design features to fit their particular niche.
Within the thorax is a chamber containing the gills and the lungs. The gills occupy the lower part of the thoracic cavity. The upper part of the cavity contains a complex set of tiny tubes, which are highly vascularised, to allow efficient exchange of the gases carbon dioxide and oxygen. These crabs obtain about 90 % of their oxygen from their lungs …but get this fact! They also absorb oxygen through their legs!!
Imagine absorbing oxygen through your legs, like Soldier Crabs!
Yes, Soldier Crabs have joints that are reddish in colour within the legs. These tiny legs have some decalcified areas in each, which allow them to absorb small amounts of oxygen that aids in their respiration process. Evolutionists, go figure!
With the onset of high tide they begin burrowing downward in a corkscrew motion into the sand. As they dig the animals create a breathing cavity around themselves which is four to five times as large as the crab itself! Can you imagine the incredible engineering and instinct, that God has designed into Soldier crabs?
They maintain the air cavity’s structure by placing sand above them like a plug. This plug prevents water from entering the cavity. The crabs burrow down to a depth of about 300mm. At high tide they may be covered by as much as 2 metres of water.
Another behaviour God has given them for protection is by group association or flocking instinct. Operating in armies of thousands causes confusion in their bird predators by providing too much choice, just like the way herd animals do in Africa. The hesitation created in the predator gives the whole group an opportunity to escape simultaneously by burrowing, and improving their chances of survival.
Soldier crabs on the march
They can also tuck themselves into a tight ball for protection and camouflage.
Another amazing feature of their God given design is that they also have a minute hairy fringe on the back of their shell to suck up moisture.
Soldier crabs reproduce through means of copulation. The female can hold the male’s sperm inside her until she releases the eggs. At this time the saved sperm fertilizes the eggs. Females will hold the eggs under her in a sponge-like mass until they are ready to hatch.
Their burrowing into the sand increases the oxygenation within the sediments. This is known as bioturbation.
One benefit of having Soldier crabs around is that they are scavengers. They feed from the dead detritus remains of animals on the beach, that washes in on each high tide …and then they clean it up and oxygenate the sand in doing so.
How wondrous is the fine detail of the inter-connected systems of life that God has designed and created into perfect harmony to balance and sustain the environment.
PS: You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Request on the Church webpage …OR you can FREE download by clicking on to: Bible Study Course.
So glad you can join my son in law Martin, my son Robert, and yours truly on another Adventure 60 to Scawfell Island, on the outer Great Barrier Reef, 50 kilometres offshore from Mackay, Queensland.
With 60 minutes in every hour and 60 seconds in every minute, we are once again out to savour every second of this great adventure that we all share …life, in God’s creation!
The abovewater and underwater world of Scawfell Island testifies to the genius intelligence of God as our Designer, Engineer, spiritual Programmer of intelligence and instinct, Creator, Lifegiver, Lawgiver, and Sustainer.
For example, in this video you will see Clown fish, which rely on Anemone Polyps for their protection and provision of food, as does the Anemone rely on the Clown fish.
It is a symbiotic relationship of dependence on each other that had to come into existence at the same time or neither creature would exist.
Polyps, including the corals and sea anemones are much more complex in their engineered design, than first meets the eye, due to the development of separate tubular stomachs leading inward from the mouth and a series of radial partitions called mesenteries.
Incredibly the Anemone stings all fish prey but not its friend, the Clown fish. They have a very mutual beneficial living relationship with each other that God has set in place.
We too can learn wonderful lessons about life by observing how God has created things.
Just as the Clown fish and its Anemone companion for life are so happy together, we should apply that principle as well in taking care of each other.
PS: You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Request on the Church webpage …OR you can FREE download by clicking on to: Bible Study Course
Welcome to ‘Adventure 60’ at Lord’s Table Mountain, between Clermont and Dysart, central Queensland.
Life is an Adventure, with 60 minutes every hour and 60 seconds every minute to enjoy to the max!
So come with us now and let’s join the talented Wick Brendan Jess and Abby on this exciting Adventure 60.
Yes, Adventure 60 highlights the values of making every 60 seconds of every 60 minutes part of the joy of living this thrilling Adventure of life, that we have all been given.
One of the best ways to instil Adventure 60 into our lives is to trek into the wilderness with some great friends and to develop adventurous talents in our lives, such as:
·the burning desire to achieve;
·family teamwork; and
·loads of happy fun.
What is the answer to the great mystery, of why many people do not succeed in life, even though they might have knowledge of the 7 laws of success??
Simply …to be successful we need to apply a burning desire to succeed.
Nothing of lasting value happens automatically in life. However, with a burning desire to achieve, we can accomplish great things, through desiring:
·close loving relationship with God and His Way of living;
·worthwhile goals in life;
·best education;
·good health;
·Godly drive and determination;
·resourcefulness and creativity; and
·persistence and stick-to-itiveness.
Taking on a challenging hike is like a “mini lifetime” within our lifetime, which reminds us that every obstacle, just like in life itself, is a positive opportunity to grow and develop closer caring loving relationships with each other and with our Creator God.
That’s why Family Teamwork is so important and is better than ordinary teamwork.
Family teamwork takes into account everyone’s strengths and weaknesses …utilising and make allowances for them.
In a loving family, there are all elements of talents and flaws, but when we caringly unite the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Adventure 60 family teamwork people know, that the glory does not go to the one who is first across the river, nor to the first one on top of the mountain. With Family Teamwork the reward goes to the one who helps the most other people reach the other side of the river or the top of the mountain …in the most enjoyable, pleasant, and fun way possible.
Ordinary, competitive, pecking-order Teamwork, of this world is?? …well remember at school when 2 captains were picked and each captain could alternately pick the best players down to the weakest? How did the poor weakest feel in themselves after such a debilitating experience? Lousy! Right?
Now, you’ve gotta say co operative loving Family Teamwork, is a whole lot better than ordinary competitive, pecking-order, teamwork.
Is there anything more memorable and beautiful than to experience together …in a loving Family Teamwork atmosphere …the Adventure in a magnificent sunrise …each artwork unrepeatable …each sunrise a unique expression of the awesome creativity and loving mind of God, for us all.
Just sit back with this You Tube video …and soak up this heady sunrise atmosphere saturated with the joyous adventurous calls of scores of Currawong birds …singing to the joy of life with the dawning of each new adventurous day.
Just beautiful isn’t it!? It really heightens our God given 6 senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch and spiritual.
Adventure 60 shows us how to do what a lot of people don’t do. It stimulates us to:
·look and to really see;
·to hear and to actually listen;
·to taste and to enjoy the savour;
·to smell and to sensitively scent;
·to touch and tenderly feel; and
·to sense with spiritual discernment. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Adventure 60 shows that the best leader in any group is not the first one to the top of the mountain, but the one who helps the most other people reach the top of the mountain …in the best and most enjoyable fun way possible.
Yes …as the old Chinese proverb goes… “When the best leader’s work is done …everyone says: “We did it!”” (Lao-tsu)
In Proverbs 13:19 is an adventure spirited verse: “The desire achieved is sweet to the soul” and when we take on the adventurous challenges of life together, helping each other, we can say with satisfaction: “None of us could have done this without each other!”
Adventure 60 stimulates us to think creatively in solving challenges that would otherwise be problems and headaches to lots of people.
Understanding that life is an Adventure 60, reminds us to be solution bound not problem bound.
Seeing life as an adventure, better equips us mentally, to visualise future prospects and goals and to bring them to fruition, with God’s inspiration and guidance.
We learn that the intrinsic true values of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, humility, kindness, faith, confidence in God and self control are our best weapons in the adventure of life in taking on life’s challenges. (Galatians 5:22-23)
For every effect there is spiritual cause.
Good effects have good spiritual foundational causes. Evil effects have evil causes.
Adventure 60 shows us that the way of give is better than the way of get …co operation is better than competition …love is better than the way of hatred …peace is better than war.
Working together in family minded co operative teamwork is better than competitive minded teamwork.
Just like every tree is unique and different, so each of us is unique and worthy of love and respect.
When we look at a beautiful tree it can symbolise a human being or God’s right way of life. The roots symbolise anchoring ourselves with knowledge, understanding and wisdom. The trunk symbolises Godly true character or it can be a twisted distorted nature. The branches and leaves symbolise aspects of Godly personality which gives shade to all.
Each day is the new dawning of an exciting ‘Adventure 60’ for you and me, in this miraculous body, that God has blessed you and me with.
Let’s make the most of the miracle …enjoy our Adventure, with well rooted foundation in the Word of God, trunk of the character and mind of Christ, and branches that spread out lovingly to God and loving goodwill to all humanity.Meantime …keep pumpin’!
PS:You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Requeston the Church webpage…OR you can FREE download by clicking on to:Bible Study Course AND Making Life Work.
PPS: “Why not have Your say?” Feel free to click onto these next 4 words and drop me an email.
As parents, because we love our children, we desire the best for them, don’t we?
We want them to grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom and to really enjoy fun and true happiness and fulfillment in their lives.
So …Come with us now into the wonderful fun world of teaching our children.
Let’s join our grandson Matty as he takes us through the first 5 Commandments and whole lot more about loving God and having fun while enjoying God’s fascinating creation.
You know, as children begin their challenging walk of life in this confused world …we should consider the lesson of Timothy.
We know that from a young child, Timothy was taught the Holy Scriptures and knew the Word of God well. Paul said of Timothy, “from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15).
Timothy’s knowledge of Scripture came about as a result of being taught, by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. (2 Timothy 1:5).
We too, can teach our children using the everyday experiences of life to reinforce the laws of God and related principles expounded in the Word of God.
Using situations in everyday life to point out how the Word of God works practically, is so valuable for our children.
Teaching our children directly from the book of Proverbs in the Bible is an excellent way to give your child a head start in wisdom.
To do this in a practical way, simply read to them the Chapter in Proverbs coinciding with whatever is today’s date. For example, if the day is the 7th day of the month read to them and discuss Proverbs chapter 7. The next day being the 8th day of the month, read and have fun discussing with them Proverbs Chapter 7 …and so on …each day.
You will be amazed at the knowledge, understanding and wisdom your children will pick up. Better still …heh heh! …you’ll be even more amazed at what you pick up in wisdom, too!
Why not teach our children inspiring stories such as Gideon and his brave 300 men, who saved the nation.
“So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.” (Judges 7:5-7 …see this applied in the attached You Tube video “Matty shows the Way…”)
In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, God plainly told us Parents …and Grandparents that we are responsible for lovingly teaching our children about God, His principles, ethics and His law.
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul (life), and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Parents …lets teach our children God’s Way of life using everyday experiences, so that we enjoy . raising well-adjusted happy children …who will be able to cope with this world, with certainty and confidence.
Beginning with teaching the 10 Commandments and Proverbs, daily, is a great place to start.
It might sound strange to some people …but the Bible has a lot to say about humour.
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)
That’s probably why God made our faces in such a clever way, that we use much less muscles to smile than we do to frown or be angry.
And that’s why, when one of my nephews asked me to be involved in doing a Doritos Competition Advert, I accepted.
So here are our two entries. I hope you enjoy them and that they give you a warm and happy belly laugh. It is a good tonic for us all to be able to lighten up and see the funny side of life, as well as the sobering sides of life.
“A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Proverbs 15:13)
There are many medical reports that show the truth of these wise words. Humour is even used in the treatment of many diseases such as cancer and mental illnesses.
“All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” (Proverbs 15:15)
When the first Temple was dedicated to God by Solomon, the people rejoiced and kept a very happy Feast of Tabernacles. It was so good that they were all still smiling as they left to go back home.
“And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.” (2 Chronicles 7:9-10)
“Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepts your works.” (Ecclesiastes 9:7)
PS: You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Request on the Church webpage …OR you can FREE download by clicking on to: Bible Study Course
PPS: “Why not have Your say?” Feel free to click onto these next 4 words and drop me an email.
Today’s headlines are filled with bad news – Swine Fever killing scores of people in Mexico and spreading internationally; Taliban gaining in their takeover efforts in nuclear armed Pakistan; rising unemployment and deepening world economic crisis; famines, natural disasters, earthquakes, cholera, AIDS and other disease epidemics, and grinding world poverty.
Suffering and bad news is relentless …it’s time we had a break!
So, does Christ’s message carry any future hope …for you?
Well …the good news is that it does, but it is not the typical “turn-off” news you may have heard in the past about Christ.
Most people have heard a message about the life of Jesus …but hardly anyone has actually heard the futuristic message delivered by Jesus.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel (good news) of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
·we need to understand the good news and begin preparing for the coming Kingdom of God on this earth, when He returns to rule the world, by establishing His Government here on this planet. (Isaiah 9:6-7);
·we need to repent and turn to God with all our heart, mind …be baptised …and become converted, by developing the mind of Christ in our lives, with the gift of His Holy Spirit within us;
·we need to continue faithfully to believe and live by Christ’s good news message of how we should live by God’s right way of life;
·we need salvation, which can only come through Jesus Christ (Act 4:12) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
The message is clear …and the rewards are enormous.
Imagine being a son or daughter of God …and being able to help serve Jesus in His Government on this earth?
The real Jesus taught this message and gave His life in place of you and me …so that we might choose to take up the invitation to be in the Family of God.
Many are offered the invitation but few accept the invitation, and do something about it.
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)
Did you notice that?
God the Father is the Head of the Family of God.
God is a Family.
You too can be part of God’s Family.
“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons (children) of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” (1John 3:1-3)
Did you realise that?
What is the purpose that God the Father has in mind for you?
What is the purpose of the Gospel of the Kingdom, which was the true message of the real Christ?
Yes! You can be a son or daughter of God …serve in His Kingdom when He establishes His Government on this earth …and live a happy life in His Family for eternity.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be you separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2Corinthians 6:17-18)
Did you grasp that?
You can be considered by God …as a son or daughter of God …now.
PS:You can obtain FREE copies of this literature and the FREE Good News Magazine by contacting the United Church of God-Australia, Office on FREE CALL 1800 356202 or write to: PO Box 535, Brisbane, Qld 4001 OR as shown under Literature Requeston the Church webpage…OR you can FREE download by clicking on to:Bible Study Course AND The Road to Eternal Life AND What is Your Destiny.
PPS: “Why not have Your say?”Feel free to click onto these next 4 words and drop me an email.
Platypus are unique in all of God’s creation and leave evolutionists stunned and flat-footed.
Platypus smile at evolution with a knowing smile
“Old Flatfoot”, which is what Platypus means, (Greek: Platys = broad and pous=foot) is perfectly designed for its environment on which it depends for its survival.
When we look at the pointers of proof of God’s existence, as Designer, Creator, Lifegiver, Lawgiver, and Sustainer, we see all of these elements in a Platypus.
We also see how impossible it would be for a Platypus to evolve.
Native only to Australia, the platypus appears to be a “patchwork” animal to evolutionists in their frustrated efforts to try to imaginatively connect its evolution from about 5 widely differing creatures, nowhere near each other in the fanciful “evolutionary tree”.
Platypus have a bill like a duck (but much more sophisticated), webbed feet like an otter …but which retract and have claws for digging, the males have poisonous spurs in their hind legs like a snake, its tail is like a beaver but covered with fur and not scales. It lays eggs but suckles its young through secretion of milk on its under hairs.
No wonder Evolutionists are baffled by its existence. Platypus are an amazing complex designed, brilliantly created monotreme mammal, given life, and laws that govern its sustenance. It even bamboozles the pseudo-god of “natural selection”.
Male platypus poison spur
At birth all platypus, male and female, are born with poisonous spurs, but, get this fact…after one year the females poisonous spurs fall off! Now, if survival of the fittest is the determining regime …evolutionists go figure?
The male uses his poisonous spurs in the August-September mating season to ward off other male platypus and can inject a potent poison into any predator, which causes a nasty pain. However, during courtship the male uses his spurs gently to hold the female, without injecting the poison. It is the only venomous furred animal.
The crural gland produces a cocktail of venom, composed of over 250 different chemicals but with four major toxins.
Close up of male platypus poison spur
Of the four, three are defensin-like proteins (DLPs) unique to the Platypus. The different chemicals in the poison have a range of effects from lowering blood pressure to causing pain and increasing blood flow around the wound.
Now, please explain to me, how the platypus invented and evolved this unique poison out of 250 different chemicals??
What an amazing design, created into life and sustained by an all-wise Creator.
The waterproof hair of a platypus is nothing short of extraordinary. Their outer hair is dark brown with yellowish hair on its underside. There are about 800 hairs per square millimetre! This is denser than the fur of the river otter or polar bear. It has 2 layers of hair. The top or longer layer is a shiny guard fur with a woolly short fur undercoat. The thermal qualities of the fur allow the platypus to withstand cold temperatures and extended periods in water and underground.
Christ said: “…you cannot make one hair white or black.” (Matthew 5:36)Plainly, not even humans, with all our intelligence, can choose the colour of our hair, let alone 2 layers of waterproof different coloured hair at 800 per square millimetre!
The platypus pliable bill is an amazing engineering feat! The bill contains an electro-receptor system which has about 850,000 electrical and tactile receptors. Even though the platypus has brilliant eyes and ears above water, special membranes seal off its eyes and ears underwater and it fishes for its food, blind! Again …evolutionists go figure?
Its electo-receptor system detects the electric currents created by the muscle activity of small prey such as worms, shrimp, and frogs, and may even help the platypus detect the electric field created when water flows over prey hidden under rocks, mud and small debris.
Grinding bill of Platypus jaw. Notice the engineered ribbing for crushing and elimination of debris
As the platypus gathers food in its mouth during its up to 10 minute stay underwater, it moves the food to its cheek pouches. At the water surface, it pushes the food from its cheek pouches up to its mouth. It has magnificently engineered ribbed grinding pads for crushing the food and dispensing the unwanted mud and debris through its horny serrations.
Platypus ears or grooves are very sensitive to sounds. Its beady eyes are also very sensitive to movement. That is why it is difficult and rare to see them in the wild.
Its 4 legs are a marvel of engineered design and creation as well. The platypus uses its two front feet to propel itself forward in a unique, alternate rowing motion. Its hind feet, also webbed, are held against the body and along with the tail are used for steering. The marine engineering involved with how the platypus can move so quickly and dextrously in the water, is nothing short of awesome!
On land its webs fold back, revealing sharp claws for walking and digging burrows. Its claws are also useful for cleaning its fur and to help keep its fur brushed and waterproof.
Rubbery coated platypus egg
They dig a camping burrow about 1-3 meters long in stream banks. However, the female digs her nesting burrow up to 20 metres long! She lays 2-3 rubbery eggs and when they hatch she suckles them on specially designed milk glands. Her milk has about 60 times more iron than cows milk and 40% more solids. The young lap the milk from the hair of the underbelly, where the milk drips, in utter darkness.
The platypus tail is a wonderment. It is used as a sensitive rudder when swimming; to push soil within the burrow like a shovel; and to store fat for when food supplies are low or for when the platypus needs more energy in store while incubating eggs. Thereby hangs a tail, for evolutionists to ponder.
Platypus red blood cells carry larger amounts of haemoglobin than any other mammal. This allows it to go without air for long periods and for its heart beat to be able to change from 140-230 beats to almost 0 beats per minute.
Unlike reptiles, Platypus are warm-blooded and not cold-blooded. They have one opening for elimination, mating and birth.
There is nothing “transitional” about the platypus. It is highly intelligent and remarkably built to fit its environment. In fact, it is an integral part of its environment functioning in balance. Without its surrounding natural environmental system, platypus could not exist.
Mother platypus suckling babies
Evolutionists claim that the gradual evolution of animals such as the Platypus was determined by the blind per-chance pseudo-god of “natural selection” …and highly complex intricate creatures like the platypus, simply came into being by “adaption” or some sort of required “change” due to changing environment.
Do you know what happens to platypus when their delicate environment changes? Sadly, they die. They are so sensitive that many have perished in the hands of well meaning humans, collecting them for zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
There is no fossil record of changes or transformations or “natural selection” of the development of platypus. They had to be created perfectly, as well as their unique inter-connected, inter-dependent environment and food sources or else they would die.
The preposterous idea that somehow platypus thought their way to change to become what they are today, is baloney. It is a hoax of the 1st Order.
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? …” (Jeremiah 13:23)
No, we cannot change the colour of our skin, just as the leopard cannot change its spots…and nor can the amazingly designed and engineered platypus change, by thinking about it.
It is magnificently designed, engineered, created, and given life and sustenance by its omnipotent Creator.
Let’s be logical. Let’s go back to the future for the moment millions and millions of years ago …even quintillions for the sake of evolutionists.
Multifaceted platypus perfectly designed and created for its environment
Let’s say he lives beside a stream but he can’t swim yet, and like any other normal burrowing animal, he has claws only for digging, but hasn’t developed retractable webbed feet, nor developed a tail for a keel, nor developed the means to seal off his nostrils and hold his breath nor developed waterproof hair at 800 per square millimetre.
The hungry “platywhatever”, launches off into the stream, for whatever insane reason. It can’t see, can’t swim, can’t go underwater, and can’t find any food. If there was no worm food on the land, then why didn’t all creatures on earth, with a similar diet, throw themselves into the water?
If the first “platywhatever” had to evolve water-feeding apparatus and sensitive electro-sonar bills, then he only evolved it because he needed it. And if he needed it then he wasn’t getting enough food where he was, to survive.
But, if he couldn’t have survived where he was …and obviously couldn’t succeed in obtaining food from stream bottoms until he had gradually over millions of years developed them within his 15 year maximum lifespan …then he obviously starved to death, and doesn’t exist today.
No "intermediate" fossils of Platypus exist
But, then, if a male or female evolved …where then was a female or male close by to mate with?
No worries …hey presto! A genie provides a female. Yes …and pigs fly, too!
Babies are born to the “platywhatever”, but the special technique of secreting milk on a given signal that involves a complexity of hormones, nerve endings and sensory techniques in pitched black darkness have not evolved. So, all the young die, too.
All fossil remains of platypuses found look exactly like “modern” platypus. It is called a “living fossil” because, in the geological record, it has never changed.
“Unhappily, no fossils have yet been found in any continent which reveal the lineage of the monotremes (single vent, or the platypus) prior to the last few million years in Australia itself” (The Land and Wildlife of Australia, Life Nature Library, David Bergamini, page 62, 65)
So, how to evolutionists say they know the platypus evolved? Easy. They just say it.
Every untruth is based on a false premise, that is carelessly assumed.
“For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,…
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (right);…” (Romans 1:20-28)
Platypus camping burrow
The fact that a platypus was thought out in detail, with genius design, carefully planned, then created magnificently in all of its engineering and complicated detail, even to electronic mind-blowing sensitivity, then given life and ongoing sustained power …never occurs to an evolutionist, for the reasons shown in the verses above.
No fossil record exists of “primitivus beaverus otterus, duckus, beakus, snakeus, eggus, suckleus incredibilus”.Here’s the first “platywhatever” but without his beaver’s tail, duck’s sonar sensitive bill, snake fangs, otter’s body, mammal’s glands, warm blood, or turtles eggs, etc,.
The brain of a platypus is known to be surprisingly large in proportion to its body weight and than that of any reptile. It is mysteriously well endowed with cerebral cortex and intelligence and highly sensitive electro-recognition, far removed from that of reptiles. This also, is a problem for evolutionists who desperately try to link mammalian warm-blooded platypus, with small brained, cold-blooded reptiles. Nice try, but it just doesn’t compute.
Every intricate part of a platypus takes its place in a co-ordinated, functional, complicated system that makes the platypus one of the awe-inspiring creatures we see, today.
The platypus is one of zillions of amazing creatures that God has made, that testify to why God inspired these following wise words to be repeated twice, so hopefully, we might get the point:
“Only a fool says in his heart that there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1-2)
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AAA World Witness 