Evidence of Life

I am the first of three children born to my parents.  My mom told me how horrified she was when a group of medical students walked by when she was giving birth and someone yelled out, "Look, she's crowning!"  and they looked in with their clipboards in hand.  I can't remember if it was me or one of my siblings, but my mom was very annoyed at one of the nurses because right after birth the nurse strongly flicked the newborn's feet with her fingers to make the baby cry.  Strong crying ensures that the lungs are clear of fluid and that life-supporting oxygen is reaching the brain.  Although crying is not desirable in a baby at 2am, it is almost a comforting sound to a mother and father to know, "He's breathing.  He's alive."  How devastating is silence at birth!

I know many people close to me who have suffered miscarriages or given birth to stillborn children.  How horribly painful and depressing to have a baby forming in the womb with all the excitement and potential of new life, and the first breath of oxygen is never drawn.  That is pain enough to break the heart, and depress the soul in sadness.  As terrible as it is to give birth to a stillborn child, there is a spiritual parallel.  James says in James 2:26, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."  As a body without breath is lifeless, so faith without works is dead.  When we are born again of the Holy Spirit, God gives our souls dead in sins new life.  God removes our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh.  A stillborn child is no more alive than a stone, but those who place their faith in Jesus Christ and are cleansed with His blood and rejoice in abundant life.

Like a baby arrives crying into the world, no one comes to Christ until they have cried out to Him!  Thomas Watson says:  "Are there pangs before the birth?  So before Christ is born in the heart, there are spiritual pangs; pangs of conscience, and deep convictions.  "The were pricked at their heart." (Acts 2:37)  I grant in the new birth all have not the same pangs of sorrow and humiliation, yet all have pangs.  If Christ be born in thy heart, thou hast been deeply afflicted for sin.  Christ is never born in the heart without pangs.  Many thank God they never had any trouble of spirit, they were always quiet; a sign Christ is not yet formed in them." (A Body of Divinity, pg. 199)  We are not called to make others cry through violence, but to make sure we have had those violent cries.  We tend to focus on the pain the mom must endure in childbirth because of the intense severity, but consider how child is squeezed and forced into the world with intense pressure.  Spiritual birth is no easier than physical birth, but is as fundamentally simple.

There is more to life than just breathing, however:  there is also eating and drinking.  When a baby is first born, one of the first things the nurse will do is put the baby to the breast of the mother.  When a person is born again by the Holy Spirit, he will crave and desire the Word of God.  Watson writes, "The word is like breast-milk, pure, sweet, nourishing; and the soul in which Christ is formed desires this breast-milk.  Bernard, in one of his soliloquies, comforts himself with this, that he surely had the new birth in him, because he found in his heart such strong breathings and thirstings after God.  After Christ is born in the heart, there is a violent motion:  there is a striving to enter in at the strait gate, and offering violence to the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 11:12)  By this we may know Christ is formed in us"  (A Body of Divinity, pg. 200).  As a midwife looks to the breathing, cries, and appetite of a baby as evidence of good health, so there are physical indicators that enable us to consider our spiritual life and health.  Do you desire the pure milk of the word?  Do you desire to please your heavenly Father, as Jesus did?  Are there works coupled with the faith you profess?  Let this be a personal examination that we might cry out to God that His work would be performed in us.

Too much church activity is like hooking up a ventilator to a stillborn child.  There are people in church fellowships throughout the world that have the appearance of a new birth, but are not truly born again.  Life-support only works when there is life to support!  If there is no life in the members, church activity is simply warming a corpse, like when Elisha laid upon the Shunamite's son and breathed into him in 2 Kings 4.  It is God who gives life.  It is only God who can bring a child into the world with violent cries, and it is only by His grace and mercy that we can be born again through faith in Christ.  Even a living child can become ill.  How has your appetite been lately?  A bad appetite in adults can be the sign of ill health.  If a person notices their dog hasn't eaten a bite of food in two days there would be cause for concern:  what of yourself and your children?  When God has given us fresh manna in His Word day by day we are fools if we do not gather of it.  And when you have gathered, may you partake of it as you have of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.
Do you find in your heart "strong breathings and thirstings after God?"  Faith without works is dead.  A body is full of inner workings:  respiration, pumping of blood, perspiration, digestion, brain activity, and muscles pumping, organs working according to design.  A fully-functional body and mind has been created to do, not to sit around and do nothing.  Because God has done an inner work in us, let us do outer works that please Him.  It is in our God we find satisfaction, and we have been made alive that we might live unto Him for His glory.

AUS and USA differences

One of the most common questions I am asked about Australia is, "What are the biggest differences between Australia and the States?"  This is a difficult question to answer because everything is very similar yet everything is a little different.   A common misconception is that people assume that Australia is the same as the United States because they speak English.  People also believe that Australia is a Christian nation because America is.  These are both false assumptions and the longer you live in Australia the more clear this becomes.  But because inquiring minds want to know, here are my top five differences between the States and Australia in no particular order:

• Australian people have an insatiable appetite for American news, especially politics.  When I met new people, one of the first things people would ask is about President Obama or health care reform.  Australians care more about American politics than most Americans by far!  Australian newspapers and newscasts are completely saturated with American news.  The "balloon boy" hoax, swine flu, the Fort Hood shootings, even obesity in America is captivating and intruiging to Aussies.  I spoke to a gentleman who travelled to Chicago around 2001 and experienced what he thought was poor reporting.  To receive the news coverage of America he was accustomed used the internet to access Australian news channels to get American news!  We don't hear much about Australia, save natural disasters like wildfires that have been raging for weeks before we hear about them.  And if there is one in a million in America that knows Kevin Rudd is the prime minister of Australia or any of his recent policies, that would surprise me.
  
• Buying anything in Australia is expensive.  When I arrived back in the United States, I felt like an American going to Mexico for cheaper prices!  All electronics are at least twice as costly in Australia as in the States.  A new video game for the Wii is $110 plus tax, and CD's are around $25.  A Snickers bar at Cole's or Woolies is $1.75.  Tools are at least two to three times the cost and the quality is far inferior to American tools.  Some American brands like Channelock and Rigid are availble but at a inflated cost.  A gallon of Zinser primer which costs $15.99 at Home Depot runs $88 at Bunnings (Australia's "do it yourself" style store).  Two polo shirts in the mall I saw on special for $79, and Old Spice aftershave costs $19.99.  And then there's added cost to drive on the motorway (freeway) with automated tolls as you drive under them, costing around $2.50 a beep.  It is not uncommon on a trip covering 20 kilometers to have at least $15 in tolls that will automatically be deducted from an account.  Buying a car?  Let's not even get into that! And mobile phone plans?  Downright criminal.
  
• Christian religious education is compulsory even in public schools from grade 8 and down, and is optional in college (grades 9 - 12).  Volunteers are allowed to go into public schools and teach the Bible with curriculum provided by the state which is actually quite good.  I spoke to two people on planes who were not believers but thought it invaluable their children be taught the Bible so they could make an educated decision on what to believe.  There is ignorance but also a openness to solid Bible teaching.  Even unbelievers believe that there is some truth contained within that pages of scripture, and after a brief explanation are convinced that there might be more to the Bible than previously thought!  Despite the religious classes, there is not the Biblical foundation that we have in America in churches.  The vast majority of people do not know the scriptures, and they are unlikely to be exposed to the Bible in most churches because of the topical, subjective style "studies" that are held forth as sermons.  Pray that real Christian volunteers with a passion for God's Word and anointed to teach are in these classes!
  
• Everyone from grade 12 and below wear school uniforms, complete with hat.  It reminded me of school children in England when I would drive during the mornings when kids walked to school.  Every school has their uniform:  boys wearing suits or jumpers with girls wearing skirts and sweaters (jumpers).  It is a law that all kids outside while at school or participating in sport wear a hat.  Most of these hats are round wide-brimmed for girls and boys resemble old-school painter's hats with a piece of fabric hanging from the back.  Unlike the States where uniforms are not the norm, the exact opposite is true in Australia.
• Australians see themselves in relation to the world and relish their country.  As I watched television adverts or listened to the news, I began to hear something said over and over again:  "in the world."  For instance, I read that Brisbane had the largest gathering for Buddah's birthday in the world.  Brisbane also boasts the hottest (spiciest) hamburger in the world.  Every day I would hear things like, "Australia has the most cases of skin cancer in the world," "Australia has the largest underwater forests in the world," "Australia has taken the title of the most obese country in the world from America," "Koalas are unique in the world only to Australia," and even "Australia has the best bees in the world!"  When I went to a house, I said "Australia has 5 of the top 10 most venomous snakes in the world!"  A young bloke said with enthusiasm, "Yeah, and they are the top 5 of the top 10 as well!"  This is not true according to my study of the subject, but you understand my point.  In America, we often don't compare ourselves with "the world."  Maybe it's because we're not insecure or we're very self-focused.  I think the latter is likely more true.

If you have any other Australia-related questions, I'd be happy to answer them.  I'm no expert to be sure, but I have learned more in two weeks first-hand in Australia than I learned in 34 years about Australia in America.  I absolutely love the people, the culture, and appreciate all the little nuances and differences.  We must be careful we do not stand in judgment of those who are from different cultures and backgrounds.  Often it is not a matter of right and wrong.  The left side is not the right side of the road to drive on, nor is the right the "wrong" side.  Aussies say "tomahto" instead of "tomato" and "emew" instead of "emu."  The differences are not as important as how we are the same:  all people have been made in God's image.  We all have a need for forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ.  How shall they hear unless there is a preacher?  How shall I preach unless I am sent?  Praise be to God who has sent me and will provide my family as we take steps to obey God's call.

Furyball!

During my time in AUS, I've had a lot of unique experiences.  Today I ate kangaroo and crocodile for the first time, and experienced a game that I have to shake my head with a smile and say, "Only in OZ!"  It's called Furyball, and I made a video to share a little slice of country life in Canberra.  Enjoy the action!

All in Due Time

It is a great challenge to wait upon the LORD expectantly.  We find a great deal of comfort with schedules, future plans, meetings, and appointments.  We find joy in looking to the future and saying things like, "This time next year, we'll have a baby" or "A month from now, we'll be living in our new home."  There's a certain amount of joyful expectation for me to say, "In five days, I'll be back in the States."  I know I have a ticket for a plane departing to LAX next Thursday, so this isn't a stretch.  If by God's grace I manage to be at the airport at the right time, I have a seat reserved for me to go home.

People love to predict.  Watch any pre-game NFL program and listen to the commentators posture and argue concerning game predictions.  Every single week ESPN has predictions of the points each player will score.  It seems that predictions seem to give a sense of control in the outcome, even though they do not affect the scoring in any way.  We find this same prediction-mongering in politics, government, newscasts, reporters, and even among religions.  There is a certain amount of comfort in believing we know how things will turn out in the end.

I remember when I spoke to my wife's parents about marrying Laura.  They asked me reasonable questions about my future plans, which at the time centered around joining the Local 5 Insulator's Union.  I was asked what I would do if the plan to join the union fell through.  I really didn't have a "backup" plan apart from working hard and using all God-given ability to be successful.  It turned out that I was able to excel in the trade and I worked up the ranks from pre-apprentice, apprentice, journeyman, and later a foreman.  There was a logical progression which was very predictable.  At a point I could say, "In two years, I will be a journeyman and make such and such a wage."

It is strange to me that I have no such logical plan laid out before me and my family than obedience to God.  The stakes seem higher to people now that I have two boys in addition to my wife, but they remain the same:  will I be obedient to God and allow Him to direct my future?  God can provide food for the sparrows and knows when a single one falls.  Won't He abundantly supply my needs as well as my wife and kids?  I can make no prediction about what I will be doing in Australia, where I will be living, or how God intends I serve Him beyond preaching and serving.  Is that enough?  It is enough for me, and I don't know how much labor I should put into convincing others.  It boils down to faith.

Hebrews 11:13 says this concerning the patriarchs of faith:  "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."  Here are prime evidences of faith:  assurance that God's promises are true, embracing the promises and denying even what is seen, and confession of these promises in word and deed.  I suppose we can ask ourselves, how do we measure up to this standard of faith?  How willing am I to take God at His word?  Am I willing to lay aside all things that my arms might be free to embrace God's truth?  Whether we live of die, may we do it for the glory of the God who is, was, and who ever will be.  Faith needs no backup plan when faith is placed in God's Word.