Edition 29, March 2011 Connecting Christadelphian Young People

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

Coordinator Tim Mogg

Editorial tEam Tim Mogg, Chrissy Mogg, Samee Lapham, Georgia Muir, Dan Blackwood and Suz O'Toole

laYoUt/dESiGnSamee Lapham

maStHEad dESiGnAlisa Thompson

ContribUtorS

WritErS (in order of appearance): Tim Mogg, James McCann, Dan Blackwood, Ollie Tucker, Ellie Bilton (UK), Georgia Muir, Lauren Armes (QLD), Colin Hillman, Jo Ridings (QLD), Danny Hardy, Sal Standeven (QLD), Hannah Mansfield, Vaughan Connell (WA), Emily Collins (QLD), Zac Carroll, Rolly Johns (SA), Leah Hillhouse (VIC), Alex King (SA), Caitlyn Joseph, Joseph Cheek (SA), Jess Powell, Tash Tutticci (QLD), Dave Truong (WA), Nic Collins (QLD), Peter Nicholls (NZ), Chrissy Mogg, Abi Van Heerdan, Steph Jamieson, Ben Pogson, Elyssa Spall, Joel Hillman, Tom Pogson, Maddie Porter, Charlotte Hurn, Jake Pooley, John Dennes, Phil Pooley, Nell Saxon, Charlotte O'Toole, Chrissy Mogg, Ben Joseph, Naomi Joseph, Heather Stewart.

PHotoGraPHY: Simon Peel (UK, p3, 19), Ell Simons (VIC, p8), Steph Jamieson (p13), Mel Pogson (p40), Sally Thompson (p6, 33), Robbie Lawson (VIC, p34), Tim Mogg (p42).

MYC PHOTOSPREAD p22-23: Aletheia Burney (SA), Anna Miles (QLD), Ari Chand, Caitlyn Joseph, Chelsea Jones (VIC), Emma Collins, Hannah Twine (SA), Joel Hillman, Lauren Armes (QLD), Mikki Pogson, Steph Jamieson.

PIP PHOTOSPREAD p26-27, 29: Luke Thurlby, Shelly O'Toole, Dani Pogson.

DYM PHOTOSPREAD p38-39: Tim McClure, Tim Mogg.

illUStration: Dani Pogson (p41)

CoVEr dESiGn: Georgie O'Toole

SPECial tHanKS to: Cecelia Muir

The Vine is published to the Glory of our Heavenly Father, through whom all things are made possible.Opinions expressed in The Vine are the authors’ and are not neccessarily held by the Editorial Team or the SCYP.

All Bible quotations are from the New International Version (1978) unless otherwise stated.

e: thevine@scyp.netweb: www.scyp.net/thevine/issues

A few months ago I had an epiphany. The dictionary defines an epiphany as ‘the sudden realization of the larger essence or meaning of something’. For the past few months I have been thinking about Direction. Perhaps it was the planning for this edition that got me thinking but as I was riding my push bike to work I discovered something totally amazing! I ride a bike with skinny, hard tyres and a stiff frame. This helps me to go faster as less energy is wasted on soaking up the bumps, but it also means that when I do hit a bump I really feel it. As a result I am always on the lookout for rocks, sticks or those annoying reflective squares on the side of the road in an effort to avoid the jolt. Up until my epiphany this is what happened.

“Oh! Look! Is that a rock up ahead? Oooh! It looks pretty big. Aargh! There’s not much room between the parked cars on my left and the ones zooming by on my right. Yep. It’s definitely a rock and it’s getting closer. I hope I don’t hit it, it’ll hurt… …BUMP!”

This situation was not a rare occurrence. Unless I had the whole road to myself to swerve like a maniac it was always a bumpy ride.

But then I had the epiphany that changed everything. When I got home I googled, and was disappointed to discover I had not pioneered a new way of thinking, but at the same time was excited to know that my epiphany had a name. ‘Target fixation’. I suffered from target fixation. A website explained it something like this; when you ride a bike your eyes give your body information about where to go. Your body then passes this information on to your hands, and your hands then happily steer the bike. If you are looking and thinking about something hard enough, then that is where you will end up. Target fixation will still occur even if the only reason you are looking at something is because you want to avoid it.

My pai nful problem was easily solved. Instead of fixating on the bumps I needed to focus on the open patch of road five centimeters to the left of a bump. My literal pain in the butt was solved.

So it goes with our lives.

This edition of The Vine looks at Direction from heaps of different perspectives. Many different people contributed to this edition; thanks go out to them. It has been fantastic to read the different viewpoints and encouraging words from so many people. Inside these pages you will find articles exploring the big picture of Christ directed lives. Others break it down to show you the nuts and bolts of getting directed in a practical way. There is poetry, art and massive photo spreads from all the events that have been happening lately, as well as the usual host of regular columns.

I pray that this edition helps to steer you toward the kingdom and its king.

Tim

The concept behind this cover design was to visually represent direction, and the paths that different people choose to take in life (as represented by the heads). We all make choices, and these choices can greatly alter and swing the direction of our paths, and this is displayed as a wheel that changes direction depending on which way you view the image.

4 Followers of Jesus

6 Fork in the Road

8 Life in His Name

10 How is Israel Relevant to us?

13 Learning to Listen

14 Paul's Journeys

18 Ponder the Path of your Feet

20 Destinations

22 Photospread - MYC

24 Faith on Fire

26 Photospread - PiP

28 Sound of Melodies

30 Music Review

31 Book Review

32 A Recap of the MYC Studies

33 24 Hours to Live

34 JC is The Way

35 Ecclesial Profile

36 Tricks of the Eye

38 Back to Basics at DYM

40 Baptism Watch

41 Poetry in Motion

42 We Ask You...

43 Grapevine

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Are you a follower of Jesus? Is that how you classify yourself? Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you

fishers of men” Matt 4:19. This verse is one of the reasons we say we are followers of Jesus. He asked his disciples to follow him, and we want to follow him too. We want to go where he goes; he is our leader.

Jesus was out in the streets looking after the poor, homeless and helpless. Jesus spent time in the pubs and the synagogues; in the market places and the deserts. He listened and asked questions; he spoke and he solved problems. Many were amazed by his wisdom. And now, he is in heaven continuing to do the will of his Father, and he is still amazing people with his wisdom.

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus, and is being a follower what we should do with our lives?

When you get baptised your whole body goes under the water and you are symbolically aligning yourself with Jesus’ death and resurrection. You are stating that you know that you deserve to die, but that through baptism God will no longer look at you and see your sin. After your baptism God looks at you and sees the relationship you have with his son. Galations 3:27 says that ‘as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ Putting on Jesus is like wearing perfectly white new clothes.

Ephesian 5:1 says, ‘...be imitators of God, as beloved children.’ This paints the picture of a small child attempting to use

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a hammer alongside their dad, or to help cook alongside their mum. The nail might not go in straight, or the dough may end up over kneaded, but it is the willingness to imitate that matters.

When we follow Jesus’ perfect example we pay glory to God, because we are, in a roundabout way, imitating God. Jesus said, “I and the father are one” and, “If you had known me you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 10:30, 14:7)

This relationship we have with Jesus is real. There are no mathematical formulas or legal technicalities that explain what Jesus can do in our lives. It’s simple. We have a relationship with Jesus. This relationship with Jesus helps us to strengthen our relationship with God, which is the ultimate.

Baptism is a symbol of aligning oneself with Jesus’ death and resurrection. ‘Alignment with Jesus’ is a definite milestone in the walk of a follower, but it is only one part of the journey. Someone does not have to be baptised to be a follower of Jesus.

Anyone can follow Jesus. In the same way that people can follow Ashton Kutcher on Twitter or subscribe to Bono from U2’s blog*, people can follow Jesus by talking about him. They can think about the things he said, and recognise the positive impact of his teachings on someone who wants to live a good life. This is following, but it is shallow. It shows no aspect of a real relationship. By merely acknowledging that Jesus was a good man with ideas that are

beneficial for society you may be a follower, and you may think that you know Jesus, but would Jesus know you?

The unbaptised follower can only think about Jesus; where he went and what he did. They can only intellectually grapple with his philosophy and talk about him. If the follower wants to be fully immersed in a relationship with Jesus, then that follower needs to be baptised.

So what changes after baptism? After baptism the follower can still follow, but now you are more than just a follower of Jesus. You are a brother or sister of Christ.

Jesus is still your leader, but he is now much more than that. He is your elder brother. Instead of looking to Jesus as a respected teacher with ideas worth replicating, you are now part of his family.

God is the creator of the universe, and of each and every one of us. Our collective futures are in his hands. This may sound scary however there is no reason to fear. God has everything under control. He has been planning things for a very long time.

The universe was created with Jesus in mind. Jesus is not the back-up, ‘B-plan’. He was always the ‘A-plan’, and God has given us the opportunity to have this man as our brother. John 1:2-3 says that Jesus ‘was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.’

Christadelphians traditionally hold a memorial every Sunday to remember how Jesus gave his body; broken for the forgiveness of our sin, and his blood; shed that we may have life. If you have ever

wondered about the mechanics of how Jesus works as our mediator in this situation you probably got a headache. There is definitely plenty to think about, but there is one aspect of this mediatorship that is really simple. Jesus lived an inspirational and perfect life, and he gave this life up because it was the will of his father. Jesus moves us emotionally. He gives us the guidance and motivation to do God’s will in our lives. It is because of Jesus that we are special to God. He looks at us differently to the rest of creation, because we have a relationship with his son.

God is the father of the prodigal son, and he is your father too. He wants you to ‘put off your old self, which belongs to the former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.’ Ephesians 4:22-24

The next time you have to classify yourself; think about it. Are you just a follower of Jesus? Or is he your brother?

Christadelphian means brother or sister of Christ.

*Blog may or may not exist.

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“Hello Sir…would you like fries with that”?‘Mmmnn’, I ponder, ‘how hungry is Jack today?’ “ No thanks”, I reply, “I have been drawn here by your healthy salads!”.

Imagine if every decision we had to make was as simple as that! Finding our direction in life would be so straightforward and easy. But, we all know from our own experience that reality is actually the opposite. Every waking moment of each day we have to choose what direction we want, need or should go. This can include choosing which shoes to wear today, the best group of friends to spend your time with, the right career choice, even through to choosing to serve God!

Every aspect of our life presents itself with an intersection of divergent paths. Which direction should I go? These decisions may often take us weeks of anxious thought before any direction becomes visible. Actually, nothing may ever be visible; we may have to make a decision with little knowledge about what lies ahead. It may be the “right” or “wrong” path!

So how do we choose the “right” direction in life? Here are two principles to consider when thinking about what direction to take. They are ultimately interlinked and cyclic, and not exhaustive.

The most important principle is that we need a map! Jeremiah said, 'I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.' (Jer 10:23). Human thinking is not naturally good! We need God’s wisdom, direction and guidance. We need to stop thinking that we have the answers and we know the way, we need to stop putting confidence in ourselves.

'Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths' (Prov 3:5-6). Notice that is says “ALL things”, not half of our decisions, but ALL 100% of them. Bring God into the picture. Pray about everything (1 Thess 5:17), and then read God’s answer by looking for a verse, story or example in the Bible to help decide what direction is best.

The next principle to consider is wisdom! This may seem airy-fairy, but we need to understand that not every direction in life is right versus wrong. For example, when choosing a career being an electrician is not “right” and a plumber “wrong”. Wisdom seeks to choose the best direction for us, and being an electrician may be better if you are a bright spark or you just don’t like toilet humour.

Wisdom is not something we can just buy or be zapped with. James says, 'If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives

generously to all' (Jam 1:5 ESV). This connects us back to the first principle. Wisdom is from God, as it is the “wisdom from above” that we need when making decisions.

Yet it is also true that God has given us the freedom to choose. We could use this to choose whatever direction in life that we like, after all, the world says, “If it feels good, do it”! We could rationalise this decision by quoting Paul who told the Corinthians 'all things are lawful to me' (1 Cor 10:23).

But Paul went on to say, “But not everything profits… but not everything builds up”. Here is the importance of wisdom! We need to weigh up if there is real long-term advantage or profit in a path. See Jesus’ parable in Matt 7:24-27. Jesus’ words are the rock that wisdom builds on.

You might be feeling right now that you have read a long way into this without getting any definite answers. So is all this just a waste of time? No, because principles are not like rules, they are deeper and more powerful. Rules require little thought processes, whereas principles are the opposite. God is not only interested in our direction, He is interested in the process of getting us to choose it and desire to walk it.

Let's put this to the test. For example: How do I go about choosing a partner?

Human thinking is based on merely what looks good. Although this is still important, is this what you will be thinking about when you are 83-years-old, and you are watching your partner eat a sandwich with dentures?

So, let’s be humble enough to get out the map. What does God say about our direction? Pray about it first, God knows best.

Now, lets look up some Bible examples:• David (1 Sam 16:7, 25:3, 32-33) Vs Samson (Jud 14:2-3): When

choosing, look deeper than the surface. Look at what they value and love.

• 1 Cor 7:39: We can choose, but “only in the Lord”. Seems restrictive, but God’s wisdom is best. Choose a partner based on common direction.

• Ruth 1:16-17: Look for a person with direction! Boaz knew he had found an amazing partner because of her values and attitude.

If this is the map, wisdom becomes the vehicle that takes us in the right direction. Direction is not an easy thing to navigate, but this process is going to show us that the very purpose of life is to choose it!

'I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live' (Deut 30:19)

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If I was to ask you where you were ultimately heading for in your life, I suspect most of the time I would get a reply along the lines of "The Kingdom". If I asked why you wanted to get

there, you could probably give some reasons: Jesus will reign, peace on Earth, live forever, and so on. And if I asked how you knew it would be like this, I'd most likely get "Because it says so in the Bible." But if I asked where in the Bible, would you be able to tell me?

We may know and believe a lot of things - Jesus is the son of God, the devil doesn't have a tail and pitchfork, and a guy called Abraham got told some important stuff – but if we don't know, or can't remember, how can we effectively preach to others who won't just take something on face value? And worse, what if it starts causing us to question our beliefs? It is good to examine our beliefs; it can strengthen our faith. That said, it definitely helps to have some ideas on where and how to start, so we don’t feel overwhelmed.

So, where can we start? Here are some suggestions that might help:

The B(A)SF, or in full, The Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith. Some of you may not know what it is, or know of it as that thing on the library shelf covered in dust. Some of you

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may know all too well what it is, and the ways that people have used and abused it as a legal document, both in the past and the present. The fact is though, its original idea was to sum up what we believe, and provide biblical basis and proofs for those beliefs. If you take a look, you'll notice there are loads of verse references for each point. Sure, you may have trouble deciphering some of the Victorian era language in the original document, but don't be discouraged. There are copies that have been updated with contemporary language and reorganized so as to help you understand it. A particularly good one you could try is the one TJ Reding showed at Study Week last year.

Another good thing is to talk to your friends about spiritual matters. It’s something I don’t often do, and I have a feeling it might be the same for a lot of you. If you aren’t sure, or you're worried about something, don’t keep it bottled up. Seriously, it’s the worst thing you can do. I’m a serial offender in this regard and I know the damage it’s done to me over the years. Your friends are your friends for a reason. They’ll listen to you. They’ll give you advice, and help you find the answers if they don’t have them. Who knows, you might even be able to help them in the process too. There are also two friends we have access to day and night, who are always willing to listen. It’s always worth

saying a prayer before we do anything as it can help ease our worries, get us in a calm frame of mind, and it builds our relationships with God and Jesus.

The best thing though – and perhaps the simplest – is to simply read your Bible, read all of it, and read it frequently. People that have done the Bible Marathon are constantly saying how good it is, and having done it myself last time, I can understand why. When you’re reading, you can see things you may have missed, consider things from another point of view, and find quotes you understand and can then show/explain to others. Yes, the Bible is a big book, but it’s not impossible to get through. There are many aids and reading charts to help with this. Do it yourself or with friends, and you just might find it’s one of the best ways you can use your time.

So come the time someone asks you where you’re heading in life, what will you say? Will you believe it yourself? And why will you believe it?

I leave that to you.John 20:31 'but these are written so that you may believe that

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.'

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I wanted to share something God's taught me recently: to listen!

When was the last time you heard God clearly? More often than not, I allow my mind to become so full with my own thoughts and plans, that His voice is barely audible in my everyday life. Although we might sometimes feel like God is remote and quiet in our lives, the reality is: ‘God does speak – though we may not perceive it’ Job 33:14. We just might find it hard to distinguish it from the noise of everything else.

Recently, on a trip overseas, I felt like I really heard God for the first time in a while. After a month of fun but full on outreach, someone suggested that our P2P group went on a silent retreat to refresh. The purpose of the weekend was to spend some much needed time with God: quietening our minds and meditating of Him. We were expected to remain completely silent for at least 24 hours (not a word), 48 hours if we could handle it (I couldn’t).

A vow of silence was something none of us had ever done before. 'How hard can it be?', I thought, but after just a couple of hours, I was fit to burst. Desperate to break the silence, I kept trying to catch people's eyes and pull silly faces at them across the room. Then we started writing notes to each other along the lines of: Is singing allowed? When’s lunch? Let’s go to the beach! etc. After a while, though, there was no avoiding it: we had to become aware of God’s presence, surrender and listen.

As we sat in quietness, God taught me something I'd never realised so fully before: He is not silent. Just sitting outside, I realised that more than ever. All the sounds (the birds, the wind in the trees, the waves breaking) spoke of His existence and were singing His praise. Everything just seemed to resonate with His power.

It was by the words of the Lord that all creation was made, so how can we ignore such powerful and life-giving voice? If we just open the living word of God and pray to hear its influence, we will find wisdom that calls out loud to us, calling us to a better way. God longs for us to listen and follow His voice every day. ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts’ Hebrew 3:7-8 – instead, go after the things that lead to true peace, joy and love.

For whatever reason, our hearts can sometimes become hard and unresponsive so that God’s words have little impact on us. Maybe it’s because of our present circumstances or mindset, but whatever it is, God’s love and mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We just have to ask Him to soften and renew our hearts with His spirit. We have to ask Him to unplug our ears so that we truly can hear Him.

So what can we do to help us hear God in our everyday routine? Personally, I now try to set aside a little time each day to go for a walk in a local park or somewhere beautiful to clear my head. Even if it's just during a lunch break, stepping outside can help us lift our thoughts to the Maker of the world around us. Finding some quiet time alone with God can give you the head space to focus, read, pray and simply listen for His voice.

‘Here I am!’ Jesus calls out to us ‘I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in...' Revelation 3:20. He is living and moving and knocking on the doors of our hearts.

He wants to enter in and live in us, allowing us to discover a new way of being. We need to learn how to be still and become in tune with God’s voice. It may be only be a whisper at times, but God does speak and He’s calling us by name to an extraordinary life.

Barnabus and Saul were travelling home from Jerusalem. When they

reached Antioch, the Holy Spirit said to the prophets and teachers “Set apart for me Barnabus and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2). Saul and Barnabus sailed to Seleucia and then Salamis on the island of Cyprus. There John helped them teach the word of God to the Jews. They went through the island and got to Paphos, where

they met a false prophet trying to turn the proconsul away

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from God. Paul made the false prophet unable to see the sun for a time, and the proconsul believed the truth of Paul’s words.

Next Paul, John and Barnabus sailed to Perga. John left them there and went back to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabus continued on to Antioch in Pisidia, where Paul spoke to the people and they gathered in great numbers to hear him. The Jews became jealous of all the attention Paul was getting and eventually drove them from the city. Paul and Barnabus shook

the dust from their feet and continued on to Iconium.

In Iconium many Jews and Greeks believed, but the unbelieving Jews poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against everyone. The city became divided. After surviving an attempt to stone them, Barnabus and Paul fl ed to Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding country. In Lystra the people believed Paul and Barnabus were Zeus and Hermes. The Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and persuaded the people to stone

THERE WERE MANY DRIVEN MEN THAT WE CAN READ ABOUT IN THE BIBLE. IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT THERE WAS NO MAN WITH MORE DIRECTION THAN PAUL. GEORGIA MUIR HAS CHRONICLED HIS JOURNEYS.

Paul until they thought he was dead. He wasn’t dead though (phew!) and went on with Barnabus to Derbe where they made many disciples. Then they went back to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, where they encouraged the disciples, appointed elders in every ecclesia and baptised many more people.

They went back to Perga and from there they travelled to Attalia and fi nally came back to Antioch.

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Paul and Barnabus decided to revisit all the places where they had proclaimed

the word of God. Barnabus wanted to take John with them but Paul didn’t, they argued and separated. Paul took Silas with him and went to Tarsus and then to Derbe and Lystra. There they met Timothy. Paul decided to take Timothy with them and they continued on through Iconium and Antioch and came to Troas. There Paul had a vision of a man asking them to come to Macedonia so they immediately travelled to Phillipi. Lydia, who sold purple, lived there and she was baptised. Paul and the others met the slave girl who made her owners rich by telling the future. Paul stopped her from telling the future. Her owners were very angry and dragged Paul and Silas into the marketplace. They told the magistrates that Paul and Silas were Jews and disturbing the city. The magistrates gave orders to beat them with rod and then throw them into prison. Paul and Silas were up at midnight

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singing hymns when there was an earthquake which opened the doors of the prison. The jailer woke up and assumed that all the prisoners had escaped and decided to kill himself, but Paul called out and told him that they were all still there. He was baptised with all his family.

The magistrates sent to the jailer to let Paul and Silas out, but Paul said they had been beaten and put in prison even though they were Roman citizens and they deserved an apology. The magistrates were afraid and came and publically apologised and sent them out of the city.

Next they went to Amphipolis and Apollonia, and then to Thesalonica. In Thesalonica Paul spent three weeks arguing with the people that it was necessary for Jesus to die and be raised. Lots of devout Greeks were persuaded. The Jews became jealous, gathered a wicked crowd, created an uproar and then blamed it on Paul and the others. The magistrates were annoyed and the brethren immediately sent

Paul and Silas out of the city. Next they came to Berea. The

Jews there received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if the things they were taught were true. When the Jews of Thessolonica heard that Paul and Silas were in Berea they came and stirred up trouble. Paul was sent on, but Silas and Timothy stayed there. Paul was taken to Athens and sent word that Timothy and Silas should join him there immediately.

Paul saw that Athens was full of idols and was angry. He argued with people about it every day in the synagogue and the market place. Some of the people were confused about what he taught and brought him to the Areopagus to fi nd out more. Paul spoke to them and some mocked him, but a few believed.

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth where he met Aquila and Priscilla. Silas and Timothy joined him and he was busy preaching to the Jews. The Jews mocked him so he shook out his garments and told them

that from then on he would preach to the Gentiles. He stayed a year and six months there, preaching. The Jews eventually brought Paul to the ruler of the city, but he would not pay attention to them because their arguments were based on their own law and Paul was not acting against the laws of Rome.

Paul left Corinth and travelled to Conchra and then Ephesus, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. He left them at Ephesus and travelled to Ceaserea, Jerusalem and back to Antioch.

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Paul again went through Tarsus and Iconium and came to Ephesus. There he

found about 12 disciples of John who had not heard about Jesus. He explained to the who Jesus was and they were baptised. He then preached in the synagogue for three months, but when some members of the synagogue complained about this he went to the school of Tyrannus and spent two years preaching there. News of his preaching and his ability to heal people by sending handkerchiefs and aprons that he had touched to their homes spread through all of the area now known as Turkey. Many of those he converted burned books of magic which they owned, and the total cost of these works was

about 50 000 pieces of silver. Demetrius also lived in

Ephesus. He was a silversmith, and earned his living by making shrines to Diana who had a large temple in the city. Demetrius gathered a group of people together who also made their living from this trade and convinced them that the preaching of the gospel by Paul was a threat to their livelihood. The whole city was disturbed by this claim. They gathered in the city theatre and spent two hours chanting together “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”. When the town clerk was able to quieten the crowd he told Demetrius to use the legal system to resolve his complaint, and sent everybody home. Paul then

went to Macedonia and Greece. After three months at Corinth the Jews plotted against him and so he returned through Philippi to Troas. It took them 5 days to sail from Philippi to Troas and they spent 7 days there. On the last night Paul talked to the believers until midnight and Eutychus, who was sitting on the windowsill listening, fell asleep and slipped out of the third storey window. He was killed, but Paul raised him and continued to talk to the company until daybreak, when he left. He travelled down the coast of Turkey to Miletus and there met with the elders of the Ephesian ecclesia and warned them against listening to those who would seek to turn them away from the gospel. He told

them he would never see them again, which made them very sad. He sailed from Miletus to Cos, Rhodes, Patara, Tyre and Ptolemais and then to Caesarea, where he stayed with Philip. While he was there Agabus prophesied that Paul would be imprisoned when he reached Jerusalem but Paul was determined to continue his journey and to provide the disciples in Jerusalem with the gifts which he had been given for them by the believers that he had visited on this journey.

When he reached Jerusalem he stayed with Mnason who had been an early convert.

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While Paul was in Jerusalem, he was recognised by the

Jews that had plotted against him while he was on his third journey. The uproar they made led to Paul being placed on trial and Paul appealed for his case to be heard by Caesar in Rome. Paul was placed under guard to travel to Rome and began his fourth journey.

The party travelled to Caesarea and then travelled by ship to Sidon, around Cyprus to Myre. There they changed to another ship and travelled through contrary weather, past Cnidus, and crossed to Fair Havens.

Here Paul advised the party not to continue with their voyage for a few months, until the weather was right. The ship’s captain, the owner of the ship and the majority of the sailors wanted to move the ship to Phoenix (another town on the

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island of Crete) because it was a better place to stay while the weather changed.

However, as the ship was moved it was caught by a strong north-easterly wind and pushed out into the Adriatic Sea. The storm that followed blasted for many days, during which the sun was not seen. The ship’s company and passengers threw fi rst the cargo, and then all the spare sails and ropes and then anything else they didn’t need overboard to keep the ship above water during the storm. On the thirteenth night of the storm and angel appeared to Paul and assured him that although everyone had given up hope they would all survive a shipwreck on an approaching island.

During the fourteenth night the ship ran aground on the island of Malta. Paul urged everyone on board to eat, because they had been so busy

fi ghting the storm for fourteen days that they had not eaten. When they had eaten they threw the last of the cargo into the sea and tried to use the wind and the waves to lift the ship off the rocks and run it onto a nearby beach. The front of the ship ran into a rocky reef and stuck fast, but the back of the ship could still move and was torn in half by the waves. As the ship was torn apart, all 276 people were able to make their way safely to the land, some by swimming and others on planks and pieces of the boat.

The survivors were welcomed to shore by the locals, who built a fi re and warmed them in the cold and rain. As Paul gathered sticks to place on the fi re a viper bit him on the hand. Because he was unaff ected by the venom from the snake the locals thought that he was a god.

Paul and his party were taken to the home of Publius, who was

the chief man of the island, and there Paul healed Publius’ father. Many others then came to him to be healed.

Three months later they sailed to Syracuse and then Rhegium and Puteoli. From there the party walked to Rome and were met at the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns by groups of believers from Rome. Paul lived in Rome for two more years and spent this time explaining the scriptures, preaching of the kingdom of God and convincing Jews and Gentiles of the Gospel from morning to evening each day.

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t doesn't take a genius to see that life is a series of events which lead you from a point of origin, to your present location, where you decide where you will go next and even consider your fi nal

destination. There's nothing profound about moving from one location to another. Until we start probing a little deeper... and ask questions like; where did we come from, where have we been, and where are we going? Proverbs calls it ‘pondering the path of your feet’ (4:26).

If you don’t know where you’ve been, how can you know where you’re going? Right?

So, where have we been?From Madagascar to Belarus, we've been all over the place.

But where have you really been? Ponder the path of your feet. Again and again in the old testament God tells His people to

remember who they are, where they've been, what they've seen and what's been done for them. In Deuteronomy 5, God tells the people to remember that they were slaves in Egypt and that it was He who brought them out with His mighty hand. In Joshua, the people are told to remember the promises of Moses, the promise of a better place to come.

While God so often tells his people to remember what He has done for them, we also read of His followers asking God to do the same. In Judges 16, Sampson pleads with God to remember him and give him strength in the face of the Philistines. As God threatens to destroy His people in Exodus 32, Moses pleads with Him to remember His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And guess what?... God does remember, and relents of His decision to bring disaster.

When we take time to ponder the present moment, we remember where we've been and what God has done for us. Then we ask God to remember us and give us strength as we move into the future unknown, all the while remembering that He has promised us a future and a hope. In Mark 8, when the disciples forget to bring enough bread, Jesus says to them “don’t you remember?” (NKJ)…. “Don’t you see the point of all this?” (MSG). We see that in a simple act of forgetfulness, the disciples had lost sight of the big picture. They had failed to remember the power of Jesus to work miracles. If we stop remembering, then we might forget. Which sounds obvious right? But it’s at this point that we can stumble and fall.

So then, what about where we are going?In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted by the devil. "If you are the Son

of God, throw yourself down". Is Jesus doubting that He really is the Son of God? It was only 5 verses earlier (3:17) at Jesus' baptism that God declared from heaven, "this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". Perhaps He is questioning how He ought to manifest the power and responsibility given to Him? And what it really means to be the Son of God? When we doubt our capacity as children of God (we forget where we have come from), we are tempted to turn off into all sorts of alluring dark alleyways. We

can start to redefi ne ourselves by any number of worldly identities, and believe in all that those false identities stand for. We can overlook the freedom we have in Christ. Instead, we seek to fi nd worth in worldly terms; to be recognised for our title at work, how much money we make, or what we contribute to society. How easily we then lose sight of where we are going.

Consider this: your worth comes from your Creator. You are His, if you choose to be... And most importantly, what you do comes out of who you believe you are. What Jesus did, in laying down His life, came from the belief that He was the Son of God. By believing in who He was, His path was made clear.

As we grow in our capacity as children of God, we seek Him in everything we do. No matter where you’ve been or where you’ve come from, God wants to seek you and fi nd you. It's a golden thread which weaves through the Bible. We seek God and God seeks us. James 4:8, 'Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you'. It is an engagement that will change our lives and our future.

Are you hiding from God? It can hinder you from hearing your calling. But as God called to Adam in the garden of Eden, He directs to us the same question… “where are you?”

God wants us to trust Him; to come to Him for guidance.The saving grace is that God will meet you wherever you

are. Then, He invites you to the next stage of your spiritual enlightenment. The fi nal destination? Eternity.

In the meantime, God has given us creative license. We get to set the scene; the who, what, when, where, why, how. "God created your life, you're in charge to colour it. Make it beautiful" (anon).

This business of having creative license can be overwhelming at the best of times. We complicate it with questions of medium, brush stroke and technique... yet there is nothing complex about seeking God. Geography cannot limit your progress. Perhaps the only geographical command that God gives us, is to 'walk with Him' (Micah 6:9). But more than that, God also goes before us (Deut 31:8). God is everywhere you are and more! And He's got you in the forefront of His mind.

Wherever you are now, trust in your capacity as a child of God. Ponder the path of your feet. Remember where you've been and what has been done for you. Seek God, believe in His promises, and pray that Jesus remembers you when He comes into His Kingdom.

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Preparation is great, but it’s the path you take that ultimately determines your direction. The path you take trumps any dreams or intentions you have in making a journey.

While that’s obvious when you travel, we forget the same principle applies in our life. Andy Stanley wrote a book about this idea he calls the Principle of the Path. It’s the direction you choose and not your intention or dreams that determines your destination.

There’s a disconnect between where I want to be and what I actually do each day.

I want to have a great relationship with God, but I don’t spend the time to know him. Same with some people that are special in my life. I want to see my children grow – but I don’t look after my health.

DESTINATIONS

It’s a battle with our culture as well. I want to be a good steward of the resources God’s given me, but our culture encourages me to have what I want now. Should I get that new flat screen TV? Nothing to pay for 18 months!

Solomon gives a great example of a young man whose path is about to determine his destination – it’s in Proverbs 7:6-27.

6 At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice.

7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense.

You might be tempted to think you’d have more wisdom than this young man… and in this situation maybe you would. Solomon is sharing the story so you can

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learn from other people’s lives.8 He was going down the street near her

corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

We could probably finish the story here and you’d know the outcome. Solomon is looking down from his window on an accident waiting to happen. Has that happened in your life? You see your friends taking a path only to be disappointed about the destination when you could see it happening. Solomon goes on to describe what happened:

10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks)

She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: “Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.” (verses 10-20)

That youth was thinking all his dreams were coming true. He was a rock star on a red carpet but he’s about to find out that what he thought was an event he could tell his mates about turned out to be a pathway with a destination.

21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

Just in case you don’t get the message, Solomon repeats it three times: like an ox, like a deer, like a bird … all unsuspecting, but with consequences that cost their lives.

Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. (verses 24-27)

The young man thought he was unique, special. This was his night, the event he’d been waiting for. But it turns out it wasn’t an event, it was a path – a highway that many had taken before him – not leading to fame or looking cool with his mates, but a path which led to the chambers of death. There was a disconnect between what he wanted and the destination he arrived. What he did trumped what he dreamed or intended.

The story here is about lust and sex… Is the same disconnect happening in some part of your life? Do you have great dreams or intentions about what you’d like to have in your life, but what you’re doing now is taking you on a different path?

Where is your life heading? What are you doing now that is going to determine the destination you will have in ten or twenty years?

Your choices now have consequences. God really wants to do fantastic things in your life; more than your dreams or intentions. Solomon knew that.

In Proverbs 3 he gives this advice which will get you going in the right direction:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6)

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A very hot day, New Years Eve 2010, Phillip Island Adventure Resort, 370 young people gathered together. A week of Faith on Fire begins. Melbourne youth conference kicked

off with “Welcome Evening/Intro Games” and then a “Fete on Fire” which was set up with a jumping castle, ‘mini golf ’, fairy fl oss and many other things for people to do before it was time to have the meditation outside. The New Year was welcomed in with a countdown and real live fi reworks before bed.

Saturday 1st of January started with Readings/Discussion groups followed by talks by brother Matt Norton (NSW) and brother Joe Miles (UK). After lunch was a Team Sports Afternoon. Each Readings group participated in their colours. After a 6pm dinner was the Memorial Meeting at 7.30pm; followed by MYC Café and meditation at 10.45pm.

Sunday was much the same again for the morning. After lunch was State of Origin for those so inclined, otherwise it

was free time. An ‘International’ Social Evening fi nished the day. An array of imaginative outfi ts and antics jetted participants all around the world. Afterwards was another meditation before sleep time.

monday 3rd of January saw the usual; Readings/Discussion groups, the two talks followed by lunch. In the afternoon variety sessions kept everyone occupied. In the evening we saw an interpretation of the end days, “Preparing for The Return of Christ”. MYC café. Meditation.

tuesday was the Day Outing which involved a hike in the morning through the picturesque sand dunes and hills of the Woolamai Headland. Thankfully we were blessed with perfect weather all day! The scenery was beautiful. The hike ended up on a beach for lunch. After lunch we all headed off to various afternoon activities. Many went off to the trout farm, some returned home with their own trout. Mr Wonka was on hand to take a group around the Chocolate factory and they also visited the peaceful Churchill Island. Others went to the Amaze n Things Maze. The rest of the crew relaxed and chilled out on the beach or took to the water on boats and jet skis!

In the evening we saw a play presented by the Melbourne young people and we witnessed a play that Tested Faith. We saw a small ecclesia persecuted for what they believed, and some naïve young people put to the test. We fi nished the night with a brilliant meditation which was a short video about growing closer to God, followed by some worship before bed time.

Wednesday the 5th saw the usual before lunch activities followed by a second round of State of Origin. After dinner, we lined up and boarded buses off to the Mystery evening which was to see the Penguins! Everyone was surprised and excited to see God’s amazing creatures emerge from the ocean and head up to their nests.

thursday morning saw the usual morning activities. After lunch everyone went down to Smith’s Beach and stayed for dinner. The evening involved a Song and Praise night themed: “Fan into Flame”.

Friday 7th of January. The fi nal talk was held after breakfast and then the Farewell meeting before heading to lunch. Time to say goodbye, and go home with Faith on Fire.

It was a wonderful week.

sal staNDeveN (QlD)A truely awesome week

spent reading and studing God's word, learning how to keep the

fire burning within us. Having fun with old and new friends, uplifting and strenghtening

each other. We were encouraged that little sparks in our lives are from God, he is working with us to get us to the kingdom. 'Fear not little flock it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom' Luke 12:32

vaughaN coNNell (Wa)What an absolutely brilliant start to 2011!! Leading up to MYC, I was feeling pretty run-down, and

my spirituality tank was starting to run near empty. MYC was exactly what I needed though, the spiritual recharge and

refreshment that I was unknowingly craving. It provided me with the SPARKS! that I required to get my motivation

going again, and now I can honestly say that my faith has never been burning brighter than in the weeks

following what was an AWESOME conference.

DaNNy harDy (NsW)Relaxing, Refreshing,

Inspiring, Igniting!

haNNah maNsFielD (NsW)Melbourne conference: A fun-filled,

penguin poking week full of belly laughs, corny flower giving,

funny games, awesome people, international flavours and inspiring talks which fanned the embers of our faith into raging firework flames that will hopefully last until the world is filled with the awesome light of God's glory.

Jo riDiNgs (QlD)

isaac WatsoN (NsW) I went into MYC looking for

answers and by the end of the week I just about found them all. After MYC I realised that for the first time in a long time I was able to firmly take hold of the fire that God put inside of me. Without a doubt MYC was defiantly a blast!

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Nic colliNs (QlD)Conferences are an amazing

opportunity to reconnect; not just with good mates, but with your

faith and with God. Being in an environment where you are surrounded literally by hundreds

of other young people experiencing the same struggles,have the same ambitions have the

same faith as you is something that is absolutely priceless. The studies and spiritual activities were challenging and encoraging, and really helped to get me fired up again, to strive to live God's truth in my life and be there for others in the time we have left. it remended me to strive to be a lifesaver, and most importantly of all, to not loose sight of who and what I am. MYC for me was a Godsend.

caitlyN Joseph (NsW)I enjoyed Both Matt Norton and Joe Miles' talks – very uplifting and spiritual. I also enjoyed the play night that was

really organised and well presented by the Melbourne committee. Also getting to meet new people and see some of my old friends that I dont get to see very often. It was a great week to catch up with them.

Zac carroll (NsW)Awesome talks. It was such a

personal and practical subject. Met stacks of new people, which made the

week so much more interesting. Let's keep our faith on fire! Let's keep all our flames

burning till Jesus returns.

Jess poWell (NsW)it. was. AMAZING

Dave truoNg (Wa)Surreal, unreal, good

deal! Fresh faces, fun catching up with friends,

and probably the most spiritually uplifting

and insightful conference

ever!

alex KiNg (sa)MYC was another great youth conference. The talks from both Joe and Matt were brilliant and accessible to everyone. Special mention must go to the table tennis tables – a great way to waste half an hour, but not so great if you're trying to appear attractive to females.

emily colliNs (QlD)Sometimes all you need to keep going is someone to ask 'how ya going?', and then actually hang around long enough to listen to the answer. MYC provided endless opportunities to talk, vent, and listen to each other about how we're going

on our walk with Christ, and in doing so, helped to re-ignite the flame inside that can often become

dim as the world closes in around us. My flame got a boost, and I am eternally greatful for that!

Joseph cheeK (sa)An amazingly incredible and uplifting week.

Two of the best speakers I've ever seen, and as a result I could not wait to go to the talks each morning.

I just wish that it would've gone for a week longer!

rolly JohNs (sa)With faith-fueling talks, spontaneous and passionate praise sessions, and a great

bunch of amazing, spirited people, MYC was easily the best

conference I've been to. Thank you God!

tash tutticci (QlD)Like every youth conference MYC left me

with a feeling of joy, that comes with knowing that you are part of something

beautiful, part of something so much bigger than yourself, and you are

walking this wonderful and exciting journey, or as Joe Miles

put it, "a daring adventure" with lots of other young

people. I loved the theme of 'Faith on Fire' and MYC certainly set my faith on fire, and now I am loving spreading that fire in Brisbane. MYC 2011 was a week of spiritual goodness, meeting new people and quality time with old

friends, a wonderful week!leah hillhouse (vic)

My time at Melbourne Youth conference was so completely better then I was ever expecting!!! Being on the committee I often heard

about the stress different people were facing to get ready for it and there was always stacks of work to do but the week was amazing.

Some great worship sessions combined with awesome talks on the grace of God and ways to increase our faith made for a perfect week of fellowship.

The venue and weather made meeting people so easy and I'm already pumped for Brissy Conference in 2013!!

For a recap on the Studies by Matt & Joe please see page 32

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OUTREACH UPDATES

The great philosopher, Chris Martin once said, “God gave you style and gave you grace, God put a smile upon your face.” And looking round, he’s right. It’s just getting dark. PiP 2011 is over. The music may have stopped, but the smiles and spirit are still very much here. People chat and laugh, reflecting on a job well done. This hasn’t been an ordinary Saturday. God was here, in this place.

It’s early morning, and even after a dress rehearsal the night before, bleary eyed youths help at Shaftes, packing instruments, amps, stands, microphones and more into cars. Down at the park, the stage has arrived and is being constructed. The stage proved a headache this year, this isn’t our usual stage. But God has provided in a way we didn’t expect. Rain comes in spurts all day, and our new stage came with a roof. Thanks Dad, we love it when you do that! Amps are rigged, electrical gear is sorted and the sound check begins. A large amount of coffee is being drunk. Promo work begins, balloons handed out at the mall. Sally Thompson and Sally Gould are organizing this, and do an awesome job all day.

Time flies and the sound check progresses nicely. A few musicians lounge on stage, doing some interviews for official TV station, PiP TV. They sound relaxed, hilarity ensues. The bouncy castle arrives and face painting begins. As the crowd gathers, the choir warms up and the final arrangements are sorted. Backstage, Phil thanks everyone, we pray, it’s show time.

Set one commences with some Chris Tomlin songs, before Ari solos on Use Somebody by the Kings of Leon.

Before singing, he adds a nice touch by recognizing and thanking the original owners of the land. It’s a poignant moment and the song after delivers superbly. Fix You by Coldplay (awesome band!) is next, followed by Amazing Grace and Christ is Returning. Josh and Sam lead the delicate and beautiful For the Moments I Feel Faint, striking a chord with a number of the crowd. The set lifts off after this, with the strong guitar riff in Freedom is Here, and songs from Matt Redman and Third Day. The choir features prominently throughout, but hits a real high in Stand Up, a spectacular song by our own Lizzy Pooley. “Stand up and shout!” is the clarion call in this gospel inspired number, with Asha Watson giving an epic performance on lead vocals. Shine finishes the set, Cara soaring in the final stanza, proclaiming “Jesus, we’re living for your glory.”

Set two begins with a medley and a Leeland song, Beautiful Lord. A real highlight occurs with Suzie giving a touching performance in I Can Only Imagine, flawlessly capturing the feeling of the lyrics in her vocals. More songs follow before From the Inside Out, an emotional plea to God for his love. It’s beautifully played and concludes with a surprising rendition of How Great Thou Art, which moves the entire crowd into a stirring, impromptu sing-a-long. Leeland appear again with The Sound of Melodies, which sounds phenomenal, refraining around the park. Sally Thompson jumps into lead vocals, promising to “turn up the funk,” and delivers gloriously on With One Voice and I Know It, the latter song accompanied superbly on guitar by Ben “silky dance moves” Joseph. The set winds

up with Sally leading the choir in Oh Happy Day, and God of This City, beautifully sung by Chrissy. Two encores are played, the distinctive riff of Follow, complemented nicely with the towering I Will Rise.

The concert ends, a message of hope and joy has been shared with the world. People have looked at the spirit of the event, and they have seen God. Hugs are exchanged and backs slapped.

To all the organizers, technical crew, musicians and everyone who helped, congratulations on such an uplifting event. Thank you to everyone who contributed. No matter the size of the contribution, this event would not have been as awesome without you. Above all, thanks to God, for giving us the style and His grace, that we might put smiles on peoples faces.

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mUSiC REviEwS

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Okay, so I know you might be thinking ‘is a reviewer ever supposed

to give anything a five-star rating?’, and rightly so – it rarely happens. ‘Albertine’ by Brooke Fraser is one of the few completely captivating albums out there, entirely devoid of ‘filler’ tracks. This kiwi chick seems to possess the secret formula for creating moving, catchy melodies. It also helps that she has the most pleasant and effortless voice which she uses to express her passionate message.

The album opens with the song ‘Shadowfeet’; a stirring up-beat tune about finding your feet as a believer, and being grounded in your faith no-matter what. This song successfully sets the tone of the album – cool, calm pop-folk with poignant messages and blissfully likable melodies. The track ‘Deciphering me’ follows; a pleasant tune about friendship, self-discovery and finding your place. The mood then shifts to

the first song in a minor key; ‘Love, Where is Your Fire?’. It has a beautiful melancholy that is lifted by a refreshing chorus, in which Fraser contemplates a desire to ‘blaze’ with passion in her faith and love for God. Fraser then reins the listener back in with the quiet and carefully understated tune ‘Love is Waiting’ about a beautiful relationship. Next follows my favourite track of the album, ‘Albertine’. Underscored by a moving rhythm of guitar strums, and Fraser’s hauntingly beautiful melody atop, ‘Albertine’ captures the story of Fraser’s inspiration for the album; a trip to Rwanda in South Africa where she met an orphaned child named Albertine. This beautiful song builds in urgency and power and is completely captivating as Fraser explores the idea of seeing something so powerful that it changes you permanently. The beautiful melodic piano intro of ‘C.S. Lewis Song’ follows; another

equally beautiful and stirring song about embracing your purpose and making the most of your time as you wait in hope. ‘Faithful’ and ‘Seeds’ are the next two tracks. They bring the tone of the album back down to earth with a simple mix of piano, vocals and light drumming, and a simple messages of strengthening one’s faith and living a life the leaves something worthwhile behind. ‘Hosea’s Wife’ is a powerful tune where Fraser’s use of metaphor and story in her songs shines. In it, Fraser warns about the state of our world, but that "the word that saves is near" and that "to believe is to begin". One of my personal favourites, ‘The Thief ’ follows; a unique waltz-like song played on the acoustic guitar which regains a sense of calm and quiet. Fraser’s vocals are outstandingly beautiful on this simple track about love. ‘Hymn’ is the closing track of the album. It is another unique song which definitely lives

up to its name. Fraser sings a beautiful church-style hymn accompanied by piano and occasionally subtle strings.

The album is beautifully crafted with soaring emotional ballads and soft, meditative tracks to suit all moods. The album contains valuable messages about life, love and faith that are definitely worth listening to; they certainly spoke to me. Even if cool female folk-pop isn’t your thing, you’re sure to find at least one track on the album that resonates with you on some level. A simply pleasant album that I will listen to a thousand times over.

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BOOk REviEwS

The other day I walked into a Coles and found myself standing in front of the toothpaste section. I stood

there for about 5 minutes because I felt so overwhelmed by the many different brands to choose from. There was the trusted Colgate with 24 hour total protection, Aquafresh which has three different kinds of toothpaste all in one, toothpastes for whitening, for sensitive teeth, and multiple brands of choice to choose from. This made my decision to buy toothpaste a slightly stressful experience. This stressful experience is not just llimited to just toothpaste. We are bombarded by every businesspenny grabbing corporation in the world in a desperate war to win our loyalties and money. We are totally spoilt for choice with just about everything we deal with today. This over abundance of choice has led me and a good chunk of the world into a frantic state of ’selection anxiety’.

I read this great book a while ago called 'Just do something' by Kevin DeYoung. The book is a liberating approach to finding God’s will and I quote... ”How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc.” And while choosing a toothpaste may have nothing at all to do with the anxiety many Christians feel about discovering Gods will for their lives, it did make me reflect on how difficult it is to make choices, and Godly choices at that!

The book goes on to say that the hesitancy so many of us feel in making decisions has at least two sources. I quote:

“First, the new generations enjoy – or at least think they enjoy “unparalleled freedom.” Nothing is settled after high school or even college anymore. Life is wide open and filled

with endless possibilities, but with this sense of opportunity comes confusion, anxiety, and indecision. “With everything I could do and everywhere I could go, how can I know what’s what?” – Enter a passion to discern “Gods will for my life.”

Second, our search for the will of God has become an accomplice in the postponement of growing up, a convenient out for the young (or old) Christian floating through life without direction or purpose. Too many of us have passed off our instability, inconsistency and endless self exploration as “looking for Gods will”, as if not making up our minds and meandering through life were marks of spiritual sensitivity. As a result we are full of passivity and empty on follow through. When it comes to our future, we should take some responsibility, make a decision, and just do something.”

DeYoung goes on to say that Christ died to give us freedom, and making choices should be a part of that freedom. God expects us to make choices, and we can be confident that He has already determined how our choices fit into His sovereign will. Christians these days tend to have a ‘sit back and wait for Gods will to find you’ approach. Passivity has become a plague among us. He goes on to stress a very valid point that it’s not just that we as Christians don’t do anything, it’s that we feel spiritual for not doing anything. We imagine that our inactivity is patience and sensitivity to Gods leading and we tend to hyper-spiritualise our decisions allowing ourselves to veer off into impulsive and foolish decisions which lead to more indecision and even worse, regret.

If you actually think about it, Gods will for us is to be more like Christ, loving, pure and humble. Gods will is our growth in Christ-likeness. He promises to work all

things together for our good that we might be conformed to the image of his son. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 'For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers' Romans 8:28-29. And how do we accomplish this? We accomplish this by searching the scriptures, seeking wise council, and praying to God. We ask God to open our minds so we can understand the scriptures and apply them to our lives. We pray for wisdom because the way of wisdom is the way of life, and when it’s a way of life, you are freer than you realise. So pray for good motives in your decision-making. Pray for an attitude of trust and faith and obedience. Pray for humility and teach-ability. Pray for his gospel to be spread. God wants us to make good decisions that will help us be more like Christ and bring Him glory.

“So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you’ll be walking in the will of God!”

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Study 1 began with brother Matt Norton. His talks were on 'The Life of Lot'. Lot saw Abraham as a Just Man who turned into “Just a Man”. We were warned not to kid ourselves in the same way that Lot did by choosing to move to Sodom as we cannot have the best of both worlds. We also learnt of Lot’s character; he showed that he was ungrateful (Genesis 14) and weak. Genesis 19 shows him as reluctant, doubting, caused his wife’s execution and he was only saved because of grace. He does not reunite with Abraham.

Study 2 was the first of brother Joe

Miles' series titled; 'The Fullness of Faith'. He talked of how Christianity hasn’t been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and untried. He pointed out that we can’t go our own way on the roller coaster, and that it’s time to move from milk on to solid spiritual food.

Brother Matt’s second was about

'Contentment' and he reminded us of the blessings that we have and that being content is not only recommended to us but commanded of us. He also reminded us to always say, "Thank you".

Brother Joe’s next talk reminded us to

act thoughtfully on the message we were being taught rather than to simply listen.

Brother Matt’s third study was on

'Brotherly Love' where we learnt that contentment is a verb. He also showed us that Abraham loved Lot unconditionally just as the Lord loves us. He also showed us many quotes where God says that He will never leave us.

Joe’s third study was titled 'I’m fine, how

are you?' We looked at Genesis 2 where God

makes a Lifesaver for man. We need to be lifesavers to everyone by following the five steps outlined in Hebrews 10.

1) Draw near with a sincere heart.

2) Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.

3) Consider how we may spur one another on

towards love and good deeds.

4) Not give up meeting together.

5) Encourage one another.

Talk number four by Matt was on

'Honesty'. We learnt that Lot’s name meant veil or covering. Lot was hiding that: That he was a Hebrew, that he had the truth, that he thought the city was wicked and that he loved God.

Joe’s fourth talk was titled 'When the

Flame Flickers'. We need to stop running away from God and start taking the first steps towards him. Joe focused on the love of God, showing us that no matter what we do in our lives, God’s love is unchanging. “When you struggle, God’s love doesn’t change, your perception of it does”. Joe used the image of the father embracing the prodigal son on his return, showing that no matter what we do, as soon as we turn back to God he will be there to embrace us. Joe also presented some other sayings: “To love is to be vulnerable” – C.S. Lewis; “God helps those who help themselves” – Claudia Miles; “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow” – Maryann Radmacher.

Brother Matt’s final talk was on

'Deliverance'. We learnt that we should have patience and wait for God. To look for indications shown by God for whatever it is that you are waiting for. We should NEVER give up. Lot’s wife ‘looked back’ and she decided to go back. Abraham’s days were

faithful, settled and content. Their kids were involved in the truth. Their friends were all in the truth and busy with God. The days of Lot were hurried, rushed, stressed out and depressed. The kids left the truth as their parents had. The ecclesia hardly ever met. Friends were all outside and were busy with other things rather than the things of God. We need to make the right choices based on our spiritual life. Let’s choose the life of Abraham and not of Lot, and choose brotherly love and the love of God the Father and Jesus. Lot was saved through the prayers of Abraham so we should never give up on our prayers for others.

Brother Joe’s last two talks were titled

‘Sparks’ and ‘Refined by Fire’. A few sayings Joe brought up were: “Smile it confuses people” – Steven Wright; “We ask for criticism when what we really want is praise” – G.K. Chesterston; “Faith is knowing that if we can let go everything will be alright” – Grace Clements; “He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount” – Chinese Proverb.

Joe taught us to recognize God in the little things and to look out for these sparks in our everyday life, to keep our faith on fire. We learnt that we are ALL important to God. We need to make our relationship with God REAL and make our faith LIVE.

For a photospread and personal reviews of Melbourne Conference please see pages 22-25

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How would you live your life if you knew it was going to end tomorrow? We recently had a youth group class up here in Newcastle where we were handed a letter from our 'doctor' and told we only had 24 hours left to live. For the next hour we wrote down and discussed the things we would do in these precious last few hours of our lives: Some wanted to take out a large insurance policy, others were eager to go for a cruisy sky dive, but the common theme that kept coming up was family, friends, and our relationship with God. With only 24 hours to live, nobody was mentioning movies, sport, internet, celebrities, shopping or many of the other things that seem to take up so much of our time.

So I guess the question everyone was really asking themselves was: What do our lives really boil down to?

The horrible reality is, we aren't immortal. One day we will only have 24 hours to live or 24 hours until Christ returns. And if we don't choose our direction in life through our choices now, we're going to be up the creek without a paddle.

In our every day we need to prayerfully think about our direction: are we heading in the direction of a good and Godly end result?

Imagine if Junior MasterChef competitor Jack decided he wanted to make 'Pear Perfection' but that it wouldn't matter if he added to the recipe a tomato and three cups of salt. He would end up with a completely different result and no doubt get kicked off the show. Shame. In the same way, we have to put the right ingredients into our lives so that we will end up with a result that pleases God.

We have to plan for our end result, for where our lives end up. This means we need to make a conscious decision about the friends we're spending our time with, the places we're going; all in preparation for our desired end result. Sometimes our direction isn't defined by the epic life changing choices but by the small decisions. Choosing to show love; doing what is right over what you might want... Choosing to serve.

God actually desires to help us with our direction and with these every day decisions. Proverbs 3:6 says: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.'

If we let God direct our steps and allow ourselves to be malleable and open our hearts to Him, He will complete the good work he has started in us (Phil 1:6). He will lead us to where He wants us to be.

'May the Lord direct your hearts into Gods love and Christ’s perseverance.' 2 Thess 3:5

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I grew up in the 80’s (the era with the best fashion & music) on a farm out in the bush. At the age of 8 I had mastered the art of

wagging school and ended up working with Dad on the farm, drafting cattle. This involved me pushing all the cows into the yards, then sorting the cows that we wanted to sell. I used to have a piece of poly pipe that was longer than myself, which I used to sort out the cows that we wanted to sell, while at the same time not letting the cows that we didn’t want to sell in with these cattle. This always was difficult as we had this one black, blind bull that we couldn’t sell. It always went wherever the herd went and no matter how much jumping up and down I did in front of it, this bull would always charge me. It was never a big problem, however it was ‘quick smart’ over the fence.

I wasn’t always ‘Pro’ at dealing with cattle. I had to start off somewhere, so I learnt from Dad and my older brother Dave; they showed me “tricks of the trade” and the best way of dealing with cattle. What I am trying to get at is that there are many different ways of undertaking different situations. For instance I have this mate (JC) who is pretty famous (Google him), this is because he is the best at what he does and because he has heaps of cool tips on how he became so awesome. To paraphrase him “I can show you the best way” is one of his classics.

In the same way I learnt how to muster cattle from my family, God and JC have the best way (Tricks of the Trade) to life and salvation. Sociologically speaking, people end up becoming what they surround themselves with. If you surround yourself in JC’s teachings then you will become like him and God. Only then we will end up becoming “Pro’s”.

John 14:6-7 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.'

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At the foot of the Blue Mountains a small handful of Christ’s

disciples meet every Sunday in remembrance of His amazing sacrifice.

The Blue Mountains Ecclesia is located in Regentville Hall at No. 6 Jeanette Street, Regentville near the Penrith area. Every Sunday morning starts with Sunday School at 9:30am, memorial meeting at 11:15am followed by a delicious lunch with hot chips and dessert (to which all visitors are invited to stay) and a lecture commencing at 3pm. We particularly enjoy lunch at the hall not only for the amazing food prepared by our lovely mothers and the strange games we think of involving cups but the time we get to spend together. The young people at Blue Mountains have

an amazingly strong friendship and always enjoy a good laugh.

At present we have around 70 members ranging in age from 4 to 70 with about 40 of these members being young people. We have many activities throughout the year including ecclesial camps, study weekends, monthly Elpis Israel classes presented by Uncle James McCann, beach days and sports days as well as attendances to the CYC classes at Punchbowl.

Our Sunday School is divided into 5 separate classes except for the first half of this year where we have joined the 3 teenage classes in one to study and discuss 1st John for the upcoming Sydney Conference. Our classes and discussions have been led by our young baptized brothers who have provided

us with amazing explanations of the message from John. Many of our young people are involved in the organization of the Sydney Conference helping with music, discussion groups and activities and look forward to the week.

With such a large group of young people, this year we have decided to be more active in our ecclesia starting with simple things such as “wash up the dishes day” on the first Sunday of every month to help out our mothers who are in the kitchen.

A day we are all looking forward to is when we go to the Padstow Nursing Home to be a part of their memorial meeting. We are so blessed to have young baptized brothers to help us with these activities as well as the knowledge, encouragement and guidance

of the older brothers and sisters in the ecclesia.

This year so far we have witnessed one baptism and after a day of leaflet distribution we held two public seminars where we were so blessed to have ten interested friends.

We always love having visitors and would also love for you to share in our lunch time games so please come along and visit us anytime, and we pray that our Lord may return soon so we may continue to enjoy each other’s company in His Kingdom forever.

'He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.' Revelation 22:20

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n 1884 Leland Stanford Jr died of typhoid two months before his 16th birthday, and following his funeral his

grieving parents wanted to establish a memorial to him. So they met with Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Eliot asked the unostentatious couple what he could do to help with their grief. Mr and Mrs Stanford told him they would like to fund a memorial for their son. "Perhaps you have in mind a scholarship?" Eliot suggested, "We were thinking of something more substantial than that... perhaps a building," they replied. Eliot dismissed this idea as being too expensive for the couple and they departed. The next year, Eliot heard that the unassuming couple had gone elsewhere and established a memorial named Leland Stanford Junior University, better known today as Stanford University (Leland Sr. was a Californian railroad magnate).

People give off an illusion of who or what they are; and we treat them diff erently based on the illusion of who we think they are, rather than who they are in reality. I know that I can treat people diff erently based on what I think them to be.

Maybe we think that someone has a lot of money because of the car they drive or the things they wear – and we can see them diff erently because of that. Maybe we think that someone is weird because they act or speak diff erently.

These are like optical illusions, distracting us from the reality of who these people really are. When we view people based on their clothes, style, money, gadgets or popularity... these are just distractions from actuality. God sees people according to their relationship with him.

People can be like optical illusions. People may not be what they appear to be.

Three thousand years ago, Israel was in crisis – the nation had insisted on getting a

king, so they chose the man who was 'as handsome a man as could be found' (1 Sam 9:2)

but Saul turned out to be moody, tyrannical, superstitious and hostile. So Samuel sets out

to fi nd a new king. God directed Samuel to Jesse’s household.

Samuel is in Jesse’s living room with a parade of seven strong sons – each one strong,

intelligent and handsome. Each one could have been king – seven ‘suitable’ sons pass

by, and still Samuel’s answer is “No. Not him.” God’s truth is not found in what looks

impressive. God sees the heart of the person you’re judging, he sees my heart, and he

sees yours.When we go for something just because it looks good – money, prestige, popularity...

maybe they’re just surface appearances. Appearances are deceiving. Tricks of the eye –

optical illusions. One of my uni professors this week told me that “If you be a Doctor, then

maybe you be fi lled up with all this prestige and cannot take any more! Then what will

you do?!” He’s great.When Samuel had almost given up hope, God says, 'Rise and anoint him; this is the one.'

(1 Sam 16:12). Israel had a new king.It’s not about the way you look, because appearances are deceiving. That daggy old

shirt may cover a heart of love, or maybe that Dior Homme jacket hides a hollow heart. It’s

not about the way you look, because appearances will trick you. It’s about what you can

become. It’s about being who God created you to be.

Jesus is the one. He accepts me and loves me unconditionally for what I can

become, for what I am inside. 'The LORD does not see as men see; they look on the outward

appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.' 1 Sam 16:7

Isaiah 53:2 says, '…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty

that we should desire him.' But his ministry to save us led to the cross – with all its ugliness.

He took all of our sins. The crowd looking at Jesus on the cross thought that God had rejected him. It looked

that way. He died. The sky went dark. The ground shook.

All was lost, or so it appeared... But appearances can be deceiving.

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Watched the rain POUR down. Ran around on the beach. Spent time with me and my Maker. Went fishing. A D&M, or two. Camped with Ken Camplin. Had some unforgettable times with good mates. Surfed a bit. Had 17 cups of hot tea.

These are just a few possible replies a DYM camper may have after being asked, “What did you do last weekend?”

Every year on the south coast of Sydney, at Bendalong, a few young people spend time Discovering their Maker. This year Ken Camplin helped to guide the process. Ken spoke about the importance of knowing yourself if you want to create a meaningful relationship, because you are one half of the relationship!

The second thought was the startling revelation that God is not on our side. God does not choose sides. WE have to choose to be on His side. In Joshua 5:13 (NIV)

'… Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”'

God’s army has no side but God’s. When we get baptized we proclaim what side we want to be on.

After spending a weekend in God’s creation, thinking about how He thinks and looking at Jesus’ example, soggy tents and tired people trundled home. They returned home to face the regular question, “What did you do last weekend?” They all had a pretty good answer.

SCYP CAmPS

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I’ve grown up in a Christadelphian family my whole life and baptism has always been something that I’ve wanted to do. The real eye opener for me was my trip overseas to the

Philippines when I was fourteen. I met heaps of amazing people who were so hospitable and loving. Their faith in God was shown in every word they spoke and their every action. These beautiful people have so little in the eyes of the world but their faith is something that we should all try to replicate, it’s so incredible.

I attended a Bible School in the Philippines and met loads of young people, the majority of whom were baptised. They were shocked to find that I wasn’t baptised myself. This is when I started to ask myself, “Why am I not baptised?”

Now that I’m baptised I urge you all to get baptised too. Christ’s return is not far away. If you’re like me and have been putting it off for no huge reason, just do it! You will not regret it, I assure you. The best advice I can give to you all is to surround yourselves with people who have the same Godly values, vision and beliefs as you. These people will be a huge positive influence and hopefully will motivate and guide you.

Baptism is the greatest decision anybody can make. I made this decision because it is the only way that I, a mere

mortal human being, can receive complete forgiveness for my sins and be accepted into God’s Kingdom.

Baptism is a promise. It’s a promise of dedication to Christ. We are asked to dedicate our every thought and action to Christ. When I rose from the waters of baptism I took part in this awesome everlasting promise. What I felt after I was baptised was something that words can’t describe, something that a person can only feel when actually being baptised, when taking part in the amazing experience itself.

I can’t wait for the day when all the evil on this earth will be taken away and we can all be a part of God’s Kingdom together worshipping God with Christ as our king forever.

Maddie Porter

God speaks to each and everyone in different ways. He may speak to you through art, songs, dance, academics, relationships or whatever it may be. I believe God has

spoken to me through two main areas of my life.He has spoken through science – particularly biological

sciences. The more and more I learnt (which is only a tiny amount in the whole scheme of things) I just could not help being drawn to Him. Even people who do not believe in God would say things about the structure or function of a particular organism, and in the process of doing so would proclaim the majesty and glory of God. There was just no way that these things could be so perfect without the presence of God. Everything was pointing towards Him.

I have also been influenced, greatly, by the people around me. This has included my grandparents, my uncles and aunties, my direct family, my church and my friends. Never underestimate the power that God can have in other people’s lives by just being yourself in Christ Jesus. These people, the cloud of witnesses as the writer of Hebrews says in Heb12:1, has helped me see how God can work in other people, through both the hard and the easy times and have also captured glimpses of what God’s love towards us is like. These people have helped me to come closer to God, to want me to have a relationship with Him.

My academics showed me that there was a God, but my relationships and reading of the Bible pointed to something deeper.

Quite recently a verse was pointed out to me in a way I hadn’t really thought about before. Jesus is on the cross with a thief on either side of him. One thief turns to Jesus and taunts him. The second thief rebukes the first and then turns to Jesus in verse 42 of Luke 23 and says “Lord, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom” (NKJV). In this one sentence the thief is proclaiming three things about Jesus. He says ‘Jesus, you are my Lord, my Savour and my King.’

God has done so much for us, and what He wants is for us to respond to the love He has shown. Therefore this is my response – Jesus; You are my Lord, my Saviour and my King.

Tom Pogson

BAPTiSm wATCH

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Charlotte O'Toole:Baptized and helping other people.

Jake Pooley: I see myself preaching in all the countries I go to as a Marine Biologist. Maybe married and living somewhere close to the water.

Ben Joseph: I'd like to think Naomi and I would have a small family and be a part of an exciting and inclusive church, or just be traveling the nether-regions of the world.

Naomi Joseph: Such a hard question! Maybe teaching English in a foreign country. Maybe looking after a couple of small children. Maybe living in a rural or outback part of Australia. Maybe just settled in Sydney, with a dog and a vegie plot and a chook run, as part of a stable community.

Heather Stewart:Probably thinking 'where have the last 10 years gone!? I can't believe my son is now in Year 6'

Phil Pooley: I know this sounds corny, but I hope and pray I'm in a blessed place with a similarly awesome group of people that challenge and inspire me to do better! Thank you everyone for showing me Jesus!

Chrissy Mogg: With three kids and a dog, in a nice house, teaching Sunday School

Nell Saxon: ummm, to be honest I don't know at all! It's kinda scary to think that far ahead!

Charlotte Hurn: I see kids, a veggie patch, family, friends, and living my life with Jesus everyday like I'm trying to now.

John Dennes: Working with the youth in our community with some cool new ideas and initiatives

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BIRTHSAnnika Elsie Jones (Hollie & Jon, Mt Colah)

BAPTISMSJosh Hughes (Baringa/Mt Colah)

Chris Deller (Sutherland) Tom Pogson (Baringa)

Simone Bartholomeusz (Moorebank)Jerusha Wolstencroft (Punchbowl)Maddie Porter (Blue Mountains)Zoe Shaw (Southern Highlands)Cameron McConnell (Doonside)

Eve Wolstencroft (Blue Mountains)Carlie Lygizos (Woodville, SA)Jess Ketterer (Brisbane, QLD)Adriana Wilson (Yepoon,QLD)

ENGAGEMENTSRosie Lawrie & Martin Russell

Ali Verdich & Josh DrakeAbi Mansfield & Sam McGeorge

WEDDINGSAmanda Shaw & Ben PooleyJess Hill & Luke Mansfield

Katie Porter & Dan Crawford Susie Lund & Andy Leadbeatter (SA)