Holding on to your Call.

(The following is a Talk I gave to Deep Creek Uniting early April, 2003.)

Although I was Christened as a baby and had a few months of Sunday school when I was 12, as well as having had Religious Instruction during both my primary and Secondary School years , I really came from a non Christian Background and so when I finally , at 29, accepted that there was a God and that Jesus was his son and the Bible was His words to us and that I was a sinner in need of His forgiveness, I still knew nothing much about this God I now accepted as mine.

I don’t know about you but I was not happy with my limited knowledge of the one I now claimed to follow; and so I set about learning as much as I could about this God that I now called Father. So I started attending a Regular Bible Study and regularly read my Bible as well as attending all the seminars about prayer and the Bible that I could.

During this time I felt the Lord calling me to Missionary service. At first I resisted this call! Not because I didn’t want to go but because in those days I thought being a Missionary was something special and I wasn’t really sure if it was God calling or simply my pride as a new Christian.

Eventually my wife and I decided that it was God calling us and not our own desires and we approached a Mission society offering ourselves for service, expecting to be accepted almost straight away as the need for Missionaries was so great. Now of course that did not happen and it was a bit of a shock to us to say the least.

How we were led to that particular society is a long story in itself, but we did feel that God had definitely called us to Africa for 20 years or so with them, which is why we approached them and said here we are.

However we never heard from them for a long time and when we checked up with them we found that they apparently had lost our original application, and so we had to apply all over again. During this second approach, we were told that it was Missionary policy that all applicants have hat least one or two years of Bible collage experience behind them and they suggested we go to a Bible Collage in NSW for two years.

Now we were happy to go to Africa for 20 plus years but not happy about going to NSW for two Years. However we felt sure that God had called us to that Society and if that was what they wanted then that was what had to be. Others in our Church were not so sure and wanted us to go to BCV out at Lilydale.

Anyway we applied to NSW and much to my joy but utter amazement we were knocked back, as there, the wife must also do the course and they felt that with 3 small kids, Martha would not cope. Personally they totally misjudged her, but at least we got out of going to NSW. For a while at least! And ended up at BCV.

Now I don’t believe in doing something just for the sake of going through the motions of fulfilling their requirements, so I started looking at what I would do there and the only course that appealed to me was a 3 or 4 year course. Now it was bad enough having to do two years but to spread it out to 4 was pushing it a bit. Never the less I decided to apply for it but was told that as I didn’t have my Matriculation Certificate (Now the VCE, I believe!) Anyway whatever it was, I didn’t have it, so I wasn’t qualified for the course I wanted to do. There were two others I could have done but not the one I felt strongly about.

We were told that as I was a mature aged student that I may be eligible to try the first year and see how I went, but they weren’t sure. So we ended up at BCV a week before the year started still not knowing what course I would be doing. To cut a long story short I did the course, passed the first year and graduated 3 years later with a Bachelor of Theology.

But still things were not made easy. Half way through the course, we were told that this was great but now the Mission wanted us/me to have some practical Church experience, so during our last year at Collage I was helping the Minister at Wandin Uniting Church where I preached for the first time. When we finished at BCV we went, finally to NSW, to be Associate Minister at the Wagga Ashmont Baptist Church. Soon after our arrival there, their was a mass departure of the leadership and although I was supposedly the Associate pastor learning from others above me, soon I found I was the only one in leadership, with half the Elders and Deacons we started with.

It really wasn’t my fault, they all just took the opportunity of a new Pastor to leave. Anyway, we were there for 12 months and it was a sharp and difficult but ultimately a good learning curve. The mission wanted us to get some Church experience and believe me we got it in spades during our time there. Yet we still look back at that time with fond memories.

During our time there the Mission finally accepted us for Missionary service in Madagascar. It had only taken some 6 years and a couple of applications to get that far. So we returned to Melbourne for a few months expecting to head for the Mission field within 12 Months. Again it is another long story that I won’t go into here but it was two years later and to a completely different part of Africa that we finally went to.

During our time in Transkei and South Africa, we had our own litany of travails. The Apostle Paul lists his in second Timothy 11. Well ours may not be as impressive as we have never been whipped, shipwrecked or imprisoned but we did have a stone thrown through the car windows hitting the wife on the back just missing her head. Our house was petrol bombed twice. The Car was stolen, never to be returned although we did see it once. I have been mugged at knife point and had at least 3 pick pocket attempts, the fence cut and the dogs let out in an attempt to break into the house. There are a few other incidence, but these were the main ones.

Throughout all this we felt strongly God’s protection for us there and rather than being hindrances to our ministry, these attacks against us actually helped our ministry as people saw that we both believed and practiced what we preached about our trust in God and his concern for all who believe and follow him.

We did not stay there the 20 plus years that we expected but ended up leaving after only 12 years as God again made it clear to us that our time there was at end and it was time to leave there.

And so, 4 years later, here we are with you tonight. Still following God’s call for us. It is no longer in Africa but in darkest Croydon, but God is still calling and we are still walking in His call to us. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has never been too hard, and there have been many, many good times too. It’s just that the good times don’t make as good a story as the bad things do they?

To sum up, I would encourage you to make the most of every opportunity to learn as much as you can about your father God and be as involved with your church as much as you can and follow God’s call at the speed He calls you. If you have to make detours, even to NSW, to get the needed experience, do so. Don’t rush God’s call to you, but don’t drag your feet either.

Thank you and good night

The use of Christian words in a non-Christian setting.

In reply to my recent blog” Coca-Cola Evangelism, I received this reply: “I am not very sure about using evangelization for advertisement because to me the former pertains to preaching the gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of God in the person of my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ). No comparison Walt!”
Now I don’t wish to be pedantic here, nor to get hung up on semantics but while my friend may be right from a Christian perspective, his understanding is based on the content of the message of Christian evangelising, and not on the act of proclamation, which is technically what evangelism is. Not the message itself, but the act of proclaiming that (or any other) message
Another thing I could add here, is that while Christians may have qualms about using religious terms (which themselves originated out of non-religious terminology) in a secular environment, secular people don't have the same qualms about using religious terms in their secular world, thus often words accepted as normal Christian words, words like, evangelism and Bible, are often used by secular people to describe their non-biblical activities. Thus, I at least, feel my other friend’s use of Evangelism in his opening statement, instead of using " Spreading the word" (which also has strong Religious implications) or “advertising”, was appropriate when trying to reach a wide audience of both Christian and non-Christian alike. Which is the aim of these blogs, as well as to encourage all to think more carefully about spiritual things and eventually Christ.

Also, Jesus often did the same thing when on earth, where in his parables and public proclamations, he used the language that people were familiar with and told stories that they could relate to and understand, to convey his spiritual message.

Anyway, don't know if this has cleared things up a little or just muddied the water further. Either way, please feel free to discuss this further if you feel you have something to add: Walter

Coca-Cola Evangelism.

Coca-Cola Evangelism. 11/5/2011
Just as an aside here, I appreciate and welcome any and all comments on my Blogs. I may not respond or reply to all of them, but I do promise to take the serious ones seriously, and to at least ponder on what you say.
It is with that thought in mind that I post the following reply to my recent: "Good old Coca-Cola,” Blog. It is from an American friend currently living in South Africa and he wrote:
“It is interesting to me how successfully Coca-Cola has evangelized the world. Wherever you go in the world you will find Coke. People everywhere like it and want it. One day when we drove from our house to our church our kids identified over twenty Coke ads on the way (billboards, shops, taxis) etc. Yet Coke is just sugar and water and a few ingredients—nothing that ultimately satisfies and meets real needs.”
He is right you know! Haven’t been to the States, but we have lived for a time in South Africa, and in recent years, briefly cruised through parts of the South Pacific and parts of Europe, and Coke is available everywhere there too.
Mind you, the Christian Church has not done a bad job of evangelism either, and in all the above places that I mentioned I have visited, we have seen many churches there too. On one South pacific Island, some people from our boat went to the left and others to the right. Later , on meeting up in a McDonalds (!) one, who went to the right, asked of one who went to the left, what was there, only to be told, “Dozens of stray dogs and dozens of Churches!” Something we found, from our own observations of going to the right, was also true there too.
So yes the Christian Church, like the Coca-Cola Company, has done a good job of evangelism in the past, but? But, just like when you can go into some establishments that sell Coke, you can get Coke that is already previously watered down, or else have your cup half filled with ice, reducing the amount of Real coke that one gets, whilst thinking that we are getting the full deal, the same is true for some churches and even church Denominations too.
Don’t wish to get into an argument about that here but simply wish to point out that Christ is more substantial than Coke, but sadly many churches and self-called Christians, have in fact, not only watered Christ down, but have so done so much so, that many outside observers have never, ever experienced the real thing. Which is a terrible thing indeed!
But that is them! What about our own personal evangelism here? (And here I am talking specifically to Christians.) Yes in our own presentations of Christ to those around us, are we producing the Real Thing or just a watered down version of the original? Again, something to think on seriously! What say you?

Does what do you really say, reflect your father?

This reflection and challenge is from a recent personal incident involving our youngest daughter.

Although a mature young lady and about to be married soon, I had occasion to council her recently on the death of a beloved pet. And of course, me being me, did it in my own unique style, which seemed to work okay.

A bit later, over lunch, I had the occasion to overhear her side of a telephone conversation. At that stage I had no idea who was on the other end, except to conclude that they must have been very, very wise indeed! Just like me! Because all I kept hearing on this end, was, “That’s what dad said!” “That’s what dad said!” Must have heard it three or four times at least, not that I was counting!

Anyway, later I found out that the party on the other end, was in fact our very own first-born daughter! And it seems even if I hadn’t taught her much, I had at least taught her to be like me.

Now, whether that is a good thing or not, I will leave that with you to decide, but it does point to the fact that those closest to us, do both see and imbibe, even if by osmosis, what they see and hear in and from us. So one always needs to be careful of the example we are leaving with others and especially those closest to us, don’t we?

So as Children of God now, who is learning what from you right now? And is it something that you would be proud to hear them say, “That’s what ****** said"?

So today, and as we start another New Year, are you too truly repeating to the world what our Father God in Heaven said? Or are we still exhibiting our old ways from the evil One? And if so, is that what your Father in Heaven really said and wants said?

The Land of Nod

I think that all of us have at one time or another used the expression “ In the Land Of Nod” to refer to being asleep, But did you know that the expression in its original form is Biblical?
According to the Word of the Day for Tuesday, April 6, 2010, the land of Nod is a mythical land of sleep. Further it states: “Land of Nod is a pun on the biblical place-name, the country to which Cain journeyed after slaying Abel. See Genesis, 4:16.”
My assignment for you today, should you choose to accept it, is, “How did the Land of Nod in the Bible, come to mean sleep in modern Parlance?”
I believe I have the answer, but await your response, for either correction or confirmation. Thanking you in advance.

What is your true colour as Christ’s light in this world?

Was walking up the street the other day, when I saw a black Ute* coming towards us. But before it got to us, it did a u-turn and while it was doing so, the sun reflected off it and I saw that it was not black at all, but a funny shade of Green. Then having completed it’s turn, it again looked black out of the direct sunlight.
It very much reminded me of my previous car. Just after I bought it, I visited my parents and of course showed it off. Then the next time I visited them, I was asked to settle an argument between them. It seems one insisted it was black and the other blue, and both wanted me to declare who was right and who was wrong.
Of course me being me, promptly declared them both wrong! Which they were, as the car was actually and officially Green. Just that in various light and shades, it did even appear black and blue, despite actually being neither. With further reflection and upon seeing my car in different lighting, I could also clearly see where they were looking from.
All of which got me to thinking that often that is also true about us as Followers of Christ and being His lights to the world and wondering if people really see us as Christ’s light to them, or simply see us reflecting, not Christ’s light, but the murky light of the world?
Sadly many people often only see a lot of so-called Christians reflecting a light other than Christ’s. Thus never see His true colour, nor the colour that Christ wants them to see in us!
Yes, some others may see Christ’s followers in one light or another. Thus we can sometimes be seen as all good or all bad, when in fact we are really in between those “two extreme Colours”, and in Christ. And, neither the worst nor the best, just being Christ’s lights into this otherwise darkening world. So what Colour are you really now? And are people really seeing your true colours as a forgiven follower of Christ Jesus all the time?
* Utility or Light Commercial Vehicle or Bakkie!

Are you a Kenspeckle Christian?

Kenspeckle was the word of the Day, for September 7th, 2010. It is Scandinavian in origin and means: “Conspicuous; easily seen or recognized.”
Now I have never come across this word before and now that I have, and not planning to visit Scandinavia ever, I probably will never use it either, but I couldn’t help but think about its meaning and relevance to us Christians in our daily walks with God.
Yes, how many of us are truly “Kenspeckle Christians”? That is Christians that are conspicuous, easily seen and recognised in our respective communities?
Just something for all of us to reflect on I believe. Meanings, to both reflect on and then to put into action in our lives, even if we never use the word itself!