Just doing final preparation for tonight's lecture at Kings Leadership College on Ephesians. Chapters 1-3 of Ephesians deal with theology; chapters 4-6 deal with conduct. In a sense, Paul spends three chapters declaring what he believes about Jesus, then the next three chapters on the implications of this on the way we behave.
One commentator of Ephesians summed it up succinctly:
"As with other epistles of Paul’s, Christian theology is followed by Christian conduct. All conduct is built upon theology, and all theology is incomplete and underdeveloped without conduct."
Will be a great night!
April 2, 2009
March 31, 2009
Andrew Bolt Blog
Since watching the ABC's Q&A program last Thursday night, I've become a reader of Andrew Bolt's blog. Bolt is a regular columnist for the Herald Sun and was a guest panelist on Q&A last week; his input made the show an excellent viewing. His straight shooting manner makes his blog an entertaining and thought provoking read.
March 30, 2009
Changed by Prayer
Sometimes I find myself mistakenly thinking that my prayer will change God's mind and course of action in my life. Most often however, prayer causes me to change more than anything (or anyone) else.
See the example of Jesus in Luke 9:29, 'As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.'
On this point, Matthew Henry writes:
The waterman in the boat, who with his hook takes hold of the shore, does not thereby pull the shore to the boat, but the boat to the shore. So in prayer we do not draw the mercy to ourselves, but ourselves to the mercy.
See the example of Jesus in Luke 9:29, 'As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.'
On this point, Matthew Henry writes:
The waterman in the boat, who with his hook takes hold of the shore, does not thereby pull the shore to the boat, but the boat to the shore. So in prayer we do not draw the mercy to ourselves, but ourselves to the mercy.
March 28, 2009
Aid and Business in Africa
The March 23rd edition of Time Magazine featured '10 Big Ideas Changing the World Right Now'. Idea #6 is 'Africa, Business Destination'.
For me, the article provided a new perception of both aid and Africa.
"...In Africa's case, the perception has long been that where you are renders all but irrelevant what you do. Africa is hopeless, a place of war and famine seemingly populated almost entirely by tyrants and children with flies in their eyes. According to this view, if Africa generates any kind of growth, it is in suffering — and in the overseas aid sent to address that, now a $40-billion-a-year industry. Naturally, with a new appeal every year and a new disaster every other, some people have begun to wonder if all that money is doing any good. They argue that aid creates dependence, fuels corruption, undermines democracy and stifles development. They have written books with titles like The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working (by an ex-spokesman for the World Bank in Africa) and Dead Aid (by a Zambia-born former Goldman Sachs investment banker).
In 2006, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, foreign investment in Africa reached $48 billion, overtaking foreign aid for the first time. That gap has only widened, reflecting a quadrupling of foreign investment since 2000.
...Perhaps the most compelling evidence that Africa is now a business destination is China's new love for it. While the old superpowers still agonize over Africa's poverty, the new one is captivated by its riches. Trade between Africa and China has grown an average of 30% in the past decade, topping $106 billion last year.
...part of the explanation for China's zeal for Africa is a new way of looking at Africans. "[The Chinese] are not setting out to do good," he says. "They are setting out to do business. It's actually much less demeaning." And that gets to what, for Africans, is the emotional heart of the matter — and why joining the business world means so much. Though it rarely occurs to Westerners who've been instructed that Africa needs their help, charity is humiliating.
...long-term charity, living life as a beggar, is degrading. Andrew Rugasira, 40, runs Good African Coffee, a Ugandan company he set up in 2004 to supply British supermarkets under the motto "Trade, not aid." He is emblematic of a new generation of African antiaid, antistate entrepreneurs. For Rugasira, aid not only "undermines the creativity to lift yourself out of poverty" but also "undermines the integrity and dignity of the people. It says, These are people who cannot figure out how to develop." Aid even manages to silence those it is meant to help. "African governments become accountable to Western donors," says Rugasira, "and Africa finds itself represented not by Africans but by Bono and Bob Geldof. I mean, how would America react if Amy Winehouse dropped in to advise them on the credit crisis?"
And if that's a striking inversion, consider another one. Look back at the African growth figures once more. Compare them with this year's forecasts for the developed world. Who's the basket case now?
You can read the entire article here
For me, the article provided a new perception of both aid and Africa.
"...In Africa's case, the perception has long been that where you are renders all but irrelevant what you do. Africa is hopeless, a place of war and famine seemingly populated almost entirely by tyrants and children with flies in their eyes. According to this view, if Africa generates any kind of growth, it is in suffering — and in the overseas aid sent to address that, now a $40-billion-a-year industry. Naturally, with a new appeal every year and a new disaster every other, some people have begun to wonder if all that money is doing any good. They argue that aid creates dependence, fuels corruption, undermines democracy and stifles development. They have written books with titles like The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working (by an ex-spokesman for the World Bank in Africa) and Dead Aid (by a Zambia-born former Goldman Sachs investment banker).
In 2006, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, foreign investment in Africa reached $48 billion, overtaking foreign aid for the first time. That gap has only widened, reflecting a quadrupling of foreign investment since 2000.
...Perhaps the most compelling evidence that Africa is now a business destination is China's new love for it. While the old superpowers still agonize over Africa's poverty, the new one is captivated by its riches. Trade between Africa and China has grown an average of 30% in the past decade, topping $106 billion last year.
...part of the explanation for China's zeal for Africa is a new way of looking at Africans. "[The Chinese] are not setting out to do good," he says. "They are setting out to do business. It's actually much less demeaning." And that gets to what, for Africans, is the emotional heart of the matter — and why joining the business world means so much. Though it rarely occurs to Westerners who've been instructed that Africa needs their help, charity is humiliating.
...long-term charity, living life as a beggar, is degrading. Andrew Rugasira, 40, runs Good African Coffee, a Ugandan company he set up in 2004 to supply British supermarkets under the motto "Trade, not aid." He is emblematic of a new generation of African antiaid, antistate entrepreneurs. For Rugasira, aid not only "undermines the creativity to lift yourself out of poverty" but also "undermines the integrity and dignity of the people. It says, These are people who cannot figure out how to develop." Aid even manages to silence those it is meant to help. "African governments become accountable to Western donors," says Rugasira, "and Africa finds itself represented not by Africans but by Bono and Bob Geldof. I mean, how would America react if Amy Winehouse dropped in to advise them on the credit crisis?"
And if that's a striking inversion, consider another one. Look back at the African growth figures once more. Compare them with this year's forecasts for the developed world. Who's the basket case now?
You can read the entire article here
March 26, 2009
God and Suffering
Many people cite 'the problem of pain' as a strong objection to the Christian faith. This objection is described as follows:
"If a good and powerful God exists, he would not allow pointless evil, but because there is much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional good and powerful God could not exist." (J.L. Mackie - The Miracle of Theism)
In summary, the problem of pain states that God is either:
a) Not God - and therefore does not have the power to stop evil
OR
b) Not Good - therefore has the power to stop evil but chooses not to.
I like Timothy Keller's response to this objection, from his book 'The Reason for God':
"If you have a God great and transcendent enough to be mad at because he hasn't stopped evil and suffering in the world, then you have (at the same moment) a God great and transcendent enough to have good reasons for allowing it to continue that you can't know. Indeed, you can't have it both ways."
"If a good and powerful God exists, he would not allow pointless evil, but because there is much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional good and powerful God could not exist." (J.L. Mackie - The Miracle of Theism)
In summary, the problem of pain states that God is either:
a) Not God - and therefore does not have the power to stop evil
OR
b) Not Good - therefore has the power to stop evil but chooses not to.
I like Timothy Keller's response to this objection, from his book 'The Reason for God':
"If you have a God great and transcendent enough to be mad at because he hasn't stopped evil and suffering in the world, then you have (at the same moment) a God great and transcendent enough to have good reasons for allowing it to continue that you can't know. Indeed, you can't have it both ways."
February 1, 2009
Kindness to Elephants
In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from
North-western University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young
bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed
distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee, inspected the elephant`s foot, and found a large
piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could,
Peter worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly
put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather
curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Peter
stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the
elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Peter never forgot that
elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his
teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the
creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron
were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front
foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times
then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help wondering if this
was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the
railing, and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the
elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped
its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him against the railing,
killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
North-western University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young
bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed
distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee, inspected the elephant`s foot, and found a large
piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could,
Peter worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly
put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather
curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Peter
stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the
elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Peter never forgot that
elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his
teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the
creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron
were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front
foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times
then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help wondering if this
was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the
railing, and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the
elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped
its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him against the railing,
killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
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