Thoughts for life from 'Click'

I watched 'Click' (Adam Sandler) last night with wifey. It is very hard to get through the movie with a dry eye. We watch sadly as Adam Sandler keeps fast forwarding lifes moments while reaching for the always elusive "next big promotion", hoping that it will bring him and his family the happiness and security that they 'need'. He eventually dies - divorced and lonely - having realised too late that he has missed the happiest moments of his life.

Shortly before he dies, the person who gave Adam the 'gift' to fast-forward life reveals himself as the 'angel of death'. And it immediately gave me a revelation of the true nature of Christs words in John 10:9-11:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they
mayhave life, and have it to the full."

I felt really sad for Adam Sandlers character in the movie, but even more, I felt sad for myself and the many other men and women in this country who let life pass them by in the vain attempt to grab more and more stuff. More security, more money, more things. We work long hours, often past 7pm. We give our best efforts to our careers that never provide the security we desire, meanwhile our families get the scraps of our time and attention.

I heard a pastor say once "I've spent time with many people as they lay waiting to die on their death beds, and I have never heard any of them say 'I wish I spent more time in the office'."

We all know that is true, but we never seem to apply that lesson to our own life until it's too late.

When I was relaxing during my honeymoon in beautiful Ubud, I wrote that I would no longer give my best attention to my career while avoiding my family. I will forsake promotions and raises if it means spending the quality time with my family that we all deserve. It wasn't long after I returned until I found myself once again, in the office up to 7pm. But it wasn't to gun for the promotion - it was simply to achieve my daily tasks. The demands of big business never cease.

I saw alot of myself in that movie. I am always looking ahead, and rarely enjoying each moment as I experience it. While I am not one who worries about promotions, etc, I do worry about the future alot. Where will I be in 5, 10, 15 years? Will my children have a safe and comfortable life with a roof over their head, attending the best schools, going on the best holidays? What must I sacrifice now to give them that? What will I sacrifice at the time to maintain that?

I've come to believe that Jesus' words are just as relevant today (if not more so), than they were when first spoken 2000 years ago (Matthew 6:24-26)

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and lovethe
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and Money.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more importantthan
food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds ofthe air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenlyFather
feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Why do we put our trust in our career? We are disappointed time after time with mass redundancies, and bottom-line cost-cutting mentality. Yet we keep hanging on, hoping that it will come through for us at the end.

Why not commit yourself fully to God? Accept your job as a gracious gift from the Father, but entrust yourself fully to His care. Believe that your heavenly Father is your provider and that your job / career is his means of provision. And treat your job as though you would treat any other gift given from your Father - with respect. Do your best for your company, but not at the expense of your family, personal life, and integrity.

'Click' helped to give me a reality check. Embrace every moment of life. Don't worry what tomorrow will bring, because all we have is today!

Why this blog?

There is a strong desire in my heart to give my all to Christ. I believe that he asks nothing less of me, but to sacrifice all to live out the dream of God, and to be His body on earth. I do not hide from the fact that what we are called to is not easy. There will be times of joy and times of pain. I do not acknowledge a half-gospel that preaches the materialistic comfort for Western society. I acknowledge a full gospel, whereby I am called to be a disciple. I am on a journey to follow Jesus. I want to say sincerely in my heart “for me to live is Christ” but I am afraid. I am afraid of what I will lose, and I cannot yet see clearly what I will gain. But this path cannot be followed based on what I will gain, but must be followed out of love. Love to live as the creator intends. Love to serve my brothers and sisters – all of God’s children. Love to see culture transformed into the fulfilled dream of God. Love to see creation come into holistic community. Love to see oppression and injustice cease. And love to see all people come into relationship with their creator.

I will use this blog to share some of this journey with you. I’ll also post meanderings, book extracts, poetry, news commentary, and general life/culture stuff.

3 weeks off

I'm off to Indonesia for three weeks. The first week will be quite hectic with marriage preparations, wedding rehearsal, etc. But the next two weeks will hopefully be a time of relaxation and recuperation from the past 2 years (this is my first break of any kind in two years). I just want to learn about Gayle, learn about God, and learn a bit more about myself in quietness.

Please keep us in your prayers.

In Christ,
Daniel.

Greeting from friend for Wedding

Semoga Allah Menghimpun yang terserak dari keduanya,
memberkati mereka berdua dan kiranya Allah
Meningkatkan kualitas keturunan mereka,
menjadikan pembuka Pintu-pintu Rahmat,
Sumber Ilmu dan Hikmah Serta Pemberi Rasa Aman Bagi Umat

May Allah gathers what are scattered from the two,
bless them gracefully, and may Allah boost the quality of their offsprings,
and make them the openers of the benefits of god,
source of science and knowledge,
and the bringers of peace for the kind.

(this is the prayers of my prophet during the marrige of his daughter Fatima)

Good luck and god bless your marriage Dan!

Book: God's Politics - Why the American Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get It

I just finished an eye-opening, inspirational, and challenging book. It is written by Jim Wallis, and is called “God’s Politics. Why the American Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It.” Despite the reference to American Politics in the title, this book is a full frontal challenge to our Christianity, and what it means to be a Christian.

The title refers to the American religious / political landscape which is divided into two groups: the Republicans and the Democrats. Or, the Religious Right and the Liberals. Bush’s Republican party was elected largely by the Religious Right who were playing the right cards in regards of a few hot button issues such as gay marriage and abortions. Bush’s Republican party is also pro-rich, pro-war. The Bush government has granted billions of dollars of tax breaks to the richest of society, and has raised the Iraq occupation budget into the billions of dollars. All of this has come at the expense of the poor. The Bush government has literally taken money from the poorest of the poor to fund wars and increase the wealth of the rich. The biblical prophets warned about such evil. Yet the religious right in America has gone along for the ride.

In America today, saying that you are an Evangelical Christian is synonymous with saying you hate gay people, you don’t care much for the poor, and you are pro-war. The conversation of religion has been hijacked by agendas of American politics.

This book is filled with hope for better days and exposes the futility of our religious and political thinking. It is a book that I believe teaches the heart of responsible living and Christian citizenship, and it is a book that sheds light to the heart of Jesus on all of the issues our world faces today.

I highly recommend it for all who want to find out what the true meaning is of responsible Christian citizenship. I definitely rate this 5 stars.

Inspirational - Jim Wallis' letter to his students

I read Jim Wallis’ letter to his class [Faith, Politics, and Society] at Kennedy School of Government. It is inspirational, and I thought that it would help most people who read this blog.

Dear Class Members,

You are a bright, gifted, and committed group of students. There are probably many people who tell you about your potential, and they are right. You are people who could make a real contribution to the movement for social and economic justice that we dreamed about the semester.

In that regard, I would encourage each of you to think about your vocation more than just your career. And there is a difference. From the outside, those two tracks may look very different or very much alike, but asking the vocational question rather than just considering the career options will take you much deeper. The key is to ask why you might take one path instead of another – the real reasons you would do something more than just because you can. The key is to ask who you really are and want to become. It is to ask what you believe you are supposed to do.

Religious or not, I would invite you to consider your calling, more than just the many opportunities presented to graduates of the Kennedy School. That means connecting your best talents and skills to your best and deepest values; making sure your mind is in sync with your soul as you plot your next steps. Don’t just go where you’re directed or even invited, but rather where your own moral compass leads you. And don’t accept others’ notions of what is possible or realistic; dare to dream things and don’t be afraid to take risks.

You do have great potential, but that potential will be most fulfilled if you follow the leanings of conscience and the language of the heart more than just the dictates of the market, whether economic or political. Rather than merely fitting into systems, ask how you can change them. You’re both smart and talented enough to do that. That’s your greatest potential.

One of you told me as we said goodbye last night, “When I started this course, I was cynical. I’m not cynical anymore.” Nothing could make me feel better about teaching this course. Cynicism really comes out of despair, but the antidote to cynicism is not optimism but action. And action is finally born out of hope. Try to remember that.

Wedding Countdown

It is 10 days to go until I am on a plane to Bali. 14 days until I marry my beautiful fiancée. We have been together since April 2001 (with a short break in between). I can’t believe how fast the day is coming. All sorts of emotions are being felt – but I’m confident that what we are stepping into has the blessing of God.

Our itinerary
October 15 – arrive in Bali
October 15 – finalise paperwork at the consulate
October 16 – finalise band and entertainment details
October 17 – final inspection of the wedding and reception venue. Meeting with the minister who will conduct the ceremony. Cocktail party for all wedding guests.
October 18 – chill out. Spend the day with my family and friends.
October 19 – Marriage!!!
October 20 to 22 – Honeymoon in Seminyak(3 nights)
October 23 to 24 – Honeymoon in Kuta(2 nights)
October 25 to 30 – Honeymoon in Jakarta (6 nights)
October 30 – Return to Perth
November 6 – Return to work

Okay, Jakarta may not seem like the ideal honeymoon location but it will be quieter than usual as most Jakartans celebrate Idul Fitri. There will be plenty of space to shop. We will have family and friends in Jakarta who we can catch up with. It should be great. I’m also hoping to take a trip to Bandung.

So, all of your prayers would be much appreciated as we celebrate this time. Here are some prayer points:

• Pray for the safety and protection of every guest, family member, and Gayle & myself
• Pray for the smooth transitions between hotels and airports – There are a lot of people to be concerned about, and I don’t want this to become a logistical nightmare.
• Pray for the Spirit of Christ to be present with Gayle and myself as we enter this new chapter of our lives together.

Thank you all, and may you be joyful as you know that God is always present with you.

Common issues seen fresh through the eyes of Jesus – Introduction

This article is to lay a foundation to explore more deeply the duties of one who follows Christ. There is a difference between believing in Jesus and being filled with His Spirit. Christians must move beyond simply believing in Jesus. Most Christians believe in Jesus up to a point – and that point is the Cross. If most of us are honest, we will probably say that we have not moved past that point by picking up our Cross and following Him.

Many Christians simply have enough Christianity to make them miserable. Just enough Christianity so that they don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol, don’t have premarital sex, don’t swear, and go to church. They hear about the joy of the Lord but very rarely experience it. I want to clear up some of the issues that can help us see deeper into the richness of God and HHis heart for the world. Hopefully, by doing this, we will be able to move beyond a bunch of rules and regulations and see life through the eyes of Christ himself.

Many churches today have stripped their congregations of the true joy of Christian discipleship by stripping the message of Jesus from its cultural context and converting it into neatly packaged self-help messages. Messages designed to be ‘seeker-friendly’ and to create believers only.

The message of Christ has been distorted and watered down. The message of Christ has become aligned with militarism, legalism, being rich, Zionism, and making scapegoats of the least of society. In the US there is a call to renewal that is reclaiming ground for the true message of Jesus. Armies of young people are rising up and proclaiming “we want to be the living and active body of Jesus here in our world today”. We are seeing this in the New Monastics and other Christian groups across the US. They are literally denying themselves and making conscious decisions to live poorly among the ‘least of society’ so as to be incarnational to them – as Jesus was in Palestine 2000 years ago.

My favourite preacher, Tony Campalo was at a Southern Baptist convention in the US. The Southern Baptists are renowned to be the most hard-lined legalistic Christian group in the country. As he spoke, he said “I know that you are currently debating whether or not the Bible is inerrant. Well, it doesn’t matter if it is or isn’t because your not going to do what it says anyway.” Do we see ourselves in that accusation?

The common theme that will run through these articles is Gods heart for all of mankind, particularly the ‘least of society’. God created all people in His image. Each person has an intrinsic worth and value that is the essence of human life and transcends class, race, religion – even self opinion and actions. But our society has taught us that our worth and value are based on our net worth and value. I.e. how much money we have, or what our degrees are, or our circle of associates, or our position in society (and indeed the church).

The Bible speaks about Gods concern for the least of those in society – those on the margins and the fringes. Gods concern for those who have been forsaken by Governments, big business, and indeed – their own neighbours. Those left behind by national and global economic growth. Those who live without quality of life, without dignity, and without hope for tomorrow. Those who struggling each day just to survive. They are living in a way that was never intended and a way that breaks Gods heart.

Meanwhile many of us in the Body of Christ – the church – live lavish lives. We spend our time building our empires. Spending on our fancy clothes. Our luxurious houses. We treat Jesus teaching that “You will always have the poor among you…” as an excuse not to heavily invest in the poor. Are we so blind not to see what Jesus was saying? He was not saying that as an excuse to turn our hand away from the poor, but was instead talking about the social positioning of the disciples. Don’t forget where Jesus was eating. He was in the house of Simon the Leper – the lowest person in Society in Jesus day. Jesus was telling his disciples that because of they are – because of your mandate – you will always have the poor among you. In other words, you will always be around the poor. (Note – I am not against home ownership. Indeed, I believe that for government to provide a path to home ownership for ever person is a key in combating poverty).

The scriptural basis for these articles comes from the prophet Micah who says:

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).

In the upcoming months, I will hopefully post a series of articles which will take a different look at some of the life issues that we have esteemed as particularly important in our Christian walk. However, I will take a different slant on these issues. I will attempt to look at them through the lens of Christ. Jesus was very straightforward in what he said about certain issues – and the reasons for these can be found throughout the old and new testament. Remember that before the world, Christ was. Here is my disclaimer: I am not educated by Theological Seminary. As much as I can, I want to look at the words and the life of Christ and use that as the lens through which we view some of these issues. I will leave the "meanings" and "interpretations" to the scholars, and we will just take Jesus at His word. I also admit that I am far from living to the standards of Christ - but I know that I am loved and forgiven. He gives us the grace to walk with Him. He will never leave or forsake me. I just ask that I can be internally honest about my motives and worship and follow Christ in truth.

The first issue that I will look at is that of sexual purity. I will look at this through the lens of Christ and His heart for the poor and needy. I believe that once Christian males (and non-Christians for that matter) get this into their hearts, they will no longer take pleasure in pornography or sexual promiscuity.

New blog direction

I have been absent from this blog for some weeks now, and have not written anything meaningful for much longer. I have re-evaluated what I do with this blog. I have decided that I will use it as a place where I will place some of the articles that I write, a place to put the sermons that have deeply challenged me, a place to put quotations to stir and inspire, and occasionally, to let you know what I am up to. My posts will be few and far between, but I hope that what I do post is something of quality – something that you can give thought to. If you disagree with anything that I say in my posts – please leave a comment to let me know. We can talk about it and maybe we can both come away with a deeper understanding. I do not fear mistakes. I only fear creative and constructive responses to those mistakes. Thank you for those who take the time to read this.

Quote of the day

When Christian leaders go to government to call for sweeping structural
change, we have more integrity and power when we can say: "We are part of
Christian communities that are already beginning to live out what we are calling
you to legislate." Our call for costly changes in foreign policy toward the
Two-Thirds World designed to implement greater global economic justice has
integrity only if we are a part of Christian congregations that are already
beginning to incarnate a more simple lifestyle that points toward a more just,
ecologically sustainable planet. Our call for nuclear disarmament and
international peace has integrity only if there is growing peace and wholeness
in our families and churches.
- Ronald J. Sider