Mark Conner's Space

Understanding WD40

A friend passed this on to me. Interesting reading ...

Before you read to the end, do you know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is? 

Who knew? I had a neighbour who bought a new car. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of his car (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do.... probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbour came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job on the car. I'm impressed!

WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and de-greaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you... When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

WD-40 uses:

Silent Night Story

Silent Night is one of the most popular carols sun across the world at this Christmas season. There are many romantic stories about how it was composed. Here is one of them that may contain an element of truth to it ...

On Christmas Eve 1818 in Austria, the Vicar of a small church in Oberndorf had written a new song to be sung on Christmas Day. The organist, Franz Gruber had set the words to music but the organ broke and it looked like it was all going to be a disaster. In an attempt to rectify the situation, Frank grabbed a guitar and accompanied the Vicar on the first ever rendition of Silent Night.

When the organ repair man turned up to fix the organ, Gruber played him the new song to test that the organ had been fixed. The repairman loved it so much that he took it back to his own village. There, the four daughters of a local glovemaker began singing it in concerts all over Austria and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. Silent Night is one of the great carols of the world and it got its first big break because an organ broke.

There's a good message in that story. Sometimes when things go wrong, something good comes out of it. God has a way of working like that.

Merry Christmas!

Australian Human Rights Award goes to Tony and Lisa Clark

Congratulations to Tony and Lisa Clark who were selected as the winners of the Australian Human Rights Commission - Community Organisation award at a ceremony in Sydney today.

Tony, who founded Swags for Homeless in 2007, started the non-profit homeless charity in Melbourne when he questioned what was given to street sleeping homeless turned away from shelters. Tony and Lisa Clark designed the emergency relief Backpack Bed, which received the worlds largest and most prestigious product design award the Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ in Germany this year. Backpack Beds are provided to homeless and are distributed through 139 charities around Australia.

“As well as warmth and protection, the Backpack Bed provides the homeless with dignity,” said Mr Clark.

This year the Backpack Bed also received an Australian International Design Award and the Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum Design Award for innovation and benefits to its users. 

Paul Moulds AM (Major) from The Salvation Army says the Backpack Bed has been invaluable to their organisation and used in many of their outreach programs for the homeless.

The Starfish Story - Making a Difference

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

This story has appeared all over the web in various forms, usually with no credit given to Mr. Eiseley. Loren Eiseley was an anthropologist who wrote extensively. He was the 'wise man' in the story, and he was walking along a beach after a storm and encountered the fellow throwing the starfish back. Sometimes it is a little girl throwing the starfish into the ocean, sometimes a young man, once even an elder.

 

Recycling Hotel Soap to Save Lives

Derreck Kayongo, from Uganda, is one of this year's Top 10 CNN Heroes nominees. Click here to read his amazing story. Through simple presence of mind, Derreck had an idea to collect used hotel soap, that usually ends up as landfill, and recycle it for use in impoverished nations such as Haiti, Uganda, Kenya and Swaziland.

Each year, more than 2 million children die from diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization, these deaths occur almost exclusively among toddlers living in low-income countries. The issue is not the availability of soap. The issue is cost. If you are living on $2 a day, paying 25 cents for soap is probably out of the question when there is food and medicine to buy. 

So far 300 hotels in the USA have joined in with the program generating 100 of tonnes of soap. Volunteers collect the soap and ship them to the Global Soap Project warehouse in Atlanta. Over 100,000 bars of soap have been distributed free to communities in nine countries.

Last summer, Derreck  personally delivered 5,000 bars of soap to Kenya Relief's Brittney's Home of Grace orphanage. "When we were distributing the soap, I could sense that there was a lot of excitement, joy, a lot of happiness," said Kayongo, whose work was recently recognized by the Atlanta City Council, which declared May 15 as Global Soap Project Day in Atlanta. "It's a reminder again of that sense of decency. They have (someone) who knows about their situation, and is willing to come and visit them ... to come and say, 'We are sorry ... We're here to help.' "

May we live with open ears, open eyes and open hearts today. Who knows who God may touch through you ... or what idea he may give you to make our world a better place. That's good news!

Ready for Adventure? An Invitation from Earnest Shackleton

Apparently explorer Earnest Shackleton placed the following notice in a newspaper while preparing for an expedition to Antarctica:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."

Supposedly there were 5,000 men and 3 women who responded!

Have we become too comfortable today?

P.S. The search for a copy of the advert still continues today. Click here to read more.

 

 

Unlikely Friends

Christopher Hitchens is one of the most outspoken atheists today and author of the best-selling book God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Francis Collins is a world re-known scientist with a strong Christian faith, noted for his leadership of the Human Genome Project and his best-selling book The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Faith.

The Telegraph, a newspaper based in Great Britain, reported on an unlikely bond of friendship and trust between these two very different people. Even so, a March 2011 newspaper headline announced, "Atheist Christopher Hitchens could be 'saved' by evangelical Christian." The article went on to report, "The two had often met in the past as adversaries in the debate about whether God exists. Against the odds they [have] become friends." This improbable friendship started because Hitchens, a cancer patient, became part of an experimental treatment program that involves genome sequencing. Doctors plan to map Hitchens' genetic makeup so they can target and treat his damaged DNA. It just so happens that this experimental treatment is being pioneered by Dr. Francis Collins.

Hitchens has spent years blasting religious faith and religious believers. In his book There Is No God, he argues that "Organized religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry …." But when asked about his friendship with Dr. Collins, Hitchens spoke with only respect and admiration. "It's a rather wonderful relationship," he said, "I won't say he doesn't pray for me, because I think he probably does; but he doesn't discuss it with me."

What an interesting story ... God does work in mysterious ways.

Sources: Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com and Richard Alleyne, "Atheist Christopher Hitchens could be 'saved' by evangelical Christian," The Telegraph (3-26-11).

How Christianity Changed the World

Have you ever considered the tangible impact of the coming of Jesus Christ on our world? Sociologist, Alvin Schmit decided to do an extensive research project to answer this question. A summary of his research can be found in his excellent book How Christianity Changed the World (formerly published with the title Under the Influence). It is an inspiring and insightful tour of church history, from the first century right through to our modern world. The number of people transformed through their faith in Jesus Christ is nothing short of astonishing, as is the resulting impact on every sector of society.

Consider the following areas:

1. Sanctity of human life

One of the more moral of Rome's philosophers, Seneca, said “We drown children who at birth are weakly and abnormal.” At that time, families wanted no more than one daughter so abandoned infants were commonplace. Followers of Christ valued human life - all life. Afra of Augsburg (late third century) was a converted prostitute who “developed a ministry to abandoned children of prisoners, thieves, smugglers, pirates, and runaway slaves.” Although it took time, through the influence of Christians, human sacrifice was stopped as were the cruel gladiatorial games.

2. Sexual Morality

Rome was known for its sexual permissiveness, with everything from adultery to fornication to pedophilia being seen as acceptable. There we no constraints on any sexual pleasure. This led to a very low view of marriage. Followers of Christ brought honour and faithfulness back into the marriage relationship and urged true love, not lust, as the highest goal.

3. Women’s Dignity and Freedom

In the first century, woman had an extremely low status in society. They had no freedom and were more like slaves to men. They lived in silence and were seen as having no social value. Without doubt, the birth of Jesus was turning point in history of women.

4. Charity and Compassion

The old Roman world was a world without charity. The Christians changed that with their loving care for everyone, including orphans, children, and the aged. 

Remember Your Death

The following is a transcript of part of a speech by Steve Jobs at the Stanford University Commencement in 2005 (click here for the full text). As Moses said, may God teach us to number our days rightly so we may present to him a heart of wisdom (Ps.90:12).

Steve Jobs

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer ... The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months ... Later that evening I had a biopsy ... I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die.

Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.

Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life ...

The Dignity of Work

"Most of what Jesus said and did took place in a secular workplace in a farmer's field, in a fishing boat, at a wedding feast, in a cemetery, at a public well asking a woman he didn't know for a drink of water, on a country hillside that he turned into a huge picnic, in a court room, having supper in homes with acquaintances or friends. In our Gospels, Jesus occasionally shows up in synagogue or temple, but for the most part he spends his time in the workplace. Twenty-seven times in John's Gospel Jesus is identified as a worker: 'My Father is still working, and I also am working' (Jn.5:17). Work doesn't take us away from God; it continues the work of God. God comes into view on the first page of our scriptures as a worker. Once we identify God in his workplace working, it isn't long before we find ourselves in our workplace working in the name of God."

[From Eugene Peterson's book The Pastor, p.281]

A Picture of HOPE

During January, our theme at CityLife is Faith, Hope and Love. This weekend our teaching team spoke about hope. Our Associate Pastor, Paul Molyneux, began his message by referring to a well-known painting by George Frederick Watts RA (1817-1904), entitled "Hope." 

Here is a description of the background of this painting from the book "Famous Paintings" printed in 1913 ...

"This is one of the earliest of the great morality pictures by which Watts earned his fame. Describing these, he said, 'All my pictures in the Tate Gallery are symbolical and for all time. Their symbolism is, however, more suggestive than worked out in detail.' He goes on: 'I want to make people think. My intention has not been so much to paint pictures that will charm the eye as to suggest great thoughts that will appeal to the imagination and the heart, and kindle all that is best and noblest in humanity.' 

'Hope' illustrates the power of these pictures to make peole think. The blinded figure, seated on the sphere with her broken lyre, is bending her ear to catch what music she may from the last remaining string. She cannot see the star shining above her; one by one the sweet notes of music have been taken from her, but still she sits, bowed but not broken, plucking with tender fingers whatever melody she may from the last string of those that gave her the full harmonies of beauty. She has no vision either of the star above or of the world of darkness and gloom below. Her attitude of dejection almost rejects the conventional idea that there is happiness to be found when everything seems lost, but the picture suggests the larger hope of the world that there is peace and light above the turmoil and sorrow of the earth. 

Watts was something more than a painter. He painted for no gain save the reward of achievement when he felt he had a message to deliver through his pictures. To his purposes he deliberately sacrificed his natural dexterity and technique, holding that the artist should be lost in his picture. Nevertheless, the power of colour which is exhibited in 'Hope' is one of the most marked qualities of his work. The whole is a delicate harmony in blues and greens, and is suggestive of the Italian influence which so strongly affected the painter."  

Ultimately, hope is only as strong as the object or person we place our hope upon. Thankfully, as followers of Christ, we can anchor our hope in the certainty of God's presence, God's purpose, and God's promises. 

Whatever adversity or challenge you may be facing today, I join with the apostle Paul in praying for you ...

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." [Rom.15:13. NLT]

Wendell Smith (1950-2010) - a Hero of Faith

Wendell Smith, the founding pastor of the influential City Church in Seattle, Washington, passed away this week after a 6-year battle with cancer. Wendell was a pastor, a preacher, an author and a leader of leaders. Wendell is survived by his wife Gini, his son and daughter-in-law, Judah and Chelsea Smith, who are now the Lead Pastors of The City Church, and his daughter and son-in-law, Wendy and Benny Perez, pastors of a thriving church in Las Vegas.

Wendell and Gini were my youth pastors when I lived in Portland, Oregon back in the 1970s at what was then known as Bible Temple. I will forever be grateful for their positive influence on my life in my teenage and early young adult years. I still remember listening to Wendell's practical teaching on "The Roots of Character." He encouraged me frequently in the development of my gifts of music and leadership. His example and leadership inspired me and gave me confidence when Nicole and I later led our youth group here in Australia for five years.   

Wendell was a man of faith with a huge heart of love for God and people. He was a man of vision, with a deep passion to pursue the purposes of God in our generation. He had a terrific sense of humour and an ability to encourage people from all walks of life. 

The City Church will host a memorial service at 6 p.m. January 7 at Overlake Christian Church. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations go to the Rose Hill Cottages, a nonprofit ministry that provides housing for foster families in the Seattle area, at www.thecity.org/giving, or to the Wendell Smith Auditorium at The Church at South Las Vegas, www.thechurchlv.com. Also, if you plan to attend please click here to RSVP. You may also visit pastorwendell.org at any time to RSVP, post comments, or get up-to-date information.

Wendell, thank you for your example and inspiration over so many years!

P.S. Live streaming: For those unable to attend the memorial service, we will be streaming the service live over the internet, starting at 5:30 p.m. and ending after the service. Flash player and minimum 3MB connection required; H.264 capability for mobile phones, including iPhone and Android. For projection: widescreen 16:9 at 1280x720. You may test your system compatibility here.

 

LightFM - Melbourne Radio

LightFM has been functioning as a fully fledged radio in Melbourne for 8 years now. Latest research indicates that 473,000 people listen each week - about half of whom have no Christian connection. This places them in the top 10 of all radio stations in Melbourne. It is a family-friendly radio station seeking to provide a positive alternative for radio listeners. 

One listener recently said, "LightFM is more than just a radio station, it is a friend when we are lonely, a family when family is not around. A place where hope, joy, love, compassion, laguhter can be found, a place where lsiteners want to be; a place they can't and don't want to live without."

Check out LightFM on 89.9 FM and visit their web site here. Why not listen in and also consider making a financial donation to this excellent ministry to our city.

Southern Cross Kids Camps

Southern Cross Kids Camp is an excellent ministry reaching out to needy children, especially those from abusive backgrounds. There are now eight camps held each year in three states in Australia. Camps are also starting up in New Zealand. These camps provide a safe and positive environment for children to find healing from the hurts of their past and hope for their future.

Carolyn Boyd, a former children's pastor from our church and now one of our mission workers, was instrumental in establishing this ministry here in Australia. Dave Marrett is now the CEO.

To read some inspirational stories of lives changed through these camps, click here.

This ministry is well worth getting behind - as a volunteer, sponsoror donor.

Test Your Knowledge

Here is a fun way to test your knowledge ... You need only 4 correct answers to pass.

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get cat gut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The  Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass.

Check your answers below ...

Hinges of History

I have always enjoyed learning about history. There is so much to learn from the past that can help us today.

Thomas Cahill is a prolific writer and student of history. In his Hinges of History series he recounts significant events in the formation of Western civilisation. To date the series includes five best-selling books. I have recently finished reading The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (1999) and Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus(2001). Cahill has an uncanny ability to take broad-ranging topics and times and condense them into readable portions written with a creativity that provokes further interest. As with any book, you need to "eat the meat and spit out the bones," but there are some good insights in his writings. 

Next I'll read How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe (1995).

If you are interested in church history, I heartily recommend Justo Gonzalez two-volume work The Story of Christianity. I read it a few years back and couldn't put it down. Baker Books has a new multi-volume series on church history that looks good too.

Melbourne, Australia

I love living in Melbourne, Australia. Since 2002, it has been consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. This year, the Economist ranked it third, behind Vancouver and Vienna. Just this last week, the population of Melbourne surpassed 4 million people, while Australia surges towards 22 million.

For recent research on the state of the church in Melbourne, click here and here. The vast majority of Melbourians are unchurched. We desperately need all existing churches to reach out with the good news of Jesus Christ with greater effectiveness and we need more churches to be planted to reach the wide variety of people who inhabit our city. As we see stronger local churches established, Melbourne has the potential to be a launching pad of mission and outreach activity to our state, our nation, and the world.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep - you've got to love it. However, I was so tired last night that I couldn't get to sleep. My brain was so active ... after preaching five times over the weekend and then finishing off the last few edits of a new book I'm writing called Prison Break ... my mind was so alive and creative that I got up at midnight and spent an hour outlining two more books I'd like to write. Eventually I got back to sleep and had a good 8 1/2 hours. It's Monday today and I thank God for the queen. You have to love her just for being born ... because in Australia we get a day off today ... even though it's not her exact birth date ... that's why I was able to sleep in until 9.35 am.

Sleep - I have tried living on less sleep but I need about eight hours. If I don't get that much too many nights in a row, I start to slow down, unless I catch up with some extra deposits in my 'sleep bank'.

Maybe I should have been born in France. The French spend more time sleeping than anyone (8.8 hours each day) and they spend more time eating than anyone. The Americans aren't far behind.

To watch a brief video about the power of sleep, including some good sleeping tips, click here. Having sleep problems, click here, here, or here. After all, we sleep for about a third of our life, so it's worth learning to do it well.

I'm encouraged by the fact that Jesus occasionally took a nap during the day (Mark 4:38) and God gives us sleep for our benefit (Psalm 4:8). Just don't sleep all day (Proverbs 20:13; 23:21 24:33) .... or at work :)

Sleep well!

An Interview with Rick Warren

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, was recently named by TIME magazine as one of the Top 100 influential people in the world today. Rick is the author of the best-selling book 'The Purpose Driven Life' and was also asked to pray at President Obama's recent inauguration.

Below is a transcript of a recent interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren. He has some insightful things to say.

In the interview, Rick said:

"People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.

The Increase of Knowledge

Over 2005 years ago, the prophet Daniel said that at the time of the end there would be many people going here and there to increase knowledge (see Daniel 12:4). No doubt, we live today in a time of knowledge explosion, with human knowledge now doubling every 5 years, according to some experts (click here to read a debate about this).

The internet opens up a huge world of information. Many top-tier universities are now giving the public free online access to their best lecturers. YouTube recently launched  an education hub called You Tube Edu dedicated exclusively to videos from more than 100 schools. You can pretty much learn about anything you want to - in an instant. The information highway is getting more and more crowded ... and moving faster and faster.

Of course, it is one thing to gain KNOWLEDGE and another thing to UNDERSTAND it all. Today people need meaning more than they need more information. Then again, it is yet another thing to have WISDOM to know how to apply all of this knowledge to your life on a daily basis.

A few final thoughts from the sacred text ...

"Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don't forget my words or turn away from them. Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown." [Solomon in Proverbs 4:5-9. NLT]

"... my purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." [Paul in Colossians 2:2-3. NIV]

The Power of Generosity

An interesting news item - Denny's resturants in the USA gave away free Grand Slam breakfasts back in the month of February, in an effort to give back to the community during the current tough economic times. Two million people took up the offer. The result? Overall sales have been up for the resturant chain.

A new freebie will be offered on April 8th. Click here to read the news item.

Isn't it good to see the business world living out the value of generosity.

Here are a few thoughts from the Bible on the power of generosity ...

"Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice." [Psalm 112:5. NIV]

"One person gives (scatters) freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." [Solomon in Proverbs 11:24-25. NIV]

"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." [Jesus in Luke 6:38. NIV]

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." [Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:6. NIV]

Ken Duncan - Photographer

Ken Duncan is an outstanding landscape photographer. He is a good friend and we have had the privilege of having him speak at our church a few times. Ken has a terrific story. He describes himself as an average photographer with an amazing God. You can see his award winning panographs on the walls of homes and offices all around the world.

Check out his online gallery here. If you ever have a chance to visit one of his galleries in Melbourne, Sydney, the Central Coast, or the Hunter Valley, it will be well worth your time.

His latest book is 'Where Jesus Walked' and he has an upcoming release 'In the Footsteps of Paul'. Ken's photos and books make terrific inspirational gifts.

Below are a few of Ken's free images of the month ...

   

Rising Force - the Skillion (NSW)

 

Moonlit Majesty

 

Promise of Peace - CO (USA)

Mobile Phone vs Bible

A friend sent me this last week. It is thought-provoking ...

Mobile Phone (or 'Cell Phone' as they say in the USA) VS the Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our mobile phone?        

• What if we carried it around in our pockets or purses?
• What if we flipped through it several times a day?
• What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
• What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
• What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
• What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
• What if we used it when we traveled?
• What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go ... Hmmmmm ... where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing ... unlike our mobile phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities'?

The Philadephia Experiment

Talking about conspiracy theories ...

Some of you may have heard of the

Philadelphia Experiment which was an alleged naval military experiment at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard sometime around October 28th, 1943, in which the U.S. destroyer USS Eldridge was to be rendered invisible to human observers for a brief period (a pretty handy feature during war time!). Some people even reported seeing this ship in another place 346 kms away before it returned to Philadelphia.

Back in 1984, this story was made into a movie and then again in 1993, then a book on the topic was released in 1995.

The story is widely regarded as a hoax. It has nonetheless caused ripples in conspiracy circles.

Interestingly enough, there is an amazing story recorded in the book of Acts about the evangelist Philip. He was baptising a man from Ethiopia and then looked what happened ...

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." [Acts 8:39-40. NIV]

Wow, there's some real time and space travel! As someone who travels a fair bit, I've always thought that this would be a cool way to move from one place to another. I wonder if he had any jet-lag? I wonder if his bags went along too? :)

The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle

Recently Channel 9 screened the 2005 mini-series The Triangle, built around the fictitious story of a billionaire shipping magnate who keeps losing ships in the Bermuda Triangle. He hires a motley band of experts to uncover the mystery that has haunted the Bermuda Triangle for centuries. The series weaves an eerie web of conspiracies and strange possibilities as the characters find themselves swept deeper and deeper into the secrets of the Bermuda Triangle. Entertaining viewing.

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean in which a number of aircraft and boats have alleged to have disappeared. Some people think these disappearances are due to human error or acts of nature while others claim paranormal sources or even activities by extra-terrestrial beings. In response, numerous official agencies have gone on record as stating the number and nature of disappearances to be similar to any other area of ocean.

The Race

For some inspiration when you feel like giving up, check out Dr D.H. Groberg's poem The Race.

Your Date with Death?

Moses once said, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom [Psalm 90:12. NIV]." The truth is that unless Jesus returns in our life time, which he could, each one of us has a date with death. None of us knows when that will be, although you can get a bit of an estimate by entering your details into the online death clock. It might seem a bit morbid but it's a reality we must face. Of course you may live longer, or you may not live as long. None of us knows.

What we do know is that life is brief - much like a 'mist' that appears and then suddenly vanishes away (see Psalm 39:4-5 and James 3:13-17). In contrast, eternity is long - very long.

How should we then live?

Make sure that you don't buy into the primary values of the world which are pleasure, possessions, and prestige (see 1 John 2:15-16). These things, though not necessarily wrong in and of themselves, have no eternal value (1 John 2:17). What matters most for eternity is loving God, loving people, and investing our time, talents, and resources into God's work here on earth.

On judgment day, we will each have a personal audit and essentially be asked two questions:

1. "What did you do with my Son, Jesus?" That's a salvation issue - heaven or hell.
2. "What did you do with your life?" That's a reward issue.

Let's live each day with the readiness as if it may be our last but with the wisdom and foresight that we hopefully will have many more to come. Because tomorrow is not guaranteed us, let's remember that THIS is the day that the Lord has made so we will rejoice and be glad in it (see Psalm 118:24).

Finally, a few important Bible verses on the subject of death, which is the last enemy to be destroyed ...

John Mark Ministries

John Mark Ministries exists to serve church leaders, pastors, and ex-pastors who want to think maturely about their faith. This ministry was founded by Rowland Croucher and is based in Melbourne, Australia. Rowland's web site has a wealth of interesting and helpful information on a wide variety of topics (including a large clean humour section!). It's definitely worth checking out - just click here. Type any topic in the search box to the left of the web site and you'll find more than enough good reading and references. Enjoy!

The Amazing Universe

Click here for a look at the most amazing space photos you've ever seen. These are the Top 10 pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, as selected recently by leading astronomers.

The Hubble Space Telescope was first launched in 1990. It is a floating astro-observatory that has been relaying back to earth some incredible snapshots of the universe. Remarking in an article in the UK Daily Mail, reporter Michael Hanlon says the photos "illustrate that our universe is not only deeply strange, but also almost impossibly beautiful."

What an incredible artist God is!

Psalm 19:1-4. The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world. NLT

P.S. If you haven't seen Louie Giglio's Indescribable presentation on DVD, it's definitely worth watching. Louie directs the popular Passion Conferences in the USA.