THE POWER OF ONE 

My wife and I live in southern Tasmania, Australia's island state, separated from the Australian mainland by  Bass Strait to the south of the state of Victoria, some 150 miles or 241 kilometres away. With the Coronavirus pandemic leading to severe lockdowns of cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne over the past eighteen months, with much negative impact on business, family life, mental health, and the general ability of millions to live normal lives - to say nothing of all the border closures,  Australia  now seems to be a set of autonomous regions lead by control freak Premiers imposing draconian restrictions on the populous, with the sole purpose of containing a virus, which has no sign of going away!

The coercion for the masses to be vaccinated with the experimental "vaccines" in order for life to return to normal has seen apparent violations of human rights, and bullying tactics of government and business to try to exclude the renegade unvaccinated. Never mind that there have been tens of thousands of adverse reactions to the AZ and Pfizer jabs, and an undisclosed number of deaths from these drugs, and mainstream and social media giants are pushing the official government - health bureaucrats narrative for all its worth, and seeking to shut down any and all contrary concerns.

The above is not to deny the reality of the coronavirus and its seriousness as a communicable illness - and the need to take measures to seek to protect the weak and vulnerable. The fact that governments have felt it necessary to take extreme measures, whether fully justified and justifiable has impacted millions around the nation.

Now that I have gotten the above off of my chest, as it were, let me come to this point in time, from where we live in southern Tasmania. As of 6pm yesterday, the Greater Hobart region and other outlying local government areas (LGA's) have been placed into a three day lockdown, closing down most business, and schools until 6pm Monday. Residents of these areas are only permitted to leave their homes for clearly specified reasons, and can only travel in a radius of 5km from places of residence. THIS IS THE NEGATIVE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF ONE!

These drastic measures have been made necessary to be enacted by the State Premier, Peter Gutwein, because of the totally selfish and irresponsible and rebellious behaviour of ONE MAN, who returned from New South Wales by plane, testing positive, was placed in hotel quarantine in Hobart, and subsequently absconded from the hotel. He was in the community for eighteen hours, apparently, visiting an unknown number of places, but including a supermarket - before being apprehended by police and returned to quarantine. He has been most uncooperative with the authorities, as well. 

It is astonishing, but true, that one man's actions will cost businesses in southern Tasmania probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in lost income over this three day period. Livelihoods of many workers will also be affected to some degree.

It is true, as the Bible tells us that: Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:23 

We are not islands unto ourselves. How true it is that our actions and behaviour can have ripple effects, affecting those around us and beyond - for good or evil.

If we turn to the Bible, and go right back to the first book of Genesis, we see that the sin and rebellion of one man (and his wife) lead to separation from fellowship with the Living God, and that separation because of sin and the sinful nature of man has blighted the human race ever since.

BUT, PRAISE THE LIVING GOD, because of the POWER OF ONE, the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten - His One and only Son, came to earth as a baby, grew to be a man, ministered life and healing and deliverance over three years from the age of thirty, then died a criminal's death on the cross of Calvary, the sinless Son of God, dying in our place for our sins, and triumphantly rose from the dead three days later, ever more to make intercession for the saints, seated at the right hand of the Father in glory.  This is the greatest and most profoundly wonderful POWER OF ONE!

God is calling His committed Bible believing, Holy Spirit anointed followers to lay down their lives, to take up their cross daily, to count the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus - then shining forth the Light of Jesus to a lost and hurting and dying world, and to display to those who need to receive God's grace and His mercy and His love and His forgiveness and His wholeness - the awesome, Holy Ghost and fire POWER OF ONE (wholly sold out to Jesus).

To find out how to become a Christian, go online to: www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then "Looking for God?" God Bless!

SALT AND LIGHT IN A TASTELESS AND DARK WORLD

Part Two

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"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples in what is known as the Sermon On The Mount, the longest single discourse of Jesus in all of the four Gospels, as recorded in Matthew 5-7.

Jesus used the two metaphors of salt and light to attribute qualities by which His disciples - those who would follow and live by His teachings, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and would be distinguished from all others.

Jesus said of Himself, in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

The apostle John in the fourth Gospel bearing his name, introduces us to Jesus, the Light of the world in the first chapter of his book.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him, 

nothing was made that was not made.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

[John the Baptist]

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:1-13 NKJV

1 John 2:5 says.....God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

The Bible says of God, in 1 Timothy 6:15,16 that He is God, the blessed and only Ruler the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, 

whom no one has seen, or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen. NIV

James 1:17 tells us: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow of turning.

Just like the dramatic portrayals in countless movies of the clashes of good and evil, darkness and light, or using the vernacular of the past, between the good guys and the bad guys, the overarching battle of the universe is between two opposing and diametrically opposed dominions, that of darkness ruled by Satan, and the Kingdom of Light, ruled by the all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present Eternal God-in-three-Persons, the One True and Living God, represented by the Trinity - Father, Son (the Lord Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit.

When we speak of God as Light, all that is pure, holy, righteous, of the Truth, and displaying the character of God in His love for mankind, in both His mercy and His just judgments, are contained in that brilliant metaphor.

On the other hand, Satan, as the ruler of darkness, is totally evil. There is absolutely nothing about his character to be commended. He is, as the Bible says, a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44.

He is the thief, who comes to steal, kill and destroy, as Jesus says in John 10:10. Jesus also says Satan has been a murderer from the beginning.

That the vast majority of mankind are dwelling in spiritual darkness, under Satan's dominion is borne out in John 3:19-21, where Jesus says: "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

"But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." NKJV

Speaking prophetically to the kingdom of Judah at around 700BC, but also prophetically down through the ages to the church in the present day, Isaiah wrote these words: 

So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west,

And His glory from the rising of the sun;

When the enemy comes in like a flood, 

The Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

"The Redeemer will come to Zion,

And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," says the LORD.

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you. 

The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 59:19,20; 60-1-3

From the above prophetic verses in Isaiah, it is evident that, just as Jesus spoke of Himself as the Light of the World in John 8:12, as mentioned earlier, and that He addressed His disciples, saying: "You are the light of the world," He intended for His followers to shine the light of God's love, power and holiness to a world filled with darkness, by the authority bestowed on them by the Lord, to see people transformed by the power of God, in turning their lives from darkness and bondage to light and freedom only found in a relationship with Christ.

The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20 says....we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you, on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

Paul further admonishes Christians in Ephesians, chapter 5 with these words: 

For you were once darkness, but now you light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth),

finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,

but rather expose them.

For it is shameful to even speak of those things which are 

done by them in secret.

But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the 

light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

Therefore He says:

"Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light." Ephesians 5:8-14

The apostle John, in 1 John 4:18 says....as He (Jesus) is, so are we in this world.

Even when Jesus walked this earth as a man, He commissioned His then disciples to go out and do the works He was doing, as a foretaste of the life of witness and power that they could and would walk in, when He left them, following His death on the cross, and subsequent triumphant resurrection. Filled with the Holy Spirit's power, they would shine the light of God's love and power to a lost and dying world - to a people desperate for a way out of the darkness and emptiness of life without ultimate purpose and meaning.

The apostle Paul, in Philippians 2:14-16, says that Christians are to:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, 

So that you may become blameless and pure,

Children of God without fault

In a crooked and depraved generation

In which you shine like stars in the universe

As you hold out the word of life. NIV

More than ever before, Christians, the Light-bearers, need to be shining for Jesus, holding forth the Word of Life, filled with the Holy Spirit - living lives wholly committed to the Word of God, without compromise - even when it means going counter to the culture in aspects at odds with the Word of God. The world is waiting and watching for the Church to arise and shine with all the brilliance of the risen Christ (The Anointed One and His Anointing). The time to simply blend in with the cultural surroundings in order to seem to be relevant is over.

Christ is calling forth a people who, as His ambassadors are living pure lives, who know the power of His love and forgiveness, who know the pit from which they have been lifted, and who are not ashamed to stand up and be counted as those who fully align with God's standards of love and holiness.

If you have read this blog, and would like to know more about becoming a Christian, a useful resource I suggest is: vision.org.au This is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then click on "Looking for God?" 

Come out of the darkness into the light of God's love and power to transform your life as no one or no thing can do. God Bless!

SALT AND LIGHT IN A TASTELESS AND DARK WORLD 

Part One

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:13-16

These words of Jesus were spoken by Him in what is known as the Sermon on The Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7, to His disciples. It is believed that the disciples hearing the words of Jesus at this time were a larger group than the twelve. The Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, is the longest discourse of Jesus recorded in any of the four Gospels. It includes some of the most quoted teachings of Jesus, including the Beatitudes in chapter 5, and what is known as "The Lord's Prayer" in chapter 6, really a model prayer for His followers. To most believers in Jesus, it contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship.

In this particular blog, I am looking briefly at the above verses from Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus speaks of His disciples as being both salt and light.

In verse 13, Jesus says: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men."

Salt is a necessity for life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt in both the Old and New Testaments. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value and purification.

In Biblical Israel, the main source of salt was the Dead Sea. The Hebrew people would harvest salt by pouring sea water into pits and letting the water evaporate until only salt was left. It was used as a seasoning, a preservative and to disinfect wounds. In 2 Chronicles 13:5, King Abijah referred to God's covenant promise to David that he will not lack a man to sit on David's throne as a Salt covenant - that is, a covenant that can not be broken.

Salt used for food seasoning only accounts for around six percent of salt production, apparently. There are in the order of 14,000 different ways in which salt is used - as varied as in the manufacture of plastic, paper, glass, polyester, rubber and fertilisers - to household bleach, soaps, detergents and dyes.

In relation to its use as food additive, it adds flavor to many of the processed food products we eat.

It is necessary for the maintenance of life and healthy bodies, not only for humans but for animals as well.

Christians, using the analogy of salt, in society, act as a seasoning and as a preservative. If the salt is tainted by impurities, it will not be effective as a flavoring condiment. In order to be "the salt of the earth," followers of Christ need to display Christlikeness in character, and to stand up for righteousness according to Biblical standards for life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:2-9

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. In times of revivals, and other visitations of the Lord to nations, society has been greatly impacted with thousands coming to faith in Christ, broken relationships restored, deliverance from drug and alcohol addictions, droughts broken, and other positive impacts resulting from the blessing and favor of God on nations and localised places of Holy Spirit outpourings.

Most Christians will be familiar with the verses in 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, or at least, verse 14. Following Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple he had built for the Lord's presence, God spoke to him at night: Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself for a place of sacrifice.

"When I shut up heaven, and there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." When the church of Jesus Christ truly humble themselves before the Lord to seek His face, and to walk in holiness, the people of God have a seasoning and preserving effect on wider society, as the favor of God touches cities, towns and literally, the land. No politician, be it Prime Minister, President, Premier or Chancellor, or their governments can be a nation's Saviour.

Only God Almighty, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ can truly be the Saviour for individuals and for nations, as they recognize Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Christians, as His ambassadors on earth, filled with and lead by the Holy Spirit, are salt to society, seasoning every area of influence with Godly wisdom and insight, and an integrity of life that values people from every culture, ethnicity, socio-economic background, race or creed - and dare I say it, vaccination status, knowing that Christ died for all, and His desire is that all should come to a place of repentance and be saved. 

In Mark 9:49,50 Jesus says to His disciples "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

Salt was used in various sacrifices and offerings by fire in the Old Testament, as a symbol of purification.

We do not offer to God physical sacrifices today under the New Covenant of grace initiated by the Lord Jesus Christ, but the people of God today, Christians and Messianic Jews, are to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Romans 12:1,2 says: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will find acceptable. This is the way to truly worship Him. 

Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good, and pleasing and perfect. New Living Translation.

In a world that is increasingly hostile to Christians, as the antichrist spirit pervades every area of society influence, it is more imperative than ever that true followers of Christ retain their "salty flavor" as they live Godly lives grounded in the Truth of God's Word, filled with the Holy Spirit, and living uncompromising lives of integrity motivated in everything by love for God and people.

An added anecdote from Tessa

SALT - As a teen, I saw the immensity, the beauty, the dazzling purity and intensity of the salt drainage ponds near Adelaide in South Australia. It was literally awesome. Salt is essential for life - physical and spiritual. Let us be salt that is not flavourless or trampled!