What would you like me to do for you?

I was reading in Mark 10 today. On two occasions Jesus asked somebody "What do you want me to do for you?" The first was to James and John who asked him to do for them whatever they asked, I assume it was the equivilaent of asking him to do them a favour. They wanted to be at his right and left in his new kingdom. This is not necessarily a bad request. It meant that they wanted to be near him, involved with him, believed in his cause and were willing to put in the necessary work for him. What they probably also envisioned was to get a bit of the glory, a bit of the fame, to be seen as leaders in the new kingdom.
Their request was denied.

The second was blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus. He asked to be able to see. He asked for the removal of the genetic or accidental defect that prevented him from living an abundant and full life. He did not ask for fame or even for the privilege of being close to Jesus or for any kind of ministry. His request was granted. Nowhere does it say he spent the rest of his life living for the lord, perhaps he did and perhaps he didn't but he lived a more abundant life and the glory of God is man fully alive. He got fame too. Wherever the gospel is read his name is mentioned - after more than 2000 years people know something about him.

The question is, if Jesus stood in front of you and gave you his full attention and asked "What would you like me to do for you?" What would be your answer?

Stuff Happens

Yesterday the little girl who lives next door to us was killed. A taxi mounted the pavement and knocked her down.

This morning I found Amos, her father, standing on the pavement outside with tears running down his face. I cried with him. I assured him that his little girl was in heaven. But I can't be sure of that. Christians believe that the only way to get to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning death. I have lived next door to Amos for almost 19 years but I don't know if his daughter believed in Christ. Shame on me! I don't even know if he goes to church. How could I have been so uncaring for 19 years and just gone about my own business?

Yesterday we heard at school that one of our fellow teachers had been attacked and robbed in her house by panga and gun wielding assailants. She is lucky to be alive.

Last night I heard that one of our fellow Gideons had found her lift-club friend dead and hanging from a rope. She had committed suicide.

Stuff happens. All the time. Guaranteed. Isn't it time we lived with an eye on eternity and not just in our own little business in front of our nose?

Light of the world

In South Africa at the moment we are suffering from a shortage of power. As a result, we have been subjected to "load shedding" which means that at certain times your electricity can be cut off. In January it was extremely haphazard and you didn't know when you would suddenly be without electricity. It got so bad that there was talk about mines closing down because they couldn't guarantee the safety of their workers.

I bought myself a rechargeable camping light. I couldn't wait for the next power cut. During February we had some respite. Only once was the power cut in my area. It was a stormy afternoon and as the black clouds gathered at last I could use my camping light. Not for long, however, because the electricity came on again at about 5pm.

This month, March, there are threats of power cut but more on a planned basis. Blairgowrie, my area, is due for power cut on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 6 and 10pm. At last my lamp can be used. Yesterday, as I left for work, the electricity went off. When I came home, it was on again. So I still have not had a chance to use my nice expensive rechargeable lamp. Sigh.

Then I got to thinking. A lamp is not much good when it's not dark. Jesus says we are the light of the world. For a light to work effectively, there must be darkness. Well, there sure is darkness in South Africa. The crime seems almost out of control. It is not safe for school children to walk home from school – there are muggings and rapes. It is scary to come home at night to your own driveway. Nearly everybody you talk to has been hijacked, or robbed in their home at gunpoint. Only the most violent and scary cases are reported in the newspaper which makes everybody live in fear. AIDS is rampant and the morality of the general population of teenagers does much to help it spread. If ever there was a dark place, it is South Africa. Jesus called us to shine in this dark world.

Yet, some of our best potential lights are emigrating to other countries where it is not so dark. There is surely an accumulation of good South African Christians in Australia, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and America. Don't get me wrong, they are shining their lights brightly where they move but because there's not so much darkness, it makes less of an impact.

Those of us that are left, remember all the darkness in the world can't overcome the feeblest light. Shine for all you're worth!

Left arm

I am a left arm. I am reasonably talented. I can bend my fingers, manipulate my thumb, swivel at my shoulder and bend and rotate at my elbow. Despit all this, I have always been a second class citizen because my opposing member, the right arm can do all these things better than me. I was side-lined. It was Righty who was taught to write while my challenging task was merely to support the page. Righty learned to hit a tennis ball with a tennis raquet while I only played ball boy - something like a clay pidgeon dispenser. My tasks were always menial and unappreciated.

Recently Righty developed tendonitis. Here was my chance to shine - to be appreciated! Do you know what? Because I was previously disadvantaged, my best attempts were not good enough and I was cursed for my clumsiness. My unco-ordinated fingers took half an hour just to get a contact lens into the right eye. I don't have enough strength to cut steak with a knife and my artistic attempts at hair-combing were rediculed. I took much longer to complete tasks than the more accomplished and talented Righty. Although I am getting more proficient at lots of things, let's face it, I will never be a right arm. I was destined to be a second class limb. Is life fair? Of course not.

Evolutionists and Creationists

I am a Christian. I am also a scientist. Recently I was told by the head of our Biology department that we were going to be teaching evolution in our schools soon. Since we are encouraged to examine scientific knowledge and evaluate it, I decided to search the web for information about evolution and what the crationists say about it. boy did I open a wasps nest! Everybody seems to be so fanatical about their views.

I was given a DVD which is part of a series about creationism which I was strongly encouraged to watch. The Creationists (of this series) believe that the world was created in 6 days, 6000 years ago, that 4000 years ago there was a flood which totally changed the earth from what it was previously. (Up till then there had been an extra layer to the atmosphere consisting of water/water vap0our/ice which resulted in a higher air pressure, subsequently higher oxygen concentrations in the air and a shielding of X rays from the sun/space. As a result everything lived much longer and functioned better, grew larger. Dinosaurs were nothing but lizards that just continued to grow and were alive at the same time as man. Lots of very scientific evidence was given, as well as quotes from reputable scientists to support the theory.

Last night I watched a DVD by David Bloch on the Universe. http://www.aboutentertainment.co.za/database/david_b.htm
His studies have led him to believe that the universe was created by God with the specific purpose of making Man and he gives very strong mathmatical reasoning why the forces involved in the creation of the Universe cannot be random and therefore are evidence of design. He believes God made the Big Bang.

In other words, the creationists and the scientists believe the same thing. God created the heavens and the earth. I don't know what all this fuss is about old earth/new earth. It does not change my life one little bit whether the earth is 6 000 years old or millions. I know that God loves me, that Jesus died so that I can be in a relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him. I know that we don't know everything and never will. Scientific theories come and go and life goes on. I don't think very many scientists really think that the earth came into being by chance and that life just accidentally happened. If we just evolved from animals (accidentally) then there is no right or wrong and no meaning to life. We may as well live like animals. In fact, if that is what they have been teaching in American schools for years, perhaps it is no wonder that young people act the way they do. If, on the other hand, we are created in the image of God, there is some purpose to life and some immutable laws. What method God used to create us is immaterial. Let's just rejoice in life!

How to insult God

We've been studying Isiah in bible study. last night we read about Sennacharib and his insults to God. I remembered a poem I studied at school a long time ago and looked on the internet for it. I was inspired again.


The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold . . .
This hexagonal clay prism (often called the Taylor prism) records the deeds of Sennacherib -- an important figure in the Old Testament. I saw this piece when I was at the Oriental Institute on Saturday but wasn't able to get a good photo. Here's the commentary from the Oriental Institute:
On the six inscribed sides of this clay prism, King Sennacherib recorded eight military campaigns undertaken against various peoples who refused to submit to Assyrian domination. In all instances, he claims to have been victorious. As part of the third campaign, he beseiged Jerusalem and imposed heavy tribute on Hezekiah, King of Judah-a story also related in the Bible, where Sennacherib is said to have been defeated by "the angel of the Lord," who slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (II Kings 18-19).
There is a complete translation of all six columns at the Sennacherib Prism site where I found the photo. And here is Byron's poem, "The Destruction of Sennacherib," to complement it:

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still.

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride:
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow and the rust on his mail;
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!
-- George Gordon Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Perhaps I have ceased to exist

This morning (Monday of course) I came in to work to sign in as usual. My name was not on the list. I checked both lists, departmental and governing body but my name was not there. So I signed underneath the list of names.
Now I've got to my computer and came to check my e mails. The computer does not recognise my name and password. Perhaps I have ceased to exist? Perhaps I have been deleted.
Some say that the whole world is a figment of God's immagination. Perhaps I never was.
Would it make a difference to the world if I never was? However, I blog. Therefore I am.
Now that I am, can I make a difference or would it be the same as if I had never been?