Hello Everyone From the Editor

Were you surprised to read in the newspaper that many of the well-known athletes, film stars and political leaders are more popular than Jesus? Well, that was the opinion of a number of young people.

But what is popularity? It means to please people; to be liked by others and to be well thought of. Popular people are those who have others who admire and talk about them.

Some people are ‘popularity seekers’. They dress, talk and act so that others will take notice of them and speak highly of them. These people do not act naturally; they are always trying to impress others.

This is the last thing that the Lord Jesus tried to do. On one occasion His friends said, “Show yourself to the world” John 7:4.

They wanted Him to display His wonderful miracles to everyone so that people would be attracted to Him. But the Lord did not do and speak things that everyone wanted to hear. In fact the Lord did and said many things that offended others.

Should a Christian try to be popular? Well, we should not try to cause unnecessary offence as some have done, but we cannot live and speak to get everyone to praise us. Our first duty is to please God, not men. James 4:4 tells us that those who are friends of the world are the enemies of God.

Sports people, actors and politicians may be popular for a few years, but soon they are forgotten or do something that does not please others, and soon they are rejected.

Christ is never popular with unsaved people, but in the estimation of all believers, He is worthy to be praised for all eternity.

The great sinner saved

The American evangelist, Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) tells that at one of his meetings there was a terrible looking man. After the service he said to Mr. Finney, “I want you to come with me.” Mr. Finney’s friends advised him not to go, they said, “He is one of the worst outlaws in town. He is a murderer.”

Mr. Finney thought it over, then said; “This man has invited me, and I am going. You please pray for me.” The man led Mr. Finney through some dark winding alleys. Finally they came to a door which the man opened. He said, “Walk in Mr. Finney.” He then bolted the door behind him and lit a lamp. Finney looked around the dark room. There were several guns and a revolver nearby.

The man began, “Mr. Finney, I have been one of the worst outlaws in this country, but I was impressed with your message tonight.” He pulled a revolver from his pocket and said, “With this I have killed four men, and I have ordered others to be shot. Now can a red-handed murderer be saved?” Finney replied, “I have preached that if we confess and forsake our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That is God’s promise.”

“But that is not all I have done,” replied the man. He pulled out a pack of cards and said, “I am a professional; gambler. This is a gambling den. The quarrels that have taken place here have been terrible. Some men have committed suicide. Do you believe God will forgive me?”

Mr. Finney answered, “I do not care what sins you have committed, if you confess and forsake your sins, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will cleanse you from all sin.” “But”, the man continued, “I sell liquor without a licence. I have taken the last cent from a poor man when his wife and children are almost starving. I have seen his children go by with toes out of their shoes and in tattered clothes. I have broken homes. Do you think God will forgive me?”

Finney replied, “God’s word says, the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

The man continued, “But Mr. Finney, that is not all. I have a good wife who does not know anything but a heavy fist and the toe of my boot. I am a wife beater. And I have an eleven year old daughter that has never had a kiss from me and is dead scared of me. I am a murderer, gambler, a wife-beater and a cruel father. Be honest with me, do you believe God will forgive me?”

Mr. Finney quoted Isaiah 1:18 to him, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” “If you confess and forsake your sins, I believe God will have mercy on you.”

The man then gave Mr. Finney his home address and asked him to come for dinner the next day. Finney then left. The man then threw all his cards into a fire and burned them. He rolled the barrels of rum out and poured them down the drain. He then spent the whole night trying to calculate how much he owed to various people, in order to put things right in his life as much as he could.

At daybreak he returned home and went to his room and sat on his bed. His wife made some breakfast and sent his daughter to call him. He replied kindly, “No darling, I don’t want any breakfast this morning.” She rushed to her mother and said. “Daddy called me darling.” The mother sent the daughter again and he replied in the same way. He smiled and beckoned her to him and embraced her. The mother soon came wondering what had happened. With tears, he kissed her and embraced her and said, “You are not a rich man’s wife any more.” His wife replied, “I would rather have your love than all the riches in the world.” He then said, “forgive me darling, forgive me.” The family was overcome with joy and relief and together they knelt down and prayed to God for forgiveness.

From that time the man’s life was changed from serving sin to living for Christ.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1.Timothy 1:15.

Placards Blessed

We have all seen banners and placards displayed for various causes. Some have been held up by Christians.

In 1991 six Christians held up some placards outside the Derwent Centre in Hobart. They stood beside the busy highway as the cars and buses were entering into the Centre.

The reason for these placards was that the Watchtower Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses) were holding a convention and the Christians wanted to tell them to trust in Christ rather than their Organisation. The placards read, ‘Jesus saves not the Watchtower’ and ‘Read the Bible not the watchtower.’

The people driving past could not avoid reading the placards. Some laughed and others looked puzzled. But three people read them and remembered what they had read. They could not get the words out of their minds. Then, by the Lord’s grace, they realised how wrong the teaching of the Watchtower was, trusted in Christ, and were saved.

Nothing was heard about these people for thirteen years, until they phoned one of the Christians who held up a placard, telling them of how they had resigned from the Organisation and had been saved by the Lord’s grace and mercy. They were filled with praise to the Lord and were seeking to lead others to trust in Christ.

We invite you to worship with us each Sunday

Felix the Martyr

In the early times of Christianity, persecution was often very cruel and severe. Christians were put to death for refusing to worship the emperor or to recognize the heathen gods.

In the North African city of Carthage there was a man named Felix. He was arrested and brought before the local magistrate and commanded to surrender the Bibles, books and writings that belonged to his Church. This command would result in the books being burned. Felix firmly refused and said that it was better for himself to be burned than the Bibles and books.

The magistrate was very offended at his firmness and sent him to the chief Roman Judge who was then visiting the city. This supreme judge was so offended at his boldness and determination not to hand over the Bibles, that he ordered Felix to be bound with heavy chains and cast into a dungeon, where he remained for nine days. Then the Judge ordered that he be placed on a ship and sent to Rome to be judged by the Emperor. During the voyage Felix was bound and locked below deck, under the ship’s hatches, where there were horses. This voyage lasted four days, during this time he had no food or water.

At last he was landed in Sicily, then taken to Italy where he would be judged. When he was brought before the Judge, he was asked did he have copies of the Scriptures and would he hand them over to the Romans. Felix replied, “I have them, but I will not part with them.” When he made this bold statement, his Judge ordered him to be immediately beheaded.

Felix lifted up his eyes and said, “I thank thee, O Lord, that I have lived fifty-six years, and have preserved the gospel and preached faith and truth. O my Lord Jesus Christ, the God of heaven and earth, I bow my head to be sacrificed to thee, who lives to all eternity.”

Persecution still occurs against God’s people because of their belief in the Scriptures. May we be faithful to the Lord and His word like Felix the martyr.

William Wilberforce

Nearly everyone has heard of William Wilberforce, who opposed the slave trade and was able to have it banned by the English Parliament.

William was born in 1759. He was a bright student and studied at Cambridge University. When he was only twenty-four years old, he was elected as the local Parliamentary member for the town where he lived. Soon after, he attended the county election for York. All the people cried out, “We will have that little man for our member”, so he was elected to the wider Parliament.

William was full of life and happiness. He loved society and pleasure and was said to be ‘the life of the Doncaster horse races.’ However he was not a Christian.

He decided to travel to Nice, France, to visit one of his relatives. He invited a minister friend, Rev. Isaac Milner, to travel with him. As they were talking, the name of a Christian man was mentioned. William said that he thought this man ‘carried religion too far.’ Rev. Milner replied that if William read the New Testament he would probably think differently. William replied that he would like to do so and suggested that they read the New Testament in Greek, seeing they were both Greek Scholars. Since travel was very slow, they had the opportunity to read the whole New Testament together.

William’s life was now completely changed. He became an earnest Christian. He was now twenty-five years old. Soon he joined a Christian group that sought to reach the higher classes of people with the gospel. He also sought to improve the condition of those who were poor and of those who were in prison. He helped to found the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804.

Later, William fought to have the slave trade abolished. After a long struggle in which his bill to abolish slavery was often rejected, he at last managed to have it made law in 1807.

William sought to uphold the Bible and Christian principles in the British Parliament. He wrote a famous Christian book and he was described as ‘the conscience of the nation’.

Smile-a while

· Good advice: When an angry motorist paid his speeding fine, he held up the receipt and said to the cashier, “And what am I expected to do with this?” “Keep it’ replied the cashier with a smile, “When you get four of those, you can buy yourself a bicycle.”

· Flea market: What do you get if you cross a rabbit with a flea? Bugs Bunny.

· Bad taste: A missionary was about to be boiled and eaten by cannibals. “You won’t like me” said the missionary to the chief, “here try a piece.” He then cut a piece off the calf of his leg and handed it to the chief, who tasted it and spat it out with disgust. The missionary was set free and lived a long time with his cork leg.

v Good Questions: Lawyers sometimes ask people strange questions during court cases. Here are a few.

* “How far were the cars apart when they collided?”

* “Were you alone or by yourself?”

* “Were you present when your picture was taken?”

* “How many times have you committed suicide?”

* “Did you kill yourself?”

· Good advice: A doctor asked a patient, “Have you had any other advice on you complaint?” “Yes” replied the patient “I have consulted a natural healer.” “And what stupid advice did he give you?” demanded the doctor. “He told me to come and see you.” replied the patient.

· Good dog: Dogs are man’s best friend. They never give advice, never borrow money and have no in-laws.

v On the ball: A group of ministers formed a bowling team. They called themselves ‘The Holy Rollers’.

Unsolved Mysteries

Throughout history there have been many unsolved mysteries, especially crimes that have been committed and no one has ever found out who was responsible for them. We are always glad to hear of some secret crime being resolved, but many remain unresolved.

One mystery occurred on the 18^th of April 1935. A man named Bert Hobson was fishing near Sydney and caught a 4 metre tiger shark in his net. As his brother owned an aquarium, he gave the shark to him. After a week, in front of visitors, the shark vomited up a human arm. This arm had a tattoo showing two men boxing. This became a great mystery known as the ‘Shark Arm Case.’

Some people thought that a swimmer had been attacked or perhaps a shark had bitten off the arm of someone who had drowned, but police experts showed that the arm had been cut off. At last finger prints proved that the arm belonged to a missing man, James Smith, a bookmaker. Smith had been employed as a caretaker of a luxury yacht, which police believed was used for crime, and Smith may have seen too much.

Several people were charged with the crime, but lawyers argued that an arm does not constitute a body, and the person may still be alive. Just nine hours before one trial, a chief witness who was to give evidence, was found murdered under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. So the mystery of the death of James Smith was never resolved.

Such things should not trouble us, because Christians know that God has appointed a day in which all the world will be judged and every hidden thing will be brought to light. There are no unsolved mysteries with God. He knows all things beforehand. He sees all things, and will bring to light the hidden works of darkness on the day of judgment.

If we repent of our sins, they will be forgiven for Christ’s sake and God will be remember them no more.

Whiter than snow

When the first fall of snow arrived, the people of Cincinnati, America, were filled with excitement at being able to commence their winter sports. But a sad event also took place; a twenty two year old girl was found on the city street, nearly frozen to death in the snow. She was rushed to hospital, but died soon after. Among her papers was found the poem ‘Whiter than snow’ that she had written. She came from a respectable family, was well educated and very glamorous. She left home and sought for the pleasure of the world, but sadly fell deeply into sin. She then became a street girl, sleeping out in any place she could find, she finally perished in the freezing cold.

Whiter than snow

Oh! The snow, the beautiful snow.

Filling the sky and earth below.

Over the housetops, over the street,

Over the heads of people you meet;

Dancing – Flirting - Skimming along.

Beautiful snow! It can do no wrong;

Flying to kiss a fair lady’s cheek.

Clinging to lips in frolicsome freak;

Beautiful snow from heaven above.

Pure as an angel. Gentle as love.

Oh the snow, the beautiful snow,

How the flakes gather and laugh as they go,

Whirling about in maddening fun;

Chasing - Laughing – Hurrying on.

It lights on the face and it sparkles the eye:

And the dogs with a bark and a bound

Snap at the crystals as they eddy around;

The town is alive, and its heart is aglow,

Welcome the coming of the beautiful snow.

How wildly the crowd goes swaying along,

Hailing each other with humour and song;

How the gay sleighs like meteors flash by.

Bright for a moment, then lost to the eye:

Ringing – Swinging – Dashing they go.

Over the crest of the beautiful snow:

Snow so pure when it falls from the sky.

As to make one regret to see it lie

To be trampled and trod by thousands of feet.

Till it blends with the mire in the horrible street.

Once I was pure as the snow, but I fell,

Fell like the snow flakes from heaven to hell;

Fell to be trampled as filth in the street,

Fell to be scoffed, to be spit on and beat;

Pleading – Cursing – Dreading to die,

Selling my soul to whoever would buy;

Dealing in shame for a morsel of bread,

Hating the living and fearing the dead.

Merciful God! have I fallen so low!

And yet I was once like the beautiful snow.

Once I was fair as the beautiful snow,

With an eye like a crystal, a heart like its glow;

Once I was loved for my innocent grace –

Father – Mothers – Sisters – all,

God and myself I have lost by my fall;

The veriest wretch that goes shivering by,

Will make a wide sweep lest I wander too nigh,

For all that is on or above me I know,

There is nothing so pure as the beautiful snow.

How strange it should be that this beautiful snow

Should fall on a sinner with nowhere to go!

How strange it should be when night comes again;

If the snow and the ice struck my desperate brain,

Fainting – Freezing – Dying – alone,

Too wicked for prayer, too weak for a moan

To be heard in the streets of the crazy town,

Gone mad in the joy of the snow coming down;

To be and to die in my terrible woe,

With a bed and a shroud of the beautiful snow.

Helpless and foul as the trampled snow,

Sinner, despair not! Christ stoopeth low

To rescue the soul that is lost in sin,

And raise it to life and enjoyment again,

Groaning - Bleeding - Dying for thee,

The crucified hung on the cursed tree!

His accents of mercy fall soft on thine ear,

“Is there mercy for me? Will He heed my weak

prayer”?

O God! in the stream that for sinners did flow

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.