The Power of Christian Meditation

When does God speak to you? Well this morning, while I was asleep, I received a revelation and woke with it, clear as a bell on Christian meditation.

Meditation on the Word of God

Read the Bible and then reflect on some basic concepts:

What is God saying (in a general sense)?

What is God saying to me (in a specific sense to you as an individual)?

What am I going to do about it (what am I being challenged to do, to change, to live out from that word).

Meditation on the Person of Jesus

Eastern meditation is most often about an empyting process but Christian Meditation is about focus on God. So when we think about Jesus, consider a few different approaches.

Picture yourself sitting at home, on your favourite couch or chair and Jesus sitting there with you. What would he say to you?

Or think of walking along the road and chatting to him. What would you talk about?

Or just think of the best image of Jesus and just tell him how much you love him?

Meditation on the Holy Spirit

Here is the place of being still. “Be still and know that I am God”. The rush of the day, the worries, the fears, the problems, the fights, the anguish … all of the daily grind things … just stop. Just sit, just close your eyes and be still and ask the Holy Spirit to come and refresh you and comfort you and inspire you. You might put on some Christian music, sing or find a quite place. Definitely you need to turn off the TV and put down the smartphone or tablet. Be still …

Have a great day.

Neil Stott

 

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Gay Marriage – the Discrimination no one wants to talk about

As I start this article, I want to affirm that I support a suitable solution that allows loving couples to enjoy a State sanctioned union that is recognised in law.

However, what I cannot support is a solution that discriminates and punishes another class of citizen. As a man married to a woman, father and grandfather, the current proposal for “Gay Marriage” has not considered at all the discriminatory effects this legislation has on me and people like me. The proposed changes in fact “robs me” of several things. Let me explain.

My Identity. My wife and I are a married couple. Husband and Wife. Man and Woman. Just like my father. Just like my grandfather. Just like my great grand father, right back to generations of Stotts who emigrated from England. I enjoy being married and the sense of togetherness, oneness, love and support it brings. My identity as a man married to a woman will become diminished, reduced, forever altered. My history lost. Therefore, any solution that provides a State sanctioned union for Gay couples should be one that doesn’t rob me of my identity and history.
Societies Traditions.

My traditions. Marriage as a union between a man and a woman has been the bedrock of ancient and modern societies for thousands upon thousands upon thousands of years. It is a tradition that is found in every culture, every society, every religion, every nation, every tribe, every legal tradition. Therefore, any solution that provides a State sanctioned union for Gay couples should be one that doesn’t destroy the history and traditions of our society and culture.

My Faith. As a Christian, marriage is more than a legal contract. It is a love covenant before God between a man and a woman. Supporters of Gay Marriage offer these platitudes to those whose faith believe (which include more than just the Christian faith) that churches and ministers would not be forced to perform Gay Marriages in their churches. Consider how much we faith holders will lose. In a solemn marriage ceremony held in the traditions of our faith, the words are spoken: “I now pronounce you husband and wife”. In another place, not in a faith tradition, the words are spoken before two women or two men: “I now pronounce you husband and wife”. Again, we who hold marriage to be between a man and a woman have that faith tradition diminished, robbed, taken away and replaced with something else. Therefore, any solution that provides a State sanctioned union for Gay couples should be one that doesn’t destroy the history and traditions of my faith.

Finally, a word of caution in regard to the law of unexpected consequences. When homosexual acts was removed as a criminal offence from the Statute books, the mantra at that time was that society should not legislate what occurs in people’s bedrooms. Today’s modern society is made up of an incredibly diverse collection of relationships. The State should not, cannot seek to codify each variety of relationship to give them some form of legal status. This brings us to the limits of any future legislative change. Recently a photo from the US published a father marrying his son. Will this be permissible under the new law? Should the State be sanctioning (approving) this relationship? If not, what about mothers marrying daughters, sisters marrying sisters, brothers marrying brothers? I don’t put the question to bring unwanted controversy to the debate into but to merely make the point that the law of unintended consequences needs to be very seriously considered when making such far reaching changes to societies foundational structures.

My solution? Leave marriage alone, with all its history, traditions, culture and religious connections preserved. Find another path, another word another way for gay couples to legalise their union. Please don’t discriminate against me when trying to prevent discrimination against another group, this is just not fair.

Neil Stott

About the Writer:
Neil is the leader of a Men’s Group belonging to Life Church Mooroopna and author of a blog “The Real Men Challenge”.

 

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Be ALL In! Great word from Keith Craft

“If you’re in a friendship, be All in! If you’re in a job, be ALL in! If
you’re in a church, be ALL in! Whatever you’re in, deserves you’re ALL
IN! ”

–Keith A. Craft

http://keithcraftblog.com/

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Supporting Chaplains in Schools

I received this short article which I reproduce in full. We have two great Chaplains in our church and their work is invaluable. Hopefully this article will help reinforce the message of “Save Our Chaplains”.

Friend,
Last year, countless thousands of friends like you helped ‘Save Our Chaplains’ after the High Court ruled the existing model of Federal funding was obsolete. Because of your voice, politicians on both sides resolved to find a new way to fund this great program – and they did!

Today, I want you to know why we saved our chaplains.
Can you imagine what it’s like for a 6-year old to watch their home disappear under a torrent of water? To see their toys, their clothes, their bedroom and their books buried in mud and sludge? When the floodwaters rose in Rockhampton, Maryborough, Ipswich, Gympie, the Lockyer Valley and – even more devastatingly – in Bundaberg, that horrible thought became a reality for thousands of Queensland families.

A huge number of aid organisations and community groups have pitched in for those families most affected, and of course we’ve done what we can to help, with a $50,000 relief package aimed at providing books, school supplies, shoes and uniforms to children who lost everything at the start of the school year. So far we have been able to help hundreds of families send their children back to school with the essentials they need.
But the greatest strength of school chaplaincy is found in the long road to recovery. Chappies are connected to their community. They know the needs because they experience them right alongside the families they serve. I am so grateful that, thanks to you, many of these young people will have a caring, compassionate person in their school who they can trust, who can listen to their fears and their heartaches and let them know they are not alone.

In fact, right now we’re looking for ways to increase the number of days we can employ chaplains in each of those flood-affected schools. It’s so important that families’ material needs are met, as well as offering a chance for children to be heard and supported. I’m grateful that so many schools have welcomed a chaplain into their community.
That is why we saved our chaplains. That is why your support matters, and why you can be proud of what we achieved together. We saved our chaplains for a purpose – to be a source of compassion and strength to children, their families, and their community when they need it the most.
Thank you!

Peter James
CEO, SU QLD

http://saveourchaplains.com.au/

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The Challenge of Attitude 1: Arrogance

Real Men Challenge is just that … a challenge. The best learned challenges are the hard ones that come out of personal experience. And the lessons for other men are best talked about from personal experience.

So it has been with me … I have learned something about myself in recent times. When tough times come along, that is God’s teacher … as long as we are able ask the question … God what are you trying to teach me?

In my personal experience, a streak of arrogance has now been tempered with a strong dose of humble pie as I faced up to an error that I should have seen but in my arrogance did not see. And in my arrogance, did not ask for the help that was there but of course, like many men, we know what to do and how to do it and don’t like asking for help or advice. Ahh the teachings of tough times.

So what unexpected failure in your life is actually God teaching us a lesson. If you can share your story, write a comment here.

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