Our relationship with God does not depend on our performance

By Peter Kaye |
The Christian life is not about doing anything. Now this is where a number of Christians, well I think a lot of us, may struggle with the ten commandments from time to time because I'd like to suggest that the Christian life is not about doing anything. We can't do stuff, we can't in a sense self-propel the sailing boat. We we rely upon God to move us. But we do think I think some of us we think, “OK, great, we’re saved by grace, we’re in by forgiveness. I've got this relationship with God but now that I'm in, there must be something that I've got to do to be a Christian and I guess the ten commandments are pretty good starting point. You know I'm a good Christian, I tried to live my life by Christian values and at least according to the ten commandments."

Teaching the Faith

By Peter Kaye |
The Rt. Rev. Michael Stead uses Colossians Chap 2 6-15 to answer the question How do you keep going strongly as a Christian?

Answer? By keeping on exactly as we were when we first came to know Jesus.

Our nature makes us want change. To get a better experience. But this mustn't apply to our Christian faith. Once we come to know Jesus we have it all!

Jesus is fully, fully, fully God and you have come to fullness in him. Jesus is the way that we will find fullness spiritual fullness, every kind of fullness, is found in him.

He concludes with these words...

Trying to move on from Jesus means you move away from him

In the Christian life you cannot move on from Jesus to something else because to move on from Jesus is to move away from him. Spiritual maturity is not going to be found in chasing after human philosophy or human wisdom or submitting ourselves to human rules and regulations. Rather the way forward in the Christian life is the way that we began.

Just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live our lives in him.

We must be like trees which do not move an inch from where they were planted but instead send down roots deep into the soil of the gospel by which we were saved. And devote ourselves to growing fruits as we continue to have lives which are transformed by knowing Christ and honouring him as Lord.

A false accusation, a brutal execution, freedom for a murderer. How can anyone call this 'good'?

By Peter Kaye |

A world view of Jesus' death on Good Friday, about two thousand years ago, would be at the least injustice. And for someone claiming to be a king, a disaster, and probably proof of their delusion.

The craziness grows when one hears that the 'creator of the world', not only stood by and let it happen but actually engineered it. The world doesn't like fathers who sacrifice their sons! 

Summing up, the world view is that any faith icon who's associated with a story like this isn't worth the time of day.

The Facts of Easter

By Peter Kaye |

The Archbishop of Sydney asks and answers three key questions about Easter:

  • What is the Gospel?
  • Can we believe it?
  • Does it matter

And the words that made me think big-time...

"If you really believe in the resurrection, it frees you to take risks now. You do not have to have every experience, every pay rise and career promotion and squeeze everything into this one life. There is another life and you can live vulnerably, sacrificially for others." Tim Costello

But for a long time the 'do not have to have's' are things I've sought after. And I've not lived, correction am not living sacrificially for others. Yet I do believe Christ rose from the dead on that first Easter morning.

The answer I think lies in words that Charlene used to a troubled Peter (The Cornish Vicar's Daughter - Chapter 17, page 360 )...

"I think Janet has helped you understand God's promises. And you believe them. But now what you have to do is trust those beliefs. Nobody can do that for you. The only way is to start trusting God and then find out he doesn't let you down."

So perhaps I need answer truthfully the challenges the Archbishop made just after Tim Costello's words. "Have I turned from self-rule, self-promotion, self-obsession?" I think I've got some work to do here!

Grace...

By Peter Kaye |

... perhaps the most important Christian truth but one many people find the hardest to believe. After all most of the time, doesn't the world teach us gifts expect something in return? And certainly not to expect any favours we don't deserve. As a child I soon learned good behaviour was the way to get what I wanted. And bad behaviour worked in reverse. But not with God. Even when we really bad, God's favour holds fast.  And that means his love and offer of forgiveness remain.

What does it mean to live well in this world?

By Peter Kaye |

I always thought the book of Proverbs was just made up of wise quips like 'A stitch in time saves nine'. [The actual words in this Bible book are 'Prevention is better than cure'].

.Ecclesiastes, I've never bothered with much. The one verse I do remember is Chapter 1 verse 9 '... there is nothing new under the sun.' This parallels with the words often used to belittle a new idea - 'we've been here before'.

"...you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."

By Peter Kaye |
Jesus' words in Matthew 23:29. In response to a catch question to the local religious leaders. But I think it's true for many, many people today. Which is why they have no time for God - they don't use the Bible to turn vague ideas into truths. Too much trouble! No incentive! But look at the trouble we'll take in selecting our friends, the things we buy, the jobs we go after... And the stories about Jesus' power over nature, to heal and raise the dead remain? Well, they're just that - stories. Nice to hear but to really take on board? Probably not.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

By Peter Kaye |
OK, I know it's not Christmas yet, despite what retail outlets would have us believe, but this is a piece of music whose message is relevant every day of every year. This carol, with O Come All Ye Faithful, shares the top place in my list of favourite hymns. It was written by Charles Wesley (1739) with music by Mendelssohn (1855). A great hymn writer teaming up with a great composer! Wikipedia quotes a source placing it in the four greatest Anglican Hymns. I've loved this hymn since I can't remember when. Probably 4 or 5. For many years I never understood the key Christian messages in the words. Kings, Princes, Angels, Heaven were the words I liked. And that's the point Dr Ligon Duncan makes in his sermon on Hark the Herald Angels Sing. We need to understand the meaning behind the carols we sing at Christmas.

The Blessings of Conflict

By Peter Kaye |

Most people would opt for a conflict-free world. Where everyone got on together, no disagreements. Perhaps like the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit.

In The Cornish Vicar's Daughter, Janet tells Peter (Chapter 3, p.39) "... having a bit of a punch-up can be good; it shows we care for each other and when we make up our firendship is stringer."  Conflict!  He gets a similar lesson from Charlene (Chapter 17 p.361) "...he (God) knew the pain we both felt and sometimes, the only way to do this is with a fight first." Conflict again!