Nineveh Repents (Jonah 3:1-10)
God has chased Jonah across the Mediterranean Sea, and finally brought him to the point where, in the belly of the great fish, Jonah repented, looked to the sacrifices of the temple, and declared that he would obey God. God is now ready to use Jonah again, so Jonah is spat out onto the beach – all rather undignified but effective (2:10)! God’s grace in recommissioning Jonah The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time (3:1-2). Some have tried to see a slightly different message here but it seems essentially the same as the original message. There…
Coming to One’s Senses (Jonah 2)
Jonah rebelled against God’s clear command to go to Nineveh, and instead took off to Tarshish in a ship. But you cannot hide from God, and God sends a great storm which eventually leads to Jonah’s being tossed overboard, and spending three days in the belly of a great fish or whale. This has caused a lot of controversy. Many whales cannot swallow an orange, let alone a man, although sperm whales are the exception. One hears all sorts of stories – C. F. Keil tells of a whole horse (dead, admittedly) being found in a shark, and also of…
Trying to Flee from God (Jonah 1:4-17)
Jonah had been given the onerous task of going to Nineveh to preach against its sins. Instead, he had taken off in the opposite direction, not because he was a coward but because he feared that God would forgive the Ninevites. He wanted God to do to Nineveh what He had done to Sodom and Gomorrah. Before God dealt with Nineveh, He had to deal with His backsliding servant, Jonah. Because God loves His people, He chastens them (Heb.12:5-6). God closes in on Jonah. God chastens the backslider The Lord sent a great storm which threatened the ship. So afraid…
The Prophet Commissioned (Jonah 1:1-3)
Everybody knows the story of Jonah – how he tried to run away from God, but was swallowed by a great fish, and then went on to preach at Nineveh. But there are actually two main stories going on – how God deals with Jonah and how God deals with Nineveh. So we will be looking at both subjects in our study. Martin Luther commented about the prophet Jonah: ‘a queer and odd saint who is angry because of God’s mercy for sinners … And yet he is God’s dear child.’ Jonah is all about history We have to say…
Transgender youth and the risk of suicide
The Telethon Kids Institute recently released a study which found transgender youth are at an alarmingly high risk of suicide and serious depression. The Trans Pathways survey, which examined the mental health of young transgenders revealed the following: Almost 80% of trans people aged 14-25 years had self-harmed, compared to almost 11% in the general population. 48% attempted suicide, compared to 2.4% of the general population. Trans youth suffer symptoms of depression almost 10 times the rate of the Australian average for young people. They have anxiety disorders 10-13 times the rate of the average Australian young person.
In what sense is Safe Schools compulsory?
In what sense is Safe Schools compulsory? The Safe Schools program was designed for a “whole-school approach.” That means, when properly implemented, it ought to reach every aspect of the school and wider community. In fact, the Safe Schools Guide encourages all schools to adopt this broader approach. While the Safe Schools program may not be compulsory for all schools, the “whole-school approach” essentially makes it compulsory for all students once a school decides to participate. [poll id=”2″] The Safe Schools Guide suggests that teachers integrate LGBTQ issues into school assemblies, social media, by displaying posters and stickers celebrating homosexuality,…
Two mothers can’t replace a father. Two fathers can’t replace a mother.
Are mothers and fathers replaceable, or do they both play a unique role in the lives of their children? Can two fathers replace a mother? Can two mothers replace a father? Consider the following statistics which demonstrate the tragic outcome of fatherless homes: 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of the Census 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes. Source: Criminal Justice & Behaviour, Vol 14, pp. 403-26, 1978 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human…
Redefining marriage for 0.2% of the population
In Australia, marriage is currently defined as “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” Proponents of Same-Sex Marriage want this definition changed, so that marriage will no longer be exclusively limited to “the union of a man and a woman.” The redefining of marriage will allow for couples of the same gender to marry each other. Given the attention this subject has been granted of late, you’d be forgiven for thinking that same-sex couples made up a large percentage of the population. But in reality, that’s just not…
Love is love: Nobody believes that
If “love is love” is a sufficient enough reason to redefine marriage for same-sex couples, then it’s also a sufficient enough reason to redefine marriage for throuples. If “love” is the qualifier, and if we dare not impose our definition of love on others, then how can we prevent anyone from calling anything “marriage” and demanding equal recognition? Should we allow siblings to marry, provided they love each other? After all, love is love. What about the man from South Korea who married a pillow? Should we recognise this as a true marriage, or do we deny him that “human…