Australian Thoughts at the Weekend. 27th December 2008

Australian Thoughts at the Weekend. 27th December 2008

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support through this past year. It would seem that OzThoughts Internet Ministry reaches out daily to many people through the various groups and websites where it is posted.

I thank the individuals who take the time to post OzThoughts to their group or place it on their website. I know there are others who forward it to their friends by email and others who print it and hand it around. Still others use some of it in their own ministry in their corps, church and community.

As a group we are a big number scattered throughout this world. However, we are all individuals on our Christian walk with Christ. My prayer is that we may all be helped in our walk by pausing a short while, thinking, praying , and reading scripture and meditating on a song or hymn.

I pray that each of us had a great Christmas when Jesus was really close and will have a fantastic New Year when we know that “God is still with us” in every circumstance.

The following ATAW was written a couple of years ago and points to those around us and shows Christmas may have its hurts as well as its joys. I pray that as we commence this New Year of 2009, we may be aware of people around us who are carrying burdens and may we through our caring communication with them lift their burden and point them to the one who says simply “Come, unto me all you who carry heavy loads and I will give you rest”.

Father, let me dedicate,
This new year to thee,
In whatever worldly state
Thou wilt have me be;
Not from sorrow, pain, or care
Would I ask that thou shouldst spare;
This alone shall be my prayer,
Glorify thy name.

Chorus
Thy great name! Thy great name!
Let my life, O Lord, each day
Glorify thy name.

If in mercy thou wilt spare
Joys that yet are mine,
If on life serene and fair
Brighter rays may shine,
Let my glad heart, while it sings,
Rise by faith's exultant wings,
And, whate'er the future brings,
Glorify thy name.

If thou callest to the cross,
And its shadow come
Turning all my gain to loss,
Shrouding heart and home,
Let me think how thy dear Son
His eternal glory won,
And in steadfast faith pray on:
Glorify thy name.
Author: Lawrence Tuttiett (1825-97) (verses), alt
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 916


CHRISTMAS STILL WRAPPED

It was the first Rotary Club weekly meeting after Christmas. It was one of those meetings were casual formality was the order of the day. Many of the members were away on holidays. Some were holidaying at home and this was reflected in their casual clothes rather than the suit and tie they normally wore when they came straight from the office to the lunchtime meeting. It was a time of laughter and good fun.

The meeting was full of stories about Christmas events. Some had taken time to worship. Others told of family visits. There was comment on the recreational activities or sporting events many had played. Many talked about the cricket and some spoke about the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

After the meeting one of the Rotarians came to me and asked if it would be possible for me to call at his home and pick up the presents which were under the tree. We agreed that I would do it immediately. As I was handed the parcels, I learnt these were for his children who were with his former wife. It had been promised they would be with him for Christmas. They had not arrived. He said it was obvious his former wife had once again broken agreements about access.

I was able to make sure these beautiful gifts went to other children and pass their thanks to the father whose Christmas had been empty of the expected joy.

I thought about this event when I heard on our Television News a father say he had no answer to the question asked by his son “Dad, should I buy a present for Daniel?” Daniel had disappeared on his way to the shops to buy Christmas presents a couple of weeks previous to the question being asked. An intensive amount of police work, extensive searching, and a huge amount of media exposure has brought no result. (Unfortunately it has still brought no result at the end of 2008, although one million dollar reward is being offered for information).

Christmas is a sad time for many. There are many gifts under trees and in peoples hearts which are stilled wrapped. God’s gift of his son and his gifts through his son often are still wrapped by those who need them and could apply them in their daily living.

As I think of this two songs come to mind. The first, considered a Christmas Carol, comes from the 18th century and is written by a leading scholar and Congregational minister of the time who overcame all types of difficulty including being orphaned at an early age. The second more modern was written by Annie Johnson who also was orphaned before she was six and adopted by a family called Flint. She was afflicted by painful arthritis when she was in her teens and was soon unable to walk. When she could not be a composer and concert pianist as she wished, she decided to become a poet. At first she saw this only as an acceptable alternative to being a pianist but soon realised it was a gift from God. Later in life she wrote many of her poems using a typewriter as she was unable to hold a pen.


[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/songs/songs_034.mp3 ]

Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
The Saviour promised long;
Let every heart prepare a throne,
And every voice a song.

He comes, the prisoners to release
In Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.

He comes, the broken heart to bind,
The wounded soul to cure,
And with the treasures of his grace,
To enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And Heaven's eternal arches ring
With thy beloved name.
Philip Doddridge (1702-51)
[The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 81]

***************************************
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1862.mp3 ]

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase,
To added afflictions he addeth his mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, his grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of his infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932)
[The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 579]

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message)
7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.


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