As a young Aussie male I am brought up to love the biff at the annual State of Origin rugby league games. Almost like clockwork, as NSW take on Queensland each year the game will descend into a bit of biffo. The heart rate rises, all the players pile on in and we cheer as they get a few cheap shots on each other. In last nights game this was typified by Blues captain Paul Gallen. Seemingly out of nowhere Gallen went into a tackle on Myles with his fist and then on coming up threw a sneaky left right combo that got Myles on the chin. Rah!!

And what was Gallen’s reason? Apparently Myles had been acting rough in a number of tackles over a number of games over a number of years! Gallen was just waiting for an opportunity to get even and lay the biff on!

League is a physical game – I get that, and yet I couldn’t help think this was a pretty interesting insight into human nature. It is eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth stuff! Don’t get mad, get even! On a day to day basis we all find ourselves playing out this kind of thinking. When treated badly, treat the other person worse, because that will teach them!

Jesus stands against this kind of thinking. At one stage he says “You have heard it said, ‘Eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also… I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Would it still have been a cracking game without the biff. Yes. And maybe in a small way a radical response to rough tackles would be to outplay and outperform your opponent without resorting to getting even. What about for you? When you are treated badly how do you respond? An eye for an eye and you are an echo, but love your enemies and you become a world changer!

Sin, transgression, iniquity… whatever you want to call it, the concept that we do wrong on a personal level isn’t very popular any more. In our ultra tolerant age of moral relativism, we dare not call someone else a sinner, let alone deal with our own mess. This is screwing a whole generation up! But the reality of our brokenness comes back to bite us on the arse on a daily basis. We may want to do whatever feels right, but short term pleasure can lead to long term pain. A quick affair – marriage breakdown, excessive drink and drugs – addiction, obsessive materialism – emptiness, self fulfilment, selfishness, self gratification – loneliness… The consequences are real.

I am increasingly led to believe that at the heart of our Christian faith is human flourishing. That in the process of becoming a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we become more fully human as we turn away from sin and enter into the life of our saviour. In others words we turn from our old way of life and the things that God despises, and embrace new life and the things that God loves. The fruit of a life filled with the presence of God is the development of a new self, infused with the love, joy, peace and grace of God.

Psalm 32 might provide that very template for you. “Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven.” You become blessed by going to God for a new start! So if you are ready to acknowledge your sin to God (as the Psalm goes on to suggest), you will find a loving God who forgives your mess. That is what the author King David found after his adultery with Bathsheba. And in that acknowledging, confessing and receiving of forgiveness we find the beginning of new life.

No one wants to go through life carrying the baggage of our self inflicted mess. And yes the gift of life from God will spark a whole lot of other things like seeking forgiveness from those you have hurt, forgiving those who have hurt you, and developing new ways of living. But it starts with coming to God… “help me, a sinner, in need of a fresh start, thank you…”

Here is Dale Stephenson, Senior Pastor at Crossway Baptist in Melbourne, speaking on the reason for God. In this excellent talk, Dale addresses the scientific data that points towards a creator and his own journey from atheism to Christian faith.

Feel free to add some comments below.

They say you should never discuss sex, politics or religion at a dinner party. That is a shame as I am a fan of all three. We have an election coming up in Australia later this year and in the face of it being taboo for a Minister to share his political views… here I go!

Actually, not to disappoint but I would never tell you how to vote. Rather in making up your mind here are some things to consider.

1. Are you a progressive or a conservative?

Perhaps a better question in looking at who to vote for, is on what issues are you a progressive and what issues are you conservative? In other words what policies do you think need progressing on, and what areas need to be conserved? I would imagine that most Christians would thus fit into neither the Liberal, Labour, Greens, Katter or Palmer parties. For instance there will be things that Christians will be conservative on; perhaps advertising to children, the proliferation of gambling, maybe the definition of marriage… and things we want to be progressive about such as our treatment of refugees, caring for the disabled, some areas of environmental protection. In weighing up who you vote for, who best is conserving what is good and progressing on what needs change?

2. Integrity and honesty matter

The reality is that politics is a dirty game and that politicians and parties have to adapt to changing circumstances, whether it be in the economy, in response to natural disasters, or changing public perceptions. That said, a fair question you can ask is who has a track record of integrity and honesty in making and fulfilling promises? I would rather a politician who has convictions and the strength to remain on course, than one who will say anything to be elected and breaks trust for politically expedient reasons.

3. The Christian card

Should Christians vote for politicians who are Christians? Sometimes we should if we feel an affinity towards their worldview and politics. But voting for someone just because they are a Christian can be pretty dumb, particularly as we need to sum up the entirety of a politicians views and not just there faith. We don’t live in Christendom where the church has a privileged place in society and we should expect our own worldview to be legislated. In fact I would rather a competent agnostic treasurer over an incompetent Christians treasurer.

4. Don’t put your trust in politics

Two unhelpful extremes when it comes to politics is firstly to think that all politicians and political parties are evil and you are voting for the best of a worse bunch, or secondly that some political leader will lead us into the promised land of economic, moral and social nirvana! It is good for Christians to be involved in politics like every sphere of life, but remember we have a Lord who we have put our hope and trust in. Male and Female leaders will come and go, but his kingdom will reign forever!

There you go – no doubt highly unsatisfying and frustrating. But get involved, think through the issues and play your part in this incredible nation we have been blessed to be born into!

Easter is a wonderful time to be in a church community. There is an overwhelming sense of hope because of the work of Jesus in forgiving our sins and rising from the dead. It is a faith building time as we reflect on not only the victory over the grave, but also the corresponding promise that this power is now at work in us. Part of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18-20 is that we might now know the incomparably great power for us who believe. Apparently this is the same power exerted in raising Christ from the dead. Just stop and reflect on that for a moment. Is Paul saying resurrection power now lives in us?

This might be an incredible promise for us to hold onto, but all to often the reality is that we find ourselves trying to live as Christians but with the same problems, afflictions and worries as the rest of the world. We find ourselves lowering our expectations of the Christian life. Maybe it is all future hope for when we die? Maybe it is more a story of suffering than of transformation? Whatever the case, I think Easter leaves us wanting more.

As I reflect on this tension, I aware in my own life that I need to access this power. It reminds me of a story of a chief who is given a fridge by a wealthy relative in the city. He knows the basics of how it works to keep his food cold and fresh, so he puts all of his produce in his new fridge. Subsequently he is called away to settle a dispute in a neighbouring village. A few days later when he returns he begins to smell a foul stench as he approaches his house. He opens the fridge only to find rotten produce decaying and emitting this foul smell. He calls his relative to tell him that the fridge does not work and that he should come and take it away. A few days later the relative arrives and immediately notices the problem… the chief had never put the plug into the power!

If there is a similarity in that story to our own lives, it is that we too have been given an incredible gift of a new life but we need to access this power on a daily basis. In other words we must learn to co-operate with the Spirit/power of God for us to be refreshed, transformed and healed. Paul will say in Galatians; “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Practically this means aligning ourselves with the promises and power of God. We need to create space in our lives to read the bible, pray and let the Spirit be at work in us. We cannot expect resurrection power if we are not plugged into the source! Let me challenge you to think of one thing in your life that needs powerful transformation – maybe a broken relationship, a habit or an addiction, something that needs healing or refreshing, maybe a destructive thought pattern? Ask now for the Holy Spirit to come… stop and wait… ask for more of his power to be at work in you… align yourself with the promises of God… be filled with the Spirit, feel this power at work in you!