Blog Archive

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Photography of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John




Here are the rough notes for a communion talk I gave some years ago based on an idea picked up from J. Sidlow Baxter the eminent Christian Author. I think it helps us see how the 4 gospels are complimentary of each other and not contradictory as some would argue.
If you were covering these events today what would be your ideal camera?

Did the Cuckoo build a nest before the Fall?

Did the Cuckoo build a nest before the Fall?
The Fall of Man as per the Bible that is, not the season known as the fall in America and Autumn in other parts of the world.
Most members  of the Cuckoo family parasite the nests of other birds.
They lay their eggs in the nests of other unsuspecting birds,usually just one egg, and then the unsuspecting host mother raises the hatchling as it's own.
The Cuckoo chick when it hatches, is usually bigger than the it's adopted sibling chicks and pushes them or their egg out of the nest.
The Pheasant Coucal of North Eastern Australia is said to be a Cuckoo but it does build it's own nest and feeds it's own young.
I have just been watching an ABC video called the Big Wet showing some wonderful clips  of the Pheasant Coucal and its nest and young.
The Narrator also comments that one of the two chicks hatched a day earlier than the other and demands the attention of the parent above that of the younger chick and surely the younger one will die.
Much of what happens in nature appears to us humans to be cruel, what others have dubbed the "Law of The Jungle." (eg. Rudyard Kipling in the Jungle Books)
If as the Old Testament account of the fall of man, and the introduction of death because of this is true, it begs the question were Cuckoos  parasitic before this time or were they not"?
Were Birds of Prey killers before the fall?
What makes the Pheasant Coucal different to the other Cuckoos?
Is it really a Cuckoo?
Are their Birds in Heaven? other Animals?
These are all questions I am storing up for Heaven.
Right now I just marvel at the diversity and wonder of God's creation.
If you want to pursue these type of puzzling questions then check out the link below for interesting and challenging material.

http://creation.com/

Remember "Faith comes by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God."
Not by looking at Blogs, Pictures, Movies or Websites or finding Arks on Mt. Ararat or through viewing the Turin Shroud.
It comes as we are exposed to the teaching of the Bible and what is written in it.
Pheasant Coucal








car of the week

A little while back my wife and I paid a visit to the Australian National Motor Museum at Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills.
A bonus when you take grandchildren on outings is you get to visit lots of places you might not normally programme into your schedule. This Museum is a world class Motor museum almost on our doorstep and I had never been.

So it is my intention to post a car of the week or vehicle of the week and this is the second such post featuring the Zeta.
See the link to the Wikipedia entry below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeta_%28automobile%29

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Random Photos-Seeds,Birds,Adelaide Test Match v India

seeds

black bird in Silky Oak

NewHolland Honeyeaters in Silky Oak

Ghambir runs out Hussey

Tea Time relay race between grade cricket teams

My old club West Torrens won the race






Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Holy Spirit-by Frank Hunting

The following is another in the series of small booklets by Frank Hunting. It is on the Holy Spirit. Who He is and how He enters our lives and how we can know  His fullness.
It may challenge some positions held by people about the Holy Spirit.
To those who "have ears to hear" it may be very helpful.
I will post this progressively as usual.
See the post about Frank Hunting if you are new to this blog.
Just click on each page and it will expand so you can read it.






Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Fallacy of Generational Curses and the shaping force of influence

Ray and Marg Smith are personal friends of our family and Ray is a long term Pastor within the Churches of Christ movement in Australia.
He has just released a book called "The Fallacy of Generational Curses and the shaping force of influence."
I have included a couple of paragraphs from the opening of the book and the back cover notes.
If anyone is interested in obtaining a copy contact Ray at

marg.ray@westnet.com.au

The books are $16(A) plus postage.



Ray has put a lot of thought and research into the topic and it may well be of interest to some who may be struggling with this issue.

Don't be dismissive of the title there is much Biblical wisdom in this book and lots about being Christian and especially for Parents and Grandparents

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Adelaide Test Match Australia v India day 2,Adelaide Oval

Today I had the privilege of being able to spend a day at the cricket at Adelaide Oval and to see both Michael Clarke and Ricky Pointing score double centuries.
I took lots of pics and I think I captured about 6 wickets on camera.
Clarke gets his double century









Clarke cleaned bowled after lunch





Below is link to ABC  report of the day's play.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-25/live-blog-fourth-test-day-two/3792286



A great innings
I haven't gone through and edited and counted photos as yet.
I have posted a few tonight and will post some more by the end of the week.
Australia are in a very commanding position having scored more than 600 and India 2 out at stumps.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Car of The Week

A little while back my wife and I paid a visit to the Australian National Motor Museum at Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills.
A bonus when you take grandchildren on outings is you get to visit lots of places you might not normally programme into your schedule. This Museum is a world class Motor museum almost on our doorstep and I had never been.
So it is my intention to post a car of the week or vehicle of the week from here on in for a while.
This first car is almost identical to the first car our family ever had.
My Dad bought one of these in the 1950's second hand and he gave it a paint job himself similar to the one in this picture.
When he eventually sold it it was to a young lad for about $50!
When I explore my archives and get good at putting old 8mm movies and slides on the web I'll show you some original images.

It is a Holden Sedan. FJ model. Ours was an FX  which was the earlier and  first Holden produced in Australia.These cars were every where in Australia in the 1950's and 60's and very popular and affordable.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

For Sinners Only

For Sinners Only is the title of a book I have long had in my possession and I consider it a classic in Christian Literature.
It is written by A.J. Russell who was a journalist in Fleet Street in the 1920's. In the book he writes about the Oxford group which was founded by Frank Buchman and was having a huge impact on the World and Christians in those times.
Indeed the Alcoholics Anomynous organisation also claims its roots from this movement. The movement was later renamed Moral Re-Armanent which is not a great name in my opinion and while the group may exist today I believe it has long lost it's original purpose.
It would be great to see in this day and age a vital movement of Christians that once again discovers how to live the Christian Life that is so irresistable that many are attracted and claim Jesus as their own and experience a changed life.
The Exchanged Life that the likes of Grace Fellowship International teach about.


You can download all the text and a PDF of the book from the internet.

Below are 2 extracts from the book. Read the whole book and be challenged.

"THE VOICE FROM THE BLUE
is a book about sinners, for sinners, by quite a big
sinner.
You may not like it. You may even hate it, as some are sure to do.
You may dislike the theme, for, though it introduces lovely
people, it comes to grips with an unlovely subject. And solves its riddle.
You may dislike the characters as they are limned in print, but not in real life.
As they are all living, you may encounter them yourself some day, and discover
their excellence. At least one will live on as an historic figure when this
genera-tion has merged with the ages. Perhaps many. Meanwhile,
none can disprove the contents of this book or avoid its challenge.
The story is true; the challenge is to you."

"Out of that strange first meeting came the impression that 
these men had voluntarily lost the world in order thereby to 
change the world. They were the exact opposite of the "go- 
getter" type one habitually encountered in business. Though 
they were no longer masters of their fate or captains of their 
souls, they had a quiet strength, a relentless purpose which 
were already bringing astonishing results. 

For them nothing was casual. God had a plan. They were 
trying to fit in with it. Knowledge of that plan, God's guid- 
ance and God's power were available for all who chose to work 
in with that plan. This guidance and power transcended every 
form of self-determination. God-guidance in God's strength 
could be the normal experience of everybody at all times, they 
asserted."
 
Here is the link to the text of the book. 
 
http://www.archive.org/stream/MN41552ucmf_0/MN41552ucmf_0_djvu.txt 
I have other books about this movement in my collection and I believe 
the movement should be studied by people who are serious about reaching
out to others with the Gospel

Friday, January 20, 2012

Northern Territory Birds


Edith Falls
Edith Falls
Tour Boat Katherine Gorge
Tour Boat Katherine Gorge  approaching Crocodiles on river bank
Blue Winged Kookaburra taking flight
Red Tailed Black Cockatoos
Great Bower Bird
Blue Faced Honeyeaters
Blue Faced Honeyeaters
Blue Faced Honeyeaters
Blue Faced Honeyeaters
Blue Faced Honeyeaters
Grey Crowned babblers
Grey Crowned babblers 


Stuart Highway
Rainbow Bird Fogg Dam
White Breasted Woodswallow Darwin Wharf

Spur-winged Plover

White Breasted Woodswallows Palmerston

Fogg Dam N.T.

Fogg Dam N.T. Water Lillie

White Egret at Fogg Dam


White Necked heron Fogg Dam

Crimson Finch Fogg Dam

Green Pygmy Geese Fogg Dam

Ducks Fogg Dam
Seagulls Darwin Wharf




Orange Footed Scrubfowl East Point Darwin

Orange Footed Scrubfowl East Point, Darwin

Orange Footed Scrubfowl's nest, East Point, Darwin

Rainbow Pitta East Point Darwin

Wallaby East Point Darwin
In June last year I went on a trip to Darwin in the Northern Territory.I did some blogging while on the trip. I noticed that many of those blogs have been popular so here are some more images from the "Top End" mainly of birds.