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May
17
2009
0

Middle Class Welfare Takes From the Poor

“He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich - both come to poverty.” Proverbs 22:16Proverbs 22:16
English: World English Bible - WEB
16 Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, Both come to poverty.

(NIV)

The release of the federal budget this week reminded me of this verse. It is a pity Kevin Rudd, who is a born-again Christian, didn’t remember it. In spite of all the pre-budget hype about “cutting middle class welfare”, what we received was a budget that took from the poor and gave to those who, whilst they may not consider themselves rich, are most certainly very comfortable.

With great fanfare it was announced that pensioners will be receiving an extra $32 per week. Sounds great, until you realize the bit that wasn’t mentioned anywhere - those same pensioners will no longer receive the $1000 annual one-off payment that has been part of the budget for several years now. Take that off the overall picture, and the actual increase comes down to just a bit over $12 per week - barely enough to replace a couple of light bulbs with the new-fangled ones we are now forced to use because of minimal savings to overall power usage.

Even worse, those on Widow Allowance, the forgotten people of the welfare spectrum, received ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Widow Allowance was already $116 per fortnight behind the pension, with the increase it will be close to $180 per fortnight behind. What’s more, those on WA have also received the $1000 bonus for the past few years, but now that is gone - so effectively this budget has CUT the Widow Allowance by nearly $20 per week. Mr Rudd and his cronies have already stated that they could not live on the pension, yet they expect people to live on $226.65 per week.

In the lead-up to the budget I spent the best part of a whole day, e-mailing every member of parliament in both houses to bring to their attention the plight of those on Widow Allowance. The buck-passing was something to behold: “You’re not in my electorate” (in spite of the fact that there are undoubtedly many women on WA who are in the electorates of these people) or “It’s not my portfolio” - yeah, right, so you only ever talk about things that effect your own portfolio.

One MP informed me that the Widow Allowance is pegged to the Newstart Allowance (I knew that!) and that those on WA are receiving the same as other “working age Australians.” My response to this is that just because it IS doesn’t mean is it SHOULD BE. The existence of the WA is an admission that women in this age group without recent workforce experience are extremely unlikely to be able to find work. Newstart is designed as short term relief for the unemployed, and by implication assumes that they will only be unemployed for a short term. On the other hand, people with disabilities and their carers (who may be “working age”) are recognized as unlikely to be able to gain full time employment because of their circumstances, and are therefore paid a pension. My argument is that the situation of those on WA is closer to that of disabled and carers than to that of those on Newstart, and therefore WA should be pegged to the pension, not to Newstart.

The same MP also said that payments to women should not reflect the position of their partners or former partners (in other words, just because a woman is divorced or widowed, even though her husband may have not allowed her to work for twenty years before it happened, she should not be treated differently from any other unemployed person.) However, this is a rule that applies only when it suits the government’s convenience. If it were otherwise, every married or partnered welfare recipient would receive the same as a single person, because their payment would not depend on the status of their partner.

So, pensioners emerge from the budget only about $12 per week better off in real terms, and those on Widow Allowance emerge around $20 per week worse off …

Meanwhile, working mums on up to $150,000 per year (that’s nearly $3,000 per week, a figure which most people would agree places one very firmly in the well-to-do bracket) will be able to claim $544 per week for 18 weeks paid maternity allowance. Spread over a year, that breaks down to a bit over $188 per week - just $38 per week less than the TOTAL INCOME of those on WA. What’s more, as far as I can tell there is no provision about how often a woman will be able to claim this - potentially one could go into the full-time baby making business, producing a bub every year, and have a permanent taxpayer-funded income of $188 per week ON TOP OF the income she could earn in the other 34 weeks of the year.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for families and I have grandkids myself. But it seems to me that someone on $3000 per week (or even half that) should be able to have the discipline to set aside enough money to be able to support herself for 18 weeks if she wants to take time out to have a bub.

By giving such handouts to those who definitely don’t need them, the government is denying a livable income to those who most desperately do need it. It is nothing short of oppressing the poor in order to give gifts to the rich. God’s word says that leads to poverty … a worrying thought for the direction this nation is heading.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , , ,
Mar
26
2009
0

Is Nothing Sacred?

 

News last week revealed that this year TABs in Victoria and NSW will be allowed to operate on Good Friday. Even though there are no local race meetings on that day, punters will be able to bet on international race meetings, football games and other international sports.

 

At the same time, more than 80 stores including such leading names as Myer, David Jones and Kmart, have applied to the NSW Department of Commerce, for permission to trade on Easter Sunday this year.

 

Both these moves are symptoms of systemic greed - the very same greed that has brought the world to its knees in the “global economic crisis”, which is likely to soon become the “global recession” and possibly even the “global depression.”

 

In any shape, greed is a form of idolatry. Greed puts material things at the top of life’s priorities - the place that should be occupied by God alone. When that greed tries to take over the most sacred days of the year, it is sacrilege bordering on blasphemy.

 

By far the greatest percentage of the Australian community is at least nominally Christian. The Christian faith shaped this country, as it has most of the western world. Not only are these moves blatant greed, they are also an attempt (yet again!) to force the atheistic agenda of the few upon the majority. It indicates a total lack of respect, both for the Lord Jesus Christ and for all those who follow Him.

 

This country has been subject to several serious warnings from the Lord - the economic crisis, the Victorian fires, the Queensland floods, even a couple of minor earthquakes. These things are not God’s judgments: they have been caused, either directly or indirectly, by man’s sin and selfishness. They have, however, been allowed by God as warnings: when you play with fire you will get burned; when you put your trust in false gods - including the gods of greed and materialism - they will not save you from disaster, and may even bring disaster upon you.

 

Yet in spite of the warnings, this nation continues to embrace the false gods. Instead of turning away from greed (just one of the false gods this nation pursues) it allows that greed to take over the most sacred days of the year.

 

Australia, wake up! Listen to the warnings! Repent and turn back to the true God! If this nation does not turn back to Him, the time will come when we do face His judgment. If that happens, everything we have experienced so far will seem like a picnic in the park.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , , , ,
Mar
11
2009
0

Blessed, not Lucky

Following the recent bushfires, there has been some discussion as to whether they were the result of God’s wrath and judgment against this nation, and particularly against the state of Victoria following the passing of the appalling abortion laws which allow the murder of even fully-formed infants in the womb.

I do not believe this was God’s judgment as such - although that may well come, if this nation does not turn around. However, I do believe that when people - whether individuals or nations - choose to follow false gods, then there comes a time when God hands them over and says, “OK, you want these false gods, then see what they can do for you. See how they can protect you in a crisis.”

I wrote the following the day before the fires swept through our town of Boolarra (a week before Black Saturday). I think it is even more relevant now.

AUSTRALIA - BLESSED, NOT LUCKY

 

Just a few days ago we celebrated Australia Day. As I am part of our local Community Development Group, I joined the other members in the town park to cook a “typically Aussie” breakfast of sausages, bacon and eggs for about 250 people - around half the population of the town. We issued awards to people who, over the past year, have been outstanding in their service to the local community, and we listened to our local Councilor give a speech about what a great country we live in, and particularly what a great part of that great country is our local community. I’m sure no-one listening disagreed with him.

 

Traditionally, Australia has been called “The Lucky Country.” With abundant natural resources, and freedom and opportunity for all, this is most certainly one of the best countries in the world. Some of us would say the best.

 

Those benefits, however, did not come as a result of “luck”, but rather because of the blessings of God extended over us. Most Christians have heard Australia called “The Southland of the Holy Spirit”. That title comes from a prophetic declaration made by explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quiros in 1606, on what is now known as the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, and included Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the South West Pacific. In 1603, de Quiros had been commissioned to search for the Southern Land, and in Espiritu Santo he thought he had found it. He issued the following proclamation:

 

“Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those here present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros…in the name of Jesus Christ… hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which His (Jesus Christ’s ) person was crucified and whereon He gave His life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race… on this Day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606… I, take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus… Which from now on shall be called the Southern land of the Holy Ghost… and this always and forever… “

 

In God’s economy, this nation has been set aside as His, and because of that He has poured out His blessing upon us. That being so, it is tragic and shameful that so many in this nation do not even acknowledge the existence and reality of God, let alone thank Him for His bountiful blessings toward us. If we do not turn around and begin to acknowledge Him as our source, rather than luck; and if we do not as a nation begin to acknowledge His Lordship over us, we may well find that the time will soon come when the blessings will be withdrawn.

 

Ten and a half years ago I did a prayer walk from Cairns to Koumala in northern Queensland - around 850 kms over two months. It was meant to be much longer, but sickness intervened and cut it short. As I was walking, I believe the Lord spoke to me, saying that if this nation did not repent and turn to Him the time would come when there would be many walking the roads of the nation - not to pray for the nation, as I was, but looking for whatever work was available, as happened in the Great Depression. I normally don’t like to talk in negatives, but as I watch the current world economic problems begin to impact our nation, I can’t help but wonder whether we are facing the fulfillment of that word.

 

There is still hope. This nation can still repent. It can still turn away from all the false gods that have invaded the national spirit, and acknowledge the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as its source and sovereign. It can still, as a nation, take up the declaration that we are “The South Land of the Holy Spirit”. It we do, then we will truly become the Blessed Country.

 

 

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , ,
Mar
05
2009
0

Shame, Brumby, Shame!

At long last it appears that the bushfire threat to Victoria is over. Most, if not all, of the state has received rain in the last 24 hours, a welcome relief for our exhausted fire fighters. As of the news last night, all four remaining fires are now contained. People who had evacuated their homes have been told it is now safe to return, and interstate and international fire fighters are being sent home. It seems that all that is left is the blacking out operation, which could last for several weeks. We praise God for the end of what has been an horrific chapter in our state’s history.

 

The figures are horrendous. The death toll stands at 210, with around 36 people still unaccounted for. Over 2000 homes have been lost, and over 7000 people left homeless. Beginning with the Boolarra fires the week before Black Saturday, the crisis has stretched over 5 weeks, and stretched both the resources of the fire services and the emotional capacity of the people to the limit.

 

On a positive note, people have done what Aussies always do in such situations: they have dug deep into their pockets and poured an overwhelming amount of money into the Bushfire Relief Appeal. There have been stories even of those who were themselves suffering losses as a result of the floods in northern Queensland donating their own relief money to help the bushfire victims. This kind of generosity is one of the best aspects of the Aussie character, and one which I am sure, when this nation finally turns to God, that He will pick up and refine and use greatly for His glory and the benefit of mankind.

 

That said, the Victorian government obviously does not share that generous spirit. Also on the television news last night was the story of the temporary accommodation which the state government is making available to fire victims who have lost their homes. Brumby and his cohorts have decided that this should not be provided freely: rather, they are going to CHARGE RENT for this accommodation.

 

A government representative interviewed for the story brushed it aside, saying that it would only be a nominal amount to cover maintenance. Yes, $100 per week may be a small amount compared to what one would pay for a normal 3 bedroom house. But what is being provided is not a normal 3 bedroom house, it is temporary housing. Furthermore, whilst $100 might be nothing to someone receiving the wages of a state government minister, to an average person who has lost everything, and probably still has to meet mortgage payments even though not having a house to live in, it is a lot.

 

Mr Brumby, this is an absolute disgrace! What more can I say? Shame, shame, shame, shame, shame!

 

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , ,
Feb
04
2009
0

Bushfire Disaster

Bushfires swept through our small town last Thursday and Friday, after 2 days of 43C temperatures (that’s around 109F). About 7.30 Thursday night the CFA (volunteer fire brigade) came through and advised that the fire was at the bottom of our street, and if we were planning to evacuate this would be a good time to do it. About 9.30 they came through again and told us that what had been two fires had joined up, and were now one huge fire which they had no hope of controlling, and that it was not a matter of if but when it would come through.

After spending all Thursday night watching the line of red spreading along the whole of our eastern front, by 12.30 am all seemed to be quiet and we thought the worst had passed. However, on Friday morning we watched a growing pall of smoke to our north, then about lunchtime became aware that another lot was rising again from the east.

It very quickly became clear that would be a problem. Temperatures on Friday afternoon hit 47C (116F). About mid afternoon a huge pall of black smoke blotted out the sky and turned the sun to a blood-red ball, and embers started falling. Not much after that we had spot fires, and by the time we got water on the first one there were a dozen more. Within moments the bush along the edge of our property had erupted into a 20ft wall of fire. I got out at the last minute (stupid! but God protected me) but my friend’s husband stayed (I live in their granny flat.) For some hours I didn’t know whether the house was still here, or whether he was safe.

Praise God our house is safe, even though the fire burned right up to the walls, and more importantly all the people are safe. Our church hall is also safe, even though the bush all around it is burned. However, 29 houses have been lost in our community (which only had about 450 houses to start off with) - 9 in our street alone.

Whilst I praise the Lord and marvel at His deliverance for us personally, it is heartbreaking to drive down the street and see all the houses in ruins. I am, quite frankly, a mess. I keep bursting into tears or getting the shakes at the drop of a hat; every time I close my eyes at night I see red through the trees and have to open them to check whether it’s real; and the least noise at night has me checking both doors. One of the worst things is knowing that these fires were deliberately lit.

Please pray for me and for this community.

 View from my front door before the fire.

  What a difference a day makes - view after fire.


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , ,
Jan
19
2009
0

Religious Freedom Review - My Submission

Thought you might be interested to read my submission to the Australian Religious Freedom Review:

I am, first of all, concerned with the statement from Commissioner Tom Calma that “The fundamental human right of freedom of religion … encompasses freedom of thought on all matters and the freedom to demonstrate and express our religion and belief individually, with others, in private or in public.” This seems to suggest that the Commission is seeing religious belief as a personal matter which should be shared only with those of like mind.

True Christianity can never be a private belief system. The Bible commands us to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” (Mark 16:15Mark 16:15
English: World English Bible - WEB
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.

) Any law which seeks to prevent Christians from freely preaching the Gospel to those who are not already believers, or that forbids us from publicly declaring God’s Biblical standards on any moral or ethical issue, is in fact a violation of our right to practice our faith, and therefore an act of discrimination. I strongly urge the Commission to ensure that any laws that are passed do not discriminate against Christians in this manner. To be true religious freedom, this must include the right to publicly declare that Christianity is the only way to God, and that our God is the only true God; and to compare (without inciting violence or hatred against their adherents) the claims of other faiths and demonstrate where they are lacking, without having the adherents of those faiths sue for “vilification.”

My second concern is that, when laws are passed which contradict Biblical standards, Christians may be forced to act contrary to their conscience in these matters. To give two examples: Christian doctors who believe that abortion is murder may be forced to conduct abortions or lose their licence; Christian marriage celebrants who believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman may, if homosexual marriages are approved, be forced to conduct such marriages or lose their celebrant licence. I strongly urge the Commission to ensure that, where laws are passed that may be contrary to any person’s sincerely held moral standard, that person should be given the right to refuse to perform such acts without endangering their professional standard.

Thirdly, I would like to point out that, according to the definition given in the review document, humanism is as much a religion as Christianity, Buddhism or any other. The separation of Church and State means that the State should not promote any one religion over another. Yet humanism is blatantly promoted through our education system. This issue needs to be addressed.

Also on the subject of education, many Christians reject the evolution myth, which is promoted by the humanist religion as fact rather than very shaky theory, and prefer to hold the the truth of the Biblical account of creation, as backed up by solid creation science studies. Any law which tries to force Christian schools to teach evolution is in fact trying to force them to teach the doctrines of another religion. This is a violation of Christians’ freedom of belief, and of our freedom to train and teach our children according to our beliefs (and not according to the beliefs of another religion.) I strongly urge the Commission to uphold the right of Christian schools in this matter.

Finally, I note that in Britain the Islamic lobby has succeeded in convincing the government to allow them to set up Sharia courts in some areas, governing issues of family, property etc. I strongly urge the Commission not to go down this route. Islam will happily allow people to convert from other faiths into Islam, but will not allow Muslims to convert out of Islam to other faiths. In many countries, to do so carries the death penalty, whilst in other countries where the death penalty for “apostacy” does not formally exist, it is often enacted anyway by family members. I strongly urge the commission to ensure that all Australians and Australian residents have the right to change from any religion to any other religion, without fear of recriminations, and to ensure that no separatist religious courts are allowed which could overrule such rights for the individuals they control.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , ,
Jan
04
2009
0

The LoseWeight4Waifs Challenge 2009

Glory to the King Ministries International Inc. has just launched the LoseWeight4Waifs Challenge 2009.

Through this appeal we are seeking to raise funds for children’s programs (orphanages, schools or feeding programs) run by our affiliated pastors in Africa and Asia. The challenge is open to anyone living in Victoria (Australia) who is aged 18 or over.

As a contestant, you will first choose one of the projects that you want to support. Then you will have a 12 week period in which to lose weight. You will sign up your friends, family, neighbours or workmates as sponsors. At the end of the 12 weeks, you will collect the sponsorship money and forward it to us. At the end of the year, the contestant who has raised the most will win a $1500 travel voucher and a Pamper Pack of skin care products valued at $160.

If you need to lose weight, these are two great incentives to stick with it: you’ll be helping very needy kids, and you could win a great prize.

We are also looking for recruiters, who will sign others up as contestants. The recruiter whose group raises the most will also win a $1500 travel voucher.

For more details, go to loseweight4waifs.com

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , ,
Nov
30
2008
0

Prayer In Parliament

Once again the humanists and atheists are trying to attack what little Christian foundation is left in this nation. Now they are wanting to change the standing orders so that the Lord’s Prayer is no longer read at the opening of day of parliamentary sitting.

Even though both Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull have indicated that they do not support this move, the anti-Christian lobby is not giving up that easily. Apparently several members are still pushing to have it debated in parliament, in the hope of raising enough support to push the changes through.

Australia is moving more and more away from any recognition of the unique place of the Christian faith in this nation, and it is time we called a halt. Accordingly, Right Reverend Dr. John Wilson of the Parliamentary Prayer Network has prepared a petition so that the ordinary Christian people of Australia can express their opposition to this move.

The petition can be found at http://www.ppn.org.au/events.html Right click on the petition and select “save as” to download it to your computer, then print it out and circulate it to as many people as possible.

VERY IMPORTANT: Do not alter the wording of the petition in any way. To be acceptable to Parliament, petitions must be presented in a particular format, and all pages of the same petition must have the same format.

When your petitions are completed, return them as quickly as possible to:
House of Representatives
Standing Committee on Petitions
PO Box 6021
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

 

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , ,
Nov
24
2008
0

The Average Wage is WHAT?

From Yahoo News: “The average weekly wage in Australia is now $1,147.20, after growing by 4.7 per cent in the year to August.
The quarterly seasonally adjusted pace of average weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) jumped 1.6 per cent in the three months to August, Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Thursday show.”

The annual rate has nudged above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) perceived “line in the sand” at 4.5 per cent.”

They have got to be joking! I know an awful lot of “average Aussies”, and not one of them - not even those who hold reasonably high paying jobs - would earn this much.

Of course, this is referring to wages, not other forms of income. The government’s Fair Pay site quotes the Standard Fedral Minimum Wage as $543.78 per week. That means that, in order to raise the average to $1,147.20 there are some people receiving wages (note again, this is not talking about business income or investments) that are ridiculously high.

Set against this is the plight of those who are dependant upon welfare. The single aged pension is $562.10 per fortnight, whilst those on Widow Allowance get just $449.30 per fortnight. If you are unfortunate enough to be studying and trying to live on Austudy, it is a mere $355.40 per fortnight. That means that those on aged pensions are living on just over half the minimum wage, those on WA less than a half, and those on Austudy on less than a third!

Now I know there are some in the community - including, sadly, many Christians - who have little sympathy for those on welfare, often seeing them as nothing more than bludgers. One Christian even told me once that “everyone has exactly the amount of money they deserve.” I would like her to tell that to the starving millions in Africa and Asia!

The reality is that, yes, sometimes people make foolish decisions and bring poverty on themselves. And yes, there are those - I believe they are the minority - who would rather just get a handout than work. But there are also many who find themselves in pressing financial circumstances through no fault of their own.

The important issue for us as Christians is that Jesus’ attitude was one of compassion for the poor - no matter how they got that way.

I believe that hard work and initiative should be rewarded, and I don’t begrudge anyone a fair wage that he or she has earned. However, somewhere along the line there has to come a balance.

I have long believed that a large part of the reason that the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer is that every increase, whether of wages or of pensions, is based on percentages rather than real figures.

Because of this, if for instance it is estimated that the cost of living has increased by 5%, and if it is decided to increase wages and pensions by that much, then the person on $200 per week gets a $10 increase, whilst the person on $2000 per week gets a $100 increase. Immediately, the difference between them has increased by $90 per week!

Sadly, the land of the “fair go” gets less so every week!

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , , ,
Nov
20
2008
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Sexual Integrity Youth Leaders Forum

The following information comes from the Australian Prayer Network. This would be a good thing for young Christian Australians to get involved in.

Public concern for the sexualisation of children is gaining momentum. Earlier this year, a group of young people from Victoria and NSW started a petition to remove sexualised advertising from roads and public spaces in NSW and Victoria which effectively launched the youth-driven “Say NO to sex ads” campaign. The campaign has continued to gather momentum and the petition now has over 4,000r 4,000
English: World English Bible - WEB
Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se za?ne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!

signatures from across NSW and Victoria. But it’s now time to take the campaign to the next level.

The Australian Family Association and the Fatherhood Foundation are jointly hosting a Sexual Integrity Youth Leaders Forum in December, 2008 and would like to invite youth leaders from across Australia to attend.

WHERE: Room 1S2, Parliament House, Canberra;

WHEN: Wednesday, 3 December 2008;

TIME: 9.30am to 4.30pm

The goal of the Sexual Integrity Youth Leaders Forum is to plan to prepare the groundwork for a fully fledged Sexual Integrity Youth Summit scheduled for 12-13 August 2009, also to be held at Parliament House in Canberra.

Matters to be discussed at the Planning Forum will be:

  • Confirm dates & times for 2009
  • Confirm overall strategy
  • Marketing & communication strategy
  • Confirm Australia-wide lead-up campaign for Sexual Integrity Youth Summit 2009
  • Confirm expected numbers & venue requirements
  • Confirm speakers and contributors
  • Issues to be addressed
  • Policy outcomes
  • Media campaigns
  • Expected results

    • It is envisaged that at the Youth Leaders Forum a nationally representative youth taskforce with strong Christian representation would be formed to facilitate the planning and organizing of the Sexual Integrity Youth Summit in 2009.

    The purpose of the proposed Sexual Integrity Youth Summit in August 2009 is:

    1. To further plans to see implemented a Sexual Integrity Strategic Policy Plan.

    2. To encourage the process of positive national debate and further policy formation to promote quality relationships between men and women for the purpose of ending the sexual exploitation of men, women and children in the 21st century both in Australia and other parts of the world.

    The aim of the Australian Family Association and the Fatherhood Foundation is that the Sexual Integrity Youth Summit would be organized and chaired by young people with a heart for greater levels of sexual integrity in Australian society for the greater good of all. It is the hope of the Australian Family Association and the Fatherhood Foundation that the Sexual Integrity Youth Summit will act as a springboard and platform for young people who would like to have a greater say in government and a voice in national affairs.

    Youth leaders are invited to consider attending or sending a representative to the Sexual Integrity Youth Leaders Forum on 3rd December at Parliament House Canberra to further the cause of sexual integrity in our nation.

    If you are interested in attending the Youth Leaders Forum please immediately contact Bridget Spinks at bridgetspinks@gmail.com as planning arrangements are in their final stages

    Bridget Spinks Thomas More Centre 0408 496 610

    Warwick Marsh Fatherhood Foundation 0418 225 212/02 4272 6677

    Mary-Louise Fowler Australian Family Association 02 6383 4242

    Source: Fatherhood Foundation

     

 

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.)


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Written by revlynn in: Australian News | Tags: , , , ,
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