I WAS WRONG AND I AM SORRY

 When was the last time someone said to you, “I was wrong and I am sorry”? For some people these words have never passed their lips. Some of these people may never have made a mistake, done anything wrong, or ever needlessly ever hurt someone so they may never had an occasion where they needed to say those words. But, if you have ever had someone tell you something that they knew was untrue as if it was true, or claimed that something was a fact that you later discovered was actually not a fact — and so did they — have they ever come back to you and said, “I was wrong and I am sorry”? If this has never been your experience, it’s about to be — because I’m going to say it to you. 

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,
that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:16

We have all been wrong. We sometimes make public claims we may have believed at the time were correct, only to discover later that they were not. Some of these mistakes we make are inconsequential – a recollection of a past event that wasn’t quite accurate, a guess about what the weather would be like tomorrow, a meal choice at a restaurant. On other occasions people get things wrong because they have not tested whether their idea is accurate, or whether a claim they are repeating can be verified. This is what scientists have to do as part of their project before they can publish their claim as true. The scientific method provides some tools that any of us can use to distinguish a true claim from a false claim. We would do well before accepting whether a claim was true or not if would just take the necessary steps to verify it – or disprove it.

The first to state his case seems right,
until his opponent begins to cross-examine him.
Proverbs 18:17

In a moment I am going to admit that I was wrong. Why do we find it so hard to admit that were wrong? I’d be interested in your ideas if you could leave them in the comments section. I think that most of us find it difficult to admit they were wrong due to:

1.  Pride (they are embarrassed.
2.  The  potential price (a loss of prestige, privileges, previous gains, or power).
3.  Ignorance (they are unaware, or refuse to become aware, of being wrong).  

Despite these reasons for reluctance to admit that they were wrong, I suspect that when someone does admit they were wrong – they actually win the respect of others. (This is something I will shortly test.) However, I also suspect that one of the big reasons that many find it difficult to admit they were wrong is that it usually leads to the uncomfortable need to not only say “I am sorry” but the far more profoundly difficult need to apologise. I intend to do both in just a moment.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
First John 1:9-10

Any of us might be wrong about something we have said or believed because we have been deceived. On other occasions we might be wrong because we misplaced our trust in someone whom we trusted or believed only to later find out that they were wrong. In some instances, as every high school maths-methods student can tell you, someone might make a miscalculation early in their attempt to work out the solution to a problem which eventually leads to an unrecognised wrong answer (this is a point that CS Lewis makes in Mere Christianity about how people can make mistakes about God’s existence if they start with the wrong calculations). Mistakes can be made through everyday-human-errors, or not accommodating all of the data/evidence before making a conclusion. Whether we will make a mistake or be wrong in something we say of believe is not really in question. What is in question is what do we do when we do make a mistake or say or believe something that is demonstrably wrong?

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another,
for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
First Peter 5:5

I am clearly no expert in doing what you should do if you know you were wrong. But, I do have a theoretical knowledge about what should be done after you find out you were in error. Here it is:

When you know you were wrong about something you said or believed,
you should admit it, say sorry, and appropriately apologise.
This will take humility.

This will require a commitment to character formation. Character formation is the process of becoming a better human being. This too is grounded in a willingness to learn humility, empathy, sympathy, consideration, true justice, wisdom, and a love of the truth. 

¶ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation
without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Second Corinthians 7:10

Near the start of the recent pandemic I did something I now regret. At the time I did with the best of pastoral intentions. Part of my motive for doing it was my trust in what medical scientists had said. I trusted the science and health officials so much that I did what I had advised others publicly and privately to do and was triple vaccinated. I now regret advising people to be vaccinated. I had believed the claim that the vaccines were “safe and effective” and that by being vaccinated it would “prevent the transmission of covid” (a claim that Pfizer has recently admitted was never proven to be true, despite Senator Katy Gallagher recently insisting that it did). After researching these various claims, I have now come to the conclusion that these claims were not scientifically verified and that the data actually show them not be true.

But the thing that I most regret most was that I stated that:

by being vaccinated people people were “loving their neighbour” in obedience to the command of Christ.

I am deeply sorry for saying this. I apologise because this statement caused hurt to those I love and was inconsiderate of many I care for who already had reasonable doubts about the vaccines and legitimate concerns over its long-term ramifications. I am sorry for using my platform and position for urging people to be vaccinated. I should have left the issue alone and let people make their own healthcare decisions without applying any pastoral pressure upon them. I apologise for the hurt that I caused for my inconsiderate statements especially to those who had strong objections to being subjected to mandatory vaccinations who even lost their jobs as a result of their objections. I had failed to verify the claims I was publicly endorsing.

My views on the “safe and effective” claims about the MRNA vaccines began to be challenged after I got covid shortly after receiving my third jab. Around this time my 85-year-old father also had his third jab and then weeks later died. Prior to this, Kim had already experienced myocarditis after each of her jabs. In addition to this, some of the interviews that former Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, has done have persuaded me that I was wrong. The findings of medical researchers as reported by Dr. Moran and Dr. Aseem Malhotra have also led me to realise I was wrong.

You may have a different opinion to me about the efficacy of the MRNA vaccines and the effectiveness of masks and the mandated lockdowns. What I am going to try to do in the event that I live to see – and/or pastor through – another pandemic is to take a lot more care in evaluating the data before ever making an appeal to anyone to immediately subject themselves to experimental medicine. At this point I do not want to be misunderstood. I am clearly not an anti-vaxer per se. Neither do I lightly entertain or spread baseless speculations that sound like another unproven conspiracy. But when the United States Government Senate releases a 300-page report demonstrating the factualness of what many international government officials had previously claimed was “nonsense”, there are some theories that are no longer baseless. 

But why is a pastor even commenting on such public health policy – especially now that that pandemic is officially over? The answer is two-fold: I care about people, especially those in my pastoral charge; and, secondly, I care deeply about the truth (after all, I manage a website and radio program called Finding Truth Matters).

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same
kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
First Peter 5:8-9

As Christians we understand better than most that we are engaged in a spiritual war. The late Dr. Michael Heiser wrote several excellent books on understanding just what this involved. If I might summarise what he concluded it would sound like this:

The forces of darkness war against the cause of Christ by distorting truth. Those on the side of the cause of Christ wage war against the forces of darkness by upholding and declaring the truth. Truth is our greatest weapon!

Thus, our evangelism is principally a declaration of the truth. As we stand back in bewilderment at the bewitching of our culture as it whole-heartedly embraces lies about sex, marriage, gender and babies, we are called to uphold the truth with gentleness and respect (1Pet. 3:15) and dare I say it – courage. Perhaps we can say with the apostle Paul that our mission is to – 

But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen Me
and to those in which I will appear to you,  delivering you from your people
and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you  to open their eyes,
so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Acts 26:16-18

A part of my motivation for admitting that I was wrong and saying sorry is that this is precisely what I am asking those who are not yet followers of Christ to do each time I preach. How can I be qualified to ask anyone to do what I myself am unwilling to do? Thus, the next time you hear me preach and appeal to people to admit that they have been wrong about: their indifference to God, the relevance of the Bible, the identity of Jesus, and their understand about the meaning of life, I will be asking them to do what I myself have done and will, with God’s help, continue to do as the need arises. Thank you to everyone for being patient with me.

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

WHAT CHRIST SAID WAS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD - IT ALSO APPLIES TO SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES OF VACCINES!

There was a time when Jesus was chided by authorities for not washing hands! These authorities were not concerned about hygiene or virus control, they were concerned about spiritual purity. What Jesus said in response to them has powerful relevance for how some people feel about the spiritual implications surrounding the current corona-virus, the so-called covid “vaccines”, and how authorities are enacting alleged necessary lockdowns and travel restrictions to deal with it.

¶ Now when the Pharisees gathered to Him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of His disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.)
Mark 7:1-4a

Even though the conversation was about the ceremonial washing of hands, Jesus chose to state a principle by making a point about the eating of foods to show that spiritual defiling was not about what went into a person’s body that could defile a person’s soul, but what came out of their heart.

(And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” ¶ And He called the people to Him again and said to them, “Hear Me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
Mark 7:4b-5; 14-15

 

THE PRINCIPLE FOR DEALING WITH COVID-19

For those concerned about the spiritual implications of the COVID-19 vaccinations, the point made by Christ is an important one. “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him!” (Mark 7:15) The principle that Jesus made clear was that the salvation of a person’s soul was not revoked because they put something physical (such as food, drink, or medication) into their body.

When Jesus spoke of having a relationship with God, He frequently spoke of it using food metaphors (a metaphor is a ‘word picture’ which represents something else). For example, Jesus described Himself as ‘bread’ —

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to Him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ¶ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6:31-35

To be saved, which means to have your sins forgiven by God and to be reconciled to Him and to enter into eternal life beyond this life, involved ‘eating the Bread from Heaven’ Jesus said (John 6:51). This is celebrated and commemorated regularly by most Christian congregations every time they partake of Holy Communion together.

¶ And as they were eating, He took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is My body.”
Mark 14:22

Metaphors are a powerful way to communicate a truth and when used in the Bible they are obviously not meant to be understood in a wooden-literal sense – otherwise we would end up making some ridiculous interpretations of Scripture such as claiming that God was actually a rock (Psalm 18:2); a banner (Exo. 17:15); a cup (Psalm 16:5) a shield (Psalm 28:7); and, a fortress (2Sam. 22:2). But metaphors are not the only literary device used in the Bible to illustrate a truth. The Bible also uses types. A type is a pre-figure of something that could be a person, an event, a ceremony or a ritual, that will find its true significance in an ‘antitype’ person/event to occur in the future. The study of Biblical types is known as typology. For example, the Cross of Christ was pre-figured as a type in the annual ceremony called Yom Kippur (“the Day of Atonement”, Lev. 16:4-10). This is where two goats were brought before the High Priest and lots were cast to determine which one should be sacrificed and which one should be set free. The goat that was sacrificed for the sins of the people was a type of Christ. The goat that was set free was a type of those who put their faith and trust in Christ as their Saviour. 

Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel [‘the scape-goat’]. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
Leviticus 16:7-10

‘Marking’ in the Old Testament was a practice to be used to indicate which sheep from the flock belonged to the LORD (Lev. 27:32-33). A herdsman could also ‘mark’ additional sheep to be given to the Lord as an offering. This was a type, a prefiguring, of those whom the Lord was to redeem through Christ. Moses also commanded the Israelites to indicate their loyalty to the LORD by keeping a mark of their loyalty always on their hand, and between their eyes (Exo. 13:16). When Israel abandoned the LORD, Ezekiel the prophet was instructed by God to metaphorically ‘mark’ those who had not abandoned the LORD – 

And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”
Ezekiel 9:4

Israel’s lowest and darkest spiritual ebb was at the time when God sent His Son into the world (Gal. 4:4). Sadly, the religious leaders of Israel by this time had long abandoned the LORD. If there was ever any doubt about this, read what Christ said to them in Matthew 23! They looked religious, but there were hypocrites and apostates (those who have abandoned loyalty to God and His Word).

¶ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. ¶ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 24:25-28

Jesus particularly condemned the religious leaders encouraging people to wear ‘phylacteries’ (Mtt. 23:5) which was a small leather pouch tied around the hand or around the head in a wooden literal application of Exodus 13:16. In the closing book of the Bible, the Lord revealed to John that this practice, by those who were apostate Jews, had become a symbol of their rebellion to the Lord (Rev. 13:16-17) and had falsely become a prerequisite for them to enter into the temple to buy their sacrificial animals to partake in the Jewish religious ceremonies (from which the priests profited!). (Without this New Testament background knowledge to the Book of Revelation many people have made outlandish and highly speculative interpretations of what this ‘mark of the beast’ means! Refer to my article for more on this.)

 

DO CHRIST’S STATEMENTS ABOUT SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS OF EATING FOOD APPLY TO THE SPIRITUAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE COVID VACCINES?

Are those people who are objecting to the government measures to combat the effects of the COVID19 virus — including the various lockdowns, travel restrictions, and the push for people to be vaccinated doing so for biblical reasons? For some their resistance is caused by concerns about their governments becoming dictatorships by enforcing unnecessary lockdowns, restrictions, and compulsions. And they have a good point. Governments have been unable to demonstrate that such measures actually the achieve the positive outcomes they claimed would result.

POSTSCRIPT:

For others their concerns are with COVID vaccines. Are they safe? What are their long-term effects? Does it change our DNA? Do they contain a tracking-chip? We now know that the big pharmaceutical companies claimed that the mRNA injections were proven vaccines. But there were not. Tens of thousands of those “vaccinated” have suffered serious medical injuries - and many, have actually died after being vaccinated. Most of these negative effects of the mRNA vaccines were not reported by mainstream media outlets, and if anyone shared such things on social media, there posts removed and in many cases, their accounts were frozen. 

Both Kim and I have both been doubly vaccinated. We willingly check-in by QR code everywhere we go. We comply with all State and National Governments’ travel restrictions. We do all of this for the sake of our conscience as we strive to love God and, what we thought was, “to love others.” But the result was that Kim was blighted with a heart injury that continues to effect her. She now suffers from tachycardia. After my third mRNA jab, I had two brain haemorrhages, and a permanent and continual brain bleed which led to me being hospitalised - and then forced into involuntary and forced retirement. 

 May God be merciful and grant strength and protection to those who are on the frontline of combatting this global pandemic.

Your pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

WHAT COVID-19 DID TO CHURCHES’ MOMENTUM

 WHAT COVID DID TO CHURCHES’ MOMENTUM

 As the early effects of the covid pandemic began to be felt, it soon became obvious that this was going to take some time before things could return to “normal”. In fact, it became increasingly apparent that the covid-19 pandemic was going to change the way we did so many things – shopping, socialising, sport, leisure, business, and church — all things that we had all taken for granted for so many years. Change, whether we liked it or not, was foisted upon us. Nearly every conceivable part of the planet where covid-19 had reached was grappling with how to manage it and most resorted to lockdowns which had major implications for how people interacted — including how Christians did one the things central to our Christianity ~ fellowship (“koinonia”). 

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
First John 1:7 

 

COVID-19, A TIME OF SABBATH

Near the start of the C-19 pandemic I wrote a reflection that perhaps the Lord was imposing an enforced  sabbath on His earth. Biblically, a sabbath was a time where God’s people came together as they enjoyed rest (a ceasing of work and usual activity), worship, and reflection on God and His Word. Israel was commanded to keep the sabbath as a supernatural witness to the nations that their God could supply their seven-days of need over six-days if they just honoured Him by resting on the sabbath. There were different types of sabbaths apart from the weekly version. One of the required sabbaths was to rest their fields and lands every seven years. Israel failed to do so and slumped into moral decadence. The prophet Jeremiah declared that God would forcibly send the Jews into exile for seventy years to allow the land to enjoy the sabbaths that it was entitled to (Jer. 17:21; 29:10).

¶ Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands,
let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Hebrews 4:1

But Covid-19 made it difficult—if not impossible—to enter into a sabbath together because of the imposed, and unfortunately designated, social distancing (which was fortunately later redesignated as physical distancing). Many of our brothers and sisters in the United States reacted quite strongly to State-imposed physical distancing and were even prepared to defy their governments and continue to meet together anyway. Australians generally took a different approach though. When we went into lockdown, our ministry team met and discussed how we could best achieve koinonia while we went entirely online. We had no playbook for this. We bounced ideas around. We considered how we could care and pastor our church community even though we couldn’t physically do koinonia. Pastor Donna mobilised our Care Team who did a wonderful job in connecting with our church family. We worked hard to adapt our livestream so that we could interact live with those who were participating in our livestream.

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:10

That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
First Corinthians 12:25

 

MAINTAINING CONNECTIONS DESPITE COVID

Our church doesn’t just connect when we meet together on the Lord’s Day. We also meet in small groups within homes. But the Covid-19 lockdown meant that we were not even allowed to meet together in homes. Our Home Groups moved online during the lockdown. Initially, we had some teething problems, but soon we were getting feedback from group leaders that their home group members appreciate being able to continue to interact with each other. Koinonia is best done in person and sometimes that must mean via an electronic screen. From my experience it was actually possible to hear people’s hearts, pray for people’s needs, and study God’s Word together via Zoom. 

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
First John 1:3

 

A LOSS OF THE INITIAL MOMENTUM

It’s not surprising that when the State Government lifted the lockdown there were still many people concerned about the risks of regathering. Every night on the TV News there were reports of thousands of Covid-19 related deaths. The State Government maintained a media campaign urging Tasmanians to continue to uphold Covid-safe procedures which contributed to our State being Covid-free but also very aware of just how contagious and potentially deadly this virus was. This explains why so many of our regular attending church family were not quick to return to our physical Sunday gatherings and why our Livestream numbers have remained relatively high. When the State Government lifted the gathering restrictions for churches during the Christmas season of 2020 we were thrilled that we were able to have attendances of around 260 for these services. Yet, it was also obvious to us that we had lost the initial momentum we had enjoyed at the start of the year. In February 2020 (before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Australia), we celebrated our First Responders’ Appreciation Sunday, our Thirty-Third Church Birthday Celebration, the public wedding of Chris and Dale in our Sunday morning service, and we had already sold-out of the tickets to the Civic breakfast where Dr. Hugh Ross was to be the guest speaker. But then the effects of Covid-19 began to hit and were felt in churches around the world. Our momentum took a hit.

A week ago the Tasmanian Government lifted seating restrictions on churches to 75% capacity. This is great news and means that we can now have 250 congregational members in one room plus the worship and ministry team. But in Australia most churches have reported that they have only seen 40% of their congregation members return after the lockdowns. The Covid pandemic has impacted the confidence of many believers in returning to their church’s weekly gatherings.

And while our momentum has taken a knock with Covid-19, spare a thought for our brothers and sisters in Victoria. Their lockdowns went for months longer than ours and a week after it was lifted and churches could resume physical Sunday services, the lockdown was reinstated! And now a similar thing is happening in Queensland. I spoke with a Queensland pastor this week to see how he was going and he said that he wasn’t even sure if they would be allowed to even hold their Good Friday service this week. He expected to find out on Thursday! This makes building momentum tremendously difficult!

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
Romans 5:2-3

 

HOW CAN WE BUILD MOMENTUM PAST COVID-19? 

Despite having a “vaccine” roll-out underway and decreasing numbers of Covid-19 in Australia, there are still claims being made by ‘health officials’ about the alleged danger of another outbreak. This fear-mongering will continue to have an impact on churches (especially mega-churches) as we all navigate further publc-health speculation and subsequent unnecessary lockdowns prohibiting our koinonia. This is why it might be an opportune time to take advantage of these nearly-sabbatical moments and reflect on what New Testament teaches about ‘Church’ and perhaps “go back to the drawing board” as we all seek to move past the era of C19. 

And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 1:22

 

BACK TO BASICS

The Covid-19 pandemic and its effect upon Churches around the world has caused many church leaders and their leadership teams to reevaluate what it means to be the Church. This leads into some really healthy questions that challenge what many had previously unquestionably accepted as “Church”.

• What should a church do when it meets together for its weekly gathering (especially if it can’t actually ‘gather’)?
• How should the leaders and members of a church contribute to the issues confronting society and culture?
• Should the Church instead be disengaged from ‘the world’ and treat its Christianity as purely ‘private’ matter between the worshiper and God?
• What do the ministries within a Church — especially that of evangelists — look like when the Church can not actually meet due to ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns?

Perhaps several of these questions might never have even been asked if it wasn’t for the Covid-19 pandemic? But one thing is for sure, the answer to these questions about the church and its mission can be found within the Scriptures and the lessons from Church history and will require that we prayerfully seek the Spirit’s guidance as we apply our best answers. Perhaps it will be then that we can build some fresh momentum and reach the current and next generation for Christ. And perhaps this Easter is an opportune time to once again build the momentum that we were beginning to enjoy just before the C19 pandemic interrupted everything. 

Your pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.