I visited beautiful Sydney, Australia twice in the early 1970s while in the army. I'll relate this one experience that I had on my second R&R. The Sydney Opera House that was situated between two coves in Sydney Harbour was built but not in operation as of yet. I was taking in the city one sunny afternoon....standing on an observation point across from one of those coves....admiring the opera house....when a man came up to me....I remember him as maybe being in his mid-to late 30s. He introduced himself to me as a pastor of a local church. Now I was into weightlifting at the time....and the pastor recognized me as one of the many American servicemen wandering about the city. (I wouldn't have been mistaken for Barry Gibb) He told me that his congregation had just purchased a set of weights and some equipment for the youth....and thought that the young boys might be interested in an American servicemen giving them some basic instructions on weightlifting. I had $500 burning a hole in my pocket....was probably waiting for Happy Hour to begin....and politely declined. He politely persisted...."would I give an hour or so to help the youth of the church?" I declined once again....and have not only been ashamed of and regretted that selfishness ever since....but on many occasions lifted that pastor up in prayer to the King of Kings....and Lord of Lords....whom he knew....but I at the time had only heard about.
I related this story in a little more detail early on in these posts of eleven years. It must have struck a chord in Internet visitors from Australia for there were 'hits' from Down Under all the time.....that totaled up to 3770.....but then abruptly stopped a few years ago.....and I haven't had a single visitor to these posts from Australia since then....not one visitor. So I researched this and found that Australia has moved into some serious Internet censorship where they first sought voluntary monitoring by Internet service providers....but then started legislating....and I think that the issue is still debated over there. So....after going from 3770 hits....to zero hits....it appears that something in these Christian and political posts may have offended someone....or a word or a phrase did not pass through a filter.
I fully expect that someday....and probably soon....we will all be under strict censorship.....and then God's hands will be tied. Now....hopefully you know I don't mean that. In fact God seems to use just such measures that are meant to stymie the spread of the gospel....to do the opposite....to exponentially increase the spread of the good news in Jesus Christ!
Permit me please to segue here....for it appears to us to be the case....(this is what we are told anyway).....that all would be lost if a Democrat replaces Donald Trump....and Democrats rule the Congress....but God often strips us of all our worldly armor and weapons and power....to humble us....so that we might return to Him....and be given a new set of armor. Yes....we may no longer have a knight's armor ....but then we may more easily be able to kneel! God may have mercy upon us....and He may not....but this is for certain....He will not permit us to navigate this tempest that we are in by a sextant....or by the stars....or by GPS....and we should be so very thankful for that....for only He can bring us safely to harbour!
I related this story in a little more detail early on in these posts of eleven years. It must have struck a chord in Internet visitors from Australia for there were 'hits' from Down Under all the time.....that totaled up to 3770.....but then abruptly stopped a few years ago.....and I haven't had a single visitor to these posts from Australia since then....not one visitor. So I researched this and found that Australia has moved into some serious Internet censorship where they first sought voluntary monitoring by Internet service providers....but then started legislating....and I think that the issue is still debated over there. So....after going from 3770 hits....to zero hits....it appears that something in these Christian and political posts may have offended someone....or a word or a phrase did not pass through a filter.
I fully expect that someday....and probably soon....we will all be under strict censorship.....and then God's hands will be tied. Now....hopefully you know I don't mean that. In fact God seems to use just such measures that are meant to stymie the spread of the gospel....to do the opposite....to exponentially increase the spread of the good news in Jesus Christ!
Permit me please to segue here....for it appears to us to be the case....(this is what we are told anyway).....that all would be lost if a Democrat replaces Donald Trump....and Democrats rule the Congress....but God often strips us of all our worldly armor and weapons and power....to humble us....so that we might return to Him....and be given a new set of armor. Yes....we may no longer have a knight's armor ....but then we may more easily be able to kneel! God may have mercy upon us....and He may not....but this is for certain....He will not permit us to navigate this tempest that we are in by a sextant....or by the stars....or by GPS....and we should be so very thankful for that....for only He can bring us safely to harbour!
