As I sat there listening to the stories of those who travelled up Mount Ararat and discovered the alleged remains of Noah’s Ark in 2007, I ask this question. What impact does the discovery of Noah’s Ark have upon the truth of the Christian message? Honestly, I find that there is little reason to think that this alleged discovery of Noah’s Ark will change the challenge of bringing the truth into this world. There are a few reasons to my conviction.

1. There are numerous ancient legends of “The Flood”.

To be clear, I am not denying my personal conviction of the truth of the Biblical account of Noah, the Ark and the Flood. However, from a secular perspective, the discovery of the Ark does not solely serve the Christian truth. It is well-documented that the majority of Ancient Near Eastern cultures have an account of the Flood with similar parallels to the account of Noah.

As such, the discovery of Noah’s Ark does not necessarily serve the Christian message; rather, it could just as easily establish the historical fact that there was a significant event which flooded the greater region of the Ancient Near Eastern world. The discovery of Noah’s Ark could do just the opposite, it could become a stumbling block to the central core of the Christian message.

2. The Christian message is based on faith, not fact.

While it is entirely possible that the discovery of Noah’s Ark may aid and encourage the faith of the Christian, it would be a far cry to base the Christian faith solely upon the discovery of Noah’s Ark. It would be detrimental to the Christian message and to the faith of many if historical or archaeological discoveries became the basis of faith.

To be clear: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (ESV; Hebrews 11:1) If the establishment of the Christian message becomes things of history and the conviction of things only proven in fact [whether it be scientific, historical, archaeological or any other basis].

The Christian must be wary that they begin to build their foundations upon the spectacular discoveries of Biblical history. The evangelistic preacher must be wary of preaching a message which calls for faith upon the establishment of faith. All in all, the Christian message goes beyond logical argument and debate, but rather must be grounded in the truth of the Gospel—that Jesus, the Son of God, came to die for the sins of all humanity, and rose on the third day in victory over sin and death.

3. The Christian message is a life to be lived.

The discovery of Noah’s Ark gives little motivation to the Christian to change the way they live. The alleged discovery of Noah’s Ark, at most, only serves to confirm the truth of their faith. The life which the Christian is called to is based on the conviction, not on established knowledge, of the sin and God’s righteousness and holiness.

On one hand, the story of Noah’s Ark is a story about God’s righteousness and holiness resulting in His judgment of humanity for the extent of its sinfulness. On the other hand, unless this story is added to the Christian’s conviction of God’s righteousness and holiness, then it has done nothing for the life of the Christian.

4. The Christian message is carried by many a hypocrite.

This point has little to do with Noah’s Ark but the integrity of the Christian message as a whole. Simply, there are too many Christians who claim to have faith, who proclaim the truth of the Gospel, who carry the label of Christianity, and live in hypocrisy. The hypocritical lifestyle of Christians throughout the world in their greed, their lack of love and social concern, their critical judgments and much else is the one of the greatest hindrances to the establishment of the Gospel throughout the world.

The simple discovery and establishment of Noah’s Ark would be far from enough to convince a person who is struck by the hypocrisy of the Christians in their world. It is more likely that such a discovery would be used as “evidence” for the truth of the Christian message; giving greater cause for the non-Christian to be driven further from the truth.

Whether or not the Ark has been found, the greatest aid to the establishment of the Christian message is the conviction and acceptance of the person of Jesus Christ and everything that He has done and stands for. He does not stand for the spectacular events of history, if He did He would have come down from the Cross causing the greater spectacular for all to see.

It is only through the sincere proclamation of the Gospel not merely in word and speech, but in life and love. It is not to say that it is merely a message of love, but it only within the arms of love that the conviction of sin and the brokenness of humanity in which God’s greatest gift of salvation can be appreciated.

Link: Noah’s Ark Ministries International

That’s what happened at Transforming Melbourne’s recent prayer consultation. I had the privilege to attend what was a gathering of pastors, ministry leaders, prayer leaders from around the city. With all distinctions and backgrounds irrelevant, each person came to seek how the kingdom of God might come through prayer, united prayer.

The day was structured with three focuses around prayer: adoration, intercession, and declaration. Adoration focused upon putting God in the right place through worship, reflection upon Kingdom-focused prayer, and personal prayer. Intercession was a time of praying for our city, discussing and hearing from others where God is at work in our city. Declaration was more time spent in prayer, in small groups and as a whole, declaring God’s promise for our city.

Did I mention that this was a 9am-4pm event? Time flew.

Personally, there were some key moments which have impacted me and I pray and hope will become a reality in my life. As the day began with worship, I was instantly struck by the realisation of a spirit of fear within me. I’m now reminded of Paul’s words to his young disciple, Timothy: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (NLT; 2 Timothy 1:7)

What am I fearful of? I’m fearful of what God might do if I completely surrendered myself to His enabling. As I honestly reflect, much of my life and ministry has been operating through, what I term, limited surrender. It is, also, something which I see operating in much of the church. For the majority of faithful believers, I believe, it is not a lack of desire to see God’s kingdom come but rather a fear of what God will do should we surrender to Him.

My prayer is that the words of Paul to Timothy would become alive in me. To strike a balance between the power and boldness which the Spirit enables, a love sourced from the heart of the Father, and self-discipline to be grounded and steadfast as I continue the work of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the means by which I seek to keep myself accountable is the idea of a prayer shield. By all accounts, the work of the Gospel that is not grounded in prayer is a failure to begin with. It is through prayer which God works through His people. So what is this prayer shield? Well, any image of shields one can think of is entirely suitable, just multiply it a few times over.

The idea of a prayer shield is having people around you cover you with prayer, as a shield-bearer might cover a soldier in battle. Except it doesn’t stop with one. It is a ring of shields around you, expanding out from a small tight group who support you at the centre. Surrounded by another circle of prayer, surrounded further by another circle of prayer. And it’s not about the individual either, rather, for every person that prays they too are encouraged to invite others to shield them in prayer. In my mind, it moves from being individual units to interlinked chains upholding one another in prayer for the coming of the kingdom of God.

There is so much more that could be shared, however I leave you with a verse which underlines the desire to see the coming of God’s kingdom:

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgiven their sin and heal their land.” (ESV; 2 Chronicles 7:14)

Reading: Psalms 66-69

Focus: Psalm 67

In Jewish theology, there is an aspect of their understanding of God’s blessing which is fascinating. However, even in Jewish thought, blessings are often seen as God’s gift and pleasure for the recipients. We are blessed because God sees fit to give us good things or grant us success in life’s endeavours. We praise and thank God for His blessing, but we often miss out on a key aspect regarding blessings reflected in Jewish theology (which should be ours, also).

This psalm (Psalm 67) is a clear reflection of one aspect of God’s blessing that is often neglected. The psalm opens in a desire for God’s blessings upon His people, but then the remainder of the psalm is a declaration of the purpose of God’s blessing. The purpose of God’s blessing, outlined in this psalm, is to testify and witness to God’s goodness and fame. As God’s people are blessed, the nations are to hear the praise of God, the declarations of God’s goodness towards His people, the proclamation of God’s salvation for the world. In God’s blessing, it is to be accompanied with an increase of God’s fame.

Most of us will praise and thank God for His blessing, but how many of us will declare His goodness and His awesome deeds to those around us? When you are blessed, do you share God’s love for this world? Do you share God’s power seen through Creation? Do you share God’s grace for us—the sinners? Is God’s fame—God’s name and reputation—increased because you have been blessed?

Next Reading: Psalms 70-74

Reading: Psalms 58-65

Focus: Psalm 65

So often, it is easy for us to get lost in our situation and lose sight of things which are more important. Especially when things are difficult, when life seems dry, it is in these moments where it seems difficult to look outside our circumstances. However, despite how we feel, it does not change the fact of the matter: God is worthy of praise. It is during these times when worship is most difficult, yet it is when we find ourselves recognising the magnificence of God that we begin to rise above our circumstances.

This psalm (Psalm 65) seems to be a praise song, filled with words which echo the character of God. It reflects upon His blessings for His people, His awesome deeds of power and His creative power of nature. To those who sing and hear this song, it is an awe-filled reminder of this mighty God. Most of all, reflected in the opening lines, this is our God who hears our prayers, blesses those find refuge in Him, and will save those who seek Him by His awesome power.

When we truly take in the depths of these words, we begin to understand that all will be well for those who look to God. He is One who hears our prayers, who saves those who call upon Him, and as the psalm reminds us, He is completely able to do it all. He is the Almighty God, Creator of all and Sustainer of all. As such, we join with creation as they shout for joy and sing, “You are worthy!”

Next Reading: Psalms 66-69

Reading: Psalms 51-57

Focus: Psalm 55

The psalms are often raw with emotion, honest and open, and simply, human. They don’t pretend as if the world should be perfect; they don’t try and justify God’s actions; rather, they often reflect the reality of the heart, struggling to come to terms with the wickedness which afflicts them, calling out to God as they seek a resolve to their circumstances. However, at the end of all this, they always come back to one place, a place of trust: they trust God, they trust Him with their life.

This psalm (Psalm 55) is one of those psalms. It begins with the plea of David of God to hear his prayers. As David continues, he reveals his struggle and turmoil which is in his heart. He seeks resolve from God, David seeks God to undertake his situation and find an answer. In the end, this is what it all comes down to: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Regardless of life’s situation, whether it was positive or negative, whether they were finding success or overwhelmed by their enemies—this is what it comes down to, in all things, casting all your cares on the Lord. The psalmists all come back to this point, there is nothing to do but trust God, to cast all our cares upon Him. We can try and rise up in life’s circumstances, through our own strength and ability…but often have we tried and come up short. Or, we can leave it to Him and enjoy the journey ahead. When God says, “Leave it to me!” He means it.

Next Reading: Psalms 58-65

Reading: Psalms 45-50

Focus: Psalm 47

One of the curiosities of modern Christianity is the aspect of worship. Indeed, most religions have an aspect of worship, but they are often solemn and reserved. The images often associated with worship are rituals, chants, ceremonies, liturgies, etc. However, worship in the Judeo-Christian movement is marked by something often lacking in other forms of worship. It is marked by praise. Yes, it is filled with awe of the deity, at times even fear, it is filled with recognition of authority and power; but greater than all of these, worship is marked by praise—joyous, elated praise!

As you read through this psalm (Psalm 47), it is a reflection of this dimension of worship. There is nothing but praise in the words of this psalm. Just imagine a crowd, a gathering of people, singing and shouting in a loud voice: “How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!” It is a voice that draws others together, all over the Christian world, this element of praise should be the defining mark of its worship. However, where there is no praise—this joy-filled, uplifting praise—questions must be asked of the condition of the church.

Indeed, this God is a God to be feared, but it is to be an awe-filled fear of respect and adoration, as one might fear a loving father; this God is a God to be given due respect, but not at a distance rather at the foot of his throne, as one might approach a wise leader who serves his people; this God is a God to be honoured, but not out of strict obedience, rather as appreciation of what He has done overflows. This is our God, one worthy of worship, one worthy of glory, one worthy of joyous, overflowing praise!

Next Reading: Psalms 51-57

j

Reading: Psalms 39-44

Focus: Psalm 42-43

So many Christians struggle in times when they feel down, discouraged, or despondent. They think to themselves that they should never feel that way, that as Christians, these circumstances should be easily overcome. Yet the harsh reality is that our faith does not take away these struggles of the heart. In fact, they are heightened by our faith and we wrestle with these struggles even more, and like quicksand, we find ourselves sinking in our struggle.

In one of the beautiful psalms (Psalms 42-43, often considered one psalm) of the Sons of Korah, the struggles of the soul are echoed in these words. It reflects upon the faithful desire to pursue God in all His wonder, yet does not discount the reality that there are time when the soul is downcast. However, being a psalm, the Sons direct the worshipper to lift up their hands, in the lines which reflect upon the soul’s condition it is followed by lines of worship (the following stanza is repeated three times throughout this psalm):

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

  Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

The trap of our low-points is to continue to look down. I think of the multiple scenes of people climbing up the fire escape with a building on fire below them. “Don’t look down, don’t look down…!” We’re not all that different, even when things are going well, we have this hesitancy and look down at the raging fires of life below. Brothers, sisters, friends—look up! Look up! Our hope in God is not unfounded, we may doubt, we may struggle with God’s ways, but in the end, He will do what is right, He will uphold His Name, He will not allow dishonour to come upon His Name. My friends, look up!

Next Reading: Psalms 45-50

Early-bird Parking

Early bird parking is easily accessible and though it may vary, for those who are not working, there are places which are available up until 10am which I think is sufficient. Two carpark operators have easy-to-navigate websites which will help you find a location close to where you will be: Secure Parking and Wilson Parking. Between these two operators, you should be able to find a parking space for your day’s activity. On average, I’ve found that early bird parking will range from $10-14.

Just some examples:
• Secure Parking: The Strand 250 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne (enter from 323 Lonsdale Street). Enter between 6.30-10.00am, exit between 3.00pm-close; $14.00.
• Wilson Parking: Melbourne Central Melbourne Central, enter from Lonsdale or LaTrobe Street. Enter before 10.00am, exit after 3.00pm; $14.00.
• Wilson Parking: A’Beckett Street 22-44 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne; all-day $11.50. Note: This car park is an open-air car park, though all-day, fills up quickly by early morning.

Day Parking

For those of us who are unable to get in for early-bird parking, our options are severely limited. My only recommendation is Crown Casino multi-level (not basement) parking, entering at Haig Street. It is a bit of a hike from the rest of the CBD, but if you’re planning on spending a few hours in the city, this a worthwhile option. Crown Casino: Parking

Evening/Weekend Parking

For those going into the city in the evening, you are spoilt for choice. Most car parks which are still open will have an evening flat rate. Likewise, for car parks open on the weekend, most will have a weekend rate. Check out Secure Parking and Wilson parking (links above) to find a car park where you will be spending your day. Do be wary that some car parks, however, such as Wilson Parking @ Melbourne Central do not have a weekend rate, but an evening rate.

Weekend Parking:
• Wilson Parking: La Trobe Street 300 La Trobe Street; $5 all day, open till 12.30AM
• Wilson Parking: Lonsdale Street 150 Lonsdale Street (or 149 Little Lonsdale Street); $5 all day, open 24/7
• Secure Parking: QV Melbourne Enter from 180 Lonsdale Street; $10 all day, open 24/7

Hope that helps. If you know of any other cheap (or even free) car parks, leave a comment and I’ll update the post.

Reading: Psalms 35-38

Focus: Psalm 35

Nowadays, it seems almost sacrilegious to consider that we would ask God to get involved in our fights. The notion of God fighting our battles almost seems foreign to us, rather we often, instead, ask for strength and wisdom to deal with our own situation and problems. However, as we look through the Old Testament, and here in this psalm (Psalm 35), the notion that we would simply ask God for strength doesn’t appear. The picture painted throughout the Old Testament and this psalm is that God plays an active role in our battles. In fact, for most of the ancients, life was seen through the will of the heavens.

The psalmist begins with a petition for God to rise up in battle, followed by details of the situation that he finds himself in. In short, the psalmist asks God to take care of his enemies. However, none of this is a selfish endeavour; in fact, remembering that life is seen through the will of the heavens, the psalmist desires that God be honoured and glorified. This is a fight for God’s name! As God is victorious, the psalmist will praise Him in the audience of all and God is exalted. The last line of the psalm says it all: “My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.”

Where is this sort of attitude today? Where is the perspective that our God doesn’t only seek that we are victorious but that He is the cause and means of our victory? God doesn’t just want to be the supporting regiment in life’s battle, He desires to be on the front line of battle! Look through the Exodus, every battle that the Israelites gave to God, there was victory! Every battle they sought to fight on their own, there was defeat! Why have we suddenly decided that we need to take up the sword in our hands, when God desires to go before us and claim the victory? Is it pride? Is it arrogance? Where have we gone wrong?

What is more, this is not for our own benefit, nor is it for our own glory when God is victorious. When God fights the battle, He receives all the glory! When we fight, whether we like it or not, as those who stand for His name, we dishonour Him and we bring shame to His name because we fail. I know I’m guilty, I’ve failed to step aside and allow my God to fight my fights. Instead, I’ve taken up sword and shield, His sword and shield, and sought to gain victory, albeit for Him, but utterly and miserably failed.

Next Reading: Psalms 39-44

Reading: Psalms 29-34

Focus: Psalm 32

The Christian life isn’t always like a bouquet of red roses, in fact, it more like a field of wild roses. Though full of beauty in full bloom, they are not without the thorns removed by the florist putting together a bouquet. Yes, this life is full of beauty, joy, and hope. On the other hand, like wild roses, unless one comes and removes the thorns, it is prickly, pointed and difficult to grasp at times. Yet, we have a hope that Jesus will touch our lives, taking us from the field of wild roses, removing the thorns from our side and presenting us as a full, rich, and beautiful bouquet of blood red roses to God the Father, acceptable and pleasing in His sight.

This psalm (Psalm 32) is a reflective psalm of the Christian life. It begins with the blessing of the righteous, they who are blessed—that is, filled with joy—for their sins are not counted against them and they are considered forgiven and pure. However, this opening is reflected by the reality that forgiveness comes through confession and repentance (vv. 3-5). The psalmist then continues to declare that God is the One to whom the godly may call upon for protection and deliverance. With the declaration of God’s faithfulness, the psalmist sets out to exhort those who would listen to him, encouraging them to follow God’s way, not to be like animals without understanding or the distressed wicked, for God will be with the one who trusts in Him. Therefore, all that trust in the faithful God, sing with the psalmist, “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Why? Because our God is a faithful God, worthy of our praise.

The Christian who puts their trust in God, who confesses and repents of their sin, can be assured that God stands with them. Though life may be hard and difficult at times, He does not forget their situation and watches over them, not allowing them more than they can handle. Those who put their trust in Him will not be left in the dark for God’s unfailing love surrounds them. As such, the righteous can stand and rejoice in Him. Amen!

Next Reading: Psalms 35-38