Woody's Words

THE CLIMATE CHANGE OF FEAR By David Woodbury The actual truth in the climate debate is no longer discernible, lost in the rhetoric, extravagant claims and fanatical and frenetic dialogue which now permeates the debate. What is blatantly obvious now is that there is a climate emergency , but it is the climate of fear being foisted on our children and young people that is the current and pressing emergency. We have been subjected to highly orchestrated, manipulative demonstrations exploiting the most impressionable and vulnerable in our society: children. We have witnessed scenes of children crying because they have been convinced that the end of the world is near and a vulnerable, over-wrought and fragile 16-year-old Greta Thunberg promoted as the messiah of the climate emergency campaign. I have lived long enough and have seen enough to know exploitation and manipulation when I see it, and it is highly visible in the recent climate demonstrations. One would ...

MOMENTS OF GRACE A personal experience By David Woodbury It has been my experience that God often uses situations when we are sidelined and unable to participate in the normal routine of life, to get our attention. It certainly has been this way for me. Some years ago I found myself in a hospital bed suffering from a painful back complaint. I had wrestled for many years with God over his calling to full-time ministry as a Salvation Army officer. I had finally, though grudgingly acquiesced to his call, filled in my application papers for the training college, and sent them off to be processed. Since I was past the age where cadets were accepted for training I was fairly confident that my application would be rejected and that would settle to the situation. I had done my part. A visitor that day was a retired officer from the corps who brought with him a photocopy of a pamphlet which contained the testimony of early Salvation Army officer, Samuel Logan Brengle. A day...

THE GOOD NEWS Romans 1:1-7 By David Woodbury The letter to the Church in Rome differs from any of the letters Paul wrote to other churches. In it, he sets out to explain how to live out the Christian lifestyle. While Paul does not use the phrase, the kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven, except for Romans 14:17, what he is primarily about in Romans is the kingdom lifestyle. The kingdom of God was one and the essential teachings of Jesus and Paul now set out to explain in detail how we enter the kingdom of God and how we live out the kingdom lifestyle, a lifestyle that is a matter of choice. He explains how people can be made righteous and live transformed lives through their belief in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. While many of Paul’s letters were written to address problems or pressing needs that were impacting the fledgeling church, Romans provides us with a theological essay that is not influenced or subjective to any situation in a particular church. I...

THE DANGER OF FORGETFULNESS 2 Peter, Chapter 3 – Part 1 1 This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. 3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” 5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have...

THE FANATICISM OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE By David Woodbury I have listened with a great deal of anxiety recently to the strident and loud voices of the climate debate and noted with alarm the number of children, some quite young, being involved in rallies and protests. Perhaps it came home more forcibly when we shared an evening meal a highly intelligent 19-year old young woman who is a high achieving academic. During our dinner-time discussion, she shared how scared she was of the future and whether there would be a world left for her children, After she left I found myself quite saddened and perplexed that 19-year-old should feel this degree of anxiety and despair. I reflected back to my time as a 19-year-old and to how I felt. The cold war was raging and a small group of vocal commentators were predicting the doom and gloom of a nuclear holocaust that would eliminate human civilisation. Some individuals were constructing nuclear fallout shelters in their back...

THE DANGER OF FALSE TEACHERS 2 Peter - chapter 2 By David Woodbury The advent of the technology age has given false teachers a prized opportunity to spread their errant teachings far and wide, often to an audience that is gullible, theologically ill-informed and susceptible. They major on a persona of authority and perceived knowledge which many dare not question and, consequently, are often in a place where they can push through a personal agenda. Much of what is seen in these areas today are personality and celebrity-driven, which should immediately ring alarm bells. In the second chapter of 2 Peter, the writer seeks to address the subject of false teachers. This is an awkward and contentious chapter for it deals with a controversial and difficult subject within the church. The tendency is to avoid it as inevitably it will create tensions within the holy nation. However, we cannot cherry-pick the Word of God and Peter points out that the issue has always been pr...

Paying Attention to Scripture 2 Peter 1:12-21 – Part 3 12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. (2 Peter 1:12-15 – NLT) Peter is using the Old Testament injunction to remember . As we have discovered forgetfulness is part of humanity, even sanctified humanity, and Peter is aware that his flock includes the dedicated and the errant. Part of his role as shepherd is to encourage and warn, and, as preacher, to declare and recall; roles he is faithfully fulfilling. He has already reprimanded and refocused the errant and now he wants to encourage and inspire the faithful. We are unaware of...