New Year in 2006

Another chance to start over. I used to love getting my two #2 pencils and going to school. A fresh start. I used to enjoy New Year's Eve and the chill in the air (in the North) and wondering what a new year would bring. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year and it happens in the Sept/Oct period, and like the rest, brings a sense of wonder and possibilities.

What then will 2006 bring, what will 1 January ring in for us as a world, and in my world?

Peace between peoples and nations will continue to be the #1 concern, with technologies competing for abilities to bring peace and medical ease, at the same time bringing better war machines into operation. But bottom line, people want to know how to get along in this broken world.

Terrorism will only increase no matter how much war is waged. It's almost impossible to fight an 'ism' with a bomb.

I believe that the only answer to war is not another peace demonstration, but the demonstration of God's love in the death and resurrection of His Messiah Y'shua. He died for us, took our place that we might not experience the 2nd death of separation from the Almighty. What love! And what peace ensues to those who trust Him to remove our war, our enmity, our hostility between us and God. And our war with others. And within ourselves.

Only God can calm our fears and our hatred.

May your 2006 bring you much joy and peace in believing, and in personal relationships. And real answers when the world is really asking questions.

Without Jess

I'm already sad that my older daughter will be in New Zealand during Christmas and during Hanukkah. It doesn't seem fair that she had to leave country to sort out her immigration status and to apply for things overseas so she can return to work and school and home in Sydney. But that's the way it is.

Even though it's the way it is, I don't like it. I love my daughter and want her home for the holidays. It's just not going to be the same without her.

God watch over her.

Twas the week before Christmas

All around Sydney are fears of riots and anger about closed beaches. A group of 45 pastors (so far) have signed onto the press release blog I wrote last week. And so far, no one has even mentioned it, as far as I can figure. How sad is that! (see the blog titled "Cronulla Riots") The list of the pastors is at JFJ website

But now it's the week before Christmas and the weather is beautiful and the police in full force. I doubt the racial antagonism is over, just delayed.

Evil is in the hearts of people, and is overcome by the Grace of God, not by government regulation. Police show our evil, they never cleanse us of it.

Cronulla Riots

Cronulla Riots: Consider This

We are citizens of Sydney and committed to the peace and freedom that we enjoy in our city. As leaders in a number of religious communities within the city, some have looked to us for spiritual guidance in the wake of the racial and cultural tensions that have erupted on our beaches.

We believe that the overwhelming majority of Australians deplore violence, especially racial and religious violence. Most of us want to give each other a ‘fair go’, and most of our ethnic minorities are composed of fair-minded Australians.

We believe that Christmas is a time in our national calendar for giving and for peace with God and one another. We want our neighbours to know and experience this spirit of giving and peace.

We believe that Jesus was a Middle-Eastern man who was called the “Prince of Peace”. He wants all people to know the peace that He gives. Jesus Christ promises us a new identity that transcends our racial and religious backgrounds and enables us to share with others from every race His love and compassion.

As a man of Middle-Eastern appearance, Jesus could have easily suffered violence in these last few days in Sydney, even as His family fled violence at the time of His birth. As Christians we believe that the violence done to Him, especially on a Roman cross, was God’s plan to redeem all of us from the hate and the violence that can erupt in every human heart.

The only hope for true peace was born in the Middle East. Christmas reminds us that it was a Middle Eastern man, Jesus the Messiah, who holds the key to resolving the strife that bedevils our world.

May we all experience a very blessed and peace-filled Christmas.



Bob Mendelsohn
National Director
Jews for Jesus

Dr Peter Barnes,
Lecturer in Church History
Presbyterian Theological Centre
Sydney

David Thomas,
Pastor
Beachside Vineyard Christian Fellowship
Cronulla

The Rt Rev Bruce Christian
Former Moderator General
Presbyterian Church of Australia

The Rev Peter Hastie
Minister
Ashfield Presbyterian Church
Editor, Australian Presbyterian

The Rev Richard Humphrey
Senior Pastor
St Andrew's Anglican Church, Cronulla

Rev Neil Dawson
Senior Pastor
Thornleigh Community Baptist Church

Rev Andy Arthurs
Senior pastor,
Forest Alliance Church
Frenchs Forest

The Rev Nello Barbieri
Minister of Riverwood Presbyterian Church
Australian born Italian

The Rev Ian Millican
Senior Minister
St Mark's Anglican Church, Berowra

The Rev David Milne
Liverpool South Anglican Church
Casula

Rev Martin Lau
Senior Pastor, Sydney Chinese Alliance Church
Chair, Alliance College of Australia

More are signing on as we read this... Stay tuned.

What's a CLIM?

Co Labourers in Messiah are a volunteer group of folks who help Jews for Jesus make Jesus known worldwide. Here's a photo of the latest CLIM training class in Singapore in November 2005.


photos

Actually you will find lots of Mendelsohn photos but the most recent are from Singapore. Enjoy!

Da Vinci in December?

Some are looking in book shops for the books by Dan Brown to buy for loved ones. I don't recommend it. Have a read at why...


Da Vinci article




God bless and happy ...everything!


bob

December Dilemma

What will you do this December? Will you celebrate a Jewish holiday like Hanukkah? Like Christmas? Or nothing or all of them? I love the holidays... remember what God did in sending His Son to die for us. That's what Christmas (maybe we should call it Messiah-mas) is all about.

Bob Mendelsohn
Sydney

Van Nguyen hanging

I am in Singapore as I write this. All day yesterday I thought of this sentenced man. He was 24 or so, and guilty as charged of trafficking drugs. He was caught in Changi Airport and was put in Changi prison. He was hanged this morning at 6 a.m. I rang the jail yesterday; may I see him? May I come to pray with him? The authorities would not allow it; I could write if I wanted, so I did. And all night I hoped they would ring my hotel and ask me to come, maybe Van would ask for me to come.

But he didn't and they didn't. And now he's dead.

Each of us will die, most less publically and with much less publicity than Van. Will you be ready to meet your Creator? Will you look forward to that day today?

Bob Mendelsohn Sydney