30 January 2007

Wallis and Matilda4


Wallis and Matilda4
Originally uploaded by bobmendo.

John Wallis and Chris ...Matilda have been singing together with the Band from Snowy River for 25 years. And we caught up with them on Australia Day in Tamworth during Country Music Festival 2007 in the TREC (Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre). They do Banjo Paterson poetry and do really well as I heard, but unfortunately you cannot.

Lots of singers and bands played all over Tamworth last week and it was a great time. Lots of photos on my Tamworth Flickr site.

I was privileged to speak in four different churches and found wonderful response in each. Thanks Lord, and thanks for this sunburnt country.

20 January 2007

Jews are pigs? -- The Shame Sheik

Unbelievable. The Sheik of the Global Islamic Youth Movement in Liverpool, NSW, who runs things from his home in Lebanon, is at it again. Last year Sheik Feiz Mohammed offended rape victims by saying their dress 'caused' men to rape them. He called them 'meat' that was exposed and the animals just had to eat. One level of shame, for sure.

Then this week we got wind of a video being sold in Australia of the shame sheik declaring that Muslim parents are not encouraging their children to learn jihad and die for the faith. And in the midst of that video series recorded in 2004, he called Jews "pigs." Oh there is news, the immoderate and never failing to fail failure of a leader inciting others to shameful behaviour.

In an excerpt from a video lecture series called Signs of the Hour, Sheik Feiz ridicules Jews as pigs. But wait, there's more.

He tells parents of young Muslims in the video "We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam... Teach them this: There is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a mujahid (holy warrior)...Put in their soft, tender hearts the zeal of jihad and a love of martyrdom."

He continues to shame parents with "Today many parents, they prevent their children from attending lessons. Why? They fear that they might create a place in the their hearts, the love, just a bit of the love, of sacrificing their lives for Allah."

What will the government of Australia do in light of this darkness? What will the Muslim clerics say publically about one of their own?

Let's clear this up straightaway. Jews are not pigs. Jews don't even eat pig. And Jews are not to be vilified by a Muslim renegade or by anyone. Let's hope the Aussie government deals quickly, righteously, and properly with this ugly situation. Otherwise, the shame may be spread around, and that won't help anyone.

06 January 2007

Yoido Church.JPG


DSC_0007.JPG
Originally uploaded by bobmendo.

Last night I preached at Yoido Full Gospel church in Seoul Korea. An amazing experience to see 3 levels of 10,000 people gathering (and exiting) almost at once. They listened intensely and prayed intensely. The dancers here were lovely. Everyone sat through the almost 2 hour service.

I preached on "Jesus in the Older Testament" and if you want to read the text, it's available on line here . Maybe we can get it entirely up on the audio section, but 'not yet.'

I'll also try to take some photos from the DVD.

A Biblical Theology of Mission

 This sermon was given at Cross Points church in suburban Kansas City (Shawnee, Kansas) on Sunday 17 November.  For the video, click on this...