What do you think?
For one thing, its good to see someone get stuck into Woosha…no matter what you think of Hardie, or Woosha…at least they are treating him as they have treated Freo coaches!!
Prepare for some unformulated ramblings and thoughts of reflection….
This week I have struggled with a few things as I prepared my message for today.
How much is us…how much is God?
As I read from Acts 8 we looked at the story of Philip and Simon the sorcerer.
If ever there was a passage which describes the difference between a magician and a miracle worker…this is it.
Yet Simon had much influence over his society…which proves you dont need God to have influence and lead people.
But leading people where God wants them to go….that takes miracles, not magic – doesn’t it?
Even in our own personal spiritual life, with our struggles….sometimes self discipline will get us through…sometimes it takes God….often we fail.
The other struggle is that it seemed Simon truly believed, despite his mixed up perceptions and money fulled desire to be able to impart the Holy Spirit. Peter could not give something he himself did not have….yet he did annoint people and the Holy Spirit did come upon them. So again…the tension between is it God, is it us.
Some pastors are so obviously gifted…not necesarily in a God empowered way…they are just smart, and good communicators…and they use their talents for the kingdom.
Me? I struggle…cant preach well without His presence and empowering. But then….when we have a smaller crowd in, its harder! It should not be. But it is…and surely that is the influence of human factors, not God…
After the 187 to 42 point flogging handed out to the hapless Eagles by Geelong tonight at Subiaco Oval…what possible spin shall serial offender Kim Hagdorn put on it? Will they be able to mention Fremantle in a disparaging way….somehow? Maybe something like….
“Eagles loss not as bad as Freo’s 9 point loss to St Kilda in Melbourne”
“Worsfold happy to play kids in rebuilding year as Harvey falters”
“Eagles rebuilding process on track as Champion Coach Worsfold plays rookies”
“Eagles still have premiership flags despite embrassing loss to Geelong”
mmmmmmm………
EDIT
Thanks to Speedy Geoff for pointing out that indeed Hackdorn took the first option.
“It was West Coast’s worst ever loss at Subiaco Oval, once considered a fortress for eastern states invaders during the Eagles power years of the 1990s and middle of this decade and was on the back of Fremantle’s shocking effort against St Kilda on Friday night.”
Tell me Kim, what relation does Freos 9 point loss to the Saints, in Melbourne, have to do with the mauling that West Toast received?
Journalism???
In stark contrast to the measured and objective journalism (mostly) of Mark Duffield.
“In fact, after the carnage the Cats visited on the hapless Eagles last night, the rotting carcass that is the 2008 West Coast team may well have been stuffed into the grave alongside those now dormant ghosts.
It was a display so dominant and clinical that West Coast’s parochial fans, known for clapping their own team’s points and booing opposition champions, sat in quiet awe as Geelong ran up a 10-goal half-time lead that was never going to be run down or threatened.”
Real journalist…take note hackdorn…
damn.
Acts 8 contains a fascinating story about Philip and Simon…the magician.
I am focusing on Simon this week to see how the church impacted his life and how the church was dangerous to Simon’s influence on the society around him.
I imagine he is a mix of David Copperfield and Steve Martins character in “Leap of Faith”.
Verse 12….was the power of Philip real…..well lets have a look at what the trickster thinks…
Either Simon was a trickster or he was summoning upon evil forces, we are not told….we are just told he performed magic….
What does he do….he watches intently and is truly amazed at what he sees Philip and the Apostle do.
A magician watches a real miracle worker and wonders how he does it…
This magician is watching Philip and cant work out how he does it, and comes to the conclusion that in fact he is not doing it, God is, and he believes.
He is amazed…
He truly believed and he was scared of the power of God…just as he saw and believed that the power of God was used by Peter for great and good things, he also recognized that God could make his money perish….
You see Peter saw into his heart, just as he had seen into Anninias heart and he knew what was really governing his life, money, infuence….this is what he was really concerned about…Yet at some point and in some way…he believed in the power of God.
