Since I arrived here from Canada three weeks ago it has been interesting to experience a federal election in another country.

The premise of the election is the same, although there are some minor differences such as compulsory voting.

While some Canadians ask the question, “should I vote as a Christian?”, we all should ask the question, “how should I vote as a Christian?”

The first thing we must always remember is that God is in control (Romans 13:1).

God is the true leader and creator of this world and everything goes through Him.

As followers of God it is our duty to choose a leader who speaks and acts out Christian principles.

In order to do this we must be informed on what each party represents and use our judgment to make godly decisions.

Sounds easy enough right? Well, as we all know, parties can promise many different things, some of which follow earthly principles and not biblical principles.

So in order to receive the proper guidance, we must study God’s word, the Bible.

To know what principles God wants our leaders to possess, we need to be in constant study of Scripture. 

For we read, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16)

And we must pray, asking thatour decision will be according to God’s will, and that the leaders will make wise decisions. 

For we are reminded that, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5).

And we must never forget to “pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2-3)

DAN DEKONING

This week we have seen the sudden end to a number of budding political careers as the inappropriate online history of candidates was made public.

Comments were made on social media and blogs that included rude jokes and statements that have caused offence.

On Friday, Mr Creasey, a former candidate for the upcoming federal election, said that he had wrongly made “awful comments many years ago”, but that whilst he now distances himself from those comments, he said that his actions were “an important for young people that your social media footprint will follow you.”

Apart from the obvious wisdom of taking care when posting, commenting, liking, or interacting with social media, it is a timely reminder to us that every thing we say, do and think is known to our heavenly Father.

Even if our thoughts don’t leave our minds, our wrongful thoughts and attitudes are still known in full to God.

That is why we are all unable to stand before God and claim to be blameless in his sight, no matter how many good things we have done.

As we read in the New Testament, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:13)

This is why everyone is in desperate need of a saviour who will take upon himself the judgement we deserve, so that God will look at us as pure and blameless.

This is why the Bible tells us that “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.” (1Pet. 3:18)

So, no matter what you’ve said or done, whether it’s public or private, you can be sure that God will forgive you for those sins if you trust in Jesus as Lord and saviour.

JODIE McNEILL

As news broke of the fire at Notre Dame, the world united in shock and sadness.

This Parisien icon had towered over the landscape for 850 years, and yet it now had succumbed to the power of fire.

Some might say it’s only a building, but there is a good reason why the citizens of Paris wept over its destruction.

For many, it was a place where they came to meet with God, and for others, it was a symbol of European Christianity.

For me, I was reminded of another, impressive place of worship that also suffered enormous destruction.

The Second Temple of Jerusalem was deliberately destroyed by Romans in 70AD, yet decades before, that Temple had become redundant as a place of worship.

For, at the very moment that Jesus died, the Bible records that the giant curtain of that temple was torn in two.

No longer was that stone building in Jerusalem to be the place to meet God, for now they would meet him in Jesus Christ.

For Jesus once said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” […] But when Jesus said, “this temple,” he meant his own body. (John 20:19,21)

It is natural for us to feel sentimental about our buildings, and it was right to be sad when Notre Dame and the Temple of Jerusalem were damaged or destroyed.

Yet, the greatest destruction was on the first Good Friday, when the Son of God was executed as an innocent man on behalf of those who trust in him.

However as promised, Jesus was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday, and with his resurrection comes a certain hope that can never perish, spoil or fade.

This Easter, as you reflect upon the fragility of life and the certainty of our own passing, it is a great time to trust in Jesus and enjoy the forgiveness he offers and the hope he promises.  

JODIE McNEILL

One of the greatest lies of the Devil is that Hell is not nearly as bad as its reputation.

You might have heard people say that they want to go to Hell because they want to party with all their friends that they expect meet there.

Jesus spoke more about Hell than anyone else in the Bible, and he made it very clear that a person should do anything in their power to avoid this horrible place.

In one part of the Bible, Jesus said that if a your eye causes you to sin, “gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

And another time Jesus spoke of a man who had been sent to Hell who was in so much agony that he pleaded that someone simply drip a few drops of water on his tongue to somehow relieve his anguish in the flames.

What’s more, given that relationships are a good gift from God to enjoy, we can be confident that Hell will be like solitary confinement, with no human contact for forever and ever.

And contrary to another popular viewpoint, God will be present in Hell, but only as one who is bringing judgement and punishment for eternity.

There are better reasons to follow Jesus than just to escape this horrible, eternal punishment.

After all, the joy of having life to the full with Jesus is mind-blowing, even if we don’t experience it fully until we go to be with him in heaven.

But even so, it’s worth being scared out of Hell into the safe arms of Jesus, knowing that you can fully escape God’s anger by simply trusting in Jesus and experiencing his full forgiveness for everything you’ve ever done.

So what are you waiting for? Why would you risk eternal punishment when you can have certainty for eternity with Jesus?

JODIE McNEILL

Last Friday afternoon, I came across the horrific news from Christchurch, where two shootings saw at least fifty people murdered… and all by the hands of an Aussie. 

I watched as thousands of Australians spoke up and responded to the tragedy, laying flowers in mosques and showing support for our neighbours in Christchurch.

However, I was left wondering about the best way to respond to this tragedy.

I read an article by Samuel Green and he had three helpful reflections.  

Firstly, it’s important to address the seriousness of the issue.

This was an act of pure evil and we cannot excuse or justify it in any way: this mass murder was driven by racism alone.

However, we know all people are created in the image of God, and that Jesus’ death was for all people who turn to him in repentance.

This leaves us with no excuse for any acts or thoughts driven by racism. 

Secondly, we want to reach out to the Muslim community and assure them of our love and support.

This is a great time to meet with our Muslim friends and listen to their concerns and worries.

We can attend community events standing against these acts of violence as people who promote peace, just like our Saviour Jesus, the Prince of Peace. 

Finally, we can be praying.

As the families of the victims mourn their losses and the family of the shooter grapples with this tragedy, we can pray that God would be glorified, and that through this horrific event, the good news of Jesus would be spread. 

Despite the sinfulness and cowardly acts of violence in our world, God still rules as king, and remains in control.

We have a God in whom we can bring all our worries to and trust in him alone.

JEMIMAH McNEILL