Saturday 14 April 2007

Walhalla

In 1907, Walhalla's sporting community extended a cordial invitation to the gentlemen of the Melbourne Cricket Club to play a match on our hallowed turf gravel. It's probably best if we don't dwell too much on the result of that match (well, all right -- the tourists beat us by the narrowest of margins ... something like a mere 233 for 7 declared to our team being all out for 133), but a grand time was certainly had by all ...
A 20/20 limited-overs game is being supported by the Melbourne Cricket Club, Walhalla Mountain Rivers Tourism Association, and Baw Baw Shire Council.
The ground opens at 10 am with pre-match entertainment before the match begins at 1 pm.
Access to the cricket ground will be restricted to authorised vehicles only, but when you arrive at Walhalla, attendants will assist with directions to: Car parking; The free shuttle bus to the foot of the track for a 30-minute walk to the ground; or The alternative 4WD taxi service to the ground.

Well, La Trobe Valley City Band was the pre-match entertainment - they were short of a cornet or two or three or four - so I got a phone call saying could I help out? So, who would say no to a day out in the country and a centenary cricket match celebration. Let me assure you I did not do the 30 minute walk to the ground - I opted for the alternative 4WD taxi service to the ground - hence the picture - yes I sat in the back of this with my cornet case wedged firmly between my feet. Now Walhalla is one road in and one road out - the track [?] to the cricket ground is exactly the same - which is great when you meet a taxi coming down while you are going up and they will pass each other in just the right spot - with just the right amount of maneuvering - who needs that coat of paint anyway?
All in all it was great fun - we set up and played for the next hour or so - finishing off with The National Anthem after the cannon shot - then a grand fanfare as the players entered the field - then packed up and headed down the hill for lunch under the Rotunda - going down was definitely worse than going up - or was it just the different driver?

All in all a great day! Met lots of lovely people - enjoyed the celebration - and got a band practice in as well - lots of great sight reading - and a choice of parts to play - 2nd cornet, flugel horn or Repriano - depending on which was more necessary - sometimes a mixture - but all good practice!

So if you want to visit an historical town check out Walhalla! It has lots of interesting things to do - train ride - mine tour - cemetery - old buildings etc.....

Saturday 7 April 2007

Remember when ........

Remember when our first parents, Adam & Eve, made the wrong decision - the first sin?
As a result Adam was cursed, Eve was cursed, the serpent was cursed…and…the very ground was cursed.
The Bible records:
And to the man he said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains."

So thorns have always represented sin…the result of sin…the effect of the curse on all creation.

Jesus confirms this in the parable of the Sower when He explains the seed that fell among thorns. The seed is the Word of God; the thorns are the cares of the world that grow up and choke out the Word.

Luke 8:14
The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.


Even though Jesus NEVER made a wrong decision
Even though Jesus NEVER sinned
He took ALL the sins…all the THORNS…to which WE were rightfully entitled.

Let this sink in deep:
EVERY sin which by rights should have been recorded against us…
EVERY thorn which should have been pressed into OUR flesh…
When the crown of thorns was placed on Jesus' head - He accepted them all
Not one is missing….not one omitted….not one unaccounted for.
No sin…past, present or future….is not already present in the Crown of Thorns [sin] Jesus wore for you and for me.

He took them ALL.

Isaiah 53:5
“He was wounded for OUR transgressions…by His wounds WE are healed”


Wednesday 4 April 2007

Passover in Galilee

Passover is one of three feasts that is meant to be celebrated in Jerusalem - but for many it was just impossible for them to attend for various reasons.
Jesus was very Jewish - as a child he attended Jerusalem with his parents for the feast, as an adult he attended the feasts and could be found on the Sabbath worshipping in a Synagogue.
But one year, Jesus didn't go to Jerusalem for Passover, instead he stayed in Galilee:
"Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near." John 6:1-4
Then Jesus did the most amazing thing - he broke bread and multiplied it and fed 5000 men - here is the heart of Jesus, he could have gone to Jerusalem, but for those who could not go he brought Jerusalem to them. And yet, these sons and daughters of Israel were so occupied with the miracle they missed the connection.
"The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
" John 6:22-24
Then Jesus tried to explain to them the significance of the Bread.
"Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Jesus was talking to Jews about Jewish matters - they should have understood - Jesus was saying "I am your Matzah, you couldn't go to Jerusalem, so I have come to you, I am your passover lamb, I am your substitute."




Monday 2 April 2007

The Beginning of Holy Week

So yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday - the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. On this day the High Priest would select the sacrificial lamb for the Nation of Israel and it would be placed in the Temple yard and over next 4 days it would be watched closely and examined to make sure it was spotless and acceptable for sacrifice. Then, on the 4th day at 3 pm the High Priest would lay hands on the lamb to show it was acceptable - slash it's throat - and pronounce "It is finished".

So, Jesus enters Jerusalem and presents himself in the Temple courtyard and then for the next 4 days he is watched closely and examined by Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Lawyers, Elders, Priests, Chief Priests, common people and even the disciples - they ask their hardest questions - the result - they are unable to find any fault - in fact they marvel and are astonished.

At the end of it all Jesus asked the ultimate question - Matthew 22:41-46 -
"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." 'If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Jesus proved - He was God, He was perfect, the Lamb was acceptable.

In John 11:49-52 Caiaphas the High Priest declares Jesus acceptable saying "it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish"
Pilate says "I find no fault with him..."
In Matthew 27:3-4 Judas says "I have betrayed innocent blood"
Herod refuses to bring judgment at all
In Matthew 27:14-17,21,25 even the people proclaimed Jesus as the acceptable Lamb of God - even if they didn't realize it - they thought they were choosing Barabbas - but what were they really shouting - Bar [son of] - Abba [Father] - so in reply to Pilate's question who to release - the crowd yelled "son of the Father"

GOD rested His case - Jesus had been examined - the jury was in - He was pronounced innocent by all [Jew & Gentile alike].

The Passover Lamb was sacrificed!

"It is finished"