2 Illustrations, 1 True Story And All Hands On Deck For Marriage

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year it would win best in show in the local competitions.
Naturally, people wanted to know why. So a newspaper reporter interviewed him. The reporter was astonished to learn that he actually shared his seed corn with his neighbours.
Surprised and puzzled, the reporter asked, “Why are you giving your best seed corn with your neighbours? They’re your competition!”
The farmer smiled and replied, “Why sir, didn’t you know? It’s all about cross pollination. The wind picks up pollen from ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, it would slowly but surely degrade the quality of my corn. To grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.

He told them a parable to illustrate that it is necessary always to pray and not lose heart. He said: “In a city there was a judge who did not fear God or regard man. And a widow was in that city. She came to him, saying, ‘Avenge me against my adversary.

He would not for a while. Yet afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I do not fear God or respect man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she will weary me.’ ”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge His own elect and be patient with them, who cry day and night to Him? I tell you, He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

These two illustrations speak of two things: Influence and Persistence.

While these illustrations talk of the good things that come from persistent positive influence, this principle also holds true of the bad things which come from persistent negative influence.

No doubt, many of you know that here in Australia, Coalition back benchers forced an emergency meeting on 7th of August over the issue of redefining marriage. This has concluded with offering Australians a Postal vote on the issue. This outcome was undoubtedly affected by what some of you have done in prayer and action (like the 55,000 signature petition asking for the vote) and I thank you for it.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.”
Proverbs14:34

This serves to highlight the importance of opinion versus conviction.
Opinions are held loosely. What you want for dinner can be an opinion based on your mood and what’s convenient. On the other hand, convictions are strongly held core beliefs which you will live and die by. Pray and vote for leaders who are convicted over the important issues. If they are not convicted, they may flip from agreeing with Godly principles to ungodly ones at their political convenience.

This Matters

“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.”
Aristotle
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four.”
“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
George Orwell.

This is an issue that needs to be handled and shared with conviction.
It matters to children, it matters to freedoms, it matters to women, it matters to speech, it matters to equality, it matters to the course of human history and it matters to the very sanity of marriage. It even matters to the concept of love and truth itself including the possibility that “Church leaders must be made to take homosexuality off the sin list.

And here’s an analysis by a former Deputy Prime Minister on how it matters to politics and the future of Australia itself…

With what’s at stake, this is why the issue has continued for those who defend or attack the good. The desperation of those seeking to destroy marriage by persistently pushing their agenda with underhanded methods also shows a disrespect and contempt for the concerns and values of the rest of their fellow Australians.
And why wouldn’t they? It works.
But only if we let them. Remember, influence and persistence.

You Matter

So how do you fit in all of this? Right in the thick of it.

“What is to give light must endure burning.”
Viktor Frankl

The upcoming campaign against marriage will predictably be filled with trash talk. Don’t believe the trash talk.
And as before, it will also be full of intolerant behaviour from those who push for the redefinition. Don’t be bullied into silence. Do be pointing out the hypocrisy of the intolerance of those who ask for tolerance.

Petition.
Firstly, petition God in prayer. And not against those acting to overturn the good in society as they are merely human agents and victims themselves. We need to be acting against the spirits behind them.
Secondly, petition our human leaders by political processes for those who reside in Australia. Strategically align your actions and resources to the work of experienced and well placed organisations like The Australian Christian Lobby, Marriage Alliance and Australian Marriage Forum.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

“Winners show up.” And the opposite holds true.
Make no mistake, to not be involved is to abandon our culture and children to this agenda and appetite.
Let us not be like the bystander who only watched on when someone was being attacked or worse yet, filmed it with our mobile phone to be posted online. Lets us instead be ones who knew the gravity of the situation and acted.

Be encouraged.

God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

Power – It has never been and never will be about our power. It isn’t in our might or our power but by God Almighty’s spirit.

Love – love does the hard things. Unite and speak up. Yes, it may be costly to do so but anything precious always costs. But do have a clear perspective – the cost is probably not as high as you think. With the postal ballots going out at the start of September, the time is now.
Yes, truth isn’t a popularity contest – biology and the reality of marriage as it has been across the millennia in all cultures isn’t something you vote on. It is what it is.
Yes, truth isn’t a popularity contest but the broadcasting of truth is. Spread the truth, the understanding of every child’s need for a mother and a father, the shutting down of the fundamentals of democracy like freedom of speech and action with the redefinition of marriage.

The good news is that you can and do make a difference. Here is but a short list of recent examples…

Sound mind – Always remember, logic and the evidence of how things work in the real world are on our side. And on the topic of a sound mind – this leads me to the true story I want to share with you:
There was a man who had a child with a woman. While the redefinition of marriage denies this biological fact, I mention this specific man because he complicated what should have been a joyous occasion by having the child with a woman while the both of them were married to other people. This double act of adultery is tragic enough in their personal lives but it is magnified by the position of influence this man has over our nation’s marriage life.

This man’s name? Bill Shorten, the leader of the Federal Labor Party.
I mention this not out of spite, it is after all a part of the public record. I only mention it so you can pray for him personally, in addition to prayers for him as one of the leaders of our country. But importantly, I mention it to help you understand how far some are removed from what real marriage is all about. And to encourage you to pray for and share about the sound thinking and living that is real, natural, Man-Woman marriage.

Ultimately, may this serve to unite and rouse into action those called by God’s name. And if it does, it would have all been worth it.

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3 Responses to “ 2 Illustrations, 1 True Story And All Hands On Deck For Marriage ”

  1. […] Marriage is a beautiful message we should preserve because its message preserves us. […]

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