About Ralph
Ralph is 43 years old and lives in Mt Colah (Sydney Australia) with his wife Narelle and their 4 Children (Jacqui 17, Jono 15, Maddy 12 and Caleb 10).
Ralph and Narelle are Senior Pastors of Breakthrough Church in Hornsby.
Ralph loves life, making short films, photography, trekking, cycling and woodwork.
Ralph believes that Jesus came to bring people an abundant, fulfilling and successful life and he is busy helping people find it.
Dear Bro. Ralph and Family,
It was fantastic that you and Erick and Bro. Bill could come to the Philippines and I am amazed at the blog you posted regarding the motorcycle. Some villages does not have rides, even. If you remember me, I am Daffodil, the lady whose house you had meals with. My rabbit Bamba was rather nonchalant with the people who visited our house. She sure does appreciate the pastors who told her that she was rather “beautiful.” I am surprised that your children are teen-agers. I thought they were kids! I wish to visit Bro. Bill’s website as well. God bless you and your family. Please pray for my Indian friends who are in jail right now. My mother and I were both happy all of you pastors could come to our house. I am so sorry I wasn’t very hospitable. My prayer is to be more prosperous so I can help more the people of the church and our society. God bless. Your Sister in Christ, Daffodil and Bamba Sally Rabbit
Hello Ralph
Each week a priceless pearl is published in The Bush Telegraph. I have read some but tend to pass up on it now. Nothing wrong with the sentiment and can be an interesting read. I have read the Bible, been raised and schooled in Christian surroundings and have always welcomed christian friendships.
Recently I read comments by Leigh Compton and I do agree with this person. What absolutely baffles me is WHY is Jesus accepted in terms of the way he is presented in the Bible. The old testament makes many astounding claims about Noah, Abraham and Moses. Why literally believe these stories. God would not want us overextending our imaginations to consider the claims literally. Noah could not build a boat so big out of timber. It would not hold together and is just not possible! The people of that time could not have knowledge that the world was in flood. Just not possible! God would not want us to accept a stretch of a story as an honest testament. This would not be an appropriate acceptance! I have quickly accepted, and it is clear to me, that there is no such thing as a person blessed as being a prophet.
Back to Jesus. Why would it be wrong for me to instead believe a more likely story that Mary got pregnant, shamed, exhiled and would not disclose the father. Jesus did not know his father and it was explained to him he was the son of God. He accepted this and went on to learn as much as he could from the earliest teachings about God. He upset many leading people of the time claiming he was king of the Jews.
So Jesus is born in exhile and after a long period time starts to preach his learnings, accepting he has no earthly natural father but instead accepts he is the son of God. And he doesn’t write anything! About himself or what he has learnt. Those who do write about him wait a generation or so before doing so. The story does not pass the test of immediate scrutiny. As time goes by, wise people learn to keep the majority of people in check by giving them strong morals and beliefs. IMHO, this is one of the strongest influential vibes to new testament recounts. I demand that we need more understanding and knowledge of the people who wrote their testaments. There is too much omission of this vital information.
Please tell me, I would not ask any ordinary person this question as it could undermine their faith, but please why, you as the publisher of “priceless pearls”, do you know Jesus was an immaculate conception, rose from the dead and performed many miracles. And please no platitudes or telling me it is a faith that has grown from Bible passage reading. And if you feel God is talking to you, then you have lost me. I too can have this feeling by building stories around everyday events!
While I prefer to believe there is a God, it could not be in terms of the Biblical account. To me it sometimes presents God as being evil, selfish and as a thing that sacrifices many people to eternal exclusion just so he gets what he wants! But the God we desire would not be like this!
cheers
Phil
My previous posting was inadvertently in this section. Sorry for this. But interestingly to note the little interest shown here by Ralph or other people. Oh well!
Dear Phil
It was interesting to read your comments.
I accept the way Jesus Christ is presented in the Bible because it makes sense to me, like nothing else. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, healed the lame, gave answers to people that cut to the quick, He was full of insight and wisdom, loving, compelling, challenging, holy and amazing! His birth, life, suffering, death and resurrection were special and unique because He revealed God to us, came to pay for our sin and thus enable us to come back to God. (see http://www.twowaystolive.com)
The claims about Noah, Abraham and Moses are well-documented historical fact. Let’s look at one example, the 10 Commandments (given by God to Moses Exodus 20) summed up in loving God and loving others. At its best, much of our society is based on these laws of love and justice. I believe that if everyone fully obeyed these laws there would be perfect harmony in relationships.
I don’t know much about ship-building but I read that Noah’s ark was covered with tar, that God instructed how it was to be built and that those on board were saved. (www.answersingenesis.org may have more answers for you)
Going back to Jesus Christ, many of God’s prophets predicted His coming and mission to bring people back to God, especially Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 (and many more) and the details were very specific and fulfilled by Christ (Luke 4:18).
There are some unanswered questions in our lives and it may appear that God is selfish and so on. The Bible account says that God is love, that He knows everything and is all-powerful. Because we are human, we are not able to see the full picture.
What I have found is that when I trusted Him, He did change my life, He did make it better and I found what I was looking for. Please read John Chapter 3, verses 16-18.