POLICE---Play it safe and be kind on the roads this weekend
Be kind and take extra care on the road this weekend – that’s the message from Police and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency this Queen’s Birthday Weekend. "As people prepare to go away for the first long weekend since lockdown, we want to remind them they will be sharing the road with a lot more people than they’ve been used to for a while. And with more people comes more risk,” says Acting Superintendent Gini Welch, National Manager for Road Policing.
“We need people to remember the basics of road safety; wear your seatbelt, stay within the speed limit and drive to the conditions of the road, put your phone away, always make sure you are sober and alert.
Share the driving if you can. “This is the first long weekend the country has had since the start of the year where people are actually able to leave town as part of Alert Level 2. “We know people will be keen to catch up with friends and family they have missed around the country.
That likely means they’ll be eager to get going and get there. “So we want to remind people that there will be traffic and there will be hold ups, so it’s important to stay calm and patient. The important thing is arriving at your destination safely. “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Kiwis have done a great job of being kind to each other. And being kind on the roads is just as vital as anywhere else. “How you act on the roads has an impact on everybody else around you. So, let’s remember to be kind and take care of each other,” Acting Superintendent Welch says. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Senior Road Safety Manager Fabian Marsh says Queen’s Birthday weekend is also a good time for people to move into a safe winter driving mindset. “While most of the country has had a long summer and an unusually fine autumn, winter weather is starting to set in. We’re now seeing a drop in overnight temperatures, and more cold, wet, windy days. The change in the weather is a good prompt to think about safe winter driving. “Ice, fog, rain, and snow can all make for treacherous road conditions, so it’s important to allow extra time for your journeys and drive to the road and weather conditions. “It’s also important to ensure your car is safe, roadworthy, and well equipped for winter driving, with a safe spare tyre, lights, brakes and windscreen-wipers all working, and a clean windscreen inside and out.” Waka Kotahi’s website contains more easy tips for safe winter driving: nzta.govt.nz/winterjourneys. “These tips are particularly important heading into the long Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend, with more traffic on our roads,” says Mr Marsh. Police officers will continue to be highly visible on the roads throughout the long weekend, ensuring those who are travelling are driving safely.
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The Gospel’s Relevance Today**
The Gospel, meaning ‘good news’, is the cornerstone of the message contained in the Bible’s first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While these records were written approximately 2,000 years ago, a natural question arises: why is this Gospel still relevant and vital for us today? This analysis seeks to explore what the Bible itself defines as the Gospel and to understand its enduring significance.
**Defining the Gospel: Core Biblical References**
The Gospel is not a vague concept; Scripture provides clear descriptions of its content and focus.
* **The Gospel of the Kingdom:** In Matthew 4:23, as Jesus begins his ministry, he is described as “preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” This immediately establishes that the good news is centrally about a kingdom—the Kingdom of God. His accompanying miracles served to validate the authority of this message.
* **The Gospel of Jesus Christ:** Mark 1:1 opens with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Here, “Christ” is a title meaning ‘anointed one’. Thus, the good news is intrinsically about Jesus: his identity as the Anointed One and his unique status as the Son of God.
* **The Gospel of God’s Grace:** In Acts 20:24, the Apostle Paul speaks of his mission to “testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Grace signifies an undeserved gift. This reveals that the Gospel involves a gift from God, offered not because it is merited, but out of His benevolence.
* **The Gospel of Salvation and Peace:** Romans 1:16 declares the Gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” breaking down barriers between Jew and Gentile (Greek). Furthermore, Romans 10:15 calls it the “gospel of peace,” pointing to a future state of peace brought about by this message.
* **The Gospel Summarised:** 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides a foundational summary. Paul reminds believers of the gospel he preached, “by which also you are saved.” He then states its core historical facts: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Gospel is therefore rooted in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.
In synthesis, the Gospel is the good news of **salvation and future peace in the Kingdom of God**, made possible by **the grace of God** and **the obedient sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ**, and offered to all who believe.
**Old Testament Foundations: The Gospel Preached to Abraham**
A crucial question is whether the Gospel is confined to the New Testament. Scripture shows its foundations were laid much earlier. Galatians 3:8 states explicitly that “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”
This reference points back to Genesis 12:1-3, where God made profound promises to Abraham: to make him a great nation, to bless those who blessed him, and that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” These promises—later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob—form the bedrock of the Gospel hope. The good news of salvation through Christ is the fulfillment of how **all nations** would be blessed through Abraham’s “seed.”
**The Gospel’s Personal Relevance: Good News for You Today**
How does this ancient message become “good news for you” today? The application is clearly outlined in Galatians 3.
* **Access through Faith in Christ:** Galatians 3:26 declares, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The promise made to Abraham is now extended to anyone with faith in Jesus.
* **The Role of Baptism:** Verse 27 explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Baptism is the God-appointed act of faith that identifies a believer with Christ’s death and resurrection.
* **Unity and Inheritance:** Verses 28-29 reveal the glorious outcome: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Through the Gospel, all barriers are removed; believers become spiritual descendants of Abraham and heirs to the promises of the Kingdom.
This Gospel was once a mystery hidden in God’s purpose (Ephesians 3:3-9). Now, it has been revealed: the unsearchable riches of Christ, offering salvation to all who heed the call, believe the message, and are baptised into him.
**Conclusion: An Enduring and Open Invitation**
The Gospel is far more than a historical account; it is the living, powerful good news of God’s plan for salvation. It is rooted in promises to Abraham, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and open to all people without distinction. It offers a tangible hope—the hope of resurrection, peace, and an inheritance in the coming Kingdom of God. This is why the Gospel remains profoundly relevant. It is an invitation to listen, believe, and stand firm in this hope, linking our lives today to the eternal purpose of God.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Bible Q&A: Why is the Bible Made Up of Only the 66 Books?
Attend any of our Bible Addresses at the above address to hear topics like this......
Why is the Bible Made Up of Only the 66 Books?
Introduction
A question is posed regarding the experience of studying a Bible that contained the books of First and Second Maccabees in secondary school. While the narrative behind Hanukkah was enjoyable, the question arises: why are these and other apocryphal books not included in every Bible? The core of the question is rephrased to explore why these specific books are not considered inspired.
Canon vs. Inspiration: A Crucial Distinction
The first point made is that it is important to distinguish between the canon of Scripture and inspiration. The canon (from *c-a-n-o-n*) refers to the collection of texts recognized as authoritative by a religion. It is clear that many more inspired sayings and writings existed than are captured in the 39 books of the Old Testament canon. This logically leads to a further question: should we then search for other inspired writings outside our canon? The answer given is no.
The Overarching Reason: God’s Providence
The most important reason is foundational. Belief in God is established for reasons largely independent of the Bible’s exact book count—such as the evidence from creation, the historical facts of Jesus’ resurrection, and the scattering and return of Israel. If we believe in such a God—a moral God who sent Jesus—it is reasonable to assume He wants to communicate with us and is able to ensure we have the texts He intended. Therefore, we can trust that the Scriptures we possess are what God intended us to have and are sufficient for His communication to us.
Why Do We Have the 39 Books of the Old Testament?
While trust in God’s oversight is primary, it is still instructive to understand the historical process. Key evidence points to the early fixation of the Hebrew canon:
Strong evidence from the Babylonian Talmud and the writings of the first-century historian Josephus indicates that Jews had settled on a three-part Hebrew Bible structure (the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings) comprising 24 books long before the 1st century. These 24 books correspond to the 39 books of our Old Testament.
Jesus himself hinted at this three-part structure in Luke 24:44 when he referred to “the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
Josephus specifically noted that the detailed records written after the time of Nehemiah (circa Artaxerxes) were not granted the same credit as the earlier records because “there has not been since then the exact succession of prophets.” This reflects mainstream Jewish thought that writings after a certain period held a secondary status.
The Formal Recognition at Jamnia
Following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, Jewish rabbis convened at Jamnia. They formally pronounced these 24 books as the canon of the Hebrew Bible. Significantly, there was hardly any debate on the issue because the canon was already long established through centuries of use and practice. This was not a human committee arbitrarily choosing books, but rather confirming a canon that God had providentially overseen and that was already fixed. The Jewish concept of scrolls that “defile the hands” (requiring ritual washing due to their holiness) also served to distinguish these authoritative scriptural scrolls from others.
How the Apocrypha Entered Christian Usage
The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the Septuagint) in Alexandria. These Greek translations included some secondary books, like First and Second Maccabees. It was through these Greek translations that such books came into some streams of Christian usage. Today, churches like the Anglican Communion may accept some apocryphal books “for instruction in life and manners but not for the establishment of doctrine.” The Catholic and Eastern churches have slightly different sets, but none treat these secondary books as a primary source for doctrine.
Conclusion
In conclusion, God has providentially overseen the process that has given us the Bible we have today. Cross-denominationally, there is a recognition that the apocryphal books do not carry the same status and authority as the 66 books of the canon. They can be useful for cultural and historical background, such as understanding the context of Hanukkah or Jewish life in the intertestamental period. Most importantly, we have no need to be concerned that we are missing inspired revelation or that we have books in our Bible that shouldn’t be there. The canon we possess is sufficient and authoritative.
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