ART/ENTERTAINMENT and SPORT/RECREATION ARENAS

“Everything that God has made is beautiful.  Nothing in the universe is without colour, form, and design.  He is the Lord of beauty.  He is beautiful.  The arts reveal the creator through music, words, colour, design, balance, movement, harmony and rhythm.  David said that the stars sing the glory of the Lord.  There are physicists today who think it is completely possible that the planets do vibrate in perfect harmonic chords.

On the seventh day God rested.  We should think of this rest as taking time to contemplate the beauty of creation, a savouring of the goodness of all that He has made. God’s attributes revealed in the arts are beauty, rest and celebration.  God’s purpose for this arena is to renew and restore us and give us joy from our labour.”  (Landa Cope from “Old Testament Template”)

“The seventh day, (the Jewish name is Shabbat), is the crown of Creation and the first thing God made holy:  “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it”. (Gen 2:3).  The Sabbath was made for man.  It establishes a redemptive rhythm of work and rest in which time itself becomes hallowed.  Those who honour it are sanctified in turn.  They enter into a God-ordained pattern of covenantal existence that sets them apart as a ‘treasured people’ that bear His name in the world.

Shabbat reminds us of the goodness of creation and the greatness of the Creator.  Setting apart the seventh day unto the Lord honours our Creator and acknowledges the moral implications of His sovereignty.  It encourages us to honour the Creator by giving up our own creative efforts.  For six days a week we labour in the world for our own ends.  For one day we are asked to remember the Creator and return our creations and ourselves back to His dominion.  We invite God by His Spirit to lead us beside the ‘waters of rest’ (Ps 23:2) and restore our souls.  Only under His reign do we experience the fullness of peace, shalom.  Shabbat is a day set apart for family and friends, study and prayer, scripture and nature – ultimately it is the Lord’s day. ” (Dr Pryor from “Jerusalem Post Christian Edition”)

PRAYER POINTS:

v      Let’s begin by examining our own life before God regarding the quotes above.  Consider how you spend your leisure time, how you rest and what needs to change.  This is a prophetic act that will have repercussions on those around us, our homes, and on creation.

v      Ps 27:4 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”  When we see the beauty of the Lord and His creation, we will view man’s creations with different eyes.

v      Meditate on Ps 23, Ecc 3:11, Gen 2:1-3, Ex 33:14

v      Repent and with God’s help begin to put in place the necessary changes.  Don’t let this be aborted.

v      The Church should lead the way in the above arenas.  Through Christians, God’s nature, attributes, beauty and creative power needs to be displayed to a world caught up in and influenced by “the mundane, thoughtless, chaotic, demeaning, lewd and ugly” (Cope)  Thank God for Christians who are positively influencing the world through their gifts and talents in art, sport, entertainment.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring to them refreshing and a new release of creativity that reflects God and honours Him; that they will understand the purpose of their gift.

v      Pray for an explosion of Spirit-led creativity to burst forth from the Christian community in NZ; that it will not be aborted, but be used to educate about abortion and pro-life issues, about human love as God ordained it; that it will fuel the pursuit of purity in every way – in spirit, soul and body – in every age group.  Pray especially for “Generation Z, those born since 1992…. in a global study of 112,000 13-17 year olds…showed a return to traditional values….one of which is loyalty and a more conservative values system…. and a surprising desire to embrace more conservative viewpoints espoused by their parents.” (Waikato Times 23 June ’09)

v      Pray about the way sex is used to promote many unrelated products/activities; how pre-marital sex is featured as normal; the expectation placed on young people to engage in sex; the peer pressure e.g. during sports trips, the ball season, etc, which result in “a third of 16 year olds in NZ having already had sex” (Times 26 May, ’09).  Unwanted pregnancies and possible abortion result.

v      Pray that well-known sports people, artists and entertainers will begin to speak out messages about pro-life, abstinence, saying NO to pre-marital sex, purity, etc.  Magazines would print their message, TV would interview them – there would be wide coverage and respect for their message.

SECTION TWO:  Voice for Life National Original Song Contest

The song content is to be themed to respect for human life at any age or stage from conception to natural death (includes: childhood, youth, fatherhood, motherhood, family, old age – your choice).

Two Categories:

1. Open: no age limit; no residential restriction. 

First prize $1,000; Second prize $1,000; Third prize $500

1. College Students and Under 19 years.

First prize $1,000; Second prize $500; Third prize $250

Entry Fee:  $25 per song.  Entry and fee must be received by August 10^th, 2009

             See http://voiceforlife.bravehost.com/index.html or details below for entry forms and conditions.

Entrants must:  submit lyrics and a recording on CD or DVD which will be judged for inclusion or elimination as finalists.

Entrants in Category 2 only must submit a DVD (as possible replacement for live performance) if they do not wish to attend the finals in Tauranga.

Entries must be original, commercially unreleased compositions.

Any established style acceptable but must be presented tastefully.

Finalists will provide their own accompaniment.  Backing tracks permissible.

All entrants will retain own copyrights.

Judging will be on the basis of lyrics, musicianship, and presentation, with consideration given to clarity of diction.  Judges’ decisions will be final.

Finals will be held in Tauranga, on stage, with live audience, September 26^th, 2009.

Contact:  Voice for Life BOP, Charitable Trust, P.O. Box 2568, Tauranga Email: donbrebs@xtra.co.nz

PRAYER POINTS:

v      This contest aligns well with our arena topic this month.  Please pray for a high standard of lyrics, ones written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, ones that will convict those listening about the sanctity of life at all ages and stages.

v      Pray for the judges to be led by the Holy Spirit.

v      Encouragement for Voice for Life in this venture.

SECTION THREE:  High Court hearing, Wellington.

I strongly encourage you to fast in some way before this case, or on the day.

Date:  Monday 20^th July, probably from 10am to 1pm.

Before Justice Forrest Miller

Right to Life lawyers: Peter and Ian

Purpose: Declaratory Orders.

          Right to Life will seek to have Justice Miller issue clear declarations to the ASC setting out the statutory powers and duties of the ASC. 

(This follows the Court of Appeal in May at which the judges said there was nothing ASC could appeal from Justice Miller’s recommendations made at the ’08 High Court case.)

PRAYER POINTS:

v      Pray for great clarity, Holy Spirit led discussions, deliberations and decisions.

v      Pray that Justice Miller, under the power of the Holy Spirit, and with the power and authority vested in him as a High Court judge, will issue very clear, undisputable, pro-life declarations, about which ASC and Right to Life and the lawyers are very clear.  That these will astound with their accuracy and truth.  They will set out the statutory powers and duties of the ASC and have the effect of declaring the law and the way in which it should be applied as set out in the fuller reasons given by Justice Miller in his judgment 2008.

v      Pray that agreement will be reached about what form these declarations are to take.

v      Pray that the process of justice will not be aborted at any stage, by any person, in any way.

v      Pray for David and Joanna, who are planning to be present in the court room to pray: for wisdom and discernment at every stage, for protection of them and their families.  Pray for them to have eyes to see, ears to hear what the Lord is saying/doing.

v      Let’s remember the chessboard picture with God making moves to bring about His purposes.  We need to learn more about not viewing what’s happening according to our understanding.

v      This case is about declarations:

       Declare the Word of God: Ps 96:1-13 especially v3 “Declare His glory”.

       Ps 106:2 “Who can…fully declare His praise?”

       Is 42:1-17 especially v9 “New things I declare”.

       May Justice Miller’s declarations align with the eternal order of God’s universe.

v      Pray concerning the probable steps following this case. The ASC could resurrect their appeal and Right to Life resurrect their cross-appeal from the May Court of Appeal action.

If either party do not like the orders from the High Court they could appeal these as well.  ASC are likely to appeal.

The matters will be filed in the Court of Appeal and will be set down for a 2-day hearing either before the end of this year or early next year.

v      For more “prayer fuel” refer to previous Whistle Prayer Letters and use whatever is applicable.