Global food and grain shortages

Mr John Anderson, a former federal leader of the Nationals, yesterday warned of possible global food and grain shortages. "This comes at a time of unprecedented concerns globally of very low grain stocks," he said.

Australia's current economic boom is fuelled by overseas demand for our commodity. The rise of India and particularly China's embrace of capitalism has proved invaluable to Australia's businesses. While some would like to think it has been all good management it is has been more good luck!

But while good luck has got us full employment bad luck will cause quite a bit of pain for us in the future. Our grain is traded on the world market and prices are shooting up daily because of world wide crop failures. Supermarket shortages are not something we have had to cope with in this country for years and for some they have never seen lack. It will be a shock to many.

However times change...Jesus said that famines in various places were all signs of the beginning of the end of time.

Doomsday prophets are not popular...and inevitably the crisis they predict passes...but with global warming and climate change with us for the long term perhaps this time they are right. What do you think?

The Word of God...suggestion, recommendation or command

I once sat in a room with a group of men who represented churches in Australia with congregations in excess of 500. We were privileged to listen to Philip Adams from the ABC, a well known atheist on how he saw the church. It was one of the more refreshing talks of the whole conference and one I enjoyed immensely. He was witty as usual, his opening comment "I feel like a lion in a room full of Daniels!

But more thought provoking was his remark that if indeed the room full of men represented churches of over 500 then the church as a political lobby was larger than both of the major political parties. The question remained of course was that if Philip's assessment was accurate why doesn't the church exercise more infuence on the political front?

The short answer is of course that the church is not called to dominate the political agenda. It is called to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth...ambassadors of Christ. The modern trend of the church to get into bed with one side of politics is dangerous to the extreme and does little to advance the cause of Christ.

The church can have the influence Adam's sees possible but it can only come through the way Jesus gave to us. "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matt 28:18-20

When the church treats this as a little more than a suggestion or recommended option and begins to accept it as a command...then maybe we the church will have a tad more influence in the land.