Signs of the Times June 2025

GLENIS LINDLEY:

FAITH AT FULL THROTTLE a christian perspective on the world today

In this issue June 2025 WHAT IN THE WORLD 04 IS EMPATHY KILLING THE WEST? 06 Or is it invaluable to the health of civilisation?

RAISING SONS IN THE IMAGE OF A LOVING FATHER 12 Being a dad in Andrew Tate’s world.

GLENIS LINDLEY: FAITH AT FULL THROTTLE

Remembering an incredible

photographer, writer and person.

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HOW TO DEFEAT YOUR LIFE’S LIE 18 You’ve got a lie. How do you beat it?

HOW TO RAISE CONFIDENT CHILDREN 24 SAM’S UNWELCOME GUEST 26 Was his dead mum really speaking beyond the grave?

BIG MOMENTS 40 You’re gifted—whether you know it or not.

ASK PASTOR JESSE 46 TAKING THE PLUNGE 48 Going beneath the waves into new life.

SEVEN HABITS TO ACHIEVE YOUR BEST HEALTH 54 MIRACLES AMID DISASTER The 2004 tsunami was devastating— but also created unlikely heroes.

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Be your healthiest self.

HOST THE ULTIMATE VEGETARIAN BBQ 60 SUDOKU AND CROSSWORD PUZZLE 62

@SIGNSMAG

Everyday influence The Oxford Dictionary defines influence as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behaviour of someone or something”.

When I think about who has influenced me, many come to mind. My older siblings who I strived to be like growing up. My parents whose values and character echo in my own. Old classmates who steered me to make regrettable decisions. And people whose life and being has radiated something I want to mirror. Then there are the modern-day “influencers” with a blue badge on their profiles. Some have meaningfully shaped my thinking, while others have played on my insecurities and, admittedly, my spending habits.

Today, influence is often equated with views and followers, rewarded by good looks, aesthetic feeds or a charismatic personality. Many chase it, pay for it and curate posts in search of it.

But we all have influence. So long as we are around others, it isn’t optional, it’s inevitable. Our words and actions can either make the world a better place to be— or a crummier place to endure.

Throughout this issue, we see influence in many forms: a barber talking to men while cutting their hair (p4), community rallying together after a disaster (p38), a healthy lifestyle that inspires others (p54). In words that shape identity (p18), in a parent’s quiet example (p 12,24) and a life marked by kindness and generosity (p32).

None of these stories hinge on views or followers.

They’re about living intentionally, thoughtfully, with others in mind.

Let’s influence consciously. Let’s bring out the best in each other and enjoy the deep delight of making a good, lasting difference.

ZANITA FLETCHER Assistant Editor

VOL 139 NO 5

ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Jarrod Stackelroth ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jesse Herford ASSISTANT EDITOR Zanita Fletcher COPYEDITORS Melody Tan Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Theodora Pau’u Talia Valderrama PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsmag.com WEBSITE signsmag.com ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A28/$NZ30; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical.

Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs.

Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised.

Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide.

COVER IMAGE: Supplied

WHAT IN THE WORLD Barber therapy NEW ZEALAND

Taimalelagi Mataio Brown began advocacy work on domestic violence in his barbershop in Aotearoa, New Zealand, speaking to men who came in for a cut.

A survivor of family violence himself, he saw the need for affordable mental health support.

He later started group therapy sessions in his shop, attracting close to 100 men the first night.

Brown and his wife went on to found She Is Not Your Rehab, a global movement helping men face their trauma, reject violence and take charge of their mental health. They also launched a selfimprovement app for men and a book now used in New Zealand prisons.—ABC Pacific

Australia’s healthiest area A new measure of what’s needed to maintain health has identified Australia’s healthiest areas based on several factors. Monash Universityled research found Tasmania and Hobart to be the healthiest state and capital city to live in, while the Northern Territory and Darwin were rated the unhealthiest. Factors included air quality, green spaces, building density, temperature variability and climate conditions, and evaluated how these relate to mortality risks.—Monash University 4

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IMAGE SOURCES: INSTAGRAM (@MYFATHERSBARBER), PEXELS

AUSTRALIA

Re-learning migration EUROPE

The northern bald ibis (the Waldrapp) was once a common sight, but hunting and habitat loss drove them close to extinction. Breeding efforts faltered as reintroduced birds had no ancestral knowledge of migration routes. Biologist and pilot Johannes Fritz, and Austria’s Waldrapp team, have been hand-raising chicks, building trust and luring the young birds to follow him in flight to teach captive-bred chicks how to migrate again. One of Waldrapp’s “bird mums” said, “It’s a special time. You’re flying with the birds you raised by hand.”

The climate crisis has made the usual passage too dangerous, so a new 50day route was developed. Inevitably, the journey ends with a bittersweet parting.—Positive News Network

Why does my coffee cost $8?

AUSTRALIA

Australia coffee prices may continue to increase, even reaching double digits for a single cup. While some blame greedy exporters and inflation, a global bean shortage may be the culprit. Australia’s favoured supplier, Brazil, has suffered extreme droughts, excessive rainfall and temperature shifts, severely reducing harvests. Despite being near coffeegrowing nations like Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, Australia faces taste and supply hurdles. Many Pacific beans have spicier profiles and most farms are small, with ageing trees producing low yields.

With climate change reshaping coffee-growing regions, experts warn of a robusta shortage by 2040 unless serious investment is made in Pacific coffee growing.—ABC News JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

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Is empathy killing the West?

Elon Musk certainly seems to think so.

JESSE HERFORD

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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don’t know if you’ve heard, but apparently the culprit for the supposed decline of the Western world is an innocuous attribute called empathy. At least, that’s if you listen to conservative American commentator Allie Beth Stuckey in her book Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion.

“It’s a toxic empathy that pushes us not only to have compassion for someone’s difficulties but to unquestioningly affirm their feelings, because, if we were in their shoes, we’d want our feelings to be affirmed.”1 Stuckey asserts that empathy causes us to do things we’d otherwise be opposed to—that putting ourselves in others’ shoes likewise puts us into a position to be manipulated.

She says that this kind of empathy is not based on facts—rather, it is fundamentally rooted in feelings.

Or there’s Joe Rigney, a pastor and author who recently released his own book: The Sin of Empathy: Compassion and Its Counterfeits. Similarly, Rigney rails against the activism of the left—but in particular, he takes aim at feminism.

“The reason women are barred from the pastoral office [is because they] are wired towards care, nurture, compassion and empathy, which makes them ill-suited to that role. So, it’s no surprise that in a culture which has become dominated by feminism, that you would have an outbreak of empathy that would become the steering wheel by which every institution is hijacked.”2

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In these authors’ view, empathy is the vehicle through which the West will be feminised, deconstructed and converted into a Marxist hellscape.

All these conversations found their nexus when recently, Elon Musk appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience3 talking about (among other things) how empathy is “a fundamental weakness of Western civilisation”. He refers to it as “an exploit” or “a bug in the system”. His point (as he puts it) is that you should care about individual people—but you should care more about civilisation than individuals.

Borrowing a term from marketing professor and Joe Rogan frequenter Gad Saad, Musk characterises the West as having “civilisational suicidal empathy”.

Perhaps this notion doesn’t sound all that bad to you. Perhaps it even sounds mildly appealing. After all, who among us that live in a prosperous, democratic society would wish the death of said society? But what may appear ideologically defensible at first glance may actually hide a more sinister intent.

where did empathy come from?

Empathy as a term has only been with us for around 100 years. The German word Einfühlung (a combination of ein, “in” and Fühlung, “feeling”) was coined by philosopher Rudolf Hermann Lotze in the mid-19th century. Etymologically, Einfühlung (and by extension, empathy) has its roots in the Greek word empatheia (en, “in” and pathos, 8

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“feeling”). The word as rendered in Greek means “passion”.

It wasn’t until 1908 that Einfühlung made the leap from German to English. There is some doubt as to whether Lotze translated the phrase into English or whether the British psychologist Edward Titchener was the one to do so.

“Not only do I see gravity and modesty and pride and courtesy and stateliness, but I feel or act them in the mind’s muscles. This is, I suppose, a simple case of empathy, if we may coin that term as a rendering of Einfühlung; there is nothing curious or idiosyncratic about it; but it is a fact that must be mentioned.”4 Originally, empathy was not interpreted as feeling another person’s emotions—rather, to “enliven an object, or to project one’s own imagined feelings onto the world”. By the 1950s, psychologists shifted their thinking to define the word in terms of interpersonal connection.

Child psychologist Jean Piaget believed and taught that empathy was a vital component to children’s cognitive development—that without empathy, a child would not be able to grow up to become a functioning, healthy member of society.

Carl Rogers, the founder of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, likewise championed empathy as a fundamental aspect of CBT. Today, the study of empathy has moved into many spheres of life, including economics, leadership, literature and more.

warnings from Nuremberg

“Why then”, might we well ask, “would someone like Elon Musk all of a sudden want to vilify something so basic as empathy?” To find the answer we must turn to history.

At the end of WWII, trials were held for surviving Nazi members in the city of Nuremberg in Germany.

The aim was to hold to account those who architected Hitler’s wartime plans, as well as for the horrific concentration camps that killed more than 6 million Jews, Gypsies, Slavs and other marginalised groups.

A Jewish-American psychologist, Gustave Gilbert, was appointed as the prison’s psychologist. He also

became a confidant for many of the highest-ranking Nazis, such as Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hermann Göring, Wilhelm Keitel, Rudolf Höss, Ernst Kaltenbrunner and others. In 1947, Gilbert published the diary he kept while observing, eavesdropping on or speaking directly to these men.

Though there is much that could be said about the Nuremberg Diary, Gilbert’s assessment of evil is perhaps most striking.

“I told you once that I was searching for the nature of evil. I think I’ve come close to defining it: a lack of empathy. It’s the one characteristic that connects all the defendants.

A genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow man. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”

The absence of empathy is what enabled the Nazis to unify around the ideals of anti-Semitism. It is what enabled them to rally a nation that otherwise would not have embraced such extremism. In the case of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s chief propagandist, systematically destroying any sense of empathy JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

DONGHUN SHIN—UNSPLASH

Musk characterises the West as having “civilisational suicidal empathy”

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toward the Jews was fundamental to achieving the Nazis’ aims—up until and including Hitler’s “Final Solution”.

Goebbels amplified Hitler’s rhetoric agains the Jews by labelling them as “a disease”, “traitors”, “moneygrubbers” and much more. These insults were not simply vindictive—they were carefully calculated.

By removing the humanity of Jews, the Nazis were able to shift how ordinary Germans thought about their neighbours, friends and in some cases, family members. To “drink the Kool-Aid” was to accept that Jews were in fact, not human and therefore not deserving of empathy.

Once their humanity was lost, it was far easier for Nazis to convince the German public that the Jews ought to be treated like a cancerous tumour.

We should be exceedingly suspicious of anyone who advocates for the abandonment of empathy, especially on a societal level.

a Christian ideal

There are numerous places we could appeal to in order to make the claim of why empathy is important.

Secular biologists might point to an evolutionary drive to not simply see everything as either food or foe, pointing to the notion that doing so would have allowed animals and early humans alike to more easily collaborate and survive. Historians point to early civilisations that became cities, established centralised farming practices and complex trade networks— all impossible without empathy.

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As a follower of Jesus, empathy as a value is impossible to ignore if I am to take Jesus’ teachings seriously.

While the word isn’t recorded in the biblical text, its power is obvious.

In John 11, Jesus receives word that His dear friend Lazarus is sick—and dying. Initially, Jesus rebuffs the messengers but when Lazarus does indeed die, Jesus goes to Lazarus’ home in Bethany to visit his two sisters Mary and Martha. When Mary sees Jesus, she falls at His feet crying, telling Him that “if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32). John tells us that Jesus was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” to the point that we have the famous “shortest verse in the Bible”, John 11:35: “Jesus wept”.

Jesus wept not just because He was sad, but because He empathised with Mary’s emotion. Jesus was not distant to the emotions of others—rather, He felt the feelings of the people around Him. Despite these troubled times, I still have hope for humanity. Empathy is a gift that allowed us to build civilisations, make incredible discoveries and plumb the depths of human relationships. As psychologist Greg Depow affirms, “Empathy is the driving force that has moved us from tribal bonds to religious ties, to nation states and could eventually move us to global cooperation.”5 Of course, that final step isn’t guaranteed but if we’re going to get there, empathy must be part of the formula.

Without empathy, there can be no

“Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy”

a nice option—it is a non-negotiable for a follower of Jesus. After all, Jesus did say that the way outsiders would be able to identify His followers is by how they loved each other. Every person has value and is deserving of empathy, no matter their background, ethnicity, gender or any other identifying feature. We owe it not just to civilisation, but to our fellow humans, not to pick and choose who we show empathy for.

As the famous passage in the Jewish Mishnah says, “Whoever saves one life saves the entire world.”

Jesse Herford is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor and associate editor for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times.

1. Allie Beth Stuckey, Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion. Sentinel, 2024.

2. <youtube.com/watch?v=sSOxPJD-VNo> 3. <albertmohler.com/2025/02/19/joe-rigney/> 4. Edward Bradford Titchener, “Lectures on the Experimental Psychology of the Thought Processes,” 1909.

5. <broadview.org/elon-musk-empathy-weakness/>

JULIA TAUBITZ—UNSPLASH

trust. Without trust, there can be no cooperation. Without cooperation, there can be no civilisation. Empathy is fundamental to what it means to be human. If you’re a Christian, empathy is the metric by which you show how much you love God. It is impossible to love God and in the same breath, not show love for those around you—especially those who are not like you. God made each of us in His image—the Psalmist said, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). To deny empathy for any person is to reject the image of God in every person.

If you are not a Christian, this is the standard you should hold Christians to. If they display non-empathy, remind them that empathy is not just

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With toxic masculinity becoming the norm, how can our dads set a better standard?

TONY PARRISH

Raising sons in of a loving Fat 12

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ОЛЕСЯ РОМАНЧУК—PEXELS

the image her JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

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’m a dad. I have three children—all boys. Raising my boys is a responsibility I take seriously. But as I reflect on the ideals I hope to instil in my sons—respect, kindness, gentleness and strength—I am confronted by a pressing challenge.

In today’s society, both secular and religious, there are conflicting ideas about what it means to be a man.

For some it is to be dominant and powerful where for others it is to be a protector and provider. These ideas often clash with the teachings of Jesus, like “turn the other cheek” or “go the second mile”, which many might perceive as weak or non masculine. Adding to the pressure of raising boys is the controversy around toxic masculinity, resisting the patriarchy and the “Me Too” movement. How can our view of God the Father, whose image I try as a Christian to model in my own fatherhood, impact the way we raise our boys; and how can we reject the negative ideas embodied by modern masculinity?

is portrayed as both powerful and relational—two aspects essential for shaping the kind of father I strive to be and the kind of men I hope to raise. In Genesis 1:1, God is introduced as Elohim: “In the beginning when God [Elohim] . . .”, a title emphasising His transcendent power and sovereign authority over all creation. God speaks the universe into existence from nothing—ex nihilo— with just a word. He is the Creator, the Prime Mover, the Initiator and His creative work is marked each day by goodness. Elohim is the primary word used for God by the writers of the Hebrew Scriptures (occurring more than 2700 times). It is a plural word. As a plural in form it can refer to pagan deities, in which case it is translated “gods” (eg Exodus 12:12; 20:3), or as the God of Israel.

Many scholars believe the plural form is used to signify a deep reverence, even mystery, around the nature of the One God. It wouldn’t be until the second century AD that the doctrine of the Trinity would be established.

Nevertheless, the relational aspect of Elohim is hinted at in Genesis 1:26,27.

“Let us make humankind in our image . . . male and female He created them” (italics added).

There are conflicting ideas about what it means to be a man

God’s dual nature

As I navigate these complexities, I am struck by the dual nature of God’s character revealed in Scripture.

In the beginning of the Bible, God 14

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Then, in Genesis 2, we encounter YHWH,1 the Lord God, who is portrayed not just as Creator, but as one who desires relationship with humanity. The name YHWH emphasises a covenantal God who walks with Adam and Eve in the Garden, who is personally involved in the affairs of His creation. He desires to be with Adam and Eve, then with Israel and with all humanity. This shift from the transcendent Creator to the relational God highlights the fullness of His character. God is not distant or detached, but deeply invested in the lives of those He has made.

SEBASTIAN LEON PRADO—UNSPLASH

wise partner

As a father, I find this balance between authority and relationship crucial. Just as God is sovereign and loving, my role as a father is not to rule with dominance or indifference, but with a blend of strength and gentleness. I must guide my children with wisdom and respect but also nurture them with love and care.

Even how I understand “authority” adjusts in the light of God the Father.

God embodies servant leadership, not executing authority as a dictator but as a wise partner committed to human freedom.

This understanding of God’s dual nature—transcendent and relational—becomes even more significant when we compare the Genesis account to other ancient creation stories. In the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation epic, the god Marduk achieves his kingship JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

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MASTER COWLEY—PEXELS

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through violent conquest. Marduk defeats Tiamat, the goddess of chaos, in a fierce battle and from her dismembered body, he creates the world. This creation story is built on a foundation of brutality and power.

In contrast, the creation account in Genesis presents a God whose reign is not established through violence—but through His word and will. The rivers Tigris and Euphrates, mentioned in the Enuma Elish as flowing from Tiamat’s dying eyes, flow in Genesis from the life-giving Garden of Eden. God creates not from chaos but from love, purpose and order. His rule is not gained through violence but by virtue of His inherent sovereignty and goodness.

This contrast between the savage Marduk and the loving God of Genesis reveals something essential about God’s character: His sovereignty is not achieved through destruction— but through creation. He is powerful, SIGNSMAG.COM • JUNE 2025

but His power is exercised in service of love and life. This is the kind of father I hope to be—a father whose strength is tempered by tenderness and whose leadership flows from love, not fear.

an imperfect dad

As a father, I am also keenly aware of the way my own brokenness distorts my understanding of God and how I can thus pass this distortion on to my children. Theologian CS Lewis wrote, “The instrument through which you see God is your whole self.

And if a man’s self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred.” This truth resonates with me, especially as I consider my role in raising my sons. How I live before them, how I treat their mother, how I manage my own emotions, how I carry myself, how I respond to difficulty—all of these things shape their perception of God the Father.

If I am harsh, demanding, distant or retaliatory, my children may struggle to see God as loving and merciful.

But if I reflect His kindness, patience and gentleness, they will begin to understand the nature of God’s Fatherhood more clearly.

In a world marred by evil and brokenness, it’s difficult to see the complete goodness of God. Just as the sun can both warm and burn, God’s goodness is often obscured by suffering and hardship. The biblical narrative reveals this truth well and we see it in stories of great beauty, but also in ones of great turmoil. It’s as if the Bible writers themselves struggled with the picture of God they were creating.

Yet, the image of a good father can be a powerful corrective. I long for my sons to see in me a reflection of God’s true nature.

In the book of Jonah, we see a great example of God’s merciful nature. Jonah is sent to Nineveh to proclaim God’s judgement against the city. Archaeology confirms the biblical witness to the wickedness of the Assyrians. They were well-known in the ancient world for brutality and cruelty. However when the people repent, God shows them mercy.

Jonah, angered by this unexpected grace, complains, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2).

Jonah’s frustration with God’s mercy reveals the tension between

human ideas of justice and God’s grace. Jonah expected God to act like the violent gods of other cultures, who punished their enemies without mercy. He almost looked forward to it. But God, in His wisdom and love, chose to show compassion instead.

the best model

I want to raise my sons to understand that true masculinity is not about dominance, control or the ability to defeat others, but about strength that is rooted in love and service. God the Father is the ultimate model of this strength.

His sovereignty is not based on His ability to conquer, but on His nature as the Creator and Sustainer of life.

He’s a God who desires to walk with His children in relationship.

As I guide my boys into manhood, my prayer is that they will come to know God the Father as He truly is: “just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”. I hope they will see in me a reflection of that same character, and that through my example, they will grow into men who understand that true strength lies in compassion, humility and love. I also pray that they will forgive me when I fall short and will find true relationship with their Father in heaven—their true Father, and mine.

Tony Parrish is a pastor, husband and dad living in Dunedin, New Zealand.

1. Modern scholars believe the closest pronunciation to be “Yah-way”, hence its popular spelling “Yahweh”.

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HOW TO DEFEAT YOUR LIFE’S LIE

Each of us has a lie we tell ourselves. Identifying it and finding its antidote can help you achieve the freedom you long for.

JESSICA BISHOP

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EUGENE GOLOVESOV—PEXELS

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’m not good enough.

I’m not lovable.

I’m too different.

People I love don’t love me enough to stick around.

I’m a failure.

As a practicing psychologist, I hear frequent variations of these expressions. These are the lies we tell ourselves. Because of our experiences, this has become our truth.

One or more of these things might have been spoken over us, implied or indicated by the way others have behaved towards us. But that doesn’t mean it’s the truth.

I personally wrestle with my own lie. It’s that people (particularly those I love or who I want to be loved by) don’t care much about me or my preferences. They don’t care enough to be interested or go out of their way to inquire after me. When I get caught up in this lie, I feel anxious, sad and deflated, and my zest for life leaves me.

Psychological research tells us that these types of lies (called “maladaptive” or “unhelpful” schemas) contribute to a whole gamut of mental health concerns.1 But why do we get caught up in these beliefs, particularly when their impact is so negative? Why do we find them so hard to let go, even after we become aware of them?

understanding schemas

The schema therapy (ST) model, an adaptation of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT),2 provides some 20

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good answers to these questions.

ST was developed by American psychologist Jeff Young. Young developed his model suggesting there are 18 maladaptive schemas, or “enduring patterns of belief, behaviour and attached feelings, thoughts, memories and felt experiences”,3 that people with mental health challenges may have. He proposed that these schemas develop through experiences of unmet core emotional needs during formative years. Over the past 50 years, ST has gained a strong evidence base as a theory and treatment model to explain and treat a range of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, personality disorders and trauma-based disorders, to name a few.4 The common thread among these mental health problems is that individuals are not, and were not, given the love, protection and care they needed to develop healthy and robust beliefs about themselves, others and the world. They were therefore prone to developing

I personally wrestle with my own lie. It’s that people don’t care much about me or my preferences.

you are a human

How is all this relevant to you, particularly if you do not struggle with mental health concerns? ST has developed into a model that provides insight for those with mental health problems, as well as a way to understand ourselves as humans. Even if you have robust mental health, it is likely you have struggled with some fears of rejection, failure or inadequacy.

I believe we are all on a spectrum of schemas. Some of us hold these unhelpful beliefs about ourselves very strongly and they cloud our life. For others, they are background noise, but they still have some level of negative impact.

My life is a testament to this. I grew up in a home where—despite my family’s best efforts and care—I subtly received the message that my needs were not important and

therefore, I wasn’t important. The ongoing consequences of this over time have been to undervalue myself and allow others to undervalue me.

For example, I stayed in an unsatisfying, low-paying job for a number of years. It took a lot of courage to leave and chart my course in a new workplace where I was remunerated more fairly and my job satisfaction was higher. Over time, I became aware of the theme of my lie: not important enough. With time I have been able to address that and start believing a different story—the antidote.

My antidote is this: I see you, I care for you, I will listen to you, you and your needs are important to me.

What gives me a firm foundation for the antidote is my faith. As a Christian, I believe I am made in God’s image, and that He only makes good things; things of worth and value; things He values immensely. In the Bible, God says, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), “I know the very number of hairs on JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

ALEXEI MARIDASHVILI—UNSPLASH

unhelpful schemas, some of which I mentioned earlier on.

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your head” (Matthew 10:30) and “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). If the Creator of the universe says I am important, then I am.

Of course, this sounds like a nice, neat solution. It is not. This has been my journey over a number of years, to not only cognitively understand it but to experientially understand it and have a felt sense of my importance. The undoing of our life’s lie is not the work of a moment. It requires time. And for those whose lies are quite debilitating and interwoven with mental health or other significant challenges, it is likely you will need a professional to help you address your lie and find the antidote.

finding the antidote

Let me give you food for thought, should you wish to explore this more yourself.

First, identify your lie. The book Reinviting Your Life can help with this, as can any trained schema therapist.5 Once you have identified your lie, search for the antidote. From the perspective of someone with a Christian worldview, much of the underpinning of the antidotes is the belief that we are God’s handiwork, made in His image, for fulfilling and purposeful lives. Even if you don’t believe in God, these antidotes still resonate, still bring healing and are inherent in the schema therapy model, even though it is secular.

In the opening paragraph I listed 22

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some common lies. Here are the cruxes of the antidotes to these lies: I’m not good enough: You are uniquely made. Of the billions of people on Earth, there is only one you. Yes, you are flawed—we all are— but you have so much to offer. There is no judgement here if you share your flaws with me—I too am flawed.

I’m not lovable: You are loved, seen and heard. You are important and are of inherent worth and value. I’ll be here for you because I care about you.

I’m too different: I welcome you in your uniqueness; please share who you are with me. I am interested.

There is space for you here.

People I love don’t love me enough to stick around: I know some people haven’t been reliable and stayed for you. You are worth staying for. I will be here for you, and we will find others who are also willing to be here for you too.

I’m a failure: We all fall short at times. This is normal and is part of learning and living. I believe you can do what you set your mind to. Would you like to try again? I can help and cheer you on.

seeking out the kind and caring These antidotes are based on the idea that we need access to, and immersion in, safe and secure relationships in which we can be seen, heard and cared for reliably.

Sometimes I have clients say to me, “These types of people don’t exist in this world.” This is a valid

point. Trustworthy, kind, caring and compassionate people can be hard to find . . . but they do exist.

I encourage you to begin purposefully seeking out people who are kind and caring. Even if we haven’t been exposed to many of these kinds of people, we can usually think of a few—whether it be the neighbour down the road, your auntie Mabel or a friend from school. If you are a praying person, pray that God leads you to the right people. If you believe in God or are open to the idea of a higher power, lean into Him. He absolutely epitomises all the characteristics I’ve mentioned above. He is reliable, caring and compassionate.

He has time and space for you. He thinks you are great in your uniqueness. Your flaws don’t bother Him at all.

Here’s to you, your journey towards uncovering your “lie’” and to finding the antidote to better your life.

Jessica Bishop is a wife, mother and clinical psychologist who is passionate about living the life she is called to by God. She writes from the Gold Coast, Australia.

1. JC Thimm & M Chang, “Early Maladaptive Schemas and Mental Disorders in Adulthood: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”. J Cogn Ther 15, 2022.

2. CBT uses a mix of cognitive (thinking) and behavioural strategies to help challenge, shift and adjust one’s thoughts and behaviour to be more helpful and adaptive for their lives.

It is usually offered by a trained psychologist or other health professionals.

3. JE Young, JS Klosko & ME Weishaar, Schema Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide. Guilford Publications, 2003.

5. Janet Klosko & Jeffrey Young, Reinventing Your Life: How to Break Free from Negative Life Patterns and Feel Good. Penguin Putnam Inc, 1994.

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IVAN SAMKOV— PEXELS

4. Ibid, JC Thimm & M Chang.

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how to win at parenting

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hile it can be healthy to be aware of other people’s judgement—we can adjust our behaviour to become more pro-social—sensitivity to the perception of judgement can get out

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of hand. In worst case scenarios, children can become depressed, anxious and avoid settings in which judgement is anticipated. Here are some strategies to help, as shared by clinical psychologist Katie Kjelsaas.

SOURCE

How to raise confident children

1. remind them of their value

Explicitly and implicitly reinforce your child’s value and belonging with you. Wrap them in unconditional love. Remind them we love them because of who they are, not what they achieve.

2. give them important mirrors

Our views of ourselves and the world are largely formed through interactions with important others.

Educate your child about this “mirror method” humans use to form their views of self. Importantly, let them know that different mirrors can bounce back different views, and that sometimes this is more about the mirror than the person looking into it!

Ask them about the “mirrors” that are most important to them (friends, family), and what they’re currently seeing beamed back. Encourage them to draw on a diversity of “mirrors” and support them to keep their reflections balanced—not just focusing on the “negative” or “judgemental” cues they perceive, but consciously seeking out neutral and positive ones too.

support them to practise speaking kindly to themselves when processing the experience. Some questions they might ask themselves about the experience could include: What did I perceive here?

Is there another explanation?

What can I learn from this?

What is still valuable about me?

4. encourage empathy

Teach them to choose kind words and actions. Find opportunities to discuss how someone else might feel.

Look for everyday opportunities to reach out to others: a smile, opening a door, giving up a seat, letting someone else go to the front of the line or pulling in a neighbour’s bin.

5. seek help

Sometimes, children and families really benefit from sessions with a child or family therapist to further explore and shift the negative models of self and other underlying judgement sensitivity.

Melody Tan is a passionate advocate for empowering mothers through connection, faith and digital engagement. She is project manager of Mums At The Table. She lives in Sydney with her husband and their primary-school-aged son.

3. engage self-compassion

Mums At The Table is a multimedia initiative aimed at supporting mothers in their parMums At The Table is a multimedia initiative aimed at supporting mothers in their parenting journey through parenting resources, as well as connecting with mums through enting journey, through parenting resources, as well as connecting with mums through local events. For more parenting tips, visit <mumsatthetable.com>. local events. For more parenting tips, visit <mumsatthetable.com>.

IVAN SAMKOV— PEXELS

When your child experiences judgement (real or perceived),

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Sam’s unwelcome guest

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GREGORY JOHN

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ALEX LINCH—GETTY IMAGES

Sam was a cheerful, talkative person. But a brush with the paranormal shook him—and caused him to ask difficult questions.

ave you ever believed a lie? At one time or another, whether knowingly or not, we all have fallen victim to deception. How did it make you feel after finding out?

Angry, hurt, confused? For my friend Sam, who at the time was in a severe state of mental and physical anguish, the truth came to him not only as a shock but as a personal lifesaver directly from God. Anyone who knows Sam would tell you that he is a humorous and affectionate guy who loves talking with people. In fact, in my professional interactions with Sam, I quickly learned that I had to add an extra 30 minutes to every visit, knowing that like a playful puppy pulling at your pant leg, he wouldn’t want to let you go. But on one professional visit to his business, I quickly discovered that Sam’s demeanor had transformed to deeply depressed.

“What’s wrong, Sam?” I asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it!” he snapped. “Just go do your job.” This obviously wasn’t the Sam I knew but I proceeded without any further prodding. It seemed strange without Sam tagging along and talking nonstop while I did my assessment.

At the end of my visit, we sat down together to discuss my findings but before having him sign my report, I told him, “I’m not leaving, Sam, until you tell me what’s wrong.”

At first, Sam tried to make an excuse for his behaviour but I wasn’t buying it and I told him to be honest with me. What he then shared with

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me would have been unsettling had I not known what the Bible had to say about his troubling situation.

ANGELA MACARIO—GETTY IMAGES

stranger things

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Sam began to tell me about his mum, for whom he had great affection and how he had been her personal carer until her recent death.

It was obvious that he was still in a state of grieving, but the mental and physical anguish expressed on his face told me that there was more to his story than sorrow for a lost loved one. Sam reluctantly confided in me that he was regularly seeing his dead mother. Her visitations included physically shaking him awake at night, showing up in different places like the inside of his vehicle while he was driving and even coming to his workplace. Yet strangely enough, she would never speak—just stare intently at him.

Her visitations had worn out his welcome, his sleep and now his sanity. Sam just wanted his mother to go away! In his efforts to convince her to move on, he’d had numerous one-sided conversations with the apparition and had asked his Orthodox priest to come and pray over him and SIGNSMAG.COM • JUNE 2025

sprinkle holy water throughout his home. Nothing had worked. Believing that Sam was suffering from some type of physical or mental disorder, his brother, a medical doctor, had even arranged for Sam to have a full physical and psychiatric evaluation.

After listening to Sam’s woes, I told him, “Sam, I don’t believe you’re suffering from a physical or mental disorder, but a spiritual disorder. If you’re willing to come to my house for a Bible study, I’m sure God will free you from what’s ailing you.”

Desperate for relief, Sam agreed.

answers in Scripture

In the days prior to our Bible study, things began to get very strange. One night Sam woke up to the sound of many voices above him, including the sounds of children laughing and playing. Since Sam lived on the top floor of an apartment building, he concluded that the voices had to be coming from departed souls in heaven.

When Sam showed up for our study, I could tell he was not convinced a Bible study would cure his troubles, but we prayed and opened God’s Word. Our study

Sam reluctantly confided in me that he was regularly seeing his dead mother began with the creation of man: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7 KJV). A “living being” is how some translations put it. We then turned to the book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, biblical king of Israel, which describes how at death, the living soul is no more as the breath of life departs from the body. “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit [breath]1 will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

As for any post-mortem thoughts, emotions or actions, Solomon clearly states, “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6). Sam and I ended our study by seeing how the Bible describes death as a non-conscious state of sleep: “But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.

As the water of a lake dries up or a

riverbed becomes parched and dry, so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep” (Job 14:10–12; see also John 11:11–14; Acts 7:59,60).

It was obvious to Sam that what had appeared to be his deceased mother was not his mother at all.

“The Bible tells us that the dead are asleep in their graves until the resurrection,” I told Sam. “They can’t come back to haunt the living. In fact, I believe your visitor is really a demon in disguise!” I further warned him, “Even though the truth from the Bible has now set you free, don’t be surprised if the demon returns to test your understanding of death. If that should happen, you will need to confront it in the name of Jesus.”

like a bad smell

As surely as the sun reappears in the sky each morning, the demon impersonating Sam’s mother reappeared about a week later. Remembering what I had told him, Sam commanded it in the name of Jesus to leave and never return. At that moment, it forever vanished from his life. Sam was overjoyed. He now JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

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PUHIMEC—GETTY IMAGES

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knew that God’s truth is what set him free from the enemy’s lies!

Sam’s Christian upbringing was steeped in tradition and ceremony, yet weak in Bible literacy. Like many today, he believed that the human soul is immortal and that we can communicate with those who have passed away. This lie from the father of lies (Satan) has a bewitching influence over much of the world.

God calls those who communicate with the dead an “abomination” (Deuteronomy 18:9–12). He warns us to not be deceived by the enemy’s trickery. “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn [in them]” (Isaiah 8:19,20).

As for the demon that tormented Sam, I had always wondered why it never spoke to him—until I read in Luke’s gospel where Jesus cast out a mute demon (see Luke 11:14). Even if Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), we need not fall victim to his deceptions.

We simply need to cling to God’s Word as our source of truth and the standard by which we test every experience.

Gregory John is an author and Seventh-day Adventist Christian living in the United States.

1. The word spirit in Ecclesiastes 12:7 comes from the Hebrew word ruach meaning “breath”.

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Glenis Lindley: faith at full throttle

Glenis Lindley was a long-time contributor to Signs of the Times—but her life was more than that. She contributed greatly to the Australian motorsports scene as a photographer—but also as a person of kindness, strength of will and generosity.

LOREN JUSTINS

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or more than five decades, Glenis Lindley’s name was synonymous with Australian motorsport. If there was a race worth capturing, she was there, camera in hand, lens poking through a fence, capturing the speed, the thrill and the moments that defined the sport she loved. She was happiest at Bathurst, watching cars lift off the ground over The Dipper. But behind the camera was something even more powerful: a generosity and faith that shaped her life, her work and the way she saw the world.

Glenis wasn’t just a motorsport photographer. She was a storyteller, a journalist and a strong woman with conviction. She navigated a heavily male-dominated industry with humility, grace, humour, stubbornness and an unshakable belief that she was exactly where she was meant to be. Over the years, she interviewed some of the biggest names in motorsport, including (but not limited to) Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo

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and Mark Webber. She wasn’t just a reporter—she was part of the motorsport family, counting legends like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Tony Longhurst among her close friends. Her journey took her from the classroom to the pit lane, from Bathurst to Bahrain, Singapore to her beloved Gold Coast, driven by a love of both motorsport and the God she served.

finding her calling

Born Glenis Justins in Queensland, she grew up in a family that valued faith and education. Her family attended a small Seventh-day Adventist church at Wynnum on the bay side of Brisbane. She became a teacher, spending her early career in the classroom, but her life took an unexpected turn when she found herself drawn into the world of motorsport. In 1976, she was given an opportunity to photograph the Bathurst 1000 for Harry Firth’s Holden Dealer Team. What started

alike. Yet, no matter how busy she was, she always made time for Signs of the Times. Writing for a Christian publication was something she valued deeply, using her platform to share stories that blended faith, resilience, inspiration . . . and cars.

Her pieces ranged from profiles of sporting figures to explorations of faith in action. Whether she was writing about Formula 1 drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber or Daniel Ricciardo, or sharing stories of remarkable individuals who overcame adversity, she had a gift for connecting with readers.

One of her most impactful articles, No Limbs, No Limits, told the story of Nick Vujicic, a man born without limbs who became a global motivational speaker. She understood what it meant to push past limitations, to carve out a place in an unlikely world.

Motorsport hadn’t always been welcoming to women but Glenis didn’t let that stop her. She built a career on skill, determination and sheer love for the sport and its people.

For Glenis, writing for Signs of the Times wasn’t just another professional outlet. It was a way of sharing her faith, of bridging the gap between the fast-paced world of racing and the deeper, quieter truths she loved.

writing for Signs of the Times

faith in action

Beyond the camera, Glenis was a writer. She contributed to numerous publications, covering motorsport for mainstream and specialist outlets

Glenis believed that faith wasn’t just about personal belief. It was about action. She was deeply generous, always looking for ways to JUNE 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM

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as a chance encounter became the foundation of a lifelong hobby.

It wasn’t just about the cars for Glenis. She was fascinated by the people—the drivers, the teams, the mechanics who poured their hearts into the sport. Her photos told their stories, capturing the triumphs, the heartbreaks and the raw emotion that unfolded beyond the finish line.

She had a way of seeing things that others missed, of turning a fleeting moment into something lasting.

Some of those photos made the front pages of national newspapers.

Glenis’s love for cars also went far beyond the racetrack. She adored exotic vehicles, with Porsches, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos among her favourites. Her husband, Ken, also a teacher, couldn’t have cared less about cars. He was perfectly content driving his 15-year-old Suzuki Vitara, a source of endless amusement for Glenis and the family.

But as much as she loved motorsport, Glenis never let it define her entirely. Her passion for giving back, and a faith often at odds with the industry she was involved in, drove her.

She believed in kindness, generosity and supporting those in need, always finding ways to help others.

Her Christian ethos was strong.

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support those in need. She mentored younger photographers, helping them find their footing in an industry that could be unforgiving. She donated her time, her resources and her energy to causes she believed in, never seeking recognition but always making an impact.

Technology played a key role in helping Glenis stay connected to her faith, even while travelling the world for motorsport. No matter where she was, she could still tune in to a livestream from Springwood Adventist Church, allowing her to remain part of an online community she loved.

She also had another spiritual constant—Elvis Presley’s gospel music. Whether at home or on the road, she carried an old iPod filled with his hymns, which brought her comfort and inspiration.

Even in her final chapter, she continued to give. Before her passing in early 2025, Glenis ensured that she would leave behind more than just a photographic legacy. She arranged to help fund cancer research at Sydney Adventist Hospital, a cause close to her heart after facing her own battle with cancer and losing her husband to the disease a decade earlier. Her generosity extended beyond her lifetime, continuing to make a difference even after she was gone.

Her kindness and warmth were evident in the friendships she built.

She was more than respected—she was loved. In an industry known for its competitive and high-pressure environment, Glenis stood out 36

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as someone who brought people together, who looked out for others and who made the paddock feel like family.

a life well lived

In 2018, Glenis was inducted into the Supercars Media Hall of Fame, an honour that recognised her extraordinary contribution to motorsport journalism. Two years earlier in 2016, she received the CAMS Media Service Award, recognising her decades of dedication to the sport. It was a fitting tribute to a woman who spent decades capturing the heart of Australian racing. But her real legacy wasn’t in awards or accolades—it was in the people she inspired, the stories she told and the way she lived her practical faith every single day.

Glenis left behind a body of work that will continue to be treasured by motorsport fans and journalists alike.

Her photographs remain a visual history of Australian racing, her writing a reflection of a life shaped by faith and passion.

For Glenis, motorsport wasn’t just about the speed or the spectacle.

It was about the people, the stories and the moments that mattered. In every frame she captured, as in every article she wrote, her faith was there, steady, unwavering and always in focus.

Loren Justins is Glenis’s nephew and attends Springwood Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brisbane, Queensland.

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make a difference

Miracles amid disaster

A humanitarian journey after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

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n the aftermath of the devastating 2004 tsunami, I experienced what I can only describe as a series of miracles while working as a disaster management specialist for ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency).

My mission was clear: identify the communities most in need and find a way to reach them. Meulaboh, a town of 55,000 residents in northwestern Sumatra, Indonesia, quickly emerged as critical. With damaged roads, airport and a destroyed seaport, access seemed near-impossible.

At the Medan airpoort, I found flights to Tapaktuan—the nearest operational airport to Meulaboh—were booked out for 10 days. A Boston Globe journalist offered me a charter seat for $A1700 but as we negotiated, a Japanese journalist began outbidding me, driving the price up to $A2400. Just then, a man tapped my shoulder and offered two commercial tickets for the next morning at just $A200. I accepted immediately.

The following morning, my translator Rully and I flew to Tapaktuan with this helpful stranger, who was searching for his family in a coastal village. Upon arrival, we found chaos as people desperately sought transport north. Our benefactor helped us squeeze into an overcrowded Suzuki van headed to Meulaboh.

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About 150km north, the driver refused to continue due to deteriorated road conditions. As Rully and I contemplated walking the remaining 40km to Meulaboh, a four-wheel drive vehicle stopped. Remarkably, one passenger had studied with Rully at a university 2500km away seven years earlier and recognised him on the spot! The family was heading to Meulaboh and drove us directly to the military compound.

We registered with the local military commander who was coordinating the disaster response, becoming the first NGO to do so. We conducted a rapid assessment that identified critical needs.

Unable to use my satellite phone due to weather conditions, I needed to return to Medan to report our findings. While speaking with Singaporean air force personnel about possible helicopter transport, a small plane landed on the damaged runway. I approached the pilot, who agreed to fly us back to Medan.

That evening, I filed my assessment with recommendations for ADRA’s response. By the next morning, ADRA Denmark had secured funding from the Danish government. I returned to Meulaboh in the same plane, carrying one-and-a half tonnes of relief supplies—the

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beginning of years of relief, recovery and rehabilitation operations.

Looking back, I’m humbled by how these seemingly random incidents enabled critical assistance to reach a desperate community. Whether you attribute it to divine intervention or the collective human spirit of helping those in need, this extraordinary sequence of events ensured timely aid reached those who needed it most.

This reflection was written by Robert Patton, ADRA’s first responder to the Boxing Day tsunami that hit 14 countries and killed more than 200,000 people.

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BIG moments Spiritual gifts are different for everyone. But choosing to use yours can make a lasting impact on those around you.

DANIEL KUBEREK

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WILL KELL—UNSPLASH

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A

nswer according to who you are, not who you would like to be,” the website tells me.

The banner above this statement announces a quiz that will help me discover my spiritual gifts. All the personality tests I’ve completed in the past usually just remind me of some of my deeper characteristics.

This test, however, is all about how you can apply who you are to the mission of God. The test not only quizzes me about my personality, but also various aspects of my spiritual life and how people respond to my relationship with God. I find myself disappointingly lacking at times—I hover my cursor over the enticing “definitely” button, only to restrain myself and instead click on either “usually”, “sometimes” or even “never”. It’s probably best if I’m honest with myself. The test then asks me about the 5-7 best things that have ever happened in my life and why they are meaningful to me.

I’m stumped. I find it hard to narrow down on singular “big moments” of happiness. Ultimately, my answers end up being about the times when I’ve succeeded after devoting a lot of time and effort towards a goal. The test helps me realise I enjoy bringing happiness to other people. It means more to me to give someone a birthday present and see their face light up, than being given one myself.

I know I care about other people, particularly those going through hardship. In the past I’ve talked to 42

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many non-believers about Christ, but I don’t know if all of those deeply impacted anyone towards a personal decision for Christ.

As I finish off the test, thoughts swirl in my head. “How can I apply who I am as a person for God?” But then it dawns on me: spiritual gifts are different for everyone. They are the talents and skills that God gives us to further His mission on earth.

The Bible describes their role: “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11,12). Romans 12 outlines that spiritual gifts include prophesy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leading and mercy.

They’re entirely different from the fruits of the Spirit, which are an evident result of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.

your gift

Spiritual gifts are specifically appointed qualities. They are bestowed so that each person has a function in the collective goal of coming to better understand and know God. Often we get caught up in looking for the obvious gifts—the ones we think make the most impact—like leadership. Just like the control centre of the body is the brain and head, the success of any important mission requires strong leadership.

Acts 6:1–7 mentions how seven men “well respected and . . . of the Spirit and wisdom” were called to serve

my hero

I see my father as a practical example of a great leader. Born and raised in Communist Poland, he became a Seventh-day Adventist along with my grandmother—a big decision in what is a majority Catholic nation. Becoming a minister, he travelled all around Poland before being called to Australia to continue his ministry. His time on earth was cut short in 2005 when he tragically passed away, but his legacy has remained in those who remember him.

With a charming sense of humour and delicate caring nature, he had a charisma I always admired. When I visited Poland for the first time in 2015, almost everyone I came across

in the Seventh-day Adventist community lovingly remembered him.

When I was a child, my brother and I went into Dad’s room on a Sunday morning and quizzed him about why he became a pastor. “I received a call from God,” he said.

In my mind, I imagined it being like a vivid dream where out of the darkness a bright light and a deep booming voice told my dad what he was meant to do, and that was where it all started. Epic.

My brother has since received the same feeling and is now a pastor. He has many of the same spiritual gifts that my father did. But spiritual gifts aren’t just prescribed to leaders and pastors. The Bible says that in the shared effort of achieving a greater purpose, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2).

And just like the church described in Ephesians requires a head for

ROSIE SUN—UNSPLASH

God and as a result, “the number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted too”.

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they aren’t just for pastors

Spiritual gifts aren’t about which ones are more useful in glorifying God. Being a missionary, church leader or pastor are all necessary and important parts of God’s body, but so are people who encourage and give.

They exhibit God’s character and that is just as important to the cause.

Pastors with the gift of running big evangelistic campaigns can impact lives as much as people who are able to go to their neighbour’s house to encourage them.

In high school, I had many conversations with a friend who had recently lost her father. I now see that God put me in that situation to encourage her. She ended up choosing baptism. I don’t know where she’s at now, but in that moment God helped me use the spiritual gift of encouragement to serve His goal.

But that doesn’t necessarily always happen. At the marketing agency where I used to work, a few of our clients had high demands. When we distributed their promotional videos as Facebook ads, their expectations were that immediately a horde of people would come running through their door. Many times my boss would patiently tell them on the phone about the “intangibles”—the immense value of putting something out there that might one day contribute to someone making a purchase.

It’s the same with our spiritual gifts. Just because I don’t see the effects immediately, doesn’t mean they are insignificant. A big factor in this is God’s work. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Ultimately, Christ gives us spiritual gifts to make a positive impact; it’s up to us whether we use them.

“Do you have the gift of speaking?

Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). Are you able to heal, prophesy, proclaim, teach or administer? Use it for God. Has God given you the gift of compassion, self-sacrifice, service, charity or encouragement? All gifts our Father has bestowed on us contribute to His ministry.

While I did not end up receiving my results from the online test—possibly a technical glitch—the process of thinking about how I can use my spiritual gifts was already God showing me the way. God doesn’t expect me to be pushing myself trying to work on spiritual gifts that I haven’t been given. I probably wouldn’t be able to run an evangelistic campaign or teach a multitude. But I can encourage and give, and that matters just as much.

Daniel Kuberek is a former assistant editor for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times. He currently works in the Australian film industry.

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RDNE—PEXELS

guidance, it also has many different parts. That’s where we all come in.

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As a pastor, there are questions I’ve encountered over and over again, sometimes about the Bible but usually about everyday life. If you’ve never had the opportunity to ask a pastor tough questions this is the right place!

Can I know God personally?

If you’ve ever read the Bible, you’ll have seen characters who interact with God one-on-one. Abraham, Moses, Samuel and many others engaged with God directly, either through dreams, visions or even normal conversation. Such stories seem out of place when compared to our lived experience today. I don’t know about you, but I’m wary of people who claim that God has told them specific things. And yet, as a follower of Jesus, I do believe that God can be known— and in fact, wants to be known by you

and me on a personal level. Why then is He silent today? How can I really know God if He won’t speak to me? It seems contradictory that God would be so willing to know and be known by humans in the ancient world and comparatively aloof today.

Practically, there are three ways I’ve found helpful in getting to know God. 1. Nature: There are so many places that are awe-inspiring, breathtaking or simply produce a sense of quiet majesty. Seeking these places out can help you connect with God. 2. Community: Jesus said His followers will be able to be recognised because of the “love they have for each other” (John 13:35). Sadly, not all Christians live up to this standard.

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However, some of the most profoundly spiritual moments in my life have been as a result of the relationships I’ve had with people who love God and people.

3. The Bible: It may sound cliché, but God has laid out a map for anyone to find Him, and it’s through Scripture.

It’s the best way we can discover His character, how He has related to people through the ages and what He wants for us today.

Does life have a purpose?

This is one of the most important questions any person can ask. It’s also the question that has perplexed philosophers, theologians and mystics for millennia. Everyone seems to have their own opinion.

However, the biblical story does provide some compelling answers.

In the beginning, in Genesis, after

God creates the first humans, He gives them a job: “Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28). If that sounds somewhat mundane, consider another passage: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet” (Psalm 8:3–6).

When we put these two passages together, they form a two-part picture of ultimate human purpose.

First, humans were created to make stuff: build skyscrapers, plant orchards and manufacture microchips. But also to write screenplays, compose music and paint paintings. Even more abstract: formulating maths equations, peering into space and musing on matters of philosophy. Yes, even the act of wondering about the purpose of life is in a strange way part of life’s purpose—if you can get your head around it! In all these endeavours, to create is to do what God does— whether we acknowledge Him or not.

The other side of this coin is our responsibility to “rule and reign” alongside God as partners. God actually wants to partner with us to be His royal representatives on Earth. He is not jealous—He wants to share His power with us. Imagine that!

All of this is predicated, however, on one condition: that we rule and reign according to God’s wisdom, that we listen to His voice and align our lives with His ways. The story of humanity is a story of doing the exact opposite of that, and we’ve seen through the millennia what the results of that have been. If you were to ask me simply, I’d say that the purpose of life is to embrace the fullness of God’s design.

Want to get your question published in the next issue? Ask Jesse a question by scanning this code!

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You may have heard of baptism, but what is it really and why would anyone do it?

ANDREW SKEGGS 48

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Plunge

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TAKING THE

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ave you jumped out of an aeroplane? I have! Admittedly, I was strapped to an experienced skydiver who was wearing a parachute. But when the door of the plane opened, I was still nervous about taking the plunge.

That’s not the only time I’ve taken a plunge. And been nervous. When I was 15, I chose to be baptised—to take the plunge and follow Jesus.

I’d decided that to be a follower of Jesus, I had to do what He asked and publicly demonstrate my decision.

I would be baptised—completely immersed in a pool of water.

I remember friends and family gathering for the occasion, to sing, encourage and celebrate with me. I prayed to myself as the minister lowered me under the water. There was no voice from heaven, but I sensed that the day would change the rest of my life. It did. Today, I am a minister myself, regularly baptising people. I know why, but you may be wondering why anyone would choose to be baptised. You may also be wondering just how it should be performed.

why should I be?

Despite what you might have heard, baptism isn’t primarily about what you believe, how you behave or even about joining a church. Baptism is about Jesus. In biblical thinking, baptism is the natural response to a transforming encounter with Jesus Christ. When we realise that Jesus loves us and has died to secure both an abundant and eternal life for us; 50

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when we appreciate how rotten life can become without Jesus and how great it can be when focused on Him, then we are drawn to follow Him. Jesus’ love makes a dramatic difference to our thinking, our feelings, our goals and our behaviour. And that difference deserves to be commemorated in the ceremony of baptism.

When Peter, an early Christian leader, shared the story of Jesus with a crowd of thousands, they were deeply moved and asked what to do.

Peter replied, “Turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, NLT*).

When Christian leaders Paul and Silas were asked by their jailer, “What must I do to be saved?” they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30,31, NLT*). Moments later, the jailer was baptised.

Baptism is an important step in becoming a Christian. Being washed in water symbolises our decision to accept the new life that Jesus wants to give us. Not that the act of baptism saves us—the ceremony only represents the decision of the heart.

The Bible shows that God wants us to go through the ceremony of baptism as an act of commitment.

Baptism is a rite of passage, like marriage, that sets our course for the future.

I’ve baptised people in rainwater tanks, rivers, oceans, swimming pools and even a portable spa. In each case, the person was fully immersed. If you read the stories of baptism in the New Testament, this was the practice in Jesus’ day. The word baptism literally means “to fully immerse” in water.

The Bible indicates that by being baptised in this way, a person re-enacts the Easter experience of Jesus.

Just as Jesus died and was buried, we go under the water to symbolise the death and burial of an old way of living. And just as Jesus rose to new life, we rise out of the water to live the new life that Jesus promises us.

It’s good to pray for our children

Being washed in water symbolises our decision to accept the new life that Jesus wants to give us and dedicate them to God’s care and protection as babies, but that’s not the same as baptism. When it comes to baptism, people should be old enough to appreciate what Jesus did for them and make the choice to be baptised in response.

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NIJWAM SWARGIARY—UNSPLASH

how am I to be?

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who will I be?

Baptism is a commitment. Sometimes people tell me they aren’t “ready” to be baptised, because they don’t “feel” good enough. Well, how good must one be before they can be baptised?

As it turns out, it’s got nothing to do with “being ready”. Baptism is based on Jesus’ goodness, not ours.

We are adopted into God’s family as His sons and daughters because of His unconditional love for us.

That’s what’s so amazing about grace! God only asks us to believe what has been done through His Son Jesus and to accept His love and forgiveness.

When we do this, we begin our spiritual journey—a lifetime endeavour where we learn more and more about how to live as children of God. Baptism shows that we have begun

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the Christian growth journey, not finished it.

While baptism does not require an achieved level of goodness, it does demand commitment—commitment to grow more like Jesus as He leads us. That’s why the Bible links baptism with repentance, and why Jesus said people should consider the cost of following Him. For any relationship to last, including our relationship with God, commitment is required. We are very committed to the things we are passionate about.

A continuing realisation of Jesus’ love for us inspires a committed love in us. As we discover the benefits of a Christian life we thank God for the opportunity to live it. We’re ready for baptism when we understand and wish to pursue a life of commitment to Jesus-centred living.

When someone is baptised, they will often be formally recognised as a member of a church. That’s because the Bible teaches that “we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This means at baptism we are joined to Jesus and we also become part of His body: the church. God wants you to be part of a family in which you will be encouraged and where you can encourage others. That’s what the church is.

when should I be?

I have only good memories of baptisms, my own and others. One man whom I baptised had never had any close friends, but now he is surrounded by people who care. I remember teenagers and young adults being baptised just as they were making crucial decisions about the

direction of their lives. I’ve seen shy or troubled people grow and do great things after deciding to follow Jesus and be baptised. Baptisms are times of joy and celebration; Jesus said that on such occasions, the angels party!

We can only truly appreciate some things when we wholeheartedly plunge into them. Baptism is when we get off the sideline and say, “I want to know Jesus. I want to experience His gifts of love and a new life.

I want to be part of His family—His church—and do my part to make the world a better place.”

If you have been baptised, keep living your commitment. If not, there’s no better time than now to take the plunge!

Andrew Skeggs is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor living in Perth, Western Australia. * Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

PAWEL CZERWINSKI—UNSPLASH

where will I be?

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It might seem overwhelming, but these seven habits can give you the healthy life you’ve always dreamed of.

TIM LEPOSA

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grew up in a home where health was a priority. My mum had a passion for health and was always sharing her insights with me.

Thankfully, I took an interest in what she had to say. In my adulthood, it was clear I would pursue something in the health and wellness industry.

As well as eating well and moving my body, I became passionate about seeing people live life to their fullest potential. My spiritual beliefs and my love for God also made me want to serve others and inspire others to do so also.

In time I became the business owner of a health and fitness ministry in Victoria, Australia, called Fit for Living and have spent the last 19 years training and coaching individuals to achieve their goal of optimal health and wellbeing.

Throughout my journey, I have come to understand that without a solid plan and a strong desire to be healthy, many struggle to fulfil their goals and aspirations. The road to optimal health is paved with dedication, strategy and the unwavering belief in one’s ability to succeed—but getting to that point can be hard. I have spent a lot of my time working on myself and trying to figure out how I can best help others. While there is a plethora of advice in the world, these are the things I’ve found most helpful.

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habit one: get clear on your why!

Why do you want to be healthy?

What is your motivation?

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Understanding this is the first step to getting on your way on your journey. Take some time to reflect and think about why you want to get healthier and what that will look like.

Is it to boost your energy? Improve your longevity? Enhance your overall mental wellness? A clear understanding of your why will help you stay motivated for longer and endure challenges.

One of my mentors taught me this: “Anticipate potential obstacles and develop strategies to overcome them.” This preparation has helped me maintain resilience and navigate challenges effectively in advance.

The first thing I do when I sit down with a new client or someone I’m trying to help, is ask them why they are wanting to do xyz (whatever their goal is). As they go through the journey, I continue to remind them of their reason if I see them starting to go off track, lose focus or drive.

People don’t just do things for the sake of doing something. We do things for a reason. So, being aware of your reason is essential for creating lasting change.

habit two: set SMART goals

Goals serve as a roadmap for your health journey. The acronym in SMART goals stands for: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.

A common response I get when I ask people about their goals is to lose weight. While this is great, it’s very vague. A SMART goal, for

example, might sound like this: lose three kilograms over the next three months, through a balanced diet and regular workouts.

It helps to regularly revisit your SMART goal and make necessary adjustments to fit with your lifestyle.

habit three: build a supportive community

Letting people in on our goals and asking them to keep us accountable can help us stay motivated when we’re struggling to stick things out.

Tell a friend or family member what you’re hoping to achieve and ask them to check-in on you every now and then and encourage you.

Share your progress with them and don’t be embarrassed to share where you’re struggling too. Otherwise, find a group in your local community or online that shares similar health goals or is doing a challenge and join it.

If you have a budget for it, professional assistance can also be beneficial in giving you more specific guidance or more regular accountability. Maybe that’s consulting with a dietitian or nutritionist, getting a personal trainer or finding a health coach who can offer personalised expertise and support.

habit four: set a holistic health plan A well-rounded health plan will address several areas, including one’s physical, mental, social and spiritual life. This might include

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balanced nutrition, regular exercise, stress reduction techniques, regular social interaction and relational time carved out with God. For first-time clients, I always advise them to look at these different areas of their life and ask themselves what they are doing well and what areas they are neglecting.

The next step is to identify where more knowledge or accountability would be useful and whether you need to seek professional guidance or more information, such as a nutritionist for health advice or a counsellor for mental health support.

Professionals can pick up on things and offer tailored strategies to enhance your mental health plan that friends and family might not have the insight or knowledge to offer.

habit five: keep a journal of what you’re doing Logging your progress (or lack of) in a journal can be a powerful tool.

I always encourage clients to write down their thoughts and emotions, as well as specific actions like meals consumed and workouts completed (what you enjoyed and what you didn’t enjoy). The journal becomes a valuable resource for analysing the strategies and hacks that have been effective . . . or ineffective. It will help you to adjust things and can act as inspiration when you’re feeling unmotivated—perhaps for what to cook, what exercises to do, what mental health tools are available.

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patterns and their effects on your progress, allowing you to make informed decisions about necessary changes.

Some people like to use tools to do this—apps, wearable technology, food and exercise journals, etc. While these things can be helpful, they are not necessary for everybody.

habit six: track your progress

Keeping track of relevant data helps you see your progress clearly and identify areas where you may need to adjust things to stay on track with your aspirations. At our health facility, my staff will personalise tracking methods to suit each client’s preferences. If someone is not good at apps and prefers to write things down, then they will be more successful in tracking their progress this way. Many clients prefer using a good old notebook than an app on their phone, and so we adapt to suit their needs. So, find your preference, and stick with that.

If you’re focusing on weight loss, monitor metrics such as body weight and measurements. For improving fitness, pay attention to factors such as endurance levels or your resting metabolic rate. Record how far you can run for a few weeks or months, for example.

habit seven: reflect, adjust and believe in yourself Taking time to reflect is vital for maintaining progress and making meaningful adjustments. Regularly

assess your strategies to determine what’s working and what’s not. If a plan isn’t yielding the results you hoped for, don’t hesitate to modify your approach. Whether that means changing up your diet, exercise routine or trying different things for your mental health.

In addition to making adjustments, fostering self-confidence is just as important. Trust your ability to implement positive changes and stay committed to your health journey.

A strong sense of belief in yourself can do wonders in helping you stay committed to achieving your goals.

I know seven habits can be a lot to take on at once. If that’s overwhelming, start with one. Once you get the hang of that, implement another.

Each of these habits will help you get

closer to reaching your desired goals.

As you go about the journey, remember that anticipating obstacles and planning for them will help you be more resilient in the face of resistance. Allow these habits to guide you and carve out the path for a healthier, more balanced life.

And most importantly, remember to celebrate every step along the way. If you’ve been consistent for a period—celebrate that! If you’ve gotten back up after you’ve failed somewhere—celebrate that! If you’ve sought support or accountability— celebrate that! If you feel better (be it physically or mentally)—celebrate!

Tim Leposa is the business owner of Fit for Living in Geelong, Victoria. He is passionate about helping people reach their goals and become the best versions of themselves.

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Host the ultimate vegetarian BBQ 60

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The iconic backyard BBQ has long been the domain of meat lovers, but the rise of vegetarianism and plant-based eating has seen veggies become the star of the show.

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he key to a good BBQ is finding the balance between protein, plenty of veggies, and substantial grain and carbohydrate dishes. Tick all the boxes with a well-planned menu filled with extra flavour from herbs, spices, pickles, sauces and condiments. Here are some top tips to host a very veggie BBQ:

mix and match

Just like any dinner party, make sure you provide plenty of flavours and options. Yes, it’s a BBQ, but that doesn’t mean you’re only serving grilled veggies. Consider other cold dishes that will support the grill—this is where you can get your grains and legumes in too.

Why not try: A fresh Caprese salad, borlotti bean salad, Moroccan chickpea salad or a peanut hummus.

involve your guests

The best part of entertaining is spending time with your family and friends, so get them involved. Plan a menu with dishes that encourage guests to make it their own way, so they can comfortably cater for their own needs.

Why not try: Veggie skewers, jackfruit tacos or plant-based burgers.

classic swap

The best thing about a vegetarian BBQ is that you can still enjoy burgers and sausages, but just look for plant-based alternatives.

Why not try: Lentil patties, corn and coriander fritters or vegan carrot dogs.

go for meat alternatives

If you don’t want to make your own, don’t stress. There are plenty of ready-made meat-free alternatives stocking supermarket shelves.

Why not try: Some options from Vegie Delights that will satisfy any BBQ guest, from koftas to patties, sausages and fillets.

more than veggies

Throwing some fruit on the BBQ may seem foreign, but the chargrilling process brings out a delicious caramelisation that’ll take your dessert to the next level.

Why not try: Grilled fruit kebabs/ cinnamon sprinkled pineapple rings or apple slices drizzled with maple syrup.

Article courtesy of Sanitarium Health Food Company. Visit sanitarium.com.au or sanitarium.co.nz and subscribe to Recipe of the Week for a delicious plant-powered recipe in your inbox each week.

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Crossword Puzzle

CROSSWORD

How closely have you been reading? (Almost) every keyword in this puzzle is also contained within this issue of Signs of the Times. Happy digging!

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crossword clues DOWN 1 Glenis Lindley’s happy place 2 A set of goals that serve as a roadmap for your health journey 4 A belief formed from unmet emotional needs 5 Biblical book that outlines spiritual gifts 8 Indonesian town of 55,000 devastated by the 2004 tsunami 9 What humans often use to shape their selfimage ACROSS 2 According to the Bible, the dead are in this state until resurrection 3 Glenis Lindley’s favourite gospel singer 6 Babylonian god who created the world from a dragon’s body 7 Ceremony symbolising commitment to Jesus 10 Seeing the world from another’s perspective 11 Psalm 8 describes humans as made “a little lower than the _” 12 Hitler’s chief propaganda minister 13 German word meaning “in feeling”

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