Author Archive: Barry Chant
Free books
- Jonathan Edwards and Revival Phenomena (July 2007, 86 pages)
- Charismata in the first five centuries (Appendix to Empowered by the Spirit, May 2008, 22 pages)
- Four views of Spirit-baptism (Appendix to Empowered by the Spirit, May 2008, 11 pages)
More Poems by Barry Chant
- Josiah Remembers (.pdf)
- Tamar Remembers (.pdf)
- Philip Remembers (.pdf)
- John Remembers (.pdf)
- A Father Remembers (.pdf)
- John the Baptist Remembers (.pdf)
- A Missionary’s Plea (.pdf)
- If I Had Been There (.pdf)
- Pagan Days (.pdf)
- The Paralytic Remembers (.pdf)
- God’s Word (.pdf)
- Two Sides of Death (.pdf)
- Pentecostal meeting (.pdf)
- The Ant (.pdf)
- Theft (.pdf)
- Lines Penned in Mild Disillusionment (.pdf)
- Cleave the Cold Kingdom (.pdf)
- Eucalypt (.pdf)
The Spindles Series
Here are seven collections of children’s stories – 36 in all – set in the Australian Outback and including a clear biblical message every time. With over 100,000 of these in print, it is obvious that these are firm favourites with children. Spindles and his sister Freckles experience exciting adventures with their many animal friends and through them all, wise old Redgum guides them with his sage advice. And these are the kind of adventures that could happen to almost any child. Children can easily identify with them. Designed mainly for children of eight years old and over to read for themselves, these stories will also delight younger children who listen to them.
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The author says: At Christmas time in 1973, I searched in desperation for a story to tell at a Sunday School Christmas party. I had already used the ones I had. So as a last resort I decided to write my own. I borrowed ideas from Paul White (the ‘Jungle Doctor’), C.S.Lewis, J.R.R.Tolkien and a few other writers whose names I have forgotten, threw in a few ideas of my own and sketched out a skimpy outline. To my surprise the children liked it. So I wrote another one for Christmas Day. And then another. And soon there was a book. The stories took on an identity of their own and today they have been widely published, translated into other languages, and read by tens of thousands of children. They have been turned into puppet plays, musicals and radio broadcasts. I like to think that the Lord who loved to tell stories himself might actually be rather pleased about all this. Almost every week I run into adults who tell me they read Spindles when they were young. Once when a mother was reading one of the stories to her little son, he began to cry. ‘I didn’t realise Jesus loved me so much,’ he said. Just that makes it all worth while.
NEW! The Spindles Fun Book! Give the kids entertaining fun activities while they read the stories. And it’s completely free. Just download it here.
The Integration Of Spirituality In The Practice Of Christian Counselling
Vanessa Chant’s Thesis: The Integration Of Spirituality In The Practice Of Christian Counselling
Abstract
Christian counselling is encouraged by churches and provided for by theological colleges who incorporate counselling training in some of their curricula. Registration is provided by Christian counselling organizations and some employment opportunities are provided by many not-for-profit Christian organizations and Churches. This research sought to comprehend the significance of Christian counselling and to gain an understanding of how training impacts the Christian counsellor.
The literature and background information in Christian counselling was viewed, laying a foundation for the research. The research comprised four scales culminating with two client scenarios. It sought to determine the value of Christian training in counselling and to gain a better understanding of Christian counselling. There was an expectation that Christian counsellors would be able to articulate what the distinctives were in relation to Christian counselling. There has been no known research in this particular area in Australia.
The research included 128 Christian counsellors who were graduates of Christian colleges, counsellors employed in Christian organisations and members of the Christian Counsellors Association of Australia.
The results of the research indicated that most participants, although enthusiastic in relation to Christian techniques in theory, did not always follow through with practical examples of this in the scenarios. The hypothesis, =Graduates who are trained in theological institutions will be more likely to utilise Christian spiritual issues in their profession of counselling‘ was not supported.
Vanessa Chant’s full thesis may be downloaded from the below links:
Walking With A Limp
A charismatic approach to the question of suffering, this book faces the realities without abandoning a positive faith in the power of God. This is a book to be read before trouble comes. It was joint runner-up for Australian Christian Book of the Year in 2004.
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The author says: The question of suffering is age-old. How can a loving God be all-powerful if he cannot deal with it? How can an all-powerful God be loving if he will not deal with it? While there are many excellent books on this subject, there are virtually none from a charismatic perspective. The reality is that many people in the charismatic movement don’t have a theology of suffering. On the other hand, there are others who don’t have a theology of healing. This book is honest, realistic, faithful to Scripture and yet unashamedly positive about the gifts of the Spirit. I don’t know of any other book like this. I think it’s worth a read if only so you can help someone else.
Step Out – Jonathan
1 God loves impossible situations
Israel was in a desperate situation. The Philistines were terrorising the land.
• Overwhelming numbers (13:2,5; 14:2) – originally ten to one, and later nearly 20 to one.
• Frequent raids (13:17ff)
• No iron weapons (13:19ff). Only bows, arrows and slingshots.
• Extortion (13:21)
The result was that the people were ‘trembling’ (7, ESV) and ‘quaking with fear’ (NIV)
God loves situations like this because it gives him the chance to demonstrate his love and his
power! Oscar C. Eliason wrote—
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specialises in things thought impossible
He can do just what no other can do
See Matt 17:20; Luke 1:37; Jer 32:17, 27
2 God can do a great deal with people who don’t care who gets the credit (1-3)
• No one knew when Jonathan left the camp. He was only a young man—maybe a
teenager. Who was the armour bearer? No one knows. Just another ‘young man’.
• Who we are does not matter: it’s what we are that counts! These two young people
carved their exploits in history.
3 When we step out God steps in (6)
• Jonathan said, ‘Come, let us go over.’ Too often we sit back and wait. These two stepped
out!
• Miracles are 99.999% God and only 0.001% us—but this 0.001% is still important. Eg
Moses; Elisha; Peter; Jesus.
• We need to take faith steps eg in evangelism, in witnessing, in praying for the sick, in
prophesying, in giving, in speaking in tongues…
4 Faith doesn’t have to be perfect (6)
• Jonathan was not convinced that victory could be taken for granted—‘It may be…’ (ESV,
NRSV) or, ‘Perhaps the Lord will…’ (NIV).
• Sometimes we hold back because we think our faith is not perfect. It doesn’t have to be.
As long as it is faith in a perfect God!
• Compare Daniel 3; Ecclesiastes 11:4; Mark 9:24.
5 When God is with us we are always in the majority (6)
• Many? Few? It doesn’t matter!
• See Romans 8:31ff; 2 Corinthians 2:14.
6 Unity is crucial (7)
The armour bearer told Jonathan he would support him totally.
• GNB: ‘I’m with you’
• NIV, ESV: ‘I am with you heart and soul’
• NRSV: ‘As your mind is, so is mine’
• MKJV, NASB: ‘I am with you and your heart.’
• See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Matthew 18:20
7 We need to determine the will of God (9-12)
Jonathan sought a sign from God. There is a difference between faith and presumption.
• Faith = acting on God’s promise
• Presumption = acting on our own ideas
How many things are God’s will? There are dozens!
• Forgiveness
• Grace
• Peace
• Joy
• Victory over temptation
• Freedom from fear
• Hope
• Release from depression
• confidence
8 Faith can overcome impossible odds (13-15)
• They used both hands and feet to climb (ie their hands were not free for fighting). They
were just two against many (15:20ff).
• It was a fulfilment of God’s promise. God gave the victory!
• See Leviticus 26:8; 2 Corinthians 2:14
9 Challenge
Jesus stepped out of heaven to become a human being and to die on a cross to save us from sin.
When he stepped out, God stepped in! Death could not hold him! He rose again and lives forever!
Will you step out for God now?
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Remember: You don’t have to answer all the questions. First do those that seem most helpful to
you.
Read 1 Samuel 14:1-14
Biblical
1. Why do you think Jonathan did not tell his father he was going to fight the Philistines?
(1). You may find it helpful to read chapter 13 here as well.
2. Do you have any thoughts on why the writer makes special note of the fact that the priest
was with Saul? (3). Can you find out what ‘wearing an ephod’ means? See 1 Samuel
1:18; 2:28; Exodus 28:1-14.
3. How would you describe the character and attitude of the two young men (6,7)
4. Note how although it was Jonathan and his armour bearer who overcame the Philistines,
to whom was the credit given? (12, 23). What can we learn from this?
Personal and practical
5. Stepping out in faith requires courage, especially when we do it on our own and no one
else wants to go with us. But what happens when we seem to succeed? (16-23) What can
we learn about leadership here?
6. Read verse 6 again. Discuss ways in which we can apply it to situations in our own lives.
7. How does this story illustrate the principle, ‘When we step out, God steps in’?
8. In the conflicts we have with temptation and opposition, what could we learn or apply to
our lives from the actions of Jonathan recorded in verses 8-12?
9. Some people seem to be always complaining that the devil is making things tough for
them. What can we learn from this passage about matters like this? (13-15; James 4:7).
Memorise: 1 Samuel 14:6
Hint for memorising: You can do this as a group by repeating phrase by phrase aloud together
until you can say the whole text in one hit. Don’t forget to learn the reference as well.