Cost: FREE A quarterly online Christian magazine. Please purchase gifts or donate online to help support this ministry: www.spagmag.com Single Person Approved by God Other articles: - Ask the big questions - The cult of violent vegan vigilantism - FICTION SHORT STORY: The Way of Hozho - REST MINISTRIES: When everyone seems to have God’s blessings but you - DIDUNO: ANZAC - Battle of Beersheba - CREATION MINISTRIES: the tragic story of Emma Wolverton … and lots more Regular Segments: ☬ Letters to Lou ☬ Puzzle Page ☬ Creation Ministries ☬ ☬ Kristie’s Kitchen ☬ Words of Wisdom ☬ Rest Ministries ☬ Open Doors ☬ ☬ Tantalising Trivia ☬ Diduno ☬ Thrifty Tips ☬ What is it? ☬ A quarterly, online magazine for all Christian adults, with a focus on singles. Issue No. 18 Sep-Nov 2019 ~ Single Person Approved by God ~ Contents CCoonntteennttss The function of Greatness: Marry the man Win a $50 prize Beauty from ruin The airplane doubt exploring identity who stays (ends 30 October and purpose 2019) Do Facebook, Barnabas Fund: Ask the big What does it mean The cult of violent The great Google and God’s intervention questions being purged? vegan vigilantism commission is not Twitter censor saves Nigerian optional conservatives? Christian children Don’t give up The way of Hozho When good things Is masturbation a How to survive happen through sin? cooking for your bad people family Regular Sections: Wombat Nutty names: p9 Coloured Hearts p12, p22, p54, Other: p14, p30 p58 Disciples Battle of Lessons from Pay yourself Can you Two Fulani drunk? Beersheba the persecuted first identify this herdsmen find church item? Jesus When everyone The tragic story The utensils you Spot the Low-carb Keep up to date on seems to have of Emma need to be a difference seafood recipes relevant news God’s blessings Wolverton good cook from across the but you world 2 ~ Issue 18 Sept to Nov 2019 ~ 2 ~ Single Person Approved by God ~ Editor’s Letter; SPAG Team and Contact Details SPAG Magazine Staff and Contact Details Vicki Nunn: Editor, Journalist, layout planner & graphic artist Joseph Kolapudi: Journalist Liz Gill: Journalist Welcome to SPAG Magazine’s 18th issue Michael Hannett: Journalist Don’t miss out on our 4th birthday giveaways and a chance to win a mystery prize valued at AU$50. The competition ends on Ziri Dafranchi: Journalist 31 October 2019. This competition was organised in the hopes of raising some much-needed finances. More information on the Kristie: Chef competition can be found on page 13 or on our webpage. Lou: SPAG Counsellor (anonymous) We’ve expanded our News Snippets section from this issue which covers various news topics of interest to Christians. We’ll Mail: PO Box 9772, Frenchville, Qld 4701, Australia share those snippets and links to the full articles in our last Email: [email protected] section, which in this issue begins on page 55. It’s quite a number OR of news items, and as we head into what may just be end-time Phone: (+61) 042 44 33 772 (+61) 07 4961 1202 events, these may help to keep you up-to-date and informed Web address: www.spagmag.com about events in developed countries, Israel and around the world. SPAG (Single Person Approved by God) is a free quarterly, online As always, we have lots of terrific articles, and in this issue we magazine for Christians adults, with a focus on singles. While it is based have Mike Frost’s “When good things happen through bad in Australia, it is an international, inter-denominational publication. Our people,” which tackles the question about why God allows sinful threefold aims are: people to be given positions of power on page 45. On page 16, to honour and exalt God; Kurt Mahlburg asks whether social media is censoring to encourage, challenge and inspire all Christian believers, with conservatives such as Christians. Bill Muehlenberg shares “The articles suitable for all Christian adults; and cult of violent vegan vigilantism” on page 28, about the recent to provide Christian singles, Church leaders, married couples and extreme behaviours being seen in vegan circles. Our feature Christian counsellors with some insight into the problems and needs article in this issue is “Marry the man who stays,” by Phylicia of singles who can sometimes feel overlooked or even unwanted in Delta Masonheimer which you can check out on page 11. John their church or Christian community. Wesley Reid delves into the uncomfortable topic of masturbation SUBMISSIONS: on page 48, with which many Christian struggle, but few know Feel free to write to us via our email: [email protected]. how to raise or even discuss with their Pastors and leaders. Please title your email with the relevant section of SPAG or address it to On the subject of uncomfortable topics, may I ask, have you the Editor. You may feel compelled to respond to an article, or you may considered praying for this ministry, such as to meet our like to submit an article* or photo* of your own for consideration. purposes which are: Perhaps you have a question or personal struggle you’d like Lou, SPAG's Counsellor to respond to. to encourage, challenge and inspire our readers; and to honour and exalt God. Please note that any article, photo or other item for publication must be your own original work and not copied from elsewhere.* May I also encourage you to pray that our readership will ADVERTISING: grow, and also for our volunteer team? You can find out more about our team on our website on this link. Thank you - your If you would like to promote your business or major Christian prayer support is greatly appreciated. activity in SPAG, please contact the Editor, Vicki Nunn on email: [email protected] or phone (+61) 042 44 33 772. Information about I understand that like many of us, you probably feel pressured advertising costs can be found on our website (link here) to donate towards many worthwhile causes, but please do consider that even $5 a month can help us financially: Community or non-profit groups are advertised free, though we cannot guarantee that there will always be sufficient space to do so. 30 supporters x $5/month = annual costs ------------------------------------------ That’s not too big a challenge is it? Do you have some friends you * By submitting your letter, item, photo or article for inclusion in SPAG, you personally accept all legal responsibility for your submission, and acknowledge that you have not extracted nor copied written or could rope in to form a regular support group? Since we began in photographic or other material from elsewhere that does not belong to you or whose copyright is owned by 2015, we’ve never yet met our annual costs which has led to another. You hereby accept all legal responsibility and exempt SPAG and anyone associated with this magazine from any and all legal consequences and responsibilities. By submitting your letter, item or article around $7,000 coming from my own limited finances, though I’d you are giving your complete approval for SPAG Magazine and anyone associated with it, to freely use it in like to extend my thanks to both Laurie and Steve who donated SPAG Magazine or on our website, agreeing that use of said item will be without charge and that you waive all financial compensations for said item. SPAG agrees not to share your personal details or your contribution enough to allow us pay the annual fee for our post office box and with any other organisation or person not associated with us. some towards computer repairs after its major hissy fit in June. We’re already planning ahead for our next couple of issues, so Singles: we understand that you may feel invisible, overlooked or even if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss, please let me know. You unwanted in the church. Be assured that your needs, concerns and problems are real. You are not alone, but are part of a vast family of can email us on [email protected]. brothers and sisters. God sees you and your struggles: He knows you I’ll catch up with you next time, as we head into Christmas. and He loves you. The articles here are written to encourage, challenge Warm regards and inspire you, whether single or married. Vicki Nunn (SPAG Editor) ~ I encourage you to share SPAG Magazine with others.~ 3 ~ Issue 18 Sept to Nov 2019 ~ 3 ~ Single Person Approved by God ~ Letters to Lou Letter 1: I'm ready for marriage … again Five years later you are looking to move on and hope Dear Lou for a better outcome. Dr Phil always comments that the best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour. I was divorced by the time I was 27. I remember how The time is right for you to do some serious personal selfish I was in those first few years and that I expected to development to prepare you for what might be in your keep on living the way I did when I was single, and my wife future. was hurt and became withdrawn. I know I wasn't a good husband, though we started getting some counselling and I Marriage is about relationship, it is about being best began to understand what I was doing wrong and I tried to friends, it is about making big changes in your life. It is do better. My wife though seemed to want to hold onto her all about seeking how you can edify the other person. hurt and her anger and she would pick faults about the When you stop thinking about yourself and thinking dumbest things.