The Faith and Wisdom of Maxwell Joseph Davies. 1948-2024.

Maxwell Joseph Davies.
19 Nov 1948 to 6 August 2024.

After a period of illness, on Friday 9 August 2024 family and friends laid Maxwell Joseph Davies to rest at Pyes Pa Cemetery.
Plot 80.

I had the honour of being asked by Max’s family to direct Max’s funeral service, and to deliver a short gospel message before Max’s body was carried out to his final resting place.

To many attendees at Max’s funeral my short Christian message at the end was probably seen as a superfluous 5-10 minutes to be endured rather than as anything important, yet for Reawyn, *And Max* his funeral was an opportunity not to be missed… to declare the truth about Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Far from being silly superstitions… Max’s and families faith is founded upon solid ground, and the Gospel message contains their highest values as they know how essential it is for every human being to come to a saving knowledge of the Gospel.
They were especially desirous for their close family and friends to know the love of God so that they might be saved from God’s Judgement for their sins… should the light of truth dawn in their hearts.
On this score… the Davies have proven their love, and faithfully fulfilled their moral duty.

Make no mistake… Heaven and hell ain’t no joke! It’s for real people!
Whatever the future holds let it not be said that they never tried to warn their loved ones about the impending Judgement of the Almighty upon the sins of humanity… and the simple way God has provided for us to be forgiven and made holy, so that we can spend eternity in his presence.

Let he that hath an ear to hear… let them hear.

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
Paul The Apostle to the Gentiles. (Corinthians 1vs 18-21)

God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 5vs8

It was an honour to be asked to deliver these vital truths to the people Max held so dearly.
I did my best with the short time I had to prepare, and tried to balance the importance of what needed to be said, without too much imposition upon the occasion.
My intention being to write a tribute to Max’s faith to be put online as a memorial, and there I could say more.
Hence this tribute that is before you now.

I was asked by Reawyn to perform these rites… to bless her home, etc as more than 3 decades ago, I had the pleasure of Leading a bible study at Max and Reawyn’s home in Payne st Judea.
The Word of God found fertile soil there and Max and Reawyn’s faith grew strong… and enduring… transforming them into Bible believing… Grace preaching… Dispensational… Christians.
From that time onwards Max was no longer simply ‘a family man’ and a Builder…. he became ‘A soldier for Christ’… Max’s life became imbued with Divine strength and purpose.
God gave Max and family the fortitude to endure hardship, and to take pleasure in the simple things of life… esp family.

Max truly was a powerful and Godly Christian Warrior!
He was a beacon of light… Mighty with the Sword of the Spirit (The word of God).

Max was anything but a stereotypical Christian! He always was and remained to the end of his life… A Bougan… A Pakeha Maori, He loved a beer and a good yarn.
Unlike so many phony Pharisee type churchmen who preach Moral Legalism.. and posture with fake self-righteousness… mishandling the scripture and teaching false doctrines of works, and who don’t even believe the bibles they hold in their hands… Max was the antithesis of all those things! He a preacher of *genuine Christian truths*… of Humility, of grace, and of faith in the trustworthiness of the King James Bible.
He knew and preached the true Gospel of God’s grace given to us via God’s Apostle Paul…

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed… Rightly dividing the word of truth…”
2 Timothy 2vs 15.

There may be thousands of Christians and churches in New Zealand, yet sadly most of them wallow in False doctrine… and don’t properly understand the Gospel.
Very few indeed truly understand the scriptures to the degree that Max did.
He really was a beacon of light as he appealed to everyone he met to stop walking in darkness and embrace the Bible!

Max would extoll you to trust the King James Authorised version of the Bible… As God’s inspired and preserved revelation to us… The final authority in all matters of Faith and conduct.

Max lived a quiet life and received little credit for his labours for Humanity and God. No honours (except from his immediate circle) No fame.
Despite living in virtual obscurity It is my testimony to declare that when Maxwell Joseph Davies passed away Tauranga and New Zealand lost one of our Greatest Christians.
He lived a good life, and it is in recognition of His stature as a real Bible believing Christian that I write this tribute.

Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.

The same week Max passed away Lead vocalist of the 70s Rock Band Led Zeppelin Robert Plant turned 76… making him virtually the same age as Max… His age difference being 3mths.

You may be wondering why I mention Robert Plant in my tribute to Max Davies? Well, It has to do with the question…. What is a Good life? What is real Success?
Most people reading this know Robert Plant is ‘Rock Royalty’… having achieved ‘Legendary’ status… Living a life of fame and fortune… yet we also know the sands of time sooner or later run out for us all.
Robert Plant will eventually go to his grave with millions of adoring Fans paying him tribute… and by many people’s estimation Robert Plant has Lived Life to it’s fullest. Literally millions of Fans would loved to have walked in his shoes … Yet will any of that Fame and Glory matter when Robert Plant goes to meet his Maker?
In the final tally… when we each give account for ourselves before God Almighty do you really think all the fame and fortune will be deemed to have eternal glory?
No.
“For What profit a man though he should gain the whole world yet lose his own soul?”
Mark 8vs 36.

You see it is when we stand before God Almighty and our lives and deeds are (metaphorically speaking) weighed in his scale… that’s when the true values of things will be known. Do you expect God to use the same judgement as this lost world measures success?
To believe that is to be foolish indeed!

“…Behold, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding” Job 28vs28

If then we use God’s yardstick to measure what a Good and successful life is I contend that despite Max’s humble existence… in the final tally… God will find his works and his faith are of far greater eternal value than all Robert Plant’s so-called ‘Fabulous life of Earthy success’.

We Christians do not serve the Lord in expectation of wealth or Fame, but out of our love and gratitude to the Lord for what he has done for us, and from our compassion for our fellow man… We have a message of hope and salvation for all who wander lost in darkness and sin… “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever should believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3vs16

In Christian virtue and by God’s metrics Max died a success!
Max died a truly wealthy man in the things that really matter!
Max left this life beloved by his wife and Children, with many friends, and well respected as a tradesman.

Max… as Head of his house was able to instill in his young children that life has real meaning and purpose.
He taught them that via faith in Christ not sin… nor even death can defeat the Christian.
Max taught his children with certainty that though they may be separated by death for a short while… to carry on and live our lives to the fullest… fulfilling our god-given purpose… and when each of our turns arrive… to face death with peace and hope trusting in God’s grace and goodfness.
In death the Christian is received by Christ.

Reywyn and Family…. Know this with certainty you shall be reunited with Max… for this is the promise and great hope of the Gospel.
Death can not eternally separate us who believe!
This is not my opinion… its what’s written in God’s Holy bible!

What a tragedy it is for a person to go though life thinking it is pointless and meaningless!
What a tragedy to face death without hope!
Especially given the fact that *Atheism is a delusion!* The Bible say’s ‘The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God!”. (Psalm 14vs1)

Max was not a perfect Christian, very much like myself Max had his vices and struggles. We are well aware of our shortcomings. These faults cause us to rely wholly on God’s grace. Thankfully We know we have been made free from the Law… by Christ, and that despite our own failures to live godly lives, we trust in the Cross, and in God’s love, mercy,

‘And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:’
Pil 3vs9

‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:’
Galatians 3 vs 13

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Galatians 5

For by grace are ye saved: through faith. and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
Not of works lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2vs8,9

It has taken me a month to write this tribute because I feared not doing justice to Max’s memory.
I realise my chief difficulty comes from the fact that though I have many dear Non-Christian friends, I have far less dear Christian ones… and very few indeed as dear to me and as close to me as Max was… and I have suffered a great personal loss with his passing. He was (and indeed still is) one of my closest brothers in Christ…

Rest in Pease my friend…. Until we meet again!
Much Love and respect my Brother!
My one regret is that I allowed far too many years to pass without visiting you.
Sorry Bro.

Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.
Dispensationalist.
Authorised King James Bible believer.

P.S I hope Robert Plant knows the only true ‘stairway to heaven’ is the Cross of Jesus Christ!
It’s not for sale… you can’t buy your way into heaven yet don’t be sad!
God’s Gift of salvation is *FREE* to anyone who believes the gospel that God sent Christ to die for our sins, and that he rose again from the dead in victory over sin and death, and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!