“When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!”
Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a king who prepares a great wedding banquet for his son. When the banquet is ready, the invited guests refuse to come.
The king sends out more messengers to summon the guests. Still they refuse, and some even insult and kill the king’s messengers.
Finally the king sends out servants to bring in people from the streets, both good and bad, to fill the banqueting hall.
The king notices that one of the guests is not properly dressed. He orders this person to be bound and cast out into the darkness.
Application
The people of Israel were all invited to God’s marriage feast, but many refused to come. They had insulted and killed God’s messengers, the prophets. Now Jesus is saying that the king is inviting a different group of people, those who had previously not been invited, that is the Gentiles.
It is a wonderful privilege to be a part of God’s kingdom. Even those who previously rebelled against God can now come in and be a part of His party.
The parable contains one jarring note. One man is seen to be not wearing the appropriate clothes. He is kicked out of the feast.
Repeatedly, in the New Testament we are told to take off the old nature and put on Christ. Many are called or invited to be in the Kingdom of God, but it is only through a change of heart that we become acceptable to God.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for inviting everybody into your kingdom. I turn away from my sins and choose to follow you today. Amen.
He rejects the Fridays For Future claim that there are only 12 years left.
Climate catastrophe not taking place
In the interview, moderator Tichy reminded that civilization began 7000 years ago, a time when it was “3°C warmer than today”, and Vahrenholt responded saying he expects civilization to continue for another seven thousand years. There was no tipping point back then, why would there be one today? “Warmth and moisture have always been good for mankind,” said Vahrenholt. “Cold has been man’s worst enemy.”
Plenty of time to move rationally
The German professor also said that the claimed catastrophe “is not taking place” and that policymakers are trying to use “panic and fear to get the people to act.” Much of the warming measured since 1850 is the result of natural warming taking place due to the end of the Little Ice Age, he explained.
Germany’s green fantasy
Later the German professor of chemistry calls the belief that wind and sun are able replace fossil fuels “fantasizing” and that Germany, with its 2.3% share of global CO2 emissions, can rescue the global climate “a fairy tale”.
Meanwhile, the warming of the last 150 years is in large part caused by natural cycles. “In the 20th century the sun was more active than at any time over the past 2000 years.”
Economically, Vahrenholt believes that a frenzied rush to renewables will lead to “horrible” economic consequences from European industrialization.
On the topic of a scientific consensus, the German professor says this is a claim made by the IPCC, which run by the UN with an agenda behind it.
Electric cars a “crackpot idea”
Vahrenholt also believes electric cars powered by batteries is not a feasible technology, and that other experts quietly call it “a crackpot idea”, and don’t speak up for fear of losing research funding. The vast majority of funding comes from the German government.
“Paris Accord already dead”
The professor of chemistry, co-author of a recent bestseller, also describes Germany as a country in denial when it comes to the broader global debate taking place on climate science, and declared the Paris Accord as being “already dead”.
“The Accord is already dead. Putin says it’s nonsense. […] The Americans are out. The Chinese don’t have to do anything. It’s all concentrated on a handful of European countries. The European Commission in massively on it. And I predict that they will reach the targets only if they destroy the European industries,” said Vahrenholt.
He characterizes Europe’s recent push for even stricter emissions reduction targets to madness akin to Soviet central planning that is doomed to fail spectacularly.
I would have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.
Observation
John is writing to a man called Gaius, who he hopes is well in spirit and in body. Some of John’s travelling teachers returned and told John how Gaius is living faithfully to the Lord.
John asks Gaius to continue supporting such itinerant ministers because they are serving the Lord.
Diotrophes opposes these teachers and tells others not to support them. When they do help, he expels them from the church.
Application
Any pastor recognises the reflection of John that we have no greater joy than hearing our spiritual children are “following the truth.”
John uses this phrase to mean that they are walking with the Lord and refusing to be swayed by the false teachers and the heretics. There is clearly a problem with people such as Diotrophes who resists the itinerant teachers who are faithful to the gospel. In 2 John, John calls the false teachers antichrists. It seems that Diotrophes had been influenced by such people.
In the midst of all this, John is blessed to know that some people, such as Gaius and Demetrius, are standing firm and prospering both spiritually and physically.
When I think of people whom I have mentored over many years, it gives me great joy to seeing them moving onward in the Lord. It means that the church of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ are growing in influence across the generations.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for those people who are faithful to you and who seek to serve you in their work, in the church, and in their families. May they continue to thrive in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Here is my commentary on Ephesians 3:16. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au
Ephesians 3:16
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”
God’s glorious riches are unlimited. We think of wealthy people as being beyond the financial limits that constrain most of us. To people in developing countries, those of us who live average lives seem to them to be wealthy beyond imagination.
But God’s glorious riches are in every way unlimited. The God who created the universe with a word is not limited by physical resources. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the Psalmist tells us.
The glorious riches of God, though, are not merely physical. He commands a billion human servants and an untold number of angels. He can redirect the courses of nations with just a thought.
A million words cannot come close to describing these glorious riches, out of which He strengthens us.
God is not a hoarder. He does not store up these rich is for his own glory, although He could if He chose to. Instead, He shares them with us, His beloved people.
It is a quality of love that we want to share what we have and who we are with those whom we love. I may not be inclined to give $1,000 to my neighbour down the street, but I will share all I have with my children .
So God shares His riches with us because He loves us and He wants to strengthen our trust in Him.
One way that God strengthens us is through provision of our needs. I have seen on many occasions that the laws of economics fail when God is involved. He equips us to do more with less. He provides things that we could not have dreamed of. All of this is His good pleasure.
Another way that God strengthens us is through the fruit of the Spirit as recorded in Galatians 5:22. We may think that it is impossible for us to fulfil the calling that God has on our lives, but He will give an abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities will not only enable us to do a task, but to become more like Jesus in the process.
Paul prays that God will strengthen us with power through the Spirit.
The power of God is demonstrated through the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12, and in the book of Acts. The power of God flows through a heart that is totally surrendered to God’s purposes.
When we speak out what God is saying, we may speak words of knowledge and wisdom or prophecy. When we minister the power of God, we see healings, miracles, and deliverance from evil spirits.
We may be strengthened in power through prayers that are answered. There is nothing that encourages faith so much as prayers being answered both through natural and miraculous methods. Many have poured out their hearts to the Lord seeking a blessing that seems impossible and have been awestruck when God came through.
In all of these ways, and many more, God strengthens us. These are manifestations of the power of God.
All of this is brought about by God’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, in our inner being. This Is a miracle.
C.S. Lewis talks about christians being a new species. We are outwardly the same as every other person, but there is something fundamentally different. We know that changes in a molecule called DNA can change an organism, including humans. Inserting a fragment of DNA can bring big changes. In the same way, God insert His Spirit into our spirit being.
All of the signs of God’s power flow from the Holy Spirit through us to the world. In the past, God’s Spirit might have been ”with” a person, but now He is “in” a person.
We no longer should think of God as somewhere else, because he is in us wherever we go. We have no need of temples or special places to meet with God. We are the temple.
The Holy Spirit is alive in each of us. Therefore He can strengthen us with His power that is already in us.
We are often held back by the lies we believe. We might feel that we are not good enough, or holy enough, to be used by God. We might think that we could never be as Godly as that other person.
The truth is that we all have access to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
Key points in this verse:
God has unlimited glorious riches that are physical and spiritual
God shares his riches with us because he loves us
The power of the Holy Spirit is in us and can strengthen us.
From the “whatever happened to the 1.5* C tipping point” school of climate, researchers have identified 24 planets that are likely to be more suitable for life than Earth.
Here is news release from Washington State University and accompanying journal article:
What is especially eye-catching is the criteria behind why these planets are considered super-habitable: “older, a little larger, slightly warmer and possibly wetter than Earth.” Say what? How can warmer & wetter be better for life on Earth? Aren’t we near a tipping point where another 0.5* C of warming becomes an existential threat to humanity, as claimed by certain climate scientists, news outlets, and politicians?
Even more intriguing is what the researchers (the lead author of which is a geobiologist) consider to be “slightly warmer”. This is clarified farther into the article where it states “a mean surface temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius (or about 8 degrees Fahrenheit) greater than Earth, together with the additional moisture, would be also better for life.” Wow!!
That certainly blows away the so-called 1.5* C tipping point, which we all know is a number picked out of a hat for political reasons. More importantly, their research begs the deeper question on exactly what is the optimal temperature for life on this planet. This is certainly a question which should be addressed before implementing any public policy (such as the Green New Deal) that could significantly impact the economy and quality of life.
I say this because many deceivers have gone out int the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Observation
John writes this letter to “the chosen lady”, probably referring to a local church. He declares that he was happy to have met some of the “children” of the lady, finding them living according to the truth.
We must live in love for one another according to the commandment of God. Many deceivers have gone out into the world. These people deny that Jesus came in a physical body.
If anyone comes into a meeting teaching lies about Christ, we should not give them any kind of encouragement.
Application
There were many sects and heresies that sprang up in the early decades of the church.
One of the more persistent heresies was called Gnosticism. According to the Gnostics, we can only achieve salvation by learning knowledge that was hidden from most people, but was revealed to a select few. They drew in teachings from many religions, including Christianity. The core belief of these groups was that the physical world, including our bodies, is evil, but the spirit world is good.
We know that Jesus came into the world, in the normal way, as a complete human being, including a body. For many people it was impossible to believe that a perfect God could dwell in a physical body. So they denied that Jesus had a body, and that He died in that body.
John says that to follow such teachings is to be against Christ, that is antichrist.
Our beliefs are important because they determine how we believe. For John, the important doctrine that Jesus came into the world in the form of a man, with a body, was the basis for us to love other people with the love of God. To abandon this belief would eventually mean abandoning love for one another.
Not all of us are called to be theologians, but we all must check that the things we think and say correspond to the Bible.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, please convict me about the things that I think and the things that I do, in whatever way I go against your will. Amen.
We know that we are children of God and that the world is controlled by the evil one.
Observation
God has given us eternal life through His Son. Anyone who has the Son has life, and anyone who does not have the Son does not have life.
When we see a brother or sister sinning, we should pray for that person to repent. There is a sin which leads to death; not every sin leads to death.
We know that we are children of God and that the world is under the control of the evil one. We live in fellowship with the Son of God, and therefore we live in fellowship with the true God.
Application
There is a huge gulf between the children of God and the people of the world. The world and its people are controlled by the evil one. The children of God are led by God.
This is not to say that we should avoid unsaved people or look down on them. We should love them with the love of Jesus who loved the world enough to die for it. We should love them and seek to win them to Him.
At the same time, we should understand that the gospel will never be popular in the world. Most people do not want to know that they are sinners, although there are many people who long for their Redeemer.
We should also work at redeeming institutions that the world controls- education, entertainment, politics, and culture. Jesus is greater than satan, and He alone can rescue the world, its people and its structures.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for saving me. Thank you that I am led and directed by you and not by the evil one. Amen.
So we have three witnesses- the Spirit, the water, and the blood- and these three agree.
Observation
Everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. If we love God, we will obey His commands and love His children.
Jesus was revealed as God’s Son at His baptism and on the cross. The Spirit also confirms this, meaning there are three witnesses to Jesus’ Sonship- the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
God has testified about His Son, so anyone who refuses to believe that Jesus is the Son of God is calling God a liar.
Application
The three witnesses- the Spirit, the water, and the blood- all testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts that Jesus is Lord, and that we can be set free from the bondage of our sin. We need that testimony because satan has blinded us and we would never work it out by ourselves.
The water is the water of Jesus’ baptism. This was the first revelation that He is the Son of God. The heavens opened and the voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son.”
The blood is Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. Jesus, the truly divine one, laid down His life for our sake. The Roman centurion said at the time of Jesus’ death, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”
Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Son of God not only calls the Father and the Holy Spirit liars, but they also ignore the testimony of the water and the blood.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, today I declare, “You are truly the Son of God.” Amen.
We hear a lot about runaway global warming and how awful the world is getting due to evil CO2. We hear a lot about it when we have bad bushfire seasons and drought as we did last year. Not so much in cooler, wetter years. Almost none at all in Covid years!
So how much is the planet warming? Here is the “money quote” from the article below:
The linear warming trend since January, 1979 remains at +0.14 C/decade (+0.12 C/decade over the global-averaged oceans, and +0.18 C/decade over global-averaged land).
Yes in 100 years it will be just 1.4 degrees warmer. And Governments are spending trillions of dollars on “decarbonising”, companies and individuals are paying higher electricity prices and taxes to stop the globe warming by an almost imperceptible amount over 100 years.
The Version 6.0 global average lower tropospheric temperature (LT) anomaly for September, 2020 was +0.57 deg. C, up from from the August, 2020 value of +0.43 deg. C.
The linear warming trend since January, 1979 remains at +0.14 C/decade (+0.12 C/decade over the global-averaged oceans, and +0.18 C/decade over global-averaged land).
For comparison, the CDAS global surface temperature anomaly for the last 30 days at Weatherbell.com is +0.38 deg. C.
With La Nina in the Pacific now officially started, it will take several months for that surface cooling to be fully realized in the tropospheric temperatures. Typically, La Nina minimum temperatures (and El Nino maximum temperatures) show up around February, March, or April.
New Life Narrabri 