We are heading off tomorrow morning to go to Rockhampton for the 2021 Apostolic Summit. It failed to happen last year due to Covid restrictions.
Posting will be a little lighter than normal, but I am hoping to blog about the Summit as we go.
You can check out the live stream here.
Scripture
“Some are born eunuchs, some are made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Observation
Some Pharisees come to Jesus, trying to trap Him (again). The question they pose is about divorce. Jesus says that when God joins a man and woman they become one flesh. They must not be separated. The only exception is in the case of adultery.
The disciples ask if it better not to marry. Jesus says that some are born eunuchs, others are castrated, and yet others become like eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
Application
Jesus has a high value on marriage- much higher, it seems, than many of His followers.
Even so, Jesus sees that some people may observe a life of celibacy for the sake of God’s kingdom. This has been exemplified in the Catholic Church through the millennia by priests, monks and nuns, and others. In Protestant churches, some people experience a definite call to remain single in order to better serve the Lord.
In that sense, it is neither better nor worse to marry nor to stay single, as long as what we do is for the glory of God.
In our hypersexualised culture where it seems that personal pleasure is the highest god, this is a radical departure.
Christians place sexual activity in the context of marriage, which is defined as one man and one woman voluntarily committed to one another for life. This commitment is the opposite of the “If it feels good do it” narrative of our culture.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for the gift of sexuality. I give this part of my life over to you to be used for the glory of your kingdom. Amen.
Stewarding blessing and increase well should be the intention of every believer. If abundance is a normal Kingdom expression, we should prepare for increase with prayers and study on the subjects we anticipate God’s blessing in. Bill Johnson
13 You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations. 1 Corinthians 10:13 CEV https://bible.com/bible/392/1co.10.13.CEV
Scripture
Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“Not seven times”, Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.”
Observation
Peter asks how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him. He suggests seven times, but Jesus says, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Jesus then tells a parable about a king who decides to put his accounts in order. He discovers that one of his servants owes him millions of dollars. He can’t repay the debt, so the master orders him and his possessions to be sold. The servant begs for more time to repay, which the king grants.
The same servant then cones across another servant who owes him a few dollars. He demands instant repayment, but the servant is unable to pay. The first servant has him thrown into prison.
Some of the other servants see this, and they go to the king. The king then orders the first servant to be thrown into prison until the debt is paid in full.
Application
God has forgiven me so much! I am like the first servant in the parable. My debt to God was so huge that nobody could pay it. But God forgave me and continues to forgive me.
So I need to be a person who also learns to forgive others. What people do to offend me is tiny compared to what God has wiped away for my sake.
Peter thought he was being radical by suggesting that he could forgive a brother seven times. After all, the rabbis taught that we should forgive three times.
When Jesus says I must forgive seventy-times seven, He is really saying “Keep forgiving and keep no record of it.”
I need to become a person who forgives automatically, instinctively and freely. I must become impossible to offend so that I can forgive without restraint.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you forgive me without measure. Please help me to forgive those who offend me equally freely. Amen.
I was happy, wasn’t I? I was a New Age spiritual healer and teacher with a thriving global soul centre based in Sydney, offering courses, sessions, and products with the goal of self-actualisation. I travelled internationally with my teachings and spoke on New Age radio. I was the ‘creator of my own reality’, tuned into the invisible spirit realm to channel healing, spiritual guidance, and wisdom to myself and my clients. I was empowered and had purpose, by helping others to seemingly heal broken pasts and move into oneness with the Divine. My source of love and energy was ‘the universe’.
I felt I had control over life and access to hidden knowledge to explain all the mysteries. But after 13 years of ‘inner work’, why did I still find myself stuck in feelings of deep inadequacy, shame, unresolved grief, anxiety, and addiction? Everything had to be analysed. Moments of spiritual bliss were ultimately unfulfilling as I moved back into the reality of life. Relationships were challenged as it was difficult to be around people who had a ‘lower consciousness’. I kept searching and striving. I was simply exhausted being my own god!
One weekend, a friend invited me to church. That very afternoon, out of curiosity, I had picked up a Bible in our hotel room. So, I accepted her invitation. I was surprised by a totally different church environment to what I expected. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and the modern worship was uplifting. As I listened to the lyrics of So Will I, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My heart exploded. I realised I had been worshipping creation (the universe), not the Creator.
I had got it completely wrong. I realised that He is the love that I had been looking for this whole time. I sank back down into my chair and sobbed and sobbed. I felt a powerful presence of love and wholeness that was inexplicable. After dealing with spiritual energies for so long, this was completely different to anything I had ever experienced.
The preaching made so much sense. It was like a veil had been lifted. The fact that God was not a distant impersonal consciousness, but we could have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus blew my mind. I knew the Bible and Jesus was true. I was hungry, grabbed a Bible, and continued to go to as many services as I could. Within weeks, I ‘officially’ gave my life to Christ, however I believe it happened in an instant that first moment I encountered the one and only God.
I shut down my teachings and business and I was baptised in four months.
After being in the subjective reality of the New Age, I felt God calling me to study. I jumped into a Diploma of Ministry at Morling College, receiving a scholarship. God formed me through the class content and prayer, community life, friendships and most surprisingly, through doing the assessments! It was inspiring to connect with students at different points on their journey. I really felt God walking with me the whole way through it.
I realised that studying theology is not only for academics but for all Christians. The study grounded my faith and taught me how to approach questions and understand different viewpoints, skills I continue to use as I grow in my faith.
Read the full article at Eternity
New Life Narrabri 