The sermon for January 17th 2021 is now available on the New Life web-site.
In this sermon, which is based on Colossians 1:15-20, I talk about the Supremacy of Christ.
Click here to listen in your browser, here to download the mp3
Author: newlifenarrabri
JD Morecambe: Each time you pick up your mobile you forge another chain in your manacles.
JD Morecambe writes:
“Tyranny in democratic republics does not proceed in the same way,
however. It ignores the body and goes straight for the soul. The
master no longer says: You will think as I do or die. He says: You are
free not to think as I do. You may keep your life, your property, and
everything else. But from this day forth you shall be as a stranger
among us.”
– Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America
Imagine a future where a benevolent all-seeing and all-powerful censor
quietly manipulates everything you see, hear and watch; tracks and
limits everyone you communicate with and determines what information
is spread, and what is suppressed. No form of communication exists
which does not pass through the filters of the censors.
So powerful are these censors that they can suppress not only information, but people too. No one is immune from this gentle yet persistent form of
persecution, and even the most senior in government are routinely
‘non-personed’; though they still live, they are rendered voiceless.
This is not the theme of some 20th century dystopian novel, but the
world we inhabit in 2021.
The spotty tech-geeks of Silicon valley have accrued, along with their
billions and our indifference, an overwhelming monopoly over
communications during the past decade. They have now matured from
adolescent cyber-nerds tinkering with their early IT systems into
greying and sinister tyrants who mouth slogans like “Don’t Be Evil” as
they continue to consolidate their domination over the most advanced
tool of social control ever built; the centralised internet.
We have been sacrificing our privacy and free expression in return for
centralised convenience online for some time, but 2021 is already
proving to be the year when the libertarian pretensions that typified
the early internet are finally falling away like dross, leaving behind
the glistening ore of raw power. While the rest of us spent 2020
largely muzzled, in 2021 their mask has slipped.
So complete is their monopoly that they can now silence even the most
powerful man in the world; the President of the United States.
Since protestors broke into the US Capitol Building, Facebook and
Instagram have blamed the President Trump with inciting an
‘insurrection’ and banned the President from communicating with the
public indefinitely. Twitter has permanently banned the President from
their platform. YouTube have introduced a removal policy for accounts
that question the US election results, and regularly bans dissenting
content.
Tiktok have cancelled Trump-related hashtags, claiming that
‘Hateful behavior and violence have no place’ on the Chinese-owned
platform. Reddit has removed Trump-related Subreddits. Shopify has
cancelled Trump’s online stores. Google and Apple have removed
alternative social media competitors from their app-stores, and
Amazon, claiming that they “pose a very real risk to public safety”
has ceased web-hosting such rival platforms as Parler, effectively
removing it from the internet until it can rebuild the site, as
Parler’s CEO John Matze said, “from scratch” with another host.
Why is this happening?
Read the full article here
Today’s Bible Verse
Reflection on Matthew 1:18-25
Scripture
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child that is within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”
Observation
Mary is engaged to be married to Joseph. While still a virgin, Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Joseph has a dream in which an angel of the Lord tells him that May’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This baby is to be named Jesus and will save people from their sins.
Joseph takes Mary as his wife, although they refrain from sexual intercourse until after the baby is born.
Application
I am often surprised when I read of a christian stating that they do not believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ. This is an essential part of our faith.
What is easier for God to do- to make the whole universe in its infinite complexity or implant a bit of DNA into a womb?
To disbelieve at this point is to unravel every point of doctrine.
The Virgin Birth is fundamental to faith because it goes to the identity of Christ. Sin has been handed down to us, almost as an inherited quality woven into our genetic makeup. Adam’s sin has been inherited by every human being since.
If Jesus is to be a perfect sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world, He had to be conceived in a way that did not involve human DNA.
The first Adam was a special creation by God. So too was Jesus, the second Adam.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for the mystery of the conception of Jesus. Help me to accept and believe this miracle. Amen.
POTD
Reflection on Matthew 1:1-17
Scripture
This is the record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham.
Application
Matthew lists the ancestors of Jesus, back through Joseph to Abraham. There are three groups of fourteen, which makes seven times six, the numbers of perfection (or God) and of man. Already he is pointing us to Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man.
Jesus is a true descendant of Abraham. He is a true Jew. He cannot be dismissed from respect because of His ancestry. He truly belongs to the children of Israel.
Jesus is also a descendant of David to whom God promised, “One of your descendants will be on the throne of Israel for ever.”
The Gospel of Matthew was written for Jewish people to accept that Jesus is the Messiah.
What is in the genealogy for us today?
- God planned Jesus’ birth right from the beginning of time.
- Although Jesus was sent to the Jews, He is God’s Saviour for all people.
- Both Abraham and David sinned quite spectacularly, but Jesus was without sin.
- Despite their sin, Abraham and David were men of faith and were significant in carrying forward the family line of the Messiah
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for the promises, prophecies and pre-planning we see in Scripture. You truly are an awesome God! Amen.
POTD
Hope For Every Impossible Marriage
Marriage is basically impossible without the grace of God. But when one partner is same-sex attracted, that’s beyond impossible, right? Wrong.
Laurie Kreig writes this in Ann Voskamp’s blog:
My heart felt icy. “Why am I even in this marriage?” I silently asked Jesus. “God, help me. Please, give me some hope.”
I clicked on a Christian podcast seeking to encourage married people. The gender joking began immediately: “Is it God’s big joke that He makes men and women get married?” I braced myself, guessing I knew what would come next. I’ve heard it dozens—if not hundreds—of times.
“Seeking unity through our differences preaches the gospel.”
“I mean, seriously! We all want to have sex before we get married, but then we get married, and surprise! Men like their sports, not talking emotionally, want lots of physical intimacy, and they want to be left alone in their ‘man caves.’ Women? They like Pinterest, talking emotionally, they don’t want sex, and they want to relate in their ‘she sheds.’ But! We are in a covenant, and God hates divorce, so, ha ha! Stinks to be us. We are stuck!”Click. I couldn’t listen anymore. My cold heart squeezed in pain.
Yeah. Why is it male-and-female marriage? If you all hate each other so much, why are you even married?
The weight of their gender jabs fell extra heavily on my ears. I wasn’t just wrestling with staying in my marriage to my husband, Matt; I was wrestling with staying in my marriage to a man.
We all have our own story and this is my story.
And I am grateful to vulnerably and humbly share my story, and grateful for people to hold space for my story and the way it unfolded.
For as long as I can remember, I have been attracted to women. After college, as I wrestled with either killing myself, or coming out as a lesbian atheist, I reached out to a therapist for help with the suicidality.
This Jesus-loving counselor not only helped to remove shame and self-hatred from my life—she helped me to encounter Jesus like I never had before.
Her work through the power of the Spirit did not transform me from gay to straight, but it cleared a path in my heart to receive more of God’s love.
Read the rest of the story here:
Ephesians 4:6
Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:6 . 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 4:6
“… one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.”
Paul has been listing the things Christians share- one Lord, one faith, one Spirit, one baptism. Now we come to the climax, the one God and Father.
Christians, like Jews, affirm that there is one God. Unlike the pagans who had gods for different cities and localities, trades and professions, christians say there is one God.
Whereas religious ties divide other groups, christians are united by worshipping the one God.
God has revealed himself as a Trinity, that is as three persons in one God. This isn’t to be interpreted as three gods or as three separate modes which God switches between. Part of the mystery of God is that God is both one and three. The unity of God is real, as is the threefold personality.
When we say that God is Father, we may think of several things.
Firstly he is the creator. He brought the whole of creation into existence for His good pleasure. Nothing was made except through the agency of God. He made all things and He made them good .
In this sense, God is Father even of those parts of creation that rebel against Him. He is Father to sinful people in the sense that He created them.
Secondly, God is Father in the sense that he brings new life to those who desire it. He is like a father of children who have gone off the rails and seeks to be reconciled with them. God the Father sent God the Son into the earth in order to reconcile many sons to himself .
Thirdly, to say God is Father is to say He is relational, and that He loves His creation. He is not a distant, impersonal god or force, but a real person who can and does relate to His creation .
Fourthly, God is a Father who works to bring His sons and daughters to maturity. He wants to impart His character to us so that we can become like him in nature. In Ephesians 4:13, Paul says that God gives His gifts to the Body, “ until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
God is over all, through all, and in all. This is language that needs to be thought about carefully .
We need to say first of all that this is not a form of pantheism. God is not identical to the creation. He is not the spirit of the trees and the mountains. God is separate from the creation.
When we say God is everywhere, we do not mean to imply that He is disguised as the animals and the wind. He is present to every part of creation, but separate from it.
It appears that some of the Greek manuscripts try to soften some of the universality of this verse. Some add the word “you”, others added the similar word “us”. God is over all of us, through all of us, and in all of us. As Christians, this would be acceptable, but it is not what Paul wrote.
God is over all people. He is the supreme ruler, whether we believe this or not. He is over all things, directing human and other events to his final purposes.
At the end of time, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10). God is Lord of all right now whether or not this is recognised by all people.
God is “through all.” This seems to mean that God uses all events, all people, all of creation to His glory and to our good. Nothing happens that he is not already aware of before hand .
To say that God is through all means that I can be confident that God is with me in every situation.
Finally God is “in all”. every person carries the image of God, the stamp of God’s ownership. Every person we see is someone whom God loves and created for His glory. If we see the image of God in all people, then we can love them as we love God.
God is also in all things because everything carries his image. While we must not worship the creation, every part of it is infused with God’s beauty and God’s glory. Therefore, every encounter that I have in this creation should draw me to a place of worship .
Key points in this verse:
- Our worship of one God should bind Christians together
- God has revealed himself as a trinity Kama a perfect community of love
- God is Father of all creation, but has a special Father relationship with those who are born again
- God’s presence is revealed in all of creation
Reflection on Exodus 39:1-40:38
Scripture
Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
Application
The clothing for the High Priest is detailed. Finally, everything is complete. The Tabernacle is put together, and the furnishings are installed. Then, the glory of the Lord’s presence fills the Tabernacle.
How awesome it is to consider that the tangible presence of the Lord, the glory cloud, descended in this meeting place with such weighty glory.
I love it when the glory of God becomes manifest in church meetings. There have been times, particularly during the praise and worship, that the presence of God has been so strong you could feel Him. No glory cloud, but no less real.
On the other hand, the New Testament repeatedly reminds us that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit- individually and together. We are all little tabernacles, little glory clouds. This is true, even when I am not aware of it.
The Holy Spirit is in me constantly. The manifestation of the Spirit, the glory cloud so to speak, becomes present as I align my thoughts and actions with those of the Spirit in me.
“We have this glory in earthen vessels,” Paul writes somewhere.
I need to remember this during the various trials and tribulations of my daily life.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for the descriptions of your manifest glory. They inspire me to seek your glory in the small events of my life. Help me to recall your presence all day. Amen.
