Reflection on 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

risen5815

Reference: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15.19-26

Scripture

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Observation

If our hope in Christ is only for this world we are to be pitied. But Christ has been raised from the dead, and His resurrection is the beginning of the resurrection of all His disciples.

Then the end will come . Jesus will hand over the kingdom to His Father, after He has destroyed every power and authority.

When Christ has overcome all these things, even death, then He will be subject to the Father so God may be all in all.

Application

Jesus is alive! This is the wondrous message of Easter Day. The one who was dead is now alive.

Paul tells us that Jesus’ death and resurrection is like a first fruit or an opening chapter in the resurrection of all people.

Jesus is destined to rule over every power and authority in the world and then hand it all over to the Father.

Prayer

Thank you Father for the good news of the kingdom. Amen.

Celebrate Life

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

risen5815The heart of Christianity is the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection in the season called Easter.

On Good Friday we remember that Jesus died on the cross and that His death purchased the redemption of everyone who puts their faith in Him.

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the most amazing fact of history- Jesus is no longer dead, but He is alive. Not alive in a diminished “living dead” kind of way but in a new enhanced kind of way.

The Christian conviction is that followers of Jesus will also be raised to eternal life, to a new life with Christ.

From the earliest days of the church Christians have celebrated this reality. The period from the evening of Holy Thursday through to Easter Sunday was called the “Great Three Days.” New converts were baptised on Easter morning to enter their new life on the very day that Christ was raised to life. In time the Easter season was stretched to cover the full 50 days to Pentecost- after all this is a big fact worth celebrating to the max!

Some people don’t like the celebration of Easter because of its similarities to pagan myths. For example, there is a belief that the Old Testament person Nimrod became a false god and was worshipped in the Ancient Near East because after his death some people claimed he had come back to life in the form of his illegitimate son. They also say that Christmas is pagan becasue it is the celebration of Nimrod’s birth not Jesus’.

The existence of false celebrations does not make the real thing false. In science it is said that “correlation does not imply causation”- in other words, the fact that two different things seem related it doesn’t necessarily mean that one causes the other.

Let me ask you this. Does the existence of fake $20 notes mean that you should reject real $20 notes?

The presence of false resurrection myths should not stop us celebrating the real thing.

I will kick up my heels and sing praises to God and proclaim the ancient truth:

Christ has died

Christ is risen

Christ will come again

Hallelujah!

Reflection on Acts 10:34-48

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

crossearth1976.jpg

Reference: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+10:34-48

Scripture

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen.”

Observation

Peter is addressing the household of Cornelius, a God-fearing centurion. Peter shares about his vision and his realisation that God accepts people from every nation.

Jesus brought the Good News to the Jews and was crucified, but God raised Him from the dead. He was seen by many people, but not by everyone.

While Peter is talking the Holy Spirit falls on all who hear the message, and they speak in tongues. Peter then orders the new believers to be baptised.

Application

We are witnesses of these things. Every believer who has a relationship with Jesus is a witness. We have experienced the power of the Gospel and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must testify.

The amazing fact of Easter is that Jesus was crucified for our sins and then raised up to life.

The power of God is such that He brings the dead back to life and promises eternal life to every person who acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner. Make the message of Easter- death and resurrection- a living reality in me. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 18:28-40

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

 

Reference: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+19.28-40

 

Scripture

As he was now approaching the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen.

 

Observation

Jesus heads towards Jerusalem. At the mount of Olives He sends two disciples to the village to fetch a colt. If they are challenged they are to simply say “The Lord has need of it.” They find it just as Jesus had said.

 

They bring the colt to Jesus and He sits on it. The crowd spread their cloaks on the road and the disciples start to praise God aloud.

 

The Pharisees tell Jesus to order the disciples to stop, but He says if they are silent the stones would shout out.

 

Application

The “multitude of the disciples” praise God for the “deeds of power that they had seen”

 

A multitude of disciples praising God. Not just a few of the close associates, but a multitude of disciples, a crowd.

 

In our increasingly secular and anti-christian culture, we can feel isolated at times. But we are a part of a multitude, a growing crowd of followers of Jesus who have seen His deeds of power and rejoice in Him.

 

Do not be afraid to publicly proclaim His praise.

 

Prayer

Lord I thank you for the deeds of power you have worked in my life. Help me to praise you in all that I do and to lift high the name of Jesus everywhere I go. Amen.

 

 

Karina Kreminski: Four Everyday Disciplines You Must Have to Experience Community

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

We talk a lot about community at New Life, but what do we need to change to become a community that makes people outside say, “I want to be like that”?

Karina Kreminski writes:At

Facebook

  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Google

photo-1428604467652-115d9d71a7f1


Four Everyday Disciplines You Must Have to Experience Community

364

Karina KreminskiWritten by  
on March 16, 2016

I’m tired of Christians using the word community without meaning it.

As I said before:

“I think the church must display an even deeper expression of community in our world. We are after all, a community which is modeled in some sense on the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We can offer a manifestation of community which is counter to the false narratives of our world, shaped by reign of God values and led by a people of God who practice embodied love towards others. Why are we so slow to present this to our world? I’m not saying that there are not any churches which do community well. Maybe your church is one of those. But do I see churches courageously practicing the alternate values of the kingdom of God which create authentic Christ-centered spiritual community? Do I see the church leading in our society by building true community? Not really.”

There are impediments to building community, so we need disciplines that we can cultivate in our lives which help us to build community.

Community should not be romanticized, it is difficult and sometimes even an unpleasant work to nurture community when the kingdom of God is our inspiration and rubric. Instead, it involves engaging in regular practices which commit us to more seemingly ordinary things. I think that as we practice these ordinary disciplines, we will see the extraordinary take shape as the Spirit of God moulds his people towards true community.

Read the full article here

The War On Christians Continues

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Some people say that claims of Christians being persecuted in the West are merely that our previously privileged position at the expense of other groups  is being removed. The fact is that cultural “elites” are working hard to remove all traces of chrsitianity from the public spheres.

From IPA:

Religious freedom is under attack at Australian universities

by on March 15, 2016 in Education
SUEUlogo

The University of Sydney Union has threatened to deregister the Sydney University Evangelical Union over the requirement that members have faith in Jesus Christ.

The University of Sydney Union, a student-led multi-million dollar organisation responsible for the provision of services and management of the university’s clubs and societies program, considers the requirement that members of a Christian club be Christian as “discriminatory”.

Deregistration, in practice, would starve the Evangelical Union access to funding, orientation week stalls, and room bookings, making it very difficult for the society to function.

This move comes from the same University of Sydney Union which has spaces exclusively reserved for queer, female and international students.

Bible Society, which has previously reported on discrimination against Christians on campuses across Australia, reports on comments from Sydney University Evangelical Union president George Bishop:

The Executive believes that it is necessary, to maintain our identity as a Christian group, to maintain a faith-based declaration as part of the membership process

The Executive believes that individuals who wish to join any society need to be able to ascribe to the core beliefs, objects and aims of the society – which for a Christian society necessarily include faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

The University of Sydney Union, which all students fund through a compulsory levy, the Student Services and Amenities Fee, is suppose to equally represent all students. However, it appears some students are more equal than others.