On 20th February we celebrated 25 years of ministry in Narrabri. In January 1991, Margaret, Tim, Philip, Susannah and I arrived in Narrabri to start an adventure that we had no idea would be so long and so joyful.
Photos from the night are here.
Reflection on Luke 13:1-9
Scripture
“No, I tell you: unless you repent you will all perish just as they did.”
Observation
Some people tell Jesus about some Galileans whom Pilate has had killed. Jesus asks them, “Do you think that they were worse sinners than anyone else? Unless you repent you will all perish as they did.”
Jesus tells a parable of a man who had a fig tree that refused to bear fruit. He tells the gardener to cut it down. The gardener asks him to give the tree another year in which he will fertilise it. If it doesn’t bear fruit then he will cut it down.
Application
Part of our sinful nature is that we try to minimise our sin by comparing ourselves favourably with other people. I might sin, but at least I don’t do that terrible thing. When others suffer it must be because they did something awful to deserve it.
We can assume that just because we aren’t judged or punished now, then we can’t be too bad. The fig tree got another chance, but its fate was not guaranteed. The time of reckoning will come.
While offering us another chance, God makes it clear that there is not an infinite number of chances.
The only remedy for sin is to take it seriously and trust in the forgiveness that God offers us in Christ. We are then in a position to be able to receive His ongoing work of sanctification which makes us more like Him.
Prayer
Father forgive me for judging others as more sinful than me. Help me to be honest with you about the state of my soul. Thank you that Jesus died for my sin. Amen.
An Aussie Legend
I have family members who would aspire to this kind of greatness
From the ABC:
Burping world record claimed by Darwin man with fizzy drink-fuelled 110.6-decibel belch
Fizzy drinks, cold water and a perpetually stocked beer fridge — these are just a few trade secrets from a Darwin man who has unofficially broken a world record for the loudest burp.
Humpty Doo man Neville Sharp decided to challenge a Guinness World Record for the loudest burp after being egged on by his mates at the local pub.
The record has been held by UK man Paul Dunn for a burp of 109.9 decibels.
The phone hasn’t stopped all morning. A Melbourne radio station is playing my burps. My wife actually woke me up at 5:30 this morning saying ‘you’re on telly’.
Neville Sharp, very loud burper from DarwinMr Sharp underwent a strict training regime before belching into a decibel reader at Charles Darwin University’s sound room yesterday.
“It would’ve been a 600ml Coke and some cool water,” Mr Sharp told 105.7 ABC Darwin.
“And my beer fridge is always full.”
Mr Sharp had one relatively extended yet audibly unsuccessful attempt of 97.8 decibels before a hearty and robust belch registered 110.6 decibels.
The proud burper told local Darwin media that he learnt how to belch as a child after his sister taught him to gulp air, and that breaking the record had “always been” a bit of a personal goal.
Mr Sharp will have to formally apply to Guinness World Records to claim the title, however in the eyes of both his wife and the Australian media, he is already a bit of a star.
“The phone hasn’t stopped all morning. A Melbourne radio station is playing my burps,” Mr Sharp said.
“My wife actually woke me up at 5:30 this morning saying ‘you’re on telly’. It’s gone off its head.”
Mr Sharp said he wished he could make money from his talent but, unfortunately, burping more loudly than a hand drill was not a particularly lucrative business.
“It would be very handy but I think it’ll be my five minutes of fame and then everybody will forget about it,” he said.
And what does his wife think of his training sessions at home?
“She loves me,” he added.
Reflection on 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Scripture
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he shall also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
Observation
The Jewish ancestors were all under the glory cloud and all passed through the sea, being baptised into Moses. They drank from the rock that followed them and that rock was Christ.
The lives of these people were given as examples to us. We must avoid idolatry, sexual immorality and complaining as some of these people did and were punished.
God does not let us be tested beyond our ability to endure, but He also provides a way through the trial.
Application
We often see trials and temptations as negative things designed to trip us up. The Old Testament saints were tempted in many ways and often failed and were subsequently punished.
God allows us to be tested to take us deeper into Him. Temptation can be a cause for deeper trust, not just an undermining force.
As christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, we are not condemned to sin. No, our destiny should be to overcome sin as we are increasingly transformed into the image of Christ,
We must learn to recognise temptation and our unique individual weak points. When temptation comes, and it will, we should be so aware of our dependence on the Lord that our eyes are on Jesus and not the source of sin. As we learn to do this, we learn to overcome in every test.
Prayer
Help me Father to discern the weaknesses of my heart and to trust in your strength to stand firm against temptation. Amen.
Reflection on Exodus 3:1-15
Scripture
Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.”
Observation
Moses is tending his father-in-law’s sheep. He comes to Mount Horeb where he sees a bush enveloped in flame yet not burning up.
As Moses approaches, God speaks to him. He identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Lord says that He has heard the cry of His people and He is going to rescue them and take them to their own land.
The Lord tells Moses he is to go to Pharaoh to set His people free. Moses says, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” The Lord promises that He will be with him.
Moses’ next question is “Who are you?” The Lord says, “I am who I am.”
Application
The Lord appears to Moses with a big mission- go to the leader of the world’s biggest power and demand that he set the Hebrew people free. This is huge, even for Moses who was raised in Pharaoh’s palace.
Moses asks for a sign and God tells him, “I will be with you. And you will know this because you will bring my people back here to worship me.”
In other words, God is telling Moses to trust Him, and after he has completed the task then he will see the sign.
I wonder how many people have missed out on God’s call because they wanted a sign up front. Sometimes God gives us a sign before we start, but His way often is to ask us to trust Him.
Prayer
Lord help me to trust you. Help me to see that you are with me even when it all seems too hard. Amen.
Today’s Sermon
The sermon for February 21st 2016 is now available on the New Life web-site.Reflection on Luke 13:31-35
Scripture
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”
Observation
Some Pharisees come to Jesus with a warning that Herod wants to kill Him. Jesus tells them to tell “that fox” that He is curing people and working miracles until the third day when His work is done. He must go to Jerusalem because it is there that prophets are killed.
Jesus laments over Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets sent to it. He longs to gather her children together, but they will not see Him until the time is right.
Application
Jesus was very aware that His mission was to die in order to be the sacrifice for our redemption.
He resolutely walked onwards to Jerusalem, not flinching from His purpose.
As christians, we need to be certain of God’s purpose for our lives. He tells us that we must die to ourselves, allowing Him to live in us and through us.
Prayer
Lord I confess my selfish ambition to you. It is not easy to die to my own desires. Please help me to live for you and you alone. Amen.
Was Muhammad a False Prophet?
Steven Kilpatrick asks the question many in the church are afraid to contemplate. Was Muhammad a false prophet in the sense of deliberately setting out to lead people away from Christ? In our culture of relativism and general disdain for religion, this is a question all christians need to ask.
Was Muhammad a False Prophet?
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Mt. 7:15).
Would “false prophets” include Muhammad? It’s an impolitic question to ask in these politically correct times, but, thanks to political correctness these are also highly dangerous times. Since a good deal of the danger emanates from the religion Muhammad founded, it seems reasonable to ask if he was a false prophet. And if he was, does that mean that Islam is a false religion? And if it is, why are Catholic leaders so keen on declaring their solidarity with Islam?
It’s a case of either/or. Either the New Testament account of Jesus is true or Muhammad’s account is true. Since they contradict each other, they both can’t be true.
In the gospel accounts, Jesus is rather insistent that he is the Son of God, and the Koran is rather insistent that he is not.
Read the full article here
Great Ocean Road Official Video
The official video of the ride from 25000spins.com- great scenery, excellent cinematography!
Reflection on Philippians 3:17-4:1
Scripture
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Observation
Many live in opposition to the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction because they worship the flesh, and their minds are set on earthly things.
Our citizenship is in heaven, and our bodies will be transformed form a place of humiliation to a place of glory. Therefore we must stand firm.
Application
A christian’s allegiance is not to this world but to heaven. The people of the world pursue worldly goals and seek to maximise their personal pleasure.
As citizens of heaven, we must not merely pursue earthly desires. We have a much higher destiny in view.
To some extent we all compromise in some ways with our culture. We must not look to the world to tells us how to live. It is Christ, through the Scriptures and the conviction of the indwelling Holy spirit who directs our thinking and our actions.
For this reason we will always be at odds with unbelievers and with the culture. We can expect to be vilified and hated because God’s values are so different from those of sinful people.
Regardless, we must stand firm and, at the end of the age, we will be transformed into the glory of Christ,
Prayer
Lord, I thank you that this world is not all there is. I thank you that you have called me to eternity. Amen.
