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Thursday 26 December 2019

Wonderful


For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6-7

wonderful
/ˈwʌndəfʊl,ˈwʌndəf(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: wonderful
  1. inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvellous.
In this prophecy about the birth of Jesus we’re given some of His names. He is wonderful. The circumstances of His birth, that God would give His Son to become a man on Earth, to live and die for us, fills us with wonder. We wonder in the sense that we are amazed. We also wonder in the sense that we are puzzled. We can’t quite figure it out. Who can fathom the greatness of God? Who can understand the deep relationship of our Heavenly Father and His only Son, Jesus, separate yet together in a oneness deeper than we can imagine.
 The Christmas story is filled with wondrous events- the appearance of angels, Mary’s miraculous conception, John leaping in the womb of Elizabeth, a guiding star, protective warnings, a sky filled with song.
In the gospels we see the wonders that Jesus performed- miracles of healing, deliverance and provision, raising the dead, calming the sea. We also see the wonder of His character- His honour of His Father God, His wisdom and mercy and strength and forgiveness. We also see the wonder of changed lives- the effect that Jesus had on so many of the people that He met. Nobody who had an encounter with Jesus went away unchanged.
So it is with each one of us today. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for evermore. Nothing that we do can make us free from a life of sin. Only what Christ did for us changes us. This Christmas the most wonderful gift you could give yourself is to pray a prayer of faith and commitment to Him. He will be true and faithful and loving to you for the rest of your life.
Dear Heavenly Father God,
I come before You acknowledging You as the only one God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Thank You, Father God, for sending Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, honouring You and making a way for sinful people to come back into relationship with You. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Please forgive my sin and cleanse me I pray. I receive Jesus Christ into my life to be my Lord and Saviour for the rest of my days. May You give me strength through the power of the Holy Spirit to live my life as a Christian. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen



Thursday 7 November 2019

Kicking against the goads


In the Biblical book of Acts, chapter 25, the apostle Paul is standing before King Agrippa in Caesarea, defending his teaching of Christianity. He describes his conversion on the road to Damascus, where Jesus appeared to him and said:
Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ V14.
Jesus often used simple pastoral references, easily understood by the people of that age. The goad referred to here was what we would today call a cattle prod- a simple tool used to steer or prod oxen when ploughing, a long stick, sometimes with a sharpened end or nail in the end. It was used to prompt or direct an animal, and a stubborn or feisty beast would kick back when prodded rather than simply obeying the direction. Today we talk about ‘goading” a person, referring to deliberately and continually provoking a person until they respond.
Paul (called Saul prior to his conversion) was an educated and intelligent man, one schooled in Jewish law, yet he persecuted followers of the new and rapidly expanding sect, the Way, or Christianity. He tells us that whenever a vote was held for the death penalty for Christians, Paul voted for this (v9). Yet Jesus says it was hard for him to “kick against the goads”. I believe that the goads for Paul were a continuing troubling of his conscience and a growing awareness of the Christian witness of those he persecuted, including the martyred apostle Stephen.
What was true in the time that Luke penned the book of Acts still holds true today. We often encounter people who are opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will argue long and persuasively against Christianity and oppose it at every opportunity. In some countries they will imprison and put to death followers of Jesus. Yet God is still in the business of prompting knowledge of His presence. We must remember that it’s hard work for those people who deny Christ, and futile work at that. They are kicking against the goads.
Jesus told His followers to
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).
 Perhaps members of the early church were faithful in intercessory prayer for Paul’s conversion. Likewise, we have a responsibility to pray for our unsaved friends and relatives and those throughout the world who are suffering persecution for their faith. We have the commission and responsibility to live a life full of witness of the love and power of Jesus.


The Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia,  Nov 2019

From the wonders of coastal scenery to the wondrous design of small creatures, God's mighty hand is evident. Butterfly house, Melbourne Zoo, November 2019

Friday 11 October 2019

He had it all


Whenever I read the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-42) I’m drawn to the character of the elder brother. The father and his errant son are more easily understood, the loving, grieving and forgiving Father and the wayward and repentant Prodigal. The elder brother is perhaps more ambiguous.
It’s possible to be quite sympathetic towards the elder brother. After all, he’s the one who stayed at home, worked hard and supported his Father throughout his life, particularly in the absence of a sibling who could help. Then the wastrel turns up and is feted with exuberance and the bitter words spill forth from the elder brother’s lips.
There are many modern -day equivalents. Families may have fractured relationships due to the responsibility of managing family finances or the care of elderly parents. We see siblings divided over the sharing of their parent’s estates. Children frequently feel that the parent’s love is not distributed evenly, that one child is the “favourite”.
Satan has been at work in families from the beginning. The first murder recorded in the Bible was Cain slaying his brother Abel, brother against brother. He’s still trying to fracture families, the basic units of stability in a society, equally so in church families.
It required the prodigal’s father to remind his eldest son that he had it all:
Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (v.31)
Perhaps the eldest son requires a different kind of sympathy. He doesn’t at that moment realize what he does have- the constant love of his father and the inheritance of everything that his father owns.
The story of course is a parable, a story through which we learn lessons about life with God. At some point Christians have all been prodigals, aware of their sin and need for forgiveness. And some of us have also been like the elder brother, becoming bitter and critical rather than generous and forgiving.  We need to be reminded to rejoice in the blessings of others and to just keep on working for God, each day.
This story is a reminder to be thankful for all the blessings that God has given us and the riches that we have in living with Him, of which His presence in our lives is by far the most precious.


Grape vines, Barossa Valley, South Australia