Don't be afraid.

^“ Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,^[e] striving together as one for the faith of the gospel ²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.” (Philippians 1:27-28)

The past few weeks have seen major upheavals in the way we all live our lives. The overwhelming message to the church at this time is to stand firm, proclaim the gospel and don’t be afraid.

Jesus gave us His stellar example of courage and fortitude as He lived His last days here on Earth. He suffered betrayal and denial by His closest friends, rejection, unjust persecution, and horrendous and inhumane torture until death on a cross. Beyond even these things, He suffered the unimaginable experience of bearing the whole of humanity’s sin- He knew and felt every terrible sin of every human, past present and to come. Beyond even this, He experienced complete separation from His Father God. 

We will never need to suffer in the same way as Jesus. We are promised that God will never leave us, nor forsake us. The gospel story proclaims that death was not the end for Jesus. It was the triumph over death and sin.  Jesus returned from death. His burial tomb was found empty. He appeared to His despairing disciples, commissioning them to spread the gospel throughout this world. He ascended to Heaven, but sent His Holy Spirit to His believers to strengthen and empower them.

The reality of Christ can change everyone. Peter, who ran away and denied Christ was transformed into a bold and authoritative preacher. Paul, who persecuted the newly-formed Christian church was transformed by a personal encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus and became one of Christ’s most influential disciples, establishing churches and writing many portions of the New Testament. 

God is still available today, to every person, in every circumstance, through a simple prayer of faith in Jesus Christ. 

We need not be afraid of anything this life throws at us.  

Salt and Light

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Uncertain times demand certain and sure responses. At this time of global crisis when the Convid-19 virus is threatening lives, livelihoods and lifestyles, those of us who are Christians are called to be a witness for Christ as never before.
Salt heals. It preserves. It adds flavour. It assists health. As one of my home group leaders used to say "The place for the salt is in the stew." We cannot sit around on the shelf when the world is troubled and hurting.
 Light guides. It protects. It comforts. It gives hope. Everywhere around us are people who are fearful and in need of demonstrations of God's love. 
Christians need to be a people of prayer - for hope, for healing, for calm. We need to pray for our own families, our workplaces, our leaders, our nations and our world.
We need to be sensitive to those around us who need a word of encouragement, a note or text or email, a phone call.
We must be ready to help those who need practical assistance if they are unwell or isolated.
Many local churches including my own are developing a support network to provide essential services or goods to those in need.
As the church of Christ is becoming more limited in meeting together in a building it is finding other ways to experience church fellowship. My home congregation, Bridgeman Baptist Community  Church in Brisbane has online streaming services every Sunday and can be accessed through the following link:
https://www.bridgeman.org.au/
You are warmly invited to attend online.

Father

Your hands are never idle

Your eyes see all our circumstances

You know our heart and innermost thoughts

You hear every whispered prayer

You are the calm centre

In the midst of a whirlpool of troubles

You are the rock

On which our foundations stand

Breath of life

Our beginning and our ending

Shine the light of Your mercy

Upon this hurting world

We pray

In Jesus' name. Amen.

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

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