A Prayer For God's Mission.

"God of the universe, your Son Jesus Christ wholeheartedly took up your mission and proclaimed Good News to the poor. Send your Spirit on us, and invigorate us to continue that proclamation in our own day. Set our hearts alight, so that the flames of your love may be passed on to others. We ask this through Jesus our Saviour whose heart blazed with love, even as he died on the cross. Amen" (From the Australian Board of Missions Prayer Diary)

Coping With The World

I came across this quote the other day.

"In our well-intentioned identification with the world, we do not mold it - it molds us. We are not to be isolated but insulated, moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it." (Vance Havner)

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

A Right Perspective.

"Look at others and be distressed; look at self and be depressed; look at Jesus and you will be blessed." Anonymous

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see!

When we've been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we'd first begun.

John Newton.

"As Usual"

In my devotional reading yesterday I came across Luke 22 verse 39....two simple words - "as usual".

Wouldn't it be terrific if these words applied to us as well as they did to Jesus.

It is after the Last Supper...Jesus has a lot on His mind...and He goes up to the Mount of Olives "as usual", and commences to pray.

TFTD: Do you undertake your spiritual disciplines "as usual"?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Psalm 46 was the Psalm appointed for yesterday.

It is a great and very powerful Psalm that inspired the hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God".

It was probably written when the Assyrian army invaded the land and surrounded Jerusalem - that would have been very, very scary.

There are many fears that that can take over our lives today.

But, the message of this Psalm is that even if the world were to end, we need not fear.

In the face of all danger the writer of this Psalm has the quiet confidence of God's ability to save him.

TFTD: God is our refuge, even in the face of total destruction.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark

No Greater Love Than This.

Today, I preached on the Anzac theme and the readings chosen were Micah 4 and John 15.

The verse that seems to be used for Anzac Day is that verse "greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends".

Of course, as we know, it it taken completely out of its context, but we understand why the Anzac movement would draw upon it.

We need to be very thankful for the freedoms that have been won for us, in many cases at so great cost.

The day is also a good time to reflect on the great love that Jesus has for us, and the cost to Him of our salvation.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark

The Example Of Joshua.

Yesterday in my 365 Day Bible, the readings commenced on the Old Testament Book of Joshua.

This Book is a favourite of mine. There is so much good practical advice.

Let me share with you some of the portion of verses that I have highlighted in my Bible.

"Be strong and courageous"

"Be strong and VERY courageous"

"Be careful to obey..."

"Do not turn (from the law) from it to the right or to the left..."

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it..."

"....for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"

TFTD: Are you being informed by God in His Word each day?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Having The Same Mind As God.

We are just back from our holiday in New Zealand. While away, this verse struck me in my reading.

It was from Luke 16:15 "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God' sight"

If it is so highly valued in our sight, we have probably made an idol out of whatever it is.

TFTD: We have to learn to value what God values.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Watch Yourself!

I came across this as I was reading Deuteronomy this morning.

Deuteronomy 4:9 (The Message)

⁹ Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don't forget anything of what you've seen. Don't let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you've seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.

It is a good reminder, isn't it? The NIV says we are to "watch ourselves closely".

It was written to the people of God, just before they were to take possession of their promised land. History tells us that they didn't do so well.

TFTD: How is history going to see your life?

Have a great day,

Pete Clark.

Watch Your Words.

We really do have to be careful what we say...

Proverbs 12:18 (New International Version)

¹⁸ Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

You Can Do It (Or Not Do It!)

Today, God willing Heather and I are flying out to New Zealand for a short holiday....and looking forward to it.

I wanted to draw your attention to 1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)

¹³No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

That is quite plain sin't it?

TFTD: Temptation is not sin...God will help us through...rely on the strength that you have from God.

Have a great Day,

Peter Clark.

What The Poor Think About Suffering.

Philip Yancey in his book "Soul Survivor" interviews poor people to try to discover from them some answers for the unfairness of life.

They had no answers, and had little time or leisure to contemplate such questions. But when asked about the source of strength in their lives, they often pointed to Jesus.

Religion for them was no crutch, but rather a source of inspiration. They found in Jesus, and in the image of the cross, a ray of hope that convinced them God knew their suffering.

One woman expressed it this way:

"My will isn't what matters; it's His. If He wants me to suffer like this, I guess He has His reasons. You're here to prove your trust in Him. If someone offered me a million dollars, and said, I could have all I want to eat for myself and my children, but I'd have to stop thinking about Him and start thinking of myself only, then I'd know I was in real trouble. I'd start worrying about myself. I "hope" I would. I hope I'd remember Jesus. He warned us about thinking about ourselves and not Him. He asked a lot of us."

TFTD: How powerful is that? You're here to prove your trust in Him.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

New Heaven And A New Earth.

I thought that the new heaven and a new earth theology was from Revelation, but this morning I learned that it has Old Testament roots as well.

In Isaiah 65:17-25, the Prophet looks forward to the new heavens and the new earth that is made possible in Christ.

In verse 17-19 we have a pictorial description of this new heaven and new earth. They are eternal, and in them safety, peace, and plenty will available to all.

It should not have been, but it was a surprise for me to find this deep in the Old Testament.

TFTD: Isn't it great that we can still be learning new things from God's Word? What is the last thing that you have learned?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Listen To The Right People

Luke 6:39,40

"Jesus also told them this parable: Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher."

Make sure you are following the right teachers and leaders, because you will go no farther than they do.

TFTD: Look for leaders who will show you more about faith and whose guidance you can trust.

Ha e a great day,

Peter Clark.

Copy Jesus!

Two weeks ago we had a foot washing service for Maundy Thursday.

This is a portion of the Gospel reading.

John 13:12-17 (The Message)

^10-12Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.

^12-17Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

TFTD: Do you understand what Jesus did for you?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark

Beware Of The Yawn.

At my last mid week service the reading was:

Hebrews 12:3 (New International Version)

³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I challenged those who were at the Service not to give up on their faith - to not grow weary and lose heart.

There have been many over the years who have done that. I remember one of the organists at an old church I was leading....for no reason (known to me) she just gave up. How sad.

Let's not let that happen to us.

Keep up your spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, church attendance etc.

TFTD: Don't grow weary and lose heart.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Delight In God.

Again, Psalm 37, today verses 4 & 5.

⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

David calls on us to "delight in the Lord" - and trust ourselves to Him.

To do this we have to spend time developing and growing our relationship with Him.

If we want to delight in our spouse we have to spend time with them.

It is the same with God.

TFTD: If we know and experience God's great love for us, we will delight in God.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

We Will Be Made New.

At the funeral of an Godly lady from our Church (she died at 95) she had written her own service and chosen her readings.

One of these readings was Revelation 21:1-7

Revelation 21

The New Jerusalem

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

⁶He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

The portion of verse 5 jumped out at me: "I am making everything new!"

When we are with God, with our sins forgiven and our future secure, we will be like Christ. We will be made perfect like him.

TFTD: Isn't this a great hope and encouragement for us as believers?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

One Way And Which Way!

John 14:6 (New International Version)

⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus says that he is the ONLY way to God the Father. But, Jesus says it....and I suppose that he would know!

Some say that this is much too narrow....but it is wide enough for all to find their way to the Father if they are looking and if they choose to accept it.

As the WAY, Jesus is our path to the Father.

As the TRUTH, he is the reality of all God's promises.

As the LIFE, he joins his divine life to ours. This works for now and for eternity.

TFTD: Jesus is, in truth, the only living way to the Father.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Committing Ourselves To God.

What does this mean?

It means entrusting everything - our lives, families, jobs, possessions to God's control and guidance.

To commit ourselves to God means that we are to trust Him.

Psalm 37

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

Basically, it is believing that God can care for us better than we can care for ourselves.

TFTD: We should be willing to wait patiently for God to work out what is best for us.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

The Place Of Money In Our Lives.

Luke 16 has a lot to say about money and the place it should have in our life.

We can waste money (v.1) We should use our wealth for God and not just for our own pleasure (1 Cor 4:2). God wants us to enjoy His gifts (1 Tim 6:17), but He also wants use to employ them wisely.

We can serve God with money (v.2-9)

Some quotes:

"Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." (John Wesley)

"Money is a wonderful servant, a terrible master, and an abominable god." (unknown)

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Thinking About "Time".

I read this the other day and it was a good reminder:

"Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash you have, so invest it wisely."

TFTD: Let us not squander our days by wasting relationships.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Be Careful Not To Be Big Headed!

Know your limitations and don't try to stand firm on your own strength....or it all might fall down.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (The Message)

^11-12These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

I like that last bit:

TFTD: Cultivate God-confidence.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

The Resurrection...so what?

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christianity.

Why is it important to us?

First, we know now that the Kingdom of heaven has broken upon the earth....the earth is now headed for redemption not disaster..God's mighty power is now at work creating new lives.

Second, because of the resurrection, we know that death has been defeated and we will be raised to live with Christ.

Third, the resurrection gives authority to the Church's witness to the world.

Fourth, the resurrection gives meaning to the Lord's Supper.

Fifth, the resurrection helps give us meaning to life and a hope for the future.

Sixth, the resurrection assures us that Christ is alive and ruling His Kingdom. He is real and not a legend.

Seventh, the same power that raised Jesus from death to life is available to us, to help us live our Christian lives.

TFTD: Wow

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Resurrection For The Disciples.

What did the disciples understand by the "resurrection" when they wrote of it?

I doubt if they were explaining the event that happened in a split second....the action that brought Jesus alive.

What they were talking about was the fact that they had seen Jesus, in the flesh and blood. They touched him, they ate with him, talked with him, over a period of 40 days.

They were not the only ones...many had seen him....and the early manuscripts attesting to this were around to be contradicted....and the alive eye witnesses were around to speak to.

TFTD: Jesus is risen....He is risen indeed.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Defiant Little Conjunction!

I am just back from our Easter Sunday Service. The Rector preached on Luke 24:1-12 and in that passage there are 3 sentences that commence with the conjunction "But".

In English grammar that is a no, no, whereas in Greek grammar (what the New Testament was written in) it is acceptable.

Luke was using the word "but" because there was something very unusual going on here - something right out of the experience of the disciples, the crowds around and the recipients of Luke's "orderly account" that he had undertaken to write.

Jesus had risen from the dead. The angels had told the women....to most of the disciples it seemed like nonsense.....but for once Peter got it right....he runs up to the tomb, sees for himself....

....and goes home amazed at what had happened.

It is no wonder that there are 6 "buts" in that short passage.

TFTD: What is going to be your response to Jesus being raised from death to life? Let's, whatever we do, not just let it be an ordinary response...one that doesn't make much of an impact on us.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Twin Behaviours!

More from Psalm 37:

There are two behaviours are mentioned here,

Verse 3 "Trust in the Lord and do good"

There is a consequence:

"dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture"

TFTD: Twin behaviours bring their own reward.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark

TFTD: How good is our God?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.


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Good Friday

If you haven't done so already, you should read through the account of the crucification of Jesus.

I did so last Sunday...and after 44 years of Easter readings, I saw something new:

Luke 23:48 (New International Version)

⁴⁸When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.

Jesus had already prayed in verse 34, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

And then in verse 48 (above) "all the people" or "the crowd", who had come out to watch the spectacle, go home beating their breasts in repentance.

TFTD: This "Good Friday" offers us forgiveness of our sins, after we are repentant. As one old hymn says, "what a saviour."

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

April Fool!

I wonder if Pharaoh thought Moses and Aaron were joking.....if this God that they were talking about, and threatening him with existed...he wouldn't have the power or the will to do this.

How wrong Pharaoh was. God was intent on forming for Himself a people to be a witness to the world, and to ultimately provide the means for the salvation of the world.

Exodus 12:13 (The Message)

^12-13 "I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am God. The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you—no disaster will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

In the new covenant it is the blood of Jesus that covers us and saves us from the wrath of God.

TFTD: It is the death of Jesus, our repentance and submission to Him that brings about our salvation. Is Jesus' death covering you? This is the only way NOT to be an April Fool.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

The Hebrew people