There was a time, when David and his band were on the run, and the Amalekites attacked his stronghold - took everything, including all the wives and children of his men.
All the men were cranky with him (as you could imagine) and even talked of stoning him - even though it was not his fault!
It was at this time, David (like millions of others after him) "found strength in the LORD his God"(1 Samuel 29:6)
Often, it is the only place where we can find strength.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
God At Work!
When David was being jealously hunted by Saul, David, on a couple of occasions had the opportunity to kill Saul.
It would have been so easy.....and solved David's problems.
But he didn't. David said, "As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD himself will strike him, either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish" (1 Samuel 26:10)
God is at work and we really must let him act.
TFTD: Are you doing that in your life?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
It would have been so easy.....and solved David's problems.
But he didn't. David said, "As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD himself will strike him, either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish" (1 Samuel 26:10)
God is at work and we really must let him act.
TFTD: Are you doing that in your life?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Great Encouragement.
A good verse to remember.....
"We Know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him." Romans 8:28
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"We Know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him." Romans 8:28
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Taking Our Life For Granted.
This is a prayer point from one of my prayer diaries for today....
BRUNEI Christian workers ministering to a few Malay believers are very cautious in carrying out their activities as they run the risk of imprisonment and other dangers if authorities discover them. Please pray for the Lord's protection and deliverance for these courageous and faithful workers.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
BRUNEI Christian workers ministering to a few Malay believers are very cautious in carrying out their activities as they run the risk of imprisonment and other dangers if authorities discover them. Please pray for the Lord's protection and deliverance for these courageous and faithful workers.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Happy Are Those...
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
Happy or Blessed....blessed seems a load more suitable, doesn't it?
We might look in many places for strength and comfort.....
....but there is only one place...
in the Word of God.
It is God's promises that will sustain us and give us love, life, peace, purpose and joy.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
Happy or Blessed....blessed seems a load more suitable, doesn't it?
We might look in many places for strength and comfort.....
....but there is only one place...
in the Word of God.
It is God's promises that will sustain us and give us love, life, peace, purpose and joy.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
What A Thought!
This quote appeared in my daily turnover calendar this morning....
"Physical strength is measured b y what we can carry; spiritual (strength) by what we can bear". (Author unknown)
This quote made me think of Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"Physical strength is measured b y what we can carry; spiritual (strength) by what we can bear". (Author unknown)
This quote made me think of Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Overcoming BIG Odds!
God's timing is perfect. There is a personal challenge within our family at the moment....and today this passage is part of my Bible reading - 1 Samuel 17
David, has gone to visit his brothers at the battlefield and has witnessed Goliath challenging the Israelites to fight - and on-one willing to take up the challenge.
32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
How do we overcome impossible odds?
First of all we try and see the situation in perspective. David saw that. This giant of a Philistine was defying God and had to be challenged.
Secondly, David had the faith that he could overcome this challenge. He knew he had God on his side and was a part of what God was doing in the world.
Thirdly, David could move forward in confidence knowing that the LORD was with him.
Big odds are not easy to overcome, and we might be very scared....but we must try and remember the Big picture, that God loves us and has a plan in all of us for our good. It is easy to say, but we must move forward in faith and have confidence in our great God.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
David, has gone to visit his brothers at the battlefield and has witnessed Goliath challenging the Israelites to fight - and on-one willing to take up the challenge.
32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
How do we overcome impossible odds?
First of all we try and see the situation in perspective. David saw that. This giant of a Philistine was defying God and had to be challenged.
Secondly, David had the faith that he could overcome this challenge. He knew he had God on his side and was a part of what God was doing in the world.
Thirdly, David could move forward in confidence knowing that the LORD was with him.
Big odds are not easy to overcome, and we might be very scared....but we must try and remember the Big picture, that God loves us and has a plan in all of us for our good. It is easy to say, but we must move forward in faith and have confidence in our great God.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The LORD "Grieved".
Imagine the circumstances that would make the LORD grieve!
There was a time in Genesis 6:6 "And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on earth, and it grieved him to his heart."The Hebrew word was sometimes used as "sorry", "repent". In the beginning God had seen his creation as "very good" (Genesis 1:31). But now, it is filled with sin.
In 1 Samuel 15 and verse 11, God "grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions."
The grieving over making Saul king was repeated in verse 35.
Question: And so, what might make the LORD grieve when it comes to us?
Answer: When we sin, as was happening in Genesis 6. When we turn away from God and not carry out his instructions (as in 1 Samuel 15).
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
There was a time in Genesis 6:6 "And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on earth, and it grieved him to his heart."The Hebrew word was sometimes used as "sorry", "repent". In the beginning God had seen his creation as "very good" (Genesis 1:31). But now, it is filled with sin.
In 1 Samuel 15 and verse 11, God "grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions."
The grieving over making Saul king was repeated in verse 35.
Question: And so, what might make the LORD grieve when it comes to us?
Answer: When we sin, as was happening in Genesis 6. When we turn away from God and not carry out his instructions (as in 1 Samuel 15).
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, May 23, 2011
STEWARDSHIP SERMON 22nd May, 2011.
STEWARDSHIP SERMON 22nd May, 2011.
Today, we have our focus on a couple of different historical markers.
It was the anniversary of the consecration of St Mary’s last Thursday – 147 years.
We are also celebrating the 400th anniversary of the printing of the King James Bible.
I thought it appropriate to focus our attention on our “Stewardship”,
On our giving.
People have given much in the past – their time, their money.
We have this land, and these marvelous buildings,
Left to us for our use,
We reap the benefits of those who have given in the past.
In one of my previous parishes we had very inadequate buildings,
I tried to inspire the people there to do something with them,
A response from one man typified the attitude of a lot,
“What is wrong with the buildings – THEY ARE ALRIGHT FOR ME”
“They are alright for me” – a sad, selfish response.
God forbid that we have that sort of attitude.
Every now and again we need to be reminded that we need to give,
So that we can be adding something to the fabric of the Christian faith here where God has placed us.
So today, I am going to challenge each of us to examine what we give to God.
I want you to put behind you the bad history that St Mary’s has with regard to money.
Nothing like what happened in the past happens now.
I want us to move ahead, being thankful to God for all His blessings on us.
Be assured that we need to improve our giving,
We sail very close to the wind.
We need to attend to this.
We have a serious cash flow problem.
It might be different if we had a cash surplus as a buffer,
But we haven’t.
This needs to be addressed,
Thence my preaching a sermon on stewardship today.
Let me say first up – that before we give any money to the Lord,
We need to give ourselves to Him.
When Paul was writing to the Corinthians he was encouraging them to be generous to God, but then he says,
“but they gave themselves first to the Lord” (2 Cor 8:5)
Preaching about money can be dangerous.
The story is told of a man, who was recovering from a heart attack. His wife, answered the phone one day,
and learned that they had just won the five-million-dollar Reader's Digest sweepstakes.
They should expect confirmation the next day by Express Courier. The following day a cheque would arrive.
Of course, the wife was overjoyed.
With five million dollars, they could really retire.
They could travel.
Life would be wonderful.
But then she had second thoughts.
Her husband was, after all, recovering from a heart attack.
Even though the news was good, the shock might kill him.
She could just see him clutch his chest, fall the floor, and die.
What should she do?
What you normally do in a situation like this,
You call the minister for advice.
The minister agreed to think of a way to break the news to the husband gently.
He would be right over.
The Minister arrived at their home,
He told the husband that he was struggling with a problem.
Could they talk it over?
The wife brought coffee, and they sat in the living room.
The minister said, “Bill (that was his name), one of the people in the congregation has just won five million dollars,
and has asked me to advise him on how to use it.
I am gathering ideas.
What would you do if you won five million dollars.”
“That's easy,” Bill said.
First, I'd give half of it to the church.”
When the Minister heard that he clutched his chest,
fell to the floor, and died.
This morning I want you to know that I have a strong heart.
If you give two and a half million dollars to the church,
I will survive the shock.
So don’t think that you have to go “easy” on me.
I can take the shock.
Money is a sensitive subject.
There has been a lot of research done on the subject of money.
One study warned us that it evokes deep feelings.
I suppose we all know that.
In fact, there is a thought that, the biggest taboo in our culture
is not sex or death, but money.
Probably, if we quizzed all the church people throughout Australia
most would see no connection between their faith,
and how they use their money.
On the whole people think that churches ought to stick to spiritual things
and stay away from talking about money.
Part of that stems from us not wanting to be challenged regarding our lifestyle.
The interesting thing is:
Jesus talks about money more than any other subject
That is interesting isn't it!
People think that churches should stick to spiritual subjects and should not discuss money.
But money is the subject which Jesus talks about most.
Someone did some research on the subject of money in the Bible. They came up with the following statistics:
• Sixteen of Jesus' thirty-eight parables deal with how to handle money and possessions.
Sixteen of thirty-eight (42%)
Almost half of Jesus' parables.
It sounds as if Jesus thought that money was an important spiritual issue.
• In the Gospels—the four books of the New Testament that tell the story of Jesus' life
—one out of ten verses, 288 in all,
focus directly on the subject of money.
That's interesting, isn't it?
The Bible talks about tithing—giving ten percent.
The Gospels—the books about Jesus—tithe.
They devote ten percent of their verses to the subject of money. Money must be an important spiritual issue.
• In the whole Bible, there are about five hundred verses on the subject of prayer
and another five hundred on the subject of faith.
There are two thousand on the subject of money and possessions. Money must be an important spiritual issue.
It has been put this way……
"The scriptures deal with money matters,
because money matters."
Jesus said this:
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Sometimes people get this backwards.
Sometimes they say,
“Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.”
In other words, you will spend your money on the things that you love.
That is true, but it isn't what Jesus said.
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In other words, once you invest your money in something, you will learn to love it.
Money takes the lead.
It creates the affection.
If we have no money at risk, we tend not to care very deeply.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In other words, our wallets are hotwired to our hearts.
There is a direct line from our wallets and purses to our hearts.
If we give money to the church, it will show our love for the church,
and grow our love for the church.
If we give money to God, it will show our love for God,
and grow our love for God.
Think for a moment…
What is the best way to build our relationship with God….
giving to Him or getting from Him.
Imagine if God were to bless you with an extra twenty thousand dollars this week
what effect would that have on your spiritual life?
(apart from the heart attack)
Would it cause you to love God more?
What do you think?
I think probably that it wouldn’t cause us to love God more.
Not much more anyway!
Most of us, if we received an extra twenty thousand dollars this week,
might give God a passing “Thanks!”
but mainly we would be focused on what to do with the money.
Now imagine the reverse.
Imagine that you were to give twenty thousand dollars to God. Let's say that you were to put twenty thousand dollars
or the largest amount that you could gather together
in the offering plate next week.
I can guarantee you that your twenty thousand dollars would buy you an intense interest in the affairs of the church.
You would think about God all the time.
He would have your undivided attention.
My point is not that you should take out a loan and give twenty thousand dollars to the church.
My point is that our love for God depends more on what we give to him than what we receive from him.
Can I repeat that…
our love for God depends more on what we give to him than what we receive from him.
It seems backwards, but it is true.
God knows that!
After all, he made us, and he knows how we are wired.
He knows how our different parts connect inside us.
He knows that there is a direct connection between our wallets and our hearts.
Our love for God starts when we realize what he has given us,
Salvation, forgiveness, new life etc,
but our love for God really gets serious when we start giving to him.
As Jesus said:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We are asking you to think seriously about your stewardship—your giving to God.
I have the Wardens support and encouragement in this.
There are two sides to our finances – spending and income.
We are looking at our spending.
And we are addressing you for the income side.
Money is important.
Money is important to our spiritual lives.
Money is a spiritual issue.
There is no doubt about that.
Nothing tells more clearly what we believe about life than our attitude to money.
I need to close by saying that I know that many of you have limited and/or fixed incomes.
Many today are struggling to make ends meet.
You shouldn’t feel bad if you can't give large amounts of money to God.
God expects us to give only in proportion to that which we have received from him.
Jesus said that the world's largest offering was a penny—given by a poor widow who had only one penny.
It was the world's largest offering, because it was everything she had.
So if your means are modest, don't feel badly about modest giving. God expects us to give only as we have received.
But don't discount the importance of your modest gift either.
Don't imagine that your modest offering doesn't count.
Consider two things:
• First of all, most of the church's work gets done—and gets funded— by people of modest means.
If churches received only the offerings of wealthy people, most churches would close their doors tomorrow.
• Second, the most important effect of your giving is that on your own heart.
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
But having said all that, there may be people here who can get us out of trouble,
I have only been here for a short time.
I have no idea who can help and who can’t.
I simply put it out there for each of us to pray about,
And work all this out with God.
And so this week,
please, consider prayerfully what God has done for you,
and consider prayerfully what you could give him in return.
AMEN.
Today, we have our focus on a couple of different historical markers.
It was the anniversary of the consecration of St Mary’s last Thursday – 147 years.
We are also celebrating the 400th anniversary of the printing of the King James Bible.
I thought it appropriate to focus our attention on our “Stewardship”,
On our giving.
People have given much in the past – their time, their money.
We have this land, and these marvelous buildings,
Left to us for our use,
We reap the benefits of those who have given in the past.
In one of my previous parishes we had very inadequate buildings,
I tried to inspire the people there to do something with them,
A response from one man typified the attitude of a lot,
“What is wrong with the buildings – THEY ARE ALRIGHT FOR ME”
“They are alright for me” – a sad, selfish response.
God forbid that we have that sort of attitude.
Every now and again we need to be reminded that we need to give,
So that we can be adding something to the fabric of the Christian faith here where God has placed us.
So today, I am going to challenge each of us to examine what we give to God.
I want you to put behind you the bad history that St Mary’s has with regard to money.
Nothing like what happened in the past happens now.
I want us to move ahead, being thankful to God for all His blessings on us.
Be assured that we need to improve our giving,
We sail very close to the wind.
We need to attend to this.
We have a serious cash flow problem.
It might be different if we had a cash surplus as a buffer,
But we haven’t.
This needs to be addressed,
Thence my preaching a sermon on stewardship today.
Let me say first up – that before we give any money to the Lord,
We need to give ourselves to Him.
When Paul was writing to the Corinthians he was encouraging them to be generous to God, but then he says,
“but they gave themselves first to the Lord” (2 Cor 8:5)
Preaching about money can be dangerous.
The story is told of a man, who was recovering from a heart attack. His wife, answered the phone one day,
and learned that they had just won the five-million-dollar Reader's Digest sweepstakes.
They should expect confirmation the next day by Express Courier. The following day a cheque would arrive.
Of course, the wife was overjoyed.
With five million dollars, they could really retire.
They could travel.
Life would be wonderful.
But then she had second thoughts.
Her husband was, after all, recovering from a heart attack.
Even though the news was good, the shock might kill him.
She could just see him clutch his chest, fall the floor, and die.
What should she do?
What you normally do in a situation like this,
You call the minister for advice.
The minister agreed to think of a way to break the news to the husband gently.
He would be right over.
The Minister arrived at their home,
He told the husband that he was struggling with a problem.
Could they talk it over?
The wife brought coffee, and they sat in the living room.
The minister said, “Bill (that was his name), one of the people in the congregation has just won five million dollars,
and has asked me to advise him on how to use it.
I am gathering ideas.
What would you do if you won five million dollars.”
“That's easy,” Bill said.
First, I'd give half of it to the church.”
When the Minister heard that he clutched his chest,
fell to the floor, and died.
This morning I want you to know that I have a strong heart.
If you give two and a half million dollars to the church,
I will survive the shock.
So don’t think that you have to go “easy” on me.
I can take the shock.
Money is a sensitive subject.
There has been a lot of research done on the subject of money.
One study warned us that it evokes deep feelings.
I suppose we all know that.
In fact, there is a thought that, the biggest taboo in our culture
is not sex or death, but money.
Probably, if we quizzed all the church people throughout Australia
most would see no connection between their faith,
and how they use their money.
On the whole people think that churches ought to stick to spiritual things
and stay away from talking about money.
Part of that stems from us not wanting to be challenged regarding our lifestyle.
The interesting thing is:
Jesus talks about money more than any other subject
That is interesting isn't it!
People think that churches should stick to spiritual subjects and should not discuss money.
But money is the subject which Jesus talks about most.
Someone did some research on the subject of money in the Bible. They came up with the following statistics:
• Sixteen of Jesus' thirty-eight parables deal with how to handle money and possessions.
Sixteen of thirty-eight (42%)
Almost half of Jesus' parables.
It sounds as if Jesus thought that money was an important spiritual issue.
• In the Gospels—the four books of the New Testament that tell the story of Jesus' life
—one out of ten verses, 288 in all,
focus directly on the subject of money.
That's interesting, isn't it?
The Bible talks about tithing—giving ten percent.
The Gospels—the books about Jesus—tithe.
They devote ten percent of their verses to the subject of money. Money must be an important spiritual issue.
• In the whole Bible, there are about five hundred verses on the subject of prayer
and another five hundred on the subject of faith.
There are two thousand on the subject of money and possessions. Money must be an important spiritual issue.
It has been put this way……
"The scriptures deal with money matters,
because money matters."
Jesus said this:
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Sometimes people get this backwards.
Sometimes they say,
“Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.”
In other words, you will spend your money on the things that you love.
That is true, but it isn't what Jesus said.
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In other words, once you invest your money in something, you will learn to love it.
Money takes the lead.
It creates the affection.
If we have no money at risk, we tend not to care very deeply.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In other words, our wallets are hotwired to our hearts.
There is a direct line from our wallets and purses to our hearts.
If we give money to the church, it will show our love for the church,
and grow our love for the church.
If we give money to God, it will show our love for God,
and grow our love for God.
Think for a moment…
What is the best way to build our relationship with God….
giving to Him or getting from Him.
Imagine if God were to bless you with an extra twenty thousand dollars this week
what effect would that have on your spiritual life?
(apart from the heart attack)
Would it cause you to love God more?
What do you think?
I think probably that it wouldn’t cause us to love God more.
Not much more anyway!
Most of us, if we received an extra twenty thousand dollars this week,
might give God a passing “Thanks!”
but mainly we would be focused on what to do with the money.
Now imagine the reverse.
Imagine that you were to give twenty thousand dollars to God. Let's say that you were to put twenty thousand dollars
or the largest amount that you could gather together
in the offering plate next week.
I can guarantee you that your twenty thousand dollars would buy you an intense interest in the affairs of the church.
You would think about God all the time.
He would have your undivided attention.
My point is not that you should take out a loan and give twenty thousand dollars to the church.
My point is that our love for God depends more on what we give to him than what we receive from him.
Can I repeat that…
our love for God depends more on what we give to him than what we receive from him.
It seems backwards, but it is true.
God knows that!
After all, he made us, and he knows how we are wired.
He knows how our different parts connect inside us.
He knows that there is a direct connection between our wallets and our hearts.
Our love for God starts when we realize what he has given us,
Salvation, forgiveness, new life etc,
but our love for God really gets serious when we start giving to him.
As Jesus said:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We are asking you to think seriously about your stewardship—your giving to God.
I have the Wardens support and encouragement in this.
There are two sides to our finances – spending and income.
We are looking at our spending.
And we are addressing you for the income side.
Money is important.
Money is important to our spiritual lives.
Money is a spiritual issue.
There is no doubt about that.
Nothing tells more clearly what we believe about life than our attitude to money.
I need to close by saying that I know that many of you have limited and/or fixed incomes.
Many today are struggling to make ends meet.
You shouldn’t feel bad if you can't give large amounts of money to God.
God expects us to give only in proportion to that which we have received from him.
Jesus said that the world's largest offering was a penny—given by a poor widow who had only one penny.
It was the world's largest offering, because it was everything she had.
So if your means are modest, don't feel badly about modest giving. God expects us to give only as we have received.
But don't discount the importance of your modest gift either.
Don't imagine that your modest offering doesn't count.
Consider two things:
• First of all, most of the church's work gets done—and gets funded— by people of modest means.
If churches received only the offerings of wealthy people, most churches would close their doors tomorrow.
• Second, the most important effect of your giving is that on your own heart.
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
But having said all that, there may be people here who can get us out of trouble,
I have only been here for a short time.
I have no idea who can help and who can’t.
I simply put it out there for each of us to pray about,
And work all this out with God.
And so this week,
please, consider prayerfully what God has done for you,
and consider prayerfully what you could give him in return.
AMEN.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Responsibility We Have.
In Samuel's final speech to the people he says many significant things. Could simply highlight them for us, by highlighting the text.
20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because dit has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, fand I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
Samuel encourages his people in three ways:
1.Not to turn away from the LORD.
2.Don't sin by failing to pray for others.
3.Serve God faithfully for all of your life.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because dit has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, fand I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
Samuel encourages his people in three ways:
1.Not to turn away from the LORD.
2.Don't sin by failing to pray for others.
3.Serve God faithfully for all of your life.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Holy Spirit's Work.
This morning, in 1 Samuel 10:6 I came across a reminder of the work of God's Holy Spirit in our lives.
It is in the account of Samuel being sent to anoint Saul as the first King. Samuel is telling Saul what is to happen to him....
"The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person...."
Remember, this comes from the depths of the Old Testament.
TFTD: Is God's Holy Spirit doing His work on YOU?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
It is in the account of Samuel being sent to anoint Saul as the first King. Samuel is telling Saul what is to happen to him....
"The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person...."
Remember, this comes from the depths of the Old Testament.
TFTD: Is God's Holy Spirit doing His work on YOU?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Formula For Eternal Life.
In my reading yesterday this passage came up (from John 11). I Always use this in funeral services that I officiate at.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus is challenging Martha with this after the death of her brother, Lazarus.
TFTD: Do you believe this?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus is challenging Martha with this after the death of her brother, Lazarus.
TFTD: Do you believe this?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Not By Might Or Power, But By My Spirit.
1 Samuel 2:9
"It is not by strength that one prevails...."
This is quoted from Hanna's prayer. It is a timely reminder of an absolute truth.
When it comes to the challenges in life.....they are only overcome successfully by the intervention of God.
2 Samuel 2:9 carries with it the same principle as Zechariah 4:6 "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD.."
TFTD: I need to remember that, do you?
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
"It is not by strength that one prevails...."
This is quoted from Hanna's prayer. It is a timely reminder of an absolute truth.
When it comes to the challenges in life.....they are only overcome successfully by the intervention of God.
2 Samuel 2:9 carries with it the same principle as Zechariah 4:6 "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD.."
TFTD: I need to remember that, do you?
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Like A Tree Planted By The Water!
Psalm 62:3-6
How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
5 For God alone, O ymy soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 aHe only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
David told God what he was feeling and reaffirmed his faith in God.
That is what prayer can do for us.
In verse 2 of this Psalm, David declares his trust in God, as a rock, fortress and the source of salvation.
When we do this, it changes our whole outlook on life.
If we are resting in God's strength, then nothing can move us.
TFTD: How immoveable are you?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
5 For God alone, O ymy soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 aHe only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
David told God what he was feeling and reaffirmed his faith in God.
That is what prayer can do for us.
In verse 2 of this Psalm, David declares his trust in God, as a rock, fortress and the source of salvation.
When we do this, it changes our whole outlook on life.
If we are resting in God's strength, then nothing can move us.
TFTD: How immoveable are you?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sermon Preached on Sunday 15th May 2011.
Easter 4A 15th May 2011 John 10:1-10
When Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press he began to print Bibles.
This enabled the common people to have access to the Scriptures. Until then, only the Church officials had access to Scripture,
everyone else had to rely on their interpretation of it.
The printing of the Bible turned all that on its head,
No longer would everyone have to depend on church leaders to read the Bible,
Now they could now read it for themselves.
There have been numerous times in history when life has been turned on its head.
It is often called a paradigm shift.
It’s a transformation in the way we see life, events, other people, and the environment.
And it can have dramatic effects on the way we live our lives.
Like when Galileo determined that the sun was the centre of the universe
and not the earth
it totally changed the way people viewed the world.
In 1610 Galileo pointed his telescope at Jupiter and observed the orbits of four of its moons.
He believed that there was a force
which we now call gravity
keeping the moons of Jupiter in their orbits.
This same force keeps our moon going around the earth
as our earth moves around the sun,
and our bottoms on the pews!
His observations convinced him that the earth and other planets orbit the sun.
Thus Galileo refuted those who believed that the sun and all the planets orbited the earth.
That shift in thinking went far beyond astronomy.
The Church opposed the scientific change
not because it had a Biblical position
but because it believed that the earth was the centre of the universe.
Galileo and others believed that science was a higher authority than the Church.
As a consequence the authority of the Bible was undermined.
I think that most of us have been around long enough to know that life is constantly changing,
but we don’t always accept that things must change.
The internet, for example, has greatly changed the way we communicate.
Who doesn’t have email these days?
Only the few clever ones I think.
The growth of the internet has been amazing.
It is now our primary source for information.
You can find anything you want on the internet,
And a lot that you don’t want!
You don’t have to wait for the morning newspaper or watch the evening news.
You can get instant, up-to-date information by using the Internet.
We can look at the weather radar and see what the weather will be over the next couple days.
There has been an amazing shift or change in the way anyone does research these days,
From children to PhD students.
When Jesus introduced the concept of the good shepherd,
he was attempting to shift the thinking of his day.
People looked to the Pharisees as their spiritual leaders. Unfortunately these spiritual leaders took advantage of ordinary people
and held on to power for themselves.
Things like healing, salvation or repentance of sins,
All these required their permission.
Jesus, on the other hand, wanted them to understand
that a spiritual leader is one who is like a shepherd
who acts as a gatekeeper.
A shepherd knows his flock personally.
Each person counts.
No one is better than another.
His voice is a familiar one.
He cares for his sheep,
He has their best interest in mind,
rather than his own.
Sheep follow the shepherd because they trust him.
He cares for them by protecting them at night
and sets them free during the day.
In verse 1 Jesus said, “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.”
In other words there is only one door that leads to salvation
the door of Christ.
Jesus said elsewhere, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”
This teaching greatly threatened the Pharisees.
They resisted any change that would undermine their authority or might cause them to lose power.
They attempted to remove Jesus from the picture,
By having Him killed.
But God won in the end,
As God does,
God will always win in the end,
We can be sure of that.
Because God raised Jesus from the dead.
No one else can do that.
The passage immediately before this one is the healing of the blind man,
Jesus was trying to enable people to “see.”
Jesus said, “I came into this world ‘that those who do not see, may see’
In this passage he is trying to get them to “hear.”
Jesus says, ‘the sheep hear his voice…..the sheep follow him for they know his voice”
This time he attempts to teach them by using an object lesson. Perhaps if they understand that he is the “gate” for the sheep, they will understand.
If you read ahead in verses 19-21, you will note that some got it and some did not.
What about you?
Are you able to acknowledge that a change has come about in your life – because of Christ?
Can you accept the fact that Jesus is the doorway to salvation,
the door that we need to choose Him
in order to “have life, and have it abundantly?”
What does it mean to have life and to have it abundantly?
I am sure that it doesn’t mean having an abundance of money or things.
Most of us think that we would be a whole lot happier if we were just rich and famous.
Jim Carrey doesn't think so –– and he is rich and famous.
He became rich and famous starring in lots of movies.
Carrey knows how it feels to be rich and famous,
But he says:
"I think everybody should get rich and famous
and do everything they ever dreamed of
so they can see that it's not the answer."
Isn't that interesting!
Jim Carrey is telling us that some of the things that seem so attractive don't really keep their promises.
For Jesus abundance means something quite different.
To live abundantly is to be aware that God knows us personally, like a shepherd who knows his sheep.
It means we have the confidence that we are cared for….loved.
It also means we are tuned in to God’s will for our lives,
like the sheep who listen to the familiar voice of the shepherd.
To experience Jesus in our life means we have to change.
To accept Jesus as our door or our gateway to God,
we have to do a couple of things.
First, we have to live our lives as though we are dependent on God
NOT independent of Him.
We definitely won’t have Frank Sinatra’s song “I did it my way” as the summary of our life.
Secondly, we give the voice of God the highest priority.
We will be reading His Word,
Listening to it being read,
listening to explanations of it.
We will be seeking to live our life by His Word.
As James says “We will be doers of the Word and not hearers only”
Third, we follow Christ obediently.
When we:
• Live our life depending on God
• Follow His Word,
• Are obedient to God
Then and only then will we be living in abundance.
That is God’s desire and plan for us,
We want abundance in our lives,
but we go after it in wrong places.
During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear its’ self.”
Roosevelt was attempting to change the people’s thinking
And move them from despair to hope.
Winston Churchill. Churchhill once said,
“We can make a living by what we get, but we can make a life by what we give.”
He too was trying to change the thinking of society.
To follow Jesus, as sheep follow a shepherd
means to be people who give.
Captain James Cook said once,
“You are never giving, or can you ever give, enough service.”
That is the formulae Jesus gave us
When we follow that,
We will have a new church community,
And a new world.
When Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press he began to print Bibles.
This enabled the common people to have access to the Scriptures. Until then, only the Church officials had access to Scripture,
everyone else had to rely on their interpretation of it.
The printing of the Bible turned all that on its head,
No longer would everyone have to depend on church leaders to read the Bible,
Now they could now read it for themselves.
There have been numerous times in history when life has been turned on its head.
It is often called a paradigm shift.
It’s a transformation in the way we see life, events, other people, and the environment.
And it can have dramatic effects on the way we live our lives.
Like when Galileo determined that the sun was the centre of the universe
and not the earth
it totally changed the way people viewed the world.
In 1610 Galileo pointed his telescope at Jupiter and observed the orbits of four of its moons.
He believed that there was a force
which we now call gravity
keeping the moons of Jupiter in their orbits.
This same force keeps our moon going around the earth
as our earth moves around the sun,
and our bottoms on the pews!
His observations convinced him that the earth and other planets orbit the sun.
Thus Galileo refuted those who believed that the sun and all the planets orbited the earth.
That shift in thinking went far beyond astronomy.
The Church opposed the scientific change
not because it had a Biblical position
but because it believed that the earth was the centre of the universe.
Galileo and others believed that science was a higher authority than the Church.
As a consequence the authority of the Bible was undermined.
I think that most of us have been around long enough to know that life is constantly changing,
but we don’t always accept that things must change.
The internet, for example, has greatly changed the way we communicate.
Who doesn’t have email these days?
Only the few clever ones I think.
The growth of the internet has been amazing.
It is now our primary source for information.
You can find anything you want on the internet,
And a lot that you don’t want!
You don’t have to wait for the morning newspaper or watch the evening news.
You can get instant, up-to-date information by using the Internet.
We can look at the weather radar and see what the weather will be over the next couple days.
There has been an amazing shift or change in the way anyone does research these days,
From children to PhD students.
When Jesus introduced the concept of the good shepherd,
he was attempting to shift the thinking of his day.
People looked to the Pharisees as their spiritual leaders. Unfortunately these spiritual leaders took advantage of ordinary people
and held on to power for themselves.
Things like healing, salvation or repentance of sins,
All these required their permission.
Jesus, on the other hand, wanted them to understand
that a spiritual leader is one who is like a shepherd
who acts as a gatekeeper.
A shepherd knows his flock personally.
Each person counts.
No one is better than another.
His voice is a familiar one.
He cares for his sheep,
He has their best interest in mind,
rather than his own.
Sheep follow the shepherd because they trust him.
He cares for them by protecting them at night
and sets them free during the day.
In verse 1 Jesus said, “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.”
In other words there is only one door that leads to salvation
the door of Christ.
Jesus said elsewhere, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”
This teaching greatly threatened the Pharisees.
They resisted any change that would undermine their authority or might cause them to lose power.
They attempted to remove Jesus from the picture,
By having Him killed.
But God won in the end,
As God does,
God will always win in the end,
We can be sure of that.
Because God raised Jesus from the dead.
No one else can do that.
The passage immediately before this one is the healing of the blind man,
Jesus was trying to enable people to “see.”
Jesus said, “I came into this world ‘that those who do not see, may see’
In this passage he is trying to get them to “hear.”
Jesus says, ‘the sheep hear his voice…..the sheep follow him for they know his voice”
This time he attempts to teach them by using an object lesson. Perhaps if they understand that he is the “gate” for the sheep, they will understand.
If you read ahead in verses 19-21, you will note that some got it and some did not.
What about you?
Are you able to acknowledge that a change has come about in your life – because of Christ?
Can you accept the fact that Jesus is the doorway to salvation,
the door that we need to choose Him
in order to “have life, and have it abundantly?”
What does it mean to have life and to have it abundantly?
I am sure that it doesn’t mean having an abundance of money or things.
Most of us think that we would be a whole lot happier if we were just rich and famous.
Jim Carrey doesn't think so –– and he is rich and famous.
He became rich and famous starring in lots of movies.
Carrey knows how it feels to be rich and famous,
But he says:
"I think everybody should get rich and famous
and do everything they ever dreamed of
so they can see that it's not the answer."
Isn't that interesting!
Jim Carrey is telling us that some of the things that seem so attractive don't really keep their promises.
For Jesus abundance means something quite different.
To live abundantly is to be aware that God knows us personally, like a shepherd who knows his sheep.
It means we have the confidence that we are cared for….loved.
It also means we are tuned in to God’s will for our lives,
like the sheep who listen to the familiar voice of the shepherd.
To experience Jesus in our life means we have to change.
To accept Jesus as our door or our gateway to God,
we have to do a couple of things.
First, we have to live our lives as though we are dependent on God
NOT independent of Him.
We definitely won’t have Frank Sinatra’s song “I did it my way” as the summary of our life.
Secondly, we give the voice of God the highest priority.
We will be reading His Word,
Listening to it being read,
listening to explanations of it.
We will be seeking to live our life by His Word.
As James says “We will be doers of the Word and not hearers only”
Third, we follow Christ obediently.
When we:
• Live our life depending on God
• Follow His Word,
• Are obedient to God
Then and only then will we be living in abundance.
That is God’s desire and plan for us,
We want abundance in our lives,
but we go after it in wrong places.
During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear its’ self.”
Roosevelt was attempting to change the people’s thinking
And move them from despair to hope.
Winston Churchill. Churchhill once said,
“We can make a living by what we get, but we can make a life by what we give.”
He too was trying to change the thinking of society.
To follow Jesus, as sheep follow a shepherd
means to be people who give.
Captain James Cook said once,
“You are never giving, or can you ever give, enough service.”
That is the formulae Jesus gave us
When we follow that,
We will have a new church community,
And a new world.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Who Is Going To Hear Today?
Here we are ....another Sunday already.
As usual I will preach my heart out.....having prepared as well as the time I have in the week allows me to.
I try to clear as possible....I pray that I might be clear.
But, (here we go) there will be most of the people who just won't seem to hear what I say.....
Jesus was talking to the Jewish religious leaders who are are disputing his origins.
"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say" (John 8:43)
"He who belongs to God hears what God says. the reason you do not hear is that do not belong to God" (John 8;47)
Both of these verses came from my reading today from my 365 Day Bible.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
As usual I will preach my heart out.....having prepared as well as the time I have in the week allows me to.
I try to clear as possible....I pray that I might be clear.
But, (here we go) there will be most of the people who just won't seem to hear what I say.....
Jesus was talking to the Jewish religious leaders who are are disputing his origins.
"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say" (John 8:43)
"He who belongs to God hears what God says. the reason you do not hear is that do not belong to God" (John 8;47)
Both of these verses came from my reading today from my 365 Day Bible.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
In The Light.
John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
That is a great promise isn't it.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
That is a great promise isn't it.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Some Encouragement.
So it's Friday, the 13th, spooky....I wonder what might happen to us?
We really do not have to worry.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you ad not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Isn't that great to know.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
We really do not have to worry.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you ad not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Isn't that great to know.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
A Prayer For Today.
I am just back from conducting our morning service and prayer meeting.
One of the prayers in our service (we have prayed it before on numerous occasions) made a significant impact on a few of us.
Lord and heavenly Father,
you have brought us safely to this new day;
keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin,
guard us from every kind of danger,
and in all we do this day
direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
One of the prayers in our service (we have prayed it before on numerous occasions) made a significant impact on a few of us.
Lord and heavenly Father,
you have brought us safely to this new day;
keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin,
guard us from every kind of danger,
and in all we do this day
direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
God Calls......We Respond.
Jesus went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." (John 6:65)
One of my regular prayers is that God might open people's inner spiritual eyes and ears as I preach weekly. I gave up the idea years ago, that it was all up to me - to my wisdom, polished speaking or administrative ability.
It is God's church...and it is HIS Kingdom to call people into.
It makes perfect sense to me that people will only come if they are prompted by Gods Holy Spirit.
And so, I am praying that God might do a miracle in the lives of people at St Mary's, Waverley.
Have a great day
Peter Clark.
One of my regular prayers is that God might open people's inner spiritual eyes and ears as I preach weekly. I gave up the idea years ago, that it was all up to me - to my wisdom, polished speaking or administrative ability.
It is God's church...and it is HIS Kingdom to call people into.
It makes perfect sense to me that people will only come if they are prompted by Gods Holy Spirit.
And so, I am praying that God might do a miracle in the lives of people at St Mary's, Waverley.
Have a great day
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
What Foolishness!
What was he thinking? Jephthah....one of the Judges of Israel.
That silly vow - to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his door when he returned home from his success over the Ammonites.
He must have known it would be someone from his family - someone he loved and needed to protect.
Read about it Judges 11:30-40.
It is important for us to be careful what we say....to God.....and to others.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
That silly vow - to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his door when he returned home from his success over the Ammonites.
He must have known it would be someone from his family - someone he loved and needed to protect.
Read about it Judges 11:30-40.
It is important for us to be careful what we say....to God.....and to others.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Sermon Preached on Sunday 8th May 2011.
Easter 3A 8th May, 2011 Luke 24:13-35
Our Gospel lesson today is the narrative of two people who invited a stranger into their home.
They had been walking along the road to Emmaus, just a few miles from Jerusalem.
It was Easter Sunday –– the first Easter Sunday.
These two travellers knew that Jesus had been crucified on Friday,
and they had heard rumors that he had risen from the dead ––
so they were talking about those things as they walked along.
I wonder what they said?
Perhaps they were recalling that Jesus had mentioned something about that,
But that they didn’t understand and hadn’t taken much notice!
We know the name of one of these people –– Cleopas –– a man's name.
I have always pictured two men walking together,
but some think that because,
they invited Jesus into their home,
that they were man and wife.
That could be right.
As these two people walked along,
talking about the strange stories coming out of Jerusalem,
a stranger joined them.
He asked what they were discussing,
and Cleopas responded,
"Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
That was funny wasn’t it!
Jesus was really the only one who did know what happened.
But he responds by asking, "What things?"
"What things!
“You have to be kidding! Haven't you heard?"
And Cleopas began to tell this stranger….
• about Jesus
• about how Jesus was a great prophet
• about how the people had hoped that he was the Messiah they had been waiting for
• about and how the chief priests had Jesus crucified
• AND, get this – about how….
"Some women of our group astounded us.
They were at the tomb early this morning,
and when they did not find Jesus' body there,
they came back and told us
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who said that Jesus was alive.
Some of those who were with us went to the tomb
and found it just as the women had said;
but they did not see Jesus."
When Cleopas stopped talking,
Jesus began to teach Cleopas and his companion what the prophets had said ––
and how the Messiah had to suffer before entering into his glory.
Then they came to Emmaus,
where Cleopas and his friend
or Cleopas and his wife –– lived.
Jesus said his goodbyes and started to leave,
The two travellers invited him to stay, because it was getting dark.
In that culture, they had an obligation to invite the stranger into their home ––
and the stranger had an obligation to decline ––
but if they persisted, he could accept their invitation.
Luke tells us that they "urged (Jesus) strongly" to stay with them,
so Jesus accepted.
They went into the house, and sat down to break bread together.
Things were simpler then.
We don't think we've been out for dinner unless we've had nibbles and an entrée,
Then a main course
dessert,
Then coffee and chocolates.
In those days, though, people often had little to eat other than bread.
Bread and water or bread and wine.
It mustn’t have taken long to set the table!
So they sit down.
Luke tells us what happened. He says:
"When (Jesus) was at the table with them,
he took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them."
And then! And then!
"…….their eyes were opened,
and they recognized him;
and he vanished from their sight."
They had not recognized Jesus,
On the journey,
Or at their own table.
It was not until Jesus "took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. That their eyes were opened, and they recognized him."
And once they recognized him, he "vanished from their sight"
but, not from their minds –– not from their hearts.
After that amazing encounter Jesus would be with them always.
The language that Luke uses in telling this story is not accidental.
Listen to see if you recognize it.
Jesus "took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them."
You know those words, don't you!
Those are the words we use when we celebrate the Lord's Supper.
When Luke uses those words,
he is signaling that something special happened at that table.
Jesus was pointing to His own death and resurrection.
The key thing is….
That they recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.
His body had been broken and it was now being shared with them.
They were going to use that memorial meal to remember what He had done for them.
We use that memorial meal to remember what Christ did for us.
But his body did not stay broken.
Jesus had been dead, but now he was alive again,
his resurrection signaled something very special,
that the new life he enjoyed
is also the promise of new life for us.
Have you experienced that new life that Christ came to bring?
Have you?
God has gone out of His way to call you,
He has said in the most intimate and personal way,
“Come to me ALL who labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28)
It is written up there….
Could I encourage you to respond to the call of God on your life,
If God is calling you, then come to Him.
You will be distracted from doing that,
But don’t be……there is too much to miss out on,
Too much at stake.
These disciples had not expected to see Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
They had not expected to host him at their table.
They had not expected to have him revealed to them in the breaking of bread ––
but that is what happened.
It was a surprise ––
a surprise and a blessing.
These disciples were caught unawares.
Have you ever been caught unawares by Jesus?
Has He ever surprised you in any way?
Have you encountered Jesus in some surprising way?
I was wondering where and how we might encounter the risen Christ today.
At Lord's Table, of course ––
when we break the bread and bless it,
when we give it and receive it.
Any blessing that we receive at the Lord's Table is not unexpected,
we go to the table,
anticipating/expecting a blessing,
or at least we should!
But where else do we encounter the risen Christ?
Where do we see him when,
like those two disciples at Emmaus,
we did not expect to see him?
We can encounter Him when we are reading the Scriptures,
When we engage with the sermon,
We might see the risen Christ is in the lives of his disciples,
In the faces of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
There is a story that might help us as we think about encountering the risen Christ –– like the two disciples at Emmaus did,
There is a place in England where a great cathedral would one day stand
but now there is only a small cobbler's shop
a place where Conrad the cobbler makes shoes for the people of his village.
Conrad's shop stands at the very place where the altar would one day stand.
One winter's day, two neighbors came to Conrad's shop to find Conrad in high spirits and his shop decorated with green branches.
Conrad explained:
"Old friends, good news! At dawn today,
As the cocks were scaring the night away,
The Lord appeared in a dream to me,
and said, 'I am coming your Guest to be!'"
The neighbors rejoiced with him awhile, and then left.
Conrad then waited for Jesus to appear.
What a day!
Just imagine!
He would break bread with the risen Lord!
While he was waiting, Conrad saw a beggar walking by with no shoes to protect his feet from the cold ––
so he went to his shelf and found a pair of shoes for the poor man's feet.
The beggar left, and then Conrad saw an old woman whose back was bent under a heavy load.
Moved with compassion,
Conrad invited the woman in and shared his bread with her –– the bread he had been saving for Jesus.
After she had eaten, she went on her way.
Then Conrad saw a little child, lost and alone.
He brought the child inside and gave him a cup of milk.
Then he helped the child to find his home and its mother's waiting arms.
Then Conrad returned to his shop, where he waited –– and waited –– and waited.
Finally, as the sun turned crimson in the western sky, he prayed:
"Why is it, Lord, that your feet delay?
Did you forget that this was the day?"
Then soft in the silence a Voice he heard:
"Lift up your heart, for I have kept my word.
Three times I came to your friendly door;
Three times my shadow was on your floor.
I was the beggar with the bruis ed feet;
I was the woman you gave to eat;
I was the child on the homeless street!"
So Conrad came face to face with Christ, not once, but three times that day.
He received, not one blessing, but three.
Like the disciples at Emmaus, he walked with the risen Lord without even knowing it.
But, like them, at the end his eyes were opened
and his heart was warmed.
This week, as you go about your daily routine, keep an eye out for Jesus.
Keep your eyes open as you read the Scriptures.
You can see him in the faces of your fellow worshipers.
You might get a glimpse of him in your husband or wife
or one of your children.
Or your neighbor.
Or at the supermarket.
Once you expect to see Jesus, you will begin to see him everywhere.
Amen.
Our Gospel lesson today is the narrative of two people who invited a stranger into their home.
They had been walking along the road to Emmaus, just a few miles from Jerusalem.
It was Easter Sunday –– the first Easter Sunday.
These two travellers knew that Jesus had been crucified on Friday,
and they had heard rumors that he had risen from the dead ––
so they were talking about those things as they walked along.
I wonder what they said?
Perhaps they were recalling that Jesus had mentioned something about that,
But that they didn’t understand and hadn’t taken much notice!
We know the name of one of these people –– Cleopas –– a man's name.
I have always pictured two men walking together,
but some think that because,
they invited Jesus into their home,
that they were man and wife.
That could be right.
As these two people walked along,
talking about the strange stories coming out of Jerusalem,
a stranger joined them.
He asked what they were discussing,
and Cleopas responded,
"Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
That was funny wasn’t it!
Jesus was really the only one who did know what happened.
But he responds by asking, "What things?"
"What things!
“You have to be kidding! Haven't you heard?"
And Cleopas began to tell this stranger….
• about Jesus
• about how Jesus was a great prophet
• about how the people had hoped that he was the Messiah they had been waiting for
• about and how the chief priests had Jesus crucified
• AND, get this – about how….
"Some women of our group astounded us.
They were at the tomb early this morning,
and when they did not find Jesus' body there,
they came back and told us
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who said that Jesus was alive.
Some of those who were with us went to the tomb
and found it just as the women had said;
but they did not see Jesus."
When Cleopas stopped talking,
Jesus began to teach Cleopas and his companion what the prophets had said ––
and how the Messiah had to suffer before entering into his glory.
Then they came to Emmaus,
where Cleopas and his friend
or Cleopas and his wife –– lived.
Jesus said his goodbyes and started to leave,
The two travellers invited him to stay, because it was getting dark.
In that culture, they had an obligation to invite the stranger into their home ––
and the stranger had an obligation to decline ––
but if they persisted, he could accept their invitation.
Luke tells us that they "urged (Jesus) strongly" to stay with them,
so Jesus accepted.
They went into the house, and sat down to break bread together.
Things were simpler then.
We don't think we've been out for dinner unless we've had nibbles and an entrée,
Then a main course
dessert,
Then coffee and chocolates.
In those days, though, people often had little to eat other than bread.
Bread and water or bread and wine.
It mustn’t have taken long to set the table!
So they sit down.
Luke tells us what happened. He says:
"When (Jesus) was at the table with them,
he took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them."
And then! And then!
"…….their eyes were opened,
and they recognized him;
and he vanished from their sight."
They had not recognized Jesus,
On the journey,
Or at their own table.
It was not until Jesus "took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. That their eyes were opened, and they recognized him."
And once they recognized him, he "vanished from their sight"
but, not from their minds –– not from their hearts.
After that amazing encounter Jesus would be with them always.
The language that Luke uses in telling this story is not accidental.
Listen to see if you recognize it.
Jesus "took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them."
You know those words, don't you!
Those are the words we use when we celebrate the Lord's Supper.
When Luke uses those words,
he is signaling that something special happened at that table.
Jesus was pointing to His own death and resurrection.
The key thing is….
That they recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.
His body had been broken and it was now being shared with them.
They were going to use that memorial meal to remember what He had done for them.
We use that memorial meal to remember what Christ did for us.
But his body did not stay broken.
Jesus had been dead, but now he was alive again,
his resurrection signaled something very special,
that the new life he enjoyed
is also the promise of new life for us.
Have you experienced that new life that Christ came to bring?
Have you?
God has gone out of His way to call you,
He has said in the most intimate and personal way,
“Come to me ALL who labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28)
It is written up there….
Could I encourage you to respond to the call of God on your life,
If God is calling you, then come to Him.
You will be distracted from doing that,
But don’t be……there is too much to miss out on,
Too much at stake.
These disciples had not expected to see Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
They had not expected to host him at their table.
They had not expected to have him revealed to them in the breaking of bread ––
but that is what happened.
It was a surprise ––
a surprise and a blessing.
These disciples were caught unawares.
Have you ever been caught unawares by Jesus?
Has He ever surprised you in any way?
Have you encountered Jesus in some surprising way?
I was wondering where and how we might encounter the risen Christ today.
At Lord's Table, of course ––
when we break the bread and bless it,
when we give it and receive it.
Any blessing that we receive at the Lord's Table is not unexpected,
we go to the table,
anticipating/expecting a blessing,
or at least we should!
But where else do we encounter the risen Christ?
Where do we see him when,
like those two disciples at Emmaus,
we did not expect to see him?
We can encounter Him when we are reading the Scriptures,
When we engage with the sermon,
We might see the risen Christ is in the lives of his disciples,
In the faces of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
There is a story that might help us as we think about encountering the risen Christ –– like the two disciples at Emmaus did,
There is a place in England where a great cathedral would one day stand
but now there is only a small cobbler's shop
a place where Conrad the cobbler makes shoes for the people of his village.
Conrad's shop stands at the very place where the altar would one day stand.
One winter's day, two neighbors came to Conrad's shop to find Conrad in high spirits and his shop decorated with green branches.
Conrad explained:
"Old friends, good news! At dawn today,
As the cocks were scaring the night away,
The Lord appeared in a dream to me,
and said, 'I am coming your Guest to be!'"
The neighbors rejoiced with him awhile, and then left.
Conrad then waited for Jesus to appear.
What a day!
Just imagine!
He would break bread with the risen Lord!
While he was waiting, Conrad saw a beggar walking by with no shoes to protect his feet from the cold ––
so he went to his shelf and found a pair of shoes for the poor man's feet.
The beggar left, and then Conrad saw an old woman whose back was bent under a heavy load.
Moved with compassion,
Conrad invited the woman in and shared his bread with her –– the bread he had been saving for Jesus.
After she had eaten, she went on her way.
Then Conrad saw a little child, lost and alone.
He brought the child inside and gave him a cup of milk.
Then he helped the child to find his home and its mother's waiting arms.
Then Conrad returned to his shop, where he waited –– and waited –– and waited.
Finally, as the sun turned crimson in the western sky, he prayed:
"Why is it, Lord, that your feet delay?
Did you forget that this was the day?"
Then soft in the silence a Voice he heard:
"Lift up your heart, for I have kept my word.
Three times I came to your friendly door;
Three times my shadow was on your floor.
I was the beggar with the bruis ed feet;
I was the woman you gave to eat;
I was the child on the homeless street!"
So Conrad came face to face with Christ, not once, but three times that day.
He received, not one blessing, but three.
Like the disciples at Emmaus, he walked with the risen Lord without even knowing it.
But, like them, at the end his eyes were opened
and his heart was warmed.
This week, as you go about your daily routine, keep an eye out for Jesus.
Keep your eyes open as you read the Scriptures.
You can see him in the faces of your fellow worshipers.
You might get a glimpse of him in your husband or wife
or one of your children.
Or your neighbor.
Or at the supermarket.
Once you expect to see Jesus, you will begin to see him everywhere.
Amen.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Problem Is The Will Not The Mind.
We live in a tradition that thinks the mind is the final arbiter over "truth" and the role of God in our lives.
It is not the mind or our intellect that will determine our eternal destiny.
In John 5 we witness that the study of the Scriptures does not ensure eternal life.The Scriptures bear witness to the One who gives life, that is, Jesus.
The people Jesus is referring to in John 5 read the Old Testament without seeing that it all points to Jesus and they fail to understand it's message.
In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Moses says "if they even see someone risen from the dead they will not believe". That is true, if we have a "will" that is against God, then all the evidence in the world will not convince us.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
It is not the mind or our intellect that will determine our eternal destiny.
In John 5 we witness that the study of the Scriptures does not ensure eternal life.The Scriptures bear witness to the One who gives life, that is, Jesus.
The people Jesus is referring to in John 5 read the Old Testament without seeing that it all points to Jesus and they fail to understand it's message.
In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Moses says "if they even see someone risen from the dead they will not believe". That is true, if we have a "will" that is against God, then all the evidence in the world will not convince us.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
We Have All We Need.
So often we feel abandoned, without the resources needed to handle life.
Gideon felt like that. He was having trouble matching his "theology" with the practice of living.
"But sir, Gideon replied, if the the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us...........?
We need to look carefully at the LORD'S answer.
"Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:13-14)
After that, Gideon asks God for a sign, which confirms what is already a fact.
God is sending out Gideon with all that he needs to do God's work - "Am I not sending you?"
When Moses was sent to Pharoah God had told Moses to say "Tell him 'I Am' sent you"
As we go forward on the highway of life, we have all we need....perhaps we need to use it more thoroughly!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Gideon felt like that. He was having trouble matching his "theology" with the practice of living.
"But sir, Gideon replied, if the the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us...........?
We need to look carefully at the LORD'S answer.
"Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:13-14)
After that, Gideon asks God for a sign, which confirms what is already a fact.
God is sending out Gideon with all that he needs to do God's work - "Am I not sending you?"
When Moses was sent to Pharoah God had told Moses to say "Tell him 'I Am' sent you"
As we go forward on the highway of life, we have all we need....perhaps we need to use it more thoroughly!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, May 6, 2011
A Vicious Cycle!
At the moment I am reading through Judges.....the time in Israel's history where everyone "did what was right in their own eyes".
No so terribly different from now....except there are no national spokesmen or women standing up and speaking for God.
Ehud was one of the judges....he cleaned up a lot of Philistines and saved the nation once again.
The people were happy and thankful......but they soon forgot....
"......the Israelites, once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, the king of Caanan......cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.(Judges 4:1-3)
That is the continual pattern of the Book of Judges.
It is not so terribly different from the pattern of people today - calling out to God in need, but not acknowledging Him when things are going well.
TFTD: Let's be careful that it not our pattern.
Have a Great Day,
Peter Clark.
No so terribly different from now....except there are no national spokesmen or women standing up and speaking for God.
Ehud was one of the judges....he cleaned up a lot of Philistines and saved the nation once again.
The people were happy and thankful......but they soon forgot....
"......the Israelites, once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, the king of Caanan......cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.(Judges 4:1-3)
That is the continual pattern of the Book of Judges.
It is not so terribly different from the pattern of people today - calling out to God in need, but not acknowledging Him when things are going well.
TFTD: Let's be careful that it not our pattern.
Have a Great Day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Walk The Walk...Talk The Talk!
In my reading this morning the phrase comes up twice "In God I Trust" Psalm 56.
That is the USA's motto - it is on their currency.
Is there any evidence that they do trust in God as a nation?
It is not apparent is it?
They appear to trust more in their armaments, their economy and in them being a world power.
To the casual observer they look like the schoolyard bully!
This is the context of "In God I trust"...
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust, I wil not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4
That is the USA's motto - it is on their currency.
Is there any evidence that they do trust in God as a nation?
It is not apparent is it?
They appear to trust more in their armaments, their economy and in them being a world power.
To the casual observer they look like the schoolyard bully!
This is the context of "In God I trust"...
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust, I wil not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
How Are You Flying?
I was reminded of this Scripture passage yesterday, and greatly encouraged.
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:29-31
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:29-31
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
God Is There For You!
The trouble is that as we go through troubled times.....we forget that God is always there for us.
For some reason we need to be constantly reminded of that!
Psalm 55:22
"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved."
We can leave it all to God - all of our anxieties and burdens, everything. In the next verse we see that God can be trusted to bring judgement on evildoers. He does this in His own time, and we wait on Him to act in His own time.
1 Peter 5:7 takes up this idea too......".....cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
TFTD: It has been said that worry is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns on oneself, rather than trusting them to God. We can trust God because He cares for us.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
For some reason we need to be constantly reminded of that!
Psalm 55:22
"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved."
We can leave it all to God - all of our anxieties and burdens, everything. In the next verse we see that God can be trusted to bring judgement on evildoers. He does this in His own time, and we wait on Him to act in His own time.
1 Peter 5:7 takes up this idea too......".....cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
TFTD: It has been said that worry is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns on oneself, rather than trusting them to God. We can trust God because He cares for us.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Sermon Preached on Sunday 1st May 2011.
1st May, 2011 John 20:19-31
I feel sorry for Thomas.
Thomas was a good man.
Jesus selected Thomas to be one of the apostles –– a high honor.
Thomas went with Jesus through all the ups and downs of discipleship,
including the crushing disappointment of Jesus' crucifixion.
We don't know a great deal about Thomas' later life,
but we think that he went to India and established the church in that great nation.
Joke about funeral directors marching around cemetery for hours – “They had lost the plot” Thomas hadn’t lost the plot.
But we don't remember Thomas for the good things he did.
It was Thomas who showed great courage in encouraging the other disciples to go with Jesus to Jerusalem,
That they might die with Him. (John 11:16)
But we remember Thomas for one thing –– and one thing only.
We remember him for doubting Jesus' resurrection.
We remember him for his one big mistake.
Whenever we hear the name "Thomas," we think "Doubting Thomas."
Not “Courageous Thomas”
There is no question that Thomas made a mistake.
Thomas did make a mistake.
But who hasn't made a mistake?
How would you like to have your entire place in history defined by your one big mistake,
to have a name like "Doubting Thomas", “Pathetic Pete” or "Catastrophic Clark"?
That would be pretty tough, wouldn't it?
I feel sorry for Thomas, because he hasn't been given a fair go.
I am also sympathetic to Thomas for being a doubter.
I have had doubts about my faith.
Not major ones like some people.
Every now and again – about once every two or three years,
I might think “What if this is not all true”
And then about a minute after that,
I am convinced once again.
I think it's OK to have doubts.
I realize that people have more serious doubts than mine.
I wonder about people who are always certain about everything.
Maybe they are wired differently than I am ––
or maybe they have just turned their backs on their doubts ––
afraid to face them.
Have you ever doubted?
Have you ever wondered about this business of Jesus ––
The virgin conception?
the cross ––
the resurrection?
The character of God?
Have you ever asked yourself if you are really dealing with faith or superstition?
Have you ever questioned why a loving God permits suffering?
Have you ever asked, "Am I a Christian only because my parents were Christians?"
Or because we live in this country?
Have you ever really struggled with doubt and faith?
Sometimes we are afraid to struggle with our doubts.
Sometimes we just push them into the background.
Sometimes we fear that, if we allow ourselves to entertain doubt that we will fall completely into unbelief.
But I think we can learn from Thomas –– from doubting Thomas.
He can teach us how to deal with our doubts.
First, we can learn from Thomas' mistake.
Thomas did make a huge mistake..
Thomas missed the regular meeting time with the apostles.
The disciples had gathered together in a locked room after Jesus' death.
Jesus came into that locked room, saying, "Peace be with you."
John notes, "But Thomas...was not with them when Jesus came."
Where was Thomas?
Was he disappointed, and so didn’t want to be with his friends?
When we are disappointed- we tend to stay away – cut ourselves off.
But when our faith is being challenged,
we need to be with our friends more than ever.
Or was Thomas afraid?
I don’t think so.
He seemed to be a courageous type
I have mentioned already that it was Thomas who encouraged the other disciples to go to Jerusalem with Jesus,
“that they might die with Him”
When we meet with others – for worship – for Bible Study – for fellowship,
Our faith is kindled by the faith of the others;
Our faith picks up the glow of other’s faith,
Thomas wasn’t getting this,
hence he sank into doubt.
As we struggle with issues of faith and doubt,
we need the support of other Christians.
We dare not separate ourselves from the church ––
the community of faith ––
in the hope that we will find faith on our own.
God designed us to need each other,
and He designed the church ––
the people of God ––
to strengthen us in Christian faith through Christian fellowship.
There is that story (I am sure that you have heard it)
About the Rector who visited one of his congregation who had stopped attending church,
They sat awkwardly in front of the fire – not speaking,
The Rector reached over with the thongs and took a coal out of the flames,
Placed it on the harth,
Slowly it started losing its glow,
And the man understood,
We are wired to glow in our Christian faith and grow in our Christian faith,
with others.
That is the way of our Christian faith,
Church isn’t only for those of us who need it,
It is for every Christian person,
Church is God’s plan for us.
That is why we need to be here regularly,
Meeting with others of the faith.
Second, we can learn from Thomas' honesty.
He did not just "go along with things."
He refused to say that he believed what he did not believe.
He spoke boldly:
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails
and my hand in his side,
I will not believe" (20:25).
There is a balance needed here…
As Christians, we need to guard against letting pessimism and doubt control our lives,
but we also need to confront our doubts.
We need to be as honest about our doubts.
We need to be able to say, "I really have a problem believing that" if, in fact, we do.
In the end we will find that God is BIGGER than any doubt that we may hold.
And so don't let your doubts run your life ––
but don't run away from them either.
The way to faith is often through honest struggle.
You can't honestly struggle with doubt unless you can admit its presence.
William Barclay says:
"The cure for doubt
is not to push a thing into the back of the mind
and refuse to think about it.
The cure for doubt is to think a way through the doubts.
We would have a faith that would be more secure
if we did not turn back from thinking too soon."
Third, we can learn from Thomas' enthusiastic faith.
Once Thomas saw Jesus, he went beyond anything that had been said before when he said, "My Lord and my God."
Thomas was not a lukewarm Christian.
Jesus speaks to a luke warm church (full of luke warm believers) in Revelation chapter 3,
To the church in Laodicea
Described as spiritually blind, bankrupt, naked and lukewarm.
Thomas was not like that,
He was enthusiastic,
Once he was convinced, he was willing to jump into the lead.
Fourthly, we can take heart in Jesus' words. He said:
"Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe."
We are the ones who have not seen Jesus ––
at least not in the same way that Thomas saw Jesus.
Because of that, Jesus calls us "blessed."
But, in fact, we have seen Jesus.
As long as we are reading God’s Scriptures regularly,
We are seeing Jesus.
The second time that Jesus appeared to the disciples,
Thomas was with them.
Seeing Jesus face to face, he did believe.
To sum up and conclude….
So face your doubts honestly.
While doing that,
keep worshiping God and rubbing elbows with other Christians.
Don’t give up on God,
He is BIGGER than any doubt that we will have.
Let the faith and encouragement of others do its work in your heart ––
and prepare to receive God's blessings.
I feel sorry for Thomas.
Thomas was a good man.
Jesus selected Thomas to be one of the apostles –– a high honor.
Thomas went with Jesus through all the ups and downs of discipleship,
including the crushing disappointment of Jesus' crucifixion.
We don't know a great deal about Thomas' later life,
but we think that he went to India and established the church in that great nation.
Joke about funeral directors marching around cemetery for hours – “They had lost the plot” Thomas hadn’t lost the plot.
But we don't remember Thomas for the good things he did.
It was Thomas who showed great courage in encouraging the other disciples to go with Jesus to Jerusalem,
That they might die with Him. (John 11:16)
But we remember Thomas for one thing –– and one thing only.
We remember him for doubting Jesus' resurrection.
We remember him for his one big mistake.
Whenever we hear the name "Thomas," we think "Doubting Thomas."
Not “Courageous Thomas”
There is no question that Thomas made a mistake.
Thomas did make a mistake.
But who hasn't made a mistake?
How would you like to have your entire place in history defined by your one big mistake,
to have a name like "Doubting Thomas", “Pathetic Pete” or "Catastrophic Clark"?
That would be pretty tough, wouldn't it?
I feel sorry for Thomas, because he hasn't been given a fair go.
I am also sympathetic to Thomas for being a doubter.
I have had doubts about my faith.
Not major ones like some people.
Every now and again – about once every two or three years,
I might think “What if this is not all true”
And then about a minute after that,
I am convinced once again.
I think it's OK to have doubts.
I realize that people have more serious doubts than mine.
I wonder about people who are always certain about everything.
Maybe they are wired differently than I am ––
or maybe they have just turned their backs on their doubts ––
afraid to face them.
Have you ever doubted?
Have you ever wondered about this business of Jesus ––
The virgin conception?
the cross ––
the resurrection?
The character of God?
Have you ever asked yourself if you are really dealing with faith or superstition?
Have you ever questioned why a loving God permits suffering?
Have you ever asked, "Am I a Christian only because my parents were Christians?"
Or because we live in this country?
Have you ever really struggled with doubt and faith?
Sometimes we are afraid to struggle with our doubts.
Sometimes we just push them into the background.
Sometimes we fear that, if we allow ourselves to entertain doubt that we will fall completely into unbelief.
But I think we can learn from Thomas –– from doubting Thomas.
He can teach us how to deal with our doubts.
First, we can learn from Thomas' mistake.
Thomas did make a huge mistake..
Thomas missed the regular meeting time with the apostles.
The disciples had gathered together in a locked room after Jesus' death.
Jesus came into that locked room, saying, "Peace be with you."
John notes, "But Thomas...was not with them when Jesus came."
Where was Thomas?
Was he disappointed, and so didn’t want to be with his friends?
When we are disappointed- we tend to stay away – cut ourselves off.
But when our faith is being challenged,
we need to be with our friends more than ever.
Or was Thomas afraid?
I don’t think so.
He seemed to be a courageous type
I have mentioned already that it was Thomas who encouraged the other disciples to go to Jerusalem with Jesus,
“that they might die with Him”
When we meet with others – for worship – for Bible Study – for fellowship,
Our faith is kindled by the faith of the others;
Our faith picks up the glow of other’s faith,
Thomas wasn’t getting this,
hence he sank into doubt.
As we struggle with issues of faith and doubt,
we need the support of other Christians.
We dare not separate ourselves from the church ––
the community of faith ––
in the hope that we will find faith on our own.
God designed us to need each other,
and He designed the church ––
the people of God ––
to strengthen us in Christian faith through Christian fellowship.
There is that story (I am sure that you have heard it)
About the Rector who visited one of his congregation who had stopped attending church,
They sat awkwardly in front of the fire – not speaking,
The Rector reached over with the thongs and took a coal out of the flames,
Placed it on the harth,
Slowly it started losing its glow,
And the man understood,
We are wired to glow in our Christian faith and grow in our Christian faith,
with others.
That is the way of our Christian faith,
Church isn’t only for those of us who need it,
It is for every Christian person,
Church is God’s plan for us.
That is why we need to be here regularly,
Meeting with others of the faith.
Second, we can learn from Thomas' honesty.
He did not just "go along with things."
He refused to say that he believed what he did not believe.
He spoke boldly:
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails
and my hand in his side,
I will not believe" (20:25).
There is a balance needed here…
As Christians, we need to guard against letting pessimism and doubt control our lives,
but we also need to confront our doubts.
We need to be as honest about our doubts.
We need to be able to say, "I really have a problem believing that" if, in fact, we do.
In the end we will find that God is BIGGER than any doubt that we may hold.
And so don't let your doubts run your life ––
but don't run away from them either.
The way to faith is often through honest struggle.
You can't honestly struggle with doubt unless you can admit its presence.
William Barclay says:
"The cure for doubt
is not to push a thing into the back of the mind
and refuse to think about it.
The cure for doubt is to think a way through the doubts.
We would have a faith that would be more secure
if we did not turn back from thinking too soon."
Third, we can learn from Thomas' enthusiastic faith.
Once Thomas saw Jesus, he went beyond anything that had been said before when he said, "My Lord and my God."
Thomas was not a lukewarm Christian.
Jesus speaks to a luke warm church (full of luke warm believers) in Revelation chapter 3,
To the church in Laodicea
Described as spiritually blind, bankrupt, naked and lukewarm.
Thomas was not like that,
He was enthusiastic,
Once he was convinced, he was willing to jump into the lead.
Fourthly, we can take heart in Jesus' words. He said:
"Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe."
We are the ones who have not seen Jesus ––
at least not in the same way that Thomas saw Jesus.
Because of that, Jesus calls us "blessed."
But, in fact, we have seen Jesus.
As long as we are reading God’s Scriptures regularly,
We are seeing Jesus.
The second time that Jesus appeared to the disciples,
Thomas was with them.
Seeing Jesus face to face, he did believe.
To sum up and conclude….
So face your doubts honestly.
While doing that,
keep worshiping God and rubbing elbows with other Christians.
Don’t give up on God,
He is BIGGER than any doubt that we will have.
Let the faith and encouragement of others do its work in your heart ––
and prepare to receive God's blessings.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Looking Back Over Life.
Hindsight is a terrific thing.....when we use it in relation to God working in our lives.
My testimony is that Joshua 21:45 is true.
"Not one of all the LORD'S good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
TFTD: Could I encourage you to pray specifically. If you know what you pray for, you will be aware of God answering.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
My testimony is that Joshua 21:45 is true.
"Not one of all the LORD'S good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
TFTD: Could I encourage you to pray specifically. If you know what you pray for, you will be aware of God answering.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
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