Acts 20:24
"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
This is a part of Paul's farewell speech to the Ephesian elders.
We tend to think that our life is wasted if we don't get recognition, success, money and so on.
Not so for Paul....he thought his life was worth nothing, if he wasn't using it for God's work.
What Paul put into his life was far more important than what he got out of it.
TFTD: What about us? What is more important for YOU - what you get out of life OR what you put into life?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Often Missing In Our Lives!
In 1 Kings 22 Jehoshaphat, King of Judah (Southern Kingdom) went to see Ahab, King of Israel (Northern Kingdom).
Ahab asks Jehoshaphat if he will go to war with him against Ramoth Gilead (v.4)
Jehoshaphat says, in principle, yes, but "first seek the counsel of the LORD" (v.5)
This is what is so often missing in our lives - this seeking out of the LORD about what we should do.
What do you think? Are you like me....and so often just run ahead and plan this or that....and do this or that?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Ahab asks Jehoshaphat if he will go to war with him against Ramoth Gilead (v.4)
Jehoshaphat says, in principle, yes, but "first seek the counsel of the LORD" (v.5)
This is what is so often missing in our lives - this seeking out of the LORD about what we should do.
What do you think? Are you like me....and so often just run ahead and plan this or that....and do this or that?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Fan Into Flame
We have our gifts, that might not have taken off yet, they might be smouldering a little...
What do we need to do?
Pauls's advice to Timothy is helpful.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Have you ever tried to get a camp fire going? You might fan it with some old newspapers. The action will get it going.
We might have to introduce some action into our Christian life and witness for our gifts to come out in flame.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
What do we need to do?
Pauls's advice to Timothy is helpful.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Have you ever tried to get a camp fire going? You might fan it with some old newspapers. The action will get it going.
We might have to introduce some action into our Christian life and witness for our gifts to come out in flame.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sermon Preached on 26th June 2011 Matthew 10:40-42
Our Gospel lesson this morning comes from the end of Matthew 10.
In the earlier part of this chapter, Jesus sends his disciples on the road to proclaim the gospel and to cure the sick.
As part of their instructions, he said:
"Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts,
no bag for your journey,
or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff;
for laborers deserve their food.
Whatever town or village you enter,
find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
As you enter the house, greet it.
If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it;
but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.
Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town."
In other words, Jesus was telling the disciples not to be concerned about the necessities of life
food, clothing and shelter
––because Jesus says, "laborers deserve their food."
In other words, the disciples were not to provide for themselves,
but were to expect the people whom they served to provide for them.
If the people refused to provide,
the disciples were to shake the dust from their feet to remove the contamination of that town from their sandals,
and then they were to move on.
Now, at the end of this chapter, Jesus says to his disciples:
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward."
Jesus first looked at the matter from the standpoint of the disciples,
"laborers deserve their food."
Jesus said, “Those doing the work of God deserve to be supported.”
Now Jesus is looking at it from the standpoint of the people
those who benefiting from the ministry of the disciples
and, who are supporting the disciples financially.
Jesus says, “if you welcome one of those doing the work of God, you are actually welcoming Jesus.”
Let me ask you a question?
How can our love for God be measured?
Do you think God measures it by what we say?
Do you measure other people’s love for you, by what they say?
Or by what they do?
How much we love God can be measured by how well we treat others.
Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart etc…and love others as you love yourself”
This is the challenge for us today,
To treat others we would like to be treated.
To speak about others as you would like to be spoken about.
We long for this don’t we?
I would love to be treated by you,
In the same way that you would like to be treated by me and others.
That is the very basic command of Jesus to us.
Jesus mentions four groups of people:
1st He mentioned Himself,
How much we love God is measured by how much we love Jesus,
“anyone who receives you, receives me” said Jesus (v.40)
How much do you love Jesus?
It will show in how you treat Him.
If you have accepted Him (or received Him).
That is treating Him well – showing your love for Jesus.
The 2nd group of people Jesus mentions that we need to treat well are God’s prophets,
People who speak for God.
Priests, pastors, preachers, ministers and so on…
“anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive the prophet’s reward” (v.41)
This doesn’t mean that a minister or priest can ride roughshod over a congregation,
Act with bad manners, or be immoral etc.
Because we are to be judged by God with extra strictness
Because of the extra responsibilities we have been given.
There are privileges and responsibilities.
The 3rd group of people Jesus mentions are these “righteous persons”
Those who have the righteousness from obeying Jesus,
This is our fellow Christians,
Our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are to treat our fellow Christians especially well.
And then fourthly,
There are these “little ones” – children or insignificant ones,
Ones that don’t have a voice / perhaps disenfranchised /overlooked
To these he says:
"Whoever gives even a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple––
truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
In this gospel passage we see
Jesus is treating his disciples as if they are his sons and daughters.
He says, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."
If you were sending your son or daughter on the road to represent your business,
what would you say to the local people?
• You might say, "My daughter speaks for me/my son represents me,
I will honor any agreement that she makes."
• And you would say, "If my son or daughter needs anything, take care of it and send me the bill."
Wouldn't it make you nervous to send your son or your daughter on the road to represent your business?
Even if you trusted them implicitly, you would be concerned for their safety and well-being.
You wouldn't be there to help and protect them.
You wouldn't be there to answer questions and show them the ropes.
If they got hurt, who would take them to the doctor or the hospital?
If their car broke down, who would come to their aid?
Jesus sent his disciples out –– on the road –– to proclaim the gospel and to cure the sick.
He talked about the dangers that they would face.
• He said, "I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves" (10:16).
• He said, "They will turn you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues" (10:17).
• He said, "You will be dragged before governors and kings because of me" (10:18).
• He said, "You will be hated by all because of my name" (10:22).
Jesus knew the dangers, just as parents know the dangers when they let their children go out into the world.
It must have been painful for Jesus to know that his disciples would suffer,
but it had to be.
So Jesus also says, "Whoever welcomes (my disciples) welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me" (10:40).
• He said, "Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward" (10:41).
• He said, "Whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous" (10:41).
• He said, "Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple––truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward" (10:42).
So what does that have to do with us? Two things!
• First, it tells us that, if we are doing the Lord's work, it is important for us to allow others to help us.
That's not easy.
We like being self-sufficient.
We don't like to be dependent.
It is more blessed to give than to receive, and it is more fun too!
We like giving, but find receiving awkward.
But Jesus calls some people to take a public role in ministry and calls others to support from behind the scenes.
Those who are involved in a public role need to accept the support of those who are not.
• Secondly, this tells us an important way that we can please Jesus.
Jesus says, "Whoever welcomes (my disciples) welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."
Just as you would appreciate someone who would help your child,
Jesus appreciates the person who helps his disciples.
Jesus has that same feeling for his disciples. He says:
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward;
and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person
will receive the reward of the righteous;
and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones
in the name of a disciple––
truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward" (10:40-42).
When we put our money into the offertory plate week by week,
We are giving it to the Lord’s work,
When we give money to mission groups like CMS (last month) International Nepal Fellowship (last week) Open Doors (end of July)
We are giving it to the Lord’s work.
But that is not the end of it,
Because when we give our money,
Jesus has promised that you will not lose your reward.
And so when you give a blessing to those who are serving God,
you will receive a blessing / a reward.
That's the Word from God.
That is how God work’s.
He is no-ones debtor.
Amen.
In the earlier part of this chapter, Jesus sends his disciples on the road to proclaim the gospel and to cure the sick.
As part of their instructions, he said:
"Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts,
no bag for your journey,
or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff;
for laborers deserve their food.
Whatever town or village you enter,
find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
As you enter the house, greet it.
If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it;
but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.
Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town."
In other words, Jesus was telling the disciples not to be concerned about the necessities of life
food, clothing and shelter
––because Jesus says, "laborers deserve their food."
In other words, the disciples were not to provide for themselves,
but were to expect the people whom they served to provide for them.
If the people refused to provide,
the disciples were to shake the dust from their feet to remove the contamination of that town from their sandals,
and then they were to move on.
Now, at the end of this chapter, Jesus says to his disciples:
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward."
Jesus first looked at the matter from the standpoint of the disciples,
"laborers deserve their food."
Jesus said, “Those doing the work of God deserve to be supported.”
Now Jesus is looking at it from the standpoint of the people
those who benefiting from the ministry of the disciples
and, who are supporting the disciples financially.
Jesus says, “if you welcome one of those doing the work of God, you are actually welcoming Jesus.”
Let me ask you a question?
How can our love for God be measured?
Do you think God measures it by what we say?
Do you measure other people’s love for you, by what they say?
Or by what they do?
How much we love God can be measured by how well we treat others.
Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart etc…and love others as you love yourself”
This is the challenge for us today,
To treat others we would like to be treated.
To speak about others as you would like to be spoken about.
We long for this don’t we?
I would love to be treated by you,
In the same way that you would like to be treated by me and others.
That is the very basic command of Jesus to us.
Jesus mentions four groups of people:
1st He mentioned Himself,
How much we love God is measured by how much we love Jesus,
“anyone who receives you, receives me” said Jesus (v.40)
How much do you love Jesus?
It will show in how you treat Him.
If you have accepted Him (or received Him).
That is treating Him well – showing your love for Jesus.
The 2nd group of people Jesus mentions that we need to treat well are God’s prophets,
People who speak for God.
Priests, pastors, preachers, ministers and so on…
“anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive the prophet’s reward” (v.41)
This doesn’t mean that a minister or priest can ride roughshod over a congregation,
Act with bad manners, or be immoral etc.
Because we are to be judged by God with extra strictness
Because of the extra responsibilities we have been given.
There are privileges and responsibilities.
The 3rd group of people Jesus mentions are these “righteous persons”
Those who have the righteousness from obeying Jesus,
This is our fellow Christians,
Our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are to treat our fellow Christians especially well.
And then fourthly,
There are these “little ones” – children or insignificant ones,
Ones that don’t have a voice / perhaps disenfranchised /overlooked
To these he says:
"Whoever gives even a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple––
truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
In this gospel passage we see
Jesus is treating his disciples as if they are his sons and daughters.
He says, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."
If you were sending your son or daughter on the road to represent your business,
what would you say to the local people?
• You might say, "My daughter speaks for me/my son represents me,
I will honor any agreement that she makes."
• And you would say, "If my son or daughter needs anything, take care of it and send me the bill."
Wouldn't it make you nervous to send your son or your daughter on the road to represent your business?
Even if you trusted them implicitly, you would be concerned for their safety and well-being.
You wouldn't be there to help and protect them.
You wouldn't be there to answer questions and show them the ropes.
If they got hurt, who would take them to the doctor or the hospital?
If their car broke down, who would come to their aid?
Jesus sent his disciples out –– on the road –– to proclaim the gospel and to cure the sick.
He talked about the dangers that they would face.
• He said, "I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves" (10:16).
• He said, "They will turn you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues" (10:17).
• He said, "You will be dragged before governors and kings because of me" (10:18).
• He said, "You will be hated by all because of my name" (10:22).
Jesus knew the dangers, just as parents know the dangers when they let their children go out into the world.
It must have been painful for Jesus to know that his disciples would suffer,
but it had to be.
So Jesus also says, "Whoever welcomes (my disciples) welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me" (10:40).
• He said, "Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward" (10:41).
• He said, "Whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous" (10:41).
• He said, "Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple––truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward" (10:42).
So what does that have to do with us? Two things!
• First, it tells us that, if we are doing the Lord's work, it is important for us to allow others to help us.
That's not easy.
We like being self-sufficient.
We don't like to be dependent.
It is more blessed to give than to receive, and it is more fun too!
We like giving, but find receiving awkward.
But Jesus calls some people to take a public role in ministry and calls others to support from behind the scenes.
Those who are involved in a public role need to accept the support of those who are not.
• Secondly, this tells us an important way that we can please Jesus.
Jesus says, "Whoever welcomes (my disciples) welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."
Just as you would appreciate someone who would help your child,
Jesus appreciates the person who helps his disciples.
Jesus has that same feeling for his disciples. He says:
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward;
and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person
will receive the reward of the righteous;
and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones
in the name of a disciple––
truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward" (10:40-42).
When we put our money into the offertory plate week by week,
We are giving it to the Lord’s work,
When we give money to mission groups like CMS (last month) International Nepal Fellowship (last week) Open Doors (end of July)
We are giving it to the Lord’s work.
But that is not the end of it,
Because when we give our money,
Jesus has promised that you will not lose your reward.
And so when you give a blessing to those who are serving God,
you will receive a blessing / a reward.
That's the Word from God.
That is how God work’s.
He is no-ones debtor.
Amen.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Testimony To A Life Lived!
What are people going to say and thin k of your life, when it comes to and end?
Many of the things that I hear at funerals (that are supposed to be tributes) are very sad.
Here is on from my reading today - 1 Kings 16:30
"Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him..."
TFTD: Let us be conscious of the legacy we leave.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Many of the things that I hear at funerals (that are supposed to be tributes) are very sad.
Here is on from my reading today - 1 Kings 16:30
"Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him..."
TFTD: Let us be conscious of the legacy we leave.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Variation In Responses.
1 Kings 15 struck me with all of it's different responses....
v.3 "(Abijah) committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God..."
v.5 "For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life - except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."
v.11 "Asa dis what was right in the eyes of the LORD....."
v.14 " Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life."
v.26 "Nadab did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin..."
v.33 "Baasha did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam..."
And in Acts 16...
v.30 "the (Philippian) jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
v.34 "the jailer....was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God."
TFTD: It is a good thing to keep our eye on OUR responses to God.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
v.3 "(Abijah) committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God..."
v.5 "For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life - except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."
v.11 "Asa dis what was right in the eyes of the LORD....."
v.14 " Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life."
v.26 "Nadab did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin..."
v.33 "Baasha did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam..."
And in Acts 16...
v.30 "the (Philippian) jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
v.34 "the jailer....was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God."
TFTD: It is a good thing to keep our eye on OUR responses to God.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, June 24, 2011
What Is God Doing?
Have you ever asked yourself that? I do all the time?
In Acts 16:14 we read this; "The LORD opened her (Lydia's) heart to respond to Paul's message."
I desperately want the LORD to open people's hearts that I preach to week by week......but doesn't seem to happen.
I ask myself "What is God doing?" because in the end it is up to Him.
I will keep preaching and praying!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
In Acts 16:14 we read this; "The LORD opened her (Lydia's) heart to respond to Paul's message."
I desperately want the LORD to open people's hearts that I preach to week by week......but doesn't seem to happen.
I ask myself "What is God doing?" because in the end it is up to Him.
I will keep preaching and praying!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Take A Risk For God.
On my desk calendar today there is some advice:
"If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out" (Arthur Koestler)
Have a great day ,
Peter Clark.
"If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out" (Arthur Koestler)
Have a great day ,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Seek Knowledge!
Yesterday, I learned that the answer to a cheerful face (and a happy life) is to seek knowledge!
Proverbs 15:13-15 point us to this as an answer - to seek knowledge.
If one is to have a really, authentic happy life, then it will not be found in external circumstances but rather in the "fear of the Lord"
16Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Treasure is not the answer - neither is "hatred".
"The greatest of these is love."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Proverbs 15:13-15 point us to this as an answer - to seek knowledge.
If one is to have a really, authentic happy life, then it will not be found in external circumstances but rather in the "fear of the Lord"
16Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Treasure is not the answer - neither is "hatred".
"The greatest of these is love."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
How's Your Heart?
My reading this morning took me into Proverbs 15 and verses 13, 14 & 15 focus on the heart.
A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
We see that a "cheerful face" has a deeper source - it shows all of us who witness a cheerful face on anyone's dial, that there is some satisfaction with life going on for that person. It comes from a "glad heart"
Our "cheerful heart" can be stolen from us - either from internal feelings when our "spirit is crushed" or from external circumstances, when evil comes upon us (v.15)
The answer for us, is to seek "knowledge"
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
We see that a "cheerful face" has a deeper source - it shows all of us who witness a cheerful face on anyone's dial, that there is some satisfaction with life going on for that person. It comes from a "glad heart"
Our "cheerful heart" can be stolen from us - either from internal feelings when our "spirit is crushed" or from external circumstances, when evil comes upon us (v.15)
The answer for us, is to seek "knowledge"
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, June 20, 2011
It's Not All Up To Me! Whew!
Paul and Barnabas are on a mission - crowds gather "almost the whole city" (13:44)
The Jews get jealous - they cannot pull a crowd like that, and so they abuse Paul and Barnabas.
Paul and Barnabas's take on all this...."Since you reject (the word of God) and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life..."(v.46)
The Gentiles (everyone who was not a Jew) "honoured the word of the Lord"(v.48)
"...and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." (v.48)
God is working in the lives of people....calling them out....giving them the opportunity to respond....appointing people for eternal life and willing them to respond.
What more can God do.....and preserve our free will?
Have a good day,
Peter Clark
The Jews get jealous - they cannot pull a crowd like that, and so they abuse Paul and Barnabas.
Paul and Barnabas's take on all this...."Since you reject (the word of God) and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life..."(v.46)
The Gentiles (everyone who was not a Jew) "honoured the word of the Lord"(v.48)
"...and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." (v.48)
God is working in the lives of people....calling them out....giving them the opportunity to respond....appointing people for eternal life and willing them to respond.
What more can God do.....and preserve our free will?
Have a good day,
Peter Clark
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Dealing With Difficult People.
Proverbs 15:1-2
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly..."
We all have our difficult people - some through a personality flaw, others through pure evil.
These verses remind us that while the fool gushes forth folly, we are to have a "gentle answer".
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly..."
We all have our difficult people - some through a personality flaw, others through pure evil.
These verses remind us that while the fool gushes forth folly, we are to have a "gentle answer".
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Check It Out!
The early church heard that the word of God had broken out in Antioch and so they send Barnabas to check it out.
Acts 11:23 "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the LORD with all their hearts."
I wonder, if a "Barnabas" came to the church I am serving in, how much "evidence of the grace of God" would he see? Would there be more now, than when I arrived?
Have a great day.
Peter Clark.
Acts 11:23 "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the LORD with all their hearts."
I wonder, if a "Barnabas" came to the church I am serving in, how much "evidence of the grace of God" would he see? Would there be more now, than when I arrived?
Have a great day.
Peter Clark.
Friday, June 17, 2011
A Recipe For Godly Living!
Here is some of the advice that David gave to his son Solomon when Solomon became King. It is from 1 Kings chapter 2.
"... Be strong 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies...... that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn...... pay close attention..... walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul...."
We need to "be in Christ", having responded to the Gospel by repentance and faith, but then we need to be living it.
I am saddened when couples come to me for marriage and they are already living together. It doesn't give them a good start.
I am devastated when "Christian" couples come for marriage and are living together.
We are on a very slippery slope.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
"... Be strong 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies...... that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn...... pay close attention..... walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul...."
We need to "be in Christ", having responded to the Gospel by repentance and faith, but then we need to be living it.
I am saddened when couples come to me for marriage and they are already living together. It doesn't give them a good start.
I am devastated when "Christian" couples come for marriage and are living together.
We are on a very slippery slope.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Showing A Lack Of Trust!
In my reading of 2 Samuel, I am up to Chapter 24, where David instructs that a census must be taken of the fighting men that he has available to him.
Joab (David's right hand man and military commander) objects, knowing that it is not right.
David overrules him and the count is undertaken. David realises that it is wrong and God's judgment comes upon them as a nation.
Why is it wrong to count the fighting men?
It seems that it is a lack of trust in God to raise up an army for His purposes.
I think that we are so far from trusting God in the personal details of our life, that we find this very hard to comprehend.
Am I right here?
It seems to me that we have a theoretical trust in God - we may espouse it with our mouths, but do not really live it with our lives.
What do you think?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Joab (David's right hand man and military commander) objects, knowing that it is not right.
David overrules him and the count is undertaken. David realises that it is wrong and God's judgment comes upon them as a nation.
Why is it wrong to count the fighting men?
It seems that it is a lack of trust in God to raise up an army for His purposes.
I think that we are so far from trusting God in the personal details of our life, that we find this very hard to comprehend.
Am I right here?
It seems to me that we have a theoretical trust in God - we may espouse it with our mouths, but do not really live it with our lives.
What do you think?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Testimony To God!
Psalm 73:23-28
This Psalm was a great blessing to me as I read and was reminded of the sovereignty of God over all people and circumstances.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
From the cradle to the grave God has us continually in His grip.
Never underestimate the hope of the resurrection that we have.
Even though we be overwhelmed by evil forces, we know that one day we will be raised to life to serve our great God forever.
Have a truly great day,
Peter Clark.
This Psalm was a great blessing to me as I read and was reminded of the sovereignty of God over all people and circumstances.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
From the cradle to the grave God has us continually in His grip.
Never underestimate the hope of the resurrection that we have.
Even though we be overwhelmed by evil forces, we know that one day we will be raised to life to serve our great God forever.
Have a truly great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
An Outward Sign Of An Inner Faith.
Isaiah 1:10-14 is a description of God's people many years ago.
In a lot of respects - things have not changed very much - we still manage to screw it up!
We do that when we place more faith in our rituals, then the God we worship.
When we love the music more than the maker.
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
Be careful....be very careful.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
In a lot of respects - things have not changed very much - we still manage to screw it up!
We do that when we place more faith in our rituals, then the God we worship.
When we love the music more than the maker.
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
Be careful....be very careful.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, June 13, 2011
SERMON: PENTECOST SUNDAY, 12th June, 2011
SERMON: PENTECOST SUNDAY, 12th June, 2011
Pentecost was a big deal in Jerusalem.
Jewish men were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times each year for important festivals.
and Pentecost was one of the three festivals.
Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles were the others.
• You know about Passover.
Passover celebrated the Exodus –– when God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
Jewish people have celebrating it ever since.
• Fifty days later, the Jewish people celebrated Pentecost –– the festival mentioned in our scripture today.
Pentecost was their summer harvest festival –– celebrating the wheat harvest.
• The third great festival was the Feast of Tabernacles.
That was their autumn harvest festival,
celebrating the harvest of grapes and olives.
When they went to Jerusalem they worshiped at the temple.
William Barclay says that as many as 180,000 pilgrims came to Jerusalem for each of these three annual festivals.
180,000 – that is a lot of people.
It is hard to imagine what that must have been like.
I don’t know how many were in Sydney for the Olympic Games,
But 180,000 in Jerusalem – must have been quite a squeeze.
Jerusalem was a city, but not a large city by our standards.
Even today, I wouldn’t think that many cities could accommodate 180,000 visitors.
I don't know how they fitted in Jerusalem.
They must have really crammed in.
During these festivals, the streets of Jerusalem would have been crowded.
People would have been shoulder-to-shoulder.
Part of the time they worshiped in the temple.
Part of the time they celebrated.
Part of the time they linked up with old friends.
And part of the time they would have been looking for something to eat.
In the midst of all that activity, God shook things up.
Here's what the Bible says:
Jesus' disciples "were all together in one place.
And suddenly from heaven there came a sound
like the rush of a violent wind,
and it filled the entire house where (the disciples) were sitting.
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
and a tongue rested on each of (the disciples).
All of (the disciples) were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other languages,
as the Spirit gave them ability" (vv. 1-4).
The sound of a violent wind!
Tongues of fire!
People speaking in foreign languages!
That got everyone's attention.
And people's lives were changed!
That's what it was like at the first Christian Pentecost.
The disciples, who went into hiding after the crucifixion, came out into the open.
Then the heavens roared!
Fire burned!
The Spirit of God filled!
The disciples preached!
The crowds wondered!
It was a marvelous happening!
And the people's lives were changed!
That was the point of it!
The crowd heard the roaring wind!
They saw the burning fire!
They heard the disciples speaking in all sorts of foreign languages!
They wondered what was going on,
so they gathered around to see what would happen.
They wanted to make some sense of it, so they listened.
When the crowd heard Jesus' disciples talking in many foreign languages.
They people were amazed,
because the disciples were Galileans –– country folk.
Where did they learn all those languages?
Galileans spoke their own language with a country accent,
but these Galileans spoke foreign languages fluently.
The pilgrims in Jerusalem had come from many nations.
"Amazed and astonished, they asked, 'Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our native language?"
Then Luke, the author of the book of Acts, lists some of the languages.
Parthians heard the disciples in their Parthian language.
Medes heard in their language.
Elamites heard in their language.
Luke lists at least thirteen different countries,
and the people from each country heard in their own language what Jesus' disciples had to say.
How did the disciples do that?
How did they manage to speak in languages that they did not know?
The Book of Acts is clear about that.
God's Holy Spirit made it possible.
Luke, who wrote this book, says, "All of (Jesus' disciples) were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, AS THE SPIRIT GAVE THEM ABILITY."
We must ask why the Holy Spirit –– God's Spirit –– would make such a dramatic appearance at Pentecost.
Why the sound of a violent wind?
Why the tongues of fire dancing on the shoulders of Jesus' disciples?
Why the miracle of speaking in tongues?
Those three miracles had three purposes:
• The FIRST purpose was to get people's attention.
Jerusalem streets were crowded, but the people were focused on a thousand things.
They were trying to go somewhere –– or buy something –– or get to the temple –– or find food.
If they were to hear the Gospel message,
God had to get their attention.
And so God's Holy Spirit created a great roaring sound,
like the winds of a hurricane.
And God's Holy Spirit created tongues of fire and placed them on the disciples who,
like the burning bush that Moses had seen,
were not consumed by the flames.
And God's Holy Spirit gave those disciples the ability to speak in languages they had never learned.
How is God going to get people’s attention today?
The respected CS Lewis says that one way is through suffering.
It is not necessarily the evil and inconvenience we make it out to be.
(read CS Lewis “megaphone to a deaf world”)
• The SECOND purpose of these miracles was to validate the disciples to the crowd.
The disciples were, after all, Galileans –– country bumpkins
–– good for a laugh, perhaps,
but nobody to take seriously.
If God wanted the crowds to listen to these Galileans,
he had to put his stamp of approval on them.
The wind, fire and inspired speech were God's stamp of approval
–– signs that these Galileans were God's agents.
We are careful who we listen to,
but we would listen if we saw these kinds of miracles.
So the second purpose of these miracles was to validate these disciples to the crowd.
• The THIRD purpose of these miracles was to make it possible for the crowd to hear about Jesus,
and the salvation that he had come to bring.
Peter was getting ready to deliver the greatest sermon of his life.
He was going to tell the crowd that they had killed the Messiah
–– but that they could be forgiven if they would repent and be baptized.
Our lectionary reading stops just as Peter is getting started with his sermon,
we need to look ahead to see what happens:
• Peter told the crowd about Jesus.
• He told them that God had given Jesus power to work miracles
and he reminded them that they had seen these miracles.
They had seen Jesus heal people.
• Peter then accused the crowd of killing Jesus the Messiah,
but that it was God's plan that Jesus would die.
• Peter told the crowd about Jesus' resurrection –– his victory over death.
He told them that the disciples had all seen the risen Christ.
The resurrection was no figment of anyone's imagination.
When the people realized what they had done
that they had killed the Messiah
The Scriptures tell us "they were cut to the heart”
They said to Peter and to the other apostles,
'Brothers, what should we do?'" Peter answered:
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ
so that your sins may be forgiven;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Listen to that!
Peter tells all those there what they must do to be right with God.
They must repent.
That means they must turn from sin,
Change the direction of their lives,
From selfishness and rebellion against God’s laws.
At the same time they must turn TO CHRIST,
Depending on Him for forgiveness, mercy, guidance and purpose.
We cannot save ourselves – only God can save us.
Peter promises forgiveness, AND the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The disciples at Pentecost are working by the power of God's Holy Spirit –– not human power,
God’s power – not human power.
And now Peter is promising this crowd that they too can receive God's power in their lives.
They are guilty of killing the Messiah,
but Peter promises that God will forgive them
and God will fill them with great power.
Now listen especially to this next verse. Peter goes on to say:
"For the promise is for you, and for your children,
and for all who are far away,
everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him" (Acts 2:38-39).
The promise that Peter made to this crowd
was a promise of forgiveness
was a promise of power
was a promise that they could have God's Holy Spirit living within them
those promises were for those people
for their children
and for "all who are far away."
Who are those people "who are far away"?
It is those people who are not a part of God’s Kingdom.
People who have not responded to God’s call on their lives.
They might be people living in our community…
They might be our neighbours or relatives,
There might be someone here today who are “far away” from the Kingdom of God,
Coming to church doesn’t put us into the Kingdom of God,
Any more than going to a garage doesn’t make us into a car.
Repentance is more than feeling guilty
it also requires making a commitment to turn around and to go in a new direction.
Have you done that?
If not, do so now.
Make a commitment to let God help you steer your life in a new direction.
The story of Pentecost is a story of blessings
forgiveness
Godly power
God's presence living within us
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It was Good News two thousand years ago, and it's Good News today.
God wants to bless each of us by giving us His Holy Spirit.
Amen!
Pentecost was a big deal in Jerusalem.
Jewish men were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times each year for important festivals.
and Pentecost was one of the three festivals.
Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles were the others.
• You know about Passover.
Passover celebrated the Exodus –– when God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
Jewish people have celebrating it ever since.
• Fifty days later, the Jewish people celebrated Pentecost –– the festival mentioned in our scripture today.
Pentecost was their summer harvest festival –– celebrating the wheat harvest.
• The third great festival was the Feast of Tabernacles.
That was their autumn harvest festival,
celebrating the harvest of grapes and olives.
When they went to Jerusalem they worshiped at the temple.
William Barclay says that as many as 180,000 pilgrims came to Jerusalem for each of these three annual festivals.
180,000 – that is a lot of people.
It is hard to imagine what that must have been like.
I don’t know how many were in Sydney for the Olympic Games,
But 180,000 in Jerusalem – must have been quite a squeeze.
Jerusalem was a city, but not a large city by our standards.
Even today, I wouldn’t think that many cities could accommodate 180,000 visitors.
I don't know how they fitted in Jerusalem.
They must have really crammed in.
During these festivals, the streets of Jerusalem would have been crowded.
People would have been shoulder-to-shoulder.
Part of the time they worshiped in the temple.
Part of the time they celebrated.
Part of the time they linked up with old friends.
And part of the time they would have been looking for something to eat.
In the midst of all that activity, God shook things up.
Here's what the Bible says:
Jesus' disciples "were all together in one place.
And suddenly from heaven there came a sound
like the rush of a violent wind,
and it filled the entire house where (the disciples) were sitting.
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
and a tongue rested on each of (the disciples).
All of (the disciples) were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other languages,
as the Spirit gave them ability" (vv. 1-4).
The sound of a violent wind!
Tongues of fire!
People speaking in foreign languages!
That got everyone's attention.
And people's lives were changed!
That's what it was like at the first Christian Pentecost.
The disciples, who went into hiding after the crucifixion, came out into the open.
Then the heavens roared!
Fire burned!
The Spirit of God filled!
The disciples preached!
The crowds wondered!
It was a marvelous happening!
And the people's lives were changed!
That was the point of it!
The crowd heard the roaring wind!
They saw the burning fire!
They heard the disciples speaking in all sorts of foreign languages!
They wondered what was going on,
so they gathered around to see what would happen.
They wanted to make some sense of it, so they listened.
When the crowd heard Jesus' disciples talking in many foreign languages.
They people were amazed,
because the disciples were Galileans –– country folk.
Where did they learn all those languages?
Galileans spoke their own language with a country accent,
but these Galileans spoke foreign languages fluently.
The pilgrims in Jerusalem had come from many nations.
"Amazed and astonished, they asked, 'Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our native language?"
Then Luke, the author of the book of Acts, lists some of the languages.
Parthians heard the disciples in their Parthian language.
Medes heard in their language.
Elamites heard in their language.
Luke lists at least thirteen different countries,
and the people from each country heard in their own language what Jesus' disciples had to say.
How did the disciples do that?
How did they manage to speak in languages that they did not know?
The Book of Acts is clear about that.
God's Holy Spirit made it possible.
Luke, who wrote this book, says, "All of (Jesus' disciples) were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, AS THE SPIRIT GAVE THEM ABILITY."
We must ask why the Holy Spirit –– God's Spirit –– would make such a dramatic appearance at Pentecost.
Why the sound of a violent wind?
Why the tongues of fire dancing on the shoulders of Jesus' disciples?
Why the miracle of speaking in tongues?
Those three miracles had three purposes:
• The FIRST purpose was to get people's attention.
Jerusalem streets were crowded, but the people were focused on a thousand things.
They were trying to go somewhere –– or buy something –– or get to the temple –– or find food.
If they were to hear the Gospel message,
God had to get their attention.
And so God's Holy Spirit created a great roaring sound,
like the winds of a hurricane.
And God's Holy Spirit created tongues of fire and placed them on the disciples who,
like the burning bush that Moses had seen,
were not consumed by the flames.
And God's Holy Spirit gave those disciples the ability to speak in languages they had never learned.
How is God going to get people’s attention today?
The respected CS Lewis says that one way is through suffering.
It is not necessarily the evil and inconvenience we make it out to be.
(read CS Lewis “megaphone to a deaf world”)
• The SECOND purpose of these miracles was to validate the disciples to the crowd.
The disciples were, after all, Galileans –– country bumpkins
–– good for a laugh, perhaps,
but nobody to take seriously.
If God wanted the crowds to listen to these Galileans,
he had to put his stamp of approval on them.
The wind, fire and inspired speech were God's stamp of approval
–– signs that these Galileans were God's agents.
We are careful who we listen to,
but we would listen if we saw these kinds of miracles.
So the second purpose of these miracles was to validate these disciples to the crowd.
• The THIRD purpose of these miracles was to make it possible for the crowd to hear about Jesus,
and the salvation that he had come to bring.
Peter was getting ready to deliver the greatest sermon of his life.
He was going to tell the crowd that they had killed the Messiah
–– but that they could be forgiven if they would repent and be baptized.
Our lectionary reading stops just as Peter is getting started with his sermon,
we need to look ahead to see what happens:
• Peter told the crowd about Jesus.
• He told them that God had given Jesus power to work miracles
and he reminded them that they had seen these miracles.
They had seen Jesus heal people.
• Peter then accused the crowd of killing Jesus the Messiah,
but that it was God's plan that Jesus would die.
• Peter told the crowd about Jesus' resurrection –– his victory over death.
He told them that the disciples had all seen the risen Christ.
The resurrection was no figment of anyone's imagination.
When the people realized what they had done
that they had killed the Messiah
The Scriptures tell us "they were cut to the heart”
They said to Peter and to the other apostles,
'Brothers, what should we do?'" Peter answered:
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ
so that your sins may be forgiven;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Listen to that!
Peter tells all those there what they must do to be right with God.
They must repent.
That means they must turn from sin,
Change the direction of their lives,
From selfishness and rebellion against God’s laws.
At the same time they must turn TO CHRIST,
Depending on Him for forgiveness, mercy, guidance and purpose.
We cannot save ourselves – only God can save us.
Peter promises forgiveness, AND the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The disciples at Pentecost are working by the power of God's Holy Spirit –– not human power,
God’s power – not human power.
And now Peter is promising this crowd that they too can receive God's power in their lives.
They are guilty of killing the Messiah,
but Peter promises that God will forgive them
and God will fill them with great power.
Now listen especially to this next verse. Peter goes on to say:
"For the promise is for you, and for your children,
and for all who are far away,
everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him" (Acts 2:38-39).
The promise that Peter made to this crowd
was a promise of forgiveness
was a promise of power
was a promise that they could have God's Holy Spirit living within them
those promises were for those people
for their children
and for "all who are far away."
Who are those people "who are far away"?
It is those people who are not a part of God’s Kingdom.
People who have not responded to God’s call on their lives.
They might be people living in our community…
They might be our neighbours or relatives,
There might be someone here today who are “far away” from the Kingdom of God,
Coming to church doesn’t put us into the Kingdom of God,
Any more than going to a garage doesn’t make us into a car.
Repentance is more than feeling guilty
it also requires making a commitment to turn around and to go in a new direction.
Have you done that?
If not, do so now.
Make a commitment to let God help you steer your life in a new direction.
The story of Pentecost is a story of blessings
forgiveness
Godly power
God's presence living within us
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It was Good News two thousand years ago, and it's Good News today.
God wants to bless each of us by giving us His Holy Spirit.
Amen!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
For Australia.
Proverbs 14:34
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people"
I cannot help but think of the disgrace that our present Prime Minister is bringing upon us with her outspoken atheistic stance and living in a fornicating relationship in The Lodge.
Pray for her, and spare a thought for her disappointed parents.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people"
I cannot help but think of the disgrace that our present Prime Minister is bringing upon us with her outspoken atheistic stance and living in a fornicating relationship in The Lodge.
Pray for her, and spare a thought for her disappointed parents.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A Prophesy.
Acts 7:51-52
51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—
What a terrible description of people who thought they were the "people of God"
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—
What a terrible description of people who thought they were the "people of God"
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Telling The Children.
Psalm 71:18 "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come"
When we were down minding our grandsons a couple of weeks ago at bedtime they asked me to speak to them before they went to sleep...."What do you want me to say...What does Daddy speak to you about" I asked.
"Daddy tells us about the power of God"
I then told them about one of the healing miracles.
I thought then, how appropriate it is to speak about the power of God to the children and this verse confirms it as a strategy - declaring "God's mighty power to the next generation".
Well done Son In Law!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
When we were down minding our grandsons a couple of weeks ago at bedtime they asked me to speak to them before they went to sleep...."What do you want me to say...What does Daddy speak to you about" I asked.
"Daddy tells us about the power of God"
I then told them about one of the healing miracles.
I thought then, how appropriate it is to speak about the power of God to the children and this verse confirms it as a strategy - declaring "God's mighty power to the next generation".
Well done Son In Law!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Priorities!
In the Acts of the Apostles the disciples are becoming overwhelmed with the work to be undertaken and some jobs don't get done satisfactorily.
There are complaints (that is not surprising is it?)
The 12 apostles gather all the disciples together and say....
".....It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables...." (Acts 6:2)
They then appoint other Godly men to distribute the food.
I can imagine the flak that the apostles received over that!
It is after that freeing up of the apostles, to focus on preaching that we read these words,
"The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7)
It shows us how important it is to have our priorities set correctly.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
There are complaints (that is not surprising is it?)
The 12 apostles gather all the disciples together and say....
".....It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables...." (Acts 6:2)
They then appoint other Godly men to distribute the food.
I can imagine the flak that the apostles received over that!
It is after that freeing up of the apostles, to focus on preaching that we read these words,
"The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7)
It shows us how important it is to have our priorities set correctly.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
A Little Perspective!
Ministry can be a real pain sometimes....because we have to deal with people who are loaded up with baggage.
In the Acts of the Apostles we see the disciples suffering.
In Chapter 5 we see that the Jewish religious were overcome with jealousy (5:17) towards Jesus' disciples and so they started having them put in prison.
They were brought before the religious council and ended up being flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus again!
Their reaction? See verse 41.
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name"
I pray that I might become that "grace full"
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
In the Acts of the Apostles we see the disciples suffering.
In Chapter 5 we see that the Jewish religious were overcome with jealousy (5:17) towards Jesus' disciples and so they started having them put in prison.
They were brought before the religious council and ended up being flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus again!
Their reaction? See verse 41.
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name"
I pray that I might become that "grace full"
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Powerful, Profound And With Enormous Implications!
This reading was the New Testament portion of my 365 Day Bible this morning.
I have read it before....but today it struck me as the most powerful, most profound piece of Scripture that I have ever read - in terms of history, in terms of faith.
Could I encourage you to read it for yourself to see if it effects you, as it has done me!
I think, that it can do nothing else, but to change our lives.
Acts 4:1-22
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, s“By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus1 is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.2 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them jto speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, k“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what mwe have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.
Amazing isn't it? Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
I have read it before....but today it struck me as the most powerful, most profound piece of Scripture that I have ever read - in terms of history, in terms of faith.
Could I encourage you to read it for yourself to see if it effects you, as it has done me!
I think, that it can do nothing else, but to change our lives.
Acts 4:1-22
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, s“By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus1 is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.2 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them jto speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, k“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what mwe have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.
Amazing isn't it? Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sermon: Sunday, 5th June, 2011 8am John 17:1-11
Sermon: Sunday, 5th June, 2011 8am John 17:1-11
When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he said:
"And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one." (John 17:11)
Jesus was leaving the world, but the disciples were staying.
When Jesus used that phrase, the world, he was talking about a strange and alien place––
a place where the Evil One has great power––
a place where Jesus' disciples would face hostility and persecution.
Jesus prayed that God would protect the disciples,
who were staying in the world that he was leaving.
Of course, Jesus was not abandoning his disciples.
He had promised them that the Holy Spirit would come to strengthen them––
to guide them––
to comfort them––
to empower them.
Nevertheless, Jesus was uneasy about the prospect of leaving his disciples in such an alien world.
We can understand why Jesus was troubled.
We live in "the world," a place that is our home and, at the same time, a strange and alien place.
The world is a place where we have families and friends, but it is also a place where terrible things happen.
You have only to watch the news to see how terrible the world can be.
The news tells us of places like Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Egypt, the Holy Land, Pakistan,
cauldrons where trouble seems always to be brewing.
These places seem remote––
another part of the world––
a long way away,
but they also seem too near.
They affect us.
We ask ourselves,
Where can we go to be beyond the reach of evil?
Where can we raise our children and grandchildren so that evil might not touch them?
There is no answer to that question, because there is no safe place.
No safe physical place,
But perhaps there is a safe place.
Jesus prayed that God would protect his disciples.
Perhaps the safe place is in the Father's arms.
Perhaps, even in the most unsafe place,
we can be safe if we are with the Father.
Jesus prays, "Holy Father, protect them in the name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one."
We can affirm that.
We want God's protection.
We want God to protect us,
and we want God to protect those whom we love.
But the world is still not an entirely safe place.
Christians still suffer.
Christians still die.
In many parts of this world, Christians are singled out because they are Christians.
Just as the Evil One singled out Job because he was a righteous man,
so the Evil One singles out righteous men and women today.
Just as Job, a righteous man, suffered great loss because of the Evil One, so also righteous men and women today suffer great loss because of the Evil One.
Prayer Diary for “Open Doors” – it would break your heart.
Next month, we are having a speaker from “Open Doors” – she will tell us what is going on around the world,
It is not as easy as we have it here.
Jesus never promised his disciples an easy life.
He promised them a cross.
We live in a “Fool’s Paradise” – although I suspect – not for long.
Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
Jesus calls on us to leave our present life and follow Him,
We need to do that – whether we are 8, 18 or 80.
It involves turning back to God – asking for forgiveness,
And living for God – really living for God,
Not just saying we do, not just coming along to church week by week,
But taking up our cross,
Having a faith that costs us something – standing for something.
God promises to protect us,
How does He do that?
What does God's protection mean for us today?
Protection is for those who have taken up their cross,
Whose faith IS costing them something,
For those who are not just on a religious carasel.
Perhaps there is a clue in another of Jesus' sayings.
He said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
Perhaps it means that God protects us at the core of our being!
Perhaps it means that, while God allows the Evil One to assault us,
God protects us from soul-killing blows!
In this same prayer, Jesus talks about eternal life.
He says, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
When Jesus talks about eternal life, he means something entirely different than we usually mean.
Eternal, for us, means forever.
Eternal life means living forever.
We know that we will die,
so eternal life cannot mean life forever as we know it.
There is a time for living, and there is a time for dying.
There is a time for going to the Father.
Jesus says, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Jesus says that eternal life is not about how long we live,
but is a relationship with God.
That relationship does not start when we get to heaven.
It has already begun for us.
It began for us when we became Christians.
Can you identify the time when you became a follower of Jesus?
That is when we started enjoying this eternal life––
this relationship to God?
Mine started on about the 17th March in 1966 – after the Easter preaching had left a profound impact on me.
What happened to me is what the Jewish people called shalom.
Eternal life as Jesus understood it is living at peace with God with oneself and with one's neighbor,
it is rooted solidly in a relationship with God.
It is that shalom––
that eternal life––
that peace at the very core of our being––
that God protects.
The Evil One cannot get in there.
In Jesus' prayer, he talked about giving eternal life to all those whom God had given him.
Then he said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
For Jesus, eternal life did not mean life without death.
It meant life with God.
Eternal life did not begin in the far distant future.
It begins in the here and now as we come to know God and to walk with him day by day.
In Jesus' prayer, he talked about the little band of disciples whom God had given him.
He said, "I have been glorified in them."
That was an astonishing statement, given the poor quality of Jesus' little band of disciples.
But Jesus had seen what would come.
He had seen that, after his resurrection, the disciples would catch fire.
In Jesus' prayer, he prayed for the disciples.
"They are in the world," he said.
By that, he meant that the disciples were in a strange and alien place––
a world that did not recognize spiritual values––
a world in which people ignored God and went their own way––
a dangerous world––a disturbed world.
He prayed that God would protect his disciples "so that they may be one."
Later in the prayer he revealed why he was so concerned that the disciples might have unity with one another.
He prayed that they might be one "so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (v. 21)
This is relevant for many churches – what do you have?
People snarling at each other,
Snapping at each other,
Snipping at each other.
Jesus prayed for unity among his disciples,
We are in desperate need for that.
It is the only way that the “world” ( and here in Waverley),
Will come to believe in Christ – or ever join our church.
My prayer for you today is that if you haven’t done it yet – to turn your life over to God – accept the salvation that Christ came to bring you,
My prayer for you today is that you might enjoy eternal life.
My prayer for you is that you will be so steeped in your relationship with your heavenly Father that the Father might guide and guard you through each step of your life.
My prayer is that we might walk so closely with the Father that the Father might be glorified through our lives.
My prayer is that, through our witness, the world may believe in the Son, whom the Father has sent to give new life to our broken world.
Amen.
When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he said:
"And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one." (John 17:11)
Jesus was leaving the world, but the disciples were staying.
When Jesus used that phrase, the world, he was talking about a strange and alien place––
a place where the Evil One has great power––
a place where Jesus' disciples would face hostility and persecution.
Jesus prayed that God would protect the disciples,
who were staying in the world that he was leaving.
Of course, Jesus was not abandoning his disciples.
He had promised them that the Holy Spirit would come to strengthen them––
to guide them––
to comfort them––
to empower them.
Nevertheless, Jesus was uneasy about the prospect of leaving his disciples in such an alien world.
We can understand why Jesus was troubled.
We live in "the world," a place that is our home and, at the same time, a strange and alien place.
The world is a place where we have families and friends, but it is also a place where terrible things happen.
You have only to watch the news to see how terrible the world can be.
The news tells us of places like Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Egypt, the Holy Land, Pakistan,
cauldrons where trouble seems always to be brewing.
These places seem remote––
another part of the world––
a long way away,
but they also seem too near.
They affect us.
We ask ourselves,
Where can we go to be beyond the reach of evil?
Where can we raise our children and grandchildren so that evil might not touch them?
There is no answer to that question, because there is no safe place.
No safe physical place,
But perhaps there is a safe place.
Jesus prayed that God would protect his disciples.
Perhaps the safe place is in the Father's arms.
Perhaps, even in the most unsafe place,
we can be safe if we are with the Father.
Jesus prays, "Holy Father, protect them in the name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one."
We can affirm that.
We want God's protection.
We want God to protect us,
and we want God to protect those whom we love.
But the world is still not an entirely safe place.
Christians still suffer.
Christians still die.
In many parts of this world, Christians are singled out because they are Christians.
Just as the Evil One singled out Job because he was a righteous man,
so the Evil One singles out righteous men and women today.
Just as Job, a righteous man, suffered great loss because of the Evil One, so also righteous men and women today suffer great loss because of the Evil One.
Prayer Diary for “Open Doors” – it would break your heart.
Next month, we are having a speaker from “Open Doors” – she will tell us what is going on around the world,
It is not as easy as we have it here.
Jesus never promised his disciples an easy life.
He promised them a cross.
We live in a “Fool’s Paradise” – although I suspect – not for long.
Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
Jesus calls on us to leave our present life and follow Him,
We need to do that – whether we are 8, 18 or 80.
It involves turning back to God – asking for forgiveness,
And living for God – really living for God,
Not just saying we do, not just coming along to church week by week,
But taking up our cross,
Having a faith that costs us something – standing for something.
God promises to protect us,
How does He do that?
What does God's protection mean for us today?
Protection is for those who have taken up their cross,
Whose faith IS costing them something,
For those who are not just on a religious carasel.
Perhaps there is a clue in another of Jesus' sayings.
He said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
Perhaps it means that God protects us at the core of our being!
Perhaps it means that, while God allows the Evil One to assault us,
God protects us from soul-killing blows!
In this same prayer, Jesus talks about eternal life.
He says, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
When Jesus talks about eternal life, he means something entirely different than we usually mean.
Eternal, for us, means forever.
Eternal life means living forever.
We know that we will die,
so eternal life cannot mean life forever as we know it.
There is a time for living, and there is a time for dying.
There is a time for going to the Father.
Jesus says, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Jesus says that eternal life is not about how long we live,
but is a relationship with God.
That relationship does not start when we get to heaven.
It has already begun for us.
It began for us when we became Christians.
Can you identify the time when you became a follower of Jesus?
That is when we started enjoying this eternal life––
this relationship to God?
Mine started on about the 17th March in 1966 – after the Easter preaching had left a profound impact on me.
What happened to me is what the Jewish people called shalom.
Eternal life as Jesus understood it is living at peace with God with oneself and with one's neighbor,
it is rooted solidly in a relationship with God.
It is that shalom––
that eternal life––
that peace at the very core of our being––
that God protects.
The Evil One cannot get in there.
In Jesus' prayer, he talked about giving eternal life to all those whom God had given him.
Then he said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
For Jesus, eternal life did not mean life without death.
It meant life with God.
Eternal life did not begin in the far distant future.
It begins in the here and now as we come to know God and to walk with him day by day.
In Jesus' prayer, he talked about the little band of disciples whom God had given him.
He said, "I have been glorified in them."
That was an astonishing statement, given the poor quality of Jesus' little band of disciples.
But Jesus had seen what would come.
He had seen that, after his resurrection, the disciples would catch fire.
In Jesus' prayer, he prayed for the disciples.
"They are in the world," he said.
By that, he meant that the disciples were in a strange and alien place––
a world that did not recognize spiritual values––
a world in which people ignored God and went their own way––
a dangerous world––a disturbed world.
He prayed that God would protect his disciples "so that they may be one."
Later in the prayer he revealed why he was so concerned that the disciples might have unity with one another.
He prayed that they might be one "so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (v. 21)
This is relevant for many churches – what do you have?
People snarling at each other,
Snapping at each other,
Snipping at each other.
Jesus prayed for unity among his disciples,
We are in desperate need for that.
It is the only way that the “world” ( and here in Waverley),
Will come to believe in Christ – or ever join our church.
My prayer for you today is that if you haven’t done it yet – to turn your life over to God – accept the salvation that Christ came to bring you,
My prayer for you today is that you might enjoy eternal life.
My prayer for you is that you will be so steeped in your relationship with your heavenly Father that the Father might guide and guard you through each step of your life.
My prayer is that we might walk so closely with the Father that the Father might be glorified through our lives.
My prayer is that, through our witness, the world may believe in the Son, whom the Father has sent to give new life to our broken world.
Amen.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
All Is Not What It Appears.
Proverbs 14:12
"There is a way that seems right to a man, (and a woman) but in the end it leads to death."
We might choose a course of action that seems just terrific for us......
......but in the end we have to work out if it seems right to God, otherwise it might lead absolutely nowhere.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, (and a woman) but in the end it leads to death."
We might choose a course of action that seems just terrific for us......
......but in the end we have to work out if it seems right to God, otherwise it might lead absolutely nowhere.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves!
I was asked on Sunday if and where that is in the Bible.
What do you think? Does God help those who help themselves? Does that sound right to you?
As far as I am aware, that is not a Biblical idea.
To me it seems as though it runs against the message of the Scriptures.
If the logic is followed through, does it mean that we can gain our own salvation?
Does God only help us when we commence on a project?
The message of the Scriptures seems to be that God wants us to rely on Him - to ask Him to intervene in our lives.
The complaint against the Hebrews was that they wanted to live independent of God - bad move.
There might be many different opinions on this, but discovering what the Bible says is a good and necessary start.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
What do you think? Does God help those who help themselves? Does that sound right to you?
As far as I am aware, that is not a Biblical idea.
To me it seems as though it runs against the message of the Scriptures.
If the logic is followed through, does it mean that we can gain our own salvation?
Does God only help us when we commence on a project?
The message of the Scriptures seems to be that God wants us to rely on Him - to ask Him to intervene in our lives.
The complaint against the Hebrews was that they wanted to live independent of God - bad move.
There might be many different opinions on this, but discovering what the Bible says is a good and necessary start.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, June 3, 2011
God Gives A New Start!
Psalm 51 records King David's repentance for committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband. David is devastated by his sin - after being confronted by Nathan the prophet.
In spite of all that David keeps hold of God and refuses to let go. Others through sheer guilt, shame and stubbornness might have well turned their back on God forever.
But not David. This is what made him "a man after God's heart".
Perhaps you have been surprised and shocked by your own temptations and sin.
What we need to remember is that God can and will forgive us - just as He forgave David.
What we need to do is confess our sin to Him and repent, and He will give us a new start.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
In spite of all that David keeps hold of God and refuses to let go. Others through sheer guilt, shame and stubbornness might have well turned their back on God forever.
But not David. This is what made him "a man after God's heart".
Perhaps you have been surprised and shocked by your own temptations and sin.
What we need to remember is that God can and will forgive us - just as He forgave David.
What we need to do is confess our sin to Him and repent, and He will give us a new start.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A Very Big "Must" For Us All.
Jesus is being asked, "Who is going to betray you?"
Jesus says to Peter, "What is that to you?"
"You must follow me." (John 21:22)
That is the bottom line for all of us....
We MUST follow Jesus....be reading his Word....be listening to sermons....be attending Bible Study....be involving ourselves in the fellowship of the church.
That is a "must".
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Jesus says to Peter, "What is that to you?"
"You must follow me." (John 21:22)
That is the bottom line for all of us....
We MUST follow Jesus....be reading his Word....be listening to sermons....be attending Bible Study....be involving ourselves in the fellowship of the church.
That is a "must".
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Reason For Everything.
Today, my reading finished with the last verse from John chapter 20 (verse 31)
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
As I see it, we have here the reason for God choosing to have His Word recorded in written form....
...so that all may have the opportunity to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
As a consequence of that belief, we will have life - described elsewhere as "life to the full" or "life, full and running over" or "abundant life"
This puts us all on equal footing when we come eyeball to eyeball with God - we have the objective word of God.
Two things are necessary: people need to be able to read, and secondly, people need to have the Scriptures in their own language.
Praise God, there are mission groups out there doing both of those things.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
As I see it, we have here the reason for God choosing to have His Word recorded in written form....
...so that all may have the opportunity to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
As a consequence of that belief, we will have life - described elsewhere as "life to the full" or "life, full and running over" or "abundant life"
This puts us all on equal footing when we come eyeball to eyeball with God - we have the objective word of God.
Two things are necessary: people need to be able to read, and secondly, people need to have the Scriptures in their own language.
Praise God, there are mission groups out there doing both of those things.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
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