You Can Get Out of The Grave
How would life be different if we knew that we could get out of the grave? Think of that…. that following our present life and death, that we could be raised to life again, with our recognisable body, yet transformed with strength and made glorious beyond our dreams, never to sicken or die, but to […]
A Matter of Death, and Life
We can’t have life without death. Obvious, I know! From one point of view, we would consider this a great curse (which it is – Gen 3:19), but, from another point of view, it is a great mercy; the fact that we die confronts us with our sin (Ro 6:23), which is because we have […]
Salvation = Humility
The Bible says, “blessed are the meek (or humble), for they shall in-herit the earth” (Mt 5:1-5). And, as Monty Python said, “Oh, that’s nice isn’t it? I’m glad they’re getting something, ‘cause [the meek] have had a hell of a time.”!! But no, blessing has never been the payment for being humble, like compensation […]
Hating Grace
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result works, so that no one may boast. [Eph 2:8,9] In this famous verse, St Paul succinctly states the Christian Gospel: we are saved from sin and death, and saved into […]
Losing Your Salvation
Is it possible to lose your salvation?… Some say yes, some say no. If yes, it’s a scary prospect! As well as having eternal ramifications, it’s also an intensely practical matter. Being assured that our lives are ultimately loved, judged as “ok”, approved and accepted by God, and eternally secure in that truth, affects our […]
Up Close and Personal
Psalm 19:1,4,8,11 “The heavens declare the glory of God;…. Their voice goes out into all the earth,….” “The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes…. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Every part of creation speaks of the glory of God. Like a work […]
Where it all begins
Jesus’ public ministry began with his baptism by John and confrontation with Satan in the wilderness. Unlike our own experience, his baptism could not deliver anything to Jesus that he did not already have. His baptism was for us. Jesus chose to be baptised in obedience to the Father’s command (Matthew 3:15). Humility. “In your […]
Lent. A message from the Elders
Lent is a time for spiritual examination. A time to seriously consider the integrity of our relationship with the Holy Father and to re-align ourselves with what God wants for us. It is also a time to reflect on the finished work of Jesus Christ – His eternal victory over sin and death (1 Peter […]
The Affair of the Sausages
The year is 1522 and the location is Zurich, Switzerland. A Pastor, Ulrich Zwingli, has contracted a printer, Christoph Froschauer, to publish a collection of his sermons on the epistles of St. Paul. Printing in the sixteenth century was an arduous affair and Froschauer had his workers busily engaged well beyond their normal working hours […]
Hearing God’s Word
I began my formal training to become a Minister of the Word at the beginning of year 2001. We became members of Hope Valley Uniting Church because we lived just down the road in Valley View. We joined a Bible Study group which kicked off with a study on the book of 2 Timothy, a […]