In sending His disciples out on mission, He took time to prepare the 12 for what they would face in terms of rejection and hatred of the world, but He also took time to make sure His disciples knew of the consequences of their mission. In Matthew 10:34-42, Jesus told them that they would have to know that families would be divided over the gospel, also that their loyalty to Him would have to be greater than that of their families, and even though they would suffer privations in His service, there would be much reward awaiting them.
Author: Philip
Creation Ministries International public meeting…
Hot off the press!
We are excited to announce a public meeting featuring Creation Ministries International speaker, Mark Emerson.
(Click on Mark’s name to read his bio.)
Date: Friday March 13th
Venue: St John’s Presbyterian Church, Forest Street, Bendigo
Time: 7:30pm
CMI materials available to purchase after the meeting. Watch for updates and latest news on this..
‘Sent out to serve the King (part 4)’ (Matthew 10:29-33)
When Jesus sent out the 12 on mission, he wanted them to face up to reality – on the one hand they would know the hatred and rejection of the world, but on the other hand, they also needed to know some unseen realities working in their favour. Matthew 10:29-33 speaks of these realities. One was the Father’s care for them – something far greater than they would ever realise – and another was the eternal benefits of being faithful and loyal to Jesus in the present, no matter what the cost or danger.
‘Sent out to serve the King (part 3)’ (Matthew 10:24-28)
In sending out the 12 disciples on mission, Matthew 10:24-38 records some more of the instructions Jesus gave to his men. While they had grand but false expectations of all going well and them receiving a ‘right royal’ reception, Jesus sought to put reality in place for them. They would not rise higher in status than He, their Teacher and Master, yet, in turn, they should not fear man and what man could do top them, but live with a greater and deeper fear of God.
Join us as we pray…!
These are desperate times and the best approach is always to go to God.
Our PCV Moderator, Elder Colin Morrow, has shared the following with the people our denomination throughout our ravaged State;
It’s time now for the whole of the Presbyterian Church to turn to our Lord and King in prayer. Plead with Him to end this fire storm that grips our nation. Like the disciples in the boat in Matthew 8, we now plead with our Lord to save us, save this nation, from this storm that doesn’t threaten to sink the boat with water but rather burns and causes continued destruction and loss of life as fires rage. Our prayer, unlike the pleading of the disciples in the boat, is not lacking in faith as we know that He has all authority in heaven and on earth.
He has also invited us all to join him in this prayer;
Lord God, we turn to You in our hour of need. Please end these fires. Bring to an end this time of emergency. Protect those fighting fires. Protect and provide for those who have either lost loved ones or have lost all their mortal possessions or are threatened with the loss of them. Lord, may it be that out of this time Your church will rise up to help those in need and may Your Spirit go before us as we would share of the eternal hope found in You. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
We’ll be praying too on Sunday morning January 5 at 10:30am, humbling ourselves before Almighty God and pleading for His protection upon locals, tourists, fire fighters, emergency service workers, communities and everyday people affected by the bushfires. Come and join us as we do that together.
Difficult times? Time to learn lessons and trust in God again.
Well, 2020 has arrived…with more of a ‘blaze’ than a ‘bang’. There’s no question that these last few days have been more than difficult for many people in too many parts of Victoria and NSW.
If it is true as C.S. Lewis once wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world”, then the events of these last few days must surely tell us something.
The following article found on the ‘Australian Presbyterian’ website, written by our Moderator General, Rev Dr Peter Barnes, is well worth a look, even if it is a ‘little’ (just 6 weeks) out of date.
May it lead you to the only One in whom we can put our hope…
‘Sent out to serve the King (part 2)’ (Matthew 10:16-23)
When Jesus sent out the twelve on mission in Matthew 10:16-23, it was like he was sending them out to war – not that they were going out to kill, maim or fight – but that he sent them into enemy territory and needed to prepars them for what they would face. Rejection. Persecution. Death. The text is a wake up call to God’s people today… reminding us that the world’s hatred of the gospel and the Saviour will be passed down to us.
‘The best of times…. the worst of times’ (Isaiah 9:1-7)
There’s so much in the Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, and the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-7 is a great place to look. The text not only tells us about Jesus’ first coming as a baby, but also points toward His eternal rule as King, ultimately found in His second coming as Lord. Best of all the text relates so well to this crazy, best of times/worst of times world…!
Making Christmas make sense
It might surprise you to read that Christmas is not about the nonsensical items of snowmen, reindeer or the North Pole. Have you noticed that it’s summer here? Besides, Christmas isn’t about the weather, either – cold or hot. It’s about Jesus, sent by God to be the Saviour of His people.
The Bible says in Hebrews 1:1-2 that, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son”. When God spoke through the prophets, he often gave them a glimpse of something that would happen in the future. So, the prophet Isaiah foretold that ‘the virgin shall conceive and bear a son”. Seeing that God knew exactly what he was doing, Matthew 1:21 tells how this was fulfilled in the birth of the One they would call Jesus. Of Him it was said ‘for He will save His people from their sins’.
If the Old Testament prophets looked forward toward the day of His birth and if the New Testament writers recorded the fact of His birth, then it must be that Jesus is the centre of everything that God has said and done – and that must mean that Christmas is all about what God sent us in His Son, Jesus.
No wonder the angels sang at His birth. No wonder they spoke of ‘good tidings of great joy’ for ‘all people’. It’s little wonder then too that Jesus is still the reason for the Christmas season. And why is that? Because He is still doing what God sent him to do – saving God’s people.
Do you know the One who makes Christmas make sense? He saves. Seek Him now.
‘Joy to the world (and to you)’ (Psalm 98:1-9)
The Christmas hymn ‘Joy to the world’ is well known and loved. But did you know that it comes from Isaac Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 98? Maybe you wouldn’t think that a Psalm like Psalm 98 has much to do with Christmas? Watts certainly thought so. In fact he saw in it much more than Jesus’ first coming (as a baby), but also his second coming (as King).