It was a beautiful day in Bendigo today for the extra (leap year) day and also the 2020 Scots Day in Rosalind Park.
It was great to be part of our Scots Day Out Team, handing out free biscuits and gospel leaflets, chatting to the many people who passed our tent, helping children to enjoy some colouring-in and generally raising the profile of the three Presbyterian churches in Bendigo. Bring on SDO 2021!
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, it was no small rural backwater but a bustling cosmopolitan city of about 650,000. Paul had brought the gospel to Corinth and the church had begun – by the grace of God – amidst much persecution. Nobody knew the church at Corinth better than Paul and in the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, it is evident that God was doing something among His people, the Church at Corinth, because He is a faithful God.
The well-known parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 is really about two sons. It is a parable about the love of God who welcomes sinners home but also a parable about repentance and those who think they need no repentance.
In Luke 15:1-10 we read how the Pharisees thought people were accepted by God and how they therefore found fault with the company Jesus kept. Jesus tells of the true way to be accepted by God and receives sinners. God values the lost, shows his love in the effort to find them and rejoices when they are found.
We read in Philippians 3:20 that followers of Jesus have their citizenship in heaven. On Australia Day, Rev Keith Bell preached on the implications of our dual citizenship.
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.