One needs to be careful when considering someone’s final words.  Reported final sayings are not always true.  Writer, Oscar Wilde, is supposed to have ended his life with the words, “Either the wallpaper goes or I do.”  I have it on good authority (Google!) that what he actually said was, “This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death!” It’s also helpful to remember that in their last moments people are not always the most lucid and in some instances a drug induced stupor may lead to words being said that are totally out of character.  We need to...

It’s difficult for us Aussies to imagine a society in which there are no unemployment benefits, and no pensions, and no child and family allowances.  In many countries today that is still the way it is.  In earlier generations few of these benefits were available.  There were times in the history of Western Society when the Christian church was the only charitable institution to take care of the poor and the needy. It is just as difficult for us today in this country to imagine a society without public schools, hospitals and aged care facilities.  In many countries today that is...

Believing is important.  Jesus made that quite clear to his disciple Thomas – the chap who missed Easter.  Thomas had problems accepting that Jesus was really alive.  He had said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and unless I can touch the spear wound in his side I will not believe.”  When Jesus next appeared Thomas was there too and Jesus invited him to put his finger in the nail scars and his hand in the spear wound.  Thomas had then expressed what he now believed with the words, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus responded by telling...

Some words from Psalm 139 have taken on more and more meaning for me over the years: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!”  I’ve occasionally joked that while I know I am fearfully and wonderfully made, at my stage of life the emphasis falls on the ‘fearfully’ rather than on the ‘wonderfully’.  I’m not too alarmed about that.  For one thing, I’m helping to keep my medical professionals employed!  More importantly, this ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ body rests in the hands of my loving heavenly Father. Recently something about the human body piqued my curiosity and made...

I don’t recall the precise details but I once read about a man who became a Christian while considering the concept of gratitude. The story went something like this.  After a significant crisis in the man’s life there was a remarkable turning point which was totally unexpected.  As a result this man was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude.  That, of course, is not unusual; however, as a convinced agnostic he then began to wonder why he should be feeling thankful.  It struck him that thankfulness really needs an object.  Gratitude makes little sense when there is no one to thank. ...

Back in the days when I worked in IT I had to produce a write-up on a new processing system.  With some satisfaction I handed the finished work to my supervisor.  Next morning the write up was back on my desk with the word KISS in big red letters on the front page.  No!  He was not giving my work an osculation (that’s a big word for a kiss!).  Nor was he promoting the then newly formed rock group with that name.  No!  He was telling me in no uncertain terms to “Keep It Simple, Stupid!” There’s a lovely story about...

Our time away has been wonderful. We were repeatedly reminded of the wonder of God's creative hand, and the magnificence of his imagination in it all. From the dry and sun burned lands to the rich and deep lush greens of the tropics and rain forests, it all spoke of the greatness of God. Then of course, while at times we grumbled against the insects - especially those that bit and caused us to scratch - yet the amazing variety of insects enthralled us. We were entertained from start to finish by a seemingly endless variety of birds with all their...

To tell you the truth, I had never really considered the place of Biblical Fasting. I suppose that I always thought it was an outdated practice - until I had to study for this sermon here in Matthew 6:16-18, where Jesus was rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocritical practise of fasting along with giving and prayer. The question is: "Is Biblical Fasting still applicable today?" Firstly, fasting is always connected with prayer. You can pray without fasting but you cannot fast without praying. It is a spiritual discipline of very earnest prayer which shuts out the earthly considerations. Secondly,...

Many years ago now, in a particularly rebellious mood, I stated to some people that democracy is not a Biblically ordained form of government. I remember some shocked looks and some indignant responses, but no one actually took up the challenge to check what the Bible really has to say’  about how nations ought to be governed, or what the relationship of the Christian ought to be to the state. In various quarters of the Christian Church, there is a view which says Christians must have nothing to do with the world. In its extreme forms you have people who set...

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is confronting the religious practices of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were using public prayers to make themselves look good in front of the people. They were using prayer to further their own glory! But is all about God! As Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your Name...” Jesus taught us that life is all about God and how He relates to us as Creator and Redeemer — we have been placed in this world to bring glory to God! But how many of us think in those terms? When you...

One of the really wonderful things about being a part of a congregation of like minded Christians is when it becomes known that a certain brother or sister in the Lord could do with some support there is always someone (usually many) who are ready to help. I love it when I hear a fellow member has reached out to someone else and done so without attracting attention to themselves. They saw something or heard something, and after confirming what they noticed, they quietly did something to help out and support one another. It is an immense encouragement to see the...

In our recent discussions about family worship, a practice came to mind which may benefit some again today. It certainly helped and benefitted many families previously. It was the practice of families worshipping together in the morning worship service, and while the children are young, the parents alternating going to worship in the evening service. The other parent would stay home to look after the very young. When the children are a little older and able to cope with later bedtimes, they were then given that special privilege and sign of them growing up, of also going along to the evening...

The desire session has expressed to the congregation to have children in church more than they are at present, has certainly created some good discussion among us. I call it good, because even though there may some disagreement about this desire, it has caused us to think about worship, families and leading little ones to the Lord. Of course, some things I have heard are not good, so let me challenge you to think this through a little more carefully. Session has not yet finalised its position on how to further the desire to extend and promote family worship, but one...

A memory from my days as a young adult sometimes pops into my mind.  Morning coffee time in the office where I was a ‘draftsman’ – and the discussion turned to religion – or more particularly, to Christianity.  Someone asked for a definition of a Christian.  The boss’ secretary replied, “I’m a Christian...!”  I don’t recall whether she saw my raised eyebrows but she continued in a rather indignant tone of voice, “Well, I was born in Australia and I’m not Jewish!”  Okay that was back in the 1960s – in pre-multicultural Oz – when such views were still very common. ...

No doubt you’re familiar with scenes of devastation from the Ukraine – and the sadness at the horrible loss of life in that conflict.  More recently we’ve witnessed shocking scenes from the Middle East – that horrendous terrorist attack on people in Israel who were quietly going about their everyday business.  Since then there’s been the terrible toll on civilians as Israel tries to eliminate the terrorist organisation, Hamas.  It makes us aware that our world has a great need for peacemakers. But peacemakers are not only needed on the international scene are they?  Our family was sitting down to dinner...

  The last of the eight Beatitudes, Jesus spoke in The Sermon on the Mount, seems the strangest.  Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”    So, what’s to like about persecution...? Think about it this way:  One Bible translation uses the word ‘happy’ instead of ‘blessed’.  Happy are the peacemakers...!  Happy are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake....!  I’m not convinced that ‘happy’ is a good translation, however, Jesus certainly singles out people in The Beatitudes who are to be envied... who are to be congratulated.  So does it make sense...

If you’ve been following my Blogs these last eight weeks, you’ll be aware that week after week we’ve considered various people whom Jesus pronounces to be “blessed”.  The problem is that in today’s society we’re likely to have a rather shallow understanding of what it is to be blessed. It may have happened to you – possibly more than once – that you sneezed in public – only to have someone react by saying, “Bless you...!”  Why do people say that?  (And some do it habitually.)  Well, it has a very long history that goes back to the time when The...

I suspect you won’t need convincing that – with few exceptions – anything that is pure is highly desirable.  The exception being, things like ‘pure evil’.  ‘Pure' means that something is unadulterated.  With regard to food it means nothing has been added to interfere with the quality of the product.  So you can buy pure honey and pure natural pot-set yoghurt – just two of the hundreds of products on supermarket shelves that have the word ‘pure’ on their labels. But ‘pure’ is not limited to groceries.  We stand on a mountain-top’, away from city smog and fumes and we delight...

From time to time one hears of rather callous acts of neglect - situations where the sufferings of fellow human-beings are simply ignored.  An attack of violence occurs in the inner suburbs of a large city.  Screams and shouts punctuate the night and people peer through their blinds and curtains but no one comes to help; no one wants to get involved.  A motor-cyclist, struck by a car, lies unconscious beside his bike on a busy highway.  Several cars speed by before one eventually stops – the others were too busy or perhaps expected foul play. Jesus once told a story...

The word ‘righteousness’ is not used much these days.  It has to do, of course, with what is right and good and true.  Righteousness....!  And Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” Someone suggested that if we take these words of Jesus and turn them around then we have a pretty fair description of the human race.  Not then a hungering and thirsting for righteousness but rather a strong desire for unrighteousness. A little reflection will make us aware that there’s a lot of truth in that.  Think of the many movies...