Ephesians 2:10 – THE AUSSIE BLOKES SHED

Ephesians 2:10 – THE AUSSIE BLOKES SHED

Old shed, still in use after all these years

At home, Jack was a hoarder and he loved his shed. Like the footy game and the meat pie with sauce, the AUSSIE BLOKES SHED has an important place in Australian culture. Someone said a man’s shed “stands as a symbol of the Aussie male′s ingenuity, a testimony to his ability to fix anything with a length of fencing wire, a hammer and a piece of 4″ x 2″”

It’s a place to wear old clothes and be yourself. There’s pride in the corrugated iron, the tools, the shelves overflowing with all kinds of imaginative, half-finished projects and interesting bits and pieces that might be used one day to fix something.

It’s really the LAST refuge in a world dominated by oestrogen. Every Aussie male dreams to own a shed. It’s part of who we are. It’s in our heritage left over from when we lived on the land.

Going into a man’s shed is a little like going into a time-warp for an era gone by. Jack’s shed is like this. It is well-organized to the discerning eye but has a chaotic charm to the uninitiated. It is for fixing things and for having fun and is definitely hands-on.

Someone described it as “The Institute for Backyard Studies” where you keep ancient treasures that have been passed down from generation to generation which tell a story of your birthright.

There’s something easy-going and undisturbed about a BLOKES SHED. It’s a place to just be. Someone said a blokes shed “… is almost a spiritual thing for some people. A place where you develop your own identity… a calm spot, isolated from the rest of the world.” A place to go to listen to the footy or the cricket or spend time with your son on bike projects and broken toys. My grandchildren think that Pa can fix anything.

I’m sure HEAVEN is a little like a blokes shed. It’s a place where you spend time with your heavenly Father working on new projects, a place of peace, a refuge where you feel complete. Jesus once said “I came that you might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). He could easily have been talking about a blokes shed.

Jesus speaks about a MANSION in heaven. I’m sure He’ll include a shed made of CORRUGATED GOLD out on the back lawn, because He said “I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-3 NIV).

The Bible says Heaven is offered as a free gift. A place to go to be with our heavenly father. “Absent from the Body and Face to face with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

A blokes shed is strewn with projects that didn’t quite get there. Ever had one of those shed projects where things just don’t go as you expected. And there’s nothing you can do to change it. I have. Some projects just don’t go right.

Life is a little like that. Not everything goes as expected. Jack didn’t get to know his dad because he died when he was young. He went through a WORLD WAR and the DEPRESSION. He knew some TOUGH TIMES when life didn’t work out as expected. He had his share of difficulties in his old age with his health. Life, like a man’s shed has the evidence of all kinds of memories and cluttered regrets of things that go wrong.

Our SPIRITUAL LIVES are also like a project that has gone wrong too. The Bible says we have all MISSED THE MARK. Romans 3:23 says “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” No one gets it right. The shed speaks of how we have chosen to do things our own way and our sins have caused a separation between us and our heavenly Father. Something inside us has died and lies broken on the floor, sins and regrets, guilt and unrealised dreams and it could have remained like a broken project if Jesus hadn’t stepped in. God the Father sent His Son to get things right again, to get the project back on track, to get things done, to fix it.

A blokes shed is where things get fixed. If my grandson asks me to fix something, I can come out of my shed within minutes with something that will get the job done. OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES ARE NO DIFFERENT. Jesus was a CARPENTER in the early days so I’m sure He had a SHED. The Bible speaks of Him building our lives on a FIRM FOUNDATION. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” He has the RIGHT TOOLS to get the job done. DIY. He Died In Your place, for your sins. He offers forgiveness to those who entrust their lives to Him.

As a Chaplain working in an overtly Christian organisation, I always encourage people to PUT THEIR FAITH in Jesus Christ personally. I shared this message with Jack once again as I prayed with Him for the last time before he died.

Jesus is the only One who can get the job done perfectly. He said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me”

I conducted Jack’s funeral. I will miss his quiet, reserved character. It was as if he invited us into the sanctity of his shed as we gathered in the Chapel where we celebrated His life. The blokes shed that day was cluttered with the collective memories of his life, ready to be used when needed in our own lives. His legacy remains like tools passed down to the next generation, ancient treasures, tested and true, from an Aussie blokes shed.

Pastor Ross

Matthew 7:15-20 – FERAL OR FRUITFUL?

Matthew 7:15-20 – FERAL OR FRUITFUL?

Feral or Fruitful?

A few days ago, I saw various bikie club members, police detectives, prosecutors, and victims of bikie gang crime interviewed on a TV programme called “INSIGHT”. Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, NSW Gangs Squad spoke about the FALSE FRONT of outlaw motorcycle gangs. He said “Look it’s a nice marketing ploy … as if they are a bunch of social club motor cycle riders who get together on weekends, ride around and contribute to charity. My experience as the head of the gang squad shows – that’s NOT the case.” He spoke of organised crime, arrests for serious assaults (and murder), thousands of charges laid, hundreds of firearms and a whole host of drugs from heroin to anabolic steroids seized recently.

Can a Church operate like a gang of thugs on the fringe of society? Are there Church business meetings that bring out the vicious and selfish nature of it’s members, the loudest autocratic voices being raised against eachother in disharmony, a pack mentality towards other Churches and sometimes their Pastor, members hoarding money and property as if it belonged to them individually, displays of unforgiveness, fault-finding, gossiping and negative attitudes? Not to mention condoning twisted sexual practises, pride and arrogance. Do leaders boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage? Do they divide others rather than unite? Jesus warns against false prophets in Matthew 7:16 NLT. He says “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from THORNBUSHES, or figs from THISTLES?”

INTRODUCED PESTS like CANE TOADS in Australia kill native animals with their deadly toxins. Recently scientists found that CANE TOAD tadpoles are attracted to venom collected from adult cane toads. They think it is a foodsource. They are destroyed by the very poison that they would have grown to produce. Jude 1:10-19 (NIV) says that FALSE TEACHERS “… speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals – these are the very things that destroy them. Woe to them! …”

Foxes, rabbits, camels, brumbys, feral goats, cats, pigs, donkeys, and water buffalo. Plague proportions, running wild, feral animals that cause tremendous damage and generally cost the Australian nation millions of dollars every year in eradication programmes that don’t work. Recently in NSW the Premier granted licenses to hunt feral animals in the National Parks. The only way to deal with feral animals is trap them, bait them, shoot them, and place bounties on them. 2 Peter 2:12 (NLT) describes false teachers as feral animals. “These false teachers are LIKE UNTHINKING ANIMALS, CREATURES OF INSTINCT, BORN TO BE CAUGHT AND DESTROYED.” These words are severe. He is saying they are LIKE animals, FERAL BUT NOT FRUITFUL, destructive to others and to themselves.

How do I recognise a false teacher? Luke 6:43-45 (NLT) “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree CAN’T PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT. A tree is IDENTIFIED BY ITS FRUIT. Figs never grow on THORNBUSHES, nor grapes on BRAMBLE BUSHES. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the TREASURY OF AN EVIL HEART. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Matthew 3:8 (NLT) says “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” That’s how I will know.

We were not created to be like FERAL ANIMALS, but like a FRUITFUL VINE. In John 15:4-5 (NLT) Jesus says “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.”

The invitation Christ gives to me today is to come under His authority and rulership over my life. He died for my sins and will enable my life to line up with God’s Word, to bear good fruit from the treasury of good heart, to love God and love others, to know Christ and make Him known, to make a difference for Him in my actions, words and fruitfulness. FERAL OR FRUITFUL?

Pastor Ross

Related articles

• Australian scientists use cane toads’ own poison against itself (telegraph.co.uk)
• Scientists use cane toads’ own toxin against them (smh.com.au)
• Matthew 7:15 – HOW TO KEEP THE WOLVES FROM YOUR DOOR (pastorross1.wordpress.com)
• Matthew 7:6 – “JESUS IS SO INSULTING?” (pastorross1.wordpress.com)
• Matthew 7:15 – HOW TO STOP OTHERS SHIPWRECKING YOUR LIFE! (pastorross1.wordpress.com)

Genesis 4 – Part 1 – THE ANGER GAME

Genesis 4 – Part 1 – THE ANGER GAME

Cain

I have never really had a problem with anger, but the closest I have come was in a classroom. Teaching in a highschool can be very stressful, and I had put some guys on detention and was supervising them. They had behaved badly in class but were equally disruptive in the detention room, swearing, acting tough and defying anything I said with a smart comment. It was a game and I fell for it hook, line and sinker, getting madder by the minute. The ANGER GAME is commonly played in a classroom and if you could give it a name it would be “MAKE ME!” or “I don’t care and there’s nothing you can do about it!” If they had been in the garden of Eden and told not to eat the fruit they would have said to God “You can’t make me do anything! I’ll do what I like and I don’t care what you think!” If they had a vehicle to drive it would have been a MOTORBIKE and they would have worn the Hell’s angels insignias on the back of their leathers. I almost lost it. I wanted to slap them around and I was yelling. Everyone of us is capable of murder. I didn’t want to kill them, just rough them up a little.

In Genesis 4 Cain kills his brother Abel. It didn’t take long for the first murder to happen, only one generation away from Adam and Eve.

It’s interesting that Cain and Abel bring an offering to the Lord. Why? God didn’t tell them to do it. There’s no law that says they must do it. They just did. Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s offering was not. Why was Cain’s offering unacceptable? Did he bring rotten fruit and veges in defiant rebellion against God rather than bringing the best of the crop? Or was this a sin offering where he needed animals for sacrifice? We are not told, but we are told that God considered that Cain had not done the right thing and his attitude was also out of line. Why did he come in the first place? It beats me! Why do some people come to Church when it is clear that their lives are up the creek and they don’t really have any relationship with God, nor desire one? I don’t know! To gain points with God? Maybe. Whatever reason Cain had, it didn’t go down well with God. Nobody can expect to come to God with their own agenda, their own works, efforts, fruits, ways, religion, or ritual. It doesn’t work that way. You have to come to God on His terms, not by trying to impress Him with our imperfect thoughts and ways.

It seems that God established something with Cain and Abel that’s important. He will never accept you apart from the shedding of blood. The blood of Christ Himself was shed so that you could be accepted by God, the perfect and only sacrifice necessary. You want to bring something to God? First go to the Cross and accept the sacrifice that was made for you. Then instead of bringing something, leave it at the Cross. Try to bring the fruit of your own good works and it won’t cut muster with God. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) says, “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

There are two verses thus far in Genesis where animals are sacrificed.

1. Animals were sacrificed to clothe Adam and Eve. After they had sinned by disobeying God, it seems God clothes them with animal skins. Even then their sins were paid for by the sacrifice of another.
2. In the second example, animal life is sacrificed as an act of worship.

The “Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary” says “The clearest explanation as to why Abel offered an animal sacrifice and was approved by God is that God did institute salvation by animal sacrifice with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were bound to have taught their sons to approach God through animal sacrifice. But only Abel approached God properly. Cain, as so many down through history, rebelled and did not.”

As a follower of Christ, I am accepted by God? My acceptance is based on what Christ has done for me, not on my own good works.

Pastor Ross

Job 34:12-23, – NAUGHTY AND NICE

Job 34:12-23,  – NAUGHTY AND NICE

 

Checking it twice!

“… He’s making a list, and checking it twice; gonna find out who’s NAUGHTY AND NICE. … He knows if you’ve been BAD OR GOOD, so be good for goodness sake!”

You better watch out! But I wouldn’t worry too much. Santa overlooks a lot of the naughty part anyway. Except of course in third world countries. No gifts. Must have been very naughty. Lots of pouting. Certainly crying. Perhaps “naughty” equates with poverty and “nice” with commercialism and money in our bank account. Doesn’t seem all that JUST. I once saw a cartoon of Santa in the manger adored by bankers and businessmen!

Some people see God like Santa… old, white beard, overlooking the naughty and rewarding the nice. Afterall Romans 3:23 and 6:23 says we have ALL been NAUGHTY but we all have the opportunity of receiving A GIFT from God. What we water down and call “naughty” God calls “sin”. He says “the wages of sin is DEATH, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).

In Job 34, Elihu is speaking to Job and his friends and he runs a short course in GOD’S CHARACTER 101. Among other things he says about God, he states “The Almighty will NOT TWIST JUSTICE” (Job 34:12). God is absolutely and TOTALLY FAIR. His character is JUST. 2 Chronicles 19:7 (NIV) says “… with the LORD our God there is NO INJUSTICE OR PARTIALITY OR BRIBERY.” Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT) says “… Everything He does is JUST AND FAIR.” Romans 2:11 (NLT) says “For God does NOT SHOW FAVOURITISM.” Santa + us may discriminate by overlooking sin for the sake of a bank balance and commercial enterprise, but not God. Rich or poor. Third world or Westerners. He is just and fair to everyone.

Since He claims to be fair, I ask God “Why do You allow people to starve in India and live in poverty in Cambodia?” But I am interrupted mid sentence by God who is asking me the very same question! He’s provided all the resources. Since you have more, give more. What am I doing about it? Am I NAUGHTY OR NICE? Nothing FAIR about starvation and poverty, especially if I’m part of the problem!

Ever since the garden of Eden we seem obsessed with thinking that this world would be a better place if we ate from the tree of the knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL rather than from the tree of LIFE. In a childish flashback we say “I’ve lived a pretty good life. No Santa, I haven’t been naughty” rather than with childlike faith say “How can I live LIFE to the full? Yes God, I want to have significance and purpose in my life?”

And what about when I enter into eternity? You’ve heard the question AD NAUSEUM “How could a loving God send people to hell?” My wife met some monks in Cambodia who had never heard about Christ. Do they go to hell? At this point Elihu jumps in and says “Could God govern if He hated justice? Are you going to condemn the Almighty Judge?” (Job 34:17 NLT). “We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment.” (Job 34:23 NLT). John 3:18 (NLT) says “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him (Christ). But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s One and Only Son.”

“But God, what if I’ve been more NICE than NAUGHTY and don’t think that I DESERVE to be judged? And what if I don’t want anything to do with Jesus?” Elihu says “Must God TAILOR HIS JUSTICE to your demands? But you have REJECTED Him! The CHOICE is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us. (Job 34:33 NLT).

Our wisdom – the Santa principle – NAUGHTY AND NICE, is tenuous at the least. Think about it. A person’s good is only RELATIVE to other people. What about God? Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and COME SHORT of the glory of God.” I don’t measure up to the PERFECT CHARACTER of God. Habakkuk 1:13 (NLT) declares of God “You are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.”

That’s where Christmas comes to the rescue. Enter Jesus. (Galatians 4:4). He lives a perfect life and dies upon a cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says “God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.” The righteousness of God goes WAY BEYOND “NICE”. Romans 3:24 (NLT) says “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that WE are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He FREED US from the penalty for our sins.”

Romans 3:22-26 (NLT) says it all. “This sacrifice (of Jesus) shows that God was being FAIR when He held back and did not punish those who sinned … God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is FAIR AND JUST, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight WHEN THEY BELIEVE IN JESUS.” Believing in Christ enables us to live LIFE TO THE FULL, beyond just keeping a set of rules of my own making and trying to keep God’s justice at bay. In Christ I can make a worthwhile difference way beyond nice.

The gift of eternal life has nothing to do with the SANTA TREADMILL of naughty or nice (Ephesians 2:8-9)! We do not work for it by not being naughty. We do not earn it or deserve it by being nice. It doesn’t need batteries to keep on keeping on and it makes an eternal difference starting from now. It is FREE to us but like most things which are free, someone pays for them. In this case, Jesus Christ has PAID THE PRICE. And He is the gift, the life. John 10:10 (NIV) says “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The invitation is to you. God bless you as you receive the gift of His life this Christmas.

Pastor Ross

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Job 31 – ROADWORTHY

Job 31 – ROADWORTHY

Roadworthy!

Apparently my car leaks oil. I am amazed how much it costs to get my car deemed as roadworthy for registration purposes. All kinds of tests are done. The mechanic goes through a CHECKLIST of safety, performance and reliability tests. I get new tyres, and I need the fan belt tightened. He checks the lights & battery, wipers, and I also have a service done on the car. In NSW, Australia, there are Pink Slips and Blue Slips and Safety inspections and insurances and all kinds of charges and fees required to test the integrity of my car. The checklist is endless. It seems appropriate that I also allow God to do some roadworthy tests on the integrity of my character and actions. Job goes through a ROADWORTHY CHECKLIST that confirms that he living as God intended in Job 31.

Law professor Stephen L. Carter writes that integrity requires three steps: “discerning what is right and what is wrong; acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost; and saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right from wrong” (Wikopedia).

Job produces a checklist of what it is like to live as God intends. It is NOT a checklist of my SUITABILITY for heaven (Only belief in Christ and what He has done for me on the Cross will get me to heaven), but it is a GUAGE for my character on earth.

1.    FAITHFULNESS TO MY MARRIAGE (Job 31:1-4, 9-12)

Is my conscience defiled and is God dishonoured by the way I look at and act toward a woman?

2.    HONESTY (Job 31:5)

How would I measure up on the honesty scale?

3.    HEALTHY ATTITUDES TOWARDS WEALTH AND POSSESSIONS (Job 31:7-8, 24-28, 38-40)

Do I have the right attitude to the resources that God has given to me?

4.    FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY (Job 31:13-15, 31)

Do I treat the maintenance man as equally as the manager?

5.    GENEROSITY AND HELP FOR THE HELPLESS. (Job 31:16-23)

Do I go out of my way to help the needy?

6.    WORSHIP (Job 31:26-28)

Am I willing to let God have only a part of my life or all of it?

7.    LOVING EVEN YOUR ENEMIES (Job 31:29-30)

Do I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me or simply want revenge?

8.    HOSPITALITY (Job 31:31-32)

Since my home is God’s property, will I use it as He desires?

9.    CONFESSION OF SIN (Job 31:24-32)

Do I try to conceal secret sins and try to justify them, or confess them to God ?

10. NOT INTIMIDATED BY OTHERS BUT WILLING TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRUTH (Job 31:33-37)

Am I a people pleaser rather than someone willing to stand up and be committed to God’s Truth?

When you see this checklist you can see why Followers of Christ are such a threat to people who deny and reject God’s authority in their lives. INTEGRITY is the opposite of HYPOCRISY. The invitation God gives me and you is to “HAVE INTEGRITY”, to act consistently with the values, beliefs and principles God intends for my life, not based on the values of society, but on God’s absolute truth in the Bible. God bless you as you undergo God’s Roadworthy Test remembering that Jesus says, “I am the WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. No one can come to the Father except through Me (John 14:6 NLT).

Pastor Ross  

Genesis 25:21-23 – CAN OF WORMS!

Genesis 25:21-23 – CAN OF WORMS!

Can of Worms

Some of the questions addressed in the TV show called “CAN OF WORMS” are “Is porn a normal, healthy part of adult life?” 52% of Austalians said “No!” “Is marriage necessary anymore?” 78% of Australians said “Yes!” and 68% said that gay people also have a right to marry.

Three guests, a studio audience and people from all over the world find out what Australia really thinks, especially controversial subjects such as political correctness and personal values. “Do Australians swear too much? Is the burqa out of place in Australia? Is it OK to spy on your kids online?” Each question is designed to open up a CAN OF WORMS. No absolute values. No right or wrong answers.

To open a can of worms means “to inadvertently create a host of new problems while trying to solve one.” The idea is that once you open a can of worms it is impossible to stop them from trying to escape.

Way back in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned they OPENED A CAN OF WORMS. Their actions released a host of IRREVERSIBLE PROBLEMS and COMPLICATIONS into the world that only God could resolve. As long as the “can” remained sealed through obedience to God, there was no harm, but once it was opened it set off a chain reaction of events with totally unexpected and complex consequences that irrevocably changed our world. It’s called SIN.

For 20 years Isaac and Rebekah have prayed for children and the Lord answers their prayers (Genesis 25:21). But in a sinful world, it seems that prayer always stirs things up spiritually.

Rebekah has an abnormally tough pregnancy. She prays “Why is this happening to me?” The Lord answers Rebekah directly somehow. Does she get a prophetic word from an angel? Does her answer come through a dream or a sign? Does God show up personally like He did with Abraham? Here is where I would like to know the details, but somehow God is more interested in telling me WHAT He said rather than HOW He said it. Is it just me that gets so interested in the MIRACULOUS that I miss the MESSAGE? Lord, help me focus on what is RELEVANT, not just on what is REMARKABLE.

The Lord tells her she is having twins, but reveals to her some rather unexpected twists that will take place in their lives. Something spiritually will be stirred up by the birth of these sons. The trouble Rebekah is experiencing is used as a picture of things to come.

“They will be RIVALS! One will be STRONGER! The older will SERVE THE YOUNGER!” (Genesis 25:23). This is all upside down and inside out and it only COMPLICATES things! It’s not POLITICALLY CORRECT! It messes with the CULTURE of the time. For this to happen the inheritance and blessing from Isaac will have to come to the youngest son and not the oldest. This is NOT DONE! When God answers prayer in a sinful world it can stir up a CAN OF WORMS.

Does Rebekah mention this Word from the Lord to Isaac? Is she going to try to manipulate things to help God along with this promise?

Will I try to adjust the plans of God in my life? Prayer releases the promises of God, but am I really willing for God to answer the deepest prayers of my life when I don’t know WHERE IT WILL LEAD? Who knows what could happen? UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES that only He can foresee, IRREVOCABLE PROBLEMS and COMPLICATIONS that only He can resolve? A MINE FIELD to navigate where only He can lead?

Just because God answers my prayers doesn’t mean I won’t experience difficulties or that I won’t feel out of my depth. Everytime I pray, something in the spiritual atmosphere of this world is STIRRED UP as God intervenes to deal with the CAN OF WORMS created by our sin.

The believing line of descendents from Abraham carry the promises of the Covenant. The Messiah Jesus will come from this line, and in fulfilling this promise the world will be IRREVOCABLY CHANGED. A battle begins, and is waged in the hearts of men and women to this very day.

Romans 8:28 (NLT) assures me “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” When prayer stirs up a can of worms, I am unable to deal with it, BUT GOD CAN. He can sort out the mess.

Somehow only the Lord Jesus Christ can deal with the consequences of my sin, no matter how complicated, twisted and out of control things have become. It may mean He does things a little differently to our expectations and it may cut across our cultural norms and look totally upside down to us, but He knows what He is doing. He is the only WAY, TRUTH AND LIFE (John 14:6). The invitation is always to TRUST in Him.

Pastor Ross

Genesis 24 – THINGS THAT DON’T GO TOGETHER – Part 3

Genesis 24 – THINGS THAT DON’T GO TOGETHER – Part 3

Just Married!

The engine of a Fiesta in a Ferrari! Pickles and icecream. There are certain things that definitely DON’T go together. Aluminium foil and microwaves (Julie rediscovered this recently). Children and cancer. Wouldn’t it change the world if honesty and politics went together.

It was dark when I dressed and when I arrived at the Church building we sat around in a small circle of dedicated students learning and reciting Greek declensions with our Pastor. It was about halfway through one of these early morning classes that I noticed my shoes. I was wearing TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOES! Very embarrassing. I wonder if anybody else noticed? Certain things should not be worn together.

Deuteronomy 22:10 (NLT) says “You must not plough with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.” The idea here is that there are certain things that are totally INCOMPATIBLE. They were never meant to be placed in the same yoke, never meant to be together in the same equation. Just won’t fit! Won’t make sense! Doesn’t work well!

Abraham wants his son to marry a woman from among his own relatives and insists that he must not marry a Canaanite girl. It almost seems RACIST! Wouldn’t it be better to form an alliance through marriage with the people who are there in the land promised to Abraham? What an easy way of claiming the promised land. You would think that it would HELP THE PROMISE along a little. So far Abraham only owns a burial plot that he bought for Sarah. Why not also form a covenant through a marriage to a Canaanite girl with his son? It was clear that he DOES NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN. Why? Are we to be DISCRIMINATORY when we choose a marriage partner? No, but we are to be DISCRIMINATING.

The Bible speaks of our relationship with God as being the most important relationship we will ever have, even more important than our marriage relationship. When we marry we form a COVENANT. That covenant is used as a picture of our relationship with God. Ephesians 5:25 (NASB) says “Husbands, love your wives, just AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH and gave Himself up for her,…”   The Canaanites were idol worshipers and REJECTED THE GOD OF ABRAHAM.

There are certain things that DEFINITELY DON’T GO TOGETHER. Ur and Abraham. Sodom and Lot. Idols and the temple. Christ and the devil. Light and darkness. Righteousness and wickedness. A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST MARRYING AN UNBELIEVER. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NLT) says “DON’T TEAM UP WITH (be UNEQUALLY YOKED with) those who are unbelievers.” It’s like harnessing an ox and an ass together.

Abraham is confident that the Lord will send an ANGEL ahead of the servant to help him find the right girl for Isaac among his relatives. Angels have already played an important part in Abraham’s life (Genesis 18, 19, 22). By the way, he is not talking about A CUPID-LIKE ANGEL, so let’s not go there. It was probably Gabriel or Michael, the fiercest of all angels, sent to protect the promises of God to Abraham.

A GREAT NATION was coming through Abraham. JESUS would one day be born through this family line and it seems God didn’t want anybody or anything, demonic or otherwise, to interfere with the process of finding Rebekah. Abraham’s faith had been tested and he had learned some valuable lessons. He is doing everything he can to make sure that he doesn’t get in the way of God again.

Perhaps it was the archangel Gabriel who was sent. Afterall Gabriel turns up at the birth of Christ to Mary (Luke 1:26) and angels throughout the Bible have a way of protecting people (and I might add of scaring them to death in the process. It seems they always have to reassure people by saying “Do not fear!” so they obviously aren’t the cute, fat baby-like cupid angels that we see on wedding invitations).

In a world where Satan wants to destroy Godly marriages because they are a picture of our relationship with Christ, is this your opportunity to pray that God would SEND AN ANGEL to protect you and that God would lead you to the right person to marry? Some people are just meant to be together.

Pastor Ross

Matthew 13:45-46 – YOU ARE SO WORTH IT ALL! – Part 17

Matthew 13:45-46 – YOU ARE SO WORTH IT ALL! – Part 17

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” (Matthew 13:45-46 NLT)

Simple parable. Or is it? I find myself wanting to ask Jesus some questions like “Who or What is the PEARL OF GREAT VALUE?” Are WE the pearl of great price and is it Christ who gives up everything to purchase us?

In his world renowned book Juan Carlos Ortiz takes a different approach. He says “CHRIST is the Pearl of Great Value and WE are the merchant seeking for happiness , for security, for fame, for eternity. And when we find Jesus it costs us everything. He has happiness, joy, peace, healing, security, eternity, everything.

So we say, “I want this pearl. How much is it?”

He goes on to say that the seller says that it will cost me everything. Not only does all my money become the property of Christ, but my house, my cars, my family, and even myself. The seller and the pearl seem to be Christ in this story. Perhaps he means that the seller is God the Father. He wants EVERYTHING! All I have and am comes under the ownership of Christ. And then Christ gives it back to me on the understanding that He is the owner and that it must be available for His use as needed. That’s the Kingdom of God – the authority of Christ to rule over my life.

I love the idea of the story – of everything coming under the authority and ownership of Christ, including ourselves. Afterall in Matthew 10:39 (NLT) Jesus says “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it.” 

What bothers me about Ortiz’s story is that the parable says that the merchant BUYS the Pearl of Great Price by selling everything He has. Last time I looked the Bible makes it clear that Salvation in Christ is NOT FOR SALE. I can’t buy what Christ has to offer from God. It is a GIFT (Romans 6:23) that comes to us as we respond to Christ in faith. It is given because of God’s GRACE. We can’t work for it, earn it or buy it, and we don’t deserve it in any way (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So perhaps I AM THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE!

Everytime I hear a message on this parable I hear how a pearl is born in great suffering and pain, when a foreign speck of sand enters the environment of the shell and causes the pearl to be formed as the oyster builds up layers of nacre to protect itself. This is used as a picture of SIN coming into the environment of our world and like an annoying, irritating foreign substance causes harm.

God deals with our sin. He becomes a man and also enters our environment and although He lives a perfect life, He experiences the SUFFERING AND PAIN that our sin has caused and He is crucified. Christ dies on the Cross for us. Like that layer of nacre that forms around the speck of sand that threatens to cause harm to the oyster, He took man’s sin and bore it in His own body (1 Peter 2:24).

Our sin was an intrusion upon Him -foreign matter. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” He turns cursing into blessing. 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT) says “He personally CARRIED OUR SINS in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.” Galatians 3:13 (NLT) says that when Christ “was hung on the cross, He TOOK UPON HIMSELF the curse for our wrongdoing.”

Christ adorns us with the beautiful layer of His righteousness forming a pearl of great value. Isaiah 61:10 (NLT) says “He has DRESSED me with the clothing of salvation and DRAPED me in a robe of righteousness.” Ephesians 4:24 (NLT) says “PUT ON your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Colossians 2:10 (NLT) says “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”

I like the analogy but I’m not so sure it was intended when Jesus told this parable. It gets a little muddled if I take the analogy too far, but I think it illustrates what Christ came to do in us and that HIS LIFE BECOMES MINE.

I don’t even like pearls but nevertheless, like the pearl of great value, Christ came to purchase me and “There is salvation in no one else!” (Acts 4:12 NLT).

God bless you as you realise how valuable you are to God and in turn how valuable Christ is for your life today. Lord, YOU ARE SO WORTH IT!

Pastor Ross

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Matthew 13:31-32 – SMALL SEED, INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL – Part 13

Matthew 13:31-32 – SMALL SEED, INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL – Part 13

Mustard Seed Potential

When I read the Parable of the Mustard seed I am left with some serious questions. Jesus just tells the story in two sentences and leaves it at that. No explanation. He just says “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32 NLT).

And I am left asking how can something so VAST like the Kingdom of Heaven be compared to something so SMALL. How could something of such immense significance be infused into the DNA of such a small seed, how could such power and authority be found in something so small, something so minute. We are talking about the SOVEREIGN RULERSHIP of God here. So what is it with the mustard seed analogy?

I’ve thought about this a lot of late, read some other scriptures and tried to figure it out. Somehow I think that this is what Jesus intended all along. He deliberately leaves us to find out what it means knowing that only those who will seek first His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33) will find the answers from His Word of Truth. So here’s an UNEDITED edition of the parable and what I think Jesus is getting at…

“Once the King of a vast empire decided to become a farmer and plant a crop that would one day reap a huge harvest. He spent time preparing the soil and when the time was ripe He went out into His field and deliberately planted ONE SMALL SEED in the fertile earth.

It was no ordinary seed. It was a seed of destiny, a seed of promise, a seed of kingdom significance, the seed of the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Inherent in this one seed was the very nature and character of the King Himself and His authority to rule and reign in the lives of those who follow Him. It was destined to change the world. That’s why the soil in which He chose to plant His seed was the soil of a person’s heart and life.

At first the seed was planted into the heart and life of a young virgin girl who bore this tiny seed in her womb. And in the most HUMBLE of places she gave birth to HEAVENS KINGDOM ON EARTH. Not in the splendour of a palace. He was born in a manger, a TINY BABY. The seed became a human being. It all seemed so INCONSEQUENTIAL and unimportant, just another baby, but don’t miss this. We are talking about the KING OF KINGS and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).

An ancient book recorded His birth. Among other things it says “…Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the HUMBLE POSITION of a slave and was born as a human being” (Philippians 2:7-8 NLT). Just a small seed yet heavens kingdom “…appeared in human form, He HUMBLED HIMSELF in obedience to God.”

The downside to living as a human of course is that He was destined die as a human. How could the Majesty of all heaven live His life as a human being? How could He die and be buried like a seed in the ground, yet in our story that is exactly what happened. He “died a criminal’s death on a cross.” I know I said it’s the unedited version but I can’t get into too many details here. You’ll have to read the book.

I can tell you this, however. “It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13:32 NLT).

Yes, the seed began to grow into a mighty tree and all of a sudden the Cross became His throne where heavens authority and character was expressed. It would have incredible impact upon the world.

The only way I can describe what happened was that on that Cross reserved for criminals, the Divine SOVEREIGNTY of heaven chose to pay the penalty for our sin! Divine JUSTICE was satisfied! Divine RIGHTEOUSNESS became available! Divine LOVE was released forever! Divine LIFE was offered! OMNISCIENCE was articulated! OMNIPOTENCE accomplished what was impossible! OMNIPRESENCE assured us that He would never leave or forsake us! His Divine IMMUTABILITY confirmed afresh that He is the same yesterday, today and forever! His Divine VERACITY drew us into the presence of all Truth!

But our story doesn’t end at the Cross. It BEGINS.

Here’s the real miracle of the story. Unless a seed is “planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT).

He rose again! He defeated the power of sin and death! The seed grew to fulfil His destiny and so it is no wonder then that “…God elevated Him to the place of highest honour and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11 NLT).

This is a true story. You say, how do I know all this is true about the Seed? I know because as it became a tree and grew I became engrafted (Romans 11:17) as one of it’s branches, along with millions of others, His Church. When I yielded to the great authority of Christ, the life of the Seed became my life. “… It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT).”

One day every knee will bow, but today the invitation is in the form of a small Seed of DESTINY, PROMISE AND LIFE and it is given freely to you. It is a seed with all the authority of heaven infused into it’s DNA, the very life of God Himself. Inherent in such a small seed is all of heavens authority and resources made available for the circumstances of life, such incredible potential for those who seek and accept the gift of the mustard Seed.

Pastor Ross.

PS If this post has helped you apply the lifechanging truths of the Bible, you are invited to subscribe by clicking the follow button, to make comments and to shared these thoughts with your friends. It would be a privilege to share these conversations with people like you and others all around the world.

John 3:16 – PARABLE OF THE LOST MINERS

John 3:16 -  PARABLE OF THE LOST MINERS

Parable of the Lost Miners

The world watched as 33 Chilean miners TRAPPED underground for 69 days were rescued. The last miner was rescued on Thursay October 14, 2010, a day marked with celebration and joy all around the world. The President of Chile said that Chile will never be the same.

One of the rescued men, Mario Sepulveda, said “I was with God and I was with the devil. They fought and God won the battle. I reached out and took hold of God’s hand. I never doubted that I would be rescued.” According to one article a number of men and their loved ones gave their lives to Christ during the ordeal as they prayed and reached out for God’s help.

Scientists and engineers WORKED day and night to design and drill an ESCAPE hole half a mile down to the trapped miners. 69 days later, they lowered a capsule from CAMP HOPE down to the men. It took 50 minutes to rescue each man. One newspaper headline read “FREED FROM HELL TO HOPE”. As the steel caged capsule surfaced it was as if each man was given NEW LIFE, SAVED, DELIVERED, REBORN.

It got me thinking about what this story would look like if Jesus told it as a parable. I’m sure it would go something like this.

“Once there was a wise, good and powerful King. His kingdom was known as the kingdom of Hope and it was the richest kingdom in the world. He ruled his people with love and justice. The kingdom of Hope was known throughout the world and other kings would seek to emulate the leadership of the great King. His writings and pronouncements were valued. For countless generations his family had ruled the land which was rich in beauty and mineral wealth. His people worked the land and as they ploughed the fields they would find diamonds and gold. As they ate the fruit of the orchards they would find health and strength. As they obeyed their king they prospered and he encouraged his people to share the wealth of the land with their families and with others all around the world. His exports were prized by many people – gold, silver, precious stones, fruit from his orchards and many other riches.

Not satisfied with working the land and planting orchards for food, the people became greedy and decided to find more efficient ways to extract the mineral wealth of the land. They dug a huge mine miles into the earth and worked night and day. Their families suffered as sons and daughters were without their fathers for many days on end. They became very rich from the resources they unearthed, but careless in their work practises and in their family relationships.

The wise king established safety precautions for them to follow but they were largely ignored so it was not surprising that there were many serious accidents and sure enough one day the mine collapsed. Many of the men from the kingdom became trapped in the bowels of the earth. As earth showered down upon them they stopped digging, left their tools and ran for their lives to a section of the mine that remained intact. Some men were wounded and had to be carried to safety. For a while they were stunned at the situation they found themselves in. They cried out in anguish and fear. But then many of them began to blame eachother. Fights began to break out. Then their anger turned towards the king. It was his fault that the safety precautions were not enforced! Soon a number of the men began shouting their abuse and slandering the name of the king.

Others began examining the instructions in the safety manual that the king had written to see if there was something they could do. They found a procedure which would let the king and those on the surface know that they were alive, so that the king could find a way to get them out. They knew the king would know where they were and that they were alive, but they cried out to him and made as much noise as they could. Others told them to be quiet and that the king didn’t care.

From Camp Hope the king soon drilled a small shaft down to the men. He said that the small shaft was just a promise of things to come when a larger hole would be drilled. The miners sent a note up to tell him that they were alive. Food and air was provided by the king along with an assurance that he would provide the way out. Some of the men continued to slander the name of the king, convinced that he intended to kill them.

Days and months went by. Periodically a note would come down the small shaft with a message from the king saying that a hole was being drilled and that someone was coming to save them. A physician would come down through a shaft to the men and examine them. He would give medical assistance and then bring each of them to safety. Many of the men did not believe. They saw no evidence of escape or the help that the king was providing them from above. They decided to make the best of it and ignore the messages and simply receive the provision from above that came through the smaller shaft.

Nevertheless the king continued to drill down to the men, day by day, and continued to send reassuring messages down through the small shaft.

The day finally came when the escape hole was nearly finished. The king sent final instructions through to the men to prepare the way as he drilled through the final few feet to the roof of their prison.

The king was so excited! He had done everything possible to provide a way to rescue the men. In camp Hope their was great celebration that the men would finally be rescued. The king decided to send his own son who was the best physician in the land down in an escape capsule from camp Hope to the trapped men. He was surprised that when he arrived far below that their were few men who welcomed him. He began to bring healing to the wounded men and gave instructions for each person to be rescued.

Some of the miners, after all the work that had been done for them, decided they DIDN’T WANT TO BE RESCUED and walked back into the darkness of the mineshaft, away from the capsule which had been made to bring them to safety and celebration on the surface? They refused to be saved and decided to stay behind? They tried to KILL THE PHYSICIAN who came to examine them, SLANDERED his name, the capsule, the king, the citizens of the kingdom of Hope and they stayed behind. They didn’t want to be hugged by the king of Hope! They didn’t want their lives changed forever? They said to the kings son, “I REJECT ALL YOUR WORK to save me. I DON’T WANT TO BE RESCUED!”"

What is the meaning of this parable? John 3:16-18 (NLT) says “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” Jesus has done everything He could do to save me from the penalty of my sin. There is nothing left for Him to do, but I am left with a choice as to whether or not I respond to the conviction in my heart and receive Christ as my Saviour.

Like the miners who agreed to be rescued I stepped into the very love of God and received new life and hope for the future. As I emerged the King of kings wrapped His arms around me to the applause of heaven. My life will never be the same.

Pastor Ross