Category Archives: Pastor’s Desk

Seasons

Pastor's Desk, ,

Dear Family

The weather has just been totally crazy recently. It’s been very hot, then very cold, then dry, then wet. The poor weather man has really had his work cut out with an unusual amount of curses flying his way, I’m sure. This time of year when the seasons struggle to know whether it is still autumn or perhaps sliding into winter, provides quite an interesting ride for us all.

Our lives are often like this too, aren’t they? Personally, I find it a lot easier to ride out a summer time in life, or a dry, cold winter time, than to be up and down with all sort of things hanging and banging me about. I like order. I like the ducks to all march in line, and when they don’t, I do struggle more to cope.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we read of Solomon’s seasonal journey in life. He had everything, tried everything, but everything became “meaningless”. All his power, his wisdom, his tremendous wealth and influence, everything, he experienced as an exercise in futility. And at the end of it all, he has this to say: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13). The prophet Micah has a similar commission for us. In Micah 6:8 we read, “He has shown you, O Man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God.” This life walk of ours is quite simple really. It’s not about money, or comfort, or health, or power, or prestige, or shoes! It’s all about God!

Seasons will come and go. Changes will happen. Difficulties will need to be faced. Storms of life are inevitable. But this one this is sure: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hallelujah!

Delight in the Lord

Pastor's Desk, ,

Dear Family

David brings to us the following words of wisdom found in Psalm 1:1–2 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

I got thinking recently about the phrase “But his delight is in the law of the LORD….” I was just marveling about just how incredible God’s Word actually is and just how easy it is to take delight in it. “Delight” as defined in dictionaries means “to please greatly, to take great pleasure”.

There is something there for every situation, every question, every doubt, every anxiety, every sticky situation. It’s simply incredible! Furthermore, it just never gets boring, or stale, or ‘heard it all before’ or ‘who cares?’ It somehow remains vibrant and personal and challenging and true to life. The writer to the Hebrews defines the Word as “living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Wow!

And then of course, it never ceases to surprise us and literally delight us! Have you ever noticed that you can read the same verse a hundred times and suddenly, out pops a meaning you hadn’t thought of before? Like a windscreen wiper will bring vision to a driver, so the Word can bring clarity to a situation in a instant. Eish!

So David draws this comparison – Don’t waste your time doing what everyone else is doing, or follow the ways of the world, rather, get cosy in extreme joy with God’s Word all the time. When we do that we automatically become the recipients of a further promise (not that we need one after all this good stuff), but God promises we are then “Blessed”.

So what are you waiting for? Delight and blessing just by getting stuck into His Word. It’s a win-win!

Paul

Pastor’s Desk

Pastor's Desk, ,

Dear Family,

paul

There is something very magical for me about building.  I have no training and very little knowledge or skill in this field, but to see or be a part of something being built gets something inside of me going—a real adrenaline rush!  One vital little piece of equipment in any building project is the simple spirit level.  Without its regular use, the building is certain to fail.  It’s really quite amazing that a little bubble of air inside a tube of liquid, if not used all the time, can result in a real disaster.  Lining up that little bubble where it should be ensures that walls are horizontal and perpendicular—hallmarks of a proper building.

It is likewise quite amazing how, when we line our lives up with God and his word, everything else comes out like it should.  2 Peter 1:3,4 reads: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

Simply, we need to line up our lives with God’s word so that we can participate in his divine nature.  Not the other way around!  Many people spend an enormous amount of time trying to persuade God to see things from their perspective, or trying to line the word up with their lives. Often this is done through so called prayers, some of them very passionate, but wasteful nonetheless.  God only hears things which are according to His will.  The rest is just a waste of breath.

Let us together commit to a new season of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us to line up with the Father in all things.  Time on earth does get shorter and shorter—that’s biblical—but we can use our time profitably while we still have it.  Get that spirit level called the Bible active at all times, in all things, and be a part of building your life and others’ in the process in a way that brings glory to the One who deserves it.

Paul

From the Pastor’s Desk

Pastor's Desk

Dear Family

paul

I so enjoyed the recent challenge to my heart regarding the biblical characters of Martha & Mary as a teaching on how to love God.  Too often we have merely condemned dear old Martha for being too busy to be devoted to Jesus as Mary was, but we so missed our own attitudes very prevalent in Martha’s life.

A brief summary for those who missed it:  The issue in the Luke 10:38-42 passage is not that Martha was busy doing stuff.  The issue was that her attitude reflected that of most of us at some time—it stank!  She could have stayed in the kitchen and successfully worshipped Jesus had her attitude been one of love and devotion whilst she did her thing, just as easily as Mary could have sat at Jesus’ feet and not worshipped Him had her attitude not been correct.

Too often we are tempted to separate the mundane, everyday, ordinary stuff from our lives before God.  We see as “holy” things like our quiet times, reading the Word, going to church, meditating and so on.  On the other hand, we treat the rest of our lives, including kitchen duty, as little to do with God.  WRONG!

The Bible teaches us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, EVERYTHING we do in the body should be subject to our worship experience.  We furthermore read things like: Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  and again, Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…”.

“Whatever you do” – that pretty much sums it all up, doesn’t it?

Loving God is a privilege reserved for those who do so through Jesus Christ.  How about you making momentary, daily choices, to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.  It is only because of His favour towards us that we are allowed to love Him anyway, so let’s go for it.  Fall in love all over again!

Paul