Sunday 20th October 2024 : The Seven Golden Bowls
In the face of death, the comfort we have as Followers of Jesus is the hope of the Resurrection and the glory to come. The hope of those struggling with debilitating health issues is the hope of the new, immortal, Resurrected body that will be ours in Christ when He appears. Our hope in the face of wars escalating in the Middle East, the threat of nuclear war from Russia, and the civil uprisings and unrest around the world is hope that the end to all wars is coming in the Return of Christ. The hope of those who suffer terrible abuse and violence and injustice is that the Lord hears the prayers of His people and is coming in the Final Judgement.
Revelation Chapter 16 teaches us about the coming to an end of God’s patient forbearance with sin in the world; “Enough is Enough!” In order for salvation to come in the fullness of its glory in the New Heaven and the New Earth, and in glorious holy fellowship with the Lord for eternity, Justice has to be executed, with sin and evil destroyed never to come up again.
The details of the Final Judgement revealed in Revelation Chapter 16 have been interpreted in various ways, from a literal, physical fulfilment with a great war at Armageddon, through to it being symbolic, explained in earthly terms to reveal the depth, reality and utter seriousness of God’s judgement.
The climax of Revelation Chapter 16 is the loud voice coming out of the Temple declaring, “IT IS DONE!!!” Satan and his demons, the dragon and his beasts, and sin and evil have been judged and sentenced – they are done, never, ever to rise up again and spoil God’s good gifts and corrupt His people and creation. “It is Finished!” was the cry of Jesus on the Cross; He had completed the work of salvation the Father has sent Him to do: God’s justice satisfied, Sins forgiven, Guilt removed, relationship reconciled, new hearts and lives created, the gift of the Holy Spirit granted, the power of Satan, evil and death thoroughly defeated, the promise of the Resurrection a reality. So now there is a second declaration: “It is Done!”, and this is the fulfilment – all that is promised in Christ is now a reality; salvation has come in all its fullness. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away and all things made in Christ have come in their fullness of glory.
Now that is a hope worth living in and for! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 13th October 2024 : The Marvellous Sign in Heaven
The war in the Middle East seems to be escalating. There seems to be no end to the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The atrocities in Myanmar continue. People are starving in Africa because of the civil wars. Protests in our own streets seem to be more aggressive and even violent. It is not hard to feel overwhelmed and very discouraged. It seems that our golden age of the ‘lucky country’ might be coming to an end.
The Apostle John and the church of that time were also discouraged and despairing. Jesus gives John the visions of the Book of Revelation to encourage the saints.
In Revelation 15, we see the Seven Angels with Seven Golden Bowls of God’s wrath. These are the last and final judgements of God to be poured out on the earth. These Seven Golden Bowls of God’s wrath are His gracious and just response to the Seven Golden Bowls of the prayers of His suffering saints.
In Revelation 6, we saw the martyrs under the altar crying out, “How long O Lord, before You will judge and avenge the blood on those who dwell on the earth?” These prayers were poured out on the Altar in Chapter 8, where the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose in smoke before God.
The Seven Golden Bowls, filled with the Prayers of the Saints, now become the Seven Golden Bowls filled with the Wrath of God, because God has heard the cries and prayers of His people and responds with holy justice! God responds with His own Holy Smoke, as in Revelation 15:8 we see the temple filled with smoke from God’s glory and power; the smoke of Judgement. The smoke of prayers ascends into heaven, and in response God’s smoke fills the Temple from which the Seven Golden Bowls of wrath come out in Judgement. God hears the cry of His people and responds to the cries of His saints. Here this is expressed in the ultimate form of the Final Judgement!
Therefore, do not live in fear. Do not be overwhelmed by evil, corruption and depravity. These things have been predicted as part of the Battle of the Kingdoms. Stand firm in the Faith, for we will stand on the Sea of Glass in the Throne Room of the Lord God, singing the Songs of Victory – Jesus the Victorious King has Triumphed! Now that is a guaranteed hope to look forward to and be encouraged by! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 6th October 2024 : The Forgiveness of Sins
Forgiveness, one of the greatest gifts you will ever experience! While Love fuels a relationship, Trust is the glue that holds it together and Respect maintains it, but Forgiveness is the lubricant that stops it from seizing up. Without forgiveness, without having a new start, a clearing of the deck, a relationship will fail.
Forgiveness is an act of the will. It is determining to let go of the hurt you have the right to feel. There are two aspects to forgiveness: 1) One is for you to let go of the hurt you have the right to feel – not to let that hurt determine your future or hold you in the destructive grip of bitterness. Forgiveness sets you free. 2) The other aspect is the response to true confession; someone confessing and owning the hurt they have caused you. Letting go of the hurt you have the right to feel leads to a restoration and renewal of that relationship – in the same way as the Lord has forgiven us in Jesus, and in true confession and faith in Jesus, we have been made right with Him.
But how do you let go of the hurt you have the right to feel? Hurts can run very, very deep, especially, for example, if you have a child that has been abused by someone. Biblical forgiveness is letting go of the hurt you have the right to feel by giving it to the Lord to deal with. We see Jesus doing this in 1 Peter 2:21-23, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, he did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him Who judges justly.”
When you forgive, you let go of the hurt you have the right to feel by entrusting it to the Lord! He will deal with it. He knows and He cares; he cared enough to send Jesus to right all wrongs and to bring justice to all the unjust circumstances. Knowing the forgiveness of the Lord in your life, again and again as you struggle with your sinful nature, calls us to forgive others – again and again – and not to be like the unmerciful servant of Matthew 18. Not forgiving, going on being bitter, is to say that God’s forgiveness is not good enough; that your hate is stronger than His love.
Let’s have joy in the gift of forgiveness and the wonderful freedom it brings, with the restoration and renewal of relationships. God is good indeed! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 15th September 2024 : The Comfort of the Judgement
We have an inbuilt sense of justice, a sense of right and wrong. Little children have a strong sense of justice as they cry, “It’s not fair!”, and let us know about it through crying and tantrums. Regularly, we see on the news people unhappy with the term of a jail sentence meted out by the courts. There are groups protesting for all sorts of causes.
But ironically, this sense of justice seems to be absent when it comes to the Gospel! God is supposed to be a loving God, a compassionate Father, One Who stops bad things from happening. Even Christians have trouble with the Biblical teaching of Hell and Judgement. We wriggle in our seats when the minister speaks about Hell… The Gospel is about the Love of God after all. Yes, it is indeed! But is that the whole story? Is not the Gospel a doubled-edged sword – declaring salvation for those who repent and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, but also His wrath and Judgement on those who reject the Christ?
You see, God created the whole universe for His own glory, and by virtue of its existence the whole world is called to worship God, and God alone. God is Holy and He will not share His glory with another. For the sake of His own glory, God in his love came to save His own through the death and resurrection of His Son for the forgiveness of sins and restoration to fellowship with Him, but for those who reject His Son and the call to repentance, He will bring His Judgement. In fact, He will judge to their destruction those who destroy His people and blaspheme His Name. These are the Two Sides of the Good News: Salvation and Judgement.
And this is what the visions of Revelation Chapter 14 teach us: The Comfort of the Judgement. Satan in his fury and rage is attacking the Church of God, seeking her demise and destruction. The Dragon and the Two Beasts seek to spoil all God’s good gifts in the world, and to pervert and corrupt the Church. God in His holiness and glory cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to that. He will defend and protect His people. But He will also bring justice to bear on those who do not honour and worship Him alone. They will receive the consequences. This brings comfort to God’s people; Satan will not and cannot win, and he, with all his followers, will face the Judgement – ultimately the Lake of Fire. While we do not like to talk about hell, remember there is no Gospel if there is no hell; no salvation if there is no damnation, because God would no longer be the Holy God Who avenges His Name. We all want justice; otherwise there would be no protests. So, let’s see the whole Big Picture of the Gospel and find comfort in the Holiness of God who comes in love and judgement. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 8th September 2024 : The Lamb & 144,000
When you turn on the news, you can feel a little overwhelmed by the wars, violence, protests and tensions going on in our country and around the world. For example, the world is looking on to see if Israel and Hamas can finally come to a ceasefire and peace treaty. Russia continues its war of attrition on Ukraine, each country sabre rattling in an attempt to get world sympathy.
The Dragon and the Beasts are hard at work influencing Governments and powers to corruption and perversion. There is little recognition of the existence of God and His holy ways. Satan is written off as inconsequential – the red man with a trident and tail, used as a figurehead in advertising. Hell is an old religious myth. Enjoy the moment; live, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die. We live in a culture where Christianity has a less and less place. It is easy to feel overwhelmed!
So too the church in Rome when they read Revelation Chapter 12 & 13, where the Apostle John describes the whole world worshipping the Beast, with Christians not able to ‘buy or sell’, or being held captive and put to the death because they refuse to have the mark of the beast. But you know, whenever John puts forward how tough things can get for the church, Jesus provides an interlude that is deeply encouraging. Chapter 14 is the interlude of encouragement after Chapters 12 & 13.
In contrast to the power and work of the Dragon and two Beasts, we see the Lamb on Mount Zion, the place where God dwells with His people, the earthly centre of God’s power, reminding us that God is really in charge here. The world has underestimated God and His power, that He really does exist! Read Psalm 2! With the Lamb on Mount Zion were the 144,000 who had the Lamb and Fathers’ Name on their foreheads; God’s elect, each of whom He knows by name. The promise is that Christ is in charge and he will ensure not one of His people will be lost. There is a mighty sound in heaven as the New Song of Redemption is sung, the Song of God’s grace and mercy in Salvation. These 144,000 were faithful and obedient to God, not following the ways of the beasts. Rather they worshipped God alone. These 144,000 were purchased by the Father through the Son in His death on the Cross, redeeming a people for Himself, and presenting them as the first-fruits of salvation. What a joy and comfort to know that in the face of a world gone mad, in the face of corruption and perversion, in face of persecution and opposition, we will not fail to gain the victory in Jesus Christ, that we too will be there in heaven singing the New Song of Salvation, because Jesus is holding on to us as He has promised; No one can snatch you from My hand! Therefore, be of good courage and good hope – the Lamb has triumphed. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 1st September 2024 : The Father’s Love
Today is celebrated as Father’s Day, a time when we give thanks for and reflect on our fathers.
My Father is my hero in the faith. He was an uneducated, unskilled labourer, a Dutch migrant that had many jobs over his lifetime. He was a “diamond in the rough”; but as the saying goes, “A diamond in the rough is yet a diamond sure enough.” He was a man of faith, and that faith he passed on to his children, even though they each had a different experience of a relationship with him. From my Dad I learnt three valuable lessons of faith, which have stood me in good stead for my walk of faith and the ministry.
One was that my Dad had a deep love and commitment for the church. He faithfully drove us children to Catechism (youth Bible Classes) for many years, three shifts on the one night. When they lived and worked on a dairy farm, over an hour’s drive away from church, he faithfully attended both services – milking the cows in between – and when I enquired of him about all this travel, he merely replied, “Son, we chose to live and work on the farm, and God has called us to church twice on Sunday, and that is it!” During those years, he also drove the younger boys to Catechism and Mum to Ladies’ Fellowship. Nothing was too much when it came to the church.
Another lesson was that he deeply loved and cherished my Mother. She was his Princess, and he was her Billy-Boy. Sure, they had their disagreements, but Dad always treated Mum with a high regard. It was a godly example for us boys.
A third lesson was that my Dad taught me how to say “sorry”. If you muck up, you own up. A father saying sorry and asking forgiveness of a 13-year-old son for losing his temper made an awesome impression. I thank the Lord for this rough diamond in the faith that He had gifted to me as a child.
My second Father hero in the faith was my wife’s Father. Right from the ‘get-go’ as a young 20-year-old marrying his daughter, he treated me as a son (not a son-in-law). When I asked him years after what he was thinking at that time, he said something like, he saw the potential and prayed – especially with my driving style then! He was wise and always listened in a way that gave guided advice rather than giving solutions. Many a time we would be on the phone asking his godly advice. His witness of faith in his dying days battling with cancer was inspirational to us.
My greatest Father Hero over all is my Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ. He loved me so deeply that He sacrificed His Only Son to make me His Child. He gives me all the overflowing blessings of salvation, and he is the perfect Father who never fails, never disappoints, always loves, and always seeks my best.
Whatever your experience with your father has been, look to the Heavenly Father Who is the Perfect Father, and find love and acceptance, strength and wisdom in Him. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 25th August 2024 : The Two Beasts
In Revelation Chapter 12, we saw that in the face of the fury of the Dragon (Satan), the Lord will unleash all the resources and power needed to protect His Church and equip the saints to stand firm in the battle. In Chapter 13, we see the battle being fought in a little more detail through the Two Beasts. The Dragon is found standing on the seashore; being spirit, Satan needs human agency to fight on his behalf.
The First Beast rises out of the sea – symbolizing the power of Satan through the governments of the world. This Beast has one mouth that utters blasphemies against God. We see this with the Roman Emperor who declared himself to be divine and called the people to worship him as a god. People had to register at the temples as being worshippers of Caesar!
The Second Beast rose rises from the earth – symbolizing all the false prophets. He mimics the prophets of God performing great and miraculous acts. He orders the people to make a statue in the honour of the First Beast and makes the image to speak in order to ‘wow’ the people. Those who did not bow down and worship the Image were slain. This Second Beast takes the good gifts of God’s creation and distorts and perverts them through false religion.
Finally, the Second Beast forces total allegiance by marking the people on the forehead or hand. This mark of the Beast is ‘666’. If anyone did not bear this mark, they would not be able to buy or sell – in other words they would be ostracized and persecuted. This mark of the Beast is a poor imitation of the Old Testament ‘Shema’ of Deuteronomy 6: the call to love the Lord with all your heart soul, strength and mind, and to bind His Law as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes – that is, total allegiance of action and mind. Or, in the New Testament, in Revelation 7, we see the sealing of the 144,000 – God’s elect, those who belonged to the Lamb by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Far from being a threat, the ‘666’ mark brings great comfort to the Believer, because it is the number of man, always falling short of 7, which the number of perfection and the number of victory. ‘666’ as the mark of the Beast is the mark of failure – it is the guarantee the Beasts will fail and fall!
Therefore, we can stand firm, endure, and overcome because Jesus is the Victorious King! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 18th August 2024 : The Woman and the Dragon
When you turn on the news, most of what we hear about is wars, civil unrest and violence. Our everyday life and history are the stage on which the battle of the kingdoms is being fought. As the Apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians 6 regarding putting on the armour of God, there is a spiritual battle going on, “… against the rulers, against the authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Revelation 12 reveals this battle from the perspective of Satan’s activities. It reveals three scenes of this spiritual battle.
First is the ‘Scene of Hatred’. We see a magnificent woman (the Church) give birth to her child (Jesus), and the Dragon (Satan) is standing before the woman to devour the child when it is born. Satan hates the Church and Jesus so much that his constant focus is kill and destroy. Satan is enraged at the power and majesty of Jesus the King. He hates the renewal and transformation that Jesus brings in salvation. He despises the honour and worship of Jesus as King, and this activity of hatred and destruction has been going on all through history as Satan seeks to destroy the “Seed of the Woman”.
Second is the ‘Scene of War’. There was a war in heaven between Satan and the Archangel Michael. Satan is dismissed and hurled out of heaven. That happened when God’s Kingdom came in power with the ministry of Jesus: His Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension – when He came as the Victorious King! Because of Jesus’ victory and payment for sin, Satan no longer has the power to accuse the people of God. As the Apostle Paul declares in Romans 8:1, ‘There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. When Satan accuses our consciences of sin, we rest in the finished work of Jesus.
Third is the ‘Scene of Fury’. Satan has been cast down from heaven and can no longer bring accusation before God, and in fury makes war against the offspring of the woman – the New Testament Church today. He pours water out of his mouth to sweep the woman away in a flood, in an attempt to demoralise, distract and lead us away from Jesus; to make the church irrelevant. But the earth opens up and swallows the flood! In other words, God will use all means and power to preserve His church, whether it be empires or even nature itself. Therefore, we can stand firm in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we are attacked personally. Satan cannot accuse us because Jesus has paid the price (in full) for our sins. Satan cannot discourage us because we have the power of the Gospel – nothing can separate us from the love of God. And Satan cannot frighten us – not even with death, because Jesus has transformed death into a doorway to the glory of heaven. So Christian be encouraged, stand firm and overcome the wiles and schemes of the evil one, because Jesus is Lord and King! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 4th August 2024 : True Repentance
Forgiveness is one of the most precious gifts from the Lord! The freedom from hurt, the cleansing of the conscience, and the renewal of relationship is gloriously liberating. It is what we celebrate in the Lord’s Supper: His Body broken and blood shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
So, how do we obtain forgiveness? Forgiveness is obtained through True Repentance. Psalm 51, the confession of King David, shows us the pattern of True Repentance.
True Repentance begins with being convicted that my offence first of all pains the Lord our Father in Heaven. (David declares, ‘Against You and You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight’). We metaphorically trample on the Cross of Jesus when we are in ongoing discord with each other. However, in Christ, we have been given the Gospel of Reconciliation. Being convicted of my sin, I take full responsibility for it by naming my offence, without any qualification (no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ or excuses).
Secondly, True Repentance is asking the person we have offended to treat us with Mercy by letting go of the hurt they have the right feel. It is asking, as Jesus did when He was reviled (1 Peter 2:22-23), if they would give their hurt over to God, Who judges justly. Forgiveness is not a right to be demanded; rather, Repentance is about setting the other person free from the hurt you have caused them. One of the ways we do that is by Restitution: putting things right as far as it is possible. It includes humbling ourselves to hear the person we have offended share their hurt and disappointment. In New Zealand there is a Māori custom that when a person has committed an offence, he is required to face all the people who have been affected and hear how it has hurt and affected them. They then decide together what the consequences will be. This way justice is served and everyone is set free from their hurt.
Finally, True Repentance has the desire to turn away from sin and offensive ways, striving not to do it again. It brings renewal, and the freedom to serve again and enjoy a restored relationship. Often True Repentance with Forgiveness leads to a stronger relationship than there was before, because it is the Gospel in action. In the Gospel Jesus has provided the renewed heart for reconciliation, the Scriptures as the guide for godly actions, and the Holy Spirit to empower transformation. Let’s use them as He has greatly gifted it to us and live in the joy and freedom of Forgiveness! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 14th July 2024 : The Seventh Trumpet
Sometimes you wonder, ‘What’s the world coming to?’ There are wars and ongoing civil unrest all over the world, severe flooding, landslides and tornadoes. Our Prime Minister and his family’s safety has been threatened, the President of the United States mental competency is being publicly questioned, violence of all forms seems to be on the rise in our country. The world seems to be heading for some kind of big crash! But that is probably how each generation has felt, and certainly the Apostle John would have felt that.
The Book of Revelation answers the question, ‘What is the World coming to?’, because it reveals God’s plan in reclaiming the world through salvation in Jesus Christ. History, though cyclic, is marching to a definite goal and end. In Revelation we see Jesus ministering to the churches as He walks among the lamp stands. The seven letters to the churches help us to understand the struggle of the church in the world. The breaking of the seals helps the church to understand the world events in light of God’s plan. The Six Trumpets sound the warning, with the call to repent because the great judgement is coming!
In Revelation Chapter 11:14-19, the Seventh Trumpet of Judgement is sounded. But instead of describing the Judgement, which will come in the later chapters (from Chapter 15 on), John sees a vision of the curtain of heaven parted and the glory of heaven after the Judgement. In this interlude of comfort and joy, we see the end before the beginning. Firstly, we see praise to God for His sovereignty. This song of praise is a shout of victory! The heavenly hosts declare the victory of Jesus as the Sovereign King! Secondly, our glimpse through the parted curtain into the throne room of heaven reveals God’s plan of Judgement; His holy wrath against the nations who rage against Him and His Servant King Jesus. Justice will be done! And thirdly, the Promise of Communion with the Lord God is revealed; God’s temple in heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant seen by all. This imagery shows us that God’s Covenant with His people has now come in its fullness. God throws open the Holies of Holies and draws His people into communion with Him.
This is what awaits the Church of Christ. Yes, the terrible times of Judgement are coming, but there is a glorious end! The New Heaven and the New Earth are coming, where God will dwell with His people with no more death, sin, dying, mourning or pain. The glorious end is in sight, therefore stand firm, be encouraged, live with Hope. Jesus the Victorious King is coming soon! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 7th July 2024 : I believe in the holy catholic Church
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Church”? With the findings of the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Church has become seen as an organisation of suspicion at best, needing Government regulation because she failed to keep children safe. What an indictment! But that certainly is not God’s design of the Church or a true reflection of the Gospel she has been entrusted with, and for that we truly repent and have a deep sorrow.
So, what is God’s design for the Church?
The Bible teaches that the Church is greater, infinitely bigger, and much more beautiful than just a building; it’s greater and infinitely bigger that you and I are, or a local congregation. The Church is UNIVERSAL: this describes the Church over the whole world throughout all time and history. The origin of the Church is found in the mind of God the Father in His electing love before the creation of the world. It is made up of all true Believers who are called by the Father through the Redeeming work of Jesus Christ, out of the entire human race from Creation until Christ Returns.
God calls the Church by gathering in the Believers through the preaching of His Word and the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. These ‘gathered in’ Believers then form a local congregation: the visible expression of the Church Universal at any one particular time, in one particular place.
The local Church as an organisation is how Believers organise themselves in everyday living. Her focus and authority is only in Christ. Her task as Believers is the worship of God, and in the Great Commission to bring and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Her authority, granted to Elders in ordination, is only from the Bible. Each member of the Church is called by God to use their gifts (granted by the Holy Spirit) for building up the congregation into maturity in Christ, and service to the community, as she reflects the amazing love and grace of God.
The Church is a Divine Institution, designed and made by God, joined together in Christ as His Body through the Word and Holy Spirit, in order to worship God and bring His redeeming love to the world. The beautiful, joyous, eternal, renewing, blessed and glorious Body of Christ: is that how you see it? Pastor Alan
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Sunday 23rd June 2024 : The Two Witnesses
It feels like we live in a time and context where western society is becoming increasingly hostile to the Church and Biblical values, where society is not simply becoming anti-Christian, but also anti-creation order, with things like the denying of distinct male and female genders. As Followers of Christ, how are we to react to all this? What if persecution and oppression increase in our land? Well, Jesus said (John 15:20) that, “…if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you!” Therefore, we are to expect it. Revelation 11 shows us the history of the church, where God symbolically measures the Temple, claiming a people for Himself, and how the Church, symbolised by the Two Witnesses, would testify to the power of the Gospel that divides the Believers from the Non-Believers; those under God’s favour from those under God’s judgement.
When her task is finished, the Church will be killed by her enemies. The organised Church will appear to be dead. The world will rejoice over her death and will hold a party of celebration – the Beast has defeated the Church! But their rejoicing will be short-lived! While it ‘looks like’ the Church has been defeated by the world, her suffering will only be short, and then will be the glorious Resurrection from the Dead as the Church is taken into heaven, when Christ Returns on the Clouds.
Notice the depth of the hatred, as the bodies of the two witnesses are left to be gazed upon and decompose without the dignity of a burial. A body left in the open without a burial is the highest expression of humiliation, shame and dishonour. Why the intensity of the hatred? Because the Gospel confronts people with their sin before God. The GOSPEL, truly preached, has always challenged the powerful in the world. John the Baptist threatened Herod, and lost his head; Jesus challenged the Pharisees and was crucified; Christians cried, “Jesus is Lord!” when Caesar claimed that he was ‘lord’, and they were martyred.
We see here how the Church follows in the footsteps of her Saviour:
- When He had finished His work of redemption on earth, He was killed. 2. On the third day He arose to life again.
- And then, He ascended into heaven – into glory.
Our main task is to witness for Christ by: Our Lives, Worship, and Our Words. Thank God and be encouraged: That the Temple is measured, His Church protected, and she will be glorified! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 16th June 2024 : The Temple Measured
What is the place of the Church in the world? Israel was to be light to the nations to draw them into a right relationship with Yahweh, the Lord God. Jesus has called us as the New Testament Church to shine our light before men so that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven, and to be a salting salt, a godly influence on our society. But what if the Church is so similar to the society in which she lives that she is no longer relevant? What if the Church has become so tolerant and accepting and inoffensive, that she is no longer really any different? What if we are so busy being ecumenical, at being ‘one’ with all faiths, that we have lost the unique Gospel message?
The Apostle John has a vision in Revelation Chapter 11, where he is called to measure the Temple. The measuring stick is the Gospel, and he is measuring the full number of Believers in Jesus Christ. This shows that God knows who are His own. He knows who is in the inner sanctuary by repentance and faith, and who is in the outer court by mere religiosity. It also clearly outlines who will have the Lord’s protection and who will be under His Judgement! The “Two Witnesses” are the Church, and as the Church we have the power of the Gospel, which opens the Kingdom of God through Repentance and Faith, but also closes the kingdom in Judgement to those who rebel and reject Jesus.
The task of the Church is to give testimony to the Gospel, to state what we know to be true about God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is not our job to be popular and inoffensive, tolerant and totally accepting; rather it is to bring the Gospel in love and truth, to be sad about sin and so give the call to repentance, but also to declare Judgement upon those who reject the Christ.
As the Church, awaiting the Return of Christ, we are to be wearing sackcloth – clothes of sorrow and humility. In the Old Testament, when people wanted to repent they would clothe themselves with sackcloth and ashes, with an attitude of sorrow and humility. Oppression and the Judgement are coming. The Church will also suffer persecution, hardship and trials, for there is a spiritual battle going on, and we are to put on the spiritual armour of God that we may stand up to the schemes of the Evil One. The Church will be oppressed, indeed! God calls for the measuring of the Temple to show His special care and protection over His people, revealing that God has it contained; the terrible times will only be as long as He has determined it – for He is in control! And that is our comfort and strength. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 9th June 2024 : Family Blessedness
Families are foundational to society. Without children, there is no future for the country; we will simply grow old and die out. Even immigrants have to come from families.
God’s Promises are also given through families. To Adam & Eve was the promise of the “Offspring” who would defeat the offspring of the serpent. To Abraham was given the promise that the Lord would be his God and his descendants after him. The Apostle Paul picks this up in Galatians as relating to Christ, through Whom all nations would be blessed.
Psalm 128 teaches about the blessedness of families when we fear the Lord and walk in His ways. When we walk in the Lord’s ways, we follow His design for work and family, and receive the blessings He has for us. For example, we work for the glory of God and to witness to the Gospel. Mankind was created to work; God commanded Adam to work in the Garden and care for it. It is part of being made in God’s image. The Apostle Paul teaches in Titus 2:10, that we are to do our work in such a way that, in everything we do we may “…adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.” And so, work is not primarily about reaching my full potential, fulfilling my dreams, or even about the wages! It is the gift from God to provide for family and bring glory to Him.
Marriage is God’s wonderful gift in creation: one man and one woman in a voluntary, public, committed, love relationship. When husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church, and wives respect their husbands as the church is committed to Christ, then we will receive the blessings of the Lord by living our marriages by His design.
Families, having children, is God’s blessing on marriage. Families are foundational to the church and society. Psalm 127:3 teaches us that, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” A reward! How sad that over some 80,000 abortions are performed in Australia each year! Marriage and the family are being attacked in our society from many fronts, and we, as Followers of Christ, have the opportunity to teach and show God’s creation design from the Bible and in our lives.
However, these blessings are not merely a matter of obedience, but come through a living relationship with the Lord; “Blessed are all who fear the Lord…” As we live with the Lord, and for the Lord, we receive the Family Blessedness He gives. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 2nd June 2024 : The Holy Spirit – our Comforter
Sometimes life is just plain hard. It is like riding a rollercoaster, or as King David pictures it in Psalm 42, it is like being knocked off your feet and then, as you get up, the next trial comes along and knocks you off your feet again. You just can’t seem to get up! It may be sickness, rejection and relationship matters, financial matters or something else.
It may be feeling overwhelmed by the events in the world. The Disciples felt their world was falling apart. John 16 says they were full of grief. Jesus kept talking about going away. What were the last three years as His followers all about then? Where was the restoration of the kingdom of David? What about the Covenant promises of God?
Jesus comforts them with the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit; the Comforter, the Advocate, the Counsellor. Well, how would the Holy Spirit be our comforter? The Holy Spirit comforts us by pointing us to Christ!
- Firstly, He points us to Christ by causing the Bible to be written. John 14:26 says that, He will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you…” and He does that through the Bible. The Bible is the Love Letters of Jesus the Bridegroom to His Bride – the Church. The Bible reveals Who God is and what He is doing about a broken, corrupt and sinful world in Jesus Christ. The Bible reminds us that we are forgiven and adopted as the Children of God. It reminds us of the Hope of the glory that is to come!
- Secondly, the Holy Spirit comforts us by pointing us to Christ as our Faithful High Priest. Jesus has been tempted in every way as we are – yet was without sin. He knows what it is to suffer at the hands of cruel and violent men; He knows the agony of betrayal; He knows our grief and pain. Therefore, He is able to help us in our struggles.
- Thirdly, the Holy Spirit comforts us by pointing to the Victorious Christ and the Hope to Come! When we deal with our infirmities and chronic ill-health, when we say goodbyes to loved ones at their funeral, we live in the hope of the Resurrection and the heavenly glory to come. Therefore we do not grieve as those without hope.
- Fourthly, the Holy Spirit comforts us by pointing us to Christ by revealing to us the Body of Christ in the Communion of the Saints. God brings His grace and comfort through the church – in praying for one another, helping one another, caring and sharing the load together. Let’s not underestimate God’s grace through the Church. In the Comfort of the Holy Spirit, we find Peace – Shalom, the sense of wellbeing and sabbath rest that is ours in Christ. To know Christ is to live in the Comfort of belonging to Him, ministered by the Holy Spirit! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 12th May 2024 : El Roi – The God Who Sees!
Today is celebrated as Mother’s Day. As Christians we thank the Lord for His gift of Motherhood – a great and high calling that keeps the human race going and invests in the future of our nation through our children. But sometimes in the busyness of life, mothers can feel a bit ‘invisible’, that they just seem to be a pair of hands, the cook, a cleaner and bottle washer, taken for granted.
Hagar felt a lot like that. She was an Egyptian maidservant to Sarai, used by Abram & Sarai as a surrogate mother, and when she felt she was a little bit entitled for conceiving Abram’s firstborn child (which Sarai was unable to do) she was smartly put back into her place as a mere servant! Well, she would show them! In desperation she ran away (with Abram’s child) into the desert. The Angel of the Lord found her in the desert trying to make her way back to Egypt. The Lord identifies her, and takes an interest in her as a person. He instructs her to go back to Sarai, her mistress, and submit to her. Hagar was going to run away with Abram’s baby, but the Lord has better things for her. He honours Abram’s firstborn with blessings of the firstborn. Abram would acknowledge the child as his and have him under his care and protection. The baby is given a name by the Lord, ‘Ishmael’, and also the promise that he would father a mighty nation, and that he would never be a slave like Hagar.
Hagar, a woman without voice or choice or recognition is now a woman of God’s blessings and promise! She responds in worship and gratitude, “You are the God of seeing!” Lord, You have seen me!
The Lord also sees us! He has found us by coming to Adam & Eve after they had disobeyed Him in the Garden, and He gave the Promise of the ‘Seed of the Woman’ Who would come through Abraham and the nation of Israel so that Jesus would be born at Bethlehem to die at Calvary. The Lord found us lost and blind in our sin, and gave us the Promise and blessings of Salvation. Before we were a ‘nobody’, but now in Christ we are His Beloved!
The call is for us to see God working out His promises, to be patient, to have our hope and trust in the Lord. Then even the things of motherhood that are drudgery become a cause for thankfulness and joy. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 28th April 2024 : The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll
The Apostle John is exiled on the Island of Patmos, the other Apostles have been killed, Jerusalem and the Temple have been destroyed with the Jewish people dispersed throughout the Roman Empire, and the church is under severe persecution. The Apostle John is left wondering what was Jesus all about? Was Christianity just a “flash in the pan”? You can imagine, he is at the point of despair. Jesus, however, comes and provides a series of visions that are written in this Book of Revelation to encourage him and the Christian church throughout the ages. The Book of Revelation helps us to understand why the world is like it is, and what God is doing about it!
Last Sunday we considered the 6 Trumpet Calls and the ‘Warning of Judgement’ that they sounded. The world is like it is as God hands the wicked over to the consequences of their wickedness (Romans 1:18-32). The thing is however, that as the Church we also suffer under the effects of these Trumpet calls. We battle with the very things of the world that has brought these Trumpet Calls into being: lovers of things, lovers of pleasure and lovers of money. As the Church we struggle with sexual abuse, struggles for power and a lack of care for the poor and downtrodden. Like the Apostle Paul, with a sense of despair we can struggle and exclaim, “Oh what a wretched man I am!”
Into this struggle, Jesus gives words of Reassurance. The Church will be given the strength to go through the trials and temptations, reminding them that God is still sovereign, that they are still His people, and that Hell will not triumph! This reassurance is given in this interlude of Chapter 10. The Mighty Angel towers over creation showing that ‘the Lord is in control and is calling the shots’. He, and only He, will decide when the time has come for the Final Judgement, the time when there will be no more delay, the Mystery of God will be revealed and all His people called in.
John is instructed to eat the Little Scroll so he will be prepared to prophesy about the Final Judgement. Yes. The Final Judgement is coming and it will be terrible! But we need not fear, for we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb. The Final Judgement is necessary so that the kingdom of Heaven may come in all its glory and fullness. In the despair of Judgement, Revelation 10 brings a word of hope! Therefore, stand firm; Christ, the Victorious, is coming! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 21st April 2024 : The “Trumpet Calls”
When we look around the world, we see that it is full of wars and civil unrest. You would think that as we grow in knowledge and technology that we would also grow in peace and cooperation, but more sophisticated technology and weapons just adds another layer of complexity to the fighting. However, as Christians, we should know that there will never be world peace on earth – the Book of Revelation tells us so!
In Revelation chapters 8 & 9, we see the 6 Trumpet calls; the first four have to do with our environment and the next two the effect of the spiritual-demon world.
The breaking of the seals in Chapter 6 speaks about world events, of God’s unfolding plan in Christ through history from the perspective of the Church, and how the church will suffer in the battle of the kingdoms, the comfort being that Jesus holds the Scroll! The Trumpet calls, however, show the same event from the perspective of the Non-Believer, and the suffering that they experience as they continue to reject the Lord. The Lord’s restrained Judgement is on them, causing them to suffer the consequences of their choices – and yet their suffering is God’s mercy in the call to repent. These are strong and terrible warnings to repent.
- Revelation Chapters 8 & 9 helps us to understand why the world is like it is. There are no quick fixes or peace talks that will solve the problems because it is first of all a matter of the heart which (without Christ) is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things.
- These Trumpet calls help us to understand that the suffering in the world is not only a consequence of the rejection of God, but also the Trumpet calls sound God’s call to repent. This adds a sense of urgency to the Gospel. Jesus is the only answer to a renewed heart and transformed minds.
- These Trumpet calls also remind us of the comfort and reassurance that we have in belonging to Jesus. All those who are sealed by the Blood of the Lamb are safe; the glories of heaven await us; Justice will be done; God’s Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. Therefore, stand firm and be of good courage, for the victorious King is coming! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 7th April 2024 : Faith that works!
You remember that ‘Evangelism Explosion’ question? “If you died tonight, do you think that God would let you into heaven?” I tried that question on my Technical School teacher. He scratched his head, and said that he provided well for his family, didn’t drink too much, treated his wife okay – he was an okay bloke – and so, yeah, God would let him into heaven. This man thought his ‘good works’ would get him into heaven.
However, in the letter to Philippians Chapter 3, the Apostle Paul debunks that idea by showing his blue ribbon, top shelf religious credentials, and then declares them all but rubbish compared to knowing Christ and His Resurrection – you are saved by Grace Alone!
Then, at church one time, I met a guy who believed that we are totally saved by grace, to the extent that it didn’t matter how you lived in the body – you were saved by grace! It only takes Faith. Works (how you live) are irrelevant; you are saved by grace alone. But in his letter, James debunks this notion that you can have faith without works: you cannot have a “Workless Faith”, he writes. He teaches that there needs not only to be an intellectual assent (knowledge), but also a personal conviction (heart) that reveals itself in a Gospel-transformed life (godly living). If you like, there needs to be a movement of faith upon the mind, heart and will, so that it is a Faith that works. To put it simply, if you love Jesus, you will love to live for Jesus as He teaches us His way in the Bible. The Gospel transforms lives, so that Faith is expressed in godly lives. True faith is a Faith that works!
What are some of the evidences of true faith? In the context of James:
- Worship – the covenant community meeting together in worship to bring praise to God and to encourage one another in the Faith. To love Jesus is to love meeting with His Body in worship
- Controlling the Tongue – The tongue can set the whole course of a person’s life. In fact, Jesus says out of the mouth comes the overflow of the heart. It is not good enough to say ‘That’s just how I am!’ Faith says – “Lord, make me into what YOU want me to be.”
- No Favouritism – everyone is equal in Christ: in sin, salvation and as children of God.
4. Caring for others – Don’t just say, “Be well fed” without providing a meal. Or say, “Keep warm” without providing a coat. We are called to practise what we profess. We are saved by Grace Alone, through a Faith that works. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 31st March 2024 : Jesus is Alive! Too Good to be True?!
I like Thomas, the Disciple of Jesus. He was a very loyal and steadfast follower of Jesus. He was a deep thinker, not blustery and gung-ho like Peter, perhaps bordering on melancholic? Thomas was the one who wanted to go with Jesus to see Lazarus when the other disciples feared for their lives. Thomas was the one who asked thoughtful questions when Jesus said He was going to prepare a room for them. But, despite his devotion and the deep desire to see Jesus again, the Resurrection was such a tremendous, impossible event that Thomas was sorrowfully skeptical about it. You see, Thomas was not there when Jesus first appeared to the other Disciples, and he rejected their testimony! When they joyfully declared, “Jesus is Alive! We have seen Him!”, not only does Thomas reject the testimony of his fellow Disciples, but he also declares that, “He will not believe that Jesus is Alive until he examines His wounds!” Thomas wants to establish for himself, beyond all doubt, that this was indeed his Master Who had been crucified! It was too painful to do it any other way!
But his grief, leads to doubt which leads to bitterness (deep disappointment) which leads to his unbelief.
During his first appearance to the Disciples, when Thomas was absent, Jesus had given the Disciples their Great Commission mandate, “As the Father has sent Me; … so, I am sending you… Receive the Holy Spirit…” But how could they ‘Preach the Good News’ of the Crucified and Risen Lord when one of their number did not believe this Good News?
Now we see Jesus tenderly leading Thomas to belief. For every demand Thomas had made, Jesus gave a command. In caring grace, Jesus meets Thomas at His need and brings him to belief, finishing with the command, “Stop Doubting and Believe!” In response, Thomas, who just moments before in his grief had tried to ‘lord’ it over Jesus in laying down the conditions by which he would believe, now confesses Jesus as “LORD!” In this declaration, Thomas not only declares that Jesus is Risen, but he also confesses something else that the Resurrection implied: That Jesus is both God and man, as he declares, “My Lord and my God!”
Notice how Jesus accepts this declaration of Thomas, witnessing to His divinity – being God. For it is a true and right confession: Jesus is Lord and God. Jesus goes on, “Because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
This testimony of the eyewitness of the Apostles was to become foundational for the church in history; their eyewitness account is also foundational to our believing today. We have a faith based on historical and objective facts founded on the eyewitness that would stand up in a court of Law.
And that is the whole aim of John’s Gospel; these things have been written “So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that in believing you may have life in His Name.” Do you live with the assurance of sins forgiven and life eternal? Does the Resurrection of Jesus give you hope and strength, joy and confidence to face each day and the future? Stop doubting and Believe! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 24th March 2024 : It is Finished!
What does it mean to you that “Jesus died on the Cross to pay for all my sins”? How does ‘Jesus dying on the Cross to pay for all my sins’ translate into everyday life? Because often we can live as though the “Finished” work of Jesus is not enough! We continue to live under the shame of actions in the past, or we continue to live under sin by watching and reading things that are not godly, or we fear a work review, or as married couples we continue in the blame game, with lack of forgiveness and fault finding. Instead of resting in the “Finished” work of Jesus, we often try to perform our best for God in our attempt to get right with Him.
Other times we can live in doubt. “How can God truly forgive me?” we think, as we wait for the axe to fall, or,” I am not good enough to be a Christian!”, or we say, “I cannot break my enslavement to this sin.” But in His cry from the Cross, “It is Finished!” Jesus has ‘finished’ all our shame and regret, our condemnation in sin, our future judgement under the wrath of God, our slavery to sin, and our alienation and enmity from God and other people. In His death on the Cross, Jesus has paid for all of our sins and removed our guilt, so that we stand Holy, Blameless and Pure before the Father in Him, now Adopted as His Beloved Children, so safe and secure that nothing can separate us from the Father.
Now, living by grace alone is not a licence to live how we like or to have a disregard for sin because all is forgiven anyhow. No, we are called to ‘reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under Law but under grace.’
So, what does that mean, to reckon yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus? Firstly, it means that in faith you grasp hold of this truth, that your sins – every single one of them – is forgiven and forgotten! Do not continue to live in guilt; don’t insult Jesus by effectively saying that His death was not enough – It is Finished! Secondly, it means to live for God. He has given you the gift of the Bible to guide you and the power of His Holy Spirit to strengthen you, so live for Him in all you say and think and do, and yes, even feel! Let your life be transformed and renewed in Christ. Make Him the central focus of all your living; it is all about giving glory to Him. Thirdly, live by grace! Stop trying to do it in your own strength. On that first Good Friday, Jesus shouted out triumphantly, “It is Finished!” And He calls you to live in that finished work with joy and praise as you go about everyday life in Him. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 17th March 2024 : I Thirst!
Crucifixion is a horrible and excruciating way to die. The criminals are beaten with rods and whipped with a heavy Roman whip, tipped with metal and bone that tear chunks of skin out of the back with every lash. This is even before they are hung up on the cross.
Jesus probably hadn’t had anything to drink since the Last Supper in the Upper Room, because on the Thursday evening He was arrested and brought to ‘trial’. He had been hanging on the Cross for some 6 hours, three hours of this in the blazing sun, His wounds festering, His body dehydrated and weakening as He tried to push Himself up in order to breathe, and then there was the three hours in the darkness of God’s Judgement, suffering the sheer terror and agony of hell. You know, when you are frightened your mouth goes dry. Now add that to the dehydration of being on the Cross and there would be an overwhelming thirst.
We find Jesus speaking from the Cross (maybe croaking?), “I Thirst!” That would have been an understatement! This cry of Jesus shows the depths of His suffering. It was the end result of all His pain and suffering prophesied in Psalms 22 & 69. In His humanness, Jesus identified with us, completely bearing all the pain on Himself to be our substitute. When Jesus cried out, “Why have you forsaken me?!” He revealed the torment of His soul; When He said, “I Thirst!” He revealed the torture of His physical suffering. Jesus suffered in our place: Body and Soul that we would be saved. He is the Living Water that we should never thirst again.
Also, the cry of Jesus, “I Thirst!” was to prepare Himself for His death. Although Jesus had fulfilled the Scriptures in doing all that the Father called Him to do as our Saviour, now He prepares for His physical death. Jesus takes a refreshing drink, reclaims His strength, and strongly declares in a Victory cry, “It is Finished!” and “Father into your hands I commit my spirit.” Here Jesus gave Himself up to death as the final act of salvation on the Cross, bringing salvation to its end goal. His physical death on the Cross was the last act of Redemption as our High Priest. Willingly and voluntarily, as an act of His free will, He gave His life as the Once-for-all sacrifice.
We are called this morning to come and drink at the fountain of Living Water, to be refreshed to the New Life in Jesus our Lord and Saviour, so that we would never thirst again! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 10th March 2024 : A Son’s Farewell
What place does Church have in your life? Do you give Church a miss when family comes to visit? Are you investing in the relationships in the church as much as you are investing in your own family relationships? Where are these questions coming from?
It is an outworking of the Third Words of Jesus on the Cross. While hanging presumably naked in absolute humiliation on the Cross, Jesus speaks to His mother, Mary. In these words, Jesus distances Himself as the son of Mary, His mother, to rather be the Saviour of Mary as the Christ. Note that Jesus calls Mary, “Woman” in relation to Himself, but calls her “Mother” in relation to John. As the eldest son, Jesus was responsible for the care and welfare of His widowed mother. Jesus now passes that responsibility on to John. Mary no longer has any authority over Him as her son; that earthly relationship has been surpassed by the heavenly/spiritual one in salvation.
Jesus taught this earlier on in His ministry in Matthew 10, “Whoever loves his father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me…” Our spiritual relationship as Believers in Christ as the Church is superior to our family relationships on earth. Later, John the Disciple would become John the Apostle, and Mary would be his disciple/parishioner, under his spiritual care. This reflects the changing nature of relationships in Christ. In the Church, a son may be an Elder with spiritual responsibility over his father; the labourer over the executive; the student over his teacher.
The Church is a unique and special relationship, more significant than the family – God’s chosen and saved people, part of the family of God as His Beloved children. Yet how many people would see the Church that way? So, the questions asked in the beginning of this devotion. What investment of relationships are you and I making in the church?
Meeting together in worship is the highest expression of love and unity! In the light of this truth, next time your family visits, why not bring them to worship with us, rather than staying away?
May we grow in a Biblical understanding of what the Church is as the Body of Christ, as the Communion of the Saints, which Jesus gave to us from His suffering and dying on the Cross. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 3rd March 2024 : Father, Forgive them ….
This time of year is known on the church calendar as ‘Lent’, the time that the church usually focuses more intently on the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. For us, in this time of Lent we will be considering some of the words of Jesus on the Cross, the first of which is, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Now at first sight this seems a little incredible! Just think, Jesus had been falsely tried by the Church Leaders, beaten by Herod’s guards and pronounced innocent by Pilate, yet was handed over to be crucified, mocked, slapped, spat upon, whipped, until finally Jesus is nailed to the Cross in an act of utter public humiliation, and the first thing He says is, “Father forgive them!” We would be ropable with anger and indignation! And then to top it off, there is no fire from heaven to defend Jesus from this terrible course of injustice. Heaven is silent in judgement. Why?
Because as they nailed Jesus to the Cross Jesus prayed an intercessory prayer seeking their forgiveness: “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do.” As He prayed this prayer the Judgement of God was stayed. Why did Jesus pray this? 1. Because His crucifixion was Intentional. As the Messiah He had come to die and give His life for the forgiveness of sins. He was born in Bethlehem with the express intent to die at Calvary. It was the Lord’s will to cause Him to suffer. 2. We see also that Jesus was crucified Voluntarily. Jesus had come to do the Father’s will, as seen in His Garden of Gethsemane prayer “Father, not My will but Yours be done!” 3. And lastly, we see that Jesus was crucified for our salvation, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
All that were involved in the crucifixion of Jesus did not realise the full significance of their actions because they were ignorant. The Sanhedrin did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah; the Roman Soldiers saw Jesus as just another Jewish nuisance; the people had no idea that they were crucifying the Lord of Glory. In Acts 3, the Apostle Peter declared that they acted in ignorance. That does not mean they were not responsible for crucifying the Christ – but rather that they did so in ignorance. And so, the prayer of Jesus gave them the opportunity to repent and have their sins wiped out in forgiveness. But you know, in our sin, we too were there at the Cross! We were there pounding the nails into his hands and feet. We were there sneering and jeering. The prayer of Jesus for forgiveness is for us too! That Prayer is calling us to repent and follow Jesus as Lord and Saviour. “Father forgive them…” Are you forgiven? Pastor Alan
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Sunday 11th February 2024 : The Day of the Lord
We all desire justice – from whatever perspective we hold. Pro-Palestinians believe justice is to drive out the Israelis from the land. Israeli justice is to destroy Hamas. President Putin’s justice is to reclaim Ukraine for the Empire. For some, Aboriginal justice is being recognised as traditional owners of the Land, being recompensed for past wrongs and self-determination.
We find in Revelation Chapter 6 that the ‘Martyred Saints’ under the Altar, who had been sacrificed for the sake of the Kingdom because they stuck faithfully to living and preaching the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, also cried for justice, “How long before you will judge and avenge the blood on those who dwell on the earth?!” Note that their cry is not a prayer for revenge; it is not personal vendetta, nor a thirst for personal reprisal. Rather, it is a PRAYER for God’s Honour! It’s a prayer for the end of evil and the destruction of Satan and his kingdom, and that in this, God will bring Justice! And that is what we also are praying for when we pray “Maranatha, Lord Jesus come quickly”, as we desire that Jesus would Return and bring us into the full glory of heaven. That’s the ‘positive side’. The ‘negative side’ is that when Jesus Returns as Lord, it will also be as Judge. And that is the opening of the sixth seal, where the Lord will come in His Holy Wrath to judge the nations and bring His Justice to bear, punishing every evil act and putting right every wrong that’s been perpetrated. As Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!” The Gospel is a double-edged sword. It brings the message of salvation for all who repent and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, but it also condemns people to Hell if they do not follow Jesus! On the one hand, Believers are drawn into the love and fellowship of God through Jesus, but on the other hand, the Lord withdraws His love and fellowship from unbelievers, and so they are left under His wrath and judgement… forever.
The Lord answers the Martyred Saints: Be patient a little while longer until all those the Father has chosen would be called into repentance and faith. Justice is coming! It’s when the time of grace is fulfilled.
Of note is that while the ‘Day of the Lord’ strikes terror into the heart of the unbeliever in the face of the coming judgement of the wrath of God upon them, for the Believer the coming of the ‘Day of Christ’ brings an excited sense of anticipation, as we will be embraced fully into the love and fellowship of God in glory. That is why we sing, “Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!” Pastor Alan
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Sunday 19th November 2023 : The Four Horsemen
The Book of Revelation is about standing firm and overcoming because the Kingdom of God is coming in Christ the King. Revelation describes the coming of the Kingdom in history. Jesus holds the Scroll detailing God’s will and purposes in claiming back His Kingdom from the powers of Satan. In the beginning, when Adam sinned against the Lord, God declared War in Genesis 3: 15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head and you shall strike His heel.” This promise of enmity is nothing less than drawing the battle line between Satan and Christ. And so, the world, our history, is played out on the backdrop of the battle of these Two Powers. There are two powers but only one world: The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are battling it out over this one world.
Now in Revelation, the Seven Seals, Bowls and Trumpets reveal to us HOW the battle is fought, HOW God is reclaiming the World from the powers of Satan. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by world events, and ask what is the world coming to? Things just seem to be galloping out of control! Consider RUSSIA invading Ukraine; the US pulling out of AFGHANISTAN and letting it back into the hands of extremists; HAMAS inflicting a horrifying terrorist attack in Israel and Israel retaliating in Gaza. And sometimes you wonder if we are on the verge of World War III?
Revelation 6:1-8 depicts the release of four horsemen in the world. 1. A White Horse depicting The Kingdom of Christ advancing in the world in victory. 2. A Red Horse symbolising slaughter and bloodshed as the rider removes peace from the world. 3. A Black Horse that represents famine, natural disasters and economic hardship. And finally, 4. A Pale Horse symbolising Death, swinging his awful sword in his powerful fist, followed behind by Hades to swallow up the victims that may fall in his path.
When we put all four horsemen together, we get a pretty overwhelming picture! But here is the KEY: The history of the world is about Jesus Christ and the coming of His Kingdom. Consequently, ‘these things must happen’ as Jesus advances the Kingdom, and Satan violently opposes it. However, we need not live in fear! Wars, famines, injustices and death are all part of the Coming of the Kingdom. And they will go no further than Christ the King allows to achieve His redemptive purposes, as God uses His restraining Judgement to keep evil from triumphing! Do not fear, the King is Coming! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 12th November 2023 : New Life; New Lifestyle: Genuine Love
The Beatles sang, “All you need is Love!” But is love all you need? What about the wife who loves her husband but does not respect him? Or the husband who loves his wife but loves being with his mates more? Elvis sang, “I can’t help falling in love with you”, as if love is this uncontrollable force that hits you when it wills and you just have to ride with it regardless of any boundaries of marriage or commitment or respect.
The Apostle Paul declares, “Let love be genuine!” He calls us to the ‘Real Deal’ about love, which is to love one another AS God has loved us; that is, a sacrificial love that has the other person’s best interests in mind. So, what does that look like in everyday practical terms? Paul goes on to explain that Genuine Love is to be shaped by having the Right Values, in a Right Relationship, with the Right Focus.
Genuine Love is expressed through the ‘Right Values’ – which is to abhor evil and hold fast to what is good. This means to discern and intentionally turn away and separate ourselves from what is evil, to hate that which God hates, and to cling (the same word as a husband cleaving to his wife in Genesis 2:24) to what is good; that is, according to God’s standards. That means Genuine Love cannot cross the boundaries of marriage or God’s design for creation. Sorry Elvis, your love is probably more lust than love! Also, sorry Beatles, love cannot be used to cross the Lord’s boundaries – you need more than “love”.
Genuine Love is also expressed through ‘Right Relationships’; that is to love one another with a “Brotherly Love”. This means as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, honouring one another by respecting the position and gifts that God has assigned to each one of us, no one being greater or lesser than the other, but all are one in Christ.
Genuine Love is further expressed in having the ‘Right Focus’ – through serving the Lord in all things, not being irked when things don’t go your way, but rather being passionate about doing things God’s way.
We can remain motivated to live this love by being sure of the Hope that is in Jesus, being patient in the trying times, because we know God has it all in hand and only seeks our best – and all this is held together by prayer. Our love grows as we draw near to the Lord in prayer. This is a practical outworking of being the Body of Christ! As we bask in the Love of the Father, may we also grow in Genuine Love – His love flowing through us to others. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 5th November 2023 : No Condemnation!
October 31st is celebrated in our society as Halloween. It is certainly a strongly pushed marketing item, though originally was an event tied to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Today, it has also become a celebration of horror, being associated with the macabre and supernatural.
In a sense this is not new. In the time of the Reformation, Tetzel, a Roman Catholic priest, went around towns and villages putting on stage a play about suffering in purgatory that scared the wits out of people so that they lined up to buy certificates of indulgence (for the forgiveness of a certain number of temporal sins). The church of the day also held mass for the dead to shorten the stay of a loved one in purgatory (with a fee involved). Martin Luther was so incensed by this ‘rip-off’ marketing strategy that played in people’s fear to raise funds to build St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, that he nailed his 95 theses on the Castle Door in protest against this practice (among others)! The Reformation recaptured the Gospel in the Biblical teaching of ‘Saved by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone’.
The Apostle Paul writes about this so beautifully in Romans Chapters 7 & 8. Being aware of his sin and sinfulness before the Holy God as accused by the Law, and struggling to make things right by his own actions, in desperation he finally declares, “What a wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death!” He is wretched because he knows that he himself cannot do anything at all to find favour with God. All his thoughts and actions were tainted by sin and condemned him even further. What is the answer to his plea? Jesus! Jesus Crucified on the Cross and Resurrected from the Dead to pay the penalty for all the sins of those who believe in Him as their Lord and Saviour. “There is therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
The Apostle goes on here in Chapter 8, and confirms our unshakeable and secure standing in salvation before God: that there is also NO ALIENATION – for the Lord has committed Himself to us and our destiny by adoption so that we are co-heirs with Christ. Added to that, there is NO ACCUSATION (the Law cannot accuse us of sin) – as Jesus, Who died for our sins, is in heaven as mediator interceding for us. And there is NO SEPARATION – as the Father in His love has reached down to us in Jesus and made us His own. Our salvation is safe and secure for eternity as it is by Grace Alone – God’s gift to us through Christ. Therefore, as Christians our attention is not on the dead, but on the living; here on earth or the saints in heaven. That is why we do not celebrate Halloween, but the Reformation! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 29th October 2023 : Worthy is the Lamb!
Do you find the worship service boring? Or do you find it invigorating? What makes the difference?
Last Wednesday at the prayer meeting we considered Psalm 73. In light of the prosperity and carefreeness of the wicked, the psalmist was ready to throw out his faith in his envy and bitterness for what he felt he was not getting as a Believer. His lack of prosperity compared to the wicked didn’t align with God’s Covenant promises! However, it all changed when he entered into the Sanctuary of God and saw life from God’s perspective! The wicked will get what they deserve, and the righteous will be kept by the Lord. God’s promises are being fulfilled!
We see a similar thing with the Apostle John. He is exiled on the Isle of Patmos and is not in a good headspace. He is considering what will become of the Church of Christ? After the initial establishment years, it looks like it is all ‘turning to custard’! The Jews are scattered; the church is under severe persecution; all the other Apostles have been martyred. What hope is there for the future? King Jesus, in compassion and kindness, gives John a vision of revelation – a peep into the Throne Room of Heaven.
There John sees the Lamb that was slain and the confirmation that all that the church has ever been promised through the Scriptures and all that we have ever prayed for is now about to come to pass. He sees the Lamb of God receiving the singing of a New Song of Praise by the choir of Cherubim, Elders and angels, and all creatures on earth praising the Lamb as being worthy to open the scroll and bring to completion the work of Redemption, when all things will be made new and all evil dealt with once-for-all time. John is comforted and exhilarated. God has it in hand.
Worship is where we find the encouragement, refreshment and enlightenment of God’s plan of Redemption and His working it out in our history. Our worship on earth is an echo of the worship and praise in heaven. It is invigorating, inspiring and comforting as it lifts us up out of our bubble of wants, desires and troubles of this life, and focuses our eyes to heaven where God is sitting on the Throne, and Jesus the Lamb is breaking open the seals of the scroll. It calls us to heart-felt praise!
Now that is a wonderful perspective to worship – is it not? Pastor Alan
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Sunday 22nd October 2023 : Who is Worthy?
I don’t know about you, but I have always wondered about how the scroll and the seven seals in the Book of Revelation worked – not the meaning so much, but what this scroll might have looked like for the seven seals to be opened one at a time and how things start happening when they were opened. The Scroll is typical of Roman Title Deeds and official documents.
The seal indicated the importance of the documents and that only authorised people could open it. In Revelation Chapter 5, the Mighty Angel gave a very loud cry looking for who was worthy to open the scroll in God’s right hand. No-one in all creation could be found.
John wept deeply because if the scroll of God’s plan for Redemption could not be opened, then the Kingdom would not come. However, one of the Elders comforts John. Yes, there is One who is worthy; the Lion Who was first the Lamb – Jesus Christ the Lord’s anointed Messiah-King. It is Jesus Who brings God’s plan of redemption into action and to its completion. Heaven is real; the Kingdom will come in all its glory and fullness in Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 15th October 2023 : God is on His Throne!
In the Old Testament (2 Kings 6:8-23) there is the event involving the Prophet Elisha and the King of Aram. As the Lord’s Prophet, Elisha kept warning the King of Israel of the King of Aram’s plans. The King of Aram was furious and instructed his men to find Elisha, and upon finding Elisha at Dothan, he sent his army of horses and chariots to surround the city. When Elisha’s attendant got up in the morning, he saw the entire city surrounded by horses and chariots. In panic he cries out to Elisha, “My Lord what shall we do?” To which Elisha replies, “Do not fear; the Aramean army is not an army. Look to the hills; now this is an army!” The mountains were ablaze with horses and chariots of fire all around them.
The point is, as we see in Revelation Chapter 4, God is sitting on the Throne! He is ruling with power, might and splendour, with all glory and majesty. Therefore, we are called not to fear! Nothing will, or even can, happen outside the Lord’s will and purpose.
The Apostle John is exiled on the island of Patmos, and was utterly discouraged. Jerusalem had been destroyed in 70 A.D. with the Jews massacred and scattered. The new church was being severely persecuted and there was no king to defend them on earth or to redeem Israel. What did the future hold? Who is really in charge? The Lord Jesus gives John the vision of the Book of Revelation to reassure him that God is sitting on His Throne! He is in charge of the earth and of history, and will bring it to His appointed Redemptive end.
We have the same question today. “Who is really in charge here?” What will the future bring as Hamas instigates a concerted terrorist attack on Israel, as Russia has invaded Ukraine, as civil wars continue on around the world (Sudan, Africa, Myanmar and the list goes on), as there are earthquakes and floods and fires, and as our country goes to the Referendum and we wonder what the future will bring (whatever the result). The Lord Jesus comforts John and us; See, God is on the Throne! He’s got this under control! Just rest in Him – the Power of His might and the comfort of His promises.
Therefore, in a chaotic world and the struggles of life, there is this comfort, reassurance and hope for the future. God is on His Throne! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 1st October 2023 : The Exalted Christ Reigns as King!
In the Apostle’s Creed we confess that we believe that Jesus (in His Exaltation) Rose from the Dead, Ascended into Heaven, and now sits at the Right Hand of the Father, ruling over all history and creation with all power, authority and dominion. But where is that rule of Jesus here on earth? The climate is all wonky, many countries are at war or civil unrest, we are using earth’s resources as if they were limitless, crime and violence is rampart, there is a housing crisis as people try to find an affordable place to live. Christian Martyrdom was higher in the 20th century than all the previous 19 centuries before. Where is the kingly rule of Jesus of love and peace?
Well, firstly, there is a battle going on between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Jesus conquered sin, death and Satan at the Cross when he died, rose again, and ascended into heaven. But He has not applied that victory in its fullness because there are many who have yet to be called into faith in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. When all those the Father has given to Jesus have been called in, Jesus will then Return as Judge to deal with sin, death and Satan once-for-all by throwing them into the Lake of Fire.
And secondly, Christ is ruling over all things for the Church, to bring God’s plan of salvation to its fullness. His Kingdom on earth is through the Church, the Body of Believers who bring a godly influence on society by their Gospel witness and applying the teaching of the Bible to all of life. King Jesus, to Whom all power and authority and dominion has been given, has commanded His Church to make Disciples of all nations, baptising and teaching them all He has commanded. The Church, empowered and guided through His Word and Holy Spirit, is His light and salting influence in the world.
The Gospel is our comfort, strength and hope. We, as the church, are soldiers of the Cross bringing His rule and peace into a rebellious world, as the Gospel (through the work of the Holy Spirit) converts hearts and transforms minds to King Jesus. The Church in its worship and meetings with the Word, worship, and prayer, is the Battle Station where we are refreshed, strengthened and equipped for the battle. Each one of us has been given gifts to build up the Body of Christ. One of the enemies we are fighting is our own sinful nature, where we see the world through the perspective of “how we feel we are affected” rather than through the eyes of the Gospel! Let us focus our eyes on exalted King Jesus Who is sitting at the Right Hand of the Father, ruling over all things for the Church.
Let us draw strength, comfort and hope from that, as we live our everyday lives in the world. Jesus as King is doing something – He is bringing in His Kingdom! Pastor Alan
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Sunday 24th September 2023 : To Live is Christ, to Die is Gain
The Apostle Paul is in prison. He is awaiting trial, and the prospect of execution is very real. Looking into the face of death, he considers his life and purpose. Paul declares that his eager expectation and hope, with full courage, is that Christ will be honoured in his body, whether by life or by death. His purpose in life is to glorify Christ! He declares, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” If he lived and was set free, he would continue his work in bringing the Gospel and caring for the churches, building up the church of Christ. If he was executed and died, he would bring glory to Christ in his martyrdom, and go into the glory of heaven. Both would bring glory to Christ as they were different seasons of salvation, each in their own place and in their own turn. As Believers we live today in the anticipation of the glory of Tomorrow: the Return of Jesus. The hope of heaven gives meaning and purpose for today. One cannot be without the other. What a wonderful comfort that is!
The beauty of this is that the glory of heaven breaks through into our lives today! The moment we believed in Jesus, we received the gift of eternal life. With Christ dwelling in us through His Holy Spirit we are new creations, with the call and privilege to praise God with our whole lives. Everything we are and do, everything we speak, think and feel is to be an expression of praise to the Lord! That is why Paul declares, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain!” The glory of Christ gives us purpose, meaning and drive for living. It is like living with one foot in heaven already.
But sometimes we fall into the temptation of living for ourselves instead of for Christ. That is the constant tension of battling with the sinful nature. One of the ways to evaluate that is to ask yourself: “For me (use your name) to live is …….” And then write down what are the most important things in your life. What is your purpose for living? What are you investing your time and energy in? Do your priorities draw you closer to Christ or further away from Him? Just remember – anything else but Christ is but loss, because earthly things pass away when we die. Why invest in something that will be lost when you can invest in matters eternal? As the Apostle Paul declares, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Pastor Alan
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Sunday 17th September 2023 : To Whom can I be a Neighbour?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is about ‘How are we saved?’ A lawyer came to Jesus and asked Him, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The Teachers of the Law taught that you enter into heaven by keeping the Laws of Moses. But Jesus had been teaching that entry into the kingdom of God was by Repentance for the Forgiveness of sins (for the Law drives us to the Lord seeking forgiveness). Jesus, however, surprises the Lawyer by asking him what is written in the Law; which is to Love God and your neighbour as yourself. Jesus urges the Lawyer to keep the Law and he will have eternal life. But the Lawyer knows he cannot keep the Law perfectly; he hates the Gentiles and Samaritans, tax-collectors and the riff-raff of society; in fact he considers them enemies of God. To justify himself, the Lawyer asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” (Thinking that if he can narrow the ‘neighbour’ down to relatives and God-fearing Jews, he might have a chance). Jesus then tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan, revealing that even the Samaritan obeys the Law better than the Lawyer by acting with compassion in loving his Jewish neighbour! The Law is about relationship! It is God loving His people and His people loving God, reflected in living by the Law as an expression of that loving relationship. There is no way the Lawyer can enter heaven by his own merit. Without having mercy, he has missed the very intent of the Law. The only way into heaven is by God’s love and mercy in forgiveness, which is pictured in this Parable.
Jesus then concludes, “You go and do likewise!” That is, in God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus, love your neighbour with mercy and compassion. Don’t use the ‘Law’ for excuses to bypass the hurt and injustices you see and come into contact with. The thing is that we are overwhelmed by injustices and hurt in the world: Abortion, domestic violence, sexual abuse, extortion, slavery and human trafficking, refugees, Aboriginal issues, Aged Care and loneliness, neglect, financial enslavement, and the list goes on.
The International Justice Mission seeks to protect people in poverty from violence by rescuing victims, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts. This one way we could show mercy and compassion. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 10th September 2023 : Laodicea – A Nauseating Church!
Some of us had the privilege of attending a presentation by Rev. Victor Atallah (Director of MERF) last Thursday evening. One of the highlights was hearing how the Gospel is spreading in the Middle East and African countries. A question was asked about the decline of Christianity in the Western World, and it is a good question to consider, because Europe was where the fire of the REFORMATION swept through: France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and England. It changed the face of Europe economically, in civil law, and in terms of how society lived. The Reformation brought Democracy and ‘broke the back’ of the Monarchs. That was quite a transformation! And now?
The church in Europe is small, weak and defeated. In the up-and-coming Liberal Theology (influenced by Darwinian Evolution) the authenticity of the Bible was questioned, Jesus as both God and Man was attacked and the Gospel was made irrelevant as the tenets of the Social Gospel were adopted. In many ways the churches have become merely a humanitarian organisation, bringing a social Gospel, priding itself for its work of social relief.
Many reasons could be considered for the decline of the church in the West, but the church in Laodicea gives us a good clue for one of those considerations: finding security in riches. As the era of reason grew and technology advanced and the information explosion hit, mankind simply didn’t need God anymore. In fact, there has been movement to push God right out the picture altogether! Evolution doesn’t need God to explain the world and how it came about. The Climate Change movement has put humans in charge of our environmental destiny. Religion is considered to be but a crutch for weak-minded people. You can be who you want to be, what you want to be and how you want to be – the world is your oyster; your destiny is in your hands!
The Church in Laodicea was so rich that they didn’t need God; they thought that they were independent and well off. But Jesus gives a scathing assessment – they were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. Their riches and independence had made them blind to the reality of sin and their need for the Gospel, that in their sin they stood as wretched sinners, naked in their sin and shame before the Holy God. And yet, Jesus knocks on the door of His own church, inviting them to return in fellowship with Him through repentance and faith.
Oh, the Glory of the Gospel, with its ongoing call to repent and return to the Lord! Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the riches of the Kingdom in eating at the Banquet Table of the King and sitting with Him in the Throne Room are a far greater glory of riches than anything earth can offer. Let him who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Pastor Alan
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Sunday 3rd September 2023 : The Father’s Great Love
Identity is fundamentally important. Knowing who you are and where you belong, and feeling loved and accepted, gives you strength and courage to face the difficulties of life. One of the struggles people who are adopted have is the question, “Why did my biological parents reject me?” And yet, one of the beauties of adoption is that the adopting parents accept and make a life-time commitment to their adopted child as their very own – as if they had been born from their own bodies.
The Apostle John is writing to the churches who are being attacked by false teachers who denied sin and the need for Jesus as the Saviour. John comforts and encourages his readers by teaching that as Believers they have been adopted by God the Father as His Beloved Children. In Jesus Crucified and Risen, in victory over sin, death and hell, God the Father declares that we are His Children and that He has made a commitment to our eternal destiny! But more than that, by the Holy Spirit our hearts have been regenerated, so that we are ‘born of God’ and joined with Christ as His Body. The Holy Spirit now lives in us as new creations in Christ. Therefore we live with confidence and the anticipation of the Coming of Jesus at the end of time, like citizens anticipating the celebration of the visit of their Queen.
But there was still a problem. There was still the struggle with sin in their lives; they fell into temptation, failed to live perfect lives, even sometimes struggling with believing! The Apostle John encourages and comforts them further. Beloved, we are the Children of God now, but there is more to come when Jesus Returns, when we will be made completely like Jesus, receiving the glorification of Salvation. When Jesus Returns, sin will be dealt with in the Judgement, and He will make everything new! They were already Children of God, but not yet in all its glory and fullness which will come when Jesus Returns.
Knowing and experiencing God the Father’s commitment to us as Believers, by His adopting us as His Children and living in us by His Holy Spirit, provides us a sense of identity as the Beloved Children of God, and the courage to face the world in which we live. As earthly fathers we have the tremendous privilege and responsibility to show our children that love and commitment of our Heavenly Father, so that they too may possess the comfort and courage to live in their spiritual inheritance: being the Beloved Children of God. Pastor Alan
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