21st October 2024.
(Psalm 55:1-8).
The psalmist David longed to have wings so he could fly away. In a time when he was being pursued by enemies who were seeking to take his life, Israel’s king cried, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (v.6).
Like David, when we’re facing great pressure, mistreatment, hardship, or grief, we might wish we could sprout wings and fly away. But Jesus offers a better way. Rather than fleeing our struggles, He invites us to flee to Him. He said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me…and you will find rest for your souls”. See Matt 11:28-29. Rather than wishing we could fly away and escape life’s problems, we can bring them to Him.
Escape cannot give us rest, but Jesus can. Reflect then on this SLM:-
“God gives us strength to face our problems, not to flee from them.”
…Pastor Ross.
18th October 2024
(Num 13:25-14:9).
Flying solo into the face of trouble is not a good idea. It can lead to bad behaviour patterns, blaming God, and retreating into defeat.
When the majority of the spies brought a report of very intimidating giants and dangers ahead, they used the pronoun “we” seven times with no reference to the Lord (13:31-33). The Israelites were on the cusp of the ultimate blessing that God promised to them. They were eye witnesses to the miracles in Egypt, and their feet had walked the dry bottom of the Red Sea in jaw dropping victory. God’s faithfulness had been just so amazingly evident. What short memories! What extremely disappointing faithlessness! Sadly, they turned their backs on God and left the blessing behind.
Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, opted to turn to the Lord with confidence: “The Lord is with us” (14:9). When your giants show up, what will you do?…Reflect then on this SLM:-
“God’s presence is a life preserver that keeps the soul from sinking in a sea of trouble.”
…Pastor Ross.
16th October 2024.
(Col 3:12-17);(Eph 5:15).
Recently my youngest grandson asked me on several occasions, “What are you doing Grandad?” I guess they were key questions to him.
Answering to a curious little boy about certain things we do is one thing, but answering to God about our actions is infinitely more important. Wouldn’t it be helpful to think of God coming alongside us at any time to ask, “What are you doing?” Imagine how often our answers would seem meaningless or empty.
“I’m spending the entire evening watching TV.” I’m eating more food than I should.” “I’m going another day without talking to you.” “I’m arguing with my spouse.” The list could go on and on, to our embarrassment.
We are told to use our time carefully, with God’s glory in sight (1Cor 10:31; Col 3:23). Paul said , “Be very careful, then, how you live”(Eph 5:15). So, it’s a good question. God wants to know: “What are you doing?” Reflect then on this SLM:-
“Beware of spending too much time on matters of too little importance.”
14th October 2024.
(1Cor 1:17-25).
The displaying of religious symbols such as the cross is becoming more controversial in our society.
But the cross has always been controversial. In the first century, the apostle Paul said that Christ had sent him “to preach the gospel not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (vv.17-18). As followers of Christ, we see the cross as more than a powerful Christian symbol. It is the evidence of God’s power to free us from the tyranny of our sin.
In a diverse and pluralistic society, the controversy over religious symbols will no doubt continue. Whether a cross can be displayed on a public building will more than likely be determined by the courts. But displaying the power of the cross through our lives will be decided in our hearts. So reflect on this SLM:-
“Nothing speaks more clearly of God’s love than the cross.”
…Pastor Ross.
11th October 2024.
(Rom 8:31-39).
Cleland McAfee wrote the much loved hymn, “Near to the Heart of God.”
“There is a place of quiet rest/Near to the heart of God/A place where sin cannot molest/Near to the heart of God.
O Jesus, blest Redeemer/Sent from the heart of God/Hold us who wait before Thee/Near to the heart of God.”
The hymn was written in 1901 after the death of McAfee’s two nieces from diphtheria. His church choir sang it outside the quarantined home of his brother, offering words of hope about God’s heart of care.
The apostle Paul tells us that God has a heart for us (vv.31-39). Nothing–trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, powers, height, nor depth is able to separate us from the enduring love of God. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” See verse 31.
Whatever our stresses or concerns, the heart of God is the place to “rest”.
Leave it all with Him, “For He cares for you” (1Peter 5:7).
So reflect on this SLM:-
“When you’re weary in life’s struggles, find your rest in the Lord.”
….Pastor Ross.
9th October 2024.
(2 Tim 3:10-17).
When using our GPS navigation device we have all heard the word “Recalculating” when we depart from the correct route.
Second Timothy 3:16 describes the Bible as a spiritual navigation system for our journey through life. “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Doctrine or Teaching tells us which road to travel; rebuke tells us when we are off the road; correction, tells us how to get back on; training in righteousness tells us how to stay on God’s road.
The mistakes and choices that detour us from the Lord are not to be taken lightly. But failure is seldom fatal, and few decisions are final. The moment we veer off on our own, the Holy Spirit is “recalculating” and urging us to return to the Father’s way.
If we’ve drifted off course, there’s no better time than right now to heed God’s voice and return to His road. So reflect on this SLM:-
“To stay on course, trust the compass of God’s Word.”
…Pastor Ross.
7th October 2024.
(2 Cor 11:22-33);(2 Cor 12:1-10).
I must admit that I was somewhat impressed as I listened to the post match interviews following the Penrith Panthers historic fourth straight Grand Final win of 2024. Several players spoke of overcoming the challenges of injury and the loss of key players to other clubs that severely challenged their premiership defence. Others spoke of confidence in their system and reliance on those who guided them throughout the season. But the Panthers battled the challenges and prevailed.
Too often, we run from challenges. Yet the people we love to read about in the Bible are impressive because they battled challenges. Consider Paul. With the confidence of God’s help, he faced troubles head on and he conquered them. Christ’s promise to Paul and to us is: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” See 2 Corinthians 12:9.
In the confidence of God’s care we can say to the next challenge: Bring it on!…Reflect then on this SLM:-
“If God sends you on stony paths, He will provide you with strong shoes.”
…Pastor Ross.
4th October 2024.
(Phil. 2:25-30).
Epaphroditus was a Greek convert to the Christian faith. He was a close companion of Paul who served him well in his missionary enterprise. Of his friend, Paul wrote:
“Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier”(v.25).
Epaphroditus was a spiritual brother in Christ, a faithful worker who shared ministry efforts, a brave soldier of the faith, and the carrier of the inspired letter to the church at Philippi. He modelled brotherhood, a work ethic, spiritual endurance, and service. Certainly, Epaphroditus had a well-deserved reputation that showed he did not live by any pagan deity common in his day but by faith in Jesus Christ.
Even more important than our name are the Christian qualities that are seen in our life: care, dependability, encouragement, and wisdom. What words would you like others to use to describe you?…Reflect on this SLM:-
“If we take care of our character, our reputation will take care of itself!”
….Pastor Ross.
2nd October 2024.
(Phil. 3:8-16).
In golf the more thoughts you have in your head as you swing, the less likely you are to be successful. You must simplify your thought process and focus on what matters most–making solid contact with the ball.
In golf and in life, we must focus on what matters most.
In Philippians 3, Paul describes how that relates to the Christian. Rather than being distracted by lesser things, he wanted to focus on what mattered most. He said, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (vv.13-14).
“One thing I do.” In a world of distractions, it’s vital for a child of God to stay focused, and there is no better point of focus in the universe than Jesus Christ himself. Is He what matters most to you? Reflect then on this SLM:-
“We live most effectively for Christ when we keep our eyes on Him.”
….Pastor Ross.