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Pouring Complaints Before the LORD

The other day I was driving home and I saw an advertisement on an electronic billboard I had never seen before.  Though there were no provocative images displayed, the website name and words employed led me to suspect it was an adult-related site.  Since I have no interest to see ads for adult websites publicly displayed to minors in my neighbourhood and arouse their curiosity, I investigated the standards concerning ads in New South Wales and considered if there was a case to voice my concern.  In the Code of Ethics posted online, I found advertisements deemed misleading and fail to provide the benefits they claim could be reported.  I reached out to Ad Standards and expressed my concerns that the advertisement was not forthright about it potentially directed unwitting people and children to a website with adult content. I was pleased to see my concerns were followed up with a letter from Ad Standards, and I was informed the complaint would not be passed on to the P...
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Sanctification and Isolation

I have yet to meet a genuine born again Christian who believes and is convinced he is able to save himself from hell by himself.  To become a Christian means we have confessed we are sinners in need of a Saviour, and Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah sent to seek and save the lost we have chosen to follow.  Like the Galatians who began well by receiving the Gospel yet tried to justify themselves by the works of the Law, there can be Christians who receive Christ and then live as if they can sanctify themselves and can overcome sins privately on their own by willpower--without fellowship with the Body of Christ, the church.  Since God has regenerated us with the Holy Spirit and made us members of one another, how can we operate or function effectively if we are effectively cut off from the Body? It is important to remember more than good theology is needed to learn to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  If all that was needed after coming to ...
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Memory of a Duck

I was reminded of an illustration in C.H. Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students and enjoyed leafing through a few chapters trying to find what I was looking for.  The Complete and Unabridged version is a brilliant compilation of lectures Spurgeon gave to students at seminary that contain great wisdom, insight, instruction--and even a bit of humour.  Jesus used illustrations and parables in His teaching, and it follows as led by the Holy Spirit we can employ them wisely in our discourses.  One anecdote stood out from the pages I glanced over and reminded me of the importance of including illustrations to shed light on the subjects of our sermons.  Here is an excerpt from the chapter "Uses of Anecdotes and Illustrations:" " What do you remember best in the discourses you heard years ago?  I will venture to say that it is some anecdote that the preacher related.  It may possibly be some pithy sentence; but it is more probable that it is some striking story which...
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Servants in Disguise

The Scripture makes plain Jesus had miraculous power to heal in every case.  We read in  Luke 6:17-19:   " And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,  18  as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.  19  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all ."  When God put on human flesh and dwelt among His people as Jesus, this aligned with what the psalmist sang of the LORD God in  Psalm 103:2-5 :  " Bless the LORD , O my soul, a nd forget not all His benefits:  3 who forgives all your iniquities, w ho heals all your diseases,  4 who redeems your life from destruction, w ho crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  5 who satisfi...
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Follow and Glorify Him

When strangers I have never met come to the door and feign friendliness, I immediately sense these people are not at my door for the sake of visiting me but want something from me.  It is not a good feeling.  As I read the Gospels, I observe this was a regular experience for Jesus when people came to Him with their needs.  Some brought diseased family or friends for Him to heal, and others requested Jesus to accompany them home to heal a sick daughter or to share a meal--so they could try to find fault with Him.  Even as Jesus walked along random people among them hoped only to touch Him!  After Jesus fed 5,000 men and their families one day, they crossed over the lake in pursuit because they were hungry again.  People always wanted something from Jesus. In Luke 18 , Jesus was walking near Jericho and a blind beggar asked about the commotion.  After he was told Jesus of Nazareth was passing by he began to loudly cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mer...
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God's Will is Done

Of late I have been impressed with the ability of God to do exactly what He says He will do.  You can count on it:  when God says "I will" do something, there is no doubt He will do it in His time.  God is powerful enough to fulfil His word in the lives of flawed, weak people as well, like when He told Abraham that Sarah would have a son though they were both past the age of siring and bearing children.  The angel Gabriel said to the virgin Mary in  Luke 1:30-31 :  " Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS ."  Without sleeping with a man, Mary would conceive the Son of God Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Even when what God says is humanly impossible, He will be faithful to do it. Today I recalled when I first sensed God's call to pastoral ministry.  I never aspired or desired...
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Going to Great Lengths

It is easy to recognise the great lengths Jesus Christ went to fulfill His divine purpose to seek and save sinners.  The Son of God willingly chose to put on human flesh and became like us, born of a woman.  Saddled in a human body with fleshly needs and desires, God experienced what it is like to not "feel" like doing something you should do.  Jesus is distinct from all other people on our planet because He always did the will of the Father gladly.  Consider what limitations God willingly put upon Himself to be contained in the body of a newborn in the womb of Mary before being born, was raised in a family, and was told what to do by imperfect people! God left His glorious habitation in heaven and came to earth in the person of Jesus.  There are some people who can afford to travel around the globe first class, but they would rather have others attend to such business.  They would rather stay where they are than go through the inconvenience and expense of ...
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