Sights of Sydney

One of the privileges and blessings of immigrating to Australia is not only is it a "beautiful part of the world," but we have the opportunity to share it with visitors.  Currently we are hosting a friend from the States and it has been fun to break away from the typical routine and visit some lovely places as a family.  Our travels have taken us to the backyard, beach, and Blue Mountains where we have seen the creation of God beautifully presented.  It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, yet a million words cannot adequately convey experiencing what God has made firsthand.  Enjoy!

 Bronte Beach

 Bondi Beach

 Jamison Valley

Wentworth Falls

 Walking the National Pass

Empress Falls

Glory In Death

"But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."

John 12:23-24

Yesterday we celebrated Good Friday, a day which commemorates the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary.  His crucifixion was the hour for which He had been sent by the Father, the hour when He would be glorified.  Death of the body was the path to eternal glory, but it has struck me afresh how the death of Jesus was His hour of glory.  It is true Jesus was raised in glory (1 Cor. 15:43) yet in this passage He pointed to His death as His hour of glory.

Receiving glory from dying well is not an uncommon concept, like how a soldier is recognised for sacrificing himself for the sake of his fellow comrade.  Such stories are legendary.  No good warrior wants to die, but the one who willingly places himself in jeopardy to aid others embodies courage and heroism.  Jesus laid aside all instincts of self-preservation and chose to face an excruciating death in obedience to the Father.  His demonstration of love, compassion, forgiveness, and grace as He was nailed to a cross and ultimately breathed His last reveals the supernatural power of God.  Three days later He would rise from the dead and prove His victory of sin and death, proving He is indeed the Messiah.

Jesus was victorious in death, and Christians follow in Christ's victory when we die to self.  The resurrected life of Jesus Christ is on display when we take up our cross and deny ourselves to follow Him, the One who always did the will of the Father.  The death of Jesus is interpreted as weakness by some, but it took supernatural strength.  Whenever we choose to deny the inclinations of our sinful flesh to walk in the way which fully pleases God, Jesus is glorified.  It proves He was victorious in death, and is evidence He was that grain of wheat which fell to the ground and is still producing a good crop.  It may not be we will be called to martyrdom for the sake of Jesus, but God is glorified when we die to self.  That is our hour of victory and God's glory.

Breaking Through

Years ago when a youth camp concluded, I asked one of our girls if she enjoyed it.  She said somewhat wistfully, “It was fine…there wasn’t a breakthrough or anything.”  I was struck by her desire for camp to provide a “breakthrough” experience.  It seemed she had expectations which had not been met and she would need to wait for the next camp.  I thought, what is it God needs to break through to reach her heart?  Is there anything which stands in the way of my fellowship with God?  God is able to break through in an instant, but willingness and vulnerability are often needed to align our posture with God’s Word which pierces like a sword.  We should not expect breakthroughs when we will not consent.

God says when we return and seek the LORD with all our hearts we will find Him (Deut. 4:29).  There must be a deep sense of personal lack as the rich young ruler which causes us to seek Christ, but also the persistence and faith of the woman of Canaan who pleaded for Jesus to heal her daughter.  I love the faith displayed by the men who were desperate to bring their paralysed friend to Jesus in Capernaum.  As Jesus preached the Word to people packed into a house Mark 2:3-4 says, “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. [4] And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.”

It was impressed upon me today when reading this passage that we might desire a “breakthrough,” but we are the ones who must persist in breaking through to Jesus.  Faith in Jesus and the power of the Gospel can break through anything which stands in the way.  God desires to be known and Jesus can be found, but it is not His fault if we remain at a distance.  He has come to us and earned the victory on Calvary.  His blood is sufficient to wash us of all sin, the Holy Spirit has been sent to fill our hearts, and we are empowered by God to do all He has commanded us with joy.  At the same time, no effort of the flesh can break through to knowing God by force.  We must submit to God and be willingly broken for our sins, and faith in Christ goads us to break through anything which hinders us from healing and salvation.

God has done glorious things, and our living, loving Saviour continues to do His wonders to this day.  Faith in Christ strengthens us to persist in breaking through all obstacles to discover the wonder of His presence.  You don’t need to wait for next camp or another day to seek the LORD with your whole heart.  Praise God!

To Be Loved

There is a thirst in every human heart to be loved.  No love in this life is able to fully satisfy.  Much of what we love cannot love us back.  If a man loves money, his money cannot love him in return.  The song you love to sing does not love you.  Careers end, fame diminishes, health fails, and the laughter stops, and all that remains is silenced by the grave.  My marriage vows included the phrase “Till death do us part,” an acknowledgement that even true love on earth has an end.   My love has limits of scope, intensity, and duration.  I am convinced there is nothing and no one in this world (without the love of God) who loves me with an enduring love – or even actively loves me at all.

God has revealed Himself as the only true source of everlasting love.  Love is one of the defining characteristics for God, for 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”  God’s love is the only love which will endure forever, for it is everlasting even as God is (Jer. 31:2).  Once we are born again through faith in Jesus, having been made partakers of His love, we have His infinite capacity to love bestowed upon us.  We did not earn this love through our love of God, for He first loved us (1 John 4:19).  This love springs from His goodness and grace and not of our worthiness.

It struck me today that God is under no obligation to help, forgive, or save anyone.  In a society clamouring for social justice and equality, the Gospel can fall on hearts polluted by a sense of entitlement which asserts if God allows some people into heaven, He should allow all people into heaven because He is loving.  This is a denial of man’s wickedness and God’s grace.  God was not obligated by His love to save sinners, but He graciously chose to.  He could have retained His eternal love and for our crimes justly sent all to hell, even as a righteous judge who loves his son will see justice carried out upon him.  Unrighteous men show partiality to those they love, but God does not.

Jesus was more than innocent, for He was righteous.  Jesus – God made flesh - was willing to lay down His life on Calvary to save sinners.  Jesus did not deserve to die, and not one sinner deserves to be saved.  God first loved us, and with knowledge of His everlasting love and grace we are commanded to love Him back.  Nothing in this world can love us back, and God treasures as His children those who love Him.  Our love is demonstrated through obedience, even as Jesus demonstrated His love through sacrifice.  God’s love transcends life on earth, and only in loving God will we experienced His love forever.