Posted by: Jo | January 14, 2024

The Birth Of The Church

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

(Acts 1: 8)

We had a new addition to our family, a darling little, baby boy and once more watching the miracle of life as this little one became a toddler who laughed and smiled at us, imitated our actions, and became a real personality, we grasped the fact that he would not remain a little one, but one day be a full, grown man. 

The disciples were shattered when Jesus told them, after the resurrection, that he was returning to the Father, and found it hard to believe that these few were about to spread the good news of Jesus Christ across the world and wondered how they could grow from 12 disciples to enough people to spread the Good News around the world. They would have to grow and become strong just like our little boy was doing. The Holy Spirit was about to bring about the mighty birth of the church by his power. 

Jesus kept his promise and when all the disciples were gathered in one room it happened. They were given the promised power. 

“Suddenly the sound of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them to.” (Acts 2: 2 – 4)

After Peter spoke to the crowd three thousand people were baptized and joined the disciples. 

The book of Acts is an exciting book to explore for it contains vital information and examples for us, who belong to the church of Jesus Christ. We too cannot remain stagnant and not be powerful in drawing others to find the Lord Jesus Christ. We can only grow with allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us.  Just as our little boy cannot grow without the loving guidance of his parents, we need to heed the words of Our Heavenly Father and make sure we are constantly in touch with him through prayer and reading his word. 

We sing a beautiful song in our church service in which the chorus is, 

We are the church

This is a constant reminder of our unity in knowing Jesus Christ. The book of Acts gives us incredible examples of what this means, and we can learn to put into practice what those early believers learnt. 

“They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2: 42)

1 Comment

Posted in Acts, Challenge, Encourage, Ephesians, Inspiration, John, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | December 29, 2023

The Prince Of Peace Has Arrived

“For to us a child is born to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

(Isaiah 9: 6)

This Christmas we celebrated the incredible, amazing arrival of the Prince of Peace. This beautiful arrival was forecast by the Prophet Isaiah in a turbulent time, when the children of Israel longed for the long-awaited Messiah to come and bring them the only true peace that only he could give. We, who know and follow Jesus, have received the most incredible of gifts, the gift of peace from the Prince of Peace. 

When Jesus was returning to the Father, he bestowed this gift as a reassuring promise. The disciples were sad and disturbed as Jesus spoke about leaving them, but then he said these beautiful words. 

“Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14: 27)

Paul reminds all of us that the peace that Jesus surrounds us is not what the world promises, this peace is so heavenly that we humans are unable to understand it’s depth, but we can certainly feel it. 

“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 7)

Paul uses the word guard, to warn us all, that the world might promise a certain peace, but as Jesus says it will not be the kind, he is promising us. 

One of the best ways to have that beautiful peace is to stay close to the Prince of Peace himself and we can do that by seeking him through reading his word and prayer, staying on the path of truth. 

Isaiah the prophet had learnt from trusting the Heavenly Father, always allowed peace to flow around him and this peace was like no other, it was perfect. 

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26: 3)

The New Year is often the time when new resolutions are made to better us in some way, but Jesus is offering us a much more beautiful resolution.  Trust him and his words and let his peace flow around us. The perfect peace. 

2 Comments

Posted in Comfort, Isaiah, John, Philippians | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | December 12, 2023

Guided By The Light Of The Star

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews. We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

(Matthew 2: 1 – 2)

As a little girl I was always fascinated by stars and as I was born in Australia, the most incredible display in our sky was the Southern Cross. One of my favorite songs as a young child was Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, the last sentence, “How I wonder what you are,” always echoing in my mind long after the song had ended.  For centuries mankind has studied the stars and wondered of the complex truth of the amazing universe. After Jesus was born Magi (wise men) found one star brighter than any other they had ever studied. They felt it was telling them to follow it, where they would find a mighty king who was so powerful, he could command the stars. They set out on a journey, so that they could find and worship him. 

Imagine what courage and determination this took. No just hopping on an aeroplane, but a long arduous journey possibly on camels or donkeys. They also were bringing the most expensive gifts they could afford.  

Light was the first gift given by God to mankind Genesis 1: 3 and further in the chapter he created the stars. 

“He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” (Genesis 1: 16 – 17)

Stars are mentioned throughout scripture. I particularly love the verse in Job that tells us the stars sang and shouted for joy as God laid out the earth. 

“On what were it’s footings set or who laid it’s cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.” (Job 38: 6 – 7)

When Paul is writing to the Philippians, he urges them to be like stars shining the light of Jesus so others will see that light. Just like the Magi who longed to follow it, so will they, a light that will lead them to Jesus. 

“So that you can become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation which you shine like stars as you hold out the word of life.” (Philippians 2: 15)

One of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus, is found in the last book of the Bible where Jesus himself tells John who he is. 

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony to the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22: 16)

When we think of the Magi this Christmas, let us follow their example and follow the bright Morning Star that leads us to the Mighty King Jesus. Let’s bring ourselves to worship him, for He has already given us the most incredible gift ever, himself. 

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9: 15)

1 Comment

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Challenge, Corinthians, Encourage, Genesis, Job, Matthew, Philippians, Revelation, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | November 30, 2023

Belonging To The Family Of God

“He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.””

(Luke 8 : 21)

Several years ago, I lost my husband, and the grief of his death overwhelmed me and encompassed all my thoughts and actions. Of course, my immediate family were also grieving, and I tried not to burden them with mine.  A lady I knew from our church had lost her husband many years before. She asked if she may come and have a visit with me. This precious member of God’s family was a God-send for me. Her empathy for me was evident straight away her love, prayers and advice helped me to move forward. What a blessing that we both belonged to the family of God   

When Jesus was teaching the crowds of people who were milling around him, someone told him his brothers and mother were not able to get through to him and it was then he said these beautiful words for us that if we heard God’s word and put it into practice, we all became part pf his family. 

John in his first letter makes this very clear to us and emphasizes that we are God’s children. 

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.” (1 John 3: 1)

Our family is not limited to those who meet in the same building every Sunday, but for anybody who knows Jesus, hears God’s word, and does what it says. Family does not depend on color, race, culture, or denomination. Children of God are spread across our country, across the world. When Jesus was teaching us all how to pray, he begins with these words… Our Father.  (Matthew 6 : 9)

He didn’t say my Father. All through the Lord’s prayer the plural tense is used. It is a family prayer, and we are praying together and for all the family. There is a beautiful organization called “Bread for the World” that takes that sentence “Give us our daily bread” to mean we can pray for the hungry across the world, and heed God’s word and help them. When we look at the news and look in horror, we can pray again not only for us but for the family, “Deliver us from evil”.

At the same time, we need to have a special relationship with those who God has placed us near, our family members in our congregation. We need to get to know them to be aware of the hurting, the lonely, or those struggling with depression grief. Paul says this repeatedly in his letters and says this to the Colossians. 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.”  (Colossians 3: 12 – 13)

1 Comment

Posted in Colossians, John, Luke, Matthew, Psalms, Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Jo | November 16, 2023

Committed To Him

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

(2 Chronicles 16 : 9)

Just recently one of my sons-in-law was to pick up a lady from an international airport. To make sure she could find him in the crowd my son-in-law had a large sign which he held up above his head with her name on it so she knew who was the right person who was meeting her. I was thinking about this when I read this verse in Chronicles and thought perhaps that is how the Lord finds us when he is roaming the earth because we have his name emblazoned on us so when he sees us, he knows who we are and that we are committed to him and we, knowing when he sees us wherever we are, will be lifted up and be strengthened by him. 

The word commit is a very powerful word and can be used with very different meanings. We can commit a crime, or we can commit ourselves to serving God. We can be committed to evil practices, or we can be committed to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. 

So, what does it mean to us to strive to be committed to the Lord.

In the second book of Kings, Solomon who had the gift of wisdom, explains this to the children of Israel as he dedicates the temple. 

“But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and to obey his commands as at this time.” (2 Kings 8: 61)

When we follow the Lord’s commands, we are demonstrating to others the joy it can be to have his strength supporting us through life and to lead them to seek the same source of strength. It is not a burdensome task to obey him, but a wonderful way to stay close to him on the path of life in fact we are reminded in Proverbs that he will be guiding us the right way. 

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16 : 3)

In our church we sing a beautiful song, and the chorus is 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

I was surprised to read these words in the book of Nehemiah (8 : 10) 

The Jews had gone back to Israel to redeem their land and rebuilding was difficult, but this lovely message of strength from the Lord encouraged then to keep going. The message is the same for us when we are committed to the Lord it will be a joy to be strengthened by him as we walk on the path of life by holding tightly to him and following in his footsteps.

2 Comments

Posted in 2 Kings, Chronicles, Encourage, Inspiration, John, Nehemiah, Proverbs | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | October 28, 2023

The First Gleam Of Dawn

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

(Proverbs 4: 19)

I am an early riser. I am not sure why I still do as I am now old, or as my little granddaughter tells me “Very old”. I have no reason to rush off to work or get breakfast for a large family, but the reward of getting up early is observing the majesty of God. That first ray of light signals the miracle of a new day beginning. Some mornings it is so spectacular I exclaim like the psalmists. 

“O. Lord our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth.” (Psalm 8: 1)

When we look closely as to why the path of the righteous is compared to the first gleam of light, we realise that the Lord himself is speaking to us through his creation, reminding us to stay on his path through life not to stray onto the dark paths of the world. 

Light was the first most amazing gift God gave to mankind, out of the swirling darkness came light. 

“And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light.” (Genesis 1: 3) 

The word, path, is used many times in Scripture and life is a path that we all walk on through life. There are many paths to choose, but only one is lit by the light of the Lord. If we choose that one, the longer we walk on it the brighter becomes the light. 

So how do we make sure our path is lit? Again we can go to the Psalmists they learnt from where that light came from. 

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119: 105)

Reading God’s word daily and especially when we are at the crossroads with a major decision looming in which we must choose the right path, consulting his word can lead us to that well lit path. Deciding that we already know how to handle big decisions can often lead to disaster. 

Even though we choose to walk on that well lit path. It can become very rocky at times and sometimes we feel unable to cope with huge obstacles that appear. I was thinking back to when my children were small, when we as a family liked hiking the trails in the beautiful mountains surrounding our city. Our youngest was only three years old and often the path was too steep, so my husband would just pick her up, placing her on his broad shoulders and carry her until we got to our favorite picnic spot. David knew this feeling of life not always going the way we thought, but his beautiful words remind us that on that well lit path the Lord is right there with us, ready to pick us up and carry us when we are finding it too difficult to make it on our own. 

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23: 3)

2 Comments

Posted in Genesis, Inspiration, Proverbs, Psalms | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | September 24, 2023

A Letter From Christ

“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not om tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

(2 Corinthians 3: 3)

I was sorting through an old box of mine that I have kept all sorts of memorable items over the years. I came upon a very old letter, the pages turning yellow and felt a stirring in my heart as I looked at the spidery writing, immediately recognizing it was from my father who had died many years ago. As I sat down to read it memories came flooding back as I remembered his voice, his many sayings that were still imprinted upon my mind, his laughter, his love, so when I was reading Paul’s advice to the Corinthians, I thought how powerful his advice was. We can become letters from Christ in our everyday life, by exhibiting his love to others shining a light in the darkness and by our actions reflecting God’s word. 

In Paul’s day letters were not delivered into the mailbox by the postman, but were brought by messengers, sometimes the news might be sad or terrifying, but when a messenger arrived with the good news there was much rejoicing. 

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” (Isaiah 52: 7)

Paul is encouraging us to be like those early messengers, bringing good news to others by demonstrating Christ’s love, the good news of his saving grace. What an incredible privilege to be one of those messengers. Those early messengers knew the great responsibility they had to make sure they delivered the news they had been entrusted with and endured all sorts of dangers to do so. 

We may feel reluctant to handle the responsibility of being a Letter from Christ, but Paul reminds his readers and of course us as well it is not our strength that achieves this, but the power of the Holy Spirit, listening to him is our part in spreading the good news. 

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3: 5)

The best way to listen to the Holy Spirit is to stay in touch with him through prayer and God’s word. When we do this on a regular basis, the Lord’s message becomes imprinted on our hearts. When anger rises in us in some altercation, a still small voice seems to remind us not to retort, to stay calm and not raise our voices in anger. 

I love what one of Psalmists said about how to do this.  

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119: 11)

5 Comments

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Corinthians, Encourage, Inspiration, Isaiah, Psalms | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | August 27, 2023

No Time To Stop And Rest

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”

(Psalm 23: 2 – 3)

Since I was young life has picked up a pace and despite all the new gadgets that are supposed to make life easier, I see people’s lives becoming more and more frantic. Over and over again, I see those around me looking at their watches to see how many steps they have taken. A terrible burden it seems to get those daily steps in to make sure their bodies are fit. I hear a buzz of a phone and see the hurried response of the holder to race for an appointment their phone is reminding them about. Anxiety and depression more prevalent than ever.  No time to stop and rest. 

Psalm 23 reminds us of all that we need the quiet time to rest, not only for our physical well-being but for our spiritual wellness, for the restoring of our souls. We can only restore our souls by seeking times and places of quiet to spend with our Savior, to unload our tension, seek his guidance, enjoy his presence and to feel his love surround us. 

Jesus sets an example for us to follow, if the Son of God needed to go away by himself to a quiet place and speak to the Father, how much more do we need to do that. 

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5: 16)

Where I live, the weather has been unusually warm and on my daily walk, which goes down beside the water, I made my way to a bench under a huge tree. As I sat down to rest, the beautiful shadow of the tree cooling and calming me, I recalled the verse in Psalm 91. This was a quiet spot to talk to God and to know he is with me. 

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91: 1)

I rested my body, enjoying the presence of the Lord. 

There are many references to rest in the Psalms, as the Psalmists knew the importance of our souls needing rest. They knew that only the Lord could supply that restoring of our souls. 

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” (Psalm 62: 1)

Perhaps one of the most beautiful promises Jesus makes to us, is to seek him for perfect rest and restoration. Only He can flood us with energy and strength. How foolish we are to forget and not listen to his wisdom, as he invites us to stop and rest with him. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)

3 Comments

Posted in Comfort, Encourage, Luke, Matthew, Psalms | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | August 12, 2023

Led By The Holy Spirit

“Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

(Romans 8: 14)

I was in a very busy supermarket the other day. It was filled with people pushing buggies and jostling each other as they hurried down the aisles. I noticed a young mother with a young toddler in tow and watched in admiration as she held his little hand tightly, guiding him through the crowd. I also noticed the little one did not seem to be worried by all the noise, while he held on tightly to his mother’s hand, having complete confidence in her to keep him safe. I suddenly remembered a recent study I had been doing on the Holy Spirit and thought what a beautiful example I had just witnessed in this mother and child. A reminder of just what the Holy Spirit wants to do for us. Lead us safely through life’s struggles. 

Jesus leaves a lovely message behind for us to have faith like little children. When he sees the disciples shooing away mothers bringing their children to him to bless, he leaves these powerful words for us to listen to. 

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18: 16 – 17)

Paul continues to emphasise our privilege of being children of God in his letter to the Roman church. 

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8: 16)

Going back to my story of the little boy, I am sure we have all seen the opposite happen with little children, as some refuse to hold the adult’s hand, running ahead wildly unaware of the danger they might put themselves into. If we are children of God, we too must remember to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us safely and we do this by listening to his voice, staying on the path of truth with him, seeking his guidance through prayer before we step out to our busy lives. 

When Jesus was teaching his disciples who he was, he described himself as the Good Shepherd. So when we follow Jesus, he gives us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us, so he becomes a powerful Shepherd in our lives. The beautiful well-known Psalm 23 gives us a beautiful description of what a Good Shepherd looks like and does for his sheep. It is well worth reading every morning to remind us that He is there with us. These favorite verses of mine remind us that, despite all the turmoil of the world around us and the loud voices that distract us, he will quiet our souls. 

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23: 2 – 3)

3 Comments

Posted in Comfort, Encourage, Luke, Psalms, Romans | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | July 15, 2023

Be An Encourager

“I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.”

(Colossians 4: 8)

Our church is doing a series of sermons on characters of the New Testament and last week Barnabas was the chosen one. The theme of the sermon was about encouraging others and when you start to see how many verses contain this message you realise how important encouragement is in building relationships not only in our church, but in the way we live our lives. The Pastor chose Barnabas because he demonstrated this beautiful quality in his life. One of the outstanding stories is when Paul had a falling out with Mark, a young follower and decided not to take him on the next trip (Acts 15: 37). Barnabas saw beyond this failing of Mark’s and encouraged him to stay with his faith. This encouragement resulted later in Mark writing the first gospel of the New Testament. 

Encouraging others is a central part in the growing of the new church of believers and is emphasised in many of the letters to the new churches spreading through the gentile believers.  

“We have sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker, in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith.” (1 Thessalonians 3: 2)

At the end of chapter 4 in this same letter, Paul reminds them to be encouraged by what they have learnt about their Savior Christ and to constantly remind others. 

“Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 18)

One of my daughters was telling me about a wonderful teacher her little girl, my granddaughter, had this year in the grade she was in. This teacher saw the potential in each child and constantly encouraged them to reach beyond expectations. My little granddaughter loved her and by the end of the school year was reading and spelling way beyond the expected level for her age. 

We can do the same for others in our lives and within our church family to encourage others to see the beautiful gifts God has given each of us to use for His glory. 

Encouraging children is a very important part of parenting and too often we hear sad stories about adults sharing that they never were praised for what they did when they were children. Sometimes some of us have the mistaken idea that perhaps God is disappointed in us. We fail to hear his encouraging words he is constantly saying to us. He is a faithful and loving Father, and we are his children, he is constantly encouraging us that we need to listen to his voice. 

“How great is the love that the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called the children of God and that is what we are.” (1 John 3: 1)

He is always there to encourage us and because of his great love we can then encourage others around us.

3 Comments

Posted in Acts, Colossians, Encourage, Inspiration, John, Thessalonians | Tags: , , , , , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories