Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Hi everybody!

Yes I know the New Year is already 6 days old…but I wasn’t here to say it before today. So…my prayer from where I was, was that your entry into 2023 would be richly blessed.

Mine was…I spent New Year’s Eve with our family including the newlyweds! That was great fun & then on New Year’s Day Leonie & I were able to be at Sam Marshman & Tara Collier’s wedding. I was privileged again to simply be part of the worshippers gathered around them that day & pray for them & the guests & meal…and it was a nice day. I got to see some of our “old” younger saints…Sam & Tara, Ryan & Erika Heffer & their little boy, the O’Dea & Mathey families…Kate Lieschke & Lizzi Mills were there and the Storm young men (can’t call them boys anymore) were there as the band…I feel sure I’m forgetting some…Joel Bartholomaeus was the best man. And Bishop Robert & the always wonderful Jenny Bartholomaeus were there. It was a really blessing filled day.

 

Anyway…I’ll see y’all Sunday, but I wanted to simply lift up a couple of things…

  1. Thank you again for the in-house coverage during my time away. I feel uniquely blessed that we have a spiritually gifted family of believers such that all manner of Word, Worship & Serving is ably carried out across our range of disciples. My sense is that’s how the church is best…when many hearts & hands serve in the name of Jesus.
  2. Our Zoom Bible Studies will resume on the 13th of January. Something exciting about digging into God’s Word on Friday the 13th!
  3. I stumbled on a couple of thoughts/quotes…really caused me to reflect some over the time away. Let’s see what you think.
    • “When we work, we’re imitating God Himself. And our work takes on the greatest significance when we work the way God does. God never worked for a paycheque. He didn’t work to ‘get ahead.’ He didn’t work to prove His worth. God worked to display His glory and to bless His creation. When we make the world a more beautiful place through flowers, art, computer code, or physical labour, we glorify God and bless people.” – Paul Sadler (the underlined for emphasis is what caught me)

My thoughts…I don’t care what you do in your day…work or retired. Is the world a more beautiful place for it? Have you brightened an otherwise dark place? Have you offered an encouraging word, a blessing, a prayer for someone you really don’t know? Were you gracious, patient, generous or thoughtful? Because your identity is secure & destiny assured, you have nothing to lose in extending yourself to someone else. Even if you don’t leave the walls of your home, did you phone someone & offer that same grace? Did you text a prayer or verse of Scripture to someone you know? Are your neighbours on your street glad you are there? When we make the world a more beautiful place…we glorify God & bless people. Absolutely true.

  • “No one can sin in total isolation.” – Henrietta Mars…She’s reflecting on the Israelites defeat at the Battle of Ai. (Joshua 7) After they obeyed God & obliterated Jericho, we read of their subsequent defeat at Ai. Joshua can’t figure it out but God reveals that one of their number stole something from the ruins of Jericho that was supposed to be completely burned as an offering to God. Achan took plunder when they were specifically instructed to NOT do so. He & his family & all his possessions were taken away from the camp. He & his family were killed and a large pile of rocks mounded over them & their belongings as a reminder to the others.

My thoughts…At no point in our lives is obedience, or the lack of it, just about “me.” When someone chooses to live or act as God has expressly forbidden, or live contrary to what God’s Word reveals, they damage a widening circle around them. Achan cost his family their lives & the nation a battle where many soldiers died. Paul outlines the effect of sin & the overwhelming victory of Christ in much the same way in Romans 5:12-21. But sin’s impact remains today…it’s never an isolated individual thing. Sin always exacts a greater price than we imagine.

 

In many ways those 2 are related…To spread grace around…to live it so that it flows from you like the breath out from your lungs…like the promised river of living water that causes life to flourish & healing to occur (John 4 & 7 & Revelation 22) is precisely why Jesus so overwhelmingly destroyed sin & death & the devil by his cross…so we could right now live that victory in all we do. Seems like a pretty strong New Year’s “resolution.” I’m in!

 

Peace be strong in you!

See you Sunday.

John

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