Who is the greatest?
The Andromeda Galaxy. (CREDIT: Joel Tonyan, via Flickr)
We Aussies love our sport, and we love to see one person or team compete against another to try and work out who is the greatest.
And yet beyond any comparison, the Lord, our God, is truly the greatest of us all.
I was reminded this as I read Psalm 104 this week, and experienced a catalogue of God’s greatness.
He created the universe, and shows his beauty in the stars and all the objects that fill the sky.
He controls his creation, providing water and greenery for plants and animals.
He cares for his world, sustaining every part of this living planet.
It is beautifully summarised in these verses:
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. (Psalm 104:27-28)
And this is why the writer of this Psalm begins with these words:
Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. (Psalm 104:1)
God is, indeed, very great, and because of this, he is worthy of our praises to him:
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. (Psalm 104:31-34)
When we feel that our world is spinning out of control, it is important to stop and mediate on the greatness of God, and to rejoice in him for all he has done.
Praise the Lord… he is very great!
Jodie.
Coming up this Sunday 20th August 2017
This Sunday we continue our series on 2 Samuel. In the next talk, Simon will be speaking on the topic, “Rejoice with trembling”, from 2 Samuel chapter 6 verses 1 to 23.
During our service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:
- If we should not judge, then whey were some of the books of the Bible ‘judged’ not to be needed? How do we know that God did not want these books in the Bible?
- Was David arrogant to call the city after himself?
- Is it pushing the link between the Old and New Testaments too far to say that the Israelites were the body of Christ?
- When we go through difficult times, how can we know if it’s the work of Satan leading us away from God, or whether it’s the work of God strengthening our faith in him?
- What happens to a person who dies without believing in God, even though they’ve lived a good life? Will praying for them help them get to Heaven?
- Is it hypocritical for Christians to vote in the same-sex marriage plebiscite, given that we will not want to accept an outcome that is against the Bible’s teaching?
It’s also the right time for us to recognise many of the needs of our missionaries, so we’ll have a special report about what’s been happening in the lives of our partners in global, word ministry.
As always, come along and visit us at 10am or 5pm at 35 Fisher Street Oak Flats, or if you can’t make it in person, jump online at www.oakflats.tv to watch a livestream of our services.
We need to talk about tough topics
CREDIT: Ray Wewerka via Flickr
Let’s be honest: the debate about same-sex marriage is very personal.
This discussion directly impacts people in same-sex relationships, and it will ultimately determine whether their union should be recognised as a ‘marriage.’
That is why this debate feels personal, even when people try and only address the issues.
Every ethical discussion will directly affect some people, yet we must not walk away from these important conversations.
For example, a discussion about euthanasia or abortion may cause some people to be upset, especially if they are caring for someone who is terminally ill or carrying an unborn child with a serious illness.
Yet, for the sake of good order it is vital that we have a mature discussion about these issues that affect the very fabric of our society.
But remember that people will often pay more attention to how we’re speaking instead of what we’re saying.
That is why we need to do all we can to show love to those we disagree with, even when they might prefer we didn’t speak at all.
When Jesus encountered people with a different viewpoint, he spoke his mind, even though it caused some people to be upset with him.
And the Apostle Paul felt obliged to defend his viewpoint, even though he knew it would cause people to be unhappy.
As Paul says in Galatians:
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
This is the difficult challenge we face: speaking the truth in love.
And above all, we want to keep pointing people to Jesus, who “loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood…” (Revelation 1:5)
Jodie McNeill
Coming up this Sunday 13th August 2017
This Sunday we continue our series on the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel with the series titled ‘Kingdom Coming’. In the next talk, Jodie will be speaking on the topic, “Dependence on God”, from 2 Samuel chapter 4 verse 1 to chapter 5 verse 25.
During our service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:
- If the Bible came to us through an ongoing process in the church, then doesn’t this undermine ‘Sola Scriptura’?
- Why did the book ‘Q’ get omitted from the Bible, when other documents like genealogies and the Song of Songs were included?
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Doesn’t the official Anglican teaching of the 39 Articles, and general Christian thinking, say that there can be no more additions to the Bible at all?
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How would you answer someone who said that God spoke to them in a dream about a matter?
- Wouldn’t Abner’s reaction to the allegation that he slept with Saul’s concubine suggest he might have been innocent?
- Is Abner like Paul from the New Testament?
- Why did people in the Old Testament tear their clothes when mourning?
- Is it possible to still curse people today?
- Should we consider running a fete to help our church raise money and awareness in the community?
We’re also going to get the special opportunity during the services to meet a member of our church, as we get to know our special community from Oak Flats Anglican.
If you’ve never come along before, then this Sunday is a great time to drop in. You can also watch us live (or look at some past church services) at www.oakflats.tv.
See you at 10am or 5pm this Sunday, God willing!
No need to doubt about the future
CREDIT: Maurits Verbiest via Flickr
What are the three most important characteristics of being a Christian?
There are three that are highlighted in the New Testament as they occur together time and time again. What would you put in your top three?
The Apostle Paul says, “and now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love“. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Faith looks back to the past looking to what Jesus has done; love has eyes on the present, our response everyday for what Jesus has done; hope looks forward.
While love may be the greatest, I wonder if it is hope that we are most in need of being reminded of?
Hope is often used today to mean something along the lines of wishful thinking, the kind of characteristic you would find among optimistic people.
But hope is a characteristic for all Christians. Our hope is not in some vague picture of the future, but in the solid truth of the resurrection.
Jesus’ resurrection is the first fruit of that day when he will return and raise us up to the new creation, our glorious inheritance.
So Paul prays: “that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance.” (Ephesians 1:18.)
Why is it that our hope grows dim?
Perhaps our love for this world is too big? We don’t long for the new creation because we are so captivated by this one?
Perhaps our longing for justice is not big enough? We can become skeptical that nothing will ever change, forgetting that Jesus’ resurrection assures justice for all.
Perhaps our imaginations are too weak? We can’t imagine what it will be like because these promises are extraordinary and completely beyond our experience, and so doubt creeps in.
Our world wants us to doubt, but hope is the antidote.
Don’t let it grow dim, for in Jesus the resurrection has already begun, and so your hope is secure.
Simon.