When I commenced my ministry here at Oak Flats, I recommitted to doctrines and duties which I agreed to when I was first ordained. The first promise is about the sufficiency of the Bible regarding information for salvation in Christ, and also its sufficiency for ministry purposes. 

Are you convinced that the holy scriptures contain all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? And will you instruct the people committed to your care from the scriptures, and teach nothing (as required of necessity to eternal salvation) except what you are convinced may be proved by the scriptures? (AAPB)

The significance of this is that there is nothing else which we hold out as giving us an understanding of God. As Psalm 8 points out, the creation may display that there is a glorious God, but it takes the scriptures to point out our errors and sins before that God, and the scriptures to point to Christ as the way of salvation and restoration with God. To the Bible, again and again we need to go. It is my responsibility to do that for all of us, and ensure that it is happening throughout the church.

This echoes what Paul tells Timothy:

• On the sufficiency of scripture in content

[T]he Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

• On the sufficiency of scripture in doing ministry

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)

• The responsibility of elders to teaching scripture to the church

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

Please pray for myself and our whole church, that we trust in the Scriptures to make us wise in Christ, and as truly useful in making ourselves and others disciples of Christ. 

SAM PURSELL

Around this time of year, newspapers fill with photos of young men and women who have topped HSC subjects and overall ATAR scores. For many other thousands of students across the country their names are contained in lists with numbers marked next to them, each digit counting for so much in terms of their perception of worth. 

This is a huge cause of anxiety and stress. And it is no longer limited to grade 12. NAPLAN testing throughout primary and high school ramps up performance pressures, not only for students but the whole school-for now they are to be tabled and publicly judged too. Anyone can now look up a school and see its stats. I guess that principals quake in fear at each year’s NAPLAN release.

As helpful (or unhelpful) these grades are, and as important as they seem during our years of schooling as a child or parent, these are not the final verdict on a person and their labour.

The Bible says that our final verdict is whether or not our name is in Jesus’ book of life. At his return it will be opened for all people across all time. From it will come heaven or hell, glory or devastation.

Revelation 20:12 

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

If we get anxious about the HSC and NAPLAN, how can we deal with this far more significant test? Only through trusting in Jesus Christ. He alone passed the test of God’s righteousness, as shown by his resurrection.

Romans 4:25 

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

We can remain calm through any grading in this life, because more significantly our names are written in Jesus’ book of life, and his work and results have been confirmed for us by God in his resurrection before the whole world. 

– Sam Pursell

At this time of year, many of us are looking forward with great anticipation. We look down the barrel of finishing work, booking out our calendars with Christmas events, and perhaps even looking forward to boxing day when everything is over and we can rest.

Advent is the current season in the Christian calendar, and it too is a time of anticipation. You may have an advent calendar on the wall with chocolates, or some shops now sell beer advent calendars! Our family’s evening advent anticipation centres more around the smarties in our calendar than the Bible verse that goes with it. 

But Advent was originally designated as a time to reflect and prepare for the second coming of Christ. Interestingly, the churches I have been where advent is a part of their local practice, this focus has been lost for a focus on the significance and need for Christ’s first coming. Whether or not your follow the church calendar closely, loosely, or not at all, I don’t mind (Romans 14:5-6). What I wonder about is whether we have neglected some of the glories and harsh realities of Christ’s second coming, for the niceties of his first. 

Christ’s judgement of the living and the dead. Holding out to people the hope of eternal life as found in the Scriptures. Being ministers and stewards of the gospel so that hearts may turn from disobedience to truth. Prayer to be given power from God to run the race of faith until the end.

These are worthy themes to occupy our thoughts and prayers, focusing us on what is to be anticipated most of all: the return of Christ the King.

– Sam Pursell

Thank you to those who have filled out the cards so that I can pray for you. I will pray for you regularly. If you haven’t done so already, fill one out so that I can pray for your particular joys and needs.

Prayer is something that can easily be taken for granted and slip off our radar. I have been thinking for a while about how prayer must be a key ministry in itself and not just something we do in and around ministry.

Last year I read a great book by David Helm called Expositional Preaching. It is one in a series on the nine marks of a healthy church outlined by Baptist pastor Mark Dever. What stood out to me as I read the preface was that although his list of marks are of great importance – the gospel, biblical theology, conversion, evangelism, discipleship etc. – prayer surely is a mark of a healthy church, and may even be as important as those 9 put together.

In Acts 6 it is the ministry of the word and prayer to which the apostles were to give their attention to. Prayer is the necessary complement of all ministry. For all of our gifts and effort, we are completely dependent on God’s action. It is his power which works in people to change them.

So, in Colossians 4:2-4 Paul tells the church to:

‘Devote yourselves to prayer… And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ… Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.’

Paul considers prayer a must, if the message of Christ is to be spoken, heard and for it to take root in people’s lives. 

So, what does this mean? Prayer must always be at the forefront of what we do. We must devote ourselves to praying for one another, praying for the gospel to be spoken and heard, and praying for people to put their faith in Jesus Christ. May it be ever the case that Oak Flats Anglican is a prayerful church.

– Sam Pursell

The Melbourne Cup is finished for another year. Winners and losers have been determined, both on and off the track….and a countless number of dollars around the nation has been wagered on the outcome. 

Gambling is big business in Australia, whether it is horse racing, Lotto or the pokies. Television advertisements provide us with many commercial platforms with which to bet on just about anything. The attraction is always the same: spend a little, and you might just get lucky and win a lot! But….what does the Bible say? Firstly, the Scriptures make it crystal clear that there is no such thing as ‘luck’, good or bad. 

Proverbs 16:33 says:

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord”.  

God is in 100% complete control of every detail in His world. He is sovereign. Nothing is a chance happening. 

Secondly, we are urged to live life trusting God, and being thankful and content. The writer says in Hebrews 13:5, quoting from Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8:

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself said ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.’”

The act of gambling is quite the opposite. It is based on discontentedness, the desire for more without earning it and at the expense of others. It is what the Bible refers to as greed, covetousness and idolatry.

Trusting God is not a gamble. When the sovereign Lord of the universe says He will never leave or forsake you, that is complete security!’ 

– Phil Pratt