Saturday 30 July

Source of Hope

Read Lamentations 3:19-41

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed  Lamentations 3:22

What good is faith when all seems lost?  I’ve asked that penetrating question in my life, and not long ago I received a letter from a mum who has asked it as well.

She told me that she and her husband set out in their marriage to seek God’s will for their lives and entrust their future to Him.  Then their second son was born with Down Syndrome.  Their initial response was “grief, shock and disbelief.”  Yet the same day he was born, God used Philippians 4:6-7 to put peace in their hearts and give them an undying love for their precious son.  It says: “Let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts.”

But their days in the desert were not over.  Nine years later, their fourth son was diagnosed with cancer.  Before he reached his third birthday, he was gone. Shock, pain and sadness again broke into their world.  And again, they found help from God and His Word.  “When the grief overwhelms us,” says his mum, “we turn to God’s Word and His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.”

When life’s troubles hit us like a tidal wave, we can remember that God’s compassions never fail.  He can gives us the hope we need.  Dave Branon.

My sheep I know, they are My own;

I leave them not in trials alone;

I will be with them to the end,

Their hope, their joy, their dearest Friend.  Anon

Feeling hopeless reminds us that we are helpless without God.

Prayer:

Ask God for His peace and guidance, at the conclusion of the service tomorrow, as people  provide their feedback from last week’s meeting.

Ask God to continue to bless Rex Findon as he teaches R.I., and gives driving lessons to many Sudanese.

Friday 29 July

Orange Peels

Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  1 Corinthians 10:12

Back in 1911, a stuntman named Bobby Leach went over Niagara Falls in a specially designed steel drum, and lived to tell about it.  Although he suffered minor injuries, he survived because he recognised the tremendous dangers involved in the feat, and he had done everything he could to protect himself from harm.

Several years later, while walking down a street in New Zealand, Bobby Leach slipped on an orange peel, fell, and badly fractured his leg.  He was taken to a hospital where he died of complications from that fall.  He received a greater injury walking down the street than he sustained in going over Niagara falls.  He was not prepared for danger in what he assumed to be a safe situation.

Some of the great temptations that roar around  like the rushing waters of Niagara will leave us unharmed, while a small, seemingly insignificant incident may cause our downfall.  Why?  We simply become careless and do not recognise the potential danger.  We mistakenly think we are secure.

We must always be on guard against temptation.  A victorious Christian is an alert Christian who watches out even for those little “orange peels”.  Richard de Haan

Take the name of Jesus ever

As a shield from every snare;

If temptations round you gather,

Breathe that holy name in prayer.  Baxter

Whenever we fall, it is usually at the point where we think we are strong.

Prayer:

Remember our Music Leaders and the Music Team Members who regularly meet every Friday evening to prepare for Sonday worship.

Ask God for a special blessing in their lives.

Thank God for the people who faithfully attend to the sound and projection side of this ministry.

Thursday 28 July

Trapped!

Read Matthew 11:25-30

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.  Matthew 11:29

A man who sold books and magazines on the street was freed after being trapped for 2 days under a mountain of paper in his flat.  The man’s collection of printed materials, which he had stacked wall to wall and floor to ceiling, collapsed and buried him alive.  Emergency workers filed 50 bin bags as they dug through the debris to reach him.

We don’t need a Mt Everest of old newspapers to know the feeling of being trapped under the crush of our work and the burden of overwhelming spiritual demands.   Yet a glance at our Saviour reveals His deep inner rest.  Charles E. Hummel writes: “Jesus’ prayerful waiting for God’s instructions ..... Gave Him a sense of direction, set a steady pace, and enabled Him to do every task God assigned.”

Jesus invites the wary to come to Him.  Matthew 11:29.

This rest that comes with salvation is not achieved by effort by is received by faith.  In Christ we can also find release from the tyranny of the urgent and accomplish everything He has given us to do.  David McCasland

Come, heavy-laden, wear one,

Come unto Christ for rest;

Come lay your every burden down,

And lean upon His breast.  Anon

Following Jesus takes the busyness out of life.

Prayer:

Remember all of our Cell leaders as they willingly serve God and you in this ministry.

Praise God for the servant hearts of the ladies who are part of the Ladies Cell, as they take on the organisation of the Food Preparation for the Needy.

Wednesday 27 July

A Wonderful Pair

Read Exodus 23:1-13

What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar.  Proverbs 19:22

An honest and kind taxi driver drove the streets for man than an hour to find the woman who had left her purse full of money on the back seat of his taxi.  I like what he said when some of his fellow drivers ridiculed him for not pocketing the money.  He responded, “I am a card carrying member of the Christian faith, and what good is it to go to church if you don’t practice what you preach?”

In Exodus 23, the principles of honesty and kindness were brought together for the Israelites in the laws God gave them.  They were to be honest enough to return a straying animal to its owner, even if that person were an enemy (vs 4).  They were to be kind enough to a foe to help him get a stubborn donkey to its feet (vs 5).  They were to be so concerned about making sure that a poor person got fair treatment that they would help him, even when it was a costly thing to do (vs6-9).  Landowners were to let their farm lie idle every seventh year and allow the poor to glean freely from it (vs 10-11).

Honest people can be cruel.  Kind people may be soft and not concerned enough about righteousness.  But when you put honesty and kindness together, you have a wonderful pair that honours God and blesses others.  Herb Vander Lugt.

When others view our lives today,

Our honesty is on display;

Lord, help us point the way to You

By doing what is kind and true.  Branon

Tact is the ability to make a point without making an enemy.

Prayer:

Praise God for Jim Lyon’s recovery.

Remember Jim & Faye as they travel to Perth and present their programme “Price tag of Sex” to many High School Students.

Ask God to help these teenagers hear His truth and be willing to apply same to their lives.

Tuesday 26 July

To Have One, Be One

Read John 15:9-17

A man who has friends must himself be friendly.  Proverbs 18:24

All of us need one or two close friends.  A small boy defined a friend as “someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”  And from Henry Durbanville comes this observation: “A friend is the first person to come in when the whole world goes out.”

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times”.  We can’t improve on that definition.  To have someone who remains true to us under all circumstances is one of life’s choicest blessings.  The support and encouragement that only an intimate friend can offer is sorely needed when the burdens of life weigh heavily upon us.  Jesus, of course, is the ultimate friend, for He laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13).

Proverbs 18:24 takes us beyond a description of what is means to be a friend. It says that “a man who has friends must himself be friendly.” The implication is clear:  Friendliness must begin with us.  We must take the initiative in developing relationships with others.  Let us be to others what we desire for ourselves.  When it comes to friends, to have one you must be one!  Richard De Haan

I went outside to find a friend

But could not find one there;

I went outside to be a friend,

And friends were everywhere!  Anon

Friends are seldom found; they are made.  Wentworth.

Prayer:

Pray for the Christians in the countries where persecution is rife.

Pray for the police, who often appear to be corrupt, and yet are probably fearful of those in power.

Remember the Christians who are in prison for their faith and trust in God. Ask God to continue to help them to bless His name in all their circumstances..

Monday 25 July

Litter Duty

Read 1 Peter 5:1-6

All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility. 1 Peter 5:5

It was once my privilege to preach in a church were love and warmth were especially evident. I was impressed by the members’ willingness to pitch in and work. On the Sunday I spoke, three services were scheduled. The women of the church had provided a bountiful meal to be served between the meetings for visitors who had travelled long distance.

Following the diner, after most of the people had left, I notice a distinguished-looking couple clearing the tables and dumping the paper plates into large plastic bags. When I complimented them on what they were doing, they said matter-of-fatly, “Oh, we’re litter duty. We volunteered to clean up after every church function. We consider it a ministry”.

How wonderful that this man and woman were not only available to serve the Lord, but humbly did what others might consider demeaning work. These dear people were glad to be what they cheerfully called litter duty.

Some members of the body of Christ are called to serve in places of prominence; others to labour quietly behind the scenes. Regardless of what the Lord asks us to do, let’s be willing to do it by serving one another through love, knowing that ultimately we are serving the Lord. Richard De Haan

There’s surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth’s harvest fields so wide,

Where I may labour through life’s short day

For Jesus the Crucified. Prior

There is no insignificant task in the church.

Prayer:

Uphold our elders and Pastor Esa after their presentation, of God’s forward future direction for this church.

Pray that the congregation will continue to be open and respective to God’s challenges and that many will pray earnestly seeking God’s face.

Saturday 23 July

Crowd Pleasers

Read John 12:35-43

They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  John 12:43

I once read a newspaper story about an old carnival headliner nicknamed “Cannonball”.  In his younger days, he was blasted out of a cannon 1,200 times, pulled a 90 pound weight across a table with his eyelids, and performed many other bizarre stunts.  When asked why he did such things, he replied, “Do you know what’s it’s like to feel the applause of 60,000 people?  That’s why I did it over and over.”

In John 12 we learn about some leaders who were also motivated by a desire to please others.  In their case, however, they refused to follow Jesus openly because they wanted to be accepted by the Pharisees.  Although they had seen the Saviour’s miracles and believed in Him, they wouldn’t acknowledge this publicly.  I believe we are safe in assuming that many people failed to turn to Jesus because they were also crowd pleasers who feared the disapproval of these “Chief” crowd pleasers.

We are all subject to social pressures.  If we are true to ourselves and to God, we’ll be able to withstand the strong pull of the crowd.  But if we become crowd pleasers, we’ll be in far worse shape than the man who climbing back into that cannon!  Mart De Haan

If we, to gain the world’s applause,

Refuse to own the Saviour’s cause,

What shame will fill us on that day

When Thou Thy glory shall display!  Anon

Yielding to God’s Spirit within prevents conforming to the world without.

Prayer:

Commit and spend time in prayer regarding the National Day of Prayer tomorrow in Canberra.

Plead with God to work within the lives of all our politicians, especially over those pushing for same sex couples marrying.

Pray that the possible law changes for ratings, R18+ will not be revoked, but instead, an even more tightening up of the law.