Every country has its own important days, which are celebrated often with a nation-wide holiday – a day of rest and merriment. In our country we have Australia Day as a national holiday. It celebrates the process that led to the formation of Australia as a country. That process began in 26th January 1788 with … [Read more…]
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us” (Matthew 6:15). Praying for “daily bread” – or means for our sustenance, affirms our dependence on God. He is the un-failing Provider – Jehovah-Jireh. Our Father in heaven is providing generously and faithfully for our daily bodily needs. But man doesn’t live on … [Read more…]
“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:15). Today’s part of the Lord’s Prayer is clear and easy to understand. There are no theological or interpretative difficulties present. Simple as it is, it provides for us a path which as we follow it we discover the wonderful and rich blessings of God. What path? The … [Read more…]
“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:14). As God’s children, we ought to live our lives under the “umbrella” of God’s will as it has been presented to us in the Bible. Last Sunday, the Old Testament reading contained the (well known) verse: “He has told you, O man, … [Read more…]
“Your kingdom come…” (Matthew 6:14). One of the ancients observed that God “…has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). (Actually it was a divine inspiration rather than observation…). What is eternity? … [Read more…]
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). There are … [Read more…]
“This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matthew 6:9) The story of Jesus – the Son of God – is a story of simplicity and deep reverence of God. He came as the Father’s Son, yet without any “bells and whistles”.Jesus’ teachings reveal that God doesn’t require … [Read more…]
“This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matthew 6:9) Making New Year resolutions is a tradition, most common in the Western World “in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change undesired behaviour, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their behaviour at the beginning of … [Read more…]
“…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 2:2). A picture is worth a thousand words. The “Christmas picture” is a mundane/common picture: it represents a normal life event. A baby being born is a normal life … [Read more…]
“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16) Let us use our imagination, shall we? This is the challenge: What would Christmas look like – without the Gospel stories about Jesus’ birth? No visiting angels; no heavenly host; no star… Without the well-known ‘nativity scene’? Without the … [Read more…]