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Glen Park Gospel Church >> Archive >> Editorial >> 2015
Each month the Glen Park Gospel Church produce a one page newsletter called the Green Leaf. It's available from the chapel each Sunday. Some months include a topical article or report. We thought you might appreciate reading those previously published.
Love that is out of this world
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.”
The words in this text do not match the richness of those that flowed from John’s heart to his parchment all those years ago. An amplified translation could be, “ Be mulling over 1 ‘what foreign kind of love the Father has permanently 2 bestowed upon us 3.’ ” There is nothing like it in this world, that a Sovereign could take a rebellious terrorist and make him to be forever a son and heir to His kingdom.
This unique richness of the Father’s love is seen in three consequences.
1. Because it is heavenly love, it is not understood by the world. Here is one example. We have just experienced what the world has done with Christmas. With all its faults and limitations the celebration of Christmas is a Christian recognition of the great humiliation of Jesus in that He left Heaven’s portals, stepping out of eternity, to become part of fallen creation; yet without participating in its rebellion He assumed our guilt, bore our punishment, raised us along with Himself to the status of a fellow heir. He guaranteed His presence with and support for us in life, including enablement to overcome that sin which formerly dragged us down.
The world has replaced Him in its estimation with a red hooded substitute, largely locked Jesus out of its celebrations, refused to acknowledge His validity, turned people’s attention in on each other, and in too many cases made the festivity an occasion for excessive intoxication and over indulgence. This world just does not appreciate Jesus or those who love and serve Him.
2. John summarises, ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God.’ Those who genuinely have received Jesus as their Saviour immediately are accorded the legal status of sons. The names of those who trust Him are immediately entered as sons into the records of the economy of God.
3. When Jesus comes again this time to visibly set up His kingdom that which is by faith a legal status will become an evident reality. The sons of God will assume their rightful place in His realm. They cannot share His name unless they share His nature. They cannot share His home, unless they share His holiness. John puts it. ‘When He shall appear, we shall be like Him.’
Do not be amazed. Do not be sceptical. Transactions like this take place hundreds of thousands of times a day. We purchased a machine today. It was an act of faith for the supplier had no stock. We believed in their trustworthiness, made our commitment and the transaction was entered into legally. We cannot see it now, but we expect it. When the machine materially turns up we will have full possession. This is simply what John is telling us.
More on these words:
1. Behold is more than seeing, it also means mentally comprehending and experiencing, not just once but over and over, thus ‘mulling over.’
2. Manner of love. In 1611 English this word meant politeness and good conduct, but John’s word at its base first says ‘from what country’ and from that ‘of what nature.’ This love is not natural, from whence does it come? It can only be heavenly love. This sentence is the translation of Kenneth Wuest. The word is found in Matthew 8.27, Mark 13:1, Luke 1:29, 2 Peter 3:11 & 1 John 3:1.
3. Bestowed. It means ‘To give something to someone.’ Being a verb in the perfect tense, it means that the gift is permanent. His love is a gift to His people that cannot be retracted. Also from Wuest.
Books of the Bible
There are names of 16 books of the Bible hidden in the paragraph below. See how many you can find. A preacher found 15 books in 20 minutes, it took him three weeks to find the 16th! Have fun! :)
I once made a remark about finding the books of the Bible. It was a lulu, kept people looking so hard for facts, and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalized. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help find them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax. There really are sixteen.
The answer key is below, but first...
Trust the Lord
Author Unknown
Until I learned to trust the Lord,
I never learned to pray;
And never learned to fully trust,
Til sorrow came my way.
Until I felt my weakness,
His strength I never knew,
Nor dreamed, til I was stricken,
that He could see me through.
He who drinks deepest sorrow
Drinks deepest too of grace,
God sends the storm so He, himself,
Can be our resting place.
His heart, who seeks our deepest good,
Knows well when things annoy;
We would not yearn for Heaven
If earth held only joy!
OK, here is the answer:
I once made a remark about finding the books of the Bible. It was a lulu, kept people looking so hard for facts, and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalized. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help find them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax. These are the sixteen.
Wonderful Words of Wisdom
A teacher gave each of her children the first part of a well known proverb and asked them to complete it. Here are some of the best:
As you shall make your bed, so shall you... mess it up.
Better to be safe than... punch a 5th grader.
Strike while the... bug is close.
The darkest hour is just before... daylight savings time.
Don't bite the hand that... looks dirty.
A miss is as good as a... Mr.
The pen is mightier than the... pigs.
An idle mind is... the best way to relax.
Where there's smoke, there's... pollution.
A penny saved is... not much.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and.... you have to blow your nose.
If the blind leadeth the blind... get out of the way.
Source unknown
What a giggle! But, despite the humour of innocence, there is a lesson in all of that! How easily we jump to our own conclusions. Some of these express common sense. But also, how easily we get it wrong.
The Bible is full of wisdom. There is a book called Proverbs and its admonitions cover all the basic questions of life and well being. But wisdom and right learning are found throughout its pages. Our problem is not the lack of instruction, but the perversity of mind that says, ‘I want to do it my way.’
There are only two ways in this life, the right way and everything else. That does not seem very accommodating. No it is not! But think about it. If it is not right, it is wrong. When all else fails, read the instructions. Jesus put it like this, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy (or broad) that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.*”
Jesus claimed to be the one and only way to acceptance with the heavenly Father. He made it clear. “No one comes to the Father, but through me.*” Have you come through Him? If not you are on the wrong way. That way is the way of the cross, but through the cross there is life.
*Matthew 7:13&14, John 14:6. ESV
Do You Have Something Missing?
Author of 41 books and radio broadcaster Kel. Richards* tells us, “Atheists are people who are ‘colour blind.’ People who are colour blind cannot see one or more colours that are really there. Atheists just cannot see the reality of God in their world view.” They have something missing and they think that we who can are making it all up.
If they leave out God they are not in possession of all the facts and cannot see the world as it is. So they are compelled to invent elaborate theories to account for the evidences. They make drastic mistakes because their world view is incomplete.
Antony Fisher, Catholic bishop of Parramatta in an Easter address has said, “Christianity has proved to be both vulnerable and hardy in the last century.”
He said, “Last century we tried godlessness on a grand scale and the effects were devastating: Nazism, Stalinism, Pol Pot-ery, mass murder, abortion and broken relationships - all promoted by state-imposed atheism.” He said, “[It is an] illusion that we can build a better life without God.”
An ancient seer brought it home to His people who then were in deep, deep trouble. They had eclipsed the true God from their affections and replaced Him with a false god, one invented by men. He told them:
“I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.”
Jeremiah 10:23&4 (ESV)
*You can listen to Kel Richards if you have a computer on line on 2ch.com/listen-live on a Sunday evening 9-12pm
Hard Questions
There is no such thing as a hard question. There are only questions with answers you know and questions with answers you don’t know.
Some questions are meaningless for their answers matter little. Other questions are vital, for upon their answers hang momentous outcomes.
Test yourself with these questions. Each derive from the Bible.
1. ‘Adam was the wife of Eve.’ True or False.
2. ‘Jesus grew up in Bethlehem’ True or False.
3. What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
4. How many of the disciples wrote a Gospel?
5. Where in the Bible are bagpipes first mentioned?
6. What can a man offer in exchange for his soul?
The only momentous question in this set is the last. It was one that Jesus himself (1) put to a man who assumed that he had thought of every thing. He had made provision for all the contingencies of life. But he had made no provision for the greatest need of all, his own eternal welfare.
Jesus reminded this man of issues he had not taken into account. They are summed up in these words, “It is appointed unto man to die once, and after that comes the judgment.” (2) Every one will stand before God to give answer for every word thought and deed when this life is over. What is your answer this question?
There are only two answers. Christ Jesus died for the sins of all. If we have put all our trust in Him, we can claim redemption and release through His blood. If we have rejected or neglected God’s great offer we will pay for our misdeeds with our own life. What is your answer?
1 From Matthew 16:26
2 Hebrews 9: 27 (ESV)
Answers to hard questions:
1. Adam was the husband of Eve.
2. Jesus was born in Bethlehem and reared in Nazareth.
3. The shortest Bible verse is John 11:35, ‘Jesus wept.’
4. Only Matthew and John wrote a Gospel.
5. Bagpipes are mentioned in the book of Daniel, chapter 3 and in verses 5, 7, 10 and 15. In some versions of the Bible other names may be used such as ‘dulcimer’ a wind instrument having a double pipe, so depending on your favourite Bible version, it is possible that you missed this one, unless you did a little research. It is not too obscure.
6. This is a vital question only you can answer. To answer to God, “I will, I believe.” is a guarantee of eternal life. To reject is pure hell. Here is our authority. These are the words of Jesus found in John 3:16-18 ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ This is the word of God.
If on reading this you have said yes to Jesus Christ, or if you want help to do so, please write to us. We would like to help you on your way. You will need some instruction and encouragement, and that is why we are here. From front page of this website, go to Admin, go to Church, go to Contact, and then follow the instruction under the line, ‘We can be reached via email.’ Prefix ‘Editor’ to the leader@ address. And it will get to us.
Winter
A few of last summer’s leaves are clinging bravely to our deciduous trees as chilly winds tear at them to loosen their hold. Time to light the fire, get out a good book, shut out the storm, warm up the soup, or perhaps just sit and dream. Winter has arrived once again. Just as God promised, the steady rotation of seasons is continuing to bring its change for the benefit and blessing of His special creation, mankind.
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (1)
As the leaves fall from your trees, look more closely, can you see on the tips of last years twigs, the buds of promise? After a while these buds will burst into blossom or spring some new leaves to grow into new branches. And this happens year after year after year. Such is the provision of our God every day of our life. Listen to the testimony of King David:
“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” (2)
David tells us that those fathers, who cared for and provided for their children, were also cared for by the Lord, as they themselves trusted Him for daily bread. God built a principle of provision into His world all those many centuries ago. This does not mean that there will not be floods at one time or droughts at another. It does not mean that trees will not die, for every tree, and every man, woman and child, has their span of life. But it does mean that our Father in heaven stands behind His promises in every extremity and contingency that we face.
While you watch the buds swell on your bare apple tree this winter, remember what Jesus told us when He was here:
“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (3)
Trust Him.
1 Genesis 8.2
2 Psalm 37:25
3 Matthew 6:34
(ESV)
Sin’s Double Cure
It probably takes you back to your school days when the service leader announces the hymn, 'Rock of Ages.'
Probably almost everyone has heard the story how the grand old hymn came to be, how Augustus Toplady, vicar of Broadhembury on his rounds was walking through Barrington Combe Gorge when he was threatened by a raging lightening storm. Spying a huge rocky crag with a towering cleft in its side, he hid until the storm had passed. Born of that experience, if not written there and then were the famous lines:
Rock of Ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Let the water and the blood
From thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
Born to a widowed mother in 1740 who made it her life's work to nurture him in the teaching of the Lord, at the age of sixteen on a visit to Ireland he heard of a near illiterate farm worker, a Methodist, James Morris, who was to preach that night to farming folk in a barn. So different and novel was the idea that he went along to listen. The text was, Ye who sometimes were afar off were made nigh by the Blood of Christ. "Under that sermon," he says, "I was, I trust, brought nigh by the blood of Christ."
He never forgot what the blood of Christ, means in the life of the believer. He knew that it is the precious blood of Christ that redeems us, thereby removing the guilt of every sin from us. The wrath of God on sinners rebellion is turned aside. But much more than that in daily life as we recognise that we are also crucified with Christ, as we see ourselves also nailed to that Cross in Him, the attraction of sin to us is cancelled. For they that are dead are free from sin. In that we have the victory. The battle may be as severe as that storm, but to those who continue to abide, the riven Rock is in two ways, our salvation.Last Words may be Final Thoughts
Death may be expected with anticipation, fear, annoyance, amazement or confidence, or it may come suddenly and unheralded. Our last words will possibly indicate our state of mind at that moment. Whatever, they do tend to indicate the nature of our character.
Archimedes to his executioner,
“Wait till I have finished my problem.”
Beethoven who was totally deaf,
“I shall hear in Heaven.”
Elizabeth I,
“All my possessions for a moment of time.”
Ebenezer Elliott (Corn Law poet),
“A strange sight, Sir, An old man unwilling to die!”
George IV,
“What is this. It is death, my boy, they have deceived me.”
Emperor Julian (The Apostate) 332-363AD,
“Thou hast conquered O Galilean.”
Bishop Latimer as he was being burned at the stake in Oxford,
“Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as shall never be put out.”
John Locke,
“Oh! The depth of the riches of the goodness and knowledge of God. Stop (reading to me) now.”
D L Moody,
“I see the earth receding, Heaven opening. God is calling me.”
My Dad,
“I have everything I need.”
Newton,
“I have been like a boy playing on the sea shore . . . while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
Lord Palmerston, enigmatically,
“Die, my dear doctor! That‘s the last thing I shall do.”
Stephen the martyr,
“Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
Tyndale, (Of Henry VIII)
“Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.”
Voltaire the Atheist,
“Do let me die in peace.”
Charles Wesley,
“I shall be satisfied with Thy likeness - satisfied.”
The Good Book reminds us, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgement.” Write in here the words you would like to fall from your lips when your time comes.
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Are you doing anything to help them come true?
What is the Christian Vitamin?
B1
That is, be one, a real Christian!
Vitamin B1 was the first of eight B group vitamins to be identified, which are essential to the body in providing energy, making red blood cells, and in heart, muscle and brain function. It is found in whole natural foods. When our food is compromised, it needs fortifying. And all mankind was compromised in Adam.
There are pretend Christians, that is they are a synthetic. B1 is Thiamine, but can be substituted by thiamin mononitrate or similar. Pretend Christians, act like Christians, but put to the test they just fail.
There are polyglot Christians. Christian with a filler. They like to mix up their lives. A little of the Lord, but a large measure of this world, its pleasures, preferences and practices. The one eventually cancels out the other.
There are powerless Christians. B vitamins are water soluble and wash through the body in minutes, not hours. B vitamins need to be replaced constantly. Weak Christians are B1 content depleted. But there is a secret in this. We need to live in constant reliance upon our Lord. Paul says:
"Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." *
B1 deficiency can result in confusion, irritability, poor coordination, lethargy, fatigue and muscle weakness. This sounds just like weak, anaemic Christians!
Paul again:
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" *
Good advice is worth taking.
* 2 Corinthians 4:16,
2 Corinthians 13:5
Walking the Valley, in the Shadow of Death
Where we lived, for a year of my childhood days, high in the Australian Alps there was a village so deep in a steep valley that on the brightest winters day, it received only two hours of sunshine. It was constantly dark and cold.
Thinking of it now I am reminded of Psalm 23 verse four. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. The Hebrew word for valley indicates a ravine; a steep, deep gorge. I have often wondered whether the image portrays an experience of deep distress where death threatens as a possibility *, or whether it is descriptive of death itself *. Possibly it can even be both. The word for shadow of death unites the word for shadow with the word for death, and the old Hebrew idea was that death was a shadowy object that obstructed all light and cast a long shadow over the regions of the dead.
Which ever is intended, the reality is that in the purposed of God His people find in that experience His presence - Thou art with me. The word picture is used seventeen times in the Old Testament. The overwhelming theme in them is that for those who trust in God there is both safety in and deliverance from the shadow experience, one way or another. When the Lord is with me that’s all it is, a shadow. The reality is the brightness of the One who is with me.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
*Compare Psalm 107:14 with 107:10, Isaiah 9:2
A kiss without whiskers . . .
"A kiss without whiskers," said Uncle Derek to the office girl at the desk next to him, "A kiss without whiskers is like beef without mustard." That was Uncle Derek all over. He was no ones uncle that we knew of, but he was everyones’ uncle. Somehow he had acquired that appellation. And it suited him to a tee.
John Snow, poet, son of a vicar and fast bowler was making Australians quiver with his unusual approach to the pitch in the 1970-71 Ashes series. Uncle Derek, a Londoner, came out with the line, "You Australians pray for rain. I'll pray for Snow!"
Life had a spicy taste for Uncle. He had a mischievous sense of humour. He was also a fine Christian, and he was not afraid to say so. He had found the Saviour and the Savour had found him and the discovery added that sparkle to his life. He was always sure to be found in the house of prayer twice a Sunday. "Been to the Lord's house, have you?" he would ask, "Get your batteries charged? Then let your light shine!"
F W Boreham in one of his books tells of a day that his wife called him to lunch, "Cold shoulder of mutton," she announced. Cold shoulder of mutton? "With pickles." she added. Ah! Now that makes all the difference. Life can be too much cold shoulder of mutton. It's the pickles that make the life edible.
The Christian life is that something more. The Christian life is Jesus, for when this great commitment happens, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me"*. The psalmist puts it this way, "O taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him"*.
* Galatians 2:20, Psalm 34:8.
And the Word became flesh
'We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth!' Philip was excited.
'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?'(1) Nathaniel's response was a knee jerk reaction brimming with social prejudice. Nathaniel's home was Cana, near Nazareth. There was a rivalry between them. Marvin Vincent(2) tells us that Nathaniel's words carry a sting in them. Read them rather, 'Can any good thing come out of that which is of Nazareth?' When Nicodemus tried to defend Jesus his fellow Pharisees threw at him this jibe, 'Are you from Galilee too?'(3)
The late Rabbi Alfred Edersheim(4) tells us, 'It was a common saying: 'If a person wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south' - and to Judea, accordingly, flocked, from ploughshare and workshop, whoever wished to become 'learned in the Law'.' The Galilee region of the day was rich in fishing and agricultural produce and heavily populated by hard working labourers and tradesmen who were most often uneducated but economically stable, well fed, with good air and much exercise; more than the politicians and academic southerners who so despised them.
When almighty God took on flesh and dwelt amongst men, He was not born to the purple, but in a stable with the animals. He was made of like common stuff and lived with working people. Twice Dr. Luke tells us that 'the child grew and became strong; that he was hidden away in Nazareth, a cultural desert(5), there being filled with wisdom and increasing in God's favour, until the day of His inauguration into ministry(6).'
References: 1. John 1:46; 2. Word Studies. 3. John 7:52. 4. Life & Times Vol 2 Ch 9. 5. Luke 2:40 Thayer. 6. Luke 1:80.
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