Category: Bible

We love Him because He listens

December 29, 2021

Psalm 116:1-2 NLT – I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. [2] Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

We love the Lord because…

  1. He hears our prayers
  2. He bends down to listen

As a result we will pray all our lives. We will pray as long as we have breath.

Prayer

Dear God, thank-you that You bend down to listen to my prayers. I love You with all of my heart. I will pray to You as long as I live. Amen.

Find peace with God this Christmas

December 24, 2021

Isaiah 9:6 NLT – For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

One of Jesus’ many titles He was given in the Bible is Prince of Peace. It is a title that sits well with Him.

In Philippians 4:7 it tells us that Jesus gives us His peace and this peace will guard our hearts and minds. And in John 16:33 He tells us that He has overcome the world and as a result we can have peace in Him.

This Christmas I would encourage you to make your connection with Jesus so you can find peace with God. Look to Jesus. Trust Him for your salvation. Give your life to Him. This is the way to truly find peace this Christmas.

Please take a few moments to visit my peace with God page. You can find it here https://passionaustralia.org/salvation.html.

Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas,
Dave

Make room for Jesus

December 21, 2021

Last Sunday my wife preached her first ever sermon. In her sermon she also touched on the idea of making room for Jesus.

Mary made room for Jesus in her body.

Joseph made room for Jesus in his family.

The disciples made room for Jesus their lives.

Then she asked if we will make room for Jesus this Christmas?

Christmas can easily become about presents, a big family meal together, having a break from work, or even going to church.

These are all good things, but most importantly we need to make room for Jesus. Let us purpose in our hearts to make room for Jesus this Christmas.

After all, God made room for us in His eternal family.

A friend of sinners and outcastes

December 18, 2021

Jesus was often accused of being friends with sinners and outcastes by the religious leaders of His day. They could not understand why a man who claimed to be a religious leader would possibly have time for people that were considered sinners or outcastes by the religious “elite” of society.

Jesus loved all people and as He travelled around with His disciples, He made connections with people that most “religious” people would avoid while walking down the street. The thing I love about Jesus’ interactions with the people most considered sinners or outcastes is, they didn’t stay that way for long. After spending time with Jesus, they knew there was a better way. The Bible is full of stories of people who turned their lives around after an encounter with Jesus. Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, and the Samaritan woman at the well to name a few.

Why did Jesus take the time to do this? Luke 19:10 tells us this very clearly. It says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Jesus mission was, and still is, to seek and save the lost. Today He uses you and me to do this. We are His hands, His feet, and His mouthpiece to tell people just how much He loves them.

My heart is to not be like the “religious elite” of Jesus’ day, but to be a normal every day guy who loves people and points them to Jesus. Maybe instead of walking the dusty roads of Palestine, we sit at a desk in an office and share our faith when the opportunity arises, or we drive long distances to visit with people who need a listening ear, or we talk with our neighbours over the side fence?

However we do it, we just need to remember that our mission is to continue Jesus’ mission to seek and save the lost.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You that You came to seek and save the lost. Thank You that You found me. I pray that I will be able to continue Your mission. I pray You will show me people who need You. I pray You will give me a love for them and give me the right words to say when I speak to them. Use me to seek and save the lost. I ask this in Your name, Amen.

Store up in the right place

December 16, 2021

In Matthew 6:19-34 there is a section titled, “Teaching about money and possessions”. This is part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. In it Jesus shares four key things about our money and our possessions.

Store your treasures in heaven – verses 19-21 talk about earthly treasures versus heavenly treasures. We see that earthly treasure can be damaged or stolen, but heavenly treasures are safely locked away with God. We need to build “eternal superannuation” by supporting God’s work with our finances.

Let God be your only Master – verse 24 says “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other”. As Christians we need to let God be our sole master, we can’t focus on building wealth and possessions to the detriment of our relationship with God. God must always come first in our hearts and in the way we live.

Don’t worry about daily needs – verses 25-32 looks at our daily needs of life like food and clothing. These things can cause us great worry if we allow them to. However the text tells us that God supplies our needs like He supplies the needs of the animals and birds. It says that we are of far more value to Him that they are (v26). We can trust Him to supply our daily needs because He loves and cares for us deeply.

Seek first the Kingdom – in verse 33 it says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”. As Christians our primary focus needs to be on God’s Kingdom and what He wants us to do with our daily lives. God promises that if we seek His Kingdom first and live right, that He will give us everything we need to live both now and into the future.

We can see from this passage that we don’t need to worry about money and possessions. God wants us to focus first and foremost on His Kingdom. When we do that He promises to take care of our daily needs as we trust and follow Him. God loves you and I very deeply and He knows what we need daily to live. He will supply all.