Category Archives: Bible Study

On Being Perfect—Yes!

Posted on 13/04/2019 | 4 comments


The Word of the Lord came to us as we met together recently—as we joined the circle of disciples in Jesus’ discourse in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 5.

The Lord told us so many ways he expected his people—us included—how to order our  lives in his kingdom, his good news rule,  which replaced the old Mosaic age system. Come and live in the new age of the Messiah, the New Covenant! Yes, we were discovering dynamic, head rockin stuff.

We staggered at the new standards of behaviour he expects from us–the highest of standards and expectations of Jesus for his disciples culminating in the amazing demand :  You must be perfect!

We then saw how different his new world order is compared to the old. Over and over he shows what the ancients had laid down and then surprised everyone who heard him with the repeated revolutionary phrase But I say unto you!

We saw how total are his commands for life under his government. Everything seemed counter intuitive, indeed impossible for his listeners and for us today –blessed the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those persecuted for righteousness’ sake . . .  

We were bowled over by commands like when opposed, to rejoice and be glad (literally jump up and down) for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

What? Were we hearing correctly? Yep.

We reflected on our failures and those of Christendom in general. We began to feel despair and a growing sense of giving up following such demands. How is this all possible? He piles it on.

He’s come to fulfil the old law and the Prophets, though sounds like he’s abolishing them. He spells them out clearly, authoritatively. No question.

Pheew!

Some of us after hearing his majestic, firm but gentle, persuasive words, even began to feel condemnation and guilt. Every time I hear Jesus I feel condemned. Never expected this.  Pulls the rug from under my feet.

Then he reminded us of the immeasurable grace of God given us in this new age of Christ with us and the inbuilt power of the Holy Spirit to bear these good fruits within us. We began to catch a glimpse of the long range view Jesus was seeing for us all—we would have his Spirit here on earth and then be together with him in the kingdom of his Father! Forever. We don’t have to water down his words. We must not!

But, as we looked further into his words of love and grace and his open arms to follow him, obey him, we realised that there is NO condemnation as we find ourselves in him, in his embrace and his ‘easy yoke’ (Matthew 11:28-30). We saw that these words are given without any condemnation, but with grace abounding!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

This life so beautiful, the Way so precious, nothing is worth standing in the way of it! Not even if you are the best Aussie Rugby player and stand to forfeit your $4m contract with RU! You would rather sever this from your life than miss this grand Good News and the joy that awaits and a transformed existence!

4 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship

Receiving Jesus

Posted on 08/04/2019 | 4 comments

It’s all about a relationship. Not a religion.

Life is all about relationship with one another. Where does this come from? This is because we are created, designed in the likeness of our Creator, of the Lord God. “Let us make man in our own image!” We are designed for a relationship with God.

It is about relationship with the Father of Jesus of Nazareth who was killed because he dared to reveal his relationship with God—My Father. Killed by his own people, treated as rubbish, by whom the world and everything that exists was made. 

And he wants you and me to welcome him, to receive him. With open arms.

Friendship with God for us.

For Jesus has done what it took to bring us reconciliation with God by his sacrifice.

Done.

Some preachers are critical of those who speak of “receiving Jesus”. For example, they might say “no, you don’t receive Jesus because he is in heaven”.

They may say this as if it is a certainty, an absolute.

But they are only half right.

In their rush to be theology perfect—which is impossible— or to drive home some favourite doctrine, they almost forget that he is also “with us even until the end of the world” and that his Father and himself “will come and make our home in us”.

Did you get the force of that?

Now we must be very careful that in our efforts to maintain a certain dogmatic position that we do not reduce the gospel and its power to only one way of expression. The New Testament authors use a variety of expressions for what is an inexpressible and glorious salvation and eternal life in Jesus.

Let’s consider the following passages in the “gospels” where the Lord Jesus spoke of various people “receiving him”.

 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Gospel of Matthew (10:40)

“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” Gospel of Mark (9:37) and Gospel of Luke (9:48)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Gospel of John (13:20)

And what about this . . .

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Gospel of John (1:12-13)

So if you receive Jesus, just look at what wonderful new start you have in him, with him, in relationship with him, in friendship with him, in union with him and with the Father. Your chance to leave behind brokenness and embrace wholeness, belonging, forgiveness and peace.

God with us, actually.

Paul wrote “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him”. (Colossians 2:6)

Receive him, ask him. And he will receive you.

4 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship

HOW SHALL WE GATHER?

Posted on 31/03/2019 | 4 comments

I believe that most of these religious institutions, though appearing divided and competitive, taken together are one unbiblical system, and thus not what God wants–it is all a human construct and centred on control, power over people, money, competition and industry. The system is sick and reflects the systems of control and apostasy which Jesus identified in his first coming and recorded in the Gospels. He came began to bring in His whole new concept of the Kingdom of God in a new covenant ‘in his blood’. Every act he did, every word he taught was bristling with new life and the soon-coming end of the old system, the old wineskin. He told the religious elite that they were dead and needed life which only he could give (John  5:40).

God has clearly shown us the model for our behaviour as we relate to one another: in Jesus. HE is the way, truth, life. ‘It shall not be so among you . . . love one another as I HAVE LOVED YOU’. Jesus is the model–the image of the Father, for us to see and manifest in our lives.

Any other way, idea and mode of gathering is bound to be scattering, divisive, arrogant, exclusive, and not ‘abounding in the work of God’.

We are his bride, getting ready for the wedding and the bridegroom is with us. He is WITH US! He calls us to Himself. To gather around Him.

We are a family who eat together and share our lives with one another around Jesus. This is a spiritual kingdom only entered into as a little child and by invitation of the Master through a tumultuous experience of being born all over again.

Either we obey Him or we don’t.

Instead of top heavy, mono-ministry and a sleepy compliant laity He has given us gifts, manifestations of the Spirit to bless and upbuild the whole body wherever it may be gathered—whether together in the New Jerusalem above or in the humble get-together of His friends and brothers.  Together we are a ‘chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10 who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

4 Comments

Posted in Assembling, church, Bible Study, Discipleship

LONGING FOR GOD’S DESIGN FOR HIS BODY

Posted on 20/01/2019 | 2 comments

As more people read the New Testament and see what it actually says about ‘church’ and what is God’s design for us in the New covenant in contrast to the Old they begin to long for something more authentic, more participatory–what God actually wants.

Many are leaving the religious institutions. Yet they have not left the Lord Jesus.

What is the alternative?

We are certainly not to abandon fellowship.

The Lord has clearly provided the most glorious pattern for us–the Lord Jesus, himself, his example, His commands, His works and His constant obedience to what the Father said.

If He was so obedient then so must we also. God will show the way.

Just ‘as Moses was ‘faithful in all his house’ so Jesus is faithful in His house which He is building and gathering, a house not being built by earthly hands. His Design originating in the heavenly places!

The believers we read about in the N.T., though not perfect yet obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and the instructions of the apostles found for example in 1 Cor 1, 11-14. They carried out the plan.

But since from as early as 2ndC (and even earlier as we see trends in some N.T. letters & Revelation’s 7 assemblies) men have had their own ideas and preferred them to God’s plan.

We have thought we could change from the word of God, that we could do better ourselves. Such arrogance. Such disobedience.

The result is sectarianism, pharisaic attitudes, false teaching, mono-ministry, programs, monetization, entertainment, the loss of supernatural power and authority, timidity, maintenance of buildings, open competitiveness . . .

There is such a need to simply repent, change our minds, humble ourselves, weep and begin to radically OBEY. To admit that we have disobeyed the plain teaching and examples of Jesus and His apostles.

This will require humility, the will and some searching to do only what the Father wants and to be willing to suffer reproach loss of friends and loneliness.

A decision must be made. Either . . .

  • You keep on disobeying the word of God by continuing this ‘church’ stuff founded on what men have decided is best and trying to get God to agree with it and to bless it, or
  • You change your mind (repent) to what God wants—be founded on the words of Jesus and his apostles alone and humbly seek His guidance in actually doing it.

Then being obedient to God, you will know you are asking God to do His will and you can expect to see Him pouring out His rivers of living water—the glorious work of the Holy Spirit.

2 Comments

Posted in Assembling, church, Bible Study, Discipleship, Uncategorized

The new covenant signs

Posted on 12/10/2018 | 2 comments

Last time I wrote about the seriousness and the importance of covenant . . . Covenant is the same word as Testament in the original biblical (Greek) language. So New Testament means New Covenant. God expects us to live in the new covenant. Not the old. The old no longer pertains. If we fail to obey the implications are very dire. But if we respond, then untold, unimaginable  blessings and benefits accrue and the Kingdom of God will be experienced.

This morning the Holy Spirit directed me to the words of the Hebrew prophet Joel which are repeated by the apostle Peter to the multitudes in Jerusalem . . . .

“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below .

. . .  And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Look at this. Read it. Hear it. Let go to your guts, your will. These are the signs of the new covenant.

What are we waiting for? Why do we settle for anything less? Why bother with religion?

Why  do we go on living under a man-evolved system when the Lord of glory has given us the new to live by, brought about at titanic cost by sending His Son in the form of sinful humanity and giving Himself to be a sacrifice for us?

“This is the new covenant in my blood!”

We must be united to him, one with him, in this new covenant in his blood. Jesus is everything.

We must be freed from the dominance of an old system, old wineskins. Immersed in the new.

Come on! Leave the old system which is no longer effective for God’s people.

More next post. Soon. (God willing).

2 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Kingdom of God

Tagged , , , ,

What’s new in the new covenant?

Posted on 08/10/2018 | 2 comments

A covenant . . .

  • is a binding agreement between 2 persons (e g marriage)
  • Is initiated by one to another who agrees—says ‘I will!’
  • has stated terms and conditions
  • Is solemnly sealed in front of witnesses by a significant act

 Covenant is the same word as Testament in the original biblical (Greek) language.

So New Testament means New Covenant.

Are you living in the New Covenant? let’s see.

This is what the New Covenant looks like in contrast to the old according to the Scriptures:

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So why are so many trying to live by the Old Covenant?

Are you a part of the old system which most people refer to as church? Look at the list on the left and ask yourself ‘am I living under a system like this’?

Does the old covenant list look anything like what Jesus taught?

To obey Jesus you need to be living under his Lordship and be united to him, one with him, in this new covenant in his blood. Jesus is everything. You need to be freed from the dominance of an old system. The old wineskin is inadequate for the new wine.

The Lord God is about to judge his people. It’s time to obey Jesus, the mighty son of God.

More on this in my next post. Soon. God willing.

 

2 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship

Psalm 64

Posted on 29/09/2018 | 10 comments

As I read this psalm today my heart grieved for that transparently good man of the greatest integrity who in Washington DC, is being accused of sexual attack on a woman decades ago and without any corroborating evidence. Mere accusation. This could happen to anyone. Of course the victim must be able to start court proceedings even though the accused may be innocent of the crime. This eminent person with his loving family has been through a terrible hell.

Also I thought of the way they treated Jesus.

We prayed. We cried to the Lord, the Lord of justice and righteousness and loving-kindness, before whom every one of us will have to give an account some time up ahead.

We prayed this psalm for him. Like David 3000 years ago he has been accused and declared guilty by his many apparent prosecutors who have undertaken to destroy him. Ps 64 says it all – how David was surrounded by enemies unjustly. And how he called on his God, his Saviour,

1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;
they shoot suddenly, without fear.

5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;
they say, “Who will see it?”
6 They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 All people will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him;
all the upright in heart will glory in him!

Will you also who read this join Joan and me in crying for righteousness, for justice, for uncovering of the crimes in many who operate together in unheard of  wickedness in the U.S. but not only in that nation, but in the whole world—the most awful things are happening in secret mostly. Join us in crying out for our PM who faces hourly difficult decisions and for Australia and who has many enemies.

But we have received a kingdom which cannot be moved. It is an everlasting kingdom which endures throughout all ages! It is the Kingdom of God, nothing less and we need nothing more. The Kingdom of God has arrived with Jesus and is present with us if we have the eyes and ears open.

 

This kingdom knocks all other kingdoms out flat as the prophet Daniel saw. And the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ! And he shall reign for ever and ever. Hallelujah!

 

“ The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

10 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship, Famous persons, Good versus evil, Kingdom of God, Personal

When that which is perfect comes

Posted on 18/07/2018 | 5 comments

If the age of healing, signs and wonders has passed with the original apostles—the ‘perfect having come’ (1 Cor 13:10) as some teach— then what else has ceased? What other promises and instructions which we read about in the New Testament have now passed away as being ‘childish things’ (I Cor 13:8-12)?

What about all the things Jesus commanded, prophesied or promised us such as . . .

Mat 28:19. ‘Go and make disciples of the gentiles, teaching them to observe ALL I have commanded you’ and ‘I am with you even to the end of the age’

Mark 16:17-20.  ‘These signs shall follow those who believe . . . . . ‘

John 4:24. Worship of the Father in spirit and truth.

John 7:37-39:  rivers of living water for any who thirst and comes to Jesus after He is glorified.

John 14:12. ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.’  

John 14:13. ‘Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’

John 14:14. ‘If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.’

Acts 2:39  ‘. . . this promise (the gift of the Holy Spirit) is for you and your children and to as many as are far off, to those who call upon my name’

So many promises found in the letters of Paul (Romans 8, 2 Cor 3, etc) and Peter.

What else then may we doubt applies to our times? The grace of God? The indwelling of the Father and the Son? The fullness and power of the Holy Spirit? The guidance of the Holy Spirit? His convicting of sin? Our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit? Marriage only between a man and a woman?

Has healing of our sicknesses now ceased and if so what about the forgiveness of sins? Is it suddenly no longer the will of God to heal the sick (these go together in many scriptures!) Has the new covenant ceased too? Do we set aside the Lord’s supper as being childish? Do we now doubt the resurrection of the body?

Then we also see many other things Jesus commanded have been forgotten or ‘wiped’ unceremoniously in the teachings of many denominations and sects, such as spiritual gifts for each believer, the spontaneous exercise of edification and sharing in the ekklesia, the form or pattern of meeting as the simple gathering together in Christ, the prayer of faith that saves (heals) the sick, the baptising and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the work of Christ in the believer—I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

In the place of what Jesus gave us, Christianity, ‘the church’, has largely left us with mono-ministry, a paid clergy class, clerical titles, the laity concept, man-made liturgies, programs and strategies, reliance on finances, dependence on holy buildings, and so on. I think you know what I mean.

Let’s admit it: we have failed miserably in ‘teaching them to believe all things I have commanded’ and instead taught so many things that are alien to Jesus, unknown to the NT writers, and counter-productive to the Kingdom of God.

So for us post-apostolic times, are we really just left with teachers and theologians deciding which things to believe still apply? Or do we each one just pick and choose what doesn’t apply now?

That is unthinkable.

“Let God be true and every man a liar.”

5 Comments

Posted in Assembling, church, Bible Study, Discipleship, miracles

What happened in 70 AD changed everything

Posted on 12/07/2018 | 2 comments

Here is a most odd thing about the New Testament : the momentous event–the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when the Roman armies destroyed the ‘holy’ city and the Jewish temple was utterly and completely wiped from the surface of the land, and that is never once mentioned as an event of the past anywhere in any of the 27 documents of the New Testament corpus. Never once!

This event was the single most climactic thing to have taken place in that period and in the lives of the first Christian believers (all Jewish) some of whom were alive when these terrible things that took place.

Some of these believers had put the words, actions and sufferings of Jesus down in writings which we know and read today as the four gospels. Three of these authors, Matthew, Mark and Luke the historian, wrote down what Jesus emphatically told the disciples : this momentous event of the destruction of the temple by foreign armies, would take place while some of them would be still alive.

This is amazing. It leaves us to believe that these 27 documents were penned before this awesome historical event took place–before 70 A D and just as Jesus foretold. Written down so very early after the events. Believe it.  

This same Jesus also foretold his sufferings and death at the hands of the occupying forces the Romans and the collaboration of the Jewish leadership of the day which took place about 30 A D. At the same time he also predicted that after three days he would be alive again. He appeared to his incredulous followers in the flesh, alive again. It changed everything.

Momentous.

These historical events changed everything. The shockwaves are still rebounding right around the world and even more today in 2018 A D.

Can you afford not to believe these things?

The earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

 

 

 

 

2 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship, Eschatology

Making People Righteous is the Power of the Gospel

Posted on 26/04/2018 | 6 comments

Making People Righteous is the Power of the Gospel

by Jeff Weddell

 

Justification is often viewed as God switching us from the Unrighteous column to the Righteous column in His heavenly ledger book.

Being counted righteous, or being justified, is not just a switch in God’s mind about you.

To be counted righteous, to be justified, means you have been made righteous!

Actually, in a real-life way, you can be made righteous, to the extent that righteousness shows up in your life.

This is the regenerating power of the Gospel!

You who were born in sin, a child of wrath, have been reconstituted, remade to do what is righteous!

Nothing else has that power. Nothing and no one can make unrighteous people suddenly do righteous things except God alone.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ rebirths us. It raises us up to newness of life. It is the power of God unto salvation.

There is power, re-creative power, in the Gospel. It frees from sin, it liberates the soul from the clutches of Satan and his evil, and frees you to do righteousness.

Nothing else can do this. You can’t do it. The law can’t do it. Good intentions can’t do it. Happy thoughts can’t do it.

Christ alone can do it.

And He does every time someone believes that He can.

The whole point of God redeeming a person is so they would do righteousness.

We are created to do good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

He redeemed unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Salvation is not there so when you die you don’t go to hell.

Salvation is here to transform your life. To remake you with a desire and the ability to finally be able to do what God desires.

This is the longing of the soul that Christ answers. This is the glorious water of life that is poured into those who thirst after righteousness.

Unfortunately, we’ve sucked the Gospel’s power away. We tell people they are saved because they did a thing we told them to do and then pat them on the back as they go back to their sin.

We bring people to the Gospel without even mentioning sin or a new life. We make it about what happens after death. We make it all about later and nothing about now.

Release from sin now is what the Gospel can do. To not want to be released from sin is to not want the Gospel.

Instead of dealing with the sad fact that most people don’t want the Gospel, we invent a false Gospel that tells people “Jesus is fine with your sin. Nothing can stop it, you have to sin.” Oh well, guess even Jesus and the Gospel can’t stop your awesome power to sin.

How sad. If only God were more powerful than sin. Imagine what the Gospel would look like if that were true?

Guess what? It is true!

Stop believing lies and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel’s power, which is able to make you a child of God, freed from sin, and released into righteous service.

6 Comments

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship