This is the latest blurb that is published on the front of our weekly bulletin

Spiritual Confidence

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Often when I’m having a chat with someone and it seems right to talk to them about the good news of Jesus, I’ll ask them this question: “If you were to die today and stand before God and He were to say to you, ‘why should I let you into My Heaven?’ What would you say?”

It’s a question that the ‘Evangelism Explosion’ organisation wrote to help people get talking about God… and to help ‘diagnose’ where people find their confidence in eternal things.

Just recently I asked someone this question, and I heard again the normal answer: “Well, I’d tell him that I’ve been a pretty good person and that I haven’t done anything really bad…”

This answer naturally leads me to say, “well, you know, that answer doesn’t actually work for anyone, because with God, even one rebellious act against him is enough to make us deserve Hell.”

And from there, I tell them that there’s only ever been one person in history who lived a life that pleased our Father in Heaven, and that’s Jesus.

And because Jesus lived a perfect life, he is the only person who could offer to swap his perfect performance for our imperfect performance… and that’s exactly what happened when he died on the cross for us.

So, if we follow Jesus, having asked for his forgiveness, then he will bring us that certainty for eternity because of his great kindness to us.

Then, I’ll often talk about the story of the salvation of the thief on the cross… which is such a great moment in history that shows the power of grace, not works.

This then leads to a stark reality: since this is true, we can have complete confidence in our eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.

That’s spiritual confidence… because all our confidence is on the performance of Jesus, not us… and his grace to us is not because of anything we’ve done.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Chris & Karen Highland via flickr.com)

A Memorial To God

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On Wednesday night I joined with millions around the world to watch the telecast from the MCG of the memorial service for Shane Warne.

It was a joyful occasion of thanksgiving for the life of a man who entertained people throughout the world with his antics on and off the cricket field.

As someone who has the privilege of conducting funeral services, I found it fascinating to watch what happens when unbelievers try to make sense of death and the afterlife.

We heard that Shane was “taken from us” too young… an acknowledgement that someone or something was in control of the universe.

Another person was certain that he would be together with Warnie again soon… which showed a confidence in life after death.

Others mentioned that they knew that Shane was watching down on them, as a star in the sky.

Furthermore, nearly all of those who reflected on his life did so by directly addressing Shane, even though they had already conducted a funeral to dispose reverently of his mortal body.

It seemed that there were very few, if any, materialistic atheists at that memorial service.

Almost everyone spoke as though there was immortality of the soul in some way, and that the death of a body does not signal the end of a person’s existence.

And yet there was almost no mention of God at all.

This is tragic, for we know that, “each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27).

So, no matter how positive a person might feel about their eternal future, there is judgement awaiting them.

And the only way to be rescued from that judgement is through Jesus, for “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people” (Hebrews 9:28).

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Tomme G via Flickr.net)

Jesus Will Forgive

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“We. Will. Not. Forgive. Hundreds and hundreds of victims. Thousands and thousands of sufferings. And God will not forgive. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never. And instead of Forgiveness, there will be a Day of Judgment.”

Last week the President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, pronounced an emotional judgement on the Russian enemy that has caused such horror and destruction.

His words were confronting, but if it was the mothers and babies at Shellharbour Hospital that were bombed by a ruthless enemy, then we’d have more empathy with this response.

Around 3000 years ago, God’s people were attacked by a brutal enemy, and so they cried out, “O God, do not be silent… Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies?” (Psalm 83:1-2)

They call to God to act, asking him to “chase them with your fierce storm… terrify them with your tempest” (verse 15), and above all, for those enemies to be disgraced (verse 16-17).

We might feel a little embarrassed by this violence in the Bible, until we see another report from Ukraine… and then we empathise with their president’s lack of willingness to forgive.

When we or a family member is a victim of crime, we want justice, but the problem is that every human is naturally guilty of rejecting God.

And so whilst we seek justice, we also know our deep need for mercy.

Which is what makes Jesus’ words on the cross so remarkable: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Justice was satisfied on the cross of Good Friday, and all of us who deserve God’s anger can be forgiven if we ask Jesus for mercy.

God understands justice, and he also understands mercy.

For at the cross, justice and mercy embrace.

Jesus. Will. Forgive.

JODIE McNEILL

Eleventh-hour Conversion?

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In last week’s questions I was asked what I would say to someone who wanted to wait till the ‘eleventh hour’ to follow Jesus.

This question follows up the story Jesus told about a landowner who recruited different people throughout the day to work on his farm, and then he decided to pay everyone a full-day’s pay, even those who only did an hour’s work at the end of the day… the ‘eleventh hour’

And this question asks why people wouldn’t want to wait until the last minute to follow Jesus, rather than having to do it all through your life.

Well, firstly, you don’t know when you’re going to die, do you?

Hearing the news about Shane Warne’s passing was a bit confronting for me.

After all, he was only a year older than me… and now he’s suddenly dead… well before anyone thought his life would come to a close.

If someone my age thought they could just wait till they’re 70 to become a Christian, then they might die when they’re 50… and then wouldn’t that be foolish for them?

So if you are planning on waiting till you’re older, how do you know you won’t die earlier?

Secondly, why wouldn’t you want to become friends with Jesus straight away?

Becoming a Christian will be tough at times, but being friends with Jesus is the best thing anyone can do.

Why wouldn’t you want to rush in right now and stop being enemies with God and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding?

Becoming friends with Jesus isn’t a chore… it’s a blessing… so don’t put it off… even if you could be sure you had time to wait.

And if you’re not sure if you’re truly saved and forgiven by Jesus, then what are you waiting for?

JODIE McNEILL

(photo credit: John Voo via flickr.com)

Troubling Reign/Rain

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Over the last week we have seen our news sources cover a flood crisis in Australia and a war in Eastern Europe.

Just as we celebrated the removal of pandemic restrictions, we now watched our world become battered by battles and floodwaters.

This week our Archbishop wrote to our churches, as he reflected on these twin challenges to our world.

Reflecting on the invasion of the Ukraine, he reminded us of the words of Psalm 10:

“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand O God. Do not forget the helpless. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. You, Lord hear the desire of the afflicted, you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.”

Similarly, as he considered the destructive floods, he shared these words from the Lord to his scattered people in Isaiah:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ (Is 41:10)”

There is much for which we should be concerned, but this should naturally lead us to pray for the people of Russia who live under the oppression of an aggressive and unaccountable ruler, as well, of course, for the people of the Ukraine who face the the constant fear for their lives from the unfolding war.

We should pray, too, for those whose lives and livelihoods are in disarray from the flood waters, as they seek to rebuild their homes and businesses, and for some, to mourn the loss of life.

Let us remember the words of the apostle Peter who wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on God for he cares for you”, and the words of our Lord himself, “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.”

JODIE McNEILL

(Image credit: Sandra Strait via Flickr.com)

Back to ‘Normal’?

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I remember our AGM in 2020, which was only days before things changed forever in the life of our world and our church as the pandemic started to spread across the globe.

Within weeks we were watching church through livestream, and learning how to do ‘social distancing,’ wear a mask without fogging up glasses, and to scan in ‘QR’ codes… and suddenly toilet paper became worth its weight in gold!

Now it’s almost two years, and as the NSW Premier declares a change to an ‘endemic’, we’re finally allowed to come together with no, actual ‘restrictions’ on our gatherings.

This weekend, we can welcome an unlimited number of people into our church building, without masks, singing with joy and gusto.

As we reflect on the past two years, some will say that the hardest thing has been the prohibition of singing, or the capacity limits, or even the requirement of wearing masks.

But the hardest thing of all has been missing the physical attendance of our dear brothers and sisters who have continued to attend each week online, but not in person.

I know you have been with us week by week, but it will be so lovely when I, as your preacher and pastor, can see your face as you sit under the wonderful word of God.

Now that the booster shot has had time to do its work, I would love to see all our members return in person to church as soon as possible, when you can.

Nonetheless, we’re going to keep our livestream ministry going, and we look forward to welcoming people through screens into the future.

In fact, it’s turned out to be a great way of reaching out to our village, valley, region… and even to the world!

But as they say of footy, “it’s never the same unless you’re there at the game”… and that’s certainly true of the joyful times spent eating dinner or brunch together after church.

So, if you can make it along this weekend in person, then it would be such a great blessing to me and to us all.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Prachatai via Flickr.com)

Do you love the Bible?

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I have recently been listening to the Bible talks given at CMS Summer School by Andrew Shead, and his talk on Psalm 1 got me thinking… 

Psalm 1:1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.

2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.

As someone turns away from a life of wickedness and godlessness, they instead, head down the path of joy. This other way of life is different, and it is filled with a delight in the law of the Lord, which, for us is the Bible.

But this part right here, “delight in the law of the Lord” got me thinking: do I ‘delight’ in God’s law, his instruction, his word?

Do I love to spend time with God in his word?

“Yes, yes, yes!” is how I know I should answer the question, but sometimes my mornings sound like a bit more of a :“no, no, no, you are too busy!”

If I had two extra hours in my day, would I even consider spending them in God’s word or would I fill it with my other delights like sleep and YouTube?

I don’t know about you, but I have been through different seasons when it comes to delighting in God’s word. 

Sometimes it the favourite part of my day! But other times it can remain forgotten about, like an old zucchini in the fridge.

My point here is not to condemn us, but to help us realise that as sinful people we need help!

The path of joy is a path paved by God’s own word, because it is the means by which we can know him.

And, nobody wants us to delight in God’s word more than God himself!

So if you are reading this, and would love to delight in God’s word, spend more time the Bible, and know God more, then why don’t you ask him for help right now?

There is nobody else who can help you delight in the scriptures more than God himself! 

Thanks be to our self-revealing, heart-changing, joy-bringing God!

(Photo Credit: Aaron Burden via Unsplash)

Stay Dangerous

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I wonder if you’ve noticed how often we encourage others to “stay safe?”

In a way, it’s an obvious and nice thing to say, especially as we endure this once-in-a-generation global pandemic.

Yet, the idea of personal safety for believers in Jesus is barely mentioned throughout the New Testament.

Three times that it seems to speak of personal safety are more related to spiritual protection, namely John 17:12 and 1 John 5:18.

And whilst the Apostle Paul does pray in Romans 15:31 for physical protection, his concern is not his own safety, but that he might not be prevented from his mission to serve others.

This is such a contrast to our preoccupation in modern society with safety and minimising risk.

Indeed, to be a follower of Jesus is a dangerous pursuit, for we are promised that it will result in persecution and trials of all kinds.

As we read in 2 Timothy, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

What’s more, as Paul suffers in chains because of his dangerous work in proclaiming Christ, his prayer is not for freedom and safety, but rather for boldness:

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

So, as we seek for each person in our village, valley and region to know how to follow Jesus and why it matters, may we be bold in declaring this dangerous message, so that many more might know the eternal, spiritual safety that is found in Jesus alone.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo Credit: Bernard Laguerre via Flickr)

A Vision for our Valley

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If you could sum up with one sentence your prayers and hopes for our church ministry, then what would you write?

As I considered this myself, I recently came up with this vision: 

“That every person in our village, valley and region would know how to follow Jesus and why it matters.”

As I’ve been planning and praying for 2022, this statement has been really valuable in focusing my attention on what I think we should be doing as a church.

The first thing about this vision is that it defines who we are ministering to, namely each, individual person who lives within reach of our church, for our focus and as our responsibility.

The second thing about this vision is that it is about helping those people, “know how to follow Jesus,” regardless of whether they end up attending our church or not.

Our job is to speak the good news of Jesus in such a way that those who hear us will have no doubt about how to join us in following Jesus as Lord and saviour.

It helps sharpen our message, and it clarifies that we want believers and unbelievers alike to know how to follow Jesus, either for the first time or to continue as life-long disciples of Christ.

The third thing about this vision is that it ends by helping us make sure we tell people that following Jesus really matters.

Most importantly, we want every person to follow Jesus so that God will receive the glory as a person comes to follow Christ.

Plus, we want to make it clear to every person that the day of Judgement is coming soon, and it is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that they will be spared God’s anger through the death of Jesus.

Will you pray this vision statement with me as our church seeks to serve the Lord this year?

JODIE McNEILL 

Alive With Christ

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Did you know that our tagline, ‘Alive with Christ’ came from the official name for our parish, ‘The Church of the Resurrection?’

Most churches are ‘Saint Something’, but our church is the only one in the Diocese of Sydney that has ‘Resurrection’ in its official title.

We are a church that exists because Jesus is alive!

What’s more, because Jesus is alive, it means that when we are united with him, then we, too, are alive.

Here is the verse from the Bible upon which our church tagline is based:

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:2-5, NIV11).

The thing about being made alive is that it is something that happens to dead people.

Jesus’ resurrection was truly amazing and wonderful because we are certain that he was fully dead, only to be fully raised to life.

In the same way, we who have believed in Jesus as Lord have been brought from spiritual death to life, as we have experienced our own, spiritual resurrection through his mercy.

Following Jesus is not about improving our life, nor getting more out of life.

It’s about a radical, dramatic transformation from death to life… from being a cold-hard spiritual corpse into a warm and living body, raised to serve and love.

And it all comes from grace… it’s all an extraordinary gift from God because of his mercy, even through we were dead in our transgressions and sins.

It is wonderful to be in the church of the resurrection, because we know that our place in this church is only because of the remarkable gift of Jesus.

That’s why it’s wonderful beyond words to be alive with Christ!

JODIE McNEILL 

(Credit: upyernoz via Flickr)