How would you answer the question, “what are you looking forward to in life?”

It seems likely that the younger you are, the bigger the list!

If you’re at school, then it may be that you’re looking forward to finding a job, getting married, travelling to faraway places, buying a home, parenting children, or maybe even more.

If you’re in middle age or a bit older then perhaps you’re looking forward to enjoying an ’empty nest’ or the opportunities of retirement and beyond.

If you’re older still, then maybe the list of things you’re looking forward to is much shorter.

Yet regardless of your age, the number one thing that followers of Christ must look forward to is his return.

Someone once said, “Live like Christ was born yesterday, died today, and is returning tomorrow.”

If you knew Jesus was coming back in a few hours’ time, then how would it change the way you lived your life in these final moments? How would it change your priorities?

The Bible teaches us that Jesus will return like a thief in the night… at a time when we least expect it to happen.

In the Bible, God gives us some tantilising tidbits about what it will be like when Jesus returns, but ultimately the most important thing we can do is be ready for that day.

And the way to be ready is to be turn away from a life rebelling against God, and to turn to Jesus as loving leader of your life.

And as we wait, we should warn people about the dangers of dying without knowing Jesus.

For when it comes to Jesus’ return, it’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s a matter of ‘when’.

And this is certainly something to look forward to.

JODIE McNEILL

It’s hard to believe that the Canadian church has wandered so far from its roots.

Back in 1603, a French man by the name of Samuel de Champlain crossed the Atlantic to try and colonise the ‘New World’ and preach Christianity throughout the land.

As a result, the church heavily influenced family, state and culture in Canada.

But only fifty years ago the ‘Quiet Revolution’ swept the country, leading to a widespread rejection of Christianity.

Today, Prime Minister Trudeau continues to push complete acceptance of non-Christian values such as homosexuality and abortion.

Now, less than one in ten Canadians call themselves Bible-believing Christians, and in places like Quebec, it’s as low as 2%.

Things are so bad that Canada is now considered a top priority for missionary organisations, such as the Southern Baptists in the USA.

The decline in the church has worsened as the reputation of the church is damaged through scandals, such as sexual abuse in the Catholic church and the appointment of United Church pastors who are atheists.

From this, countless churches have shut down, leaving many towns without a Christian presence.

Yet, there is a movement of church planting that has swept the country, giving new life to many cities and towns.

Student ministry in universities has had a tremendous impact on people in a stage of life where they often leave the church.

Many churches continue to faithfully serve God, even through trying times. 

Please pray for a new emergence of Christian leaders who will spread the gospel and lead the church with Christ at the centre.

Pray for colleges like Briercrest, which seek to faithfully teach the Bible to university students and train people for gospel work.

DEREK KLUMPENHOUWER

The question of whether or not God forgives those who commit suicide is often asked after a tragic death of this nature.

Throughout Scripture we read that there is only one sin that puts us beyond forgiveness, and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-29), which refers to when a person continually resists and rejects the call to repentance until death. 

Suicide does not keep a person from going to heaven; only continual rejection of God does. 

Suicide does not hold an ounce of power over the forgiveness we receive from God, for Jesus Christ conquered death when he died and rose from the dead.

By the blood of Jesus, the lamb, we are able to receive the forgiveness that we did not deserve. 

We have all been through times in our lives when nothing seems to be going right, and it is in those moments of weakness that we might contemplate suicide.

For some, taking their own life feels like the only way out.

As Christians, we must be there for each other and continually share God’s love with the people around us. 

Is ending our lives a sin? Yes. Is it unforgivable? No.

Suicide robs us of the gift of life that only God can give us, yet it is not greater than the body and blood of Christ that was broken and shed for the forgiveness of all sins.

Through the grace and mercy of Jesus, our debts are pain in full. 

No matter what you are going through, there is hope found in Jesus Christ.

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)

PARKER WALL

The most famous Irish event in our calendar is ‘St Patrick’s Day’, where we celebrate a cheerful, cleric in green robes.

Patrick became a follower of Jesus, and sought “that through me, many people should be born again in God and brought to full life”.

This mission cost him dearly, as he gave up wealth and security to evangelise a country that persecuted him.

From his ministry, Ireland gained a reputation as the land of saints and scholars.

Less than a hundred years ago, Sydney looked to Ireland to get quality teachers of the Bible, including T. C. Hammond, who as Principal, transformed Moore College into what it is today.

Yet now the Irish church is only a shadow of its former glory, and Ireland has become the least-evangelised country in the English-speaking world.

In fact, only one percent of the Irish are now Evangelical Christians.

There is a great need for gospel ministry in the Republic of Ireland, and that’s why Cameron and Alex Jones are planning to evangelise an Anglican church into existence in the Dublin Docklands, the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Ireland.

Fourteen years ago, Cameron and Alex travelled from Australia to minister in the UK, then three years later they moved to serve in Northern Ireland, from where they intend to move to Dublin with Irish Church Missions.

Now they’re asking their Aussie friends to help them raise funds to cover both a place to live and their living costs.

The Irish church has drifted a long way from the gospel heart of St Patrick, and now it’s time for gospel-strong churches like ours to share our resources with a land that was once strong in the gospel but now desperately needs the faithful, Bible-based ministry Cameron and Alex seek to share.  

JODIE McNEILL

Australian Rugby Union player, Israel Folau, has lost his job this week after posting a picture on social media that said “Warning: Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolaters: Hell awaits you. Repent!”

In the comments he said “Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him”, as well as quoting from the Bible.

Folau clearly believes in Hell, and he wants to take every opportunity to warn people to find safety in Jesus.

The response from Rugby Australia and the media is that his comments are “homophobic” and that he has “vilified” people by how he’s expressed his religious beliefs.

To be honest, I wouldn’t post that image on Instagram, even though I agree that we need to warn people about Hell.

Yet I, too, want people to know that no matter who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus loves you so much that he died to forgive you.

Everybody is guilty of disobeying God in all sorts of ways, but no matter what you’ve done, Jesus offers unconditional forgiveness if you truly follow him.

I love Izzy’s courage and conviction, and I share his passion for people to come to Jesus and be rescued from Hell.

And I think he’s right when he says that God considers homosexual activity to be one of many things that are immoral.

But whether you agree or not, surely it’s un-Australian to sack someone for publicly saying something that’s in the Bible.

We used to think, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”, but now our society silences views that are unpopular.

Nobody likes to be told that their behaviour is wrong, yet all of us are guilty in Jesus’ sight for all we’ve done to offend him.

At the same time, all of us can enjoy forgiveness in Jesus because of his self-sacrificing death on the first Good Friday.

JODIE McNEILL