As news broke of the fire at Notre Dame, the world united in shock and sadness.

This Parisien icon had towered over the landscape for 850 years, and yet it now had succumbed to the power of fire.

Some might say it’s only a building, but there is a good reason why the citizens of Paris wept over its destruction.

For many, it was a place where they came to meet with God, and for others, it was a symbol of European Christianity.

For me, I was reminded of another, impressive place of worship that also suffered enormous destruction.

The Second Temple of Jerusalem was deliberately destroyed by Romans in 70AD, yet decades before, that Temple had become redundant as a place of worship.

For, at the very moment that Jesus died, the Bible records that the giant curtain of that temple was torn in two.

No longer was that stone building in Jerusalem to be the place to meet God, for now they would meet him in Jesus Christ.

For Jesus once said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” […] But when Jesus said, “this temple,” he meant his own body. (John 20:19,21)

It is natural for us to feel sentimental about our buildings, and it was right to be sad when Notre Dame and the Temple of Jerusalem were damaged or destroyed.

Yet, the greatest destruction was on the first Good Friday, when the Son of God was executed as an innocent man on behalf of those who trust in him.

However as promised, Jesus was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday, and with his resurrection comes a certain hope that can never perish, spoil or fade.

This Easter, as you reflect upon the fragility of life and the certainty of our own passing, it is a great time to trust in Jesus and enjoy the forgiveness he offers and the hope he promises.  

JODIE McNEILL

One of the greatest lies of the Devil is that Hell is not nearly as bad as its reputation.

You might have heard people say that they want to go to Hell because they want to party with all their friends that they expect meet there.

Jesus spoke more about Hell than anyone else in the Bible, and he made it very clear that a person should do anything in their power to avoid this horrible place.

In one part of the Bible, Jesus said that if a your eye causes you to sin, “gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

And another time Jesus spoke of a man who had been sent to Hell who was in so much agony that he pleaded that someone simply drip a few drops of water on his tongue to somehow relieve his anguish in the flames.

What’s more, given that relationships are a good gift from God to enjoy, we can be confident that Hell will be like solitary confinement, with no human contact for forever and ever.

And contrary to another popular viewpoint, God will be present in Hell, but only as one who is bringing judgement and punishment for eternity.

There are better reasons to follow Jesus than just to escape this horrible, eternal punishment.

After all, the joy of having life to the full with Jesus is mind-blowing, even if we don’t experience it fully until we go to be with him in heaven.

But even so, it’s worth being scared out of Hell into the safe arms of Jesus, knowing that you can fully escape God’s anger by simply trusting in Jesus and experiencing his full forgiveness for everything you’ve ever done.

So what are you waiting for? Why would you risk eternal punishment when you can have certainty for eternity with Jesus?

JODIE McNEILL

Last Friday afternoon, I came across the horrific news from Christchurch, where two shootings saw at least fifty people murdered… and all by the hands of an Aussie. 

I watched as thousands of Australians spoke up and responded to the tragedy, laying flowers in mosques and showing support for our neighbours in Christchurch.

However, I was left wondering about the best way to respond to this tragedy.

I read an article by Samuel Green and he had three helpful reflections.  

Firstly, it’s important to address the seriousness of the issue.

This was an act of pure evil and we cannot excuse or justify it in any way: this mass murder was driven by racism alone.

However, we know all people are created in the image of God, and that Jesus’ death was for all people who turn to him in repentance.

This leaves us with no excuse for any acts or thoughts driven by racism. 

Secondly, we want to reach out to the Muslim community and assure them of our love and support.

This is a great time to meet with our Muslim friends and listen to their concerns and worries.

We can attend community events standing against these acts of violence as people who promote peace, just like our Saviour Jesus, the Prince of Peace. 

Finally, we can be praying.

As the families of the victims mourn their losses and the family of the shooter grapples with this tragedy, we can pray that God would be glorified, and that through this horrific event, the good news of Jesus would be spread. 

Despite the sinfulness and cowardly acts of violence in our world, God still rules as king, and remains in control.

We have a God in whom we can bring all our worries to and trust in him alone.

JEMIMAH McNEILL

Have you ever thought that God hates sex?

Maybe it’s because the Bible has lots of rules that seem to restrict our freedoms and that cause us to miss out on the ‘fun’ and ‘naughty’ side of sex?

Well, if that’s the case, then you’ve probably never read ‘The Song of Songs’.

This book of the Bible talks openly and unashamedly about sex, and its mention of private parts and private acts is enough to make anyone blush.

Throughout history some people have thought that the intimate love portrayed between the husband and wife was only just describing the love between Jesus and his church.

These people couldn’t cope with thinking that this saucy sex was in the Bible.

But God is pro-sex, and he made sex to be celebrated and enjoyed.

But like any good thing, it can easily be damaged if it’s not used according to its maker’s instructions.

And that’s why we learn in Song of Songs that true sex is wonderful, honourable, secure and committed.

It’s designed to be between a married man and a women, who together preserve this remarkable gift from God.

So instead of seeing God as some sort of spoil sport, we should see his words in the Bible about sex as the kind of wisdom that is worth a fortune.

The Song of Songs shows sex to be mind-blowingly good, but it also makes it clear that this powerful tool has the potential to cause real harm when it’s not used according to its maker’s instructions.

We carry this glorious love poem around inside our Bibles, so it is good for us to read it, and understand it.

And so, over the next four weeks, we’re going to study this remarkable book of the Bible, and whether you’re old or young, married or single, male or female, this will be a spiritual journey not to be missed!

The talks will run on 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, and 30-31 March 2019 at both our 5pm Saturday and 9am Sunday services at Jamberoo Anglican Church.

JODIE McNEILL

There are people everywhere who feel as though they cannot be part of our world any longer.

Sadly, some of those people have tried to take their own lives.

In 2015, over 3,000 people died by suicide, and it is presumed that for every death there were as many as 25 attempts.

Whilst this seems like a new phenomenon, we read in the Bible about people who have struggled with great fear, sadness and hopelessness.

The Psalmist even declares that God was the only thing that, “kept my eyes from closing [for he] was too troubled to speak.” (Psalm 77:4).

Yet even though these feelings of hopelessness and suicide are common, Christians believe that suicide is a great tragedy.

After all, God has knit each person together in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139) and made each of us in his image (Genesis 1).

It grieves God to see his children feeling so hopeless, especially when Jesus offers such hope.

If you think someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts, then it important that you ask them how they’re going.

This is the message that Tim and I were taught in a recent seminar by Lifeline on this topic of suicide intervention.

We were encouraged to speak to people who seem troubled, and to say something like, “hey, you’ve seemed really down lately: have you been thinking about suicide?”

It’s a bold question to ask, but it will let that person know you care and give them an opportunity to talk about what’s going on in their lives.

For, in the same way that you’d run to help someone who was clutching their chest in pain, we need to assist people who are suffering emotionally.

We must care well for others and try to offer hope.

If you need to speak to someone now, contact www.lifeline.org.au on 13 11 14.

RAYNE ORANGE