Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) is now legal in New South Wales, and as Christians, this is something that challenges us on many fronts, as we seek to offer wise pastoral care to others, and also to obey and honour God and his word.

Some people encourage VAD because they say it avoids the pain of terminal illness, despite advancements in medicine that provide excellent pain relief and palliative care.

Others seek VAD because they don’t want others burdened as they go through a difficult illness, even though this can easily lead to other older people pursuing early death to help relieve others from the need to provide them with care.

Whilst those who have prepared the legislation say VAD is different to suicide, God says in the Bible that taking any life is wrong, even when a person is already close to death.

Yet, the greatest problem with voluntary assisted dying is that it leads a person to take their life into their own hands, rather than waiting for God to act.

This is sad for many others, especially family members and other professionals who feel the confusion and pain of being asked to help a person hasten their death, even though their conscience may be against this.

Despite having the responsibility to protect vulnerable people from feeling pressure to take their lives, this new law will impact our society in ways that will weaken trust, and lead to the deaths of the very people we’re called by God to protect.

Yet, in all of this, we know that there is hope in the Lord Jesus, and that no matter what the sufferings people might be experiencing, they are nothing compared with the glory God will reveal to us later (Romans 8:18.)

JODIE McNEILL

We get messages all the time, especially via SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp or even the good-old fashioned paper and pen!

Most messages are short, simple, and not very special, like “I’ll be 5 mins late,” or “How are you going?,” or perhaps a string of letters like “LOL,” or “IDK.”

But if you received a message from someone really famous and important, then that text would certainly catch your attention.

In the very last book of the Old Testament, there is a special message from the king of the universe, as Malachi, (which means ‘messenger’,) delivers a special word from God.

It’s a pretty hard-hitting message, and even though it was written in a time and a place that was a long way away, it still brings a current kick to all of us who now follow the Lord Jesus Christ as king.

Over the next four weeks we’re going to look at the whole message of Malachi in the following four parts: 1: Fear the King (1:1-14); 2: Be Faithful to the King (2:1-16); 3: Return to the King (2:17-3:15); and 4: Prepare for the King (3:16-4:6).

When you bring these four messages together, we hear God the King telling us to fear him, be faithful to him, to return to him, and to prepare for him.

We’ll be challenged to follow the king, especially as we’re so easily tempted and distracted by the things of the world, which subtly lead us to drift away from the true and living God.

Above all, it’s a message that originally prepared God’s people for the coming of the true king, Jesus Christ, who came to bring judgement and mercy, and to bring healing in his wings.

As we explore this message, we’ll see more about why Christmas is such good news.

JODIE McNEILL

What do guitars, kids, water slides, the Bible, and transformers all have in common? Square One!

Square One is a weekend camp for children in Years 3 to 6 and their church leaders. 

Last weekend, seven of us went to Youthworks Port Hacking Conference Centre to spend a weekend together and discipline each other with God’s word.

There were around 300 kids and leaders that met together, and we all had a blast.

We laughed, danced and sang together in the main sessions. We prayed together. We played games during meals and with other churches. We spent time alone with God in his word. We listened to engaging Bible talks and electric guitar solos. We ate lots of pancakes. And we studied the Bible together. 

But the best thing about Square One was that we got to spend quality time with our church crew.

There were so many great discipleship moments and so many other hilarious moments!

Over the weekend, we spent some time thinking about how God’s Spirit transforms us so we can say NO! to sin.

And we tried to wrap our heads around the exciting thought that we will dwell with God in the new heaven and earth. 

Being with God is the best.

Please pray that God will continue to use Square One to grow people’s love and knowledge of him.

And thank God for food, kids, fun and Square One!

JACOB MIERENDORFF

At today’s commissioning service for Adrian, Anita, Matias and Maia Lovell, it was a fresh reminder of our deep partnership with them and with the Church Missionary Society, CMS.

We gathered along with representatives of six other churches to show our support for the Lovells, and to pray for them as they prepare to return to Bolivia in a month.

Mandy and I were able to lead the gathering in prayer, and along with the gathered congregation, we commissioned them for another term of service.

Scott Millar from CMS reminded us about how hard it is for one church alone to send out a missionary, but when we’re in partnership with several others, it becomes possible for us.

Our church contributes financially to CMS for our support both of the Lovells, as well as our other friend… and our partnership includes lots of prayer!

But there’s another important challenge for our church and each of us as we consider missionary work around the world.

A big challenge is to ‘go,’ as someone willing to be considered for mission work in a cross-cultural situation… but, the opposite to going, is not staying… it’s sending.

You might not be able to go yourself, but together as a church, we can be involved in sending someone from our own church, or to be a part of helping another person from another church to go.

If we can’t go, then we can still send… even as you and I might stay.

Please pray for the Lovells as they prepare to leave in five weeks’ time, especially as they return to the all-new city, Santa Cruz.

They know where they’re going to church, and where the kids are going to school, but are still unsure where they will live—so will you pray for them?

JODIE McNEILL

Dear Father God,

In light of Hamas’ recent attacks on Israel we are reminded yet again of the sad reality that the present Jerusalem is in slavery with her children.We pray for those who belong to the heavenly Jerusalem – our brothers and sisters living in both Israel and Palestine – that you’d enable them to boldly proclaim and live in accordance with the gospel of peace during this time of dreadful conflict. May their love of the Prince of Shalom/Salam so motivate them to comfort and serve those who have experienced devastating loss, and may they themselves know the genuine comfort that comes from the Great High Priest who empathises with our weaknesses.

For our brothers and sisters in Palestine, may you embolden and equip them to stand against the political leadership of Hamas, and agitate for non-violent solutions to the current conflict. May their desire to love their enemies be used to show up the futility of Palestinian jihadists perpetuating the cycle of violence.

For our brothers and sisters in Israel, may you embolden and equip them to stand for and promote only the just and reasonable use of defensive force, and to condemn terroristic forms of retaliation. May Israel’s military action be swift and measured, and restore safety and security to their nation.

We pray for Gentile Christians in Israel – that their love for Jews, along with their firm confidence in your Fatherly goodness, might be used to provoke elect Israelites to envy, and that through this, you’d bring many of your chosen people back into your kingdom through the blood of their own Messiah. We praise you that on the last day we’ll see a nation of elect Israelites, along with multitudes from all tribes, nations and languages, surrounding your throne – a testament of your absolute faithfulness to your promises.

For those on both sides of this multi-generational conflict who have deep animosity and hatred for the other – may they come to appreciate the extraordinary love that you showed in the giving of your one and only Son for your enemies, that they might know true reconciliation.

For world leaders, and for your church all over the world, may we be slow to make definitive calls about the absolute rightness or wrongness of political decisions in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We recognise that you alone are omniscient and omnibenevolent, and that you look favourably on the one who is humble and contrite in spirit.
Whilst we lament the conflict itself, we pray that it might give rise to gospel opportunities with our Jewish neighbours. May our love for the Jewish Messiah and our desire to see His own people blessed by embracing Him, shine forth in our conversation and prayer. May we be unashamed of the gospel, remembering that it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe – first for the Jew, and also the Gentile.

We pray boldly that the heavenly Jerusalem would soon come down, whereupon we’ll rejoice that all conflict will end, all perpetrators will be brought to perfect justice, and all your people will enter into the joy of your eternal kingdom. Come Lord Jesus. Amen.

BEN PAKULA