Everyone, including me, wants things to happen quickly. Not everything that is done quickly is good. This is the case in the journey of establishing Indigenous Ministries Australia (IMA).

Good foundations and clear plans create opportunities for a long-term future. On October 25 – 27 the IMA Reference Group and a couple of other participants will meet with Mark Yettica-Paulson to begin development of a vision, values and strategic plan to guide IMA into the future. This process is really important and needs our prayerful support and encouragement.

One task that is complete is the design of a logo for IMA. It includes an image of people gathered together in conversation, the letters IMA and a cross near the centre. This is what we seek – people gathering, relating together, and exploring what is possible with the cross at the centre of what we do. IMA is an expression of the goodness of the grace and love of God at work in our midst.

The Reference Group is keen to hear of ministry possibilities with and among Australian Indigenous people. IMA is in conversation with ministry possibilities in NSW and WA and we hear of other possibilities emerging. Good planning takes time. We won’t just wait for the final plans before things begin – we are moving forward.

John Gilmore, Executive Director.

Note: you can more about the work projects of Global Mission Partners (GMP) on their website here: http://www.inpartnership.org.au/

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5: 1–2)

The doctrine of justification is one of the cornerstones of our faith. God is a just God and His holiness requires sin to be punished. We read that “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) How then can anyone escape?

Praise God. It is only through the death of Jesus Christ and faith in Him that we are justified. The clever pun on the word “justified” says it all: it is “just-if-I’d” never sinned. Jesus took the punishment in our place. He paid the price by dying for our sins. No longer do we stand in the dock condemned: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”(Romans 8:1)

Two friends grew up living next door to one another. They sat together in class, played together in the school yard and in each other’s back yards on the weekend. As teenagers they grew apart. One of them continued his studies and became a lawyer. Later in life he became a judge.

The second boy mixed with the wrong crowd, dropped out of his studies and pursued a life of crime as a thief. The inevitable happened, he was arrested and he appeared before the judge – his childhood friend. The charges were read out, detailing the many crimes he had committed. After a few moments of silence, the judge took off his robes and wig, stepped down and moved to the dock.

Embracing his childhood friend with tears pouring down his face he announced, “This man is my dear friend. Let it be recorded that I am charged with his crimes. I promise to repay all that my dear friend has ever stolen. Furthermore, he is free to go with no charges against his name.”

Imagine the sense of relief and overwhelming gratitude of his friend. That is exactly how we should respond to the news that Jesus did exactly the same thing. Through faith in Him we have been justified in God’s sight.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

˄TH

What if we treated our Bibles like we treat our mobile phones?

• What if we carried our Bibles everywhere?
• What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
• What if we checked it for messages throughout the day?
• What if we used it in case of an emergency?
• What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?

˄TH

Just a reminder that the Kairos ministry in Mobilong Prison started today and continues until Friday.

If you have registered to pray at a specified time, please try to keep to your promised time.

If you didn’t register – pray anyway! At any time during the day or night.

If you can’t sleep – use the time God has given to you to pray.

If waiting in line at the bank or a checkout – pray.

If held up at traffic lights – pray.

Instead of singing in the shower – pray.

When going for a walk – pray.

May God bless your faithfulness in prayer.

Blessings,

TH

Do you find it hard to give thanks at all times? I’m sure Paul did when he was being beaten, left for dead, shipwrecked, and so on. Yet the instructions he wrote to the churches in Ephesus and Thessalonica, were for the believers to be not only thankful, but joyful, for all things and in all circumstances. Does that mean I must be grateful for both the painful and the enjoyable conditions in which I find myself – when plagued with bad health or blessed with good, when everything in life appears to be falling apart or when all things are going fine?

The answer is ‘Yes’! But the ability to do so can only be found in knowing God and believing in His Word, and those wonderful promises to us which are found there. Because He is loving, gracious and merciful He will not do or allow anything malicious to harm His relationship with His children – all that He allows in our lives is to help us to trust Him more and make us more like our Lord Jesus. All that we experience of His wonderful love and care enables us to empathise with others and so share His faithfulness.

Paul tells us in the following passages how we can do this. In Ephesians 5: 15 – 21 he tells us to use our time wisely and with a sense of responsibility, to sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1 Thessalonians 5: 12 – 18 he tells us, how we are to reflect the life of the Lord Jesus. We are to live at peace with each other, to encourage those who are timid, to be patient with everyone and to be kind to them.  We are to be joyful and prayerful, giving thanks in all circumstances because this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.

As we face this new week may we continue to live for Him and His glory, being thankful in all that happens to us because our Father knows all about it, and being thankful for all things, trusting that this experience must be needful for us to become more like our Lord Jesus.

˄OC

Paul’s second letter to Timothy is thought to be the last letter he wrote before his death. What deep concern he had for this younger man who had been his much loved companion and fellow worker on his last two missionary journeys, and so he wrote to encourage him in his walk with the Lord and in his role, after Paul’s death, of giving spiritual leadership to the churches.

Timothy had learned the Scriptures as a lad under the teaching of his mother and grandmother and been introduced to the Lord Jesus by Paul who continued to train him in the way he should live for Him. While Paul was in prison, Timothy was serving God in Ephesus and Paul reminded him of the importance of knowing the Scriptures for his own personal walk with the Lord as well as his preaching the Gospel.

In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul writes – ‘Study (do your best) to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.’

Then in chapter 3:16 – 17 he writes ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped in every way.’

I like to think that God is saying to us, through Paul:

• All Scripture is useful for teaching, and it shows us the path we are to walk on to be pleasing to Him.
• All Scripture is useful for rebuking and it shows us where we left that path, when we stray.
• All Scripture is useful for correcting and it shows us how to get back on the path.
• All Scripture is useful for training or instruction and it shows us how to stay on the path.

Jesus said, ‘I AM the Way’ (or the path) and we are to follow Him. He said, ‘I AM the Truth,’ which is His Word and we need to know and obey it. He also said, ‘I AM the Life,’ and as we allow Him to live through us, His Life will be seen by others.

May this time of worship this morning enable us to praise our God for Who He is and what He has provided as well as our being better equipped for His service in the days ahead.

This project was launched Sunday of last week.

The Elders have challenged the church to raise $5000 towards solar panels and rainwater tanks at the children’s home in Zimbabwe. This is a huge project and your little part in this will make a big difference in the life of the children in the home. This project will continue for the rest of this year. Stay tuned for special fund raising ideas and events.

In the meantime, you can donate via our normal offerings each Sunday but make sure you put it in a specially marked envelope. Add your name if you want a tax deductible receipt. For more information, check out the link here on our church website, or go to http://www.inpartnership.org.au/khayelihle-childrens-village.

TH

“In partnership we can make a difference”