Sometimes we have strong urges that we definitely should not give in to. One such urge came upon me yesterday while looking for a couple of shrubs to replace some that had died. There in front of my eyes were a row of pots with ivy in them. This creeper vine had already wound its way around a small trellis that had been put in the pot. My urge was to smash the pots and destroy the plants. Not a good idea. Mr Bunnings would have kicked me out of his store, never to allow me to return. You may wonder...

One of the clear teachings of Scripture alone is that our coming to faith alone in Christ alone for our salvation is all by grace alone.  Yet it is this very teaching that causes some confusion in people’s minds about God’s sovereignty and our responsibility in the process of salvation.  Some are quick to say that God is unfair in choosing some to be saved in Christ and not others.  Others suggest that since it is all up to God’s choosing anyhow, why worry about it.   If there is nothing we can do, let’s just sit back and let God do his work,...

Have you ever thought about the fact that it is only the pinnacle of God’s creation who can actually say 'no' to God?  It is true that all creation groans under the weight of sin, but it is only human beings who can disobey and say 'no' to God. It is a foolish thing to say ‘no’ to God as Jonah also experienced when he was asked to go to the city of Nineveh.  However, it is not only foolish, it is downright dangerous to say ‘no’ to God, for you may not be given too many opportunities to say ‘yes’ to...

Why on earth should I feel sorry for my grandkids? When I was a teenager we rarely ate out. Fast food (where I lived) was pretty well limited to fish and chips from Greasy Joe’s. My grandchildren can choose between Hungry Jacks and Pizza Hut, between Red Rooster and Mackers – and that’s only four of a dozen options. Why should I feel sorry for my grandchildren? Our home didn’t have a telephone – Mum and Dad finally got one after I left home and got married. All except the youngest of my grandkids have smart phones. They can stay in...

This past week Henk and I attended the Vine Project at the RTC Melbourne campus. Colin Marshall presented a one-day course on how to set up structures that may help in assisting churches in making disciples and hence fulfilling the Great Commission.  He mentioned four ‘P’s, “Preaching, prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit, people – engaging all of God’s people, and patiently persevering” and four ‘E’s, “engaging, evangelising, establishing and equipping.”  One church who has started the Vine Project anticipates that it would be a twenty-one-year project.  They have changed the name of their small bible study groups to ‘gospel’ groups...

One thing that I have learnt over the years and continue to learn is the danger of sin when too many words are spoken. On several occasions, I have said things (or even printed words or allowed them to be printed) without giving proper thought as to whether they were admirable or praiseworthy. On some occasions, they ended up giving offence, even when no offence was intended. The words of Proverbs 10:19 spring to mind, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” James also gives us a timely warning, “My dear brothers,...

Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about ‘culture’ and especially how it relates to Christian worship and the gospel in general. The question with which we need to deal is whether our culture drives the gospel or should the gospel drive our culture. It seems to me that the latter is correct, but it is easier said than done. We certainly wish to be relevant to our culture, yet we don’t wish to compromise the pure gospel. Jesus was born into a culture and presented a refreshing gospel, which was rather radical by the Scribes and Pharisee’s standards. Perhaps we...

Sometimes when we discuss the third mark of the true church as listed in Belgic Confession Article 29 (i.e. the faithful administration of discipline), we could exchange the word ‘discipline’ with ‘love’ for discipline is a sign of love. The disciplining of Church members is always a difficult thing to implement, however, the ruling elders have been given this responsibility. They not only have to ensure the gospel is proclaimed and the sacraments administered, but to also discipline those who are behaving in a way that shows they have no regard for God’s word or live in obedience to it as...

The T-shirt made the point very well. It read: “Because I’m the Mum!” I thought to myself, “Okay, there goes a woman who has experienced the questioning nature of children.” You respond to their “Why” only to have the same question fired at you once more: “But why, Mum?” There comes that moment when in sheer exasperation we tell our children that this is the way things happen, because we are the parents who make the rules and the arrangements. “Get used to it...!” I thought of this the other evening when we were reading the end of Hebrews 11 for...

For some people, the biblical doctrine of election becomes difficult to comprehend since some of our close friends, perhaps even family members that we love, have until now not responded to God’s call on their lives. At other times, we know our own hearts and wonder why God would make Jesus known to us, whilst other people, often morally decent, generous in love and giving, exemplary in behaviour, seem to be passed over. It seems so unfair. Well, perhaps we should state from the outset that God would have been perfectly just to pass us all by. Sometimes you will hear...

One thing I thought that was interesting recently at our Lifted-Up during the Pako Festa was when some people came for a bacon and egg roll, they were reluctant to accept it for free. Some people even offered to pay for it or at the very least make a donation for the food received. Perhaps these people were reluctant to accept a free bacon and egg roll because they were aware of the saying, “There are no free lunches in this world” for their experience has taught them that there is nearly always a catch. There are generally two obstacles to...

The summer storm last night brought down a huge gum tree in our paddock. Well most of it anyway. The top two-thirds came down in a splintering crash of branches and leaves. Today I’ve been out with the chainsaw to make a start on cleaning up the wreckage. I was rather surprised to see this consequence of last night’s gale. The tree was one of a cluster of nine large gums growing at the end of our paddock. Earlier this year I felled one of them for winter firewood. It was already dead when we bought the property. When I looked...

When we lived on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, there were some spectacular views along the coastline, especially when one drove along the cliffs and could see the beaches below. Perhaps one of the best views was from the Bible Garden looking down to Palm Beach. Interestingly, some people (not all) who have spent megabucks purchasing their dream mansion along the coastline were soon bored with the view and after a while rearranged their furniture so that they didn’t have to look at the ocean all day or sold their mansion. I am not too sure how you could be bored...

One annoying thing that keeps niggling at our assurance of salvation on occasions is whether we will be like some others who have at one time done their profession of faith but now seemingly have given their Christian faith away. One trap we fall into as Christians is looking for assurance of salvation in the wrong places. It is so easy to be what I call ‘belly-button’ gazers and continually look at ourselves to see if we can somehow qualify or quantify what God is doing in our lives. For instance, we may be looking at our own spiritual growth or...

As most of you would know, we have been in Europe this past month, catching up with some family and friends and seeing some spectacular scenery. One of the highlights of the trip was being able to see the history of Europe, which included some of the early architecture, the narrow streets that are sprinkled with little shops and of course the Cathedrals. Of all the Cathedrals seen, perhaps the Milan Cathedral was the most spectacular of all, at least from the outside. It took six centuries to complete. It's hard to imagine that people worked on that structure all their...

Back in the days when I briefly served the Christchurch Reformed Church as interim pastor, Australia was going through a spate of trans-Tasman sporting wins. We beat our New Zealand cousins in just about everything from basketball to cricket... I’m not sure, but we may even have beaten them at rugby...! At the time there was a New Zealand election taking place and at church the following morning someone asked, “Who won the elections yesterday?” Quick as a flash someone retorted, “The Aussies.” Well, just recently the Kiwis beat the Aussies at something far more important than sport – and (I...

When the Scottish missionary, David Livingstone went to Africa in 1841 it was as a medical missionary with full medical qualifications. His Christian commitment is well expressed in his saying, “I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ.” His concern for the people of Africa was also evident in his struggle for the abolition of slavery. The French-German theologian, organist, philosopher and physician, Albert Schweitzer, was a somewhat more controversial figure. But when, in 1913, he went to the part of Africa that is now known as Gabon it...

As another year draws to a close it is useful to look back and reflect on what has happened this past year, not just in the world around us, but also in our personal lives. Often on New Year’s eve, Psalm 90 is read, and why not. This Psalm is ascribed to Moses and it takes the form of a prayer. In verses 1-2, the Psalmist acknowledges God’s power, greatness and His eternity. In contrast, verses 3-6 highlights our frailty. In verses 7-12, the Psalmist speaks about our sinfulness and its consequences, namely death. In the closing verses, 13-17, the Psalmist...

Translating from one language into another is always a challenge but it’s something that I’ve been doing off and on for some forty-five years. I’m talking about translating Bible passages from Hebrew or Greek as part of my sermon preparations. These days I’m doing a different kind of translating. My brother has been typing out for the archives some hand-written minutes from the early years of our churches. A problem he came across was that for the first few years of the Reformed Churches of Australia the minutes were all written in Dutch. In a moment of foolishness I agreed to...

There are a number of great events on the church calendar year which we focus on throughout the year. For instance, in the past, some of our churches have focused on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Pentecost, Ascension Day, Reformation Day as well as the six-week period of Lent and of course the four-week period of Advent. The two main periods are Christmas and Easter, and it is good to focus for a moment on both these in the final week of Advent. The very thing that is obvious is that both were necessary. The writer to the Hebrews...