Recently Ivana Trump was interviewed on television.  Ivana is the ex-wife of Donald Trump, one of the wealthiest men in the US of A. Somewhere along the line the interviewer asked this lady what she had learned in life.  She replied, “I’ve learned that money doesn’t grow on trees.” When I picked myself up off the floor I couldn’t help but wonder about the priorities of the rich and famous.  Here is a lady who reportedly received some twenty million dollars as a settlement of the divorce proceedings from husband Donald.  Then asked what lesson she has learnt in life the...

Have you counted your blessings recently? This week, I had the privilege of paying a relatively short visit with Irene to my mum in New Zealand. We left on Sunday night, and returned Wednesday evening. Stop and think about that for a minute. It's not that long ago that you wouldn't have dreamed of going to New Zealand for just three days – unless you were a businessman. Such travel was too expensive – you'd stay at least a couple of weeks to make it really worthwhile. But the airfares for this trip were only $200 return! This is just one...

Living for Jesus   Text – Acts 21:1-16 (vs. 13) Reading – 2 Corinthians 4 Songs – BOW: 170, 139a, 216, 213, 103b:1&5   Here in the West we live in a day and age of great tolerance and religious freedom. It hasn’t always been that way. The freedoms we enjoy today have been won by difficult costly life-and-death struggles such as during the time of the Reformation. Many thousands were martyred for the faith during those years and it’s due to their struggle that we enjoy the spiritual freedom we have today. There are some who still suffer that struggle...

The Lord's Gracious Approach to Deliver His Idolatrous People   Text – Judges 6 Reading – 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 Suggested Hymns : BoW 145; 44; 159; 529   People of God,   Those of you who are familiar with the book of Judges will be aware that the history recorded there has a cyclical pattern. A pattern painfully found in the history of the Church and our own lives. That well known pattern of falling into sin, then suffering the Lord's faithful chastisement, bringing a painful cry for God's mercy, till He finally responds with forgiveness and deliverance.   Judges 4...

The Gospel Goes On   Text - 1 Kings 16:29-34 Reading: Joshua 6 Suggested Songs BOW 118:1,2,4; 454:1,6,7,8; 157:1,2,5,6, Ps Hy 353; BOW 72b:1&4.   (The writer acknowledges MB Vant Veer’s book My God Is Yahweh as being particularly helpful in the preparation of this sermon.)   In this part of the Bible we go back about 2,900 years, or about 900 years before Christ when Ahab became king over Israel. Ahab was the son of Omri a former commander of the Israelite army who deposed and killed the Israelite king Zimri. Before that Zimri had murdered King Baasha who himself...

There’s a hymn we traditionally sing at Christmas time “Glory to God", and those three words are repeated as the central phrase of the hymn.’  It’s a song which is sung with great energy, and to listen to it being sung, the impression is, we mean it.’  I have no doubt we really do want to bring glory to God as we sing those words or words like them in other hymns and songs.’  What I wonder about though, is how we sing that desire after the worship service is over and during the week.’  Bringing glory to God isn’t only...

Our time away has been wonderful. We were repeatedly reminded of the wonder of God's creative hand, and the magnificence of his imagination in it all. From the dry and sun burned lands to the rich and deep lush greens of the tropics and rain forests, it all spoke of the greatness of God. Then of course, while at times we grumbled against the insects - especially those that bit and caused us to scratch - yet the amazing variety of insects enthralled us. We were entertained from start to finish by a seemingly endless variety of birds with all their...

To tell you the truth, I had never really considered the place of Biblical Fasting. I suppose that I always thought it was an outdated practice - until I had to study for this sermon here in Matthew 6:16-18, where Jesus was rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocritical practise of fasting along with giving and prayer. The question is: "Is Biblical Fasting still applicable today?" Firstly, fasting is always connected with prayer. You can pray without fasting but you cannot fast without praying. It is a spiritual discipline of very earnest prayer which shuts out the earthly considerations. Secondly,...

Many years ago now, in a particularly rebellious mood, I stated to some people that democracy is not a Biblically ordained form of government. I remember some shocked looks and some indignant responses, but no one actually took up the challenge to check what the Bible really has to say’  about how nations ought to be governed, or what the relationship of the Christian ought to be to the state. In various quarters of the Christian Church, there is a view which says Christians must have nothing to do with the world. In its extreme forms you have people who set...

One of the really wonderful things about being a part of a congregation of like minded Christians is when it becomes known that a certain brother or sister in the Lord could do with some support there is always someone (usually many) who are ready to help. I love it when I hear a fellow member has reached out to someone else and done so without attracting attention to themselves. They saw something or heard something, and after confirming what they noticed, they quietly did something to help out and support one another. It is an immense encouragement to see the...

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is confronting the religious practices of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were using public prayers to make themselves look good in front of the people. They were using prayer to further their own glory! But is all about God! As Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your Name...” Jesus taught us that life is all about God and how He relates to us as Creator and Redeemer — we have been placed in this world to bring glory to God! But how many of us think in those terms? When you...

In our recent discussions about family worship, a practice came to mind which may benefit some again today. It certainly helped and benefitted many families previously. It was the practice of families worshipping together in the morning worship service, and while the children are young, the parents alternating going to worship in the evening service. The other parent would stay home to look after the very young. When the children are a little older and able to cope with later bedtimes, they were then given that special privilege and sign of them growing up, of also going along to the evening...

The desire session has expressed to the congregation to have children in church more than they are at present, has certainly created some good discussion among us. I call it good, because even though there may some disagreement about this desire, it has caused us to think about worship, families and leading little ones to the Lord. Of course, some things I have heard are not good, so let me challenge you to think this through a little more carefully. Session has not yet finalised its position on how to further the desire to extend and promote family worship, but one...

Word of Salvation - Vol.52 No.35 - September 2007   From Shepherd To Giant Killer By Rev. Paul Archbald Text: 1 Samuel 17:1-53   Introduction: The story of "David & Goliath" is one of the best-loved in the OT. Young people like it because of the action - boy kills fearsome giant. Older folk like to be reminded that it is possible, after all, for the underdog to overcome apparently insurmountable odds. It is obviously important to the writer of 1 Samuel - and therefore the Holy Spirit who inspired it - for it is an especially long chapter, full of...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.3 - January 2007   Christianity vs Islam - what's the difference?   A Sermon by Rev Bill Bosker Scripture Reading: Gen 15:1-7; Rom 4:1-8, 13-25; Rom 3:21-26   Dear Congregation. Introduction: I think we all agree the world is a different place after September 11, 2001. If we hadn't thought about Islam and the Muslim faith before then, we do now. Islam is attractive to millions of people because it has a world-view where all of life is religion. Does that ring any bells for you? Rev Victor Attallah of Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF),...

Word of Salvation – Vol.49 No.42 – November 2004   Amazing Love! The Prodigal Son   Sermon by Rev L De Vos on Luke 15:11-20a   Scripture Reading: Luke 15 Suggested Hymns: RCNZ Psalter Hymnal: 71; 388; 272; 428; 138   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most endearing parables which Jesus ever spoke. People are so familiar with the story of the wayward son that if we asked them to name one parable, this would likely be the one! How about you? Do you know this story well? There is...

Word of Salvation – Vol.49 No.38 – October 2004   Our Inheritance in Christ   Sermon by Rev C Kavanagh on Psalm 16 Scripture Reading:  Romans 8:28-39   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ... In this Psalm, the Psalmist, who is King David, expresses his great confidence in God. He tells about his reliance on God and his being taken up fully with God. He is also asking to be kept safe by God. He takes refuge in God. He may even be in some life-threatening situation, as we can see from the end of the Psalm and his confidence in...

Word of Salvation - Vol.49 No.9 - March 2004   The Lord Reigns Sermon by Rev M Flinn on Psalm 93   Scripture Readings:  Psalm 93; Mark 4:35-41   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We often face moments when it's time for reflection and for planning. When you're young, then you have to think about what you will be studying at school and whether or not you will achieve your goals. Some of you have left school and you are thinking about the changes that you will bring into your life. There may be a measure of uncertainty there -...

Word of Salvation - Vol.48 No.35 - September 2003   Signs of the Times - Love Growing Cold Sermon by Rev P Kossen on Matthew 24:12   Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 2:1-19; Matthew 24:1-14 Suggested Hymns: BoW 103a; 470; 23:1,2,3,5; 443; 514:5   Congregation of Lord Jesus Christ. Signs of the Times. With trouble in the world, like we have, all sorts of questions arise about the future of the race. Will we all get wiped out in a nuclear holocaust? Will militant Islam continue to strike terror over the globe? Where will the current conflict end? As Christians, we often speak...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 48 No.19 – May 2003   No Catastrophic Event Will Signal the End - So Be Watchful!   Sermon by Rev T Flanagan on Mark 13 Scripture Readings:  Daniel 12; Mark 13 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 155; 2; 517; 489; 525   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We're confronted with one of the most difficult passages of the gospels, particularly with regard to verse 30 of this chapter. Verse 30 reads, "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." The verse seems to say that all...