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Glen Park Gospel Church >> Archive >> Editorial >> 2002
Each month the Glen Park Gospel Church produce a one page newsletter called the Green Leaf. It's available from the chapel each Sunday. Some months include a topical article or report. We thought you might appreciate reading those previously published.
2002 - The Year Ahead
When we think of the national and personal tragedy which abounded in 2001, what is your greatest need for 2002?
Here is a check list of fields in which most of us have personal and family need. Tick the boxes if there are unresolved issues for which you need to see answers in 2002:
These are issues that cause problems to most, if not all people. Go through the list again. Take time. Be honest. When you have an accurate summary of your need continue reading to see God's answer to our personal needs.
God's Answer to Our Deepest Needs is
Jesus Christ
Consider these verses from Colossians ...
"He (God) delivered us from the domain of darkness and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." Colossians 1:13.
"For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and you are complete in Him." Colossians 2:9.
When we receive Jesus Christ by faith, He comes into our life through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who begins to manifest the person of the Lord Jesus in us. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. (Galatians 5:22&23) These qualities are the essence of practical holiness, the result of the Holy Spirit simply being Himself.
Did you notice that there is nothing here about peace, or power, or wisdom, or faith, or provision or health. This is because Jesus is our peace: Jesus is our power: Jesus is our wisdom: Jesus is health: Jesus is our provision. Jesus takes care of all these ‘other things'.
What is our part? All we have to do is trust Him.
A Messenger From Outer Space
"An asteroid big enough to obliterate a major country missed Earth by a stellar hair's breadth on Monday night," so reported the Melbourne ‘Age' on Wednesday 9 January 2002.
The report went on to say that, had it struck, it would have had the force of hundreds of Atomic Bombs, but instead it just glided harmlessly past, 600,000 kilometres away. That sounds a long way, but it is only twice the distance to the moon, close enough to cause consternation in the astronomic world.
Had this asteroid, known as 2001 YB5, fallen on Melbourne, the ‘Age' claimed, the explosion would have destroyed most of Sydney as well.
An asteroid is a piece of rock ‘floating' in space. Thousands
of them of various sizes orbit the sun. It was reported that a
60 metre asteroid crashed into Siberia in 1908 with a force 600
times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and that an
asteroid measuring one kilometre in collision with the earth would
create a shock wave massive enough to topple buildings all around
the world, and tsunamis, a gigantic hurricane, with a dust blanket
severe enough to plunge the world into another ice age* More than
half the population of the world could perish under these conditions.
This asteroid is a messenger from outer space, because the Bible
tells us that in the last days the earth will be impacted by a
shower of asteroids such as this. Here is part of what it says:
Revelation 8:7-12
The language of Revelation is apocalyptic, not scientific, but the picture is the same. The description given in Revelation, of which the above is a sample, indicates that these problems accrue because of the judgment of God upon the deliberate choice by men of that day, of a life of evil, rebellion and ungodliness.
". . .nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their immorality or their thefts." 9:21
Our astral visitor is a messenger to remind us that we cannot turn our back upon God without paying the price. While God is "a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.," Psalm 86:15 there comes a time when that long suffering has suffered long enough. Men and women who turn their backs upon God, put themselves outside the sphere of His grace, and He is forced to extraordinary measures to restore them to real righteousness.
But there is more to all this for it is descriptive of conditions that will come to be when He establishes His Son, Jesus Christ, into His Kingdom, a kingdom which will be a reign of true righteousness.
This event which is reported in our daily press is but another example of just how possible are all those events which have been foretold will come to be, probably in our day. These events and their prophecy, given thousands of years ago, are the subject of the next series of Tuesday Evening Bible Studies. Watch our Bible Study section for the PDF study notes as they become available.
The Refiner of Silver
There was a group of women in a Bible Study on the book of
Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across
verse three, which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier
of silver."
This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement
meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining
silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment
to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason
for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining
silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over
the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver,
one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where
the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then
she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner
and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it
was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole
time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes,
he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to
keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.
If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would
be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silver-smith,
how do you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled at
her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image
in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God
has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His
image in you.
Christlikeness
There is the story told of a young unknown artist who had come to admire a large and beautiful masterpiece which was part of a collection hanging in a public gallery in a royal palace in Rome. This artist was so enthralled, that he desired to copy it, so that he could discover the skills which the master had employed.
Whilst members of the public were permitted free access to the gallery, they were not permitted to make copies. The ambitious student did take an easel and stool, but was quickly told to move on.
Undeterred, he decided to copy the massive painting from memory. Hour after hour he stood before it and examined it, one small part at a time. He would shut his eyes until he could see it again in his mind; the line, the colour, the form of each stroke of the brush. Inch by inch; detail by detail he committed it to memory, until the work filled his mind. Then he hurried home to reproduce it from memory.
Each day, as he gazed on the masterpiece, he saw some new meaning, new detail, new loveliness. He would go over and over his small work, adjusting a detail here and a point there until, at last, after some time his copy was finished. Those people who came to see it would exclaim, ‘Oh! this is lovely, we must see the original!' and they would hurry off to the palace.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
The best commentary on the Bible is a Christ filled life!
Because it Works
A Christian repair man was called to service the mechanism of a giant telescope. He took some time to have his lunch, and the chief astronomer passed by and saw that he was reading his New Testament. He stopped to scoff at him. "What good do you expect to get out of that?" he asked, "Why, with our scientific advancements, the Bible is now completely outdated. Why, you don't even know who the authors are."
The repair man was silent for a moment then looked up. "Do you use the multiplication tables in your calculations as an astronomer?"he asked. "Yes, certainly I do,"replied the astronomer." "Do you know who wrote them?" ""Why no, I guess I don't." "Well," replied the serviceman, "How can you use them when you are not sure of the author?" "We trust them because they work." His emphasis showed a hint of irritation. "Well I trust the Bible for the same reason!"
D L Moody was once challenged to debate an atheist on the condition that the atheist's position would be supported by the lives of ten people. Moody agreed to have at least a hundred people on the platform whose lives had been transformed by the Gospel. The atheist was unable to accept the challenge because he lacked the testimonials.
Listing the sins that beset men in his day, the apostle Paul continued, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." 1Corinthians 6:11. It is the same today.
The reason we trust the Bible today is because it still works in the lives of those who walk humbly with God.
Adapted from Our Daily Bread Favourites
by Richard DeHaan and HG Bosh
How to Enjoy Peace of Heart
Paul the Apostle begins his letter to these early Christians at Philippi with the prayer, ‘May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.' And he ends it by telling us how this may be achieved in a very practical way:
‘Fill your mind with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable. Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you.' Philippians 4.8 & 9. GNB.
This morning I want to share with you some very simple thoughts about this instruction, and practical things that you can do to give you peace of heart in a troubled world.
Here then are five observations designed to assist.
First, what goes in determines what comes out. Physically, we are what we eat. It is also true in the spiritual realm. What we read, and watch and talk about is grist for the mill of the mind.
Second, the mind processes our thoughts in much the same way as our bodies process our foods. The food we eat will assist to determine the level of our health. What we think about will be determined by the ideas we absorb.
Third, our mind controls our heart and our heart will determine our actions.. What we think about will in turn determine what we do and how we live.
Fourth, there are only two possible sources of inputs to our mind, God and His messengers or the agencies of the world. ‘Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world you do not love the Father. Everything that belongs to the world - what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of - none of this comes from the Father, it all comes from the world.' 1 John 2:15-16 GNB.
Fifth, if you don't control the information flow, the devil will. We are living in this world with it's media, it's scholarship, its standards and values, its lust for power, wealth and pleasure.
How do we control the input into our minds? There are three key words, ‘ask', ‘think' and ‘do'.
Ask. What we need is a company of soldiers which will set up a road block to secure the inflow of ideas against the infiltration of radicals. Actually that is what God gives us. Go back to Philippians 4:6&7. ‘Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart. And God's peace which is far beyond human understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.' GNB The words translated will keep come from a Greek word meaning ‘to guard as with a garrison of soldiers'. How does this work? Instead of looking to the resources of the world around us we look to the Lord, thanking Him for His graciousness and goodness. His peace filters the inputs to our mind blocking some concepts, but allowing others. In the matter of Divine guidance we ought never to act against the gentle influence of God's peace. If in life's decisions we act against the principle of the peace of God, we are setting aside the leading of His Spirit, and choosing instead to make our life in the flesh (or the self life). This is serious stuff.
Think. We are then told to concentrate our minds on the positive things, those things that the peace of God has allowed to filter through. Read again Philippians 4:8. Think on these things. These things will be good, and deserving praise, things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable. These are the qualities that are in Jesus Christ. If we are living in union with Him, they will be found in our lives also.
Do. Paul told the Philippians to be like him, in that He was so living as to please and be like Jesus. When our lives are like Jesus, then He Himself, the God of peace, will draw near and be with us.
Here then are some simple things that we can do to enjoy peace of heart. Peace, real peace, is found only in union with Jesus Christ. The God of peace will come to dwell in that place which is fit for Him. You make sure that your heart is that place.
An extract of a message given at
Glen Park Gospel Church, Sunday 28th July 2002
John Mark, An Ordinary Christian
John Mark lived with his mother Mary in Jerusalem during those exciting, tragic days which saw the ministry and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, the martyrdom of Stephen and the beginning of Christian persecution.
The family home was large enough for the disciples to gather, had a walled garden with a lockable gate to the street and servants. For that day it was a home of some affluence.
Mark was born a Levite, traditionally Temple assistants, whose training and duty it was to facilitate the work of the priests. Mark followed in this tradition.
Mark had everything going for him. His family were followers of Jesus and he was brought up in an active Christian home. When Peter was released from prison in the middle of the night, he went to Mary's home, and found a prayer meeting in session for his safety.
Mark's uncle Joseph from Cyprus, who was surnamed Barnabas because he had a ministry of encouragement in the infant Church, took Mark under his wing and when visiting scattered groups of believers with the apostles, took Mark with him as an assistant.
Mark was given a wonderful opportunity. Saul and Barnabas were ordained by the Church at Syrian Antioch to undertake overseas missionary service, and took along John Mark as ‘helper'. The word for ‘helper' here as selected by Luke has a meanings of ‘Synagogue assistant'. Mark's training and work as a helper thus comes to the fore. His task was to see that there was a place to sleep, that the meals were fresh and properly cooked and that the bags were correctly packed and nothing was left behind in what could be a hurried departure.
he ‘gift of helps' does not seem very exciting, but it takes its place with the more showy gifts of apostles, teachers, administrators, healers and the like. It's function is to facilitate the work of the others. This picture is a good example. Those people to whom God has given the gifts that initiate and motivate need the helpers to look after the details and get the ordinary work done. It is the body working together to achieve a common purpose.
It was under testing that Mark turned back. The first country that the trio visited was Crete. To Barnabas and Mark this was like coming home. It was a pleasant land and friends and family abounded. A natural first step choice, but when Paul decided to move on to Asia Minor with its mountains, malarial swamps and hostile foreign people, something made Mark turn back home, not to Antioch, but Jerusalem, to Mother. We are not told just why Mark deserted his duties, leaving his friends without the benefit of his care. We can speculate but at the least it shows immaturity or instability.
In time Paul and Barnabas decided on another journey to encourage the new Gentile churches in the faith. Barnabas, always willing to stand by the underdog, wanted to take Mark with them, but Paul would not hear of it. The dispute deepened into a rift, neither willing to concede. So Paul chose Silas as his companion, but Barnabas sailed off with Mark and would you believe, Cyprus. We now lose track of John Mark for many years. It is as if he had been put aside.
Mark makes it back. In the latter years of the New Testament we find John Mark with the Apostle Peter in Prison in Rome as Peter's assistant and scribe, ‘my son Mark,' Peter calls him. It was probably here that Peter, knowing that his time was short dictated his memories of the years that he had spent with Jesus, as a permanent record for Christians who had grown up not knowing these things. When this gospel was published it took the name of Mark rather than that of Peter.
Mark found another place of service. Paul called for Mark to come and serve him in his prison cell. Here we see Mark helping the leaders in their ministries to the end. Had Paul moderated his expectations or had Mark matured, finding fulfilment in the tasks he was equipped and called to do.
Have you found your niche in the work of the Lord. The body is not all mouth, neither is it all hand or foot. The test of stewardship is faithfulness. Let us be faithful in the task to which the Lord has called us.
Scripture references to John Mark:
Acts 4.37,
12.12&13, 12.25, 13.5, 13.13, 15.36-51,
1 Corinthians
12.28, Colossians 4.10, 2 Timothy 4.11,
1 Peter
5.13, 2 Peter 1.15.
By request, this pen picture of a 1st Century Christian is condensed from an address given at the Glen Park Gospel Church service at 10.30am on Sunday August 18th 2002.
About Angels
The word in the Old Testament means ‘to despatch as a deputy' and in the New Testament to bring tidings. These words are used well in excess of 1200 times in the Bible. We hope that this brief selection will help our understanding of angels in the purposes of God
1. Who or what is an angel?
An angel is a created being. Psalm 148:2-5
An angel as a created being has limits placed by God. Psalm 148:6. For more on this look up Matthew 24:36, Luke 20:36 and 1 Peter 1:12
An angel is a personal being. That is intelligent and with a free will. Job 4:17&18. Also 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6
An angel is a spirit being. Hebrews 1:14. Also Luke 24:39. But angels have appeared to some people in the shape of men which is not their normal form.
An angel is greater in knowledge and power than men on earth, but lower in status. Hebrews 2:5-9
n the world to come angels will be the servants of the redeemed. 1 Corinthians 6:3 and Hebrews 1:14
2. The number and organization of angels.
They are in number, numberless. Revelation 5:11 Also see Hebrews 12:22
Angels are a company, but not a race. Luke 20:36
There are no sons of angels, but they are called sons of God. We are all born into the human race, the children of Adam, but we must be born again individually, sons of God through the resurrection.
Angels are organised in their rank and function as the servants of God
Notice, the term ‘The Lord of Hosts' 1 Samuel 1:11; like Roman legions Matthew 26:53; Archangels (or chief of angels) 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9.
The Kingdom of Heaven as in Ephesians 1:16-23
The Cherubim, Genesis 3:24, the Seraphim, Isaiah 6:2 and the living creatures and elders, Revelation 5:11 each have special purposes.
3. Are there evil angels. Can they sin?
All Angels were created holy. Genesis 1:31
Some preserved their integrity. "holy angels" Mark 8:38
Some fell into sin and condemnation 2 Peter 2:4
4. The work of angels.
They are in God's presence to worship Him. Revelations 7:11
They rejoice in what God does. Luke 15:10
Angels do God's work in nature and nations. Daniel 12:1
Angels protect individual believers. Matthew 18:6&10
Angels will attend the coming of the King. 2 Thessalonians 1:7
This summary is an outline of a message given at the Glen Park Gospel Church, Sunday morning 29th September 2002
"The angel of the Lord encampeth around about them that fear Him." Psalm 34:7
Many years ago an American Moravian missionary couple went to work where twenty years before two missionaries had been killed and eaten by the inhabitants.
As they worked they were surrounded not only by hostile natives but, it seemed, by the very powers of darkness, which were so real, that night after night they would rise and strengthen their hearts by reading the bible and prayer.
One day a man came, "I would like to see your watchmen close at hand." The missionary replied, "I have no watchmen, only a cook and a little boy. What watchmen do you mean?"
He then asked to see the missionaries home. After searching thoroughly he came out looking disappointed. When pressed by the missionary he said, "When you and your wife came, we determined to kill you as we had the others. Night after night we came to carry out our intention but there always stood around your house a double row of watchmen with glittering weapons. We dared not come near. So we hired an assassin who said he feared neither God nor devil. Night after night he came near your house. There stood the watchmen. We have given up our intention to kill you.
A. Naismith.
Shadow Ministry
As the word of the Lord is proclaimed, sometimes the Holy Spirit brings blessing into the lives of those who just somehow happen to hear, or read, the message given, all unknown to the original messenger.
In the days of the early Church an amazing thing happened when the Lord attested the word of the apostles by healing of those brought to them; so much so that the sick were brought from afar and laid in the streets, so that even the shadow of Peter might pass over them as he went by. Read the story - Acts 5:12-16.
Glen Park Gospel Church maintains a web site, which has three main objectives. It supplies information to the public about the presence, ethos and ministry of the Church. It is a ‘post box’ for those wanting to communicate with any member of the group, and it seeks to share with anyone interested, some of the teaching ministry of the Church.
This extended offering of the word is an overflow of the regular Sunday service and mid-week bible teaching ministry. We want to share with interested others, some of those things which have been a blessing to us. If we have enjoyed them, others will be encouraged too. How effective then is this shadow ministry? One thing about a shadow ministry is that one really never knows, but we have collected some information about the length of the shadow.
The site has been running since July, 2001 and in the first month, there were only a very few page requests for access, 98 calls in total. The numbers have grown steadily month by month, and September there were 1026 valid pages of information accessed. It is of interest that most of these were the bible studies, over 300 pages, followed closely by the archive of all our recent activities and publications. We find these and other figures by running a program, Analog 5.4. Our Webmaster is Philip Trinham.
This web site is there because it is the desire of the members of the Church to know Jesus Christ personally, and also to make Him known. We value the prayers of God’s people that this objective will be achieved.
If you haven’t visited us yet, the address is:
glenparkgospel.org.au
If you have, send us an email and tell us how you enjoyed the experience.
True or False - Joy
From memory alone, circle T for ‘true' or F for ‘false'.
1. The angels said to the shepherds "Joy to the world, the Lord is come!" T / F
2. Matthew wrote, "And when the shepherds saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy". T / F
3. Luke records, "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring good tidings of great joy, to the house of Israel". T / F
Joy
Joy (as it is used in the Bible) is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It is the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens of an agreeable sort. Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy. He had joy, singing its music within, even under the shadow of the cross. It is an unknown word and thing except as He has sway within. (S. D. Gordon)
"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy"
The announcement of the birth of Jesus was one of joy; and when Jesus is born in the heart of the one who trusts Him, one characteristic of the relationship that ensues is a joy that overcomes in every difficulty, softens every disappointment, eases every tension. Do you know the Joy of the Lord Jesus like that? T/F.
May we take this opportunity to pray for you a truly joyous Christmas!
ANSWERS: All False. Here's why
1. Isaac Watts wrote this, the first line of his well known Carol
2. It was the wise men, (astrologers from the East)
3. Luke 2:10 reads, "And the angel said unto them, Fear
not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people."
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