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Glen Park Gospel Church >> Archive >> Editorial >> 2025
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.
A Hole in The Wall
At the front of our Church hall is a blank space left more than a year ago when we last updated the missionary list. We could put up a poster or photos, a poignant Bible verse in calligraphy, or perhaps something new periodically. These are great ideas and make use of the skills and artistry of our congregation. There are tracts at the back of the hall or many other ideas on the internet that can inspire creativity.
There is also a hole in our Church website which could, but doesn't yet, explain the gospel. The website is a very large canvas and has been used to catalogue the things we are doing or have done in the past. Perhaps the wall and the website can be used to present the gospel. The gospel is simple at first glance but does need explanation because not everyone is in the same place on the path to Jesus or may not even know their need of Him. There are many ways the gospel can be described. The best is to start where someone is already pondering and show how Jesus fulfils their need. That is difficult to do for a wide audience. So perhaps we can start with an overview of humanity and show how Jesus fulfils history.
Here is a list of words that depict the gospel, together with a few Scripture verses that draw the picture.
CREATION Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:27, 1 John 1:3 FALL Genesis 3:7-8, 2 Samuel 12:9, Matthew 26:46&56 STANDARD Leviticus 20:26, Exodus 20:2-17, 1 Samuel 15:23 JUDGEMENT Psalm 14:2-3, Isaiah 59:2, Romans 6:23 PAYMENT John 3:16-17, John 10:17-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 GIFT John 3:18, John 1:12, Romans 10:9-10 RESTORATION Jeremiah 30:17, 1 Peter 5:10, Revelation 22:17
This is a bit terse and may not be how you would have set it out. But can you colour in the picture to explain how Jesus fulfils history and our own personal need of Him?
This month the hole in the wall will be filled. You will be able to see the gospel at a glance and as you walk closer will see more detail. Once it is up, you might find errors, or suggest improvements. Then we can do a similar thing to fill the hole in the Church website. Later you might like to stretch out and express a new thing at the front of the hall.
Thought for the Month
"The ongoing encounter with the resurrected Christ that happens all over the world, in every culture, to people from all kinds of backgrounds and personalities - well educated and not, rich and poor, thinkers and feelers, men and women: they will all testify that more than any single thing in their lives, Jesus Christ has changed them... This is the final confirming proof - that the message of Jesus can open the door to a direct encounter with the risen Christ."
Lee Strobel, THE CASE FOR CHRIST.
Shoes and Warm Chicken
"I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Psalm 91:2
Shoes are very practical things. They keep our feet warm in winter. They keep our feet safe on a dangerous pathway. They boast of our qualities in a competitive society and help build our self confidence, our self worth as to our standard and our quality in life.
However, our desire and affection for such mundane things as a pair of shoes can easily lead us astray. When we get them on and wear them for a little while, we quietly change our minds. They are not quite all that we thought them to be! Just what did we think of those shoes? We are not really sure just now, but surely, surely not that!
In writing about Psalm 91, F. B. Myer confessed his commercial interest in a chicken farm which hatched their eggs with an electric incubator which gave sufficient heat to hatch the eggs but failed to provide the chicks with the tenderness of mother care that they desired and deserved once hatched.
While the a pair of shoes or the incubator may disappoint, our trust in the LORD need never. Twice in this psalm the psalmist speaks as to the Lord. "I will say to the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress, My God in whom I trust." And then in the ninth verse he breaks in again, "For, Thou Lord are my refuge." And each of these is followed by an outburst of annunciation of the blessings which surely will follow.
The psalmist speaks of this lack as a Psalm 91 soliloquy. Do you ever speak soliloquy?
Thought for the Month
"Pride is your greatest enemy, humility is your greatest friend."
John R.W. Stott
Who Would Be A Prophet?
When God calls, do we listen? Do we act? Often, God offers us encouragement, sometimes instruction and sometimes He expects us to go out of our way for His ministry. Sadly, we are often not listening, distracted, and sometimes we are too comfortable where we are. If called to a specific ministry, God's call usually troubles us until we give in and make a start.
The Bible has many examples of this, such as Moses in Exodus chapters 3 & 4 where he was reluctant, frightened even, but ultimately used mightily. Or Jonah, who was angry with the Assyrians but wary of whether God would relent on His judgement. And then there was Elijah, who started boldly in 1 Kings 17, stumbled in chapter 19, and finally was a mentor to Elisha. Each of these prophets had times of distress and others more so, which shows us that they were ordinary people.
Letting God speak through us can be costly. Stephen, one of the first Church deacons, professed this before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7:52 "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,". His speech was blunt at the end and the people did not want to hear it. The same is as true today.
Our own generation has long been stiff-necked but is now becoming brittle too. People are jumping at shadows of their own making, some violently and others in fear, as reported daily in the news. This brittleness portends a change that will both be difficult to many Christians but also opportune to tell the joy that is in Christ Jesus. Some listeners will continue in the same path but some have had enough and are beginning to search for deeper value and meaning. Let's be ready to let God speak through us when each moment arises.
Thought for the Month
"There is nothing too great for God’s power and nothing too small for His love."
Corrie ten Boom.
What's Good About Friday?
When we celebrate ANZAC day it takes a moment to realise that it is in memory of a failed battle, from the perspective of Australia and Zealand. After nine months, the Ottoman Empire drove us out. If we only recognise our victories, then we are destined to miss the lessons from sore defeat. Over the decades, the day has also come to honour the life sacrifice of warriors serving abroad in other wars and battles, not for celebration but for remembrance.
This month we also remember another sacrifice, of Jesus Christ on the cross, who in one sense was murdered, a loss; but in fact whose life was given by choice, a gift.
1 Corinthians 15:3,4 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with Scriptures," ('in accordance with' means 'as foretold in', OT, but also means 'as reported in', NT).
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus overcame the penalty of sin and, being sinless, did so on our behalf.
Romans 4:24,25 "...It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." Jesus overcame sin in death and demonstrated His authority to do so by being raised from death to life, indeed eternal life.
The good in Good Friday is that Jesus death delivered life to those who put their trust (believe) in Him paying for our sin, and so we trust (live for) Him in our own life, a celebration and remembrance.
Thought for the Month
"Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there."
Clarence W. Hall
1, "The miraculous emergence of the church in the face of brutal Roman persecution rips a great hole in history, a hole the size and shape of the Resurrection of Christ." (C.D. Moule)
2. The Disciples were in a position to know without a doubt whether or not Jesus had risen from the dead. They claimed they saw Him, talked with Him, and ate with Him. If they weren’t absolutely certain, they wouldn't have allowed themselves to be tortured to death for proclaiming that the resurrection had happened.
3. The ongoing encounter with the resurrected Christ that happens all over the world, in every culture, to people from all kinds of backgrounds and personalities... They all testify that more than anything else in their lives, Jesus Christ has changed them. The final confirming proof is that the message of Jesus can open the door to a direct encounter with the risen Christ.
Lee Strobel, 'the Case for Christ'
See How They Are
Personally, last month centred around travel. Well actually it was about visiting family, whom have each found places to settle that are days apart; so travel. Distance has kept us apart relationally too so with a new opportunity to get on the road i set a task to visit all the cousins on one side of the family.
Driving is one of my joys, especially when the next day i can keep going in the same direction, and then again the following day. Australia is good for that sort of travel. Melbourne through Sydney and Brisbane to Toowoomba is about 2000km or 20hrs driving or 20 days walk (for some). The Apostle Paul had the same joy. Having been on one missionary journey, he again got itchy feet. Acts 15:36 'And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are".' Jerusalem through Lystra to Athens is about 3000km or 33hrs driving or 20 days walk (our mountains must be taller than those near the Holy Land).
Immediately, Paul had internal trouble, for he parted ways with Barnabas, then had trouble with his countrymen at every stop, and even with the Christians as his letters testify to need for teaching or for others and himself to be admonished.
We all have our own story and enough troubles. Having a distant cousin visit is risky. Still, by being careful to also expose my own faults and failures, there was opportunity to encourage and be encouraged. My own journey was as fruitful as for Paul, except i had only one opportunity to witness to a stranger; whereas for Paul, that was his mission.
"A problem shared is a problem halved". We should find a better proverb. Galatians 6:2,3 "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing he deceives himself." Or, Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
As for Paul, i had to come home again just in time for Easter, but with a few extra prayers in my pocket and a desire to again see how they are.
Thought for the Month
"Just as the eagle at the moulting time
New feathers and new strength she finds.
Those who on the Lord do hope and wait,
And on His Word do meditate,
They will renew their strength, they will not faint,
But will rise up with spiritual wings
Above the prison of lesser things."
Lea Nicholls, in Desert Garden, see Isaiah 40:31 (NKJ)
Three Salvations
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12
Surely there can be only one salvation. The Hebrew word yasha includes the concept of help or deliverance. (The Hebrew name Yeshua, Jesus, has the same root.) The Greek noun soteria is used of one who saves or one having been saved, and the verb sozo is the act of saving. So there are three words in scripture, but they generally have the same meaning. The Apostle Paul gives us another three words to describe salvation.
Justification: God has deemed us to be righteous by the already given gift of Jesus taking the punishment for our sin on Himself.
Romans 3:24 "justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"
(This verse is part of a much longer sentence as the Apostle Paul was inclined to write.)
Sanctification: The Holy Spirit is continually maturing a new life in the believer.
Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
Glorification: At the second coming of Jesus Christ we will be completely moulded to His image.
Philippians 3:20,21 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."
These three concepts present the work of salvation as already complete (past), an ongoing process (present), and a coming fulfilment (future). It is comforting to know that despite our failings, God has the whole life and being of a believer in His hands, in His care.
Thought for the Month
"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply."
Hudson Taylor
Render Unto Caesar
"...Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Matthew 22:21b
It's that time of year when we have to give an account for earnings and grumble about abuse of taxes. While we grumble, we generally value more the common benefits of maintaining a common wealth. Israel in Jesus day held the same complaints about Roman taxes. Jesus quickly settled the debate by acknowledging Roman rule. Actually, Jesus, in that event in Matthew 22:15-22, was acquitting himself of an entrapment attempt by the Jewish leaders. However, as an aside it gives us an appropriate attitude when dealing with civic leaders, even those that may seem to be undeserving.
The Apostle Paul also has something to say on the topic in Romans 13:1-7. Verse 1 states that "government is appointed by God". Sometimes it is difficult to believe. Surely Paul didn't know the load under which we bear? Indeed he did. When the letter to the Romans was written, the Roman emperor was Nero (A.D. 54-68). Christians lived in fear, but even so Paul entreated them to meet terror with good works (v3). And in v4 the alternative measure is given.
"For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."
This attitude should be easy for a Christian as stated in v5 "...not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake." Our heavenly perspective, or at least Jesus' example, compels us to meet evil with good. Paul does also get around to taxes in v7.
"Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour."
Given the above, Let's end with a question. If found in the midst of a welcome to country or a smoking ceremony, how should we respond?
Thought for the Month
"The only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil is not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but when possible overcoming it with good."
Hannah Hurnard, from Romans 12:21
Believing is Seeing
People say that they will believe something only if they see it. Is this the same as not wanting to think something through? Is it reasonable or is it lazy? Not everything we believe is a result of observation. Eating is a cure for hunger, but eating at the same time each day also trains our body to feel hunger tomorrow. It doesn't hurt to miss out and sometimes it can be good for us; for our own body, for concentrating on a more urgent task, for empathy with a friend's struggle, for prayer on behalf of others. This is the sort of case where believing enables us to see; we do something against regular judgement and gain deeper insight.
After Christ's resurrection, Thomas doubted until he saw Jesus for himself. See John 20:25-29 where Jesus ends with "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Time passes, memory fades and doubt again creeps in. We live our lives and put no thought into what might be more important. Until one day something happens to clear the fog of a normal day. It could be sickness, an accident, a threat. Suddenly our mortality is right in front of us. It takes our whole being to deal with this new thing... until a moment comes when we can stop and think. Across a community, these moments are happening all of the time and in a way it is a bit selfish to think that our crisis is of greater importance. However, when it is personal, it is us who has to stop and think.
This is the moment when we should really stop and really think. If we let the moment pass it becomes easier to let the memory fade and let doubt again creep in. Go ahead and Google the phrase There are no atheists at sea. Thinking about our own mortality is when we most clearly catch a glimpse of God; when believing is seeing.
We do not have to wait for an emergency. It is quite rational to ponder the existence, even closeness, of God. There is a God-shaped hole in all of us (you can Google that too).
Having taken that step of belief, of faith, all sorts of truths come into clearer focus; the beauty of creation, how the world works, the nature of humanity, the limits God places on our steps, God's leading us to Himself. Our world changes from selfness to godliness, and we then wonder how we ever thought that there could be no God.
Further study reveals that all creation has been shouting at us that God exists and cares for us. Go to YouTube and look for people like John Lennox or Dr Hugh Ross.
Start here: youtube.com/@AspiringChristian
The following is from the channel Daily Dose of Wisdom by Brandon McGuire if you can type carefully: youtube.com/watch?v=soo5pNm5tTA
Here is another from Hope @ Night by Anil Kanda:
youtube.com/watch?v=qTDOqDE51z8
The internet can be a great source of knowledge but be careful as it also contains a lot of lies. Always check what is said with what the Bible says and with people you trust.
Thought for the Month
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Rock So Big
When I was a child I heard a story of someone asking if God could make a rock so big that He could not lift it. There was no answer, or maybe I had run off before one was given. Much later I pondered the question and realised that not only could this be, but God had already done so. That rock is called free will. God created us with our own mind to accept or deny His lordship over us, and He will abide by that choice.
"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15.
"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me"." Mark 8:34.
It would be imprudent to not acknowledge that there are also bible verses that indicate God makes this choice for us.
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9.
"[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began." 1 Timothy 1:9. This dichotomy is hard to reconcile.
When I pressed on this, my father simply said: when a couple marry, who chooses, the man or the woman? The same is true of Christ and His bride, the Church; that both choose.
Free will in a godly sense is mostly about whether we will follow Jesus or try to live without God whereas God's guidance, in the latter verses above, is for those who already believe. Once we know that God is, we need to make this choice. Choosing to trust God early is to begin living in His joy all the sooner.
Thought for the Month
"The worldling blesses God while He gives him plenty, but the Christian blesses Him when He smites him: he believes Him to be too wise to err and too good to be unkind; he trusts Him where he cannot trace Him, looks up to Him in the darkest hour, and believes that all is well."
C.H. Spurgeon
Pocket Library
My mobile phone is occasionally used to talk to people but mostly it is for reading; usually for things that are happening now and sometimes for reading downloaded information, either to be helpful or for enjoyment. Of downloaded things, the only one that doesn’t eventually get deleted is the Bible. The Bible is nicer to read on paper, but it is more convenient on the phone. My dad found the ESV Bible which is free from copyright restrictions, ideal for quoting in Green Leaf. So that’s what I use too. Here are some more.
Rich Tidwell is a pastor who teaches online using tools available for your phone. Here he presents his favourite Bible resources. (My notes below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j9OlFUL7e4
1 NIV 50th Anniversary Bible - Free and downloadable, easy to use, colouring text, exporting text. Good app for reading.
2 Literal Word - Free, NASB, built-in Abott Smith Concordance, word search in scripture. Generally agreed as best app for study.
3 Dwell - Audio Bible, some paid features, select passages as playlists for later listening.
4 Bible for Kids - Interactive Bible stories read out loud with animated pictures.
Techisode TV is all about a brand of phone but the presenter is a Christian and here presents his own list of favourite Bible resources, different from above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY8UdX9pRqQ
1 Bible Memory - You choose the verses, it prompts at least daily.
2 YouVersion - Colouring texts and adding notes to texts. Audio for bible reading. Search for online content related to a passage.
3 Blue Letter Bible - Dig into Strongs original language text definitions and parallel usages, includes commentaries, dictionaries, concordance.
4 Angel Studios - View episodes of The Chosen. Note: The Chosen includes back stories and conversations not from scripture that are only included to make the film flow better.
The Bible has never been so available to the world as it is today. While the internet contains a rich treasure it also offers many lies and enticements to distract us from a godly path. When you find something interesting, always look for confirmation in scripture or from someone away from the internet that you know is true to God’s will.
Here are another two review lists.
Ward on Words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iv9Gc5aiYg
Apps available for iOS
10. LifeBible - $60pa plus purchases. Missing serious commentaries.
9. E-Sword - only good if already using on desktop.
8. Olive Tree - Little baked in, glitchy interface.
7. YouVersion - Not for bible students, no commentaries.
6. Holy Bible - Cheap, easy to use, only free resources.
5. New Bible - Easy to use, 9 translations, no resources.
4. Accordance - Clumsy but deep for original languages.
3. ESV Bible - Elegant, can get resources and audio.
2. Literal Word - Easy to use, most resources, except original Greek/Hebrew bibles.
1. Logos - Good for digging deeper with #2.
Honourable mentions
Dwell App - For audio bible reading
Parallel Plus - Not easy but simple layout for comparing.
Bible Gateway - Includes many translations.
Bible Hub - Includes many translations, a bit clumsy.
A Nickels Worth Bible Reviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSUPfwGHREg
5 The Filament Bible - scan codes from print Tyndale Bibles for online resources.
4 Accordance - highlight scripture word for translation details, not so smooth on Android.
3 NET Bible - access all translator note for print version.
2 YouVersion - Lots of translations, includes prompts to read.
1 Literal Word - 4 translations, many resources.
Honourable mention
ESV Bible - Some paid features, all above are free.
Thought for the Month
"To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement."
Saint Augustine 354–430 AD
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