The following blogs have been contributed by members of the United Church of God - Australia, and aim to invoke further inspiration and thought on the Word of God.
Have you ever wondered how incredible and enjoyable your life would be if you won the lottery? ‘You’ve got to be in to win it!’ – as they say. Is wealth, though the true source of a happy, satisfying and Godly life? Can we learn some extremely valuable lessons from a man who dedicated his entire life to this very question?
Have you ever wondered where was God during the many years the Children of Israel were in captivity and under the cruelty of Egyptian taskmasters? Have you ever wondered from time to time where is God when you, your family or friends are having difficulties in life? We can learn how God delivers from the story of the exodus.
Is there an event or celebration in your life which you particularly remember fondly? The night after the Passover is of special significance and observance to many Christians. What is this night to be much observed?
Why should I? Why should I help out my neighbour when he never helps me? What if Jesus had thought that way? Jesus Christ didn't just die for our sins, He lived in a world full of sinners, loving and serving them every minute that He had.
Do you identify yourself as a Christian? Are you a follower of Jesus Christ - the Passover for all humanity? How will you commemorate His death till He comes?
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions so far this year? Are you up for a New Year’s challenge which will set you on a life changing experience and a journey of discovery?
Read on!!
This time of the year is a festive season, with Christmas just passed and preparations for New Years’ eve celebrations next on the minds of many.
1st January 2018 starts a brand new year. The calendar is the time keeper for what we do in life. The calendar determines for us – those who use the Gregorian calendar - when we see the old year out, and the new year in.
But do we ever stop to give consideration as to how time began? For the Christian, whose foundation of belief is the Bible, we believe God created time.
Have you been looking forward to the Christmas Season with all the Christmas cheer this time of the year brings – Christmas light displays, Christmas songs in all the stores and shops or maybe the carols by candlelight? Would you be interested to learn more about the true meaning of Christmas? My wife and I some fifty years ago made the decision not to observe Christmas. Does this surprise you? We were raised in Christian families and Christmas had been a part of our religious celebration but we had taken for granted that Jesus Christ – our Lord and Saviour – was actually in Christmas.
The world is in the “bondage of corruption” and this is the environment in which we live.
However God promises salvation. He saves us through a process that takes time – a lifetime. As Christians, genuinely seeking to follow Christ, do we know fully what is this process and how we can participate in and embrace it?
Many self-help advisors claim that ‘Everything you need is already within you’. But is this really true? What does the Word of God - the Bible - have to say?
Australians are indeed embracing Halloween in greater numbers and spending more money on this festival. Halloween decorations are more readily available in the shops and online and people are embracing this festivity with greater enthusiasm.
It all looks like so much fun and seems so harmless.
But is Halloween really harmless?
Even those who are not Christians know of the many wonderful miracles performed by Jesus Christ throughout His human ministry which are recorded in the Bible. However, how many understand that these remarkable good deeds – which were too numerous for all to be recorded – demonstrate the kind of world He will lead as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the coming Kingdom of God?
What if I'm not good enough? Many of us find ourselves asking that question often in some form – maybe even daily – perhaps even moment by moment. We can discover from the Bible that God's measure of success is very different from what we naturally expect of ourselves.
What events are we witnessing now? Are things getting better, or rapidly getting worse? Are we heading for the time of the end and beyond?
The Smyrna church had something of which Jesus took particular notice. It was not their standing in this world with respect to this world’s wealth or position. They were rich in something else that was so much more esteemed by Jesus Christ. How did He regard them as rich?
Professed belief in the name of Jesus is what most Christians do, but repentance and turning to God through Jesus Christ results in a complete change.
Does the bible have anything to say about tattoos and is it relevant for us today?
The children of Israel were unaware of the greater meaning of these feasts of the Lord. To them the meaning was the representation of the harvests, and it would remind them of the blessings God would bestow on them in the harvest. Are you aware of the First Harvest in God’s plan of salvation for all humanity?
What does the word joy bring to your mind? Happiness? Smiling a lot? Fun? Can we completely understand what joy really is? Can we have truly lasting joy?
Last year, I came across a headline on Facebook: "Trump Collapses and Dies of Heart Attack!”. In disbelief, I immediately did a search and came up with nothing. Something so shocking and world-shaking would obviously have been all over the internet! It was fake!!
So how can we know what is truth?
The Apostle Paul writes: "Therefore let us keep the feast; not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Because of, the sacrifice that Jesus made we should go on and keep the feast “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” What feast is this?
Jesus chose to “taste death for every person.” He experienced suffering of unimaginable magnitude, and He died – not because He sinned, but because we sinned. In this there is no greater love. In this God’s great love for you and for me is manifest.
by Roger Waite
A selfie is basically a photo that one takes of oneself and posts on social media to share with family and friends. Do you find yourself taking selfies wherever you go or of whatever you’re doing? Would you say you are caught up in the world of “selfies’? Do you think taking “selfies” would be something Jesus Christ would do if He was alive in our modern era?
by Roger Waite
How much do we REALLY believe in God? Enough to obey Him and all His laws? Enough to trust in His intervention and help no matter what the external circumstances are like? The amount we obey Him and the amount that we worry provide a window into our own souls of how much faith we REALLY have in God.
Can I trust myself to always know what is right? And therefore do what is right? Jesus knew the Father’s word was “truth”. We have to rely on the word of God for truth and His Spirit to convict.
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches.....” This is the beginning of scriptures in Jeremiah, directing us to consider what or who should be glorified. In what or who do we really glory?
We don’t like to “feel bad” about ourselves. We have devised many ways within our lifestyles to ‘paper over’ sin. We have lived in such a way for so long that pain is the result. It is in humankind, however to want to always be good, no matter how many bad things we do.
Do we acknowledge and embrace the free gift of forgiveness which only God can grant us through his Son, Jesus Christ?
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool.”
This is one of the most striking elements of the gospel message and makes the Kingdom of God possible. To have your sins forgiven freely, by the Great God who has individually approached us, is the greatest hallmark of His being.
How can we be sure that Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith? He is the one who starts our path towards having a relationship with our Heavenly Father and He will also see us through to the finish.
Jesus Christ is represented in christmas as a babe in a manger, surrounded by devoted parents and a few animals in a field near the town of Bethlehem complete with a star above. Is this the complete story about our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?
by Matt Sieff
Matthew 28:19 says "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". This verse can be a source of confusion as there are some who teach that the verse advocates the Theory of the Trinity. Does Matthew 28:19 support the Trinity Theory or baptism?
Lotto and the dream of winning big seems to be a gamble that many of us are willing to wager.
But is this what life is all about? It seems to be for so many.
Is there any gamble or luck when it comes to our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ?
As the title of this blog states – there is no gamble with God.
God has in mind a wonderful future for all of mankind. As God’s grace was shown at the beginning of creation so, too, will we see God’s grace at the end of the age. God’s plan will stand and come to pass as He said. Whatever dilemma we are in, God will see us through. We know that there is a purpose for everything that happens, and God knows all things.
With this in mind, do we have any responsibility toward God and our fellow man?
You are the underdog. And you will always be the underdog in this life and in this age! Does this surprise you? Maybe we think we shouldn’t have to be the weak of this world. This is the natural condition of God’s people while we live in this world.
by Reg Wright
Today is going to be a spiritually uplifting but physical challenging day.
Why, you may ask. Today is the Day of Atonement. Did you know we are commanded to fast on the Day of Atonement? What is the significance of fasting on this very special Holy Day?
Some say that attitude is everything, and there is some truth in it. Do you know that the word ‘attitude’ can’t be found in the Bible, but so much of the Bible is exactly about this concept – a person’s frame of mind.
Let’s see what was (is) Jesus Christ’s frame of mind – His attitude - as an example for us imitate.
by Kim Mihalec
Does life seem like one endless meaningless merry-go-round that's anything but merry? Would you like it if you could get off that merry-go-round for a day or two? Have you thought about taking your concerns to God?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to die so that we could live forever, said that God actively provides for all. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25 & 26.
Fifty years ago this month U.S. astronauts left the shining blue ball of earth and walked on the moon for the first time. Throughout the world people stopped and watched transfixed as human beings did something only dreamed about for centuries. Today the dream continues as we plan to send spaceships to Mars and perhaps even more distant planets. We earnestly and eagerly search for life elsewhere in the universe. What drives this quest to learn and explore? Do we really even understand that what we’re really searching for is our place in the universe, why we exist and our ultimate destiny? In this issue we explore these topics and many more! Download this issue in PDF or read online.
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