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My Reading List for 2012

This is what I’m reading this year.

FIRST 6 MONTHS 

  1. KNOWING GOD – PACKER
  2. SHOWING THE SPIRIT – D.A. CARSON
  3. CROSS OF CHRIST – JOHN STOTT
  4. DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE – PIPER
  5. MERE CHRISTIANITY – CS LEWIS
  6. YOUR MIND MATTERS – JOHN STOTT
  7. ONE TO ONE BIBLE READING – DAVID HELM

LAST 6 MONTHS

  1. LET THE NATIONS BE GLAD – PIPER
  2. DALIT FREEDOM – JOSEPH D’SOUZA
  3. JONATHON EDWARDS BIOGRAPHY.
  4. DESIRING GOD – PIPER
  5. ATONEMENT – J.I. PACKER
  6. COUNTERFEIT GODS – TIMOTHY KELLAR
  7. JUSTIFICATION OF GOD – PIPER
Post

”Why Do Christians Celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ Birthday?

Context: The Church I attend, EV Church, speaks at lunchtime groups around high schools on the central coast. Recently we have been telling kids why Christians celebrate Christmas.
I gave this talk one afternoon, (has slightly been altered) on the subject of  ”Why celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ Birthday”

G’day guys!

This week at flipside we’re talking about why we celebrate Christmas. Have you ever thought about that?
At Aprox 4-6BC Jesus Christ was born. A historian called Luke wrote down what happened. This is chapter 2 of his book, and this angel has just appeared to a group of shepherds, and they’re terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

The First thing you need to notice is that it says there is “good news” and it says the good news is ‘of great joy’. What is the good news? And why is it such a great joy?
Well the angel tells us what the news is in the next sentence: “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.

The good news is that the Jews have been waiting for a saviour, and he’s here! Someone to save the world. Now if the world was in trouble, and there was news that someone was going to save it, that would be a MASSIVE joy, wouldn’t it?
Now the obvious question now is what is wrong with the world?

It’s pretty obvious that there is something wrong with the world. You just need to watch the news to see that. The Bible says the main problem is actually us, humans. If you think about it, most of the stuffed up stuff we see is because humans, including you and me, do the wrong thing.

God is pretty angry with us for the way we’ve stuffed up His world and even worse, for the way we’ve treated him. So there’s something wrong with the world, but the bigger problem is that the ALL POWERFUL God of the Universe is angry at us, even me and you.

This verse says Jesus is the saviour… and  If Jesus has come to save us from God’s powerful anger, that’s good news!

Notice in also in the sentence that I read out earlier that it says the good news and great joy will be for ALL People. Every person needs a saviour, and every person can be saved by Jesus. I need to be, and I can be saved. Your best friend needs a saviour, and he can be saved. You need a saviour, and you can be saved by Jesus.

It’s good news for ALL people, but you need to accept Jesus as your saviour and King – see the verse says “He is Christ the Lord.” That’s telling us who Jesus is, the Lord – that’s not a word we use much, it means “King” or “ruler”.

Basically, it’s saying Jesus is the saviour and the ruler. You can’t come up to a king and say, I want you to save me but I don’t heaps want you to rule me… you come to a king recognising that he is the king or not at all.

So the good news is that there is a saviour for the world, for all people, even you. But you need to accept him as your saviour and make him your king.
I think this verse sums it up quite nicely. I’d like to share it with you.

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

It’s saying that if you believe in Jesus, God’s anger which we just talked about gets poured out on Jesus, instead of YOU and we get to spend forever with God. Which is why Christmas is EPIC, we get to celebrate Jesus being born, and the saviour we all need.
Have you made Jesus your saviour and your king?

Questions for Discussion:
  • What do you guys look forward to most at Christmas time?
  • Do you think Jesus is worth celebrating? Why/ or why not?
Articles

60 Sermons in 60 Days!

What is 60in60?

My brother Faf had a thought, It would be cool to listen to 60 sermons in 60 days.

 No obligation. Not displacing reading His Word. Just one way to be spurred on to quarry deep into Him.

After two weeks of prep, and over 2500 people joining the facebook group, it launches tomorrow!!!

If you want to join, heres what you need to know:

Welcome to 60in60. We launch on MONDAY 12th SEPTEMBER. Below you will find links to EVERYTHING you need for the following 60 days, including an explanation of what each link contains.

But before we get into it, a few extremely important announcements…

60in60 has the potential to go BIG for God’s glory and really helpful for both our head, heart and hands…but it’s NOT meant to take over our time in God’s Word personally, our eagerness to hear from our local preacher and gather with the saints at Church OR our prayer life. So, pray in the lead up to 60in60 and throughout it that we would all remember to:

Dig. The. WORD: James 1:22 + Psalm 119:105

Dig. The. CHURCH: Ephesians 2:19-20 + Matthew 5:13-16 + Hebrews 10:23-25

Dig. PRAYER: 1 Thess 5:16-18 + Colossians 4:2 + Psalm 17:1

Ok, a few more announcements…

Facebook Page Change: The website launch (see below) means that there is plenty of room for discussion, debate and encouragement about the sermons there. Because of this, the facebook group will be changed so that people can still be added but only the 60in60 Team will be able to post things on it…important things like Updates, Videos etc.

Website: www.sixtyinsixty.tumblr.com

This is a blog that will give you the means to communicate and interact with others participating in 60in60. This stops the clogging of the Facebook page and gives space for communication and debate.

Link To 60in60 Timeline (What Sermon Is On What Day): https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/jacXbbd

Link To The 60in60 Table: https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/rJpHh

Link To Download All The Sermons (Audio format): http://phasercomputers.com/60in60/60in60-AudioVersion.zip

Link To Download All The Sermons (Video format): http://phasercomputers.com/60in60-video/60in60VideoVersion.zip

 

Link To Download Audio: Individual Tracks: http://phasercomputers.com/60in60/

Link To Download Video: Individual Tracks: http://phasercomputers.com/60in60-video/

Twitter Hashtag: #60in60

Facebook Link to Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/129637030467196/

So here we go…we launch on MONDAY! This is STILL about God’s glory and our joy. So it is time those in this group STOPPED, got on our knees, and PRAISED GOD. And also ask Him that the following would happen through 60in60

  • For the eyes of our hearts to be opened
  • For us to realise the TRUTH that in God’s presence there is FULLNESS OF JOY, and at His right hand are PLEASURES FOREVERMORE.
  • For Jesus to be championed in our minds, hearts, words and actions.
  • For us to grow deeper in our knowledge about, love for, and JOY IN CHRIST! And for us to be challenged to go out and send Jesus’ message to the NATIONS!
  • Read Colossians 3:16 :)

Joyously in Him,

60in60 Team.

Quotes

When God Comes to Church

When God rends the heavens and comes down on his people, a divine power achieves what human effort at its best fails to do. God's people thirst for the ministry of the Word and receive it with tender meltings of soul ... Reconciliation between believers is sought and granted. Spiritual things, rather than material things, capture people's hearts. A defensive, timid church is transformed into a confident army. Believers joyfully suffer for their Lord. They treasure usefulness to God over career advancement. Communion with God is avidly enjoyed. Churches and Christian organizations reform their policies and procedures. People who had always been indifferent to the gospel now inquire anxiously. And this type of spiritual movement draws in not just the isolated straggler here and there but large numbers of people. A wave of divine grace washes over the church and spills out into the world. That is what happens when God comes down. And that is how we should pray for the church today.

Ray Ortlund
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Bible lays smack down. New Testament Mathew 1-5 vs Old Testament

Reading through Mathew, its not hard to see some pretty significant writings, that make you think WHAT THE, thats HUGE!
Mathew is the first book of the new testament in the bible, the first book of the gospels, which is an eye witness account of Gods son Jesus living with us, on earth.

After the old testament was written, there was a whole 400 years (know as the intertesamenal period 433bc – 5bc) till Jesus came, and the 70 years after that till the new testament books started to be written. (so nearly 500 years apart)

Reading through the first 5 books of Mathew (1-5) you get prophesies fulfilled, that were written over 500 years ago! If the bible is made up and Jesus didn’t actually come, how does this happen??!

Lets dig into it and have a look.

The first chapter of Mathew is a genealogy of Jesus, very significant. You know how in some tv shows, you get a flash back of the previous episodes and what has happened so far? It’s kind of like that, its giving a recap of the family and historical line of whats happened so far in the Old Testament… and its now getting to the climax, Jesus is born.! The whole old testament points to Jesus and now he has come!

“17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.”

Then just before chapter 2 of Matthew, you are told that Jesus was born to mary, who was a virgin. Take note that Matthew who is giving the account makes note that she definitely was a virgin by noting it a second time in verse 25.

“25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”
Now aprox 700 years before this, check out what Isiah, a major prophet said. 

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” – Immanuel means God with us.

This is HUGE! How could of this been predicted?? It could not of been a fluke…

Now moving on to chapter 2, Matthew tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Now looking at what God told Micah in Chapter 5, thats exactly what was said would happen! Boooom.

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”  

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor gives birth
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.  

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.

Now further on in Mathew, Joseph is warned by an angel to goto Egypt as King Herrod was after Jesus. (Mathew 2:13) – Check out what Hosea 11 says.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.”

There it is again! So many references to Jesus and its all coming together. You can see how this book (and the rest of the BIBLE!, is such a huge deal!

Further on, digging deeper you can see more big verses that link back into the old testament such as Mathew 2:18, 23, 3:3 – You also have verses in Matthew that talk about events that are yet to come at the end of Jesus’ life.

Check out Mathew 3:11

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Then later in Acts 2, thats what happens!

“2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

HECTIC!

These prophesies continue to be fulfilled all over the place! I will post more soon :)

Questions:

  • Have i missed any other HUGE references to old testament or significant parts in Mathew 1-5?
  • Why does Islam take Muhammad as more important than Jesus? The old testament is one of their holy books as well, but i see no mention of Muhammad being spoken or prophesied about. (maybe i could be wrong?)
  • Could it of been possible to read the old testament and then make up Matthew, fulfilling those prophesies? (I don’t think so! But maybe you have some thoughts?


Articles

Myth: Christians Can’t Do Anything Wrong

Context: The Church I attend, EV Church, speaks at lunchtime groups around high schools on the central coast. Recently we have been telling kids, as Christians, what we arn’t saying, and trying to show them that there is alot of stuff that gives Christians bad raps, that isn’t true, or has been twisted.
I gave this talk one afternoon, (has slightly been altered) on the subject of  “What we’re not saying – Christians cant do anything wrong”

G’day guys!

Who surfs here?? Alot of Mum’s attempt to surf, maybe your mum has tried.  Most mum’s however, keep trying, but they keep falling down. Theres these things in life, that seem impossible, and you think why bother?

I was having a conversation with my sister a while back, and I asked her why she didnt come to church anymore. Her response was something along the lines of  “I don’t want to do all those good things Christians do, it is to hard to do everything right.”

Alot of people think this. They don’t want to become a Christian because they know they are not going to stop doing bad stuff and they don’t want to be a hypocrite. That’s exactly what my sister thought.

That’s why you need to understand what we’re not saying. We’re not saying Christians can’t do anything wrong.

We ALL have fallen down.  We ALL do bad stuff, and we WILL keep doing it. EVERYONE knows that.
That’s why we need a saviour, we need Jesus to save us.

If you want to go to heaven without Jesus, all you need to do is live a perfect life, never do anything wrong.
But see this fat part of the bible. “Show OLD TESTEMENT” – This whole part, before Jesus came, is about people trying to just that. Trying to obey Gods law perfectly. And you know what? EVERY single person, failed.

Thats why Jesus came!

If you trust in Jesus to save you, he brings you back to God, like you’ve never stuffed up, or fallen down.

I was at Wamberal beach with my mate Andy when the surf was MASSIVE. The sign said no swimming, but we decided to go out anyway. Huge waves crashing on us, we got straight in a rip, honestly, we both thought we were going to die.

Now imagine a lifeguard had come out, and dragged me back into shore. Threw me on the sand. Then he collapsed from exhaustion, and before my eyes, was dragged back into the water and drowned – His last breath, he says “don’t do that again”.

Would you want to do it again? OF COURSE NOT!

When Jesus saves you, you want to do what he says. You will try to do what he says. That’s what the piece of paper in front of you says. 1 John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin”. When Jesus saves you, you will want to try to do what he says.

But you will stuff it. Your not perfect. I know from experience – but it also says in that next sentence on the piece of paper. “But if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the righteous one.”

Jesus says to God, it’s ok. I died to save that person. He’s forgiven.
Your stoked that Jesus would love you, even though you stuff it, so you get back up, and try to follow him again. And you stuff it again. And he forgives you. And you try again. And you stuff it again. And he forgives you.

Your sooooooo stoked. Because he keeps forgiving you.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you can’t do anything wrong. It means you KNOW you HAVE done stuff wrong, but you know you’re saved by Jesus, and so you try to follow him, and you know that if you do the wrong thing, he forgives you, and it’s ok.

Questions for Discussion:

  • Why do you think people think Christians cant do anything wrong.
  • Whats so special about Jesus dying for us, why couldn’t Jo blog die to save my sins?