Front Page 4th June 2006

Today we have the joy of witnessing one of our younger members follow his Lord through the waters of baptism.
Baptism is always a special time in both the life of the one who is baptised as well as in the life of the church. The symbolism of baptism as a person makes a public testimony of what has already occurred in his or her heart at salvation is inspiring. The symbolic spirituality of dying to self and raising to new life is a reminder to all of us of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Our own baptism is our identifying with that sacrifice and symbolically shows our own death to our old life and being raised to a wonderful new life in Christ.
There are many who have experienced the euphoria of that celebration, many who will always remember that special day when they told the world that they were ‘fair dinkum’ about following Jesus. If you have not yet taken that step of obedience to what Jesus instructed, I want you to be encouraged to consider your own Christian walk as you witness the baptism today. If you want to find out more, grab a brochure from the foyer or speak to a pastor.
God Bless
Blair

Front Page 28th May 2006

“A Time is coming and has now come when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks” (John 4:23)
These words of Jesus tell us a lot about our conduct as Christians, or at least how it should be! It tells what kind of worshipper God is looking for. If there is to be a ‘kind of worshipper’ that God seeks, then alternatively there must be a ‘kind of worshipper’ that is not acceptable to Him, that’s logic.
What ‘kind’ of worshipper is He seeking? one that worships in ‘spirit and in truth’ Jesus tells us. What does that mean to you? What ‘kind’ of worshipper are you? I reckon we need to be making sure that our worship is the kind that pleases God, not the kind that necessarily pleases us.
Worship, as we all know, is not singing nice songs, worship is living a life pleasing God in all that we do, it must be authentic, it must be real and it must be spontaneous as we choose to follow Him and to live a life pleasing to Him.
What ‘kind’ of worshippers are we corporately? What ‘kind’ of worshipper are you personally? Sometimes we think it doesn’t matter much, but Jesus makes it clear to us that it matters to God.
May God bless you as you become the ‘true’ worshipper that He seeks.
Blair

Front Page 21st May 2006

As I look back over my life, the second most exciting thing (other than salvation) has been my Baptism by immersion. It is interesting how a person changes their mind to something, once God’s truth has been explained to them. When I was younger I was baptised by sprinkling then confirmed in the church I was attending. At that particular time, although I was a strong believer, these actions I took, did not mean a lot to me personally or hold any huge significance. My heart and mind had no real understanding.
When I was older the Lord challenged me in a powerful way to go through the waters of Baptism and this time, by being fully immersed. I struggled with this for a time, but the Lord kept prompting me. I came to an understanding that by going down under the water and coming up again identified me with Christ, and this was a witness to others (outwardly) as I showed what I believed in my heart – (Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that my sins were forgiven and I would have everlasting life).
This was a very exciting and progressive part of my life. Exciting in the fact that I was making a pubic declaration, (in front of the whole church) that what I truly believed in my heart was being made known to other people, and progressive in a spiritual sense where I felt the Lord really blessed me in a number of ways because I had been obedient to him.
Blair and I were baptised together and that made it all the more special.
Looking back it was a great day of celebration. We had followed Jesus instructions and said to the church and others who attended - we believe in Jesus! we are Christians! and we want the world to know!

Julie

Front Page 14th May 2006

Happy Mother's Day
I know its not new but its worth repeating.
A man and a woman were discussing careers, the man with great pride announced that he was a engineer in charge of a huge factory, the woman somewhat overwhelmed went on to explain her role in life.
First she said she was a nursemaid, often a paramedic, at times a dietician, and other times a chef. She was a cleaner, counsellor, chauffer, and committee chairperson. She was a mechanic, manufacturer, milliner, and maker of fine clothing. She was on call 24 hours a day seven days a week, she was always expected to have a word of comfort, or wisdom and was expected to discipline when required.
I could go on and on, but by now you know I am giving the ‘job description’ of a mum and most mums I know would not have it any other way!
Today is Mother’s Day, a day when we traditionally honour mums for the great people they are. For some we recall good memories of a mum whom we no longer have with us. For others it can bring up the pain of loss, to others the joy of knowing, for some pain of never knowing. Whatever image comes to your mind, I prefer to refer to Mother’s Day as “Women’s Day" as there are 1000’s of women who are not yet mums, or maybe are unable to be mums. These women deserve the same honour as others as all play a special role in someone’s life. Maybe a husband’s life, or the life of a nephew or niece or maybe a child of a neighbour. I know God honours them all, and today we do as well.
May God bless you today for being the people that He has made you to be.
Blair

Front Page 7th May 2006

I am amazed at how easy it can be to be deceived! The apostle Paul writing in Galatians 1:6-8 says these very timely words. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - -which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be eternally condemned.”
The message I believe for all of us today is to guard our hearts from the false and deceptive things that we are often confronted with in our society today. Those that claim the truth can often be like those in the Galatian church and present a perversion of that truth. Again I quote my favourite verse John 8:32 where Jesus says
“If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” Words I believe to be some of the wisest Jesus ever uttered, words that we should take note of.
Be guarded against the bondage of following false and deceptive teaching, its all around us, follow the example of Jesus, check everything against His teaching, then you will really know what is true and you will be free indeed.
Blair