Monday, October 26, 2009

Life is connecting with God and other people


My wife Jan and I recently had a holiday touring South Australia, and it was great to meet up with people in several churches as we travelled. What really spoke to us was the importance of worship in the life of Christians. Worship helps us link faith with life's journey.
On the Eyre Peninsula we worshiped in the setting of an historic woolshed on Bramfield Station.

During the service a sheep was shorn and the focus was on prayer for all the people involved in farming and woollen garment production. It was a wonderful way to relate faith to life’s jobs and to people’s careers. I was challenged with the thought that we should always see God in our everyday tasks. For the Christian there is no separation between sacred and secular. God reigns in all areas of our lives.



At the service we also celebrated what the wool industry does for us in producing clothes and providing income for many. The historic setting reminded us that as we look back over the generations, we all have much to celebrate and, for which to give thanks.






What about your family? As you look back what is there that you can give thanks for. The Christian believes that all that has been accomplished has been achieved by the grace of God. It is a confidence that also points us to the future. God’s grace is with us as we walk in the faith of Christ and seek to live out the Gospel.
After the service we shared a wonderful, country-style lunch. So much to eat, so much to share, and so much to enjoy. Fellowship is a great part of worship, as we connect with God and each other. That is meant to be part of the life of every believer and is one of the marks of the Kingdom.

Bob McKay

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Entrances Have a Message




The entrance to the Olympic Dam Mine has a drive or “decline” which leads to the underground mining complex. At one point the drive passes through a section of magnificent arched walls rising to a peaked roof, a section nicknamed “the cathedral”. It is a foretaste of the marvellous tunnel network ahead.
When an orthodox Jew enters a building he may well touch the door frame with reverence as he remembers how God rescued his people from slavery as they put the symbol of His protection on the door frames of their homes. It is a way of asking God’s blessing on the household.

God connects with people by offering them a place in His Kingdom. It is a wonderful offer. One we can’t earn, or demand, pursue or even deserve. It is a gift freely given by a loving God. So why is the entrance to this marvellous Kingdom described as something tiny, “the eye of a needle”, a small door in the wall surrounding Jerusalem?

The Bible wants us to realise that while the offer is immense, life in God’s Kingdom is only entered into through this small doorway. We enter by putting our faith in who Jesus is, and what He did for us. It is like putting your tag on the tag board before you can enter the mine.

What lies before you in Gods Kingdom is beautiful, productive and life giving. You can only know by tagging on and journeying deep into it.

Look at entrances in a new way….they all lead somewhere.














Read about the tiny entrance to Gods Kingdom and contemplate its place on the journey.


Matthew chapter 19 beginning with verse 16.