December 2006
When the old man Simeon took the young baby Jesus in his arms, he praised God saying he was now ready to die, because he had lived to see the One who would be:
‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to [God’s] people Israel’ (Luke 2:32)
Simeon had a heart for world mission! He recognised that the saving purposes of God for the world were being worked out through the birth of the child he held in his arms.
In celebrating the birth of Jesus we rejoice in God’s love for us. He was born to save. We can only understand the events of Christmas when we also understand the events of Easter.
For the past 90 years Sydney Missionary and Bible College has existed to train men and women to take this glorious message of God’s salvation to a needy world. Please pray for our world at this time. There is much violence, suffering and injustice around us. People desperately need the salvation that can only come through the peace maker, Jesus.
Pray also for graduates of this College who are scattered all around the globe at this Christmas season. Pray that God might open a door for the message they bring, ‘so that they might proclaim the mystery of Christ’ (Colossians 4:3).
May you have a Christ-centred Christmas,
Stuart Coulton
Vice-Principal-Pastoral
November 2006
Ecclesiastes does us good. It is sadly but beautifully realistic about life: the pain of hard thinking (the more you know, the more it hurts); the boredom of doing things that are supposed to be interesting; the hollowness of achievement (pointless, like trying to grasp the wind); the uncontrollable, crazy-quilt pattern of life; our ignorance of what exactly God is up to sometimes; and the astonishing truth that death is the only certainty in life.
It also makes us laugh and cheer, because it reminds us that the best things in life are our enjoyment of the basics: our work, our food and drink, our marriages and friendships (Eccles 5:18-20). We know and we feel the truth of those simple pleasures.
Yet there is a judgement to come. ‘Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.’ (12:13-14) The writer realises that in the face of life’s joy, bitterness and randomness, he must keep worshipping and doing what God asks of him. And at the judgement, both sheep and goats will be shown by their behaviour. Our ongoing obedience delights God, whether in our joy, frustration, hurt, weariness or temptation to rebelliousness.
Paul understood this well. ‘Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.’ (1 Cor 15:58) Ecclesiastes adds depth to Paul for us, and Paul helps us understand Ecclesiastes. So we press on, rejoicing in the grace of God in Christ which forms in us the obedience of faith.
Whatever happens to us, God is concerned that we keep on keeping on living godly lives.
Anthony Brammall
Academic Vice Principal
September 2006
Pithy summaries of the Christian gospel message abound, but perhaps there is none better than that provided by the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Using three nouns and three verbs (or as they taught me in Primary school – three being words and three doing words!) Paul explains the very heart of the Christian message.
God loves.
We yearn for love that is real. In other words, love that issues forth in actions. God’s love is demonstrated in what He has done. Which brings us to the second set of words …
Christ died.
In His death at Calvary Jesus died in our place. The One who had no sin took the punishment for our sin upon Himself. Why was this necessary?
We sinned.
In the days of vinyl records, my collection sounded fine on my cheap stereo system. However, when they were played on someone’s expensive system with a very sensitive needle – all the scratches and imperfections came loudly through the speakers! We might look to be fine compared with everyone else around us, but measured against the perfect standard of God – every imperfection becomes obvious.
So God demonstrates his love for us in this: Christ died for us – to remove the punishment for our sin.
It is the message of grace that the church has proclaimed since Peter’s first sermon and it is still our message to a needy world.
Stuart Coulton
Vice Principal-Pastoral
August 2006
It is often said that you can pick your friends but you can’t pick your relatives! Usually the observation arises out of frustration with those that are ‘family’ and is a reflection on the ties of blood that bind us to our family – even the awkward ones!
As Christians we are tied by Christ’s blood to other believers – our family in Him, the household of faith. Like our earthly family, we don’t get a choice in who we are connected to. Some members of the church can be awkward, even abrasive. We all bring our own strengths and weaknesses to the Church.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 Paul gives us an insight into how he felt about his family – the Church. The Thessalonians were new believers, recently converted out of a very non- Christian background. However the language Paul uses to describe how he feels about them is illuminating.
He longs intensely for them (2:17); they are his joy, his hope and his crown (2:19). He wonders how he can thank God enough for all the joy the young church has brought to him (3:9).
The Thessalonian church have a similar outlook. Paul mentions the love they have, not only for each other but for all the church in Macedonia (4:10). His prayer is that their love might increase.
May our love for the Church, the family of God grow more and more. They are precious in God’s sight – are they precious in yours?
Stuart Coulton
June/July 2006
The Apostle Paul’s words ‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21) can appear shocking. However they are not the words of a morbidly unhealthy man, but rather a statement of values. A way of looking at life in the light of the Christian gospel, which recognises both the purpose of life and the pleasures of heaven.
There are consequences if we adopt Paul’s outlook. Firstly, we will give our best obedience to God. Life is not about us, it is about Jesus and how we may live lives that honour and please Him. Do we give our best service to God? Are we wholehearted in following Christ?
Secondly, we will give our best love to God. Paul fell in love with Jesus after his experience on the road to Damascus. God’s mercy in forgiving him left Paul a transformed man. The chief of sinners met the God who is rich in mercy!
Thirdly, we will fix our eyes on heaven. It is the joy that awaits us which provides motivation to persevere. As Paul wrote elsewhere ‘…our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes …on what is unseen’ (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
Stuart Coulton
May 2006
Three times in Acts, the author Luke comments on the health of the Word of God. On each occasion the Word’s health is contrasted with the lack of health of some other feature of the narrative.
For example, in Acts 6:7 the Word’s health is contrasted with the lack of progress of dissension in the church. The apostles dealt with the issue clearly and so the Word of God increased and spread—dissension did not.
In Acts 12:24 the Word’s health is contrasted with the demise of the political opportunist, Herod. He made no progress, he was eaten by worms and died, but the Word of God triumphantly increased and spread.
In Acts 19:20, in contrast to the superstitious fakery of the sons of Sceva, the Word of God spread and grew.
Dissension, politicking, superstitions and commercial use of the name of Jesus—none will prosper, but God will continue to bless the spread of his Word to the ends of the earth.
Therefore, we should not cringe before the so called ’impressive’ forces of the world around us. God will see that his Word will stand and He alone is worthy of our trust.
David Cook
April 2006
The tradition of the Lord’s supper, as important as that is, received from the Lord and passed on to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 11:23), is not of primary importance.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3, Paul says: ‘For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance…’ What could it be that is passed on, as a priority, even before the transmission of what the Lord gave Paul as the Lord’s Supper tradition?
It is the gospel—the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
These events are historical, Christ was certainly dead, therefore he was buried, and was bodily raised on the third day, making no concession to death.
Twice in verses 3-4, Paul tells us this was in fulfillment of Scripture.
He also tells us that Christ’s death was as our substitute, ‘Christ died for our sins’.
These are the facts of Easter— it was for us, it was in fulfillment of the promises of God and is historically verifiable with the post-resurrection Jesus seen by more than 500 witnesses.
Peter reminded the crowd at Pentecost that it was not possible for death to hold Jesus, as he had never sinned. Death was not able to get a grip on him, for the grip of death is sin.
The Easter message can be summarised as the death and resurrection of God’s innocent son for his undeserving people.
It is because of him that we have forgiveness of sin and the assurance of new life for all eternity.
David Cook
March 2006
A woman on the central coast, a man at Redfern and another at Surrey Hills— all dead before they were discovered.
Symptomatic of our heavily populated cities in which we live within close proximity, with little sense of community.
None of these people would have been members of a church where there is always care and compassion.
The church stands as an oasis of community in the harsh urban environment.
The model church in Acts 2:42-47 is marked by its unity, the words ‘everyone’, ’everything’, ‘together’ and ‘common’ dominate. Our community is God’s gift to us, created by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our unity is to be maintained and it is our responsibility to maintain it, ‘make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace’ (Eph 4:3).
Our community at church is a great evangelistic attraction—why not make it more obvious? Move your morning teas, lunches and suppers out to where passers by can see our substantially restored relationships with perhaps a sign which says—‘Come and Join Us’
David Cook
Feburary 2006
Acts chapter 12 is a great reminder of God’s sovereign care. The chapter begins with King Herod having the apostle James decapitated and the apostle Peter imprisoned. Herod’s political power is set in contrast to the sovereign power of God-v 5 tells us the Church met to pray earnestly to God for Peter. An angel of God strikes Peter from slumber to liberate him from prison.
God also reveals himself as a God jealous for his glory.
Because Herod accepts the idolatrous approval of the crowd in v22 the angel of God strikes him down, and he who denied food to the hungry people of Tyre and Sidon, becomes himself, food for worms and dies (v23).
The chapter ends, Peter released, Herod eternally imprisoned with v24 summarising that the cause of God is very healthy indeed.
God can be trusted. James’s death is no failure of his sovereignty. For the believer to die is to be taken home-it is not a consolation prize. God’s work for James is over, for Peter there is still work to be do (see Chapter 15) God watches over our life on earth until our service is at an end and then he takes us home. This is the God of Acts 12, the God whom we can completely trust.
David Cook
January 2006
New years encourage us to think about new beginnings and resolutions. For us as Christians the opportunity for change is always before us, as we seek to “keep in step with the Spirit” as he works in us to conform us to the likeness of the Lord Jesus.
As a disciple of Jesus, what will you strive for and work towards as 2006 begins?
Scripture is full of sorry tales of people who didn’t listen when God spoke to them – who listened instead to other voices: Adam and Eve, the Israelites on the verge of entering the Promised Land, Saul and other kings of Israel, Jonah, the rich young ruler, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira, Demas and so many more. What a perilous thing it is to stop listening to God in his word. The consequences are devastating. But what a delight for us, and for our Heavenly Father, when we listen and obey him as faithful servants.
God has given us his word. Treasure it, read it, and listen to him speak in it. God has given us his Word, covered in skin and flesh and bones. Treasure him, and listen to him. “This is my Son, whom I love…Listen to him!” (Mat 17:5.)
Make 2006 a year of listening.
Anthony Brammall
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