pastors ponderings (Page 3)

At Young Adults, we had a number of prophetic images and as we prayed after the meeting, I started to see several of them converging together. There is a believer standing in a hallway looking at an open door with light shining out. Inside is the banquet that God has for us, but the believer is standing outside. When the believer eventually comes in, the Father says, “welcome, I’ve been waiting for you.” There is a woman in a hijab…

Over the next few weeks, we will be feeding back some of the words and prayers received from our week of prayer and fasting. This word came from Tanya, and it is a wonderfully encouraging word to pray and meditate on.  It reminds us that we are all called to the purposes that God has for Christies Beach Baptist Church and that we all have our parts to play in God’s grand scheme.  I saw, very clearly, a tower of…

We are almost at the end of our week of prayer and fasting.  How did you find the whole experience?  Setting aside time for God is always an experience as you never quite know what He will decide is the priority for the time. It’s definitely been worth it and over the coming weeks we will start sharing back what the Lord has shared with us as a church.  This week we want to share a word of encouragement that…

On Sunday Daniel spoke about our corporate responsibility to maintain a ‘clean heart’ (Psalm 51).  Events like the recent outrage surrounding George Pell do so much damage to the world’s perception of the church.  It makes no difference that Pell was working in a different setting under a different denomination.  All the world sees is yet another ‘christian’ leader committing the most awful crime to the very people he was called to serve. However nothing changes the fact that this…

This week’s pastor’s ponderings come from Steve, who as most of you know is a member of the Oversight team here at CBBC. As you know we at CBBC are praying Psalm 51: “Create in me a pure heart, oh Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.”  I’ve been pondering on some of the words we use today in our language— Righteousness and Holiness. We would be forgiven in attaching the same meaning.  After all, don’t we often use…

On Sunday, Joan shared a word and many of you have been asking for a copy of it. One person summed up what was felt: this is important and we want to understand it and not lose what God is saying. Joan called this ‘My Journey with my God. God’s holiness, Psalm 18. 10th Feb 2019.’ Do I really ‘get’ God’s holiness? We sing, ‘Your glory, Lord, is what our hearts long for; to be overcome by your presence Lord’…

Last Sunday, Daniel spoke on repentance asking, what is it and how do you do it and why would you do this?  What’s interesting is that Phil was praying and received a word along a similar line from God.  I think the Lord is wanting us to hear Him on this subject and He is using every means He has to share His message. This is what the Lord said to Phil. What I seek is a broken and contrite…

The Pondering this week comes via Mrs Jesus Follower- who wrote this post before Julie spoke on Psalm 51 last Sunday: I’ve realised that a line from Psalm 51 has, of late, become a focus for me. It’s from a prayer of David’s that’s brought a freshness to my life. The line that has jumped out at me goes like this…Return unto me the joy of your salvation. Yes, that’s it. And perhaps that hasn’t got a lot of significance…

On that first Christmas, some 2000 years ago, a baby was born. He came into the world in much the same manner as all other babies of the time, without the aids of modern maternity facilities. But this was no ordinary baby. Jesus, as he was named, was God coming into this world as a human being. Why would the One who exists outside time and space come as a helpless, dependent baby? Why would the very Creator of the…

Making Joy Complete Recently we watched a video in Young-Adults group where John Piper was reading from C S Lewis in response to a question that a lot of people (particularly from an atheistic perspective) ask about God: Why does God want us to worship him?  Typically, we recognise the seeking of praise from others as a childish behaviour and a significant character flaw when we see it in grown adults.Surely the morally perfect God who made the universe cannot…

Last Sunday we had the pleasure of having three people (Graham, Bonnie and Phil) sharing their perspective on what church is to them.  There were a number of analogies given such as ‘family’ or ‘parts of a body’ but I have to say my favourite was a ‘stew’.  Bonnie was suggesting that through a very odd mix of ingredients that needed very different preparation, something messy but heart-warming was produced.  All the analogies linked with the sense that all of…

A couple of weeks ago, Daniel spoke about the way Jesus walked a fine line when fellowshipping with those who society, especially the religious, saw as being ‘sinners’.  Jesus ran the risk of being seen to endorse a person’s life choices or behaviour by eating with them.  He was pronounced guilty by association.  It was never Him who called people sinners (accept when describing the Pharisees themselves).  His message was clear – everyone, whoever they were, whatever their background were…