Southern Cross Presbyterian Church

Well, how did you all pull up from the weekend? Recovered?

It was great to spend a weekend away as a church family celebrating the wonderful grace that was shown to us in Jesus. Its been pretty tops hearing people’s highlights from the weekend. One highlight for me was just sitting on the beach catching up with people I haven’t spoken to in ages and hearing how God has been helping them grow this year.

What was a highlight for you? Was it the camping? Was it the late night card games? Was it celebration Sunday?

P.S. Just wanted to say how thankful we are for all those who helped at celebration Sunday – whether it was putting out tables, or cooking the spit, or manning the eskies, or helping run kids games – we thank God for our church family!

Nehemiah 1:1-4:23

⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.  ⁸ “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,  ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ Neh 1:7-9

Nehemiah is conscience of the reason for the destruction that has taken place to his city and nation, The people of God had not been faithful to the Lord and so receieved theit just punishment.

H e aware of their own sinfulness is also aware of the promises held out by the Lord. Would the people be gathered because of their obedience? Who the city and nation be fully restored.

The prophetic hope would rest not in the obedience of the people but the faithfulness of God.

²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.  ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36:24-27

Here a restoration not by the righteousness of men, but the righteous God.

Remind you of any other restorations?

1 Chronicles 9 & Ezra 4:24-6:12

There are a number of odd things about these passages, like why does detail about the return from exile get stuck in between 2 genealogies of Saul? But surely the oddest of all is the way that the kings of Israel’s conquerors and foes turn into their allies and helpers. I couldn’t help but think of Proverbs 21:1…

The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Little wonder then that Paul wrote in Romans 8…

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

No-one stands for long in opposition against the God of heaven and earth.

Joel 1:1-3:21

²⁸ “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions. Joel 2:28

In the last days God did pour out his spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2. This transformed community would be a powerful witness of lives transformed by Christ. In the midst of opposition and hardship they would not deny their Lord, for they knew where the path of salvation (Joel 2:28) lay:

¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

In a society and a community that demands that all religions lead to God, will you as spirit filled believer proclaim, there is only one way to be saved?

Haggai 1:1-2:23, Zec 1:1-3:30

“Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. ⁵ And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’ Zec 2:4-5

Jerusalem and the people of God after the horrors of exile, begin to hear words of hope.

Hope it seems of a wonderful future for the city of God. A city which cannot have walls due to the multitude that are found within it. This incredible hope surely speaks of a future location. A future hope of an incredible multitude:

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!” Rev 5:13

A multitude that is gathered, is able to praise because of the lamb (Jesus) that had been slain. A multiude waiting for a new city. A remarkable city:

²³The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Rev 21:23

The hope of a wonderful city, soaked by the rays of the glory of God.

Surely, we too should join the chorus of that great multitude:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”