One Light “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Rev 21:23) Introduction I have been working on a short … Continue reading →

Unfailing Testimony to Jesus Isa 49:1-7; 1 Cor 1:1-9; John 1:29-42; Ps 40:1-11 (Parish of Rivervale/Belmont 15/1/23) Introduction  https://youtu.be/RbGatrHvmEQ To point to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world [as his witnesses (Isa 43:10; Acts … Continue reading →

Hearing His Voice Clearly Background Speaking yesterday with a devout Christian brother about assurance in knowing God’s will, I had an indelible sense that the voice of Jesus is distinct and unique. Meditating on this has flowed into the teaching … Continue reading →

The Baptism of Jesus Ps 29; Isa 42:1-9; Acts 10:33-43; Matt 3:13-17 Introduction https://youtu.be/epPZiFCzMTg Let me begin with a few assumptions: we have all been baptised, few of us can recall that event, and none of us have fully appropriated … Continue reading →

Epiphany 1/1/2023 Isa 63:7-9; Heb 2:10-18; Matt 2:1-12 Ps 148 Introduction  https://youtu.be/hw_7gJ53Lkc Today, is the feast of the Epiphany. A Greek word (epipháneia), meaning manifestation or appearance (cf. 2 Tim 1:10), a day when we celebrate the revelation of God … Continue reading →

Vision 2023: Strengthened through Love by prayer Introduction The above title might sound grandiose, but since its content is a truth we “have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11 cf. John 1:1), it … Continue reading →

Christmas 2022: Something Worth Dying For “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with … Continue reading →

Singing Introduction https://youtu.be/Btuz8ffmDQM I originally intended this sermon to focus on the crisis in contemporary Christian worship but praying further over this it became clear that I needed to broaden and deepen (Eph 3:18) the scope of today’s teaching into … Continue reading →

Upholding the Tapestry of God Background Flying home from the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly in Jakarta in Nov 2019, I had a clear sense that the Church in Australia desperately needed assistance from the sort of passionate godliness I … Continue reading →

Unboxed “’What role does God play in our lives?’  It is an inevitable but wrong question.  We shall be freed from it only by captivation to the right question:  what role do we play in God’s life?  The story is … Continue reading →

The Lost Worship of Heaven Introduction Following the apostasy of Hillsong musician Marty Sampson and the multiple (legal) addictions of Brian Houston, we Australians should heed Luther’s estimation of the power of music, “The devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties … Continue reading →

A Bigger Jesus Background The foundational and ongoing sin of the Western Church is minimising the reality of the humanity of Jesus. In our rush to maximise his deity and contemporary relevance, we have downgraded a humanity which has been … Continue reading →

Upholding the Tapestry Introduction This teaching began with a picture given to a prophetic intercessor in a group praying for the Lord to sovereignly raise up a council of elders over Perth. As such, whilst its general truths are applicable … Continue reading →

The New Wineskin of Mutual Submission   “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness (Greek:πλήρωμα plērōma) pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. 22 Likewise, … Continue reading →

Beyond Comparison: the virtue of Pure Love “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are … Continue reading →

Living in the Glory of God the Holy Spirit Introduction  https://youtu.be/1eZERd4_d3E This is our final sermon in the 3-part series of “Living in the Glory of God”, and my final sermon as the locum priest in charge of St Mark’s … Continue reading →

Naming the Power of “Sin” “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…”(Matt 18:15) Last night I (JY) had a sharp but very clear dream in which an unidentifiable assailant knocked a “Vulcan” to the ground … Continue reading →

Living in the Glory of God the Son Introduction   https://youtu.be/CYctSo8Lt4Y Last week I mentioned my distress at Christian leaders praying things like, “Dear God” and Loving God”, when Jesus himself characteristically prayed to God as…“Father/heavenly Father”. I used to think … Continue reading →

A Church Confused By Culture “Essendon (Football Club) doesn’t speak truth to power, it genuflects before power.” (G. Sheridan The Australian 6.10.22) “Which leaders will protect your Christian values?….We won’t soon forget Victorian Premier Dan Andrews saying  biblical views on … Continue reading →

Living in the Glory of God as Father Introduction  https://youtu.be/XIhDcyRzFlc Today we commence a 3-part series on “Living in the Glory of God”. It deals with living in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an exposition on living … Continue reading →

Trauma, Complementarity of Gifts and Revelation  Introduction Coming to the close of a 4-week break, I have been under continual pressure in the night hours, which has been a significant strain on Donna and me. Yet since the scripture teaches … Continue reading →

The Writing is on the Wall   Ps 145 Rom 15:14-21; Matt 14:17-25; Dan 5:1-31 Introduction https://youtu.be/kt36eEFp9HA After hearing so much about Nebuchadnezzar, his son Belshazzar is introduced without any biographical or historical detail whatsoever[1]. This is a sign that as … Continue reading →

Living in the River of God Introduction “Glory to God for all things.” (John Chrysostom). This is how I finished my last short teaching (Deeper Glory). I believe we need to take Chrysostom’s words in the broadest biblical way. This … Continue reading →

Daniel 4: Humiliation and Return   Ps 78 Phil 2:5-11 Matt 16:13-23 Dan 4:1-37 Introduction https://youtu.be/yx9TFzNiQ8M So far in our series on Daniel we have the impression of extreme godliness on the one hand, epitomised by Daniel and his companions, and … Continue reading →

Deeper Glory Introduction Praying with a brother on Tuesday last week I noticed the colours of the spectrum reflected in the bottom of a mirror. Biblically, this has many rich associations: the promise of a new creation (Gen 9:12-17; Rev … Continue reading →

Daniel 3: The Idol of Man  Ps 49; Rom 1:18-25; Matt 4:1-11; Dan 3:1-30 Introduction  https://youtu.be/AfCqYhrI2ME Chapter three of Daniel contains one of the most memorable testimonies in scripture. Three young Hebrews, faithful to their ancestral religion, deny the demands … Continue reading →

Incomparable Father Introduction Why, with all the advantages of Eden, abiding in a “theatre of glory” (Calvin) dazzling and resplendent with evidences of the unsurpassable goodness of God, did Adam sin, whilst through the most severe tests Jesus remained faithful? … Continue reading →

Daniel 2: Kingdom Vision   Ps 44; Dan 2:1-49; 1 Cor 15:20-28; Mark 1:14-15 Introduction     https://youtu.be/9TLhce1TYRU Looking at Daniel 1, we saw how Daniel and his friends were part of a successful peaceful protest movement against the attempts of the Babylonian … Continue reading →

From Shame to Glory Long-time readers might recall stories of my disturbed teenagerhood, particularly of how I would take my fists to my own head or bash it against the wall. These were attempts to alert my parents to my … Continue reading →

Daniel 1: Exile Ps 137; Dan 1:1-21; 1 Cor 10:7-21; John 6:41-59 Introduction https://youtu.be/qAsNijA7pfU The situation described in the first chapter of Daniel is, for the average Australian[1], virtually unimaginable. To begin with, we need to ask for divine help … Continue reading →