One Beauty One Glory Introduction When “what is first in intention is last in execution.” (Aquinas) is applied to the Bible, contemporary Christianity has a foundational problem. Most pastors and their congregations are indoctrinated with a desire to grow the … Continue reading
The Disciplines of the Father 1. The Pattern of God Reading Hebrews 12:1-11 Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR8Fj75ZNZs Whilst to be human is to long for self-understanding[1], today we are surrounded, both inside and outside of the Church[2], by evidence(s) of gross inability … Continue reading
Weak Leadership Introduction In the midst of one of my frequent early morning times of feeling impotent and ineffective, just like the major prophets (Jer 12:1-4; Isa 53:1; Ezek 20:49 etc.), the Lord led me through today’s teaching. Its title … Continue reading
Brokenness Will Rebuild the Church The prophetic word below was impressed on my heart on 16/6/04 as I was praying with a group of Christian leaders about God’s way forward in Perth. The word consists of two parts. The first … Continue reading
Intensification: counting the cost of transformation Introduction When prophets fail to speak God’s word with divine force the Lord’s heart is “broken” (Ezek 6:9; Jer 23:9). I confess my sin, but not without hope for inn latter days I have … Continue reading
God has Given More To Some Than To Others “God has given more to some men (sic) than to others.” (Toon) “When men (sic) have Christ they not only have everything one needs, they have everything one can possibly have” … Continue reading
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
Sermon for Pilgrim Church September 2022 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great … 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