SUNDAY SERMON ON THE BLOG – JESUS IS FAR MORE…

Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. - Matthew 12:6.

What is the greatest construction project built by human hands? Jesus is greater still!

What is the most ‘holy’ place you have been? Jesus is far holier still!

What is the most awe-inspiring site you have visited? Jesus is far more awesome!

What is the most inspiring event you have ever attended? Jesus is far more...

Jesus is the One Who Is Greater! Nothing else, no one else, can hold a candle to Him. As John the Baptist said… none of us are even worthy to untie His sandals.

Loving Father, I thank you that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you revealed to me Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Forgive me for the times I may have misused His name or underestimated His glory. Restore in me the child-like sense of joyous wonder that I need to have in His presence. In the wonderful and mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged!

GBYAY

SATURDAY'S SILLY JOKE!

Three golfing partners died in a car wreck and went to heaven. Upon arrival they discover the most beautiful golf course they have ever seen. St. Peter tells them that they are all welcome to play the course, but he cautions them that there is only one rule: Don't hit the ducks.

The men all have blank expressions, and finally one of them asks "The ducks?"

"Yes", St. Peter replies, "There are millions of ducks walking around the course and if one gets hit, he squawks then the one next to him squawks and soon they're all squawkin to beat the band, and it really breaks the tranquility. If you hit the ducks, you'll be punished, otherwise everything is yours to enjoy."

After entering the course, the men noted that there was indeed a gaggle of ducks everywhere. Within fifteen minutes, one of the guys hit one of them. The duck squawked, the one next to it squawked and soon there was a deafening roar of duck quacks.

St. Peter walked up with an extremely homely woman in tow and asked "Who hit the duck?" The one who had done it admitted "I did."

Immediately, St. Peter pulled out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed the man's right hand to the homely woman's left hand. "I told you not to hit the ducks," he said. "Now you'll be handcuffed together for eternity.

The other two men were very cautious not to hit any ducks, but a couple of weeks later, one of them accidentally did. The quacks were as deafening as before and within minutes St. Peter walked up with an even uglier woman than before. St. Peter determined which one had hit the duck by the fear in his face, and cuffed the man's right hand to the homely woman's left hand.

"I told you not to hit the ducks", he said. "Now you'll be handcuffed together for eternity."

The third man was extremely careful. Some days he wouldn't even move for fear of even nudging a duck. After three months of this he still hadn't hit a duck. St. Peter walked up to the man at the end of the three months and had with him a knock-out gorgeous woman, the most beautiful woman the man had ever seen. St. Peter smiled to the man and then, without a word, handcuffed him to the beautiful woman and walked off.

The man, knowing that he would be handcuffed to this woman for eternity, let out a sigh and said "What have I done to deserve this?"

The woman responded "I don't know about you, but I hit a duck."

Be encouraged!
GBYAY

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

The thief had nails through both hands, so that he could not work; and a nail through each foot, so that he could not run errands for the Lord; he could not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation, and yet Christ offered him the gift of God; and he took it. Christ threw him a passport, and took him into Paradise. - D. L. Moody.

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' – John 3:6-7.

In his book, An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks tells about Virgil, a man who had been blind from early childhood. When he was 50, Virgil underwent surgery and was given the gift of sight. But as he and Dr. Sacks found out, having the physical capacity for sight is not the same as seeing.

Virgil's first experiences with sight were confusing. He was able to make out colors and movements, but arranging them into a coherent picture was more difficult. Over time he learned to identify various objects, but his habits--his behaviors--were still those of a blind man. Dr. Sacks asserts, "One must die as a blind person to be born again as a seeing person. It is the interim, the limbo . . . that is so terrible."

To truly see Jesus and his truth means more than observing what he did or said, it means a change of identity.
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When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award.

But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God. - G.W. Knight.
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London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

"Forget about the repairs," the buyer said. "When I buy this place, I'm going to build something completely different. I don't want the building; I want the site."

Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God's, the old life is over… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Cor. 5:17. He makes all things new. All he wants is the site and the permission to build. - Ian L. Wilson.

“Lord Jesus, I thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, forgive me for my sins, fill me with your Holy Spirit. I open the door of my heart and receive you as my Lord and Saviour, and I thank you that I am born again. Help me to follow you all the days of my life, in your mighty name I pray. Amen"

Be encouraged.
GBYAY

TERRY BUTCHER... DEAD MAN WALKING?

Well it looks like the knives are out and the backstabbing of Terry Butcher has begun. It also looks like the B-grade movie actors and furniture salesmen have done a great job of destablising Sydney FC.

It's just another setback for soccer in australia, as we keep on doing the same old things... allowing inexperienced boards to keep paying out enormous money for second rate players who have seen their used by dates. They are ok for a couple of games and then the niggling injuries that have plagued their playing careers start to surface.

Let's face it, Sydney FC were pretty ordinary last year, even though they won the the Grand final. Then they did a good thing by getting rid of the clinical Littbarski, a (seen the best of) playboy player, who isn't doing too well for Sunderland, but grinning all the way to the bank!

Enter, an experienced, hard working, adventurous coach, who has inherited Littbarski's team of big screen watchers, and has to try and bring out their potential, which means trying to get them to act like professional players, instead of trying to look like York and Carboni wannabees.

It must be difficult for Butcher who want's to build a great Australian soccer team on true and tried methods, whilst sitting on a plastic chair, on the sideline of someone else's stadium.

It must be difficult to build a team of professional players for the season's ahead, that will showcase Australian soccer, and show that we are not going to be bullied by Anthony LaPaglia, an ex-goalkeeper who couldn't make the grade here, and boardroom members who have no experience in soccer, and will continue to lose money for the clubs, as they did in days gone past, with their 'marquee' and archaic players.

It must be difficult for Terry Butcher to see so many of Australia's talented youngsters, having to take a back seat to foreign imports and soccer relics of days gone by.

It must be difficult to try and bring the best out of these boys, having only been in charge for a few games, and having to put up with all the off-field antics of boardroom prima donnas.

It must be difficult for Terry's wife and family, who have moved half way across the globe, to support her husband's endeavours to bring about some professionalism to Australian football.

It isn't difficult to have some patience, and give Terry Butcher some time to prove his vision for Sydney FC, and for sake of Australian soccer.

THIS GUY SHOULD DISAPPEAR... "Without A Trace!"

Although I am a Queensland Roar supporter, this kind of verbal garbage doesn't help Sydney FC, or Australian soccer. He should stick to what he knows best... bad acting!

THE future of Sydney FC coach Terry Butcher hangs in the balance today after the Englishman survived a shock bid to oust him from Hollywood star Anthony LaPaglia.

The multi-millionaire Without A Trace actor, who owns seven-and-a-half per cent of the club, arrived in Australia on Friday just in time to catch Sydney's latest loss against Melbourne.

Beforehand, he attended an informal meeting of several board members at the Sydney Art Gallery with chairman Edmund Capon, and directors Peter Fitzgerald, representative of the all powerful Lowy clan, part owner Peter Turnbull and new CEO George Perry among those in attendance. Top of the agenda was the performance of Butcher with the defending champions languishing in mid-table and battling to shake off a series of on and off-field setbacks.

LaPaglia had no doubts Butcher should go but failed to attract any support and admitted afterwards: "There are some things which have happened at the club which I don't support but that's normal on a board where you have divergence of viewpoints.

"There are several different personalities but that's normal in any organisation. I still have no doubt that we remain good enough to defend the title successfully, even though the loss of Dwight Yorke was a blow because he is a player who galvanised the club and brought people to matches.

"There has been some level of upheaval over the past few months but that can sometimes be a good thing, so long as we are pulling in the right direction... Continue reading and judge for yourself here.

Some folks just don't get it!

SATURDAY'S SILLY JOKE!

A man and his ever-nagging wife went on vacation to Jerusalem .

While they were there, the wife passed away.

The undertaker told the husband, "You can have her shipped home for $5,000, or you can bury her here, in the Holy Land, for $150."

The man thought about it and told him he would just have her shipped home.

The undertaker asked, "Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your wife home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150?"

The man replied, "Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance."

Be encouraged.

GBYAY

SUNDAY SERMON ON THE BLOG – FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN.

But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:15.

Can you think of a more terrifying thought than God not forgiving us our sins?

We know how much He paid so our sins could be forgiven! We know how much He loves us! We know how much He wants us to be in relationship with him! So why would He withhold His forgiveness? Because we demonstrate that we have not received it or do not understand it!

God is gracious and he will not accept those who are not gracious!

Loving Father, there are those that I do find it difficult to forgive. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, right now while I'm praying, soften my heart, cleanse my soul of any bitterness or resentment, and empower me to let go of the pain of the past, and forgive. I thank you for this grace to not only be forgiven, but also to forgive. In the wonderful and mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged!
GBYAY

SATURDAY'S SILLYJOKE!

AN elderly couple set off in their car to visit their daughter and grandchildren. It was a long journey from Sydney to Melbourne, so they took it in turns to drive.

While the wife was behind the wheel, the couple were pulled over by a police car.

An officer approached their car. "Madam, did you know you were speeding?" he asked, as the woman wound down the window.

The woman, hard of hearing, turned to her husband and asked: "What did he say?"

"He said you were speeding!" the old man yelled.

"I'll need to see your licence," said the policeman.

The woman turned to her husband again: "What did he say?"

The old man yelled back: "He wants to see your licence!"

The woman dug in her handbag, found her driving licence, and handed it over.

The policeman studied it. "I see you're from Sydney," he snorted. "I was posted there years ago... I remember going on a blind date with the ugliest woman I've ever seen."

The woman turned to her husband again and asked: "What did he say?"

The old man yelled: "He said he knows you!"

Be encouraged!
GBYAY

SUNDAY SERMON ON THE BLOG – MORE AND MORE LIKE JESUS!

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18.

We are being ‘transformed’ into the image of Jesus, with ever increasing glory! Wow! How can you top that, what a promise! Praise the wonderful and mighty name of Jesus!

In other words, it's an ongoing process, but with the continual help of the Holy Spirit, we are going to arrive at our goal… to be like Jesus!

The point is, not to give up on our journey, but keep on looking to Jesus, and keep trusting that the Holy Spirit is doing God's work in us, making us more and more like Jesus each day.

Loving Father, forgive me for the times when I've let my faith grow complacent, and I've lost my focus on Jesus. By the power of the Holy Spirit, help me as I try to be more deliberate in my jorney, especially my spiritual maturity. Transform me, and make me more like Jesus each day. In the wonderful and mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged!
GBYAY