The screening of the movie “The Voyage That Shook the World” at SYPC will be on Friday 28 August 2009, 7.30pm

2009 has already proven to be a pivotal year in the creation/evolution debate. It’s the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary1 of the publication of his book The Origin of Species. Evolutionists have been busy with special events, including feature films, TV documentaries, world-travelling exhibitions, tall-ship re-enactments of the HMS Beagle voyage, and much, much more. Even the free distribution of 200,000 ‘commissioned’ comic strip books featuring Darwin as a super-hero!
A unique opportunity
In response, Creation Ministries International, through our subsidiary Fathom Media and using a team of world-class professionals, has produced a major [...]

Have you ever seen drought-affected lands? We read about it, are very conscious that areas of our state are still gripped by drought. But have you ever seen it? Driven for mile after mile and all you see is drought stricken lands void of any crops? Many years ago I remember flying from Melbourne to Brisbane flying over parts of central NSW after years of sustained drought, and even from that height saw the devastation of the landscape – everything looked brown in a time when things should’ve looked green. So stark was it that the Pilot drew our attention to it, indicating how it must’ve distressed him the many times he flew over the sunburn country. He wanted us to be fully aware of the extent of the sustained suffering being endured by farmers at that time.

Sin’s madness ….
These verses tell us not only how God’s judgement had stamped it scorching trademark on the fields of Canaan and seared the lives of the people but how the people – especially the king and the court – responded to the drought.
Though there is a cycle of natural events that include times of drought, no one in Israel could legitimately comfort themselves with that thought. It had been made very clear by the Word of God before the drought came why the drought had come, that it was an act of judgment upon unrelenting and unrepentant sin against God. This explanation came before the drought had any effect on people’s lives.
‘That’s why no one in Israel should separate the heat of the sun’s burning rays from the heat of Yahweh’s wrath.’ (Van’t Veer)
Yet what we see here [...]

Last week we noted that every circumstance in our lives can be the means of a test or a temptation. That God in His sovereign providence orchestrates things, including those that challenge us and our faith at its very core, to make us more like Jesus. Just like fire purifies when appropriately controlled purges away dross and even strengthens metal, so God uses trials and troubles to purify us and to develop spiritual strength.

As we left chapter 17 we did so with the wonderful testimony of faith of the nameless widow who benefited from Elijah’s ministry (v.24), which reminded us of the importance of confessing with the mouth as well as believing with the heart.

Turning to chapter 18 we see that this testimony was not just necessary for the woman, but also for Elijah as the opening verses of Chapter 18 make clear. This Gentile woman may have come to faith, but this is not the picture of what was happening in Israel during this time.

‘The Christian life is not lived to the honour of God without effort,’ writes John MacArthur on 2 Peter 1:5, “giving all diligence…”.
Having described what God has done in and for us, Peter is saying that we are to give ourselves to the task of developing Christian character and maturity in Christ Jesus, and that this should be don’t with serious commitment and energy or “diligence”.
God has given us the faith and all the graces necessary for godliness (vv.3-4), but we are to work it out in our lives by pursuing the spiritual qualities listed in vv.5-9, the result of which will be evidence that we really are of the elect (v.11).
To make sure we get the point about doing so with enthusiasm and depth of commitment Peter writes “add to faith”. The word “add” in original usage carried [...]

We don’t know how long Elijah had been waiting, but no doubt he was glad that God spoke to him again, telling him this time to leave the brook Cherith – after all the source of water so essential for life was dried up. But in so calling Elijah to move on God makes it clear that though the brook had dried up, the supply of His grace had not – it was merely relocated. For in v.9 we read God assuring Elijah that He had another place prepared for his care. In this God gives Elijah an insight into His purposes and ways. And that’s where I want us to pause and consider from God’s Word today. In the unfolding of God’s purposes to Elijah we see something about God’s ways and something of what should be our faith

Paul is talking about death, but more specifically that when we die, when we leave the body behind, we go to be with the Lord. How could Paul be so sure?
Paul says that we walk by faith. We take God at His Word. Our security is not found in the things we can see and feel, but in the living God who has given His Word to us.
As we return to Elijah we see that this is not only the lesson he learnt at the Brook Cherith, but which shaped and focused his life. Though the Brook dried up it was not until the Word of the Lord came to him that Elijah moved on. Three times in these first 8 verses we find reference to “the Word of the Lord”, emphasizing that this was the key directive of Elijah’s life. [...]

JAMES HAS BEEN TELLING US that God’s glorious plan is to make us “perfect, lacking in nothing” but also that God’s methodology is one that utilises trials. That is, that we are to look on trials we face as Stepping Stones to God’s glorious future for us in Christ. That’s why we should respond to such times with joy. The joy he speaks of is a result of the realisation that God is at work here. It’s like the home owner’s joy as he sees the builder at work renovating the house. Sure there is pain after all he sees holes in walls, rubble piling up, but he knows that there will be a great result because he has employed a great builder – and in our case that result is maturity and ability.

Last week we noted that by sending Elijah to the Brook Cherith God was doing several things – He was declaring to Ahab and the nation an act of judgment, such that the Word of God which had been despised was now removed, a famine of the Word; and he was declaring to Elijah that he could fully depend on God and His Word, and daily finding opportunity to exercise faith, and that continually despite outward circumstances.