Foothills Church of Christ in Forrestfield, Western Australia | Church of Christ

Foothills Church of Christ

Locality: Forrestfield, Western Australia

Phone: +61 8 9359 1137

Address: 287 Hawtin Road 6058 Forrestfield, WA, Australia

Website: https://foothillschurch.org.au

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25.01.2022 Symbol of God’s Authority And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailedExodus 17:11 Over the years the application that I have predominantly heard concerning this passage is that this is a lesson in prayer. That if we are to defeat the enemy we need constant prayer and that it is a team effort. I doubt any true believer would argue against the necessity of prayer, both personal and corporate, but I have of...ten wondered if that is the main theme of the passage. It has been assumed from Moses’ posture that prayer is the theme but raised hands can also be an expression of praise and worship. This is the first mention of Joshua by name in the Bible (v 9) and he has been appointed to lead slaves, militarily untrained, against a people prepared for war. Perhaps there is something important that the Lord wants Joshua to learn. Moses told Joshua that he would stand on the top of a hill and hold up the rod of God. Ever since the burning bush Moses’ rod has been the symbol of God’s authority, power and presence. Moses, with help from Aaron and Hur would hold up this rod. This is to be a lesson to Joshua. Follow-up lessons are recorded from Joshua 5:13. He would lead the military arm of Israel for the next forty years and, later, the whole nation. The Lord commanded Moses to make a written record of this event and recount it in the hearing of Joshua (v 14). In the heat of the battle Joshua may not have noticed what was happening on the hill so the Lord makes sure he found out. Joshua would have a written record that he may read over and again. Rather than a lesson only on prayer, this was an early lesson preparing Joshua to trust the Lord in the battles he would face. We are inclined to take matters into our own hands rather than trust the Lord. The evidence that we are doing this is that we become anxious, frustrated or panic. Joshua would need further lessons on this and we will also but the Lord has laid the foundation for Joshua and us here. Prayer is an important part of trusting the Lord and an expression of trust and faith. I believe that the main lesson to Joshua and us is that we rest in the Lord, especially in the battle, and trust Him for ultimate victory. Raising the symbol of God’s authority, power and presence denoted trust in the Lord. Amalek was resisting the will of God, not just the fledgling nation of Israel.

09.01.2022 A Blessed Gift Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filledMatthew 5:6 The beatitudes are the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount in which the theme is God’s righteousness compared with the standard of righteousness set by Israel’s religious leaders (v 20). The purpose of this comparison is to show the failure and futility of any standard set by men and the necessity of one receiving God’s righteousness. In the third beatitude, quo...ted above, Jesus says that the person who hungers and thirsts for God’s righteousness is blessed. Blessed is speaking of position. People who hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness are in the best possible position. The latter part of the verse explains why: those who seek God’s righteousness will be satisfied. That they do hunger demonstrates that they have already received the gift of God’s righteousness. That is why they are blessed. The words used by Jesus indicate a craving that rules one’s desires and life. A key indication that a creature is alive is that it craves food and water. If it doesn’t, it is dying or already dead. Anyone who does not crave God’s righteousness is spiritually dead. That a person does crave God’s righteousness is an indication of spiritual life. Such a person will not only crave God’s righteousness but also communion with God through Jesus Christ in prayer, Bible reading and study, and fellowship with other faithful Christians. How one receives God’s righteousness is clearly revealed in Genesis 15:6: believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. God’s righteousness is not something we achieve; it is credited to us as a gift upon believing God’s word. When a gift is offered by anyone we demonstrate faith in the giver by receiving the gift. Paul writes, For if by one man’s offence death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). Those who hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness give evidence of spiritual life and that they have already received the gift of God’s righteousness. They now long to live in the experience of it and Jesus affirms that they will be satisfied. The full experience of this satisfaction awaits us in the resurrection when Christ reigns and rules in righteousness.

05.01.2022 The Mediator Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’Exodus 20:19 Israel had been complaining against the Lord’s leading ever since Moses began the process of confronting Pharaoh to let Israel go (Exodus 5:21). In chapters 16 and 17 their complaining was over food and water yet the Lord provided their need. The people knew they had sinned so they stood afar off (v 18) fearing His wrath and in awe of the ph...ysical manifestations expressing His special presence. They could not approach God in their sinful state. They needed a mediator, one who could converse with God on their behalf. They had witnessed occasions where God had already spoken to them through Moses and Moses had spoken to God and been answered. God had already made Moses their mediator. We sinners all need a mediator to speak on our behalf to a holy God. In grace God promised just such a Person: And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him’ (Deuteronomy 18:18). Paul recognised this Mediator as being Jesus. He wrote, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:3-6). Being both God and Man Jesus alone is able to mediate between sinful man and holy God. He is qualified to do so because He is without sin and gave Himself a ransom for all (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The writer of Hebrews also recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise for the Prophet who would mediate between God and man forever: But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). The covenant God made with Israel through Moses was meant to show Israel’s and our sinfulness but it could not save from that sin. The New Covenant is better in that it is based on the unconditional covenant God made with Abraham and it can save from sin because in it God changes the heart.

05.01.2022 Due to the 3-day lockdown announced today, church services are cancelled this Sunday.