The Old Testament points to Jesus
Melchizedek resembles Jesus because he both King and Priest, the King of Righteousness and Peace, and superior to both Abraham and Aaron.
Jesus is our Great High Priest who gives us a better hope, able to save completely those who come to God through him
After a detailed look at the Sermon on the Mount, time to put words into action. By his touch Jesus not only healed the leper but restored his place in society. We can encounter Jesus as the leper did by coming to him whatever the difficulties, kneeling before him with humility and pouring out our hearts to him.
Jesus is our Great High Priest who is making intercession for us now, to help us.
We’re not left alone!
The true sanctuary is in heaven.
Do we think spiritual things are somehow less real than material things?
The New Covenant is better because it's Internal and not External, and the entry requirement is based on the blood of Jesus and not earning our salvation through works.
Verse 11 says that “they will all know me”, Do you know the Lord?
Our salvation depends on Christ alone.
The Tabernacle was an accommodation to the fact that Israelites couldn't read and didn't have the whole of the Bible. (Isn't it great the the BibleApp has been downloaded over a billion times!).
Everyone should have a daily Bible reading plan.
Life is hard for Christians - a friend of mine has been put at risk at redundancy and another has been let go.
But it's OK because if we truly have faith in Jesus he will save us.
Today was billed as "Stewardship Sunday" (in past years it has been known by various names such as "Commitment Sunday" and "Vision Sunday"). Whatever its name, the aim is to briefly review this year's finances and outline proposed spending for 2026. Having seen the proposals we will be asked to (confidentially) indicate our planned giving, as advanced indications of potential income does help the PCC to set budgets.
The sermon on Philippians 4: 10-20 recalled Paul's thanks to the church in Philippi for their gifts to him. Our minister thanked us for past generosity while nicely asking us to prayerfully consider what our appropriate response might be next year.
We were staying with friends this weekend and in a marked contrast to Our Place, where we are working through the Gospel of Matthew a few verses at a time, the sermon at our friends' church encompassed Isaiah chapters 28-35 .
Sometimes we encounter God's "strange work" in our lives and the lives of others. In these times we see that God is God and we are not God. Is our trust in God or in other alliances? What makes us feel important, what are we listening to (with a nasty dig at the "false teachers and progressives who disregard what the Bible clearly teaches and only want to hear pleasant things"), where are we seeking rest and refuge?
It being the beginning of Advent, the sermon (good guest preacher) was on expectancy and expectations, based on Isaiah 64:1-4 and Matthew 24:36-44. i.e. the world places a burden of expectations on us, but the scriptures allow us the hope of expectancy. It worked quite well.
we should be hospitable to people.
We are motivated and enabled to love others in practical ways because we have experienced Jesus’ sacrificial love for us.
This includes inviting them to Church evangelistic events
Whether Jesus returns tomorrow, in a million years, or will never return in the way apparently imagined by the NT writers, the way we should live and look for him coming to us in our own lives is the same.
Our Lord's second coming will be sudden and inescapable and will be about justice, but we must be hopeful and not despair: all things will be made new and right in the eternal righteousness of God.
Comments
The Old Testament points to Jesus
Melchizedek resembles Jesus because he both King and Priest, the King of Righteousness and Peace, and superior to both Abraham and Aaron.
Jesus is our Great High Priest who gives us a better hope, able to save completely those who come to God through him
After a detailed look at the Sermon on the Mount, time to put words into action. By his touch Jesus not only healed the leper but restored his place in society. We can encounter Jesus as the leper did by coming to him whatever the difficulties, kneeling before him with humility and pouring out our hearts to him.
Jesus is our Great High Priest who is making intercession for us now, to help us.
We’re not left alone!
The true sanctuary is in heaven.
Do we think spiritual things are somehow less real than material things?
The New Covenant is better because it's Internal and not External, and the entry requirement is based on the blood of Jesus and not earning our salvation through works.
Verse 11 says that “they will all know me”, Do you know the Lord?
Our salvation depends on Christ alone.
The Tabernacle was an accommodation to the fact that Israelites couldn't read and didn't have the whole of the Bible. (Isn't it great the the BibleApp has been downloaded over a billion times!).
Everyone should have a daily Bible reading plan.
Life is hard for Christians - a friend of mine has been put at risk at redundancy and another has been let go.
But it's OK because if we truly have faith in Jesus he will save us.
The sermon on Philippians 4: 10-20 recalled Paul's thanks to the church in Philippi for their gifts to him. Our minister thanked us for past generosity while nicely asking us to prayerfully consider what our appropriate response might be next year.
Sometimes we encounter God's "strange work" in our lives and the lives of others. In these times we see that God is God and we are not God. Is our trust in God or in other alliances? What makes us feel important, what are we listening to (with a nasty dig at the "false teachers and progressives who disregard what the Bible clearly teaches and only want to hear pleasant things"), where are we seeking rest and refuge?
we should be hospitable to people.
We are motivated and enabled to love others in practical ways because we have experienced Jesus’ sacrificial love for us.
This includes inviting them to Church evangelistic events
God has a plan and purpose for our lives which he has prepared and reveals to us by his Spirit, in all sorts of ways.