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Bonnells Bay Salvation Army, Cnr Station St & Marconi Road (158 Station St), Bonnells Bay (2026)

02/06/2026

Cornerstone

Listen: Cornerstone- Hillsong
https://youtu.be/SiFBzVDVgf4
Read: Luke 20:1-19

Welcome to the courts of the mighty Temple in Jerusalem. Come on in and watch with me the dance as Jesus & the temple authorities shuffle, twirl & 2-Step their way though a series of conversations and ‘Gotcha’ moments.

During this period under Roman rule the internal government of Palestine was mostly in the hands of the Sanhedrin. This group consists of elders in Israel - usually wealthy & powerful families, chief priests-probably made up of past and present high priests, and teachers of the law or scribes-interpreters & teachers of the Law. These are the men of power in the capital. They are very sure of their authority and their credentials -their right to power.

A posse is dispatched to confront Jesus as he spends his last days in the temple-teaching the people and sharing the Good News while he he is still with them. His priority is the people and the message-not argument or confrontation.
However when it comes he is prepared.
His entrance into Jerusalem a day or so earlier would have caught the attention of the authorities, the exuberant reactions of the crowds bringing a potential to threat their authority and exciting feelings of jealousy among them. This was followed by his somewhat unorthodox entry into the temple, the healings, the teachings and the reactions of the crowds.

“Who do you think you are?”

The dilemma of this Gotcha question is that however he answers he could be in trouble. If he says that he has no authority he would be in trouble with Jewish people for invading their temple & acting like a prophet. If he said that his authority comes from God he would attract unwanted attention from the Romans-always on the lookout during Passover festival for trouble.

Jesus turns it around on his would be accusers. Firstly he answers with a question about John the Baptist which puts the religious leaders into a predicament.

Turning to the people he tells a parable-directed straight at the leaders.

The picture of the vineyard is well known in the scriptures.
Jesus ends with a prophetic warning. He looks straight at them and quotes Psalm 118. This is a well known messianic psalm. The crowds had quoted it days before as he entered on the donkey. The Stone is a common symbol in the Old Testament scriptures of the promised Messiah. The leaders know that they are the builders that stumble in the story with dire consequences.

They are silenced for now. They walk away-afraid of the crowd but ever more determined to arrest and kill this upstart from Galilee.

Related Readings:
John 11:45-57
Isaiah 5:1-7
Ps 80:8-19
Nehemiah 9 (esp vs 24-26),
Jeremiah 7:24-26
Ps 118

Image: Vineyards with a View of Auvers
Vincent Van Gogh

31/05/2026

My Fathers House.

Listen: House of the Lord-Phil Wickham

https://youtu.be/h8uKldEUrPE
Read: Luke 19:45-48

The first place Jesus heads for after his Kingly Messianic entry into Jerusalem is the Temple. No more hiding in the shadows. It would seem from reading the same story in Mark that Jesus went to the temple late in the afternoon, had a look around and then left to stay in nearby Bethany with his disciples before heading back the next morning.

This temple that Jesus knew was actually the Second Temple & was built high up on Mount Moriah.

The first temple was designed and planned by King David and built by his son King Solomon, about 1005 years before. It took seven years to build. This magnificent temple was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, 584 years before Christ.

After the Babylonian captivity the temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, but with vastly inferior and diminished splendor. The old people who remembered the first temple wept when they compared it with the glory of the former temple.

This was called the "second" temple. This temple was often defiled in the wars before the time of Christ. It had become decayed and impaired so Herod the Great set about repairing it in the hope of garnering favour with the people (owing to the fact that He was a cruel and very unpopular leader).
He renovated it piece by piece until by the time of Jesus it had more or less become a new temple, greater than the former. It was still called the "second" temple-also known as Herods Temple.
Additions & improvements continued to be made until 64 a.d.

This simulation gives us an idea of the incredible size, scope and grandeur of the temple in our stories.

Watch:
https://youtu.be/QQQyNVw8Pf4
Jesus had visited Jerusalem and the temple right at the beginning of his public ministry 3 years earlier-just after his baptism in the Jordan outside of Jericho. We read about this in John 2.
Both of these visits to the temple inspire passion in him.
His pleas to “Stop turning my fathers house into a marketplace” have apparently fallen short.

Jewish pilgrims travel from many places with all kinds of currency and an inability to bring the animals necessary for the temple sacrifices and offerings. These are conveniently sold in the outer courts of the temple. Money changers are also on hand to convert foreign currencies. It would seem that these transactions, with the associated noise, mess, chaos and unnecessarily high profit margins have overshadowed the sense of purpose which is to meet with God.

Here comes the Messiah…. “the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple”.

The narrative in Matthew and Mark tell of a more impassioned response-heading towards violent-overturning tables and chairs and driving out both sellers and buyers.
Matthew also tells us that the blind and the lame came to him and were healed and that even children in the temple were calling out praise.

Jesus spent everyday of this week leading up to his death in the courts of the temple-In his fathers house as he had declared when he was twelve years old attending temple for the Passover festival.
Now he spent his days teaching. Imagine knowing what a short amount of time is left-he gives it all to as many as will come and hear. The people hang off his every word. The head Priests, leaders and teachers want him dead!

Related Readings:
Matthew 21:12-17
Mark 11:15-18
John 2:13-22
Malachi 3:1-5
Isaiah 57:7
Jeremiah 7:1-11

27/05/2026

Palm Leaves

Listen: Hosanna-Saddleback Worship
https://youtu.be/5m-QB5hgMSE
Read: Luke 19:28-44

Here he comes…behold your King…riding on a donkey.
Not so many years before this Jesus had entered Bethlehem in the womb of his mother riding on a Donkey. That night, “Peace on Earth” was declared, and “Glory to God in the Highest!”
Now 33 or so years have passed and Jesus enters Jerusalem riding an unbroken donkey.
This day the crowds declare “Peace in Heaven and Glory to God in the Highest”.

The disciples collect the chosen animal-perhaps by divine ordination or perhaps by prearrangement with a secret disciple-incognito in dangerous times. They make a saddle for the Lord from their clothing. As he rides they meet up with the pilgrims and crowds that they have been travelling the long road with. They come to the road leading to the Mount of Olives. Up ahead the city,and then temple come into view.

The crowd erupts: praise, shouting & singing. Overflowing joy for all they have witnessed, all they have heard, all they hope for the future Kingdom. They lay out a Royal pathway of garments. They wave palm branches and honour Jesus as Messiah and King. These events read in the light of Passages such as Zechariah 9 see him coming to his royal, sacred city , as a Prince of Peace, not with chariot and horse, but meekly riding on a donkey‘s c**t.

It is unusual for to Jesus allow this kind of attention. He has been busy dampening expectations and keeping his true mission quiet. Now, however, in this last week of his life on earth and all too aware of the fickleness of many in this crowd, he encourages the parade. We have seen that his enemies in Jerusalem would like to wait until the Passover festivities,with its crowds & the heightened emotions, before they capture him. God has other plans and will make Jesus himself the Passover sacrifice-once and for all time.
No longer will he hide from his enemies.
No longer will be blend into the crowd. Jesus will bring this thing to a head.
What better way than to enter the city and the festival with a bang!

While his followers are rejoicing,
Jesus is weeping loudly over the beloved city which held so much promise but has fallen short time and again. He mourns the mistakes of the past, he mourns for what they are about to do- to reject the one sent for them. He looks into a terrible future where in AD70 the Romans would come and after a siege of 143 days, would kill 600,000, take thousands captive and destroy the temple and the city.

If only they had believed that God had visited them.

Related Readings:
Matthew 21:1-11
Mark 11:1-11
Zechariah 9:9
2 Kings 9:13
Ps 118:19-29

27/05/2026

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24/05/2026

Passion Week
Another overview video as we prepare to join with Jesus & his followers as we enter the gates of the great city for what will be the last week in the life on earth of Messiah Jesus.

Listen:
https://youtu.be/zRq-DF-4TRQ
Watch:

Watch: The Crucifixion of Jesus, Luke 19-23 - Luke-Acts Series Video

Related readings:
Psalm 110
Daniel 7:13-14

Image:
Stay with me
Mike Moyers

21/05/2026

Faithful

Listen: Not Ashamed by Taya

https://youtu.be/Gw5k6nM2RaE?si=FcmllzfSNBjjNODN
Read: Luke 19:11-27

Luke here explicitly points out what we have been suspecting for some time. These crowds and followers-including his closest disciples are readying for a Revolution. Despite the difficult teachings they have heard as they all make this journey and despite multiple and ever more specific references to the immediate future and death awaiting him in Jerusalem, it seems that blind men seeing and salvation coming to sinners is fueling the desire -and anticipation of the overthrowing of the dreaded Roman rule.

The Passover Festival is an emotive time. It is after all the celebration of liberation from slavery under the Egyptians. No doubt this makes the Roman occupation even harder to bear than usual. What a perfect time for the Saviour to bring the faithful into the City of Kings and assert his reign, free his people and restore them to their former glory!!!

In order to bring the temperature down a bit and to adjust expectations Jesus tells the crowd a story of a king. This king does not take up the throne immediately. Instead he is called away to a distant land in order to establish his reign.
Before he goes he leaves a deposit with servants. Then he departs with no indication of his timeline, having ordered his servants to invest what he has entrusted to them-with the obvious goal of keeping it safe and increasing it.
When He does return, he calls for an account. We see the results of three servants -two have seen an increase & are rewarded in proportion to that increase. One has the original gift but has merely kept it safe without profit. This servant also has a different view of the character of his master. His resource is taken from him and he receives no reward. It is given to the first servant who did the most with what he was given.
Even within the story there was objection to this judgement & at first glance it can seem harsh.

The New Living Translation says it like this:
“to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away”.

Here we have the answer to the unspoken (and at times spoken!) questions-‘who among us will be the greatest?’ Those servants who received the greatest reward of more authority in the kingdom - (cities to rule in the story) were those who work and who use what they are given and who make it more. The greatest will be the least. The servant will be the master.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples-the 12 who are about to experience the biggest week of their lives and who will soon carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. The king will leave but will return and take an account. The kingdom comes but they are to be servants & labourers in it.

(This situation is something that the listeners have seen- more than one of the Herod’s had need to travel to Rome to seek permission to rule. The current ruler had been followed by a delegation opposing his promotion-many of whom were summarily executed on his return. )

I believe that this story also speaks to disciples, ministers and followers of Jesus throughout the ages.
All have been given the gospel-forgiveness & grace: righteousness by faith. The Holy Spirit poured out & gifts given. We have all we need for whatever God would call us to - his provision, strength, grace.
What we do with what we have been given is of interest to our Lord. We nuture these wonderful gifts and we use them for the good of the Kingdom and our fellow human travellers.

This is a story of a now and then kingdom-one where the king is on the throne but absent for the time being. One where the king will return and take account. One where faithful servants receive reward in proportion to the fruit of their labours. One where reward equals more service. One where the slogan “use it or lose it!” takes on a new meaning.

There is also another group in the story- those who do not want this king-who do not accept his authority. These receive a much harsher and more disastrous judgement. Note that even the least of the servants was not among this group who were slain. Salvation is by faith in the death & resurrection of Jesus alone & apart from any good we can do. I believe that this story is about what we do once we are in his kingdom and not about how to get into it in the first place.

Related Readings
2 Thessalonians 2
2 Peter 3
1 Peter 4
Phillipians 2:8-9
1 Corinthians 12

18/05/2026

Pursuit

Listen:

https://youtu.be/bpXwOSHTwsY
Read: Luke 19:1-9

As the group proceeds into the city of Jericho we have a story of another man who is hindered in his desire to see this Jesus from Nazareth as he passes by.
Again the crowds-so many pilgrims, on-lookers, followers, disciples. Looking to be on hand, first to see a miracle. Hoping to catch some of the atmosphere and excitement. Maybe be part of the glorious uprising-see those Romans shown a thing or two!!!

The crowds are blocking Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus as he walks along the road- not because he is blind but because he is small-he can’t see over the top!!! A problem I can fully relate to!!!!

As we have seen Jericho is a prosperous city. It’s position near the Jordan River makes it a natural trade centre with many of the goods subject to duties and taxes. Zacchaeus is the chief tax collector. This has made him a rich man. It has also made him extremely unpopular with the Israelite population. His name is Hebrew so it seems that he is a Jewish man employed by the Roman’s to take taxes from his own people. As a self governed sovereign nation I feel like it is hard for us to understand how deep the loathing and mistrust was toward these tax collectors. They often take more than they need to, and use extortion and deception to remove the money from their fellow residents.

Jericho is also a city inhabited by many priests who would commute the relatively short distance to Jerusalem for their temple duties.
It would seem that the prejudices and superstition held by the religious ruling classes toward so called ‘sinners’ has rubbed off on many in the city. Jesus overlooks the many priestly options when he chooses to stay with this hated ‘sinner’.
It was widely believed that this sinful state would rub off on a righteous man and make the clean unclean. The crowds are horrified & confused.

As for Zacchaeus, something in him wants a closer look. He puts this desire into action. Running, climbing trees-not the usual look for a rich government official. When our hearts tell us that God is close, we should not let fear or shame or embarrassment stop us from pursuing him. I suspect that no-one is more surprised than Zacchaeus when Jesus stops under the tree, calls to him by name and invites himself to stay.

See the response-from curiosity, to pursuit, to instant and joyful obedience. See the difference in how the crowd respond to Jesus’ choice. They are not pleased! Again we see the humble come to the feet of Jesus and receive transformation while those who are content in their own goodness are left opposed to the work of Jesus.

This is the same Jesus who has taught them of the lost coin, the lost sheep, the prodigal son. Time and again he has shown them that he has come for the lost, the meek, the sinners, the humble, the poor.
These are the stories that Luke loves to tell.

Zacchaeus stands and speaks to the Lord. Repentance and restitution evidence of his faith.

Jesus speaks to the crowd-salvation has come. This man was an outcast but today has shown himself as a true son of Abraham-a brother, fellow Israelite and an inheritor of faith.

Related Readings:
James 2:14-26
Leviticus 6:1-7

17/05/2026

It’s National Volunteer Week. We can’t do anything without you! Thank you 🙏

10/05/2026

Sight.

Listen: Ancient Gates - Brooke Ligertwood

https://youtu.be/7Cq1hf1cOb0?si=MiXyBGKQ8Rti7fNs

Read: Luke 18:35-43

Jesus and his disciples are well on their way to Jerusalem -only a week or so left to walk this earth. His journey takes them through the ancient (even then!) city of Jericho. You might recognize this from the days of Joshua
(https://youtu.be/3VJfg8eM_Xs) 😅.
This is the first city that Joshua conquered after leading the Israelites into the promised land via a crossing of the Jordan River. This is the same river where the great prophet Elijah was taken in a whirlwind into heaven, and that John the Baptist would lead the Messiah into the waters of baptism.
Joshua conquered the city, razed it to the ground and placed a curse on anyone who would rebuild it.
It was rebuilt more than once and destroyed more than once.
The city that Jesus is visiting was beautified by Herod the Great (this is the Herod when Jesus was born) with palaces and beautiful buildings and is the place of his death. It was a flourishing city, surrounded by palm trees and fertile plains. It is about 19 miles from Jerusalem.
I think it interesting that the last place that Jesus passes though before his final days in Jerusalem is a city with so much history and significance.

He is still traveling with the crowds on their way to the Passover festival. The bustling noisy crowds attract the attention of a man, sitting by the road unable to see what is going on but aroused by the commotion.
He is not able to get to Passover. He is blind-his only way of living is by begging travelers as they pass by on the road.
As soon as he discovers who is passing he is energized. He knows of this Jesus from Nazareth, has heard of his works.
Son of David is the most common and agreed on name for the Messiah. He calls out-loud enough to be heard over the commotion-loud enough that others tell him to sshhhh!
Like the widow begging the judge for justice earlier in this chapter, this man does not stop when obstacles are in his way- no! He yells louder.

Jesus Stops.

Not much would stop Jesus at this point of his journey-not opposition, not enemy, not disciples begging him. This plea though: this he hears.
What do you want me to do..??
What is all your shouting???
What can I give you????

Are we ready to answer this question? Do we know what we want, what we need from our God?
Do we believe he can/will give it to us when we come near to him?

Like the tax collector comes in humility to prayer in the temple, like the children brought to Jesus, this precious man comes in humble faith and receives sight, healing and a whole new life-praising and following Jesus.

So unlike the rich young man from our last reading who came telling Jesus instead of asking. Who could not receive what Jesus offers and who walked away with great sadness into a very different life?

Related Readings
Joshua 3
Joshua 6
2 Kings 2

07/05/2026

Friends

Good Morning Church family- I am going to continue our trip through the gospel of Luke after an extended break. We will pick up the story just as Jesus and the crew are about to head up the mountain into Jerusalem for the last week of His life on earth - Passion Week. I invite you to join me and as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and his followers through the hardest week in their lives ...also the week that will change their lives forever and the week that will change the course of history...and which has the potential to change us from the inside out. I will be aiming to post a devotion three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Related readings are provided to enhance the study and they can be read on the days in between posting..I hope you also enjoy the art and worship with the bible passage. Many Blessings.

Listen: Kingdom of God- Jon Guerra
https://youtu.be/rq6sa7NCYFc

Watch: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/luke-10-24/?utm_source=web_social_share&medium=shared_video

Read: John 12:1-11

We have arrived finally at the foot of the mountain- readying for the ascent to Jerusalem. The journey has been eventful- miracles, healings, , some of the classic parables & some difficult teachings as we have walked the road with the Rabbi Jesus, his closest friends, other disciples and followers as well as fellow pilgrims on the way to Passover, and not to forget religious leaders with mixed motives. Most of the people who have interacted with Jesus have walked away happy, praising God and into a new life. Some have left him with sadness, regret, bitterness and even plotting revenge.

Before we head into the rest of Luke 19 and into the final week of Jesus on earth, I thought it would be a good time to catch up on another Bible Project video.
This gives a summary of where we have been as well as an insight into the Passion Week.

The events reported in the chapter of John I have chosen today happen in between the dinner & conversion of Zacchaeus and the parable of the ten servants & the triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jesus spends the sabbath with his old friends Lazarus, Mary & Martha. Martha is apparently happy in her service. Mary anoints the body of Jesus with expensive oil in preparation for the death and burial to come. We see for the first time some of the true heart of Judas Iscariot & also insight into the plans and schemes of the priests.

All of this makes for interesting reading and background as we prepare to continue to journey with Jesus and his disciples into the biggest week of their lives so far.

Related readings:
Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:3-9

Bonnells Bay Salvation Army

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