Mt Compass Anglican Church

02/01/2023

GRACE FOR THE NEW YEAR
By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
Grace is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us.
God’s grace was God’s acting in Paul to make Paul work hard. So when Paul says, “Work out your salvation,” he adds, “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us.
This grace is past and it is future. It is ever cascading over the infinitesimal waterfall of the present from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past.
In the next five minutes, you will receive sustaining grace flowing to you from the future, and you will accumulate another five minutes’ worth of grace in the reservoir of the past. The proper response to grace you experienced in the past is gratitude, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of the last year, and we are confident in future grace for the new year.

© John Piper Devotional

20/12/2022

Christmas is coming... Come and join us to celebrate

23/10/2022

A TRUE STORY
I left work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time right before the final in my Youth Issues class. When I got to class, everybody was doing their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would review with us for just a little bit before the test. We went through the review, most of it right on the study guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that I had never heard of. When questioned about it, he said that they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn't really argue with that.

Finally it was time to take the test.

"Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you to start," our prof instructed.

When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The bottom of the last page said the following:

"This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an 'A' on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced...grAce."

He then went around the room and asked each student individually, "What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?"

Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator has passed the test for me.

Discussion afterward went like this: "I have tried to teach you all semester that you are a recipient of grace. I've tried to communicate to you that you need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don't hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your ministry if it is full of GRACE!"

Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just a few minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story Jesus told in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in his field and agreed to pay them a certain amount. Several different times during the day, he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they all received the same amount. When the ones who had been hired first thing in the morning began complaining, the boss said, "Should you be angry because I am kind?" (Matthew 20:15).

The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and probably would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our class discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace.

Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you've experienced?

03/09/2022

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO STOP
Displayed in the British Museum in London is the final draft of Thomas Gray’s masterpiece poem, “Elegy Written on a Country churchyard.” Lovers of English literature marvel at how every word seems to be carefully chosen.
The amazing thing is that Thomas Gray never considered that poem complete. In the display you can see his progress, each successive draft carefully penned by hand. Seventy-five of them! And the author was still unsatisfied.
There are two lessons here. One, there’s always room for improvement. If we are perfectionists that will likely drive us almost crazy. If we are not perfectionists, we need to remember consistently to do our best.
The second lesson is that the time comes when we have to move on, leaving both success and failure behind us. St Paul put it this way in the New Testament: “One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, I press on toward the goal.”
You can relax knowing that maybe your best is not good enough—but you’ll have another chance.
Taken from Perceptions—Observations on everyday life by Maxine Dunnam.
Used with permission

03/09/2022

When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ.

21/08/2022

21 August 2022 Reflection
Luke 13:23-28 – For a limited time only

Have you ever sat at the airport for hours waiting for your flight. Most times you would be tired cos you were up early to make sure you didn’t miss the flight.
Then the plane begins to fill up with all the passengers and you being kind hearted let others go ahead of you. As you approach the gate, to your horror the attendant shuts the gate in your face. They apologise profusely, and said he hated this part of his job. Due to some obscure regulation, he said this flight only allowed a certain number of people on board, and that number was already seated. What about your confirmed seat, you ask, showing your ticket, which had been stamped as valid. You would be told how sorry he was to do this to you. Wouldn’t you be furious, to tired to make a further protest, but write angry letters to the airline, who eventually reward you with free travel vouchers that you can’t even use.

A Jewish student asked his teacher, “Rabbi, why is it that when I ask you a question, you always reply by asking me another question?” The rabbi replied, “So why shouldn’t I?”
As Jesus continued His journey toward Jerusalem, He encountered four situations involving questions that had to be answered. We will only be looking at the third one, but it is worth you going back over this chapter to ponder what Jesus had to say.
Firstly in Luke 13: 1-9 he is given a political question
Then in verses 10-21 he is given a legal question and

In verses 22-30 he is given a theological question about salvation
The scribes would often discussed the question of how many people would be saved, and someone asked Jesus to give his thoughts on the issue.

Jesus immediately made the matter personal. “The question is not how many will be saved, but whether or now we will be saved! Get that settled first, and then we can discuss what we can do to help get others saved.”

Too many professing Christians want to discuss these profound doctrines, but they do now want to put them into practice themselves by seeking to win people to Jesus Christ

Luke 13: 24 says “Many … will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Why? The parable tells us why, and it focuses primarily on the Jewish people of that day. However, it has a personal application to all of us today.

Jesus picture the kingdom as a great feast, with the patriarchs ad prophets as honoured guests in Verse 28 But many of those invited waited too long to respond; and, when they arrived at the banquet hall, It was too late and the door was shut. Verses 15-24

But why did they wait so long? The parable suggests several reasons. To begin with, salvation is not easy; the sinner must enter a narrow gate and walk a narrow way (verse 24). The world’s crowd is on the easy way, the way that leads to destruction and it is much easier to walk with them,

Another reason for their delay was their false sense of security. Jesus had been among them; they had eaten with Him, and enjoyed his fellowship, yet they had never trusted Him. God gave the nation many privileges and opportunities, but they wasted them. God is long suffering, however, here comes a time when even God shuts the door.

Pride played a big part: they would not humble themselves before God. In their own eyes, they were first, but in God’s eyes they were last – and the Gentiles would come and take their place.

These people were lost because they depended on their ancient religion to save them; but Jesus saw them as ‘workers of iniquity,”. It takes more than reverence for tradition to get into the God’s Kingdom.

But the major reason was given by Jesus himself in verse 34: “You would not.” Their minds had been instructed by the Word (verse 26), and their hearts had been stirred by his mighty works, but their wills were stubborn and would not submit to Him. This is the deadly consequence of delay. The longer sinners wait, the harder their hearts become. Hebrews 4:7 says “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

The Spanish composer Manuel de Falla was notorious for not answering his mail. When he heard that a friend had died, the composer said, “What a pity! He died before I could answer his letter, which he sent me five years ago!”

Verse 28 seems harsh to us, but when sinners fail to answer God’s invitation to his feast, they are the ones who will be thrust out of the joys of the kingdom.
It is a picture of people who are overwhelmed with regret because they see how foolish they were to delay.
So What is the answer? “Verse 24 says “Strive to enter in at the narrow gate!” The word strive comes from the sports arena and describes an athlete giving his best to win the contest. Our English work agonise comes from that word.
The phrase straight gate comes from the illustration of a castle on a hill having a narrow path and a narrow door. Many will seek to enter but will not be able to enter because their lives were a total contradiction to the way, the word, and the will of God. If a person dies without accepting Christ as saviour, they will never be saved. Why? Because salvation is for a limited time only. Once the door to salvation has been closed, it is closed for all eternity.
Having the good intention to be saved and actually being saved are two different things, and when it comes to our eternal destination, intentions don’t amount to a hill of beans. Churches are filled with folk who will try to get into heaven but can’t.
Grace and mercy are keeping the door open right now, but there will come a time when grace and mercy will not be available to men. Jesus patiently waits for anyone wishing to be saved to come unto him. Matt. 11:28, “come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and i will give you rest.” The invitation to come to Jesus is for a limited time only. Jesus desires that all men would be saved. 2 peter 3:9, “the lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

08/08/2022

NO QUICK FIXES
God promises us that all his plans for us are good. It is through his kindness and grace that we have a future and a hope.Jeremiah 29:11
When life hurts us, we want the quick fix, instant newness, wholeness. We want God to take care of the problem. But most often, damage doesn’t happen overnight—and neither does healing. Some wounds heal over, but scar tissue remains. Complete healing takes time and goes deep into painful places.
Once, on a risky jump down a ski slope, I ruptured major ligaments that connect the bones in the knee. I needed emergency surgery. Afterward, as the doctor unwrapped the dressing for that first post-op look, he warned me that my leg would look abnormal due to the swelling. Still, I was shocked.
“Don’t panic,” he said. “This is perfectly normal, given the trauma of the surgery. Give it time, and your leg will return to normal. I should warn you though that the pain of the recovery will be much greater than the pain of the injury.”
The doctor explained that scar tissue had developed from my initial trauma and then the further trauma of surgery. As my body attempted to heal itself, protective fibers grew around the injured ligaments. My range of motion, circulation, and even sensation in that leg were affected. Unless those protective fibers of scar tissue were broken down, I would never regain full range of motion; I might even have to wear a leg brace the rest of my life. The only way to break down the scar tissue would be an ongoing process of rehabilitation and an unrelenting commitment on my part.
The scar tissue in my knee is no different from the scar tissue that had closed off my heart. Years of haunting memories after abuse or an attack of any kind can last longer than the actual events. The heart broken in an instant when we learn of an adulterous affair can keep we from loving for years––if ever again. The harsh names we’re called on the schoolyard as a child can echo in our ears for the rest of our lives. So many things can injure us, break our hearts and spirits, wound our souls and change us forever, leaving our hearts overlaid with fibers of mistrust, bitterness, self-condemnation, guilt, and fear—all the things that keep us from stepping out, risking, moving ahead.
We want God to fix us and heal us quickly and without pain. But the healing of our hearts takes time, hard work, and a strong commitment, just as physical healing does.
POINT TO PONDER
Have you been wounded? Is your heart shattered, covered with scar tissue? God has a great plan for your future. Are you ready to deal with the wounds of your past so that you will be able to go where he is calling you to go?
© Devotions by Christine Caine copyright © 2012 by Christine Caine and Equip & Empower Ministries.

18/07/2022

Salvation
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church’s pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief introduction of his childhood friend.
With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit to speak, “A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast,” he began, “when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean.”
The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.
He continued, “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life….to which boy he would throw the other end of the line. He only had seconds to make the decision.
The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, ‘I love you, son!’ he threw the line to his son’s friend. By the time he pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered.”
By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of the old man’s mouth.
“The father,” he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us.”
With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.
Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side. “That was a nice story,” politely started one of the boys, “but I don’t think it was very realistic for a father to give up his son’s life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian.”
“Well, you’ve got a point there,” the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked up at the boys and said, “It sure isn’t very realistic, is it? But I’m standing here today to tell you that THAT story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me.”
“You see….I was that father, and your pastor was my son’s friend.”
— Author Unknown
Meditation: For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. – Romans 14:7

28/06/2022

The Perfect Mistake
My Mother’s father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. “It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. “But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top!”
The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that.”

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.
There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, “Thank you God for not allowing my car to start this morning.” He may have been saving your life from a car accident. “Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I’m sure they’ll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned.”

— Author Unknown

04/06/2022

Did Jesus use a modem
Did Jesus use a modem, At the Sermon on the Mount?
Did He ever try a broadcast fax, To send his message out?
Did the disciples carry beepers, As they went about their route?
Did Jesus use a modem, At the Sermon on the Mount?
Did Paul use a laptop, With lots of RAM and ROM?
Were his letters posted on BBS, At paul.rome.com?
Did the man from Macedonia, Send an e-mail saying “Come?”
Did Paul use a laptop, With lots of RAM and ROM?
Did Moses use a joystick, At the parting of the Sea?
And a satellite guidance tracking system, To show him where to be?
Did he write the law on tablets, Or are they really on CD?
Did Moses use a joystick, At the parting of the Sea?
Did Jesus really die for us, One day upon a tree?
Or was it a hologram, or technical wizardry?
Can you download the live action video clip, To play on your pc?
Did Jesus really die for us, One day upon a tree?
Have the wonders of this modern age, Made you question what is true?
How a single man, in a simple time, Could offer life anew?
How a sinless life, a cruel death, Then a glorious life again,
Could offer more to a desperate world, Than all the inventions of man?
If in your life, the voice of God, Is sometimes hard to hear.
With other voices calling, His doesn’t touch your ear.
Then set aside your laptop and modem, And all your fancy gear.
And open your Bible, open your heart, and let your Father draw near.

— Author Unknown

10/04/2022