Free Christian Newsletter Archive | A.E. & L.A. Peters Outreach Enterprises

A Phone Call from God:
The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Issue 27, 30 July, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

Our children's item on the Good Samaritan a couple of weeks back at St Jude's was incredible. During it, our presenter, Ian, received a mobile phone call, presumably from God, asking him to explain why he did not stop to help a motorist whose car had broken down. Each attempt he made to justify himself, because he had to get to church and give the children's item, did not seem to carry any weight. The talk he gave was humorous and helped us understand the importance of recognizing God's purpose and will in the lives of those with whom we dwell, as well as the stranger in need, we might encounter in our everyday life.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus speaks of a man who was beaten, robbed and laid on the road unconscious. A priest, followed by a Levite, came passed, looked at the man and passed on. A Samaritan, the arch enemy of Jewish people in that day stopped, checked the man out, wrapped up his wounds and took him to an inn where he paid for him to be cared for until he was well. Jesus tells this parable to answer the question “who is my neighbour?”

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How Many Times Should We Forgive?

Issue 26, 14 July, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

Today we look at the second part of Jesus' vision of forgiveness. Jesus has a vision that people like you and I can become forgiven people! However, such forgiveness does not come naturally. Peter raised this question with Jesus when he said: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Peter felt he was being quite generous when he noted seven times. However, Jesus responds by saying: "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21 -22).

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Jesus Vision - That We Might Become a Forgiving People

Issue 25, 9 July, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

Recently at St Jude's we looked at the vision of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The first aspect of Jesus' (Son of God) vision is the power of the good news he brought and his subsequent sacrifice upon the cross to impact and change every person on this planet (Matthew 13:33). In this article, however, I want to focus on a second aspect of Jesus' vision. Jesus has a vision that people like you and I can become forgiven people! He died that we might enter the kingdom of God through the sacrifice of His life so that through His blood we are cleansed from all sin. We are both forgiven for and cleansed from the sin and rebellion we have committed. However, his vision was far more extensive than that. He also believes that you and I can become forgiving people through the good news that he brought and the sacrifice that he made. Indeed not only can we become forgiving people but the community of faith – His Church – can also become a forgiving community.

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Dam Busters and Psalm 46

Issue 24, 1 July, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
Psalm 46:10

A couple of month's ago at St Jude's we had a weekend centered around the theme “Dam Busters” (drawing from the 1955 film). In our lead up to that weekend we noted that it was time for St Jude's as a church to break out and break through. In what way was that achieved? We saw as a church a turning away from the distraction and noise around us towards focusing upon our Lord Jesus Christ and giving to Him and the Father excited and powerful praise. The Bible says that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people. As a result of that weekend, people who had every right to be concerned with multiple issues surrounding them, found themselves in what God was doing in our community and our visitors that weekend.

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Jesus Challenge of Repentance

Issue 23, 25 June, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

The New Testament describes Jesus' challenge to the Jewish hierarchy in quite graphic terms (e.g. Matthew 23). What they do not describe is Jesus' judgment upon the Roman Empire and their brutal occupation of Palestine. The Gospels are quite aware of that brutality, which during Herod the Great's reign saw Joseph and Mary take Jesus to Egypt for protection and later settle in the small town of Nazareth for the same reason.

Jesus only challenges Rome's power on two occasions – once at hearing the report that Herod the tetrarch of Galilee sought to kill him and the second to Pilate during his interrogation. He told Herod that he did not have the power to kill, because he had to go to Jerusalem (Luke 13:30-32). He told Pilate that he only had power over him because he had been given that power by God not Rome (John 19:11).

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Transformational and Transactional Leadership

Issue 22, 17 June, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

Concepts of Transformational and Transactional Leadership differ in regards to the dynamics used between leaders and their followers to produce effective work relationships and greater productivity.

Transactional Leadership

Transactional leaders approach followers with an eye to exchange one thing for another. The nature of the transaction may vary from organisation to organisation, dependent on the nature of the work to be done and the historic relationship between leaders and followers. It can involve pay for work done and bonuses for extra effort. My son, for instance, at one stage worked for a company that paid a basic hourly rate for 80% effort and bonuses for greater effort (between 80 and 110% effort).

A transactional leader will interact with followers in one or more of three ways to affect a series of exchanges or implicit contracts...

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A New Creation

Issue 21, 11 June, 2010, Ps Andrew Peters

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Paul proclaims that when we are reconciled to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ that we become a new creation . However, many people feel that they are not good enough to be accepted by God because of the things they have done and the attitudes they have held.

Some say that the church's roof might fall down if they enter it. My response is always that we have reinforced the foundations and walls especially for them .

What Paul tells us however is, that through Jesus Christ, God receives all people no matter what they have done. In coming in repentance to God and receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour they become entirely new people. Paul adds that the past has gone! It does not matter what they have done...

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