INDEX OF BLOGS

 

INDEX OF BLOGS by Jim Holbeck based on date posted

Clicking on numbers below will take you to those blogs.

No.001. FORGIVENESS. To Forgive. Is it possible? 2011/02/04

No.002. FORGIVENESS. Do I Need To Be Forgiven? Do I Need To Forgive? Some answers. 2011/02/06

No.003. FORGIVENESS. The Freedom That Comes From Forgiveness 2011/02/08

No.004. Forgiveness. How Can We Understand What It Means? 2011/02/11

No.005. FORGIVENESS. God’s Nature Is To Forgive. (Selichah). 2011/02/11

No.006. FORGIVENESS. God Brings Release To People. (Salach) Part 1 of 2. 2011/02/14

No.007. FORGIVENESS. God Brings Release To People. (Salach) Part 2 of 2. 2011/02/15

No.008. FORGIVENESS. God Removes Our Sin From Us. (nasa). Part 1 of 2. 2011/02/22

No.009. FORGIVENESS. God removes Our Sin From Us. “nasa.” Part 2 2011/02/23

No.010. Evangelism. Sharing Jesus with other people 2011/02/23

No.011. Forgiveness. God Covers Over Our Sin. (Kaphar and Kasah) 2011/02/27

No.012. Forgiveness In The 21st Century. A Practical Example 2011/02/28

No.013. Forgiveness. Genesis 45-50. The Story Of Joseph 2011/03/04

No.014. Forgiveness. Psalm 32.  A King Found Forgiveness.  2011/03/05

No.015. Forgiveness. Psalm 51. A King Wanted To Be Forgiven. 2011/03/07

No.016. Forgiveness Of All Sin. Psalm 103. 2011/03/11

No.017. Forgiveness. Removing The Stain Of Sin. Isaiah 1:18. 2011/03/13

No.018. FORGIVENESS. Isaiah 43:25. Sin is blotted out and not remembered. 2011/03/14

No.019. John 3:1-17. To Perish Or To Have Eternal Life? 2011/03/20

No.020. FORGIVENESS. Why “Good Friday” Is “Good”. God blots out our sins. Isa 44:22. 2011/04/21

No.021. Easter Day. “Christ Is Risen!” 2011/04/22

No.022. Jesus Stands And Knocks. Are We Listening? Revelation 3:20. 2011/05/22

No.023. Pentecost. Part 1. Motivation and Empowerment for Living. Acts 1:6-8. 2011/06/12

No.024. Pentecost. Part 2. God Motivates and Empowers His People. Philippians 2:12-13. 2011/06/20

No.025. SALVATION. God Says Not “By Good Works” But “For Good Works”. 2011/06/26

No.026. John Richards. A Teacher On Christian Renewal And Healing. Died 19June2011.An Australian Tribute 2011/07/08

No.027. FORGIVENESS. HEALING. Isaiah 53:4-6. The Messiah To Bring Peace. 2011/07/11

No.028. FORGIVENESS. Jesus The Messiah Died to Bring Healing. Isaiah 53:4.    2011/07/25

No.029. FORGIVENESS.  Jesus the Anointed, the Messiah Died For Sinners. Isaiah 53:5-6.  2011/08/03

No.030. Forgiveness. Abundant Pardon. Isaiah 55;6-7.   2011/08/08

No.031. John Stott. A Mightily Used But Humble Servant Of God. 2011/08/08

No.032.  Suggestions For Searching Through Holbeck Blogs.  2011/08/10

No.033.  Outline of Ephesians Chapter 1:1-14.     2011/08/15

No.034. Outline of Ephesians Chapter 1:15-23.    2011/08/15

No.035. Outline of Ephesians chapter 2.  2011/08/16

No.036. Outline of Ephesians Chapter 3. Paul’s God-given Ministry to the Ephesians.   2011/08/22

No.037. Outline of Ephesians 3:1-6. The Purpose of Paul’s Ministry to the Ephesians. “YOU belong to God.”   2011/08/22

No.038. Outline of Ephesians 3:7-13. The Purpose of Paul’s Ministry to the World-wide Gentiles.   2011/08/22

No.039. Outline of Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul’s Prayer For The Ephesians.  2011/08/24

No.040. Prayer Based On John 15:5-7. Receiving Through Abiding in Christ.  2011/08/31

No.041.  Healing of Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS. Motor Neuron disease. 2011/09/18

No.042.  Outline of Ephesians 4:1-16.  ”Become what you are in Christ”.  2011/10/31

No.043. Outline of Ephesians 4:17-32. “Become what you are in Christ.”  2011/11/02

No.044. Outline of Ephesians 5:1-21. “Walk in love”.      2011/11/12

No.045. Outline of Ephesians 5:21-33. Mutual Submission in the Body of Christ. (Part 1 of 2).  (2011/11/22

No.046. Outline of Ephesians 6:1-9. Mutual Submission in the Body of Christ. (Part 2 of 2). 2011/11/23

No.047. Outline of Ephesians 6:10-24. Spiritual Warfare.   2011/11/23

No.048. FORGIVENESS.   Iniquity Forgiven. Sin Not Remembered.  Jeremiah 31:34.  2011/11/27

No.049. FORGIVENESS.  Guilt Cleansed And Forgiven.  Jeremiah 33:8.  2011/11/27

No.050. HOMOPHOBIA. Who is guilty? A Surprising Possibility!  Romans 1.  2011/12/16

No.051.  A Prayer based on Romans 12:1-2. Total Commitment.     2011/12/17

No.052. A Prayer based on 2Peter 3:8-14. Being Prepared For Jesus’ Coming.  2011/12/17

No.053. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas?     Luke 2:10-12.    2011/12/24

No.054. “What’s Happening?” A Search for Meaning In Life. Ephesians 3:1-12.   2012/01/01

No.055. “The Body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit”. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  2012/01/19

No. 056. “Jesus Sets The Captives Free.” Mark 1;21-28.   2012/01/29

No.057.  A Prayer for Freedom from the Powers Of Darkness.   2012/01/29

No.058.  Jesus. His Willingness And Ability To Heal. Mark 1:40-45.   2012/02/12

No.059. The Transfiguration of Jesus And Our Transfiguration. Mark 9:2-9.  2012/02/19

No.060. Lenten Studies. Part1. “The Healing Of Our Hurts”. Philippians 1:1-11. 2012/02/22

No.061. The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus. Jesus’ Ministry and Ours. Mark 1:9-15.  2012/02/16

No.062. Lenten Studies on Philippians. Part 2. “God is in Control!” Philippians 1:12-26.  2012/02/29

No.063. Sermon on Mark 8:31-38. “The Need to Commit Oneself to Jesus.” (Jesus is Coming Ready Or Not). 2012/03/04

No.064. Lenten Studies on Philippians. Part 3. Phil 2:1-11.    2012/03/07

No.065. Lenten Studies On Philippians. Part 4. “God At Work Through His Humble People.” Phil 2:13-30.  2012/03/15

No.066. Lenten Studies in Philippians.   Part 5.  ”Getting Ones Focus on Jesus”. Phil 3:1-21.  2012/03/23

No.067. Lenten Studies in Philippians. Part 6. “Rejoicing In The Lord.”  Philippians 4:1-7.   2012/04/02

No.068. Lenten Studies in Philippians. Part 7. “Focussing on the Good for Victory.” Philippians 4:8-23.  2012/04/06

No.069. Easter Day.  “The Resurrection of Jesus. A New Life With New Possibilities”. Acts 10:34-48.  2012/04/08

No.070.  “From Doubt To Belief!” John 20:19-31.  2012/04/17

No.071.  God Can Heal The Mess We Get Into. “Repent. Return. Receive.” Acts 3:12-26.  2012/04/25

No.072. Christian Ministry.  Ability Or Availability? 2012/05/04

No.073. Christian Ministry. “Rust out? Burn out? Opt out? Is there another way?”  2012/05/05

No.074.   The Assurance Of Salvation. A Reflection on 1John 5:9-13.  2012/05/21

No.075.  The Relevance Of Pentecost For Today. The Gift of the Holy Spirit.  2012/05/22

No.076. “To Perish or Not to Perish? That is the Question.” John 3:16.  2012/06/04

No.077. Question. “What does the Bible say about “Gay Marriage” ? Is there a simple answer?” 2012/06/18

No.078. Question:- “Would Jesus Be In Favour Of Gay Marriage? What Does The Bible Say?”  2012/06/18

No.079. “Awe in the presence of an awesome God.” Matthew 22:37-40.  2012/06/28

No.080. Modern-Day Idolatry. Wrongly Adapting To Modern Culture. Leviticus 18. 2012/07/01

No.081.  Healing Through Forgiving Others. Ephesians 4:17-5:2.   2012/08/12

No.082. John 6:35-58 Could Be John 3:16 Writ Large!  2012/08/15

No.083. Galatians 1. It Can Never Be “Christ AND” For Salvation.    2012/08/20

No.084. Galatians 2. Paul’s Message Of Salvation Through Faith In Christ Alone.  2012/08/21

No.085.  Sodom. Any Relevance For Sexuality Today?  2012/08/23

No.086. Jesus and Sexuality and Marriage.  2012/08/24

No.087. How Did The World Come To Be In Such A Mess? Is there an answer?  2012/08/30

No.088.  Galatians 3. Jesus Is God’s Only Way To Himself. 2012/09/01

No.089.  Humans. Basically Good? Or Prone To Evil? Mark 7:20-23.  2012/09/02

No.090. Boak Jobbins. (1947–2012). Former Dean of Sydney. A Tribute From A Former Colleague. 2012/09/03

No.091. What’s happening in the USA? An American analysis of the 2012 Election race.  2012/09/07

No.092. Galatians 4. Overview. The Freedom Of The Children of God.  2012/09/17

No.093. Galatians 5. Outline. The Choice We Face. To Live God’s Way Or Our Way? 2012/09/17

No.094. Galatians 6 outline. Paul Sums Up His Epistle. Freedom Not Bondage! 2012/09/20

No.095. Real Life Stories. “Just whisper Jesus’ name. He is only a prayer away.” 2012/09/21

No.096. The Father God Who Delights To Answer His Children’s Prayers.  2012/11/02

No.097. Healing a Church, a City and a Nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14.   2012/11/11

No.098. What Do You Want Jesus To Do For You? Mark 10:35-45.   2012/11/18

No.099. John Chapman. 1930-2012. Gospel Lover And Gospel Preacher. A Tribute.   2012/11/19

No.100. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? (An Overview).    2012/12/12

No.101. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 1 of 4. Jesus the CREATOR.  2012/12/12

No.102. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 2 of 4. Jesus THE SAVIOUR.  2012/12/16

No.103.Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 3 of 4. Jesus is THE LORD. 2012/12/17

No.104. Who is the Jesus Christ of Christmas? Part 4 of 4. Jesus the JUDGE.  2012/12/18

No.105. The Challenge of the Christ of Christmas. Galatians 4:4-5.  2012/12/31

No.106. Another New Year Resolution? Or A New Beginning? 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. 2013/01/01

No.107. We Need To See Ourselves As God Sees Us. Seated With Christ! Ephesians 2:4-7.  2013/01/13

No.108. Forgiveness.  God Casts Our Sins Behind His Back. Isaiah 38:17.  2013/01/22

No.109. Forgiveness And Life For Those Who Turn From Sin To God. Ezekiel 18:21-23. 2013/01/23

No.110. Forgiveness. How God Gets Rid Of Human Sin. Micah 7:18-19.  2013/01/26

No.111. “Healthy Christian Living.” James 1:19-27.  2013/02/08

No.112. The ABCDE of Becoming more Open To God For His Blessing. “A” for Abiding.  2013/03/03

No.113.  The ABCDE of Becoming More Open to God. For His Blessing. “B” for Believing. 2013/03/10

No.114. The “ABCDE” Of Becoming More Open to God For His Blessing. “C” for Consecrating.2013/03/11

No.115.  The “ABCDE” of Becoming More Open To God For His Blessing.  “D” for Dethroning.  2013/03/112

No.116. THE “ABCDE” OF BECOMING MORE OPEN TO GOD FOR HIS BLESSING. “E” for Enthroning.  2013/03/14

No.117. Divine Comedy 2. God in the Dock regarding Marriage. Genesis 2:24.  2013/03/30

No.118. US SUPREME COURT AND REDEFINING MARRIAGE. Decision? Division? Treason?  2013/04/07

No.119. Same-Sex Marriage and God’s plan in Genesis 2:24.  2013/04/

No.120. A Tribute. The Rev Thomas John Jewett. Australian Pastor-Teacher. 1927- 2013. 2013/05/17

No. 121. What Characterised the “Such Faith” of the Centurion. Luke 7:1-10.  2013/06/01

No.122. Healing. A Hidden Gem In The Story Of The Centurion In Luke 7. 2013/06/02

No.123.  “What’s Wrong With The World?” Rebellion Against God! Romans 1:17-18.  2013/06/19

No.124. “What’s Wrong With The World?” Revolting Humans! That’s What! (An Overview of Romans 1:17-32).  2013/06/24

No.125. “What’s Wrong With The World?” Humans Replaced God With Idols! Romans 1:18-32. 2013/06/26

No.126. Praying For Healing For A World In Rebellion Against God. Through Its Idolatry. Romans 1:21-24

No.127. Praying For Healing For A World In Rebellion Against God. Through Its False Religion. Romans 1:23-25.  2013/08/23

No.128. Praying For Healing For A World In Rebellion Against God. Through Its False Sexual Practices. Romans 1:24-27.  2013/08/25

No.129. Summary of Romans 1:17-32. Human Rebellion against God.  2013/09/03

No.130. A Tribute. Bishop Dudley Foord. 1923-2013. (Double E, Double E) Evangelism. 2013/09/16

No.131. Our Identity. Becoming What We Were Meant To Be In Life. 2 Corinthians 3:17-end. 2013/10/01

No.132. Feeling Guilty? Is It Conviction By The Holy Spirit Or Condemnation By The Devil? 2013/11/23

No.133. The Danger Of Rejecting The Person Of Christ. (Not just at Christmas!) 2013/11/25

No.134. Jesus Appeared (at Christmas) And Will Appear Again. The Need To Be Ready. Titus 3:1-7. 2013/12/09

No.135. Bishop Peter Chiswell. 1934-2013. A Former Bishop of Armidale NSW. A Tribute. 2013/12/10

No.136. Christmas. The Time When God Sent Forth His Son. For Us. Galatians 4:1-7. 2013/12/15

No.137. Denying The Power Of God In Today’s World. 2Timothy 3:5.  2014/01/26

No.138. Rejecting God’s Commandments Means Missing Out On His Blessings. 2014/01/31

No.139. An Outline of Psalm 139. The Character Of The God Who Knows, Loves And Cares. Series No. 1 of 7.   2014/02/06

No.140. God Knows Everything About You And Still Loves You. Psalm 139:1-6. series No. 2 of 7.  2014/02/10

No.141. The God Who Is Present Everywhere. Psalm 139:7-12. Series No. 3 of 7. 2014/02/14

No.142. The Omnipotent God.  He Can Do All Things. He Made Us. Psalm 139:13‑18. Series No.4 of 7. 2014/02/17

No.143. A Prayer Of Openness To God. Psalm 139:23-24. Series No.5 of 7. 2014/02/23

No.144. Using The Truths Of Psalm 139 In Counselling Situations. Series No.6 of 7. 2014/02/24

No.145. Applying The Truths Of Psalm 139 In Counselling Situations. Series No.7 of 7. 2014/02/25

No.146. Praying To Bring About A Better World. Psalm 139:23-24.  2014/03/16

No.147. The Inescapability Of Good Friday For Every Human. (Part 1 of 2). 2014/04/14

No.148. The Inescapability Of Good Friday For Every Human. (Part 2 of 2). 2014/04/16

No.149. Victorious Christian Living? (Part 1 of 3). We Must Have The Right Focus In Life. 2014/05/22

No.150. Victorious Christian Living? (Part 2 of 3). Fulfilling Our Obligation To God). 2014/05/23

No.151. Victorious Christian Living? (Part 3 of 3). Allowing God To Work In And Through Us. 2014/05/23

No.152.  Galatians 1:3-4. The Jesus Who Sets Us Free. 2014/07/21

No.153. Galatians 2:8. God At Work. The Secret Of Christian Ministry.  2014/07/21

No.154. Galatians 2:20. The New Life. Part 1. Crucified with Christ. 2014/07/25

No.155. Galatians 2:20. The New Life. Part 2. Christ Lives In Me.  2014/07/27

No.156. Galatians 2:20. The New Life. Part 3. God’s presence In His People. 2014/07/29

No.157. Sermon on Mark 1:21-27. “Setting The Captives Free.”  2015/03/02

No.158. Sermon on Mark 1:29-34. “Taking Advantage Of The Opportunities For Receiving God’s Blessing and Healing.”  2015/03/02

No. 159. BEWARE OF INSULTING THE PROPHET JESUS! 2015/03/15

No.160. Easter! We Are Risen! We Are Risen Indeed! Ephesians chapters 1 and 2.  2015/04/06

No.161. The Person of Jesus. Jesus as the CREATOR. 2015/11/06

No.162. The Person of Jesus. Jesus the SAVIOUR. 2015/11/08

No.163. The Person of Christ. Jesus the LORD. 2015/11/09

No.164. The Person of Jesus. Jesus the JUDGE. 2015/11/09

No.165. God as King of the Universe and A Friend to His People. 2015/11/23

No.166. The Need For People To Repent Of Their Sins. Sermon Outline On Luke 3:7-18. (The Gospel For Advent 3)  2015/11/28

No.167. Humans Can Be Deceived. Genesis 1-3 And The Fall Of Humankind. 2015/12/09

No.168. “Gabriel! Gabriel! Wherefore Art Thou Gabriel?” (A Christmas Puzzle. Luke 1). 2015/12/22

No.169. Rebuilding What Has Broken Down In Life. (Part 1 of 2). Nehemiah Chapter 1.  2016/01/11

No.170. Rebuilding what Has Broken Down In Life. (Part 2 of 2). Nehemiah Chapter 8. 2016/01/14

No.171. The Great Faith Of An Unlikely Soldier Led To An Amazing Healing. Sermon on Luke 7:1-10. The Great Faith Of An Unlikely Soldier Led To An Amazing Healing. Sermon on Luke 7:1-10.  2016/01/21

No.172. The Prayer That Can Change The World (And You Too!) The Lord’s Prayer. An Introduction.  2016/01/28

No.173. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. The Fatherhood of God. “Our Father in Heaven.” (Study 1 of 9). 2016/01/30

No.174. The Prayer That Can Change The World. THe Lord’s Prayer. “Hallowed Be Your Name.” (Study 2 of 9). 2016/02/18

No.175. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. “Your Kingdom Come.” (Study 3 of 9). 2016/02/23

No.176. The Prayer That Can Change The World -The Lord’s Prayer- “Your Will Be Done” (Study 4 of 9)  2016/03/10

No.177. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. “ Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread. ” Matthew 6:11. (Study 5 of 9).  2016/03/14

No.178. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. “Forgive Us Our Sins.”(Study 6 of 9).  2016/03/21

No.179. Sermon on John Chapter 21. St Peter. Moving From Failure to Fruitfulness.  2016/04/10

No. 180. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. “Lead Us Not Into Temptation.” Matthew 6:13. (Study 7 of 9).  2016/04/17

No.181. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. “Deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:13. (Study 8 of 9) 2016/04/25

No.182. The Prayer That Can Change The World. The Lord’s Prayer. “Yours Is The Kingdom And The Power And The Glory, Forever And Ever. AMEN” Matthew 6:13. (Study 9 of 9). 2016/05/03

No.183. How To Pray When You Don’t Know How To Pray. The 2016 USA and Australian Elections.  2016/05/09

No.184. The Coming Elections in 2016. For What Sort Of People Ought We To Vote? The Characteristics Seen In The Beatitudes In Matthew 5. (Part 1 of 2).  2016/05/17

No.185. For What Sort Of People Ought We To Vote? The Characteristics Seen In The Beatitudes In Matthew 5. (Part 2 of 2)  2016/05/21

No.186. SOME NEWS re Holbeck blogs. 2016/06/01

No.187. CORE TEACHING OF THE HEALING MINISTRY. An Introduction. 2016/06/02

No.188. HEALING MINISTRY. CORE TEACHING. STAGE 1 TOPIC 1. Becoming The People God Wants Us To Be.   2016/06/02

No.189. “What Sort Of People Should We Elect To Government?” (Adapted from a sermon preached on Sunday 26th June 2016.  2016/06/27

No.190. A Prayer For Healing For Ourselves, Our Loved Ones And Our Nation. 2016/07/24

No.191. Q&A. Giving the right answers to questions. About Jesus. 2016/07/29

No.192. Praying our way through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Eph 1:1-2. A gracious greeting about God’s love and peace. 2016/08/05

No.193. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Eph 1:3. Thanking God for what we have in Christ.  2016/08/13

No.194. Marriage For Same-Sex Couples? The Problem With an “Eticsibelp”. (A back to front Plebiscite.)  2016/09/21

No.195. SUMMARY of articles on Sexuality and same-sex marriage. 2016/09/30

No.196. Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (What that should mean for us today.)  2016/10/19

No.197. “FAITHFULNESS.”.Adapted From A Sermon On The Fruit Of The Spirit.  Galatians 5:22-23. 2016/10/20

No.198. Does God Really Listen To Us When We Pray? Some Thoughts On Prayer. 1 John 5:14-15.  2016/10/27

No.199. “Abiding in the Love of Jesus.”  Adapted from a sermon on John 15:9-10. (No 1 in series of 3 on Love. Joy. Peace) 2016/11/13

No.200.  “Sharing In The Joy Of Jesus.”  Jesus said, “… that My joy may be in you.” John 15:11. (No.2 in series of 3 on Love, Joy and Peace). 2016/11/20

No.201. “Experiencing The Peace Of Jesus.” Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.”John 14:25-31. (No 3 in series of 3 on Love, Joy and Peace).  2016/12/04

No.202. “Coming Ready Or Not!” Are We Ready For The Second Coming Of Jesus? (Based on sermon on Sunday before Christmas. 4th Sunday in Advent). 2016/12/23

No.203. How to have a blessed life in 2017. 2017/01/03

No.204. [“Post-truth” trumped by “The Truth” in 2016 and every year!] 2017/01/08

No.205..  “You need to realise that it’s only hurting people who hurt.” (Holbeck Helpful Hint No.1) 2017/01/12

No.206. “Transfiguration” today. Who? Me? The challenging, comforting truths of 2 Corinthians 3:17-end.   2017/02/26

No.207. A Sermon Outline For Easter. Luke 24:13-35. “THE JESUS WHO BRINGS HOPE.” What Easter means.  2017/04/06

No.208. Good Friday. Good for whom? God’s wrath “satisfied”? 2017/04/13

No.209. “STUDIES ON FORGIVENESS.” Is It Possible To Be Forgiven? Is It Possible To Forgive? The Good News!  2017/04/14

No.210. FORGIVENESS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. The Meaning of Forgiveness.  2017/04/14

No.211.  “Forgiveness in the Teaching Of Jesus.” (The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant. Matthew 18:21-35).  2017/04/14

No.212. Examples Of Forgiveness In Action In The New Testament. Jesus. Stephen. Paul. 2017/04/14

No. 213. PRACTICAL FORGIVENESS. Alternatives To Giving Unhelpful Advice such as Saying No.1 “You must forgive God!” (5th in series of 10.)  2017/04/17

No.214. PRACTICAL FORGIVENESS. Alternatives To Giving Unhelpful Advice such as this saying, “YOU MUST FORGIVE YOURSELF.” (6th in series of 10.)  2017/05/01

No.215. PRACTICAL FORGIVENESS. Alternatives To Giving Unhelpful Advice such as Saying No.3 “You Must Forgive and Forget!” (7th in series of 10.) 2017/05/01

No.216. “HOW TO REALLY FORGIVE ANOTHER PERSON.” (8th in series of 10.) Some Suggested Steps For Doing So 2017/05/01

No.217. FORGIVING THOSE WHO HURT OUR LOVED ONES. (9th in series of 10.) 2017/05/01

No.218. A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO REALLY FORGIVING ANOTHER PERSON. (10th in series of 10.) 2017/05/02

No.219. SUMMARY OF TEACHING ON FORGIVENESS. (And suggested ways on how to use the material on Forgiveness). 2017/05/03

No.220. Changing The World Through Believing Prayer! Helping people move from where they are, to where God wants them to be! (The audio of a sermon preached on 18th June 2017 refers to the diagram.)  2017/06/26

No.221. REPENTANCE. Everyone needs to repent of sin to have victory over it. But just what is sin?   2017/07/03

No.222. REPENTANCE. The need to repent of sin. But what is sin? Gaining a little understanding of some New Testament words for sin. 2017/07/10

No.223. Repentance. What is it? 2017/07/20← 223. Repentance. What is it?

No.224. REPENTANCE. As seen in the ministries of John the Baptist and of Jesus. 2017/07/24

No.225.REPENTANCE IN THE MINISTRY OF THE EARLY CHURCH. St Peter’s messages remain a challenge to us today! 2017/07/27

No.226. REPENTANCE. Saul the Persecutor became Paul the Preacher of Repentance. 2017/07/29

No.227. REPENTANCE. Lessons from the writer to the Hebrews. A Personal testimony of a transformed life. 2017/07/30

No.228. REPENTANCE. The apostle John urges repentance for everyone in his epistles. 2017/08/14

No.229. Repentance in the Book of Revelation. The message for today! 2017/08/16

No.230. Summary of My Recent Articles on Repentance. 2017/08/16

No.231. REPENTANCE. How do we pray expressing our repentance to God? 2017/08/19

No.232. Why does our national broadcaster appear to support only the “Yes” side of the same-sex vote? (The story of Sodom.) 2017/08/25

No.233. What relevance do Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 have to changing the definition of marriage in Australia? Should I vote “Yes” or “No” to same sex ‘marriage’? 2017/08/26

No 234. What the New Testament really says about same sex relationships in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Why we should vote “No” to change the definition of marriage to include same sex relationships.  2017/08/28

No.235. What insight does Romans 1 have to the same sex marriage debate? Does it favour a “Yes” or “No” vote? 2017/09/04

No.236. How Did The World Come To Be In Such A Mess? There is an answer in Romans chapter 1! And a message of hope!  2017/09/06

No.237. What does the Bible say about marriage? Is it just between a man and a woman or can there be other “couplings”? What will a plebiscite do for marriage in Australia? 2017/09/08

No.238. The Anglican Church of Australia agrees with me! About same-sex “marriage”. 2017/09/10

No.239. What is involved in Voting Yes or No for same-sex marriage? 2017/09/11

No.240. If in doubt about a change in the definition of marriage in Australia, don’t vote for change! 2017/09/12

No.241. Homophobia. Who Is Guilty? A Surprising Possibility! 2017/09/17

No.242. Romans chapter 1 in outline. What does it tell us about the world today? 2017/09/21

No.243. Is The Antichrist At Work In The World Today? (Does this account for the present chaos throughout the world?)  2017/09/28

No.244. How can we learn to rejoice no matter what? An answer in Philippians 4. 2017/10/13

No.245. “Learning to rejoice in the Lord no matter what!” A Sermon on Philippians 4:4-7 preached at Port Macquarie Anglican church, on Sunday 15th October 2017. [An 82nd Birthday gift to me from Stuart our Rector.) 2017/10/17

No.246.  Genuine love. What is it? How should it behave? Romans 12:9-13.  2017/11/01

No.247. The Humility of Spirit-filled Believers. Pardon? Say that again! Ephesians 5:18-21. 2017/11/09

No.248. The Challenge of the Christ of Christmas. [For you and me!] Galatians 4:4-5. 2017/11/19

No.249. Some Relaxed Reading about The Christ of Christmas. 2017/11/23

No.250. Do You Want To See The Power Of God Being Released Into Today’s World? Ephesians 1:15-23. [Part 1 of 2]  2017/11/30

No.251. Do You Want To See The Power Of God Being Released Into Today’s World? Ephesians 1:15-23. [Part 2 of 2.]  2017/11/30

No.252. The Australian plebiscite results favoured same-sex marriage. The “No” voters lost! Or did they?  2017/12/03

No.253. Why is it that many people do not understand the things of God? How can we all help change the world for good? (Part 1 of 3)  2017/12/18

No.254. The Things That Can Never Be Changed In This Changing World. (Part 2 of 3). 2017/12/19

No.255. DOING WHAT WE CAN TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOR GOOD. (Part 3 of 3). 2018/01/09

No.256. What is the good news behind the same sex marriage decision of the Australian Parliament in December 2017?  2018/01/18

No.257. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES. [Sermon on Mark 1:29-39]. 2018/01/26

No.258. What is involved in Forgiveness? (A You Tube Skype teaching by Jim Holbeck recorded by The Healing Ministry at All Saints Episcopal Church, Winter Park, Florida.) 2018/02/02

No.259. JESUS’ TRANSFIGURATION AND HOW WE CAN BE TRANSFORMED. (Suggestions for sermons on Mark 9:2-9 the Gospel for Sun 11th Feb 2018.) 2018/02/04

No.260. Who is Jesus? He is the CREATOR! (First in a Series of 4 on Jesus).  2018/02/05

No.261. Who is Jesus? He is The SAVIOUR. (Second in a series of 4 on Jesus). 2018/02/05

No.262. Who is Jesus? He is THE LORD. (Third in a series of 4 on Jesus.) 2018/02/07

No.263.Who is Jesus? Jesus will be the JUDGE of all. (Fourth in a series of 4 on Jesus. 2018/02/07

No.264. Lent. What is it? Any relevance for me in 2018? 2018/02/11

No.265. The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus. Jesus’ Ministry And Ours. Mark 1:9-15 [the Gospel for Sunday 18th February 2018]    2018/02/11

No.266. Why do people do evil things? (Another High School Shooting Tragedy in the USA.) 2018/02/17

No.267.  A sermon on John 3:1-17. To Perish or to have eternal life? 2018/02/28

No.268. Sermon on John 12:20-33. The Importance Of Significant Moments In Life. (Gospel for Sun 18th March 2018)  2018/03/04

No.269. An Alternative Sermon On John 12:20-33. “The Hour Has Come!” (Gospel reading for Sun 18th March 2018)  2018/03/09

No.270. Good Mental Health. A Brief Overview from a Christian point of view. 2018/03/16

No.271. Love Makes The Most Of Every Opportunity. (Sermon suggestions for Mark 14:1-9 for Palm Sunday 25March 2018).  2018/03/18

No.272. THE WORLD IS SCREAMING OUT FOR TRUE HUMILITY NOT FOR HUMAN GREATNESS! Philippians 2:1-11. 2018/03/25

No.273. “Good Friday!” What the “Good” God did for an undeserving world. The truth in Isaiah 44:22 for today! 2018/03/30

No.274. Jesus Wept For People during His Last Days On Earth. “Jesus wept!” Would He weep for you today? John 11:35 and Matthew 23:37. 2018/03/31

No.275. “FROM GLORY. THROUGH GORY. TO GLORY!” The Easter story in 6 words. (Micro version!) Part 1 of 2.  2018/04/04.

No.276. “FROM GLORY. THROUGH GORY. TO GLORY!” The Easter story in 6 words. (Expanded version!) Part 2 of 2.  2018/04/04← 276.“FROM GLORY. THROUGH GORY. TO GLORY!” The Easter story in 6 words. (Expanded version!) Part 2 of 2.

No.277. Time to elect a new Race Discrimination Commissioner in Australia. I have a suggestion!  2018/04/26

No.278. Factors Influencing Mental Health. Human Enemy No.1. “The World”. THE ENEMY AROUND US. (Micro version)  2018/05/01

No. 279. Factors Influencing Mental Health. Human Enemy No.1. “The world”. THE ENEMY AROUND US. [Macro version].    2018/05/04

No.280. An amazing, amazing story! An “insignificant” man who made a “SIGNIFICANT” contribution to this world. “Heaven tonight?” 2018/05/31

No.281.The Incredible Rescue of Footballers in Thailand. A Prayer-Answering God. Some Thoughts On Psalm 139.  2018/07/11

No.282. Factors Influencing Mental Health. Human Enemy No.2. THE ENEMY WITHIN US. The Flesh. Our Fallen Human Nature. (Study 2 of 3.) 2018/07/20

No.283. Factors Influencing Mental Health. Human Enemy No.3. THE ENEMY AGAINST US. THE DEVIL AND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS. (Study 3 of 3.)  2018/08/29

No.284. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:4. We are chosen by God Himself to fulfil His purpose for us in His world. 2018/09/01

No.285. The World Needs God’s Healing Love And Power Now! Let’s together pray it into being! Praying through Ephesians. 2018/09/01

No.286. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. “Blessing God Who Blesses His People By Adopting Them Into His Family. Ephesians 1:5.” 2018/09/03

No.287. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:7-10. Christ Brings Unity Among Diverse Groupings Of People. 2018/09/04

No.288. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:11-14. “Praising God For All We Have Now In Jesus And For Our Full Inheritance In Him.” 2018/09/06

No.289. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:15-23. “How God wants us to pray for ourselves and for His people throughout the world!” 2018/09/08

No.290. A Summary of the articles on Ephesians Chapter 1 on “Praying our way through Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.” 2018/09/08

No.291. “Danger! Saints at Prayer.” Praying through Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. 2018/09/12

No.292. “LET US PRAY!” A Compilation Of Prayers Based On Ephesians Chapter 1. (Changing The World Through Believing Prayer.) 2018/09/12

No.293. Changing The World Through Prayer. Praying Through Ephesians 2:1-7. 2018/10/11

No.294. Changing The World Through Prayer. Praying Through Ephesians 2:8-10. 2018/10/12

No.295. Changing The World Through Prayer. Prayer Based On Ephesians 2:11-13. The Joy Of Belonging!  “Brought Near” By Jesus’ Death. 2018/10/18

No.296. Praying through Ephesians. Ephesians 2:14-16. In Christ, Hostility Gives Way To Peace. 2018/10/20

No.297. Praying through Ephesians. Ephesians 2:17-22. Being thankful for the joy of Belonging! 2018/10/20

No.298. A COMPILATION OF PRAYERS BASED ON EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2. 2018/10/21

No.299. Sorry! Saying “Sorry” Unfortunately Doesn’t Bring Full Closure To Some People. Is there another way to bring closure for people who have been deeply hurt or abused?  2018/10/25

No.300. An Outline Of Ephesians Chapter 3. The “Mystery” of the Gospel. 2018/11/06

No.301. “Halleluia, I belong!” Praying through Ephesians. Ephesians 3:1-6. 2018/11/08

No.302. “Taking Hold Of Our Unsearchable Riches in Christ!” Praying Through Ephesians. Ephesians 3:7-10. 2018/11/09

No.303. Thank you! A big “Thank you” for reading the articles on my blog-site! 2018/11/13

No.304. Are We Living In God’s Real World Or In A False Make-Believe World Opposed To God? Thoughts from Hebrews 10.  2018/11/22

No.305. The Jesus of Christmas. Just Who is He? Why should He matter to me? 2018/12/21

No.306. The Mystery Is Revealed! Ephesians 3:1-12. Epistle for Epiphany. 6th January 2019. Posted 2018/12/30

No.307. People Really Can Change! New Creatures For A New Year! 2 Corinthians 5:17. Posted 2018/12/31

No.308. Jesus Heals “Untouchables!” The Implications Of The Story. Luke 5:12-16. [Part 1 of 2]. Posted 2019/01/22

No.309. Jesus Heals Untouchables. Luke 5:12-17. [Part 2 of 2. Healings God Does In Today’s World.] Posted 2019/01/23

No.310. The Steps Of Faith Needed For Healing. Luke 5:17-26. Posted 2019/02/01

No.311. “Hey! I’m The Victim Here!” The Curse Of “Victimhood” In Today’s World. Posted 2019/02/01

No.312. Bitterness Mixed With Victim Mentality. A Disastrous Cocktail For The World! How To Bring Healing To A Confused Hurting World! Posted 2019/02/03

No. 313. A Tribute To A Humble Servant of God. Bruce Robert Moon. 1941 to 2019. Posted 2019/02/10

No.314. “Praying for Spiritual Strength.” Ephesians 3:14-19. [In the Series, ‘Praying Through Ephesians.’] Posted on Thursday 14th February 2019.

No.315. Striving for significance? You don’t need to as a believer! The truth of Ephesians 1:4.  Posted on Wednesday 20th March 2019.

No.316. Was The Australian Rugby Union Star, Israel Folau Wrong To Publish An Article That Offended Many People? Some thoughts from an ‘Oldie!’ Posted on Wednesday 8th May 2019

No.317. THE MISSING “FACTOR” IN THE CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE. What if….. Jesus?  Posted on Saturday 11th May 2019

No.318. Recalling some healings. [A Podcast of a talk at a men’s breakfast at Grace Church, Port Macquarie in June 2019]. Posted on Tuesday 25th June 2019

No.319. The God Who Can Do More Than We Ask Or Imagine. Ephesians 3:20-21. [Praying our way through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.] Posted on Sunday 14th July 2019.

No.320. CHRISTIAN UNITY IS POSSIBLE! AND ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! You ARE One In Christ!  BECOME One In Practice! Ephesians 4:1-6. [Praying Our Way Through Ephesians.] Posted on Sunday 21st July 2019

No.321. God Wants All His People To Be Filled With His Presence. AND He Has Made It Possible. He Tells Us How In Ephesians 4:7-16. [Part 1 of 2.] Posted on Sunday 11th August 2019

No.322. Solving Some Of Rugby Union’s Problems. A View From An Elderly Fan. Posted on Tuesday 13th August 2019.

No.323. God Wants All His People To Be Filled With His Presence. AND He Has Made It Possible. He Tells Us How In Ephesians 4:7-16. [Part 1 of 2.] [Part Of The Series ‘Praying Our Way Through Ephesians.’] Posted on Thursday 29th August 2019

No.324. “Who Is Jesus?” The Most Important Question We Can Ever Ask And Answer! Posted on Sunday 01 September 2019.

No.325. What God Really Wants To Do Through His Church. His Ultimate Purpose In Building Up The Body Of Christ? [Part 2 of 2.] Ephesians 4:13-16. [Part of the series “Praying Our way Through Ephesians.”] Posted on Friday 6th September 2019

No.326. Ephesians 4:17-24. Contrasting The Old Life With The New Life Christ Brings. [In the series “Praying Through Ephesians.”] Posted on September 9, 2019

No.327. Does Nature control the world? Posted on Thursday 26th September 2019

No.328. Solving Some Of Rugby Union’s Problems. For Future Rugby World Cups and International Tests. Posted on Monday 30th September 2019

No.329. A Tribute To A Wonderful Godly Woman. Carole Ann Holbeck. My Late Beloved Wife and Very Best Friend. Posted on Sunday 3rd November 2019

No.330. A FURTHER TRIBUTE TO MY BELOVED WIFE CAROLE ANN HOLBECK. 1943-2019. Posted on Monday 11th November 2019.

No.331. Ephesians 4:25-32. Encouragements To Live As A Christian. God’s Advice In How To Do It! [In The Series “Praying Through Ephesians.”] Posted on Monday 25th November 2019

No.332. Ephesians 5:1-16. Walking In Love And In The Light. [In the series “Praying through Ephesians.”] Posted on Monday 2nd December 2019.

No.333. Love Came Down At Christmas. Accepting That Love Personally Today! The Truth of Revelation 3:20. Posted on Sunday 8th December 2019

No.334. Why Jesus came at Christmas. The Unimaginable, Unappreciated Depths Of The Christ Of The Christmas Message. Posted on Friday 13th December 2019

No.335. Jesus Did Tell Us Why He Came To Earth At That First Christmas! Now Is A Great Time To Reflect Personally On Why He Came! Posted on Monday 16th December 2019

No.336. “Christmas! The Good News That Can Overcome The Bad News! Victory!” Posted on Saturday 21st December 2019

No.337. Honouring Jesus at Christmas! And All Year Round! Affirming More Of The Truth About Jesus During Holy Communion Services. Hebrews 12:2.   Posted on Monday 23rd December 2019.

No.338. New Year’s Eve Greeting, 2019 from Jim Holbeck.  Posted on Tuesday 31st December 2019

No.339. “A New Beginning! When The Eternal ‘I Am’ [Jesus, The Son Of God] Became Something He Never Was Before- A Human! Because Of Us, And For Us!” John 1:1-18. Posted on Thursday 2nd January 2020.

No.340. Praying Through Ephesians. Eph 5:17-16:9. Being Filled With The Spirit And The Possible Consequences In Lives Lived In Mutual Submission. Posted on Monday 6th January 2020

No.341. PRAYING THROUGH EPHESIANS.  Winning The War In Spiritual Warfare. Eph 6:10-24. A Suggested Prayer. Posted on Friday 10th January 2020

No.342. Sharing Our Faith Using A Simple ABCD Formula!  Explaining THE Faith. Testifying To OUR Faith! [Part 1 of 5]. Posted on Saturday 11th January 2020.

No.343. An Overview Of An ABCD View Of Christianity. [Part 2 of 5.] Posted on Tuesday 14th January 2020

No.344. An Overview Of An ABCD View Of Christianity.  Section B] Believing That Christ Came To Die For Sinners.[Part 3 of 5.] Posted on Thursday 16th January 2020

No.345. An Overview of an ABCD View of Christianity. Section C. Counting the Cost.  [Part 4 of 5.] Posted on Friday 17th January 2020.

No.346. An Overview of an ABCD View of Christianity, Section D. Doing Something About It [About Putting Belief Into Action.]. Part 5 of 5. Posted on Friday 17th January 2020.

No.347. Some Tributes To Some Godly Women on St Valentine’s Day 2020. Posted earlier but linked to Index on Wednesday 25th March 2020.

No.348. Some Biblical Material To Read And Listen To During The Coronavirus Lockdown. Posted on Wednesday 25th March 2020.

No.349. Responding To The Coronavirus Threat. Faith Can Overcome Fear. The Better Way Of Love! A Personal Note. Posted on Friday 3rd April 2020.

No.350. Because Jesus Rose, Our Hopes Can Rise As Well. Easter Day And Its Rich Meaning For Those Who Grieve Loved Ones. [John 13:1-6 And Other Verses on Jesus’ Resurrection and Second Coming.] Posted on Thursday 9th April 2020.

No.351. The Challenge of Coronavirus. Ready? The Challenge of Jesus’ Second Coming. Ready?  Posted on Thursday 23rd April 2020.

No.352. The Decision That Every Human HAS To Make. The Challenge Of Rom 12:1-2. From Conformation to Transformation! [Part 1 of 3]. Posted on Monday 11th May 2020.

No.353.The Decision That Every Human In Every Age In Every Place Has To Make. Conformation or Transformation? Romans 12:1-2. [Part 2 of 2.] Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Thursday 14th May 2020

No.354. “Praying In” The Truths of Romans 12:1-2. Total Commitment To God! Which Every Human Needs To Make! Posted on Sunday 17th May 2020

No.355. The Holy Spirit Who Came At Pentecost Is Just Like Jesus. Who He is! What He does! Posted on Sunday 17th May 2020

No.356. Pentecost. Motivation and Empowerment for Living. Acts 1:6-8. [Part 1 of 2.] Posted on Sunday 24th May 2020.

No.357. God Motivates and Empowers His People. The Blessing of Pentecost. [Part 2 of 2.] Philippians 2:12-13. Podsted on Wednesday 27th May 2020.

No.358. PENTECOST. Culminating The Christ Event. From Christ’s Incarnation To Christ’s Pouring Out Of The Holy Spirit. [A Thumbnail sketch of Salvation in Titus 3:4-6]. Posted on Friday 29th May 2020

No.359. The curse of victimhood and other factors on the human race. Posted on Thursday 18th June 2020

No.360. The Unholy Triumvirate. Adding Entitlement To The Dangerous Cocktail Of Victim Mentality And Bitterness. Why The World Is In Such A Mess! 

No.361. A Prayer That Needs To Be Prayed For A World In Turmoil. The Prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola. Posted on Sunday 28 June 2020.

No.362. The Future Is In God’s Hands, Not Man’s. [The Message Of The Letter To The Ephesians.] Posted on Sunday 12th July 2020.

No.363. Liberating News! Freed From Destructive Comparisons! What Is The True Basis For Making Comparisons? Posted on Wednesday 29th July 2020.

No.364. Memories That Bring Tears To Your Eyes And Praise To Your Lips. A Personal Reflection. 2Corinthians 12:9. Posted on Friday 21st August 2020

No.365. Conformation To The World Or Transformation To The Likeness Of Christ? That Is The Question! What Is Your Answer? Romans 12:1-2. Posted on Sat 12th September 2020.

No.366. THE EXTREMELY URGENT NEED FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK FORGIVENESS FROM GOD AND TO FORGIVE ALL THOSE WHO HURT THEM. OR ELSE! Posted on Wednesday 16th September 2020

No.367 Reflecting On The Changes In The World In The Light Of The Truth Of Romans Chapter 1. Posted on Sat 03 October 2020

No.368. A Modern Problem Of Hatred, Discrimination And Judgmentalism. A Reason and the Answer! God’s Plan For A Peaceful World Where Everybody Matters. Posted on Thursday 08 October 2020

No.369. Reflecting On Birthdays. A Personal Note Written On My Own Birthday. Coping With Personal Grief. Posted on Friday 16th October 2020

No.370. Life’s Unforgettable Moments. A personal Reflection. Coping with Personal Grief. Posted on Saturday 17th October 2020 

No.371. What do you think of Joe Biden as the President-elect [and probably President] of the USA? Posted on Sunday 08 November 2020

No.372. Remembering Remembrance Days. A personal memory. Posted on Remembrance [Armistice] Day Wednesday 11th November 2020

No.373. Failing To See The Obvious. Again! The Words Solstice And Armistice. And A Personal Note! Posted on Monday 16th November 2020 {This was previously posted only Facebook page on 11th November 2020.]

No.374. A Prayer Based On 2 Peter 3:8-14. Being Prepared for Jesus’ Coming. [From the Epistle for 2nd Sunday of Advent, 06 December 2020.] Posted on Friday 06 December 2020.

No.375. Ephesians 1:3. Thanking God for what we have in Christ.[Part of Epistle Reading for Sunday 03 January 2021.] Posted on Sat 02 January 2021.

No.376. Perfect Love Casts Out Fear. Reading 1 Jn 4:13-21. My Sermon preached at the Healing Service in St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney on Wed 9th August 2000. Posted on Monday 04 January 2021.

No.377. Honouring a very special person Carole Ann Holbeck-1943-2019.

No.378. A Wonderful Birthday on Sunday 7th February 1943. Kharagpur, India. A Blessing to Thousands of People Worldwide! Posted on Sun 07 February 2021.

No.379. SOME TEACHING ON FAITH AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO HEALING. Posted on Tuesday 20th April 2021.

No.380. Reflecting on Contribution that All Saints Booval [Ipswich] made to Jim And Carole Holbeck. Posted on Tuesday 25 May 2021

No.381. A “Thank You” to all my friends, from Carole Holbeck [nee Tapsell] 1943-2019. Posted on 04 July 2021

No.382. Special Life-Changing Days In Our Lives. Posted on Saturday 21 August 2021.

No.383. Jesus the Creator. Number 1 of 4 topics. Posted on Tuesday 12 October 2021

No.384 Jesus the Saviour. Number 2 of 4 topics. Posted on Thursday 14 October 2021.

No.385.Jesus the Lord. Topic 3 of 4.Posted on Tuesday 26 October 2021.

No.386 Jesus the Judge. Topic 4 of 4. Posted on Wednesday 27 October 2021.

No.387. THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS CHRIST! He cannot be ignored! Posted on Thursday 04 November 2021

No.388. The Basis of a Healing Ministry. [A sermon I preached at a healing service in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney in 1997.] Posted on Tuesday 09 November 2021.

No.389. God Works Through His People. John 14. [No2 in a series of 2]. A sermon OI preached at a healing service in St Andrew’s Cathedral,Sydney in 1997.] Posted on Wednesday 10 November 2021

No.390. A SERMON ON JOHN 14:12-14. God can fulfil His promises. [The text of a sermon I preached at a healing service in St Andrew’s Cathedral. Sydney probably in the early 2000’s.] Posted on Wednesday 10 November 2021.

No.391. Thoughts on Remembrance [Armistice] Day 2021. Posted on Friday 12 November 2021

No.392. How God Sees Us As His Children. 2Thessalonians 2. Posted on Wednesday 01 December 2021

No.393. SOME CHRISTMAS ARTICLES TO READ AND LATER LISTEN TO ON SPOTIFY. Posted on 06 December 2021

No.394 In all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28. Posted on January 20-. 2022

No.395. Take advantage of the opportunities to receive healing. Sermon from February 1990 on Mark 1:29f. Posted on Monday 24 January 2022

No.396. Thinking As We Should About Ourselves. Romans 12:3-4. Posted on Thursday 26 January 2022.

No.397. Living Without Anxiety. God’s Answer! 1 Peter 5:6-7. Posted on Tuesday 22 February 2022

No.398.    Be anxious. For nothing! God says! Philippians 4:6-7 Posted on Monday 07March 2022

No.399. A Loving Warning and a Gracious Invitation. Luke 13:1-9. The Gospel Reading for Sunday 20 March 2022. Posted on Wednesday 16March 2022

No.400. Some Thoughts on The Meaning of Easter. Posted on Saturday16 April 2022

No.401. Galatians 5:1, 13-25 The New Testament Reading for Sunday 26 June 2022. Christian Freedom! Posted on Monday 13 June 2022

No.402. A Sermon on Luke18:31-43. JESUS’ POWER TO SAVE AND TO HEAL
Posted on June 16, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

No.403. Christian Love In Action. [Galatians 6:1-10. Epistle Reading For 03 July 2022]. Posted on Saturday 25June 2022

No.404. Colossians chapter 1. New Testament Reading for Sunday 10 July 2022. Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2022

No.405. Jesus “Has The Whole World In His Hands.“ Colossians 1:15-23. A New Testament reading for Sunday 17 July 2022. Posted on Friday 01 July2022

No.406. On Colossians 2:6-15. A Reading for 24 July 2022. Posted on Sunday 03 July 2022

No.407. Colossians 3:1-11. Living The New Life In Christ. Reading for Sunday 31 July 2022. Posted on Wednesday 06 July 2022

No. 408. HEBREWS 11:1-3 AND 11:8-16. WHAT IS FAITH. A Reading for Sunday 07August 2022. Posted on Thursday 14 July 2022.

No.409. Hebrews 11:29-12:2. The Heroes of Faith REALLY Believed. A Reading for Sunday 14 August 2022. Posted on Tuesday 26 July 2022

No.410. The Blessings Of Belonging To A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken. Hebrews 12:18-29. [A reading for Sunday 21 August 2022.] Posted on Thursday 28 July 2022

No.411. Hebrews 13:1-8 and 13:15-16. Sacrifices Pleasing to God. [A reading for Sunday 28 August 2022]. Posted on Saturday 30 July 2022

No. 412. Philemon 1-21 Jesus Sets The Captives Free And Brings Reconciliation. A Reading on Sunday 04 September 2022. Posted on Wednesday 03 August 2022

No.413. Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners. 1 Timothy 1:12-17. A Reading on Sunday 11 Sept 2022.Posted on Tuesday 09 August 2022.

No.414. 1 Corinthians 1:18-24. The World Must Commit To Christ As Lord. A Reading on Sunday 14 September 2022.  Posted on Saturday 13 August 2022

No.415. On 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Why Prayer Is Needed For The Whole World. A Reading for Sunday 18 September 2022. Posted on Sunday 14 August 2022

No.416. On 1 Timothy 6:1-19. “Wise Words For A Diverse Church.” Reading for 25 September 2022. Posted on Friday 19mAugust 2022

No.417. Personal Memories Of Special Glad and Sad Days. Posted on Sunday 21 August 20223

No.418. On 2 Timothy 1:1-14. Faithful Ministry In A Hostile World. For Sun 02 October 2022. Posted on Wednesday 24 August 2022

No.419. On 2 Timothy 2:7-15. Focus on Jesus in Your Message And Stand Firm. A reading for Sunday 09 October 2022. Posted on Thursday 25 August 2022

No.420. On 2 Timothy 3:14 To 4:5. Preaching The God-breathed Scriptures. For Sunday 16 October 2022.  Posted on Friday 26 August 2022.

No.421. On 2 Timothy 4:6-8 & 16-18. How St Paul faced Imminent death. A Reading for Sunday 23 October 2022. Posted on Saturday 27 August 2022

No.422 on “Praising God For His Ministry In People.” 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12. A Reading for Sunday 30 October 2022. Posted on Friday 02 September 2022

No.423. On “Preparing For The Second Coming Of Jesus.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 for Sunday 06 November 2022. Posted on Tuesday 06 September 2022

No.424. “The Necessity For Disciplined Living.” On 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 For Sunday 13 November 2022. Posted on Saturday 10 September 2022

No.425. Colossians 1:11-20. Christ The Perfect One Loves Imperfect People. Reading for Sunday 20 November 2022. Posted on Tuesday 13 September 2022

No.426. Some Holbeck Blog News September 2022. Posted on Wednesday 14 September 2022

No.427. Becoming The People God Wants Us To Be. Core Teaching Stage 1 Topic 1. Posted on Friday 16 September 2022

No.428. The Freedom That Comes From Forgiving. [An extract].Posted on Tuesday 20 September 2022

No.429. THE FREEDOM THAT COMES FROM FORGIVENESS. Core Teaching Stage 1. Topic 2. Posted on Thursday 22 September 2022

No.430. BECOMING OPEN TO GOD. (PSALM 139. A prayer based on the character of God.) Core Teaching Stage 1. Topic 3. Posted on Saturday 24 September 2022

No.432. LEARNING TO RECOGNISE AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO HEALING. Core 1 Topic 4 Posted on Thursday29 September 2022

No.433. HOW TO BECOME MORE OPEN TO RECEIVE HEALING. [Core 1 topic 4a. This follows on from previous article No.432.] Posted on Saturday 30 September 2022

No.434. “HOW TO ‘HANG IN’ FOR HEALING AND BLESSING.” [Core Teaching Stage 1 Topic 5.] Posted on Monday 03 October 2022

No.435. Becoming the Person God Wants You To Be. [Living in the Kingdom of God]. Posted on Wednesday 05 October 2022

No.436. Core 2 Topic 2 THE FREEDOM THAT COMES FROM  FORGIVENESS. [A Guide On How To Really Forgive Another Person.]  Posted on Wednesday12 October 2022

No.437. GETTING THE RIGHT FOCUS TO OBTAIN WHOLENESS IN LIFE. [Based on 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4.] Posted on Tuesday 18 October 2022

No.438. THE VALUE OF THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER WITH THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. Core 2 Topic 4A. Posted on Wednesday 19 October 2022 

No.439. GUIDELINES FOR PRAYING FOR PEOPLE WITH THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. Core 2 Topic 4B. [This follows on from the previous article No.438 on the biblical background to the Laying on of hands.]mPosted on Thursday 20 October 2022

No.440. PRAYER AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH. [Core Teaching Stage 2 Topic 5.] Posted on Thursday 27 October 2022.

No.441. Memories One Can Never Forget.”Your wife just passed away.” Posted on Friday 28 October 2022

No.442. GOD’S GRACE IS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH. [Core Teaching Stage 2. Topic 6]. Posted on Wednesday 09 November 2022.

No.443. CORE TEACHING ON HEALING. SUMMARY OF STAGE 1 TOPICS posted on Friday 11 November 2022

No.444. SUMMARY OF CORE TEACHING ON HEALING TOPICS STAGE 2 posted on Friday 11 November 2022

No.445. BAD NEWS ABOUT HUMANS. OUR NEED FOR GOD’S HELP. Core Teaching Stage 3 Topic 1. Posted on Wednesday 16 November 2022

No.446. GOOD NEWS FOR HUMANS. WE CAN BE DIFFERENT. Core Teaching Stage 3 Topic 2. Posted on Tuesday 22 November 2022

No.447. A New Way Of Living. Insights from Ephesians 5. [Core Teaching Stage 3. Topic 3]. Posted on Saturday 26 November 2022 

N0.448. “How to Grow in Faith.” Core Teaching Stage 3 Topic 4. Posted on Thursday 08  December 2022

No.449. “Helping Other People Become Different.” [Core Teaching Stage 3 Topic 5.] Posted on Saturday 10 December 2022

No.450. Walking In The Fullness Of God’s Amazing Grace. [Core Teaching Stage 4 Topic 1]. Posted on Thursday 15 December 2022

No.451. Spiritual Warfare. Being Strong In The Lord’s Strength. [Core Teaching Stage 4 Topic 2.] Posted on Wednesday 21 December 2022

No.452. Putting On The Armour Of God. (Ephesians 6:11). Core Teaching Stage 4 Topic 3.  “Put on the full armour of God.” Posted on Monday 02 January 2023

No.453. Spiritual Warfare. Standing In The Armour Of God. Eph 6:11-15. Core Teaching Stage 4 Topic 4. Posted on Saturday 07 January 2023

No.454. Spiritual Warfare. “Praying in the Spirit.” Ephesians 6:18. Core Teaching Stage 4 Topic 5. Posted on Thursday12 January 2023

No.455. Praying For All The Saints. Ephesians 6:18. Core Teaching Stage 4 Topic 6. Posted on Saturday 14 January 2023

No.456. The Privilege Of Entering Into The Tapsell Family. [Remembering my wedding to Carole Tapsell on 22 January1966.] Posted on Monday 16 January 2023.

No.457. Core Teaching Stage 5 An Overview. Posted on Tuesday 17 January 2023.

No.458. Repentance. Core Teaching Stage 5 Topic. [MINISTERING IN THE AREA OF REPENTANCE]. Posted on Thursday 19 January 2023.

No.459. Reflecting On The Love Of God We Experience In Our Lives. Posted on Saturday 21 January 2023

No.460. RENUNCIATION AND RESTITUTION. Core Teaching Stage 5 Topic 2. Posted on Sunday 22 January 2023

No.461. HELPING PEOPLE RECEIVE CHRIST AS SAVIOUR. [Core Teaching Stage 5 Topic 3]. Posted on Monday 23 January 2023

No.462. “Submitting to Christ as Lord.” [Core Teaching Stage 5 Topic 4]. Posted on Tuesday 24 January 2023. 

No.463. Ministering in the area of being Spirit-Filled Continually. Core Teaching Stage 5. Topic 5. Posted on Wednesday 26 January2023

No.464. Sharing in Fellowship and Service. [Core Teaching Stage 5. Topic 6.] Posted on Thursday 26 January 2023.

No.465. Summary of All Core Teaching Modules. Posted on 27 January 2023

No.466. SHARING GOD’S LOVE IN THIS LIFE. 1 John 4:7-16. Posted on Tuesday 07 February 2023

No.467. God’s Love For His People. Isaiah 43:1-7. Posted on Sunday19 February2023

No.468. How To Forgive Those Who Hurt Us. Psalm 32. Posted on Saturday 25 February 2023

No.469. Proverbs 3:5-6. God Makes Straight Our Paths. Posted on Tuesday 14 March 2023.

No.470. Taking Opportunities To Show Love. Re-reading Blog No 271. Posted on Sunday 19 March 2023.

No.471.The Hoped-for Gentleness of Christian Ministry. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Posted on Sunday 26 March 2023

No. 472. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ANOINTED BY GOD? Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2023

No.473. The Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. But Who Are The Anointed? (Part 1 of 4). Posted on Friday 31 March 2023

No.474. The Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. (Part 2 of 4). Why The Dispensation Of The Holy Spirit May Differ In The New Testament Era From That In The Old Testament Era. Posted on Wednesday 05April 2023

No.475. THE GOOD FRIDAY CROSS THAT DIVIDES HUMANITY. Luke 23:39-43. [Paradise or Lostness.] Posted on Good Friday 07April 2023

No.476. The  Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. But Who Are The  Anointed? (Part 3 of 4). Posted on Monday after Easter 10 April 2023.

No.477. The Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. But Who Are The  Anointed? (Part 4 of 4).  Some Possible Conclusions. Posted on Tuesday 11 April 2023

No.478. The God Who Helps In Times Of Trouble. Jonah 2:1-10. Posted on Thursday 04 May 2023

No.479. Obedience To God Brings His Blessings. Jonah 3. Posted on Saturday 06 May 2023

No.480. Jonah 4. Having The Right Motivations In Life. Posted on Wednesday 10 May 2023

No.481. Ephesians 1:15-23. “Knowing The Power Of God In Our Lives.” Posted on Wednesday 24 May 2023.

No.482. Difficulties Should Lead Us To Repentance. Joel chapter 1. Posted on Friday 26 May 2023

No.483. The Good News Of A New Beginning. Joel chapter 2. Posted on Sunday 03 June 2023.

No.484. Guidelines for praying for people at church services. Posted on Friday 23 June 2023.

No.485. Changing The Upside Down, Back to Front World In Which We Live. Posted on Wednesday 28 June 2023.

No.486. RECONCILIATION. What Does It Mean For Today? Posted on Saturday 01 July2023

No.487. “Fear Not!”  Why Believers Have No Need To Fear. Posted on Monday 03 July 2023

No.488. Whom Do We Need To Fear? “Fear Him!” Posted on Thursday 06 July2023

No.489. The Meaning Of The Word “Appropriate.” Food For Thought! Posted on Monday 17 July 2023.

No.490. Matthew 14:22-31. Title: “Reach out to Jesus for Healing.” [Lectionary Reading for Sunday 13 August 2023]. Posted on Monday 24 July 2023

No.491. Sermon on Matthew 15:21-28. Title: “Great is Your Faith.” [Based On Lectionary Reading In Many Churches On Sunday 20 August 2023.] Posted on Tuesday 25 July 2023

No.492. The Freedom of Forgiveness. Psalm 103. [Posted on Sunday 06 August 2023.]

No.493. HOW IS THE BIBLE THE “INSPIRED“ WORD OF GOD? Posted on Monday 14 August 2023

No.494. MARVELLING AT THE LORD’S PLANS FOR OUR LIVES. PSALM 139. Posted On Monday 21 August 2023

No.495. Sermon on Matthew 18:15-20.  “How to prevent hurt and how to heal hurting people.” Gospel reading for Sunday 10 September 2023. Posted on Tuesday 22 August 2023

No.496. John Wrote His Gospel To Enable People To Trust In Jesus. John 20:30-31. Posted on Tuesday 05 September 2023

No.497. Getting Rid Of Unhelpful Thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Posted on Friday 08 September 2023

No.498. How Deep The Father’s Love For Us. Luke 11:1-4. Posted on Saturday16 September 2023

No.499. God Wants Us To Bring Our Needs To Him [Mat 7:7-12.] Posted on Sunday17 September 2023

No.500. BECOMING THE PERSON GOD WANTS US TO BE. Posted on Sunday 24 September 2023

No.501. How Acceptable Are Believers To God? The Message of Ephesians 2:1-7. Posted on Wednesday 27 September 2023

No.502. Faith, Hope and Love in 1 Thessalonians 1. [The Example Given By  The Believers In Thessalonica.] Posted on Monday 16 October 2023.

No.503. COPING WITH THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE. Posted on Monday 30 October 2023

No.504.  The RAPTURE. If Only It Were True! 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Posted on Monday 06 November 2023

No. 505. REMEMBRANCE [Armistice] DAY. A Deeper Meaning. Posted on Saturday 11th November 2023

No.506.“Encourage the Fainthearted.” [Oligopsuchos, ὀλιγόψυχος].1 Thessalonians 5:14. Posted on Friday 17 November 2023

Updated on Thursday 23rd November 2023

No.507.A Prayer Based On Romans 12:1-2. Total Commitment. Posted on Thursday 23 November 2023

No.508. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. A PRAYER TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER! Posted on Saturday 09 December 2023

No.509.The Greatest Christmas Gift Given To You And Me. Posted on Sunday 24 December 2023

No.510. A New Creature on New Year’s Eve 1958. Posted on Sunday 31 December 2023

No.511. THE JESUS WHO CANNOT BE IGNORED. [Hebrews 1:1-4.] Posted on Saturday 06 January 2024

No.512. JESUS CHRIST IS A BETTER MESSENGER THAN THE ANGELS.  Hebrews 1:4-14. Posted on Monday 08 January 2024

No.513. Reflections on life. Life with my beloved Carole. Posted on Wednesday 10th January 2024.

No.514. THE DANGER OF NEGLECTING THE SALVATION GOD OFFERS US. [Hebrews 2:1-4.] Posted on Friday 12 January 2024

No.515. Jesus became a human to save humans. Hebrews 2:5-18.Posted on Sunday 14 January 2024.

No.516. Hebrews chapter 3. Jesus Greater Than Moses. Why We Need To Keep Trusting In Him! Posted on Thursday 18 January 2024.

No.517. Hebrews Chapter 4.  There Is A Sabbath Rest For The People of God. Posted on Saturday 20 January 2024

No.518. Hebrews 5. Christ Is The Better High Priest Than All Other High Priests. Posted on Sunday 21 January 2024.

No.519. Hebrews Chapter 6.  A Warning Against Falling Away From Christ. Posted on Friday 26 January 2024

No.520. TEACHING VIDEOS ON HEALING BY JIM HOLBECK ON YOU TUBE. Posted on Monday 29 January 2024

No.521. Hebrews chapter 7. Jesus The Greatest High Priest Secured Eternal Redemption For His People. Posted on Wednesday 31 January 2024

No.522. Hebrews chapter 8. “The New Covenant is Much Better Than The Old.” Posted on Saturday 03 February 2024

No.523. Healings that impact the world. A Man Healed of Lou Gehrig’s Disease [A.L.S.] Posted on Sunday 04 February 2024

No.524. The Privilege Of Marriage. A Blessing From The Lord. Proverbs 31. Posted on Tuesday 06 February 2024

No.525. Hebrews chapter 9.  Jesus As The Great High Priest Of A New Covenant Secured An Eternal Redemption. Posted on Sunday 11 February 2024.

No.526. What Is “Shrove Tuesday?” Its Meaning And Purpose. Posted on Monday 12 February 2024.

No.527. What Is The Origin And Significance Of Ash Wednesday? Posted on Tuesday 13 February 2024.

No.528. “What is Valentine’s Day? 14 February Every Year.”  Posted on Tuesday 13 February 2024

No.529. “The Necessity of Christ’s Sacrifice Once ForvAll. Hebrews 10.” Posted on Saturday 17 February 2024

No.530. HEBREWS 11:1-3. WHAT IS FAITH?  Posted on Wednesday 21 February2024

No.531. Hebrews11:4-40. The Examples of the Faith Of The Heroes of Faith. Posted on Friday 23 February2024

No.532. Hebrews 12. “Jesus The Founder and Perfector of our Faith.” Posted on Friday 01 March 2024

No.533. Hebrews 13. “Living A Positive Christian Life.” Posted on Wednesday 06 March 2024.

No.534. Summary of all blogs on the book of Hebrews. posted on Wednesday 06 March 2024.

No.535. Sermon Notes On John 3:14-21. “God’s Love For Us.” [Gospel for Sunday 10 March 2024.] Posted on Thursday 07 March 2024.

No.536. Links To Teaching On Aspects Of  Healing By Jim Holbeck On Blogs And You Tube Videos and Kindle books.  Posted on Sunday 10 March 2024

No.537. Sermon on Mark14:1-9. True Love Achieves Great Things. [A Gospel reading for Sunday 24 March 2024.] Posted on Tuesday 12 March 2024

No.538. JESUS IS ALIVE! Mark 16:1-19. Gospel for Easter Sunday. 31 March 2024. Posted on Friday 15 March 2024.

No.539.  Jesus Rose From The Dead And Is Alive. John 20:19-31. [Notes on the Gospel Reading for Sunday 07 April 2024.] Posted on Tuesday 19 March 2024.

No.540. Luke 24:36-49. “Resurrection Joy!” Notes On The Gospel for Sunday 14 April 2024. Posted on Thursday 21 March 2024

No.541. Some Articles On The Meaning Of Good Friday. Posted on Wednesday 27 March 2024. Posted on Wednesday 27 March 2024.

No.542. Sermon Outline on John 10:11-18 “Jesus The True Good Shepherd” A reading for Sunday 21 April 2024. Posted on Thursday 04 April 2024

No.543.  On John 15:1-8. The Necessity Of Abiding In Jesus. A Reading for Sunday 28 April 2024.Posted on Thursday 11 April 2024.

No.544. John15:9-17. Loving One Another. A Reading for Sunday 05 May 2024. Posted on Friday 12 April 2024.

No.545. “Experiencing Christian Joy.” Sermon Notes On John 17:6-19 For Sun 12 May 2024. Posted on Sunday 14 April 2024.

No.546. Sermon Notes On John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 for Sunday 19 May 2024. [“The Advantage Of The Coming Of The Holy Spirit.”] Posted on Friday 19 April 2024.

No.547. The Blessing Of True Sincerity In Our Lives. Posted on Monday 22 April 2024.

No.548. Sermon Notes on John 3:1-17. “To Perish Or To Have Eternal Life?” [Gospel for Sun 26 May 2024] Posted on Tuesday 23 April 2023.

No.549. ANZAC DAY. 25th April. Some Thoughts On The Significance Of That Day. Posted on Wednesday 24 April 2024.

No.550. On Mark 2:23-3:6. “Using the Law Instead Of Loving.” Gospel For Sunday 02 June 2024. Posted on Tuesday 30 April 2024

No. 551. Sermon Notes on Mark 3:20 – 35. “The Unforgiveable Sin.” Gospel for Sunday 09June2024. Posted on Wednesday 08 May2024

No.552. JESUS HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. BELIEVERS HAVE TOO! EPHESIANS 1 AND 2. Posted on Sunday 12 May 2024

No.553.  Sermon Notes on “KINGDOM GROWTH” Mark 4:26-34 For Sun 16 June 2024. Posted on Sunday 26 May 2024

No.554. “Stilling the Storms of Life.” Sermon Notes on Mark 4:35-4. Posted on Friday 07 June 2024

No.555. Mark 5:21-43. JESUS HEALS A WOMAN AND JAIRUS’S DAUGHTER. [Notes on Gospel for Sunday 30 June 2024.] Posted on Monday 10 June 2024

No.556 on Carole Holbeck [nee Tapsell] posted on Tuesday 20 August 2024.

No.557. FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST. TO DIE IS GAIN. Philippians 1:19-26. posted on Tuesday 01 October 2024

No.558. A sermon on Mark10:46-52. The Healing Of Bartimaeus. [Gospel reading for Sunday 27 October 2024] posted on Tuesday 08 October 2024

No.559. God Motivates And Empowers His People To Live For Him. [Philippians 2:12-13.] Posted on Sunday 27 October 2024

No.560. A Reminder Of Previous Articles on Philippians Chapter 4. Posted on Thursday 05 December 2024

No.561. A Memory During A Bicentennial Church Service Today. Posted on Sunday 08 December 2024

No.562. The Story Of The Christ Child. Philippians 2:3-11. Posted on Thursday 26 December [Boxing Day] 2024.

No.563. The Significance Of New Year’s Eve. A Personal New Beginning. Posted on Tuesday 31 December 2024

No.564. Is God Calling You To Himself? [A look at 1 Corinthians]. Posted on Monday January 20, 2025

No.565. The Danger Of Putting People Into “Categories.” Posted on Tuesday January 28, 2025.

No.566. FACING ANXIETY. Steps To Freedom. Posted on Friday 31 January 2025

No.567. A Reflection on February 7th. 1943. The Birth Of My Late Wife. Posted on Wednesday 05 February 2025.

No.568. Valentines Day. A day to honour the female race. Posted on Friday 14 March 2025

No.569. OUR GOD IS THE SOURCE, INSTRUMENT AND DESTINATION OF ALL THINGS.  Romans 11:36 and 1 Corinthians 8:6. Posted on Tuesday 25 March 2025

No.570. Overcoming Temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13-14. Posted on Friday 28 March 2025

No.571. Some Articles On “Becoming the Person God Wants You to Be.” [From latest to earliest]. Posted on 04 April 2025

No.572. Why is Good Friday called “good.” Posted onTuesday 15 April 2025

No.573. The Challenge of the Easter Message. Some thoughts! Posted on Easter Sunday 20 April 2025.

No.574. THE GOOD AND THE BAD NEWS IN JESUS’ WORDS IN JOHN chapter 3 verse 16. Posted on Thursday 01 May2025.

No.575. Holbeck WordPress Article Posts On The Epistle To The Galatians. Posted on Monday 19 May 2025

No.576. GALATIANS Chapter 1  Verse 4. Huge Salvation Truths In A Few Words.  Posted on Tuesday 27 May 2025

No.577. Running The Race Of Life. Ellen Ann Routley [nee Holbeck]. 1932-2025. Posted on Saturday 12 July 2025.

No.578. Some Articles On Dealing With Personal Grief. Posted on Sunday 20 July 2025

No.579. A half century since the death of a legend. Carlyle Carroll Tapsell a hockey legend. Posted on Friday 05 Sept 2025

No.580. 90 Years Of Living In This World. What a privilege! Posted on Tuesday 14 October 2025

No. 581.  Memories That Bring Strength And Peace. {Posted on Friday 31 October 025

No.582. SUMMARY OF ARTICLES ON “PRAYING THROUGH EPHESIANS. ” Posted on Thursday 27 November 2025

No.583.  GOD PREPARES HIS PEOPLE FOR GLORY AND UNBELIEVERS FOR DESTRUCTION. Posted on Tuesday 09 December 2025.

No.584. Prayers based on Ephesians 1. Posted on Saturday 13 December 2025.

No.585 Jim Holbeck’s Christmas 2025 New Year 2026 Greetings posted on Wednesday 24 December 2025

No.586. A New Beginning In A New Year. New Year’s Eve 1958. My Personal Story. Posted on New Year’s Eve, 31st December 2025.

No. 587 The Privilege of Marriage To The Partner of God’s Choice. Posted on Thursday 22 January 2026

No.588. Summary of Reflections On My Beloved Wife And Very Best Friend. Carole Ann Holbeck [nee Tapsell.] 07 February 1943 to 31st October 2019. Posted on Friday 06 February 2026

No.589. Anyone Can Be Transformed If They Desire To Be Changed! Transfiguration Sunday.  Posted on Sunday 15 February 2026. Transfiguration Sunday.

No.590.   “ARE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST FORGIVEN OF ALL THEIR SINS?” Posted on Saturday 21 March 2026.

No.591 Who are the “chosen” in the New Testament? Posted on Monday 23 March 2026.

No.592. The Grace of the Trustworthy and True God. Posted on Sunday 12 April 2026

No.593 Jesus Said He Was  THE Way and THE Truth and THE Life. What that truth means for us today. Posted on Friday 17 April 2026

No.594. The Grace Of God Brought Grace To Many Through A Down And Out! The Story of “Eternity” In Sydney. Posted on Sunday 31 May 2026.

No.595 A Man Who Touched The Lives Of Thousands Without Realising It. The Man in George Street, Sydney. Posted on Sunday 31 May 2026

No.596. Summary Of Articles On Victim Mentality. Posted on Tuesday 09 June 2026

Last Updated on Tuesday 09 June 2026

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, INDEX OF BLOGS, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sexuality, Studies in Psalm 139, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

076. “To Perish or Not to Perish? That is the Question.” John 3:16

No, this title is not an Australian translation of  words in William Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet”! Rather it is a question raised by the  words of Jesus in perhaps the most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16. This verse has been described as The Gospel in a nut-shell”.  Others have called it, “The gospel in miniature” In one short sentence it tells us what love is all about. What’s so powerful about its message? It’s powerful because it’s a short love letter. It’s a short love letter from God to the human race of all ages and through all ages. It tells us about:-

 1)           THE LOVER.  (FOR GOD so loved).   We live in a big world, in a massive universe made by a majestic God. He has the power to say, “That’s enough!” and the whole world would cease to exist. He made it all and He could destroy it all. But God loves the world He has made. He looked at the world in all its sin and rejection of Him and He so loved the people that He decided to do something to help them. He took the initiative in making it possible for sinful people to be forgiven. He had a scheme by which they could become His friends. The Almighty God of this entire universe cares for you and me as individuals. It is simply mind-blowing, but true. For GOD so loved…the world, you and me, that He did something amazing for us.

 2)        THE LOVE.  “So loved”.  He so loved people of all backgrounds, from all races,  colour, religions, ages, that He did something for them. St Paul expressed it in Romans 5:8  But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  God told us in His word, the Bible, that He loves us. He also showed His love in giving us His Son. He SO LOVED.

3).            THE PEOPLE HE LOVED. God so loved THE WORLDThe “world in John’s writings is used to describe all of humankind in its sin and rebellion against Him. Yet we know that God hates, loathes, detests, and abominates the sin of the world which causes such hurt, pain, destruction to fellow humans. God hates sin but loves people. He acted in love. He sent His Son. To come and live as one of us. To live as a human so that He might die as a human. To bear the penalty for the sins of the whole world.  You and I are part of the world for whom God sent His Son to come and die for us. God so loved THE WORLD that He gave His Son to die for you and me.

4)       THE GIFT OF HIS LOVE. That He Gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.   He gave His Son Jesus to die for us. John wrote of Jesus as the Creator of the universe. John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. And later in verse 14, he explained that this eternal word, the creator, was in fact Jesus, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus left His place in glory in the bliss of the presence of His Father.  He left the worship and adoration of angels that He might humble Himself to come into this sinful world in utter weakness. When later He walked the roads of the Holy Land many people mocked Him, rejected Him and eventually crucified Him. He was the creator but His creatures had no time for Him.

Have you ever thought about the rejection Jesus suffered as He came into the world as the Father’s gift of love? Jn 1:9-11,  9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. He came to His world, His creation, His people, but they rejected Him. The creator, the One who had come to be their Redeemer, their Saviour, was rejected by those He had created.

5)          THE PURPOSE OF HIS LOVE. so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  Jesus came to make salvation available to those who would receive it in His Son Jesus.  Did Jesus and John get it wrong? Surely Jesus didn’t mean that this world and all sorts of nice people in it could perish.  He didn’t get it wrong. He meant that all the world is in fact perishing already. It needed to be saved from that fate. That’s why Jesus came to “rescue the perishing” as one older hymn put it. Sometimes people find the thought repulsive that people could perish, miss out on heaven. They don’t understand the goodness and the grace of God. He doesn’t want anyone to perish.

We may sometimes cry out Why doesn’t God destroy all the evil of the world? For a very simple reason. If He destroyed all the evil in the world, none of us would be left. St Peter wrote of God in 2 Peter 3:9 as he explained why Jesus hadn’t yet come a second time to judge the world.  The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. He wants everyone to turn away from evil and to put their trust in His Son for salvation. As John wrote in the next verse (John 3:17) “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Jesus bore our sins on the cross as He died for you and me to bring us to God. As that wonderful hymn puts it,

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

What amazing love for you and me! Jesus on the cross was rejected by the Father as He bore the sin of the world. Jesus willingly suffered rejection. So that we might find acceptance. Acceptance with the Father. As we put our trust in His Son.

6)          RECEIVING THE GIFT OF HIS LOVE.  so that everyone who BELIEVES IN HIM may not perish but may have eternal life.  We humans have a choice. We can choose not to perish but to have eternal life. How? By believing in Jesus. To believe is not just to believe about but to believe into, to entrust oneself to, to commit oneself to. To act on His invitation to come to Him for refuge. Just imagine a scenario that I hope never happens but knowing human nature, could happen. A man is driving along and he sees a Twister, a tornado coming towards him. Someone stops him and tells him to get out of the car and get into a nearby shelter. But he’s seen tornados before in the distance. They have always missed him. He refuses to get out of the car. The man begs him to get out because the tornado is going to go right through the area where they are. But again he refuses. Minutes later the tornado hits, picks up the man’s car like a matchbox, throws it around in the air for several seconds and then it smashes into the ground. The man is killed instantly. He knew the danger. He was faced with the choice to live or to die. But he chose to ignore the warning. He refused to accept the invitation to find refuge. He perished.

God loves us enough to warn us of danger He knows the danger that awaits every one of us. What love to give us the freedom to choose to respond to His love, or to reject Him!  For those who commit themselves to Him there is the promise of being saved from perishing and the promise of having a brand new life, eternal life, God’s own life in us. As John wrote earlier in his gospel, many rejected Jesus as their Messiah and as their Saviour.  BUT some made a different choice. A wise choice. A choice with wonderful eternal consequences.  John 1:12  But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 

We can be born into God’s family. We can have eternal life in Christ. And in having Him, God tells us we have all we need in Him. Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  I believe the “all things” includes the healing and blessing we need to be able to live for Him for the rest of our lives.  Why not take hold of the blessings you need by receiving them in Him as you receive Him into your life?

Blog No.076.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Monday 04 June 2012

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

075. The Relevance Of Pentecost For Today. The Gift of the Holy Spirit

What turned the disciples of Jesus from being those who denied Him and forsook Him at Calvary to those who were willing to preach Him before hostile peoples? Pentecost! Something quite amazing happened on the day of Pentecost that utterly transformed the disciples. It was on the day of Pentecost that the promised Holy Spirit was poured out on the church. For that reason Pentecost has often been called the “Birthday of the Christian church.” What made it such a special day for those early believers? What does it mean for us today?

1). The Promise Of The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament. It had been prophesied that God would do something new for His people. He would do it by His Spirit. These verses express that thought. God would, by His Spirit, make His people sensitive to Him. Eze_11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, Also Eze_36:26. His cure for His hard-hearted people would be to give them a heart more sensitive to Him by putting a new spirit in them.

God would give His people His own Spirit to indwell them. Ezek 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Also Ezek 37:14). This adds to the previous verses the truth that His Spirit would motivate and empower them to do His will.

God would pour out His Spirit on all peoples. The promise of the Spirit is now extended to be poured out on “all flesh”. Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. There would be no age, gender or class distinctions when the Spirit was poured out.

2). The Promise Of The Holy Spirit through John the Baptist. He prophesied that believers would be baptised by, or receive, the Holy Spirit. Mat 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. AND Mark 1:8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

3). The Promise of the Spirit by Jesus. He promised His followers that they would receive the Spirit of God after His resurrection. John 7:39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. After His resurrection and before His ascension to heaven He promised His followers, Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

4). The promise of the gift of the Spirit was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit came upon the disciples. Act_2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Peter’s explanation of the incident. The exalted Jesus received the gift of the Spirit and poured out the gift of the Spirit upon the church. Acts 2:33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he (Jesus) has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

5). How to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. By Asking God the Father for the gift. Luk_11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Through repentance and trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For whom is it available? Acts 2:39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

6). How does the Holy Spirit express His presence in the believer? The Fruit of the Spirit is the outward expression of the presence of the Holy Spirit in God’s people. Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The on-going Christian walk. Living by the Spirit. Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. AND Rom_8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

7). Will believers ever “lose” the Holy Spirit? No, believers are sealed with the Spirit. 2Co_1:22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Eph_1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, and Eph_4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Wrong behaviour by a believer might cause grief to the Holy Spirit but He will never be grieved into departing.

8). What does it mean to be “filled with the Holy Spirit?” That was God’s command through St Paul for His people to “be filled with the Spirit”, Eph 5:18. The verb for “be filled” is present continuous and means “keep on being filled” with the Holy Spirit. Some have suggested that “we leak” and so we need to be filled again and again (presumably with more of the Spirit). However the Holy Spirit is a person and so it is not always helpful to use that term. Rather it could mean that instead of relinquishing all of our lives to the control of the Lord, all the time, we take back control so that there are areas of our lives that are no longer under His control. To ask God to fill us with His Spirit means that we are placing everything in our lives under His control again. It’s a prayer we need to pray all the time.

9). What sort of prayer does one need to pray to be filled with the Spirit? God knows our hearts and desires, so our prayer can be as simple as this. “Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus Your Son died for me on the cross so that I could be forgiven. I thank You that when I asked Him into my life, You sealed me with Your Holy Spirit so that I belong to You forever. Fill every part of my life with Your Holy Spirit so that I can become more and more the person You want me to be, and do the things You want me to do. I ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN”

Blog No.075. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Tuesday 22nd May 2012

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074. The Assurance Of Salvation. A Reflection on 1John 5:9-13.

Have you heard things that seemed too good to be true?  Someone special who said to us for the first time, “Hey, I love you.”  Or someone said to us, “We want you on our team.” It could have been an invitation to join a sporting team. Or it could have been a work situation. We were thrilled to be recognised in this way. Life became different from that moment.
John in 1 Jn 5:9-13, tells us about a truth that is almost too good to believe. It is the truth that God has given to us “eternal life.” It sounds an interesting term because it is used more than 40 times in the New Testament, but what does it mean?

1).    “ETERNAL LIFE” . WHAT IS IT?
What does the word “eternal” mean? Does it mean living for ever and ever, so that we never die? In one of the Greek myths, the Goddess of the dawn, Eos (Aurora), fell in love with Tithonus a mortal youth.  She was given a wish. Her wish was that Tithonus would never ever die. But she forgot to ask that he not get any older. As time went on, he aged and became more and more decrepit. Life turned sour for their relationship. Eventually she locked him up before turning him into a grasshopper. The word “eternal” in the Bible doesn’t mean going on living for ever and ever like Tithonus in Greek mythology. Rather in the Bible it refers to a new quality of life, a whole new dimension of life which God gives us in Christ. We get some glimpses of this new quality of life in the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 36:25 and following, God promised His people that in the new covenant He would establish with them in the Age to come, He would give His people a new heart, and a new spirit. He would take away the hearts of stone among the people, and give them sensitive hearts of flesh, able to love Him and serve Him. He would put His Spirit in them to motivate and empower them to obey His laws and to do His will. They would be changed by the presence and power of God’s Spirit within them.
Jesus in John 14:23, spoke of what would happen after He had risen from the dead. He promised that He and the Father would take up their abode with the believers,  “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” That is, He and the Father would come and live with those who put their trust in Him, or in the words of The Lexham Bible, “will take up residence with him”.  A.T.Robertson’s ‘Word Pictures in the New Testament’ puts it thus,  “If the Holy Spirit ‘abides’ (menei, Joh_14:17) in you, that heart becomes a temple (naos) of the Holy Spirit (1Co_3:16.), and so a fit dwelling place for the Father and the Son, a glorious and uplifting reality.” 

Paul wrote of this new life in 2 Cor 5:17) “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” A new creation is that which only God can do, for He alone can create. The special Greek word used for “new” is “kainos” (which can mean brand-new) and not “neos” which means just a recent brushed-up version of the old. Paul is stating that when someone becomes a Christian, they are being made radically new, even though they may not know the full implications of the change God has begun in their lives.

When the Bible is talking about “eternal life”, it means the life of God within those who are open to receive it.  They are seen as being sharers of God’s own nature. Peter wrote in 2Peter 1:3 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
We as humans can live lives that are full of meaning and purpose, lives that are victorious over sin and evil, as we are filled with the life of God Himself as a present reality.

2).     HOW DO WE GET ETERNAL LIFE?
The Bible says we can’t earn it or do anything to deserve it. Paul wrote in Eph 2:8,9, “For it is by grace that you are saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.” We’re not born into it, nor can we work for it. It is a gift of God’s grace and mercy.
How do we obtain this gift? By receiving it where God has placed it. And it is to be found only in one place, and that is in the person of Jesus Christ Himself. That’s the message from our reading in 1 Jn 5:11, “For God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”  No wonder He could promise in His teaching that if people put their trust in Him, and came into a living relationship with Him, they would have eternal life. It’s theirs in Him.
There are many ways of describing what happens when people come to God. Some people express it in the way they have experienced it, often in terms they later found were in the Bible. For example some say that they came from darkness into the light of God. Others that they came from death into life. Others that they came from bondage to freedom. Yet others say that they once were lost but now are found. Perhaps the simplest way of expressing commitment, is in the picture given in 1 Jn 5:11-12. God offers us eternal life in Christ, and we have the choice whether to receive the gift in Him, or to reject the gift. That’s how many of us can describe our conversion, by saying that once we didn’t “have” Christ in our lives. But there came a time when we asked Him in, and we were changed by His presence in us.

3).  WHAT PREVENTS US FROM HAVING ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST?
i).   There are those who say it’s all too simplistic and simple. They may think that surely there must be a lot of things they can do and should do, to receive the gift of eternal life. It was hard for the people of Jesus’ day to understand that the way of acceptance with God, is through receiving a gift, rather than struggling to earn the privilege. Paul warns his readers not to get away from the simplicity that is in Christ.  He said that a veil lies over the minds of those who haven’t come to Christ, so that they don’t see. But when a person turns to the Lord in faith, it’s as though the veil is taken away and they can see the truth that Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah and that He is life.
Paul wrote that the message of the cross about a crucified Messiah, Jesus’ death, was a stumbling block to the Jews, and absolute nonsense to the non-Jews, the Gentiles. It’s only when Christ is received into a person’s life that spiritual understanding comes. ( The story is told of a minister with a doctorate in theology, suddenly stopping in the middle of the sermon he was preaching, as he suddenly understood the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection. Someone yelled out in the congregation, “Halleluiah, the preacher’s been converted.” He was, as he understood the gospel for the first time and was born again in the middle of his own sermon as he stood in the pulpit.

ii.   There may be others who feel unworthy. None of us will ever be worthy enough to receive eternal life. But the important thing is not what we feel about ourselves, but what Christ thinks about us. He chose willingly to come to this earth and to die for us to take away our sins and to enable us to be forgiven and receive new life. As Paul wrote, it was “while we were yet sinners that Christ came and died for us.” Rom 5:8.

iii.  There are those who don’t expect to meet with a living Jesus. Jesus once rebuked the Jews of his day who knew the word of God in the Scriptures, but didn’t receive Him. He said, (Jn 5:39,40), “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life, and they do bear witness to Me … But you refuse to come to me that you might have life.”  The Scriptures pointed away from themselves to Christ as the One in Whom people should trust for forgiveness and salvation, but they rejected Him.

Well how can one get in contact with Jesus to be able to receive Him into one’s life, and thus receive forgiveness, eternal life and all the blessings which are ours in Him? God has given us many word pictures in the Bible. The one that helped me when I chose to stop running away from God at the age of 23 is a word picture God gave to individuals in the church in Loadicea in Revelation 3. The picture God gave was of the risen Christ standing at the door of human lives and asking to be admitted, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” As we open the door of our lives to Jesus, He enters in. We now “have” the Son. As He enters our lives He brings with Him all the benefits of His life, death and resurrection.

I remember being excited by reading a comment by the theologian Jim Packer many years ago. It went something like this, “It is the living Christ Himself, the perfect Saviour for sinners, Who carries in Himself, all the virtue of His finished work on the cross.” It means that when we receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord, we receive in Him, all the benefits of His work on the cross. He receive in Him forgiveness for our sins, eternal life and all the blessings He wants to pour out on us as we become willing to receive them.  That’s why I preach Jesus as a person to be received rather than just forgiveness and healing, for all the promises of God to us, find their “Amen” in Him as a person. In receiving Him, we become open to receive what God has given us in Him.

4).   WILL HE COME INTO MY LIFE? 
Listen to what John promised to those who asked Christ into their lives in 1 Jn 5:13, “I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”  It is “have”, not “might have”. It is eternal life now, and not “pie in the sky when you die by and by.” It is eternal life, God’s life in you NOW. It is a life in which Christ can fill you with His presence, and can pour His grace into every area of need that you have. Death for the believer means entering more fully into the life we possess now in Him.
What will you do with Jesus? Leave Him standing at the door knocking and asking to come in? Or will you invite Him into your life? It’s not difficult to do. It can be as simple as praying, “Dear Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner, and that I need You as my Saviour. I thank You that You bore my sin on the cross. I thank You that You offer forgiveness for my sins in Yourself.  I thank You for knocking at the door of my life over these years. I now choose to ask You into my life. Come in today. Come in to stay. Lord, I believe Your promises. I believe that as I asked You in, that You did come in. Please enter into every area of my life, to bring Your cleansing and healing. Fill me with Your Spirit, and flood me with Your love and Your presence. By faith I give thanks for all that You are going to do in my life, now and in the days ahead. AMEN!

Blog No.074. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Monday 21st May 2012

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073. Christian Ministry. “Rust out? Burn out? Opt out? Is there another way?”

“Rust out?” It’s sad to see rusting hulks on ocean beaches. They were ships that once served a great purpose but eventually could not withstand the storms around them and were driven ashore. Now they are sad reminders of a foregone era. No wonder Christians who want to serve God don’t want to “rust out for God” so that they are no longer useful to Him or to others. No one wants to become a beached lifeless hulk.

“Burn out?” Again it is sad to see the burnt out shells of churches or other buildings. They too served a great purpose as buildings but now have nothing to offer.  Some folk may say that they would rather “burn out for God” instead of “rusting out.”  They want to go flat out for God. And try to do so. However many have succumbed to the pressures of ministry and have become like burnt out shells of their former selves. There may be many reasons for this. Sometimes it appears that some of those folk relied too much on their human abilities and gifts. They did go flat out for God but often it was not what God really required of them. Their priorities became disordered and their “work” became more important than their relationships with their spouses or families or even with the Lord Himself. Instead of being devoted to the Lord, they become devoted to the “job” as they imagined it to be. That becomes another form of idolatry.

“Opt out?” No wonder others want to “opt out” when they see the damage that has taken place in the lives of some of their friends. Jonah was one who wanted to “opt out” of serving the Lord. But he learned that whenever you try to run away from the will of God, you can’t run away from Him. As the song says, “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.” He watches over us as we place our lives in His hands. He watches us go as we move away from Him and from His will for us. He is there for us when we arrive at the place to which we think we have ‘escaped’ from Him. Watching. Waiting. Wooing. Welcoming, when we turn back to Him and to His will for us.

“Another way?” Is there an alternative to “rusting out”, “burning out” or “opting out”? There is a clue in the RSV translation of Rom 12:11, Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. The Message translation likewise has it as, Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. The word for “aglow” is (ζέω) zéō which can mean to bubble or boil and has the meaning to be fervent. The only other occurrence of the word in the New Testament is in Acts 18:25 where Luke describes Apollos as fervent in spirit or in the words of The Message, fiery in his enthusiasm. The Apostolic Bible Polyglot uses the word, “bubbling in the spirit” in both verses. The picture that comes to mind is that in Exodus 3:2, where it describes the burning bush, And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.

Many of us want to be aglow for God, fiery in our enthusiasm, God’s light shining through us brightly. But it has to be His light, not ours. The energy has to come from Him, not us. We can be the bush aglow with the light or glory of God, but we are not meant to be consumed, burnt up. If we are then there must be too much of self in what we are doing. The power has to come from His unlimited resources and not from our own limited ones.  St Paul understood this. He wrote about true Christian ministry and living as being motivated and empowered by God Himself, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Phil 2:12-15. He motivates. He empowers. We shine with His light as a result of what HE is doing in and through us.

When St Paul understood this he saw that he needed to come to the end of own resources and rely on Christ’s resources in him. As he put it (and as we long to express it ourselves), I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20.  So too do we need to die to self and live to Him, or in Paul’s words, let Him live His life in and through us!

Blog No.073.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Saturday 5th May 2012

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072. Christian Ministry. Our Ability Or Our Availability?

Christian ministry is what God does through His people who are available to Him.

Success in ministry is not dependent on the ability of His people.

Rather it is dependent on their availability to Him so that He can use them as He wishes, to accomplish through them what He desires.

My short Mini-Reflection:  “Success in Christian ministry is dependent not on our human ability but on our availability to His ability in and through us by His Spirit.” 

Blog No. 072. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Friday 4th May 2012

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071. God Can Heal The Mess We Get Into. “Repent. Return. Receive.” Acts 3:12-26

What do you do when you realise you have done something terribly wrong and you know are going to cop the inevitable consequences? You start to panic or else you do some very serious thinking, “How can I get out of the mess I got myself into?”

That was the situation of the Jews we read about in Acts 3. They had earlier demanded that Jesus be crucified. He HAD then been crucified but there had been reports that God had raised Him from the dead on the third day. If that were so then it meant that the Jews of that time had killed their long-promised Messiah. So here they are in Acts 3 looking at a lame man who had been healed by the apostles. How had they healed him? By calling on the name of Jesus. It meant that Jesus was indeed alive. He had risen as Lord. He had returned to heaven. He had sent his Holy Spirit on the apostles and others to empower them. He could answer prayer asked in His name. What a mess these Jews were in! Guilty before God. Was there any escape for them?

Peter challenged them in 3 ways. He told them:-

1).  YOU MEN OF ISRAEL (of that time) ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR JESUS’ DEATH.  Acts 3:12-15. (12)  And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? (13)  The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. (14)  But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,(15)  and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

He told them that they (as men of Israel) had  put Jesus to death. They thought, as men of Israel,  that Jesus should be killed for claiming to be the Son of God.  But that wasn’t what their God, the God of Israel thought. Their God raised Him from the dead after they had Him killed! Jesus was indeed the Son of God!  In these verses we note how Peter rammed home their guilt. They had delivered Jesus over; they had denied Him before Pilate; they had rejected the choice given to them by Pilate to set Jesus free. Instead they had chosen a murderer to be released to them;  they had put to death the author of life. It was guilt upon guilt upon guilt.

How about ourselves? It’s no use our going, “Tut! Tut!” in condemning them. We too were involved in His death. It was our sins as part of all the sins of the world that nailed Him to the cross.  We helped put Him to death through our sins. They were guilty. We too are guilty before God. As Peter put it in 1Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

2).        JESUS IS RISEN AND ACTIVE IN HIS WORLD. (Healing Through The Name Of The Risen Jesus).  3:16-18. (16)  And his name–by faith in his name–has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

A healing miracle had taken place before their eyes. Jesus had been asked to bring healing to a lame man, and the healing had taken place. God’s power was released into the man’s body as Peter and John prayed in the name of Jesus. It was another proof that Jesus had risen from the dead. Healing could take place in His name.  They had seen it happen to a lame man. There was power in the name of Jesus.

3).  THE NEED TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS.  3:17-19. (17)  Peter continued, “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (18)  But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. If they had known who Jesus was as their Messiah they would not have killed Him.  Paul made the same point in 1Cor 2:7. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8  None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  They didn’t recognise that their Messiah had to suffer and die on the cross to take away the sins of the world. They were accountable. They would have known of many Old Testament prophecies which had predicted that the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One had to suffer and die.

Peter told them how to get out of their serious problem. He gave them two things to do, and then encouraged them with the good news of what would happen if they obeyed those 2 commands. These same two commands are applicable to us today. So is the good news if we too obey those same commands.

The Two Commands. (19)  Repent therefore, and turn again. What did that mean for them? What does it mean for us?

i).  Repentance. The word means a lot more than simply feeling sorry about what we said or did. It is a lot more than feeling deep remorse like Judas Iscariot did after he betrayed Jesus. It is a change of mind accompanied by a change of direction in life. It is recognising the sinfulness of sin and turning from that sin to God to ask for His mercy. Judas didn’t do that. He didn’t turn to God. His was not true repentance.

ii).        Turning again. (From sin to God. The Greek word is epistrepho.) This word is used often in Acts to show the change needed in those who trust in Jesus. Some examples are as follows:-

In Acts 9:33-34, Peter said to Aeneas who was paralysed, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” When the residents saw him healed, they turned to the Lord.

In Acts 11:19-21 we read of men of Cyprus and Cyrene travelling with Stephen to Antioch. They preached Christ to the Hellenists. We read the result, Act 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

When Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra in Acts 14:15 people bowed down to them. Paul responded, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.

At the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, mention was made of the Gentiles who were coming into the Christian faith.  It raised the question as to whether they should be accepted into the Christian family as they were or should they be forced to adopt Jewish rites and ceremonies first. James was given the answer, Acts 15:19  “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles. 

So we see  in these references that repentance demands a change of mind and also a change in direction. It is turning away from sin AND turning to trust fully in God and in Jesus with all that one is and has.

Three Results follow from obedience to these two commands.

i).         Forgiveness of sins. (that your sins may be blotted out).

  • The debt to God is cancelled. (We see forgiveness in action in Mat 18:27, The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.)
  • The record of sins is blotted out.
  • Forgiveness is available in Jesus for every sin. Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood the forgiveness of our sins. 

We too can know that all our sins, past, present and future are covered (forgiven) by the blood of Jesus as we receive Jesus in whom all that forgiveness is to be found.

 ii).        Refreshment by the Holy Spirit of God(20)  that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. This noun occurs only here in the New Testament. The verb form though is used in 2Tim1:16 to describe the refreshment that Onesiphorus brought to Paul in prison, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

A similar reference is to be found in Titus,   Tit 3:4  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, 5  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

Christian believers have experienced the sense of being washed, cleansed, being born again, coming alive, being renewed, as God poured out His Holy Spirit upon them. It’s the experience that those who obey those two commands enjoy as they commit themselves to the Living Lord.

 iii).       We are Made Ready for the Coming of Christ. (and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus).  Instead of being fearful at His coming, believers could look forward to Him coming in glory as forgiven, renewed children of God. What a relief that would have meant for the men of Israel of that time.  If He were to return in their life-time they no longer had any reason to fear His coming, if they did what Peter had commanded.

We too as His saved people can look forward to His coming with the same confidence, as He comes to take us to be with Him forever. It will be the final episode of our salvation. We recognise that in our Holy Communion services when we say together these three phrases in the table below. To the right of those phrases are the various aspects of salvation that they represent.

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
We are saved from the penalty of sin
We are being saved from the power of sin
We will be saved from the very presence of sin.

Praise God that if we find ourselves in a mess before God that we too can find the same way out as those Jews in Acts 3, by obeying those same 2 commands, that is by repenting of our sin and turning to God by trusting in Jesus His Son the Messiah and our Saviour.

Praise God we can know the same results if we do. 

  • We can be forgiven of all our sin through what Jesus has done on the cross.
  • We can be refreshed by the Holy Spirit as we comes to indwell us
  • We are made ready for Jesus‘ coming to take us to be with Him in glory.

In the words of one of our songs, Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Blog No.071. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Wednesday 25th April 2012

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070. “From Doubt To Belief!” John 20:19-31.

Have you ever noticed how our strength can become our weakness?  Because we rely upon our strength in a particular area, it can become an area in which we are found wanting. A footballer who relies upon his normal fitness, and who doesn’t train hard, finds that as the game continues he can see the opportunities but his body is not fit enough to respond. Or it might be a person blessed with good health who fails to undergo the precautionary medical tests that could warn of impending trouble.

It could be the very gifted preacher who relies on his natural speaking ability and fails to wait on God for the message God wants him to speak. He speaks well but there is no power or authority behind the words. Ministry is more about availability to God than about our natural ability.

1).        THOMAS’ STRENGTH.  He had a strong will

His strength was that he wasn’t willing to be swept along in any religious movement. He wasn’t gullible. He wouldn’t be easily deceived. The world needs people like that who can look at all the options and then make the right choices. They are not easily carried away on the spur of the moment. We see this in Thomas earlier in the ministry of Jesus, when Jesus told them that He was going to wake up Lazarus from sleep. He meant that He was going to bring Lazarus back to life. Thomas recognized that Jesus would be walking into dangerous situation.

With either pessimism or with a clear view of reality, he told the other disciples, “Let’s also go with Him, that we may die with Him.”  Thomas looked at all the options and expected the worst, he could die along with Jesus. But he was still willing to go with Jesus.  He may have been a pessimist, but a courageous one.

But Thomas’ apparent strength was also his weakness. When Jesus appeared to the 10 apostles on that first Easter evening, Thomas was for some reason absent.  We’re not told why he wasn’t there. Some have speculated that he may have felt that he was strong and didn’t need the fellowship of the others. Others have thought that he may have been disillusioned because Jesus had been killed, and it looked as though the whole Jesus movement was going to end. Perhaps He wondered whether he had been deceived after all. He may even have thought that if the plan was to kill Jesus, then the disciples would be the next to go. It was safer not to be near the other disciples.

What we do know is that he wasn’t there when Jesus appeared to these 10 apostles, and showed them His hands and His side. He missed out on seeing the wounds in His hands and His side which showed them that this was Jesus of Nazareth risen from the dead. When Thomas later heard that the 10 had seen Jesus, and that they had touched His hands and His side, Thomas’ strength again became his weakness. He wouldn’t believe them unless he could personally put his own finger into the wounds in Jesus’ side and hands. (Verse 25.)

2).        THOMAS’ SINCERITY A GOOD VIRTUE

The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” Verse 25.  But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” That is, “I won’t believe until it becomes my personal experience.”  No second hand faith for Thomas.

We read that one week later Jesus again appeared to them in the upper room, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst, and then singled out Thomas. He answered all of Thomas’ demands.

Thomas’ specific demands a week before
Jesus’ specific answers (commands)
1. Unless I see in His hands the prints of the nails.
1. See my hands.
2. and put my finger in the mark of the nails    
2.put your finger here
3. put my hand into His side.
Place your hand in my side
4. I will not believe
4 Be no longer unbelieving, but believing
For each demand of Thomas there was a command of Jesus.

There may be doubts that come into our minds from time to time, but we are meant to deal with them and not let them continue on.  For every doubt in our minds, there is a corresponding truth in Jesus. Does that mean that we can be sincere doubters, Doubting Thomases, and God doesn’t mind? No! Jesus said, “Be no longer unbelieving (a doubter), but now believe.” That is “The time for doubting is over, Thomas; you have been confronted personally with the truth. Now you are commanded to believe.”

One of the great sadnesses in the latter part of last century was a book written by a senior Bishop in England in which he expressed many of his doubts about the Christian faith. It was a book that should never have been written by one in a position of leadership in the church. God doesn’t want His church leaders to parade their doubts publicly, but to deal with them in private. Then when they are free of their doubts, they can once again affirm the great truths of the Christian faith.  If they don’t deal with their doubts they shouldn’t continue on in ministry. When such leaders go public about their doubts, it endangers the lives of missionaries working in countries hostile to the gospel. It also makes it so much more difficult for a faithful wife and mother to try to bring up her children in the faith when  the leaders express doubts.

How did Jesus treat Thomas? He didn’t say to Thomas,” Good to have you on side as one of my followers. Sorry that you can’t really believe that I am risen from the dead, but just tag along with the others anyway.” No! His word was uncompromising. “Don’t continue in unbelief, but be believing. You have been confronted with the evidence, now act on it.” God never says in the scriptures, “Please try to believe in me if you can. But if you can’t, I’ll respect your sincerity.” 

No! He says in His word, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,  31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31. There’s enough evidence around to convince any sceptic of the truth of Christ, if they act upon the truth they have available to them.

3).    When Thomas Was Sure, He Committed Himself Fully. 20:28

Thomas cried out, Jn 20:28. “My Lord and my God.” It was not, “You are the Lord, the Ruler of the Universe.” Nor was it, “You are the God, the maker of the world and of all mankind.”  Rather he cried out, “You are MY Lord. You are MY God.” He was submitting himself to Christ as his personal Lord and Maker.  It was more than believing the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. There is a massive difference between “believing about” and “trusting in”.

For example, Jesus is the Saviour of the World, but He doesn’t become MY Saviour until I admit that I need a Saviour and ask Him personally into my life. In Hebrews. Jesus is described as the new and living way into the presence of God. But I can’t come into the presence of God until I enter into that new and living way through Jesus. There is no other way.  Christ died for the sins of the whole world, but I am forgiven of nothing until I ask Christ to be my sin-bearer and personal Saviour. Christ has offered to share with us His love, His joy and His peace, but they don’t become mine in my experience, until I receive Him, and open myself to receive these blessings in Him. God offers to answer our prayers, but we only get the answers when we pray with belief and with no doubt. “James wrote, Jas 1:6-8 “When a person asks, he must believe and not doubt…..”

How does this passage relate to us? Jesus said we as believers are blessed. He pronounced a blessing upon those who would not see as Thomas did, but who would nevertheless believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jn 20:29. That’s you and me, if we hear the truth about Christ and choose to act upon that truth. The truth that He is risen from the dead. The truth that He is alive. The truth that He can be alive in us by His Holy Spirit who  comes to indwell us when we trust in Christ. The truth that He can impart His life to us, so that we can say with all sincerity, ” I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in this human body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Sometimes we sing an old hymn which has the words. “I serve a Risen Saviour, He’s in the world today I know that He is living, whatever men may say, I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him, He’s always near. The chorus ends, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” Doubt goes when we personally commit ourselves to Jesus the Risen Lord, and make Him the Lord, Master, of our hearts.

Any doubts about Jesus? Time to get rid of them, to repent of sin, and ask Him into your life. Then and only then can He fill you with the certainty of His love and His presence. Notice how John ends this chapter, Joh 20:30-31  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; (31)  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The evidence is there. It is there for us to act on. Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God. He is the Saviour of the world. But He only becomes those things to us when we receive him into our lives by an act of faith. Believing brings life, eternal life, God’s life in us

Blog No.070. Jim Holbeck.  Posted on Tuesday 17th April 2012

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069. Easter Day. “The Resurrection of Jesus. A New Life With New Possibilities”. Acts 10:34-48

Easter Day is the most important festival in this world. It is the most significant festival for humans in every age. We cannot lessen its significance for humans by ignoring it or by ceasing to observe it. There is something about Easter that challenges us “to our back teeth” as they say. Why is it more important than other festivals? It is because of what happened at that first Easter and the implications arising from what took place then.

Easter is more important than Christmas. Jesus the Son of God (the Creator) was born into this world on that first Christmas Day in the form of an infant. He was to be called “Jesus” meaning “Saviour” for He would save His people from their sins. He was born to die for the whole human race. More personally He was born to die for you and me. But His lowly birth introduced Him into a more significant role.

Easter is more important than Good Friday. The latter was the day on which Jesus was crucified. He died as the Saviour on the cross bearing the sins of all the world.  Paul described Him as the Passover lamb, 1Cor 5:7 …. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  But if he hadn’t risen from the dead it would meant that evil had triumphed over goodness; death had triumphed over life; and that death was the end for all people. There would be nothing beyond death. But St Paul reminded us that the death of Jesus was followed by His resurrection from the dead.  1Cor 15:3-8, (3)  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4)  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (5)  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (6)  Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.(7)  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.(8)  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  He made the point that if Jesus had not been raised from the dead, life would have no meaning or purpose. 1Cor 15:17-18, And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (18)  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 

Easter Day reminds us that Jesus who was born to die, did indeed die but He rose again as the victor over sin, over evil, over death and over the powers of darkness which try to destroy us. On Good Friday Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished”. His work of redemption had been completed. He had borne the penalty for the sins of whole world.  As someone once said, “The resurrection is the  ‘AMEN’ of the Father to the ‘It is finished’ of the Son (on the cross).”  The resurrection was the evidence that Jesus had accomplished what He had come to do through His life and His death. God was satisfied with what Jesus had done on the cross to deal with human sin and rebellion.  He raised Him from the dead. With that in mind we look at the reading from Acts 10 for a few moments.

In Acts 10 Peter had come to the home of a Gentile (non-Jewish) man. These Gentiles wanted to know more about Jesus. Peter gave them a thumb-sketch of Jesus’ ministry. He gave these salient points.

1).   Jesus Was Anointed By God To Minister On Earth. Acts 10:34-48.  (34)  Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, (35)  but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (36)  You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all. (37)  That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: (38)  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. (39)  We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem.    Jesus’ ministry was done under the anointing and the empowering of the Holy Spirit.  He healed the sick. He healed all those oppressed by the devil. “Oppressed” is katadunasteúō (“dynasty” is from the same root) meaning to rule, tyrannize, control harshly). How did He accomplish this victory? For God was with Him. As Jesus explained in John 14:10, the Father was behind every facet of his ministry in His words and works, Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

2).        Jesus Was Killed By Humans. 39b. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. That was the meaning behind the events on Good Friday. Jesus became a human so that He might live as a human, and die as a human at the hands of humans, for humans. But that wasn’t the end of Him. Death could not hold Him down.

 3).        Jesus Was Raised From The Dead. 40-41.  God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, (41)  not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He was really alive on that first Easter day. He was no phantom or ghost.  Hundreds of people saw Him as risen from the dead on different occasions. Jesus was and is a living Saviour!

 4). Jesus Wanted Everyone to Know He is Going to Judge Them. 42-43.  Peter told his hearers, (42)  He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.  Jesus is the Creator of this universe.  He is the Saviour of all who put their trust in Him for salvation. He is to be the judge of every human being ever born. God’s judgment isn’t the topic you would normally introduce initially to those looking seriously at the faith. But Peter immediately added the good news, that Jesus is the one who brings forgiveness to those who believe in Him, (43) All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Remember that Peter was in a Gentile (non-Jewish) home sharing the good news about Jesus with Gentile people. They had gone to all the trouble to find out about this Jesus by bringing Peter to this home to tell them about Jesus. They were open to the gospel, open to the good news about Jesus. Open to all the good news including the fact that Jesus saves believers from the coming judgment of God.

Something amazing happened as Peter was speaking. It often happens when people are open to the gospel message, and open to Jesus. We read what happened, (44)  While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. (45)  The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, (46)  for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.  They had sovereignly been born again of the Spirit of God. They now had forgiveness of their sins in Christ. They now belonged to the people of God.  As such they could be baptised into the faith and into the family of God. Then Peter said, (47)  “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”(48)  So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter was saying, “They belong to God. We as Jewish believers and they as Gentile believers belong to the same family of God. We belong to one another in Him.” So they were baptised as a sign that they already belonged!

Historically it meant that Jesus (who had risen from the dead and ascended back to heaven) had poured out the Holy Spirit on the first disciples on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. He had then poured out the same Holy Spirit on the Gentiles who believed in Him in Acts 10.   He continues to pour out His Spirit on those who are open to the gospel and open to the living Christ even today. He is ALIVE and He can become ALIVE IN US as we believe in Him and ask Him into our lives.

Blog No.069. Jim Holbeck. Posted on (Easter Day) Sunday 8th April 2012

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068. Lenten Studies in Philippians. Part 7. “Focussing On The Good For Victory”. Phil 4:8-23.

No one wants to be a failure in life. We long to be successful in achieving our goals. Christian believers have the same desire, to be successful in living lives that reflect their commitment to Christ. We see in this chapter that success comes from having the right focus in life at all times. To have the right focus in life can bring mental peace and moral and spiritual victory. Having a wrong focus can bring mental chaos and moral and spiritual defeat. Paul here writes about the right focus that is needed in every area of life.

1). FOCUSSING ON THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE. 8-10
i.  Focussing on good things. (8) Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable–if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise–dwell on these things.  It’s so easy to get depressed by avidly reading the newspapers and magazines and watching negative stuff on TV and then sharing it with others. Bad news sells. That’s why papers are full of it. Rubbish doesn’t edify or build people up. We need to take our focus off those things and concentrate on the good things in life, on God Who is truth, on Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life, on the Holy Spirit who enlightens us to be able to understand the truth and on the Bible which is the revealed truth of God. When we do so we are living in the realm of reality and not fantasy or falsehood which is characteristic of so much in our media and culture.

ii. Focussing on Good people. You can get disappointed or frustrated in life when you can’t find any role models to follow. Many are crying out, “Oh for reality!” Those frustrated by the failures of those in politics long to find some politician who tells the truth rather than lies. They are looking for real people and not just those who twist truth to their own advantage.
A focus on Paul himself.  Paul saw himself as a role model in the sense that his life was patterned on Jesus. (9) Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.  Paul had previously written in 1Cor 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. He believed he was a person of integrity because he followed the example of Christ. In this letter in Php 3:17 he encouraged his readers to follow his example and also the examples of all those who like him, kept their eyes on Jesus. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 

A focus on the Philippians. Paul recognised that the Philippians had once been very supportive of his ministry. Later they had fallen behind in their support. However they had now renewed their concern for him.  (10) I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me, but lacked the opportunity to show it. Paul forgave their neglect of him in the past. He now focused on the good they were doing to him.

The challenge to us. Do we do the same in focussing on the good that people are doing for us or do we focus on their  failures?  The former brings gratitude to God and to the people concerned. The latter focus brings disillusionment and discontent.

2). FOCUSSING ON GOD’S PROVISION IN EVERY SITUATION. 11- 13
i. Paul was focussed on the Lord for His provision. Because of that he had learned a valuable lesson. The secret of contentment – to trust God in every situation in life. (11) I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. (12) I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content–whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.
Paul was able to be content in changing circumstances because he saw that there was something stable behind everything that was happening. That stability came from an unchanging God who says of Himself , “I the Lord, do not change.” Mal 3:6.

ii. Paul was focussed on the Lord for strength to live as he should. (13) I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.  The emphasis here is not on Paul who could do all things through Christ. Rather it was on the Christ who gave him the strength to do the things God wanted Him to do. Paul warned the Corinthians about trusting in their own strength, 1Cor 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. The strong person is the person like Paul who realised that he had to look to God in every situation for the strength to live as he should.

3).   FOCUSSING ON THE HUMAN INSTRUMENTS OF GOD’S PROVISION. 14-18
Paul remembered how the Lord had provided for him in prison. But he also took time to remember the human instruments that God had used to bring that provision. (14) Still, you did well by sharing with me in my hardship.15) And you, Philippians, know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.16) For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times. 17) Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that is increasing to your account. 18) But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided–a fragrant offering, a welcome sacrifice, pleasing to God.
These words provide a challenge for us. Do we remember with gratitude the human instruments God has used in bringing blessing and support to us throughout our lives?
In honouring them we are honouring what God Himself did through them. To ignore what they have done is to take God’s grace for granted. It ignores what God was doing through those human instruments.

Incidentally this also explains why sometimes church growth is not as rapid as we might think it should be. A new minister comes into a parish or ministry and wants to make his own mark in ministry. Nothing wrong with that. One wants to do what one can do in extending the kingdom of God through one’s ministry. However there is a temptation to ignore what has been happening in ministry in that parish or ministry situation and to begin afresh. Sometimes it even happens that the previous ministry is denigrated or undervalued by the “new kid on the block”.   However if it is true as I believe that ministry is what God does through His available people then to denigrate a previous ministry is to denigrate what God has done. If we fail to  honour what God has done, it may be that God will fail to honour our ministry because we are looking at how our ministry is superior to the previous one. But as Jesus told His followers, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” We all need a big dose of humility in ministry in recognising that God works through the humble and the available, not the arrogant who make themselves unavailable to Him. How do they do that? By focussing on what they are doing in ministry rather than on the Lord who needs to to be allowed to give the direction and the consequent empowering to any ministry.

4).   FOCUSSING ON THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S PROVISION. 19- 23
Paul saw that all needs can be met from God’s unsearchable riches. (19) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Paul uses the term “riches of glory” several times in his writings, Rom 9:23, Eph 3:16, here in Php 4:19 and in Col 1:27. However he describes them in Eph 2:7 as being “immeasurable riches of his grace” and in Eph 3:8 as the “unsearchable riches” of Christ.
Paul’s firm conviction was that no matter what the need of a believer may be, God’s grace is more than sufficient to meet that need. What God had done for Paul even in prison He  would do for the Philippians. That was Paul’s strong belief based on the promises of God and on his own experience of  God’s grace.

Blog. No.068. Jim Holbeck. Posted on (Good) Friday 6th April 2012

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