Queen's Road Cell

I asked questions I had picked up from the last Disciplesmaking Task Force (DMTF) meeting. There was a comment there as to how SG leaders had perhaps failed to provide spiritual leadership when faced with 2 circumstances: whether it is right to tell a white lie, and whether it was appropriate for someone mourning a family member to join in a Lunar New Year 'lo hei' celebration. Eugene defined white lies well as lies intended to minimize adverse consequences. They are, I think, also lies where it is hard to verify the truth. They are generally thought to be harmless when believed. Amelia noted that Scripture sometimes commend white lies. There is the case of Rahab (Joshua 2:1ff) who lied and was commended for it (Heb 11:31). Even Jesus' oblique comment in John 7:8, though capable of being interpreted figuratively or as a "I am not yet going", could have been easily misconstrued. The Bible approves of battle tactics that deceive one's enemies. Many of us readi...

Download sermon audio file here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wzkrp7flphsquy/English%20-%2026%20March%202017.mp3?dl=0 Good morning church. I would like to thank the choir for that beautiful rendition and helping us to begin thinking a little bit about peace – how we are God’s agents of peace. Before I begin I would like to thank the pastors for the opportunity to preach the Word today. It is a great responsibility for any preacher of the Word to speak truth, because the Word tells us that teachers of the Word will be judged more strictly. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any 2 edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Let us open this time with a word of prayer. Dear Lord, we pray for Your wisdom to understand Your Word, and may the Holy Spirit illuminate our minds to grasp the truths of the Word, and quicken our hearts to live out the truths we learn today, that we may be doers of th...

We asked how it was that we could claim the promise of Abraham for ourselves, far removed from him in time and space. Romans 4:11-17 tells us that we are Abraham's children if we display the same faith he had unto salvation. We also are saved by God's promise to Abraham because it was from the Jewish people that the Christ was born (c.f. Ro 9:5). So the blessings to "all the families of the earth" through Abraham come to us both physically (in Christ's human descent) and spiritually. The connection between this promise to Abraham and the Great Commission in Matt 28:18-20 is simply that it is through the making of disciples (one-off baptism and continuous 'teaching to observe' Jesus' commands) that the blessings to the world are realized. We Christians therefore are not merely the recipients and end-products of the promised blessing - we are the vehicles - the means by which the blessing to the world is put in effect. We pass on what we have receive...

Introduction The sixth beatitude has been called “one of the greatest utterances to be found anywhere in the realm of Holy Scripture”.” The vision of God has always been regarded by God’s people at the greatest good... To ‘see God’ is the whole purpose of all religion” (Lloyd-Jones). So we come reverently and humbly, because today we are approaching God’s holy presence. 1.        What does it mean to be pure in heart? a)       It means to be inwardly whole The heart in Jewish thought is the centre of our personality; the inner man. It is the centre and source of all we are and do (Prov 4:23). The heart is the seat of the will, emotions and intellect . So Jesus says, “ 21  For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come” (Mk 7:21). The heart is not our feelings alone – so it is not contrasted to the brain as in popular culture. “Follow your heart” (i.e. don’t think, just act on your feeli...