PPic: Oberon Golf Course - Links Pro Am 2006

PGA Chaplain Bible Studies

Study 8 - March 3rd to March 9th 2008.
Reading – John Chapter Ch14: verses 1 to 6.

With Christ!

Jesus said to the disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Fathers house are many rooms; if this were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.”  John Chapter 14: verses 1 to 3. (New International Version)

Last week I took a small group of junior golfers away for the weekend. Before they settled in to watch a movie on Saturday night we had a sharing session where I asked them a question about me. I asked them (knowing I am a minister) what they thought a minister was most passionate about? Many answers came like the church and God, but none came close to what I was most passionate about, which was my relationship to Jesus Christ.

It is amazing how many times people talk about being Christian without any reference to Jesus Christ. How they do that astounds me.
I shared with my junior friends that Christianity is based on our relationship to Christ; what we believe about him and how we seek to follow Jesus. I shared with them my passion that is above all else is to be one with Christ, to embrace him as Lord and as my Saviour and to follow him.

In our reading this week from John Chapter 14 Jesus is having his last conversation with his disciples before his arrest. He is urging his followers as they experience the turmoil of Judas betrayal and the for-telling of Peter’s denial to trust in God and in him (Jesus) when things will shortly turn bad. His arrest, trial, and death are moments away.

Jesus speaks to the disciples in these few verses of an eternal future with him in a mansion that is a pictorial description of heaven. Jesus has promised eternal life to all who believe in him many times throughout John’s record of Jesus’ teachings. Here in our reading Jesus speaks of leaving and preparing a place and then returning to gather his followers to be with him. This eternal life or as we might call heaven is about being with Christ. (see verse 3)

It surprises me again that when people speak of heaven they often speak of being re-united with their loved ones rather than Christ.. This is not in any way to suggest this will not happen, but this speaks more about our desires and what our loved one’s mean to us.

What about those who have no family on earth who are believers? Who will they be re-united with? On the contrary the bible speaks of all believers being with Christ together, where we expect our loved one’s who followed Christ will be as well.

My hope in ministry is that we would listen to the words of Jesus more and grow in our relationship with him.  After all the word Christian comes from the word Christ. It is a serious error that Christ and what we think is a Christian has been separated in many people’s minds, beliefs and actions.

Prayer.
Heavenly Father, help us to trust you when things are hard and to look forward to the day when we will be with Jesus in our heavenly mansions. Amen.

Upcoming Events

Click event for more details.

Wyong Trainee Pro-Am.

Venue: Wyong Golf Cub
Date: Monday 17th November.
Cost: $50
Tee Time: 7:30am and
12 noon shotgun start.
Contact: Graham on 02 9740 9069
or email.

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