One of the link-mission agencies that BAC supports financially and prayerfully is Compassion. The mission of Compassion Australia is: “To challenge, partner and equip the Church to release children from spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional poverty in Jesus’ name”. Compassion is “Christ-centred, child-focused and church-based”.

There are many agencies that work to alleviate poverty around the world, and the desperate needs demand a diversity of approaches. One distinctive of Compassion is that they are explicitly Christian and unembarrassed about Jesus. Rather than “secularise” their ministry for the sake of government funding, they fundraise from generous Christians and partner with local churches to meet both physical and spiritual needs.

The best way to get involved with Compassion is to sponsor a child. You will be able to exchange letters and encourage your sponsor child spiritually as well as physically. Today we have a table where you can find the details about child sponsorship. Please pray that Compassion will be used by God to address both temporal and eternal suffering.

Your Pastor,

Wayne – wayne@schuller.id.au

A follower of Christ is to be holy in two different ways. Firstly we are declared to be holy in status because of the cross. Secondly, we are to live this out by pursuing holiness and godliness in our lifestyle. Christ’s blood makes us holy, therefore be holy.

These two aspects are captured beautifully in Hebrews 10:14:

“By one sacrifice Jesus has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy”

Christ’s blood declares us to be holy and perfect before God, we are now in the process of being made holy in our day to day lives.

This is not an option. We must fight sin and worldliness. Hebrews 12:14 is clear:

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no-one will see the Lord”

Are you pursuing holiness in Christ? Are you pursuing sanctification of every part of your week? Meditate on this truth: Without holiness no-one will see the Lord!

Your Pastor,

Wayne -  wayne@schuller.id.au

The gathering of church on each Lord’s Day is not to be a duty, though it is a discipline. It is not something to be endured, but is a delight to joyfully celebrate the risen Saviour with all God’s people.

The Spirit of God joins knits us together in an invisible spiritual reality. We are all those for whom the blood of Christ was shed and has powerfully freed us from slavery to sin.

The great Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing from a German prison in the time of Hitler, spoke powerfully of the privilege of Christian fellowship:

So between the death of Christ and the Last Day it is only by a gracious anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged to live in visible fellowship with other Christians. It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the Gospel in heathen lands stand alone. They know that visible fellowship is a blessing.

Week by week we have the great privilege of anticipating the return of Christ together, don’t take this privilege for granted! And remember those who cannot receive this blessing.

Your Pastor,

Wayne Schuller – wayne@schuller.id.au

The will of God is that we are to be a praying people.

God is more glorified when we bring the same petitions to him with enduring faith and not give up.

Jesus told the parable of the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18) to illustrate perseverance in prayer. If an unjust judge will answer the constant requests of a widow, how much more will God our Father in heaven respond when we persevere in prayer!

Please be constant in praying for yourself, your family, our church, and the not-yet-Christians around you.

Pray with boldness in the name of Jesus, knowing that his blood has opened full access to the throne of grace.

Experience God like you never have before, by growing in dependence on him in constant prayer.

Your Pastor,

Wayne Schuller – wayne@schuller.id.au

We often speak of major historical events as being ‘world-changing’. At Easter we celebrate the impact of the death and resurrection of Jesus:

Easter is historical. We have gospel eyewitness accounts and also Roman accounts of the death of Jesus and the reports of his resurrection. Many died for holding true to what they saw with their own eyes.

Easter is powerful. The gospel of Jesus’ death is the power of God for salvation. There is nothing more powerful than resurrection from the dead!

Easter is universal. The purpose of Jesus’ death was to make him Saviour and Lord of all nations. Jesus turns no-one away who calls on his name.

Easter is personal. We all work hard to deny our mistakes, or repair them, or make amends. But ultimately we need to put all our personal evils beneath the cross of Jesus – only his blood can cleanse and save. Wash me Saviour or I die!

Easter truly is the weekend that changed the world!

Your Pastor,

Wayne Schuller – wayne@schuller.id.au