Christ Church Jerusalem

Amos tells us to seek God and live but so often we simply seek to live [in ease]. We live in nice houses, we eat nice food and enjoy our time of leisure and, in seeking to live, we forget to actually seek God. Now, there isn’t anything wrong with boisterous singing or sleeping in a nice bed, but Amos asks several hard questions of us: Are we forgetting that God will judge? Are we exploiting and ha...

When The Good Shepherd seeks a shepherd after His own Heart. When the first king of Israel fails to obey the Lord fully, God seeks for a king after His own heart. David was anointed as a boy but needed to be raised up to be king. Through many trials David learned how to trust in the Lord and to Shepherd the flock of God. The great lesson in life is to become more like Jesus who is the Good Shepher...

Gospel Change | Yoel Ben David In this talk Yoel explains what Gospel change is and how we can be transformed by it. As he goes through John 4, we discover the breadth, process, and power of Gospel change as well as how Jesus reaches down to the very bottom of our hearts. Readings: Third Sunday in Lent Ps 73:21-28, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with...

Amos declared that the Day of the Lord would be terrifying. We’ve seen that Israel had turned from God to seek their own wealth, their own pleasure, and their own religion. Because they sought their own at the expense of those who were poor, the slaves, and the widows, God would bring His own justice upon Israel. So what should we do? Instead of waiting for the day of the Lord, seek Him now. Seek...

Born Again. Been There, Done That? The call of Abraham and his growing faithfulness provides the perfect context for the encounter that Nicodemus had with Jesus. This gives us a wider perspective about Jesus’ teaching on being born again and what it means to have eternal life. Readings: SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT Genesis 12:1-9 • Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 • John 3:1-17 Blessed by our teachings? Consider sayi...

26th February 2023. The Duel in the Desert | Rev. David Pileggi We see in the lectionary readings today that the testing of Jesus in the wilderness echoes the Garden experience and Israel’s 40 year sojourn in the desert. Although there are a number differences in these three accounts, the similarities are striking. We are attacked by the devil and seduced by our own human nature not only in our id...

Transfiguration Sunday Title The Ineffective Knowledge of Jesus’ majesty | John Arnold During Epiphany we journey along with the disciples as they witness Jesus’ ministry. The first Sunday of Epiphany, Jesus comes to John the Baptist to be baptized and we have two major statements. “Behold the Lamb of God.” and “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The final Sunday of Epiphany we loo...

Amos, The Burden of the Lord Chapter 3, God is never without a witness. Israel can see the natural ways of the world. Certain truths are known, “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” So why is it so hard for them, and us, to see what God is doing? He has revealed the truth, both in history and in Scripture through the prophets. History shows both the evil and the good. We can see...

Chapter 4, Come to the house of God and offer your sacrifices. Bring your tithes and loudly proclaim your thankfulness to God. As if the Lord will listen to you while you transgress against Him. God sent Israel warnings through pestilence and famine. But what did the people do? There wasn't enough food for everyone, so the rich took what they needed while they oppressed the poor. We often don't he...

Talkin’ 'Bout My Generation We continue our discussion of Matthew 5 as it relates to the followers of Jesus as a community. Ours sins are not just personal issues, but they affect others around us. Jesus emphasizes that it is not enough to adhere to the commandments externally, but obedience includes our attitudes, motivations and imagination. In the Great Commission Jesus tells His disciples to g...

Too Radical? Not Practical?  Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is somewhat puzzling as it seems too radical and not practical for everyday life.  Yet when we look at its First Century Jewish and Biblical context its meaning becomes more understandable.  God’s Torah (guidance and instruction) is brought to the forefront by Jesus when he claims that He is not misinterpreting God’s Word but...

Amos, The Burden of the Lord Chapter 2, A nation like every other nation. Israel was called to be holy, set apart from the darkness of the the world to bring light to the nations. Instead they followed the road of temporary gain--economics, politics, even family and religion above obedience to the God different than every other god. Disobedience to God isn't simply breaking a few laws, it is turni...

The Community We All Long For The rebellion in the Garden not only affected our relationship with God but also our relationships with one another. Part of Jesus’ ministry is to restore relationships and re-establish community as God intended from the beginning. At times Jesus called this community the Kingdom of Heaven, and in the Gospel of Matthew we learn that it is comprised of the poor in spir...

Amos: The Lord Roars From Zion Chapter 1, The Lord roars from Zion. Throughout Israel there are schools of prophets. But God chose a shepherd breeder to see the vision of what God was going to do. Was the message something Israel wanted to hear? In his first vision, Amos saw that God would pour out his wrath on those nations that disobeyed. Perhaps at first this would be pleasing to hear for the p...

Location, Location, Location We usually don’t think too much about the geography of the Bible, but often it has an important theological message. Quoting from Isaiah, Matthew explains why the Son of God began his ministry in rural, insignificant Galilee. Isaiah tells us that the northern kingdom of Israel was dismantled by the Assyrians and the people were left in darkness, hopelessness and exile....

Behold the Lamb of God. How does a John the Baptist know to call Jesus the Lamb of God? And what should our response and our desire be to this declaration of truth? Readings for 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-11 John 1:29-42 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Love and Sacrifice We learn from the biblical sacrificial system that love and intimacy with God are bound up with sacrifice. In the “Binding of Issac” God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son whom he loves. On the banks of the Jordan river, God presents His beloved Son to Israel, and the Father so loves the world that he gave his only begotten Son. We also, as beloved sons and daughters adopted int...

The Circumcision and the Naming of the Lord. The King of heaven possesses a Hebrew lineage and a Hebrew name, yet He is The King of all nations.

Christmas Day How much is the lamb related to Jesus and His birth? Bethlehem was the town where the Royal Lambs were raining shed and prepared for the Passover sacrifice. Jesus was our Passover spotless lamb who would shoulder the sins of the world. It was remarkable the similarities between Jesus and the lamb. Readings: Titus 2:11-14 Psalm 96 Luke 2:1-14-20 Blessed by our teachings? Consider sayi...

A Very Messy Christmas | Rev. David Pileggi Often It’s been noted that the story of Jesus’ birth begins with a genealogy of some ancestors who were “less than perfect” – liars, cheats, idol worshipers, and prostitutes – sinners who made a mess of their lives and the lives of others. The birth of Jesus can only be fully understood in the context of this story. “Fear not,” the angel said at His birt...

Take No Offense | Rev. David Pileggi On this third Sunday of Advent we recall the doubts that John the Baptist had about the Messiah-ship of Jesus. While recognizing Jesus as the Anointed One, John couldn't accept Jesus’ messianic agenda or the redemptive nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. In response, Jesus said “Blessed is the one not offended in me.” How many of us, like John the Baptist, have ex...

A Lifestyle of Repentance John the Baptist is one of the most enigmatic figures in the New Testament. The lack of detail often clouds his mission - which is more than just announcing the coming of Messiah. As foretold by the prophets – Isaiah in particular – it is that God will return to Zion with his people in glory to bring redemption to both Israel and the nations in an unprecedented way. Yet b...

Getting ready. This week we talk about what Jesus’ return means to us and how that might change our lives forever. We discuss how some things in our lives distract us from adding meaning to our lives and how finally even the suffering we encounter along the way will be turned in joy at his return. Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44. Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying...

Service of Thanksgiving

The Character of our King This Sunday is often referred to as “Christ the King” Sunday because of its theme of the reign of Christ. Instead of the more common subject of the “kingdom” Rev Neville Jones takes a different tack and looks at the character of the King. Using a number of bible passages he summarises the promises and prophecies for this divinely anointed ruler, and how Jesus is careful t...