Ebenezer Family Church

2026 comes with new challenges and new temptations. But our God stays the same forever! May we follow the example of our Lord when He was tempted: He responded by standing on God's Word of truth and righteousness.

Another year, another host of changes. If we keep all of our hope and security in anything except God, things will change. But we serve an unchanging God; a God who stays the same. Praise the Lord that we are safe in Him who is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

We come to some very practical principles now: do not be a stumbling block; do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil; etc. While we have the liberty to act according to our conscience, this certainly does not override the command to love our neighbours. Walk in love and pursue peace and mutual upbringing!

There are many hot potato issues, or "grey areas", that we have to deal with as Christians. The Bible is clear on the essential truths. Once we have those unified, why would we quarrel with one another on the non-essentials? Let us be unified in the essentials, maintain biblical liberty to act according to our consciences for non-essentials, and always keep a close eye on what we are doi...

Give thanks in ALL circumstances! Everything that we have comes from God.

We cannot explain why somethings happen to us. But we can trust that God is sovereign and in control. That's the simplest and the best answer!

We are all born into sin and we will all die with our natural inclination to sin. However, although we cannot overcome our sin nature, God can. And He did! Let us remember that we are born again and called to a better way. Acknowledge your natural weakness to sin, submit to God, and content for righteousness!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays His life down for His sheep. His sheep are an integral part of His mission and purpose - their salvation is right there in that close unity between the Father and the Son. Praise God that His sheep hear His voice!

Are you foolish? Don't be foolish! It is the Spirit at work within you, not your own "goodness" or "Christianess". What was begun by the Spirit cannot be completed by the flesh!

Jesus is both the door to the sheep and the door to salvation. Anybody who comes in by any other way is a thief. And the thief is only there to steal, kill, and destroy. But praise God that His sheep hear His voice!

This is one of those strange and confusingly ambiguous narratives that one plain read-through does not do justice. However, if we read the circumcision stuff in light of the New Testament, we start to understand the eternal disctinction between those who have Christ and those who do not. Let's go back to the Cross!

The difference between true spiritual leaders (shepherds) and the Pharisees who preyed upon the lost people (thieves) is the Door: Jesus. Pay attention to your shepherds and flee from those who climb over the wall!

The time of Judges greatly resembles our current world: a cycle of sin, suffering, and deliverance. We desparately need deliverers! An unlikely one arose in Judges, Shamgar. Let's learn some major lessons from this minor judge.

Being well is not a feeling, but a state of being. That does not mean that everything is "well" as we might want it to be. But it certainly means that it is well with my soul: I am at peace with God!

We reach the culmination of this journey to spiritual sight - a declaration of belief. In order to see Christ, we must become blind to ourselves. This is what the formerly blind man understood and what the Jews missed.

Although the mighty men we read about in 2 Samuel lived in different times and different circumstances, we can make comparissons when we consider the spiritual battles we fight. Let's see what lessons we can learn from them and how they might help us stand firm in this modern age!

The blind beggar was probably not the most educated guy around; certainly not the most high-status. Yet, his response to the Jews is one of clarity, precision, and boldness. He can stand up to those who rule his world and convincingly defend Christ.

Justified by faith alone: sola fide! But what does biblical faith look like? Let' have a quick look!

Today we had Pastor Paul's daughter, Dr Danica Smit, sharing her testimony with the church. She shares a story of thanksgiving in troubled times, a sovereign God working all things for good, and the power of the Word to carry us through every situation.

The Gospel is Christ; not social oppression, or prosperity, or living like a Jew. Let us strive to preserve that Gospel purity delivered to us in God's Word and be careful not to add anything extra!

The Jews continue their questioning of the blind man, demonstrating their unwillingess to believe and intense hatred for Jesus. They were too busy being disciples of a "Moses" that they had created.

What do we learn from this story? Do not go to sleep in church! Well, that would be decent message. But let us dive a little bit deeper. Sleeping Eutychus teaches us about the dangers of falling asleep spiritually, but also about the generous grace of God to wake us up and keep us going!

So often, we find it far too easy to complain about things going wrong in church and far too difficult to remain in a consistent structure. Let's seek to hold fast to hungering for the Word, to what is already in place in terms of where and when we meet, to our leaders, and ultimately to God's grace!

In the situation, the parents of the blind man give the right answers to the Jews' questions. However, when we have to stand before God one day and give an account for what we did with the person of Jesus, it will not be sufficient to simply say "ask someone else"!

Last time, we had a look at what the Bible really has to say about the Rapture. This week, we get into some more mechanics. But let's keep the main thing the main thing. Whatever your eschatological conviction, do you know Christ and are you waiting for Him alone?