Do you know the Holy Spirit?…

The people of Jesus’ time knew that there was an enemy of God known as Satan, the devil or, in this case, Beelzebub. In today’s gospel passage in Mark 3:20-30, the Pharisees try to condemn Jesus’ miracles by saying he is using the power of the devil to do them. This was partly because Jesus was doing things on the Sabbath which they saw as ‘work’. Jesus was saying and doing things which frightened them because they looked like rule breaking. If Jesus was breaking the rules he couldn’t be from God, they reasoned. But their rules were not from God, they were put in place to protect people from breaking God’s laws, but God’s laws were not as restrictive as these rules. Jesus never broke God’s laws but he broke the Pharisee’s rules, so he looked to them like someone with no regard for the laws of God. Jesus turned their accusation against them. If he was doing the things God does – healing, speaking God’s truth, and freeing those held captive by the forces of evil, how could he be working in the very power he was casting out? A kingdom divided against itself will not be able to stand, Jesus says. You can’t take the house of a strong man from him unless you take his power away (tie him up) first. Jesus is reminding these men that he is working powerful miracles and casting out the strong man so the power he is working in cannot be the same power as the demons. He then tells them that they are guilty of blasphemy because they have just called the Holy Spirit of God, in whose power Jesus has been operating, a demon. Jesus even tells them that this sin will not be forgiven. The Pharisees were sure they were right, but they were deceived in their pride and sinned against Holy Spirit. These men knew their scripture, but they did not know their God. To avoid this mistake, we need to be able to discern between what is of God and what is not. Learning how to understand the scriptures rightly, learning how to pray and hear from God, learning how to protect ourselves against the devil and to stand against him in the power of the Holy Spirit are all ways in which we help ourselves to be able to discern how to follow Jesus’ way and avoid deception. How well do you know the Holy Spirit? Do you know his presence and power in your life?

Janice

This Week

Regular Worship Times

Parish Contact Details

Notices:

Op Shop…

Our Op Shop is a ministry of this parish to the wider community which Parish Council would like to see grow as a ministry, alongside its financial support of our work here. We have had some volunteers resign this week for various reasons and will be in need of others to assist. If you can spare some time to help, please see Edna South or another member of our Op Shop Committee: Vicki Brown, Lorraine Strickland, Richard Watson, Graeme and Cheryl King or Rev’d Janice.

Fencing & Security Project…

As announced on 2nd June, Parish Council have decided to install a security system which will cover the Church and Op Shop, including the car park, and allow for secure entry to both buildings as well as internal alarms and cameras. The cost for this is $15,000, $8,000 of which has been covered by money already set aside for a large project such as this. Parish Council is in the process of seeking grants towards covering the balance, but feels it is imperative to install this system given the vandalism of the windows in 2022 and to mitigate security risks for our Op Shop volunteers, and so has approved that the balance of funds be spent from our account. If you would like to donate towards this project, please put any cash into an envelope marked “Security” and put it in the offering bag on a Sunday. We will provide you with a receipt on request and keep these monies aside for the project. You can also give to this project electronically. Donations of cash are still needed for the fence. In other news: our NBN is now up and running so the security project can go ahead on 24th-25th June.

This Week’s Prayer Focus

In our country and the world:

• For those facing homelessness, hardship, anguish and despair amid rising costs.
• For all in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine.
• For families affected by violence.
• For those affected by natural disasters in around the world.
• For King Charles III, the UK and the Commonwealth.
• For peace and unity in countries around the World.
• For aid agencies such as “Save the Children”, Oxfam, CARE, UNICEF, World Vision.

In our community:

• For teachers and students.
• For doctors, nurses, paramedics, Coast Guard, the CFA & SES.
• For local community outreach groups such as the Dromana Community House and “Food for All”.

In our Diocese and beyond:

• For Archbishop Geoffrey Smith’s ministry as Primate of Australia.
• For Archbishop Philip Freier’s ministry in the Diocese of Melbourne.
• For the ministry of Bishop Paul Barker in the Jumbunna Region and for Archdeacon Helen Phillips in the Frankston Archdeaconry. Give thanks that Archdeacon Helen is now well and beginning to return to work.
• In our Deanery, we pray for the Parish of All Saints Rosebud with St Katherine’s McCrae and their Vicar Rev’d Lynda Crossley.
• For the work of the Church Missionary Society and Wei-Han the Victorian Director.
• For Anna Radkovic our CMS Link Missionary.
• For Christian churches around the world to be free to worship and be witnesses of the love of God as shown through the coming of His Son.

In our Parish:

• For our leadership and ministry teams.
• For Rev’d Janice O’Gorman our Vicar.
• For the finances of our Parish.
• For our Parish, its people and those we reach out to every week.
• For the success of the new Family and Children’s Ministry.
• For the 2024 Alpha program, its leaders, and all who attend.
• For the 9am at home prayer time for the Parish, Dromana & Mornington Peninsula.
• For: Joy, Maggie D, Harry, Pat, Ilett family, Joan R, Chloe, Ted, Monica, Jessica, Audrey, Joan, Backy, Margie, Fred, Robert, Jan, David, Guy.