Adrian Hall

Dear friends

Today marks the first anniversary of my open heart surgery at the (old) Calvary Wakefield Hospital, and I just wanted to thank you again for my praying for me during that time – and in the months since then…

Not that I remember very much about that day (1 July 2019)… At 7.30 am I had taken a couple of sleeping tablets and was being ‘prepped’ in an area next to Theatre, and was just having a light-hearted conversation with the anaesthetist, with her bright beaming smile, and mentioning to the whole surgical team how my friends had been praying for me, and for them (they appreciated that!) – and then I shuffled on to the operating table, amazed at how narrow it was … and then I just turned towards my left, to respond to an elderly nurse I had not noticed before, and she was patting my forehead and quietly talking to me in a soothing voice, saying how well the surgery had gone, and how everything was just fine! So I said, “What? You’re joking!  I haven’t even gone into Theatre yet, and I haven’t had the anaesthetic or anything…”  “Well, actually,”, she replied, “You’ve been asleep for 12 hours, and it’s now 7.30 pm and dark outside!”  Ah… the joys of General Anaesthetic…

Maybe when we die, that’s just how it will be – “a thousand years are like a day” (Psalm 90 v 4; 2 Peter 3 v 8, 9) – time simply flashes by and we are completely unaware of it… What do you think?

So, many of you have been asking me how I am – my answer is that I have good days, and not-so-good days, but generally the not-so-good days are getting less frequent. I would appreciate prayers for strength and stamina and hope, as I tire easily, and sometimes feel depressed, and I’m working hard to build up my new company.  Please also pray for my family members, as we cope with the extra stresses and challenges during these difficult Covid-19 times…

I feel that a year ago God spared my life, and this was a purpose. There’s a sense in which I’m still trying to work out what that purpose is, so I would value some prayer for this also.

As it’s mid-year, I thought it would be good to take a short break from the regular Zoom-style Flinders Street Bible Studies, and so the next ‘meeting’ on Isaiah 13 and 14 will be on Wednesday 22 July 2020, and a meeting invite will be emailed to you nearer the time.

Do you have a favourite Bible verse (or passage) you can share?

I have many texts that have helped me during this past year, but I will share just one – from Joshua 1 v 9:

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The last part is key – knowing that Jesus is with me wherever I go is a wonderful encouragement!

Blessings, Adrian

Dear friends

Next Wednesday 24 June 2020, for the mid-week Bible study, we will continue our series of studies (ZOOM-style) in the Book of Isaiah:

Isaiah Part 9: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him…”

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse” (verse 1) – the LORD causes a branch to grow out the family of Jesse, David’s father. The royal authority of the house of David had lain dormant for 600 years when Jesus came as Messiah – it was like a new green branch coming out of a dead stump…

Please refer to the attached notes and text, including the Introduction to Isaiah, and log in if you possibly can…

But if you are not able to log in, please in any case read the passage and accompanying notes in your own time…

A separate calendar invite with ZOOM meeting code will be sent to Adelaide-based friends in the next day or two.

I look forward to seeing many of you on line!

In the meantime, stay safe and strong in Christ…

Blessings, Adrian

0457 516 329

Dear friends

Next Wednesday 10 June 2020, for the mid-week Bible study, we will continue our series of studies (ZOOM-style) in the Book of Isaiah:

Isaiah Part 8: “A remnant will return…”

“In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth” (verse 20)

 ‘Him who struck them’ is the king of Assyria.

The ‘remnant’ will have learned the lesson king Ahaz had failed to learn…

Please refer to the attached notes and text, including the Introduction to Isaiah, and log in if you possibly can…

But if you are not able to log in, please in any case read the passage and accompanying notes in your own time…

A separate calendar invite with ZOOM meeting code will be sent to Adelaide-based friends in the next day or two.

I look forward to seeing many of you on line!

In the meantime, stay safe and strong in Christ…

Blessings, Adrian

0457 516 329

Dear friends

Next Wednesday 27 May 2020, for the mid-week Bible study, we will pick up our series of studies (ZOOM-style) in the Book of Isaiah, continuing from where we left off almost 2 years ago:

Isaiah Part 7: “To us a son is given…”

This passage (Isaiah 9 v 1 to 10 v 4) includes the well-known verse:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (v 6) –

As a man, Jesus was ‘born’ as a babe (“child”) in Bethlehem;

as the only Son of God, Jesus was ‘given’ to the world God loves (John 3 v 16)… 

Please refer to the attached notes and text, including the Introduction to Isaiah, and log in if you possibly can…

But if you are not able to log in, please in any case read the passage and accompanying notes in your own time…

A separate calendar invite with ZOOM meeting code will be sent to Adelaide-based friends in the next day or two.

I look forward to seeing many of you on line!

In the meantime, stay safe and strong in Christ…

Blessings, Adrian

0457 516 329

Dear friends

Next Wednesday 13 May 2020, for the mid-week Bible study, we continue our series of studies (ZOOM-style) in Paul’s letter to the Romans:

Romans 16: Paul’s Roman prayer list…

This chapter contains personal greetings to Christians in Rome, as well as some greetings from Paul’s companions in Corinth. Over 30 names are mentioned – and nowhere else in the New Testament do we get such a vivid and detailed picture of the early church, and such a fascinating glimpse into the lives of ordinary first century believers.

Paul may not have met many of the Roman Christians listed here (he had not yet visited Rome), yet he writes to them by name, and with affection – one feels perhaps they formed Paul’s Roman prayer list…  

Please refer to the attached notes and text, and log in if you possibly can…  But if you are not able to log in, please in any case read the passage and accompanying notes in your own time…

A separate calendar invite with ZOOM meeting code will be sent to Adelaide-based friends in the next day or two.

I look forward to seeing many of you on line!

In the meantime, stay safe and strong in Christ…

Blessings, Adrian

0457 516 329

Romans 15: The God of Hope…

This chapter falls into two ‘halves’. In the first half (v 1 to 13) Paul concludes his section on Christian living (which began at Romans 12 v 1), drawing to a close his teaching on the role of Israel (Romans 9 to 11) by presenting Jesus as the hope of both Jews and Gentiles.

In the second half (v 14 to 33) Paul resumes his personal letter-style from Romans 1, which he had broken off in verse 15 in order to start his great doctrinal treatise (Romans 1 v 16 to the end of Romans 8)…

Dear friends

Since the onset of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing, our regular Flinders Street Bible Study fellowship meetings are taking place on-line using the ZOOM virtual meeting technology.

Calendar invitations are sent with the relevant ZOOM meeting log in details.

Oour next meeting is on Wednesday 15/04/20 at 12.45 pm to 1.25 pm, on Romans Chapter 14: The Judgement Seat of Christ…

Dear brother and sisters in Christ

A family member recently shared these verses, and some of the insights that follow:

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” (2 Chronicles 7 v 12 to 15, ESV)

This promise is for the people who are “called by my name” – it applies to those who take the name of the Lord – Christ-followers, not unbelievers.  Even though there is a historic context here, it is also a model for us to follow, especially during these troubled times.

This year globally we are seeing drought, locust plagues and pestilence sweeping over entire nations, and in these verse God promises “if you do four things, I will do three things…” God is speaking to believers who can intercede on behalf of their nation.

COVID-19 is an unusual virus – it appears to largely spare innocent children, so we wonder if there is an element of God’s judgment here?  Has God finally reached His limit with man’s pride, corruption, destruction of human life, immorality, and mocking His name and His people?

If He has, there is a remedy that he describes in his Word – the passage I have quoted above.  The remedy requires Christians who believe in His name to mobilise – to change their hearts and their thoughts and their actions on behalf of their nation.

I believe that repentance starts with the household of God, and as God’s people we are – especially during this time of crisis – to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek His face, and to turn from all and every sin.

THEN – if we do this – we can expect God to hear from heaven, to forgive our sins, and to heal our land of Australia, and – I believe – other lands as well, as we intercede for the nations of the world.

What do you think?  Do you agree?  If so, how can quickly we put this into action?

Blessings in Christ, Adrian.

Dear friends

Next Wednesday 5 February 2019 at 12.45 – 1.30 pm, we will start the New Year with a special meeting, with a focus on Prayers, Breaking of Bread and Vision for 2020.

Acts 2 v 42: And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…

• TEACHING – systematic expositional Bible studies from Old and New Testament books
• FELLOWSHIP – sharing joys and needs as they arise
• BREAKING OF BREAD – special times of worship and praise, as we remember Christ’s atoning death upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation
• PRAYERS – worship, praise, intercession, ministry, as led by the Holy Spirit

OUR MISSION

We seek to build a fellowship of people from all nations and backgrounds who are…

• brought into a saving knowledge of Jesus and a growing relationship with God
• followers of Jesus; instructed in the truth, reliability and relevance of God’s Word
• connected with God and with each other
• mission-oriented, God-glorifying, Jesus-centred, loving, serving, learning, growing
• grace-filled, Spirit-filled, praying, worshipping, passionate for good works
• captivated by the love of Jesus and prepared for His return
• motivated and equipped for witness in the workplace and other environments
• discipled, cleansed and sanctified; strengthened in faith, hope and love; united, protected, comforted, guided…

“Beloved in Christ, let us at this Christmastide prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind go to Bethlehem, and see the babe lying in a manger.

Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God, from the first days of our disobedience, to the glorious redemption brought to us by this Holy Child: and let us make this room glad with our prayers and praise.

But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world: for peace and goodwill over all the earth; for unity and brotherhood within the Church he came to build, and especially in this nation of Australia.

And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the hungry, and the oppressed; the sick and those who mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love.

Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one.

These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself taught us:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,

Now and forever, Amen.”