Weekly Bible Reflection
POWER
As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him....
TRUSTWORTHY
Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” (Daniel 6:21,22). Many New Yorkers,...
WARNING
And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin (Daniel 5:25). Most of us find ourselves in situations where the name of God is mocked and the values that for so long have undergirded Western culture and behavior, promoted. In Daniel 5 we...
COURAGE
“…Be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:18) It takes courage to stand up for what you believe to be the truth. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were, like Daniel, exiles...
A DREAM
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night… (Daniel 2:19) Dreams fascinate us. They can tease us with the hope they may come true, but they can also terrify. In the past, as in some cultures today, dreams were often treated as portents of the...
‘UNCERTAINTY’
The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king’s court… But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal...
‘Trust’
The terrorist acts in Manchester and London over the last two weeks remind us of the fragility of life. Two young Australian women were amongst those who died in London. Our hearts go out to families who have lost loved ones. And we pray for them. Because of the...
‘Assurance’
There are times when we feel cut off from God – by feelings of failure or unworthiness, feelings of ignorance or unbelief, or by feelings of abandonment. In times like this it is important we remember Jesus’ words to his disciples during the last hours before his...
‘Not Alone’
this Helper or Comforter is not just ‘a comforter’ like Linus’s blanket, nor simply a hot water bottle for cold, hard times. The Spirit comes to strengthen us – to put strength into our hearts, into the backbone of our lives, especially when we are challenged.
‘True Worship’
So, in in the service of The Lord’s Supper, he removed any reference to the Spirit and the Word coming on the bread and wine (called an epiclesis – ‘a calling down’ of the Spirit). In 1549 he had left open the idea that we partake of Christ because he is physically or mystically present in the elements. Christ is physically in heaven.
‘MEMORY’
In his book The Reformation Experience, Eric Ives, Emeritus Professor of English History, University of Birmingham, England, writes that whether you agree with the Reformation or not, The most remarkable thing about the Reformation is that it still matters. While...
“I Am the True Vine…”
Fruitful outcomes are something we expect from worthwhile endeavors. So we look at measures of productivity in the corporate world and perhaps also in our annuity or superannuation fund. Productivity is a sign of life and growth. It is therefore interesting to learn...
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…”
Unless I missed something, articles questioning or dismissing the authenticity of Christianity seemed somewhat muted this Easter. Was it out of respect for the churchgoers in Egypt who were massacred on Palm Sunday? Yet while churches around the world prayed for...
‘I am the Resurrection’
The final volume of JRR Tolkein’s, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, is dominated by scenes of despair. Yet as the two hobbits from the Shire, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, unlikely heroes of the saga, wearily pursue a cause that is seemingly...
‘I am the Good Shepherd…’
Elections remind us how much we long for a leader who will bring us justice and peace, protection and prosperity. However, on every occasion our aspirations are dashed as leaders reveal their flaws and failures and self-interest. No one proves to be the leader we long...
‘I AM THE GATE…’
laise Pascal, 17th-century French mathematician and philosopher asked: ‘Is life simply a journey… a great mysterious search for the unknown and unknowable? We desire truth and find in ourselves nothing but uncertainty. We seek happiness and find...
‘I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD’…
n her recent Wall Street Journal article (03/18/17), Peggy Noonan referred to ‘the observation that a great leader has more in common with an artist than an economist. Economists drill deep in narrow fields, but the artist’s view is more expansive;...
“I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE…”
e can think that to have doubts is to lack faith. But doubt is not the opposite of faith. To suggest that it is, is to confuse doubt with unbelief. Doubt is something only a believer can experience, for we can only doubt what we believe. Doubt is...