In the Old Testament story, human kings feature large. But they all served to point towards the true, perfect, humble King. This Christmas, how can we recognise again the kingship of Jesus in our lives?
What are we doing talking about Temples two weeks before Christmas?! What significance does the Temple have in the story of God's relationship with humanity, and how is it relevant to Christmas? Oh, and, do you think we've really been putting something in the coffee?
The story of Jesus is the story of God’s true son. When Jesus is born as we prelude the Christmas story we see the one coming who resonates with the story of the nation of Israel but who is the one who will fulfil God’s heart to bless all nations.
Who is my neighbour?
The Old Testament gives extraordinary teaching about ‘who is my neighbour’ (not just my family, clan, tribe) and what it means to love our neighbour, throughout its pages. Ultimately the Old Testament ties together love for God with practical living and love toward other human beings, most perfectly taught and demonstrated in the life of Jesus.
The ten commandments can be summed up (as Jesus sums up the Law) in ‘Love God, and ‘Love your neighbour’. Human beings thrive when they know God, shun idols and embrace worship (and rest from the pursuit of material/spiritual idols) at the core of their lives.
For many people the Old Testament is literally a closed book. Yet for Jesus himself, and the early Church, it was their scripture. Jesus quotes the Old Testament often, as do Paul and the other New testament writers. Yet for may of us today there seems to be a disconnect between ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ and the requirements of God as he appears in the Old Testament. How should we read this book?
Prayer is a defining habit of a follower of Jesus. Disciples say ‘teach us to pray’. John has a confidence in prayer that God hears us. Does this sort of confidence in God inspire more prayer which gives rise to more confidence?
How do we radically love? The love of God constrains us to love one another as we obey Jesus’ new commandment. How much does fear hold us back from radical love? Fear of rejection? Fear of hurting others if we are honest? Fear of shame and exposure if we are open?
Our God's generous, He gives to all of us. But what about us? How can we develop a habit of generosity to those around us in response to God?
We live in an age of ‘fake news’ and image driven lifestyle communication, where Truth is a rare commodity. Jesus was so committed to truth that he said/implied that if we swore an oath instead of letting our yes be yes and our no be no it was from the evil one (father of lies) and indication that our words are not trustworthy.(matt 5:37)
Confession is a major spiritual discipline in the Catholic church and perhaps partly in reaction not mainstream in protestant tradition. It’s encouraged biblically by example, in the people first baptised by John (mark 1:5) and in evangelism (Acts 19:18). It’ encouraged not just to be Godward but to one another (James 5:16). John assumes in his letter all sin, and all can be forgiven.
God is a promise keeping God, a God of covenant. How do we understand and apply God’s promises particularly in times of shaking and trouble? What does it mean for us to play our part in keeping covenant with God? Does God have covenant promises for communities and nations today?
The Bible tells us that God is close to the broken hearted, and the Holy Spirit is called by Jesus ‘the comforter’. One of the great things we can do as a prophetic people is mediate God’s comfort and hope to a broken world. Jeremiah’s words of comfort have been applied and brought re-assurance to millions of people since they were first recorded. How do we unlock the power of comfort and hope in our world today
We challenge and confront people we love. Jeremiah’s love for his people reflects the love of God for his chosen ‘bride’ as He calls the Jewish nation. The confrontation is strong however! What gives us the authority to confront and how do we do it appropriately?
Jeremiah lived through the final years of the nation of Judah from the era of the decline of Assyrian power through to the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish people. He was as a young man when called, and lived through the reigns of four kings (from Josiah to Zedekiah) over a turbulent forty-year period. What can we learn about Jeremiah's calling to respond in a time of crisis?
