Michael

Sunday News – 30 March 2025

Where is the battle? A particular societal conflict has recently been making headlines in my country concerning ‘drag queen’ story times put on for children in public libraries, and the protests by one church group against these events. These matters raise so many questions for me about Christian faith and its proper expression in theContinue reading “Sunday News – 30 March 2025”

Sunday News – March 23, 2025

Be ready always to give an answer ‘Always’ is always a difficult word. Consistency. How often our brilliant successes – if we experience them – are offset by dismal failures. The topic of this Sunday’s News is not the inner rage in us, nor the terror induced by others, both of which can block ourContinue reading “Sunday News – March 23, 2025”

Sunday News 16 March 2025

Be not afraid of their terror Returning to the subject of sanctification, the scripture says: ‘But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every manContinue reading “Sunday News 16 March 2025”

Sunday News 9 March 2025

Sanctification – the other sort. There is a type of therapy – whether it is good for anything I do not know – where a person says the first thing that comes into their mind in response to a word. Perhaps there is a party game along those lines too? So when I think ofContinue reading “Sunday News 9 March 2025”

Sunday News 2 March 2025

The Gospel – but not as we know it. Following on from last Sunday’s News about Luke 16, the rich man and his wily steward, there is much more in this parable to upend our modern Christian doctrines – as if the commendation of a creative accountant by the Lord himself was not enough. ForContinue reading “Sunday News 2 March 2025”

Sunday News 23 February 2025

Creative accounting. I imagine sometimes the things that stood out to Jesus in his earthly life must have been on such a different ‘wavelength’ to those around him – even those closest to him, though perhaps none were close – that he must have gotten used to keeping in the treasures he found with aContinue reading “Sunday News 23 February 2025”

Revelation in the wilderness – 4. Opening a drawer.

Moving to chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, I find myself fascinated to see what Jesus dictated to be written in the only letters from himself to any churches, which are now found in the Bible. And while some readers of the Bible today hold that prophecy ceased with the completion of what it nowContinue reading “Revelation in the wilderness – 4. Opening a drawer.”

Revelation in the wilderness – 3. The beginning and the ending.

Before we consider the messages from the Lord to the seven churches described in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, there is one further point from chapter 1 which I will consider here, because to me it is an important part of Jesus’ message to all churches and all people. This concerns verse 8: ‘IContinue reading “Revelation in the wilderness – 3. The beginning and the ending.”

Revelation in the wilderness – 2. What’s in an intro?

Following on from my last post about the style and function of Revelation chapter 1, here are some further thoughts about the content. ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’ – the first words of the Book of Revelation identify the owner of the message. Verse 1 then describes a chain of command through which the messageContinue reading “Revelation in the wilderness – 2. What’s in an intro?”

Revelation in the wilderness – 1. First things first.

Comments on the book of Revelation, chapter one. Maori have a form of introduction called mihimihi in which a speaker shares details of their lands, people, and genealogy or whakapapa, and sometimes a saying giving some perspective or philosophy of themselves and/or their tribe. In my own culture, New Zealand European, I do not seeContinue reading “Revelation in the wilderness – 1. First things first.”