This week I've been reading through the book of Daniel, getting ready for a new preaching series that will start this week looking at Daniel 1-6.
Yes - I do know that there are another 6 chapters at the end of Daniel. But - I only have 6 weeks, and our Holiday Bible Club, is based on Daniel 1-6 (Scripture Union's Space Academy) so I thought it would be good to study these chapters ahead of sharing it with the children in a few weeks time.
One of the themes that comes through is how God is always working just behind the scenes. This is true even when things don't look like it. When Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel was carried into exile it was because of what God did - not because of who Nebuchadnezzar was or what he had done.
Similar themes to those we saw last week with Revelation.
Although Daniel was a captive rather than a refugee watch the following video and then try to imagine some of the things that Daniel was feeling and thinking. Yet his faith remained strong as he saw (with the eyes of faith) the hand of God behind even this disaster in Israel's history.
Friday, 21 June 2013
Monday, 17 June 2013
Dear John...
I imagine that out of all the various authors who contributed to the Bible, when it comes to the length of the queue of people waiting in line with their questions, Paul and John are going to have some of the longest queues. Even other New Testament authors admit that Paul is sometimes difficult to understand, and when it comes to Revelation... I wonder whether John might have two queues: one for 'questions on the gospel and the epistles' and a much longer queue for Revelation.
A couple of days ago I asked what questions you would ask if you could meet John face to face. Yesterday we tried to imagine that situation in church with the arrival of a time travelling John - who may have looked a bit like Father Christmas.
When I tell people that Revelation is one of my favourite books in the Bible they sometimes imagine that I therefore have an idea in my head about all the symbolism and images and can provide them with a time line of events that start now and end with judgement day. But when it comes to a lot of the detail of Revelation I don't have a clue.
But how much of the detail are we supposed to be able to work out - or is it ok to see the big picture and not worry too much about the detail? The big picture of Revelation is surely that Jesus is King (even now) and in the end God wins. Therefore there is an encouragement to persevere through hardship and a challenge not to be on the loosing side.
I also think that the way that Revelation is written means that wherever we live and in whatever age the truths about the world remain relevant. Revelation provides a peep behind the scenes into what is really going on - and what is really going on is that we live in a world that is opposed to God and his people. And this is true in countries where this is obvious (such as N Korea), but also in places where it is less obvious. Places where there is freedom of speech or freedom of religion but where the way things work favour the rich and the powerful rather than those on the margins, those without a voice, the poor...The challenge is then - how do I live as a follower of Jesus, how do I not get sucked into systems and ways of thinking that are opposed to God's values...
A couple of days ago I asked what questions you would ask if you could meet John face to face. Yesterday we tried to imagine that situation in church with the arrival of a time travelling John - who may have looked a bit like Father Christmas.
When I tell people that Revelation is one of my favourite books in the Bible they sometimes imagine that I therefore have an idea in my head about all the symbolism and images and can provide them with a time line of events that start now and end with judgement day. But when it comes to a lot of the detail of Revelation I don't have a clue.
But how much of the detail are we supposed to be able to work out - or is it ok to see the big picture and not worry too much about the detail? The big picture of Revelation is surely that Jesus is King (even now) and in the end God wins. Therefore there is an encouragement to persevere through hardship and a challenge not to be on the loosing side.
I also think that the way that Revelation is written means that wherever we live and in whatever age the truths about the world remain relevant. Revelation provides a peep behind the scenes into what is really going on - and what is really going on is that we live in a world that is opposed to God and his people. And this is true in countries where this is obvious (such as N Korea), but also in places where it is less obvious. Places where there is freedom of speech or freedom of religion but where the way things work favour the rich and the powerful rather than those on the margins, those without a voice, the poor...The challenge is then - how do I live as a follower of Jesus, how do I not get sucked into systems and ways of thinking that are opposed to God's values...
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Revelation - the answers to all your questions
If you've ever read Revelation - the last book in the Bible - you might have wondered what John was thinking/had taken as he sat down to write. On Sunday we're going to be looking at Revelation as this is the final week in the Community Bible Experience. I have read John, 1-3 John and Revelation quite a few times over the last couple of weeks as I've tried to get inside John's head a little.
Imagine you were to meet John face to face, what one question would you want to ask him about Revelation?
Imagine John was to meet you face to face, what one answer do you think he would want to give you? Would he want to answer your question - or would there be something more important he had to say?
Let me know what you think.
Imagine you were to meet John face to face, what one question would you want to ask him about Revelation?
Imagine John was to meet you face to face, what one answer do you think he would want to give you? Would he want to answer your question - or would there be something more important he had to say?
Let me know what you think.
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