Since the Reformation in the 16th Century the teachings of the Apostle Paul and the Elder James have often been portrayed as being at odds with each other. Much time is spent by theologians and New Testament scholars trying to conclude whether there is a real conflict between the writings of these leaders or not.

It seems to me that there is not really a conflict present, but the topic of faith is approached from a different perspective. This is probably because the supposedly contradictory pieces of writing are addressing different audience needs at the time of their writing. Meaning that the focus of the authors’ messages shift in order to highlight the needs they are addressing. This happens even within Paul’s own New Testament writings, so it is not really surprising that this happens between two different New Testament authors.

We should acknowledge that there is much more of Paul’s writing recorded in the New Testament and so we hear his perspective on many more issues than we do that of James. This is part of the reason why it seems a bit impetuous to judge James and Paul’s writings as being at odds when there is so little of James’ writing to be able to compare with Paul’s. Certainly there seems adequate other examples within Paul’s work of his being in agreement with James on the importance of good works by professing Christians, even if he does not use always these labels. Paul then, unlike James, has much more opportunity to address the fact that salvation is not through works simply because of the volume of his writings available to us. Because of this we are able to see that Paul’s own good works are his way of expressing gratitude to God for the graceful salvation provided through Jesus Christ. Paul’s works, like the traditions of his Jewish heritage, are a response to God’s grace.

James also saw good works as a way of living out God’s grace, and as such he concludes that these grace inspired works are the evidence that a person is living in Christ. The problem seems to arise though in the assumption that James is addressing salvation when he discusses works. It is true that our modern English translations record him using the phrase, “Can such faith save them?” (James 2:14b). The NIV’s wording here is important, because it uses the word ‘such’. It refers back to what James as described previously, that is a person who claims to know Jesus Christ, but does not act like it at all. To James, and Paul is very likely to agree with James on this: this was not the mark of genuine salvation. So a careful reading of the context shows that this then is likely a remark which is almost sarcastic, and is possibly even a comment made in exasperation with people who are not serious at all about the sacrifice Jesus Christ had made for them yet they are quite happy to pretend they are. If this comment had been written in English when first recorded we would probably have put the word ‘faith’ in parentheses to show that James is not referring to genuine faith, but instead to the person’s own imitation ‘faith’. “…such faith…” then is not the same as the faith that James and Paul are both so passionate about people receiving and both James and Paul show a real lack of tolerance for people who display this imitation ‘faith’. And so James’ letter is most likely not discussing works as a way to salvation, but is instead addressing how Christians should live as representatives of Christ after their salvation experience.

Historical studies show us that James was probably writing his letter before Paul’s work was recorded. James, who was more than likely the brother of Jesus Christ was older than Paul and they may not have met till after James had written this letter. They were addressing different congregations, however, both authors may have had reason to believe their letters would be read widely by early believers. While the initial audiences’ locations and circumstances likely differed they would also have...

We are entering one of the most dangerous times of the year for families. Christmas is approaching and unfortunately the reason for the season gets lost as retail marketing ramps up. Christmas is an important holiday, it is the day we mark the birth of Jesus Christ. There is no greater cause for celebration than the entry of the Son of God into the world. Without Christ’s birth there would be no death on the cross and no resurrection, which would mean no salvation for us, no eternity to look forward to, no future hope for humanity. Christmas is therefore a good season to give gifts, but only because it is in remembrance of the greatest gift of all. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

For businesses it is a time of hope also, as many small retailers finally look to get out of the red and enter the black. On a financial balance sheet red represents running at a loss, not selling enough to meet all the costs associated with running a business and hence failing to break-even. It represents stress, worry and oppression because businesses can’t survive by being constantly in the red, especially small businesses. So “giving seasons”, of which Christmas is the greatest, represent an opportunity to get back into the black, that is to go beyond break-even and start to record profits in their earnings. Some retailers only make a profit over the Christmas season and so have to make enough to survive for the rest of the year on the seasonal profits ahead. It is becoming even harder for small retailers as we all go to the big stores to get our shopping done all at once, or logon to the online giants to avoid risking catching the pandemic at the local mall. Some of this is the reality of life, not everything we want to buy is available locally, however, lets face it, some of it is, if we take the time to look.

Moving from business to people though this is a season of great danger to families. Futures and destinies are affected by what people do with their money as we enter this season of sales. This is because debt-based poverty is a form of enslavement, if you have ever been truely poor you will know that poverty places restrictions on people’s abilities to make choices and live their life to the full. Debt-based poverty increases this to even more severe levels. “…the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). One of the ways that poverty and especially debt-based poverty enslaves people is by taking away their hope. As an extreme example of this: for the person earning less than the repayments on their loans the mountain is only growing, and their ability to climb it is decreasing by the day. At which point will they decide it is better to simply jump off the edge into the abyss?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 12:12), and for many the marketing season of Christmas is the living out of this process: ads create false hope of a longing being fulfilled, but the resulting debt is a deferral of the real longing, and as scripture warned us, this makes the heart sick. You see hope is stirred in this time of intense advertising and serious bargain bashing, which seems to start earlier every year! We see the messages portrayed to us in the flashy brochures, the screen ads, the highway billboards and we start to believe we can have all the material possessions we want! We can even give them away to others! It is in this time that our eyes take over from our God-given common sense. Our personal finances move from the positive black to the negative red, debt climbs higher as our desires grow greater. Even our generosity becomes a stumbling block as our use of credit well exceeds our bank balance. We want to get the best gifts, and we want to give the best gifts. Our motivation isn’t purely selfish,

“There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Deuteronomy 1:31

Father’s Day has just been, here in New Zealand. Yesterday, thousands of fathers like myself received gifts, and much treasured homemade cards and pictures, from our children and spouses. It is a day when people are thankful for the people God has put around them. For myself I am very blessed and grateful for my family. Thankful for the unexpected “Happy Father’s Day!” text from my eldest son who was on a camping trip, for the colourful picture of the family drawn by my daughter, and for the clever flag and boat gift wrapping my younger son made for the cup he gave me. We started the day with a delicious breakfast of pancakes made by the children with help from my lovely wife, and its not just my generation we celebrate on Father’s Day, my brothers and sisters and their families came for lunch, along with my parents, so that we could celebrate Grandpa on this day as well.

Father’s Day this year was a great time with family, but it had some sad moments too, as I remembered my children who have already passed on into glory. Tears came to my eyes as I heard the song about the dad whose daughter is getting married today. This songs always makes me think about what it would be like if my other little girl (who went home to Heaven many years ago now) was here. And, then the tears become a flood as I see the picture of my teenage son (who passed just over a year ago now) on the sideboard. There is sadness, yes, but there is also hope, because I know for certain that we will be reunited with these two loved ones beyond the veil. It is the separation of waiting that is hard.

Looking ahead to the future awakens a longing to see loved ones again, but I know the present time needs me now. As a father, my children who are here in this world with me need guidance, they need encouragement, they need an example – even an imperfect one. As parents, both fathers and mothers, we don’t need to be perfect to fill the vital role we play in the lives of our children, whether they are related by blood to us or not. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” When we read this proverb from the start we see that it is the moral education of the children which is being referred to here, and that this is the responsibility of parents. Some children don’t have their own parents to teach them about life and doing the right thing, these children need someone to step in and pick up that mantel for them. Maybe this is something you can do for a child near you?

God is gracious and he provides opportunities for people to come into his presence throughout their life, but the initial and primary way that God intends for children to learn about him is through the parents he gives them. Parents have the God-given role of passing on the knowledge of eternity to their children. The parents of a child set the first, and potentially most lasting and powerful example, of what Christian faith is. We can show our children how living for God is the ultimate purpose of every person on this earth, regardless of what that life looks like as a unique individual.

Sometime ago I was listening to a speaker called Jeff Benner and he pointed out that the Hebrew word for Father (אָב), originally meant “strength of the tent,” which in practical terms describes the “tent pole” holding the shelter up. Within this word the Hebrew letter א (aleph) represented an ox and the letter ב (vet) a tent. The resulting term “strength of the tent,” is a visual picture of the role of a parent. Tough times come to every family, and the job of a father is to help the family through it,

If you have ever been through sustained turmoil, whether it be the loss of those you love, poverty, lengthy sickness, consuming fear, or any other of life’s troubles, you will understand the sense of hopelessness that people experience in these times. The overwhelming shadow of oppression is like a net that traps its victim, it tangles them up and hems them in restricting their every attempt to believe that things can once again be better than they are now.

The authors of a number of Psalms write of circumstances similar to these, but perhaps even through their writing, they are able to encourage themselves and convince themselves again of God’s goodness. It is a process we see repeated several times in the Psalms, where the author of a passage begins to describe their situation and show how vulnerable they are to the dangers around them. Yet, through the process of reflection, time and again we see that they are able to remind themselves of God’s graceful sovereignty and his willingness to bless them.

Reflecting on their knowledge of God, and his scriptures they are able to calm their mind and see the eternal reality of their situation. This is often a very different view from the one their sight, hearing, touch and emotions are showing them. This knowledge, that God is for them, becomes both a comfort and a shield to them. Their mind and their resolve is strengthened as they place their trust again in the hand of our living God.

For this reason the writer of Psalm 27 is able to say, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14).

Sometimes the sheer pressure of being in a difficult situation can cause us to act impulsively, but sometimes the opposite happens; we become so burdened and trapped that it seems we cannot do anything. The sense of hopelessness suffocates us into immobility. The psalmist addresses both these reactions with the advice to, “Wait for the LORD…” and, while waiting, “…be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

This is what the psalmists do, they wait on the LORD. They do this by honestly detailing the situation, acknowledging that they cannot deal with the situation themselves, asking God for help and then allowing him to act in whatever way he chooses. Voicing this process, whether it be on paper, in silent communion with God, or out loud does not matter as much as doing it. For this process gives them the chance to be encouraged; for their deep feelings of oppression to start to turn to hope. It also allows God himself to intervene perhaps mostly poignantly by ministering to the heart of the person.

Acting to get oneself out of difficulty is not always possible, but waiting on the LORD is, even when we don’t feel like it. Waiting on Him is a very worthwhile and wise thing to do. Trusting God may be the last thing you feel like doing in these most challenging of situations, but if you will allow him, God will help give you the strength to trust him. Sometimes we simply have to allow ourselves to wait for the LORD, so that he himself can help us get to the point where we are able to say, ““I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

So today I recommend taking the time to prepare for the difficult times in your life by tucking away in your mind the simple process for trusting God, and that is recorded in the verse: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13).

As Christ is preparing to die on the cross he leaves his disciples with a number of encouraging statements. These are recorded in John chapter 14. One of them is, “…the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” John 14:26-27.

You may have noticed that the dove is the symbol of both the Holy Spirit and of peace, but have you ever wondered why they both have the same image? The answer is found in the passage above, and here we see that the Holy Spirit, and peace, are both intricacy linked together. In these verses John relates to us how Jesus told his disciples that not only was the Father sending the Holy Spirit to guide them as believers, but Christ also gave his own gift of peace to his followers. This peace was given through collaboration of the triune Godhead, that is; God the Father sent the Holy Spirit, who in turn became the conduit of the peace that flows from Christ, the Son of God, to those who believe in him.

When this happened Jesus Christ was preparing to go to the cross in humanity’s place. The only begotten Son of God was about to take upon himself the penalty of sin which was weighing on us as fallen people. When this was completed Christ rose again. Then, after appearing to many of his followers, he ascended to Heaven. The third person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit, then continued Jesus’ ministry on earth and is still doing so today. The Holy Spirit took up the roles of advocate and teacher that Christ had fulfilled in his earthly days. And, one of the most potent realities of the presence of the Holy Spirit with us is the peace that is given in direct fulfilment of Christ’s gift to us.

This peace is a gift. It is a constant that remains for us to receive as often as necessary whenever we acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus knew that we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33), and his response to that was complete. He has gone ahead to prepare a better place for us in the presence of the God the Father (John 14:3), but he has also given us the gift of peace in the present through divine collaboration with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

God is taking care of the future and He is looking after us in the present. The question is whether we are prepared to accept the presence of the Holy Spirit and the peace he can bring into our daily lives?

Lots of money and effort is being spent on trying to find a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus. A vaccine would certainly be beneficial and physically save lives. The vaccine alone though is not the cure for the crises we face both now and on the road ahead.

Crises of health, hunger, poverty, loneliness, and depression abound around the world. The true cure for this and future crises to come also involves compassionate acts on our part. Intentionally reaching out to help others in their time of need and loneliness.

Until we care, feed, give, befriend, and encourage those in need, a vaccine for many will simply be a way of prolonging life’s miseries. But a vaccine delivered alongside the practical meeting of people’s needs will change lives for good. Bringing hope and blessings to all creation by the uplifting of humanity around us.

This is being God’s children in the world, and to those who do this,  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40

Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise. Without having any chief or officer or ruler, it prepares its food in Summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8

Instructed here to look to the ant for wisdom, we are given an important lesson through the tiny creature’s diligence. The ant works hard to store up food for its colony. The formations of ants we see marching up our walls and across our table tops are on a mission to bring back as many supplies to their colony as they can.

What has stood out to me this last week though is that the author places the ants activity timewise in the Summer and in the harvest. Is this a picture of a forgotten way of life?

The natural order of things is to work to prepare for the coming of Winter. Planting in Spring, Harvesting in Summer, Storing in Autumn and Resting in Winter.

Hang on?

Resting, in Winter?

Yes, that’s right. If we have prepared well, Winter, with its shorter days, and colder weather is the natural time to hole up inside and keep warm and well fed. This isn’t possible though if we have not prepared, if we have not gathered in the harvest and stored up supplies like firewood in advance.

In today’s world we have a leisure and entertainment focus which is, to say the least, unnatural. The natural order is disturbed as we spend our Summers relaxing and seeking out fun activities. So when Winter comes we are unprepared for the shorter days and the wetter, colder weather. Even though we know it is going to happen every year at the same time every year we are distracted and we end up spending the Winter trying to find supplies in the worst time of year to be doing it!

Ok, now I know life is different in today’s modern world, I understand that for many people Summer is the best time to take their holidays, in fact many workplaces expect people to take their holidays then. Life is different, getting food for some is as easy as calling the delivery person, heating is as easy as remembering to pay the electricity and gas bills. The truth in the developed world at least, is that today’s modern world cocoons us from the natural patterns of the seasons.

However, then… there is the spiritual realm and the spiritual seasons of our lives. Being cocooned from seasons in the natural, we fail to understand the nature of seasons altogether. We neglect the fact that there is going to be Winter and Summer, Spring and Autumn. The comforts of modern life, might be able to spare us experiencing the elemental aspects of a natural Winter, but they cannot spare us from experiencing the elemental aspects of a spiritual Winter.

In a spiritual Summer, things feel like they are coming together, there is a sense of easiness to things, church is good, friends are close and maybe even actively encouraging us. We feel like and appear to be prospering. In a spiritual Winter, things feel more difficult, sometimes even foreboding, weariness is present and, for many a sense of isolation kicks in.

Just as in the natural the Winter season is the time to rest, in the spiritual Winter season it is the time to rest, the time to stay in one place, avoid major life decisions, review the encouragements of Summer, and simply let God minister to you.

In your spiritual Winter read the Bible, walk with God, listen to the Spirit and allow your heart to mourn for the sad things in life so that the Son has an opportunity to uplift you. Our Lord Jesus Christ understands sorrow, he is acquainted with grief and as such he is able to connect with those who mourn (Isaiah 53:3). In these times he can encourage us gently as one who shares our experie...

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! Matthew 25:24-26a.

In the parable of the talents a wealthy man gives three servants specific amounts of money to looked after while he is gone. The servants who are given five and two talents both used the money in such a way that they were able to double their master’s money. The master is pleased with this and on his return rewards the two diligent servants. The other servant however, took the single talent he was given and buried it, confessing a fear of losing it and facing his master’s wrath. The master is displeased with this approach, he expected this servant to use the money in such a way that it would bring increase in value, just like the former two servants did. So the third servant is instead rebuked and loses the money he has been given to look after.

There is much that can be learnt from this story, but in this brief thought I want to point out that one of the most interesting aspects of this parable of the talents is often missed. That is; the fact that the value of a talent in Jesus day was 6000 drachma, and the value of a drachma was one days wage for a labourer. This means that the average working class person would have to work for 6000 days to earn one single talent. That is more than 16 years worth of work! In reality though in order to save this much they would have work many years more, as it would almost all be eaten up by the daily cost of living.

Knowing this helps to understand the level of responsibility given to the servants while the master was gone. It also explains why the servant’s action of hiding the talent in the ground was not an unnatural thing to do. The risk of losing the money entirely or of reducing the amount through bad investments was very real.

The master’s expectation though is that the risk be taken anyway, that the servant attempt to use the very substantial amount of money given to him to increase the master’s holdings.

God has given us all specific talents, resources, and other gifting. Using them does involve risk, but God’s expectation is that we find a way to use them which builds his kingdom and his family. Perhaps we have an advantage over the servant in the parable though, because Christ is willing to lead us in this through the leading of his Holy Spirit and we have the Word of God to guide us. The risk though remains and so we if we are to use our God-given talents and resources we must exercise our faith in the God who entrusted us with them. Knowing that, just as the parable says in verse fifteen, God has given to each of us according to our ability. He knows us, he knows what he has entrusted to us. His expectations are in line with what he has given us, for on this earth all we have is Gods, and in the light of eternity God is all we have.

…therefore thus says the Lord GOD, See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation… Isaiah 28:16

Until, 1799 archaeologists and historians had struggled to understand Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics as they had no comparison with known languages. However, in that year a piece of Granodiorite was discovered which changed everything. The stone is called the Rosetta Stone and it had a text carved in three different languages on it: Ancient Egyptian, Demotic, and Ancient Greek. All of sudden archaeologists had a core of representative texts from which they were able to unlock the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. History came alive because of the discovery of the now legendary Rosetta Stone.

Before Christ came there was a lot of misunderstanding around the law, the prophets and the coming Messiah. When Jesus Christ’s ministry began to become public, the people of Israel’s hope was stirred and gradually many came to believe that this could finally be the Messiah. There was one major problem though… Jesus did not fulfil the expectations of the people.

The followers of Christ expected something quite different than what he actually did. They expected him to liberate them by force from the overlordship of the Roman Empire, and they were bitterly disappointed when he didn’t. They hadn’t understood the true meaning of the scriptures or the historical events that pointed the way to the Son of God’s life on earth.

Christ’s life, didn’t work out the way the people of the age thought it should. Even John the Baptist became confused about the true nature of Christ’s mission and needed confirmation because things were not going the way he thought they would. However, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were all necessary for the ultimate reveal of the love and forgiveness of God the Father at the cross.

The scriptures of the Old Testament did not change, with the birth of Christ, rather his life presented a new lens through which they could be viewed. Jesus Christ was the Rosetta Stone through which all former scripture now became clear. The former scriptures also become more relevant and their application made more practical sense than it ever had been before, as the grace of God was revealed in the life of his only begotten Son.

In the same way that the life of Christ brought understanding to the reading of the Old Testament scriptures, so the scriptures that were written after Christ’s death are illuminated by Christ’s ongoing life after his resurrection. The Old and New Testament scriptures are brought into unity through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord the Son of God. The Spirit of Christ, that is the Holy Spirit, was sent to guide us into a knowledge of the Father and ultimately into all truth through aiding us in the understanding and insight of the entire Word of God contained within the scriptures. 

Just like an encoded message that needs a key phrase to decipher it the message of the Old Testament scriptures became clear only with the life of Christ and the continuation of understanding needed for reading the New Testament is also made clear by the ongoing presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit with us today. Without the recognition of the pivotal role of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the ongoing guidance of his Holy Spirit, the Word of the Father will remain an undecipherable mystery to us. So if you are struggling today to understand the Word of God and its relevance to your life, allow the life of our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Rosetta Stone which unlocks your understanding of the scripture through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the careful, close study of the Biblical text.

But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

Jeremiah 34:11

In the thirty-fourth chapter of Jeremiah we find the tragic story of how many among the Israelites went back on their word and re-enslaved their fellow Israelites who they had set free from bondage. This entirely selfish action on the part of so many grieved the heart of God so much that he proclaimed the ruin of the guilty parties.

I will deliver [the leaders of the Israelites] into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.

Jeremiah 34:20

Now how does this apply to us today, surely Christians are not doing this, are they? Well, firstly we have to understand the place of the basic virtues being emphasised in this story. There are quite a few of these, but today I want to focus on three.

The first is the concept of freedom. Before the Israelites repented of their actions they were enslaving their own people, something which Moses, as God’s spokesperson, had allowed them to do on a sort of revolving temporary basis as indeed it states in this same chapter:

‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’ Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. 

Jeremiah 34:14

Now, we know from Jesus statement in Matthew 19:8 regarding divorce that simply because Moses allowed something does not mean it was God’s original intention. We won’t get sidetracked on that now though, because what this passage makes clear is that God was not happy that the Israelites were not releasing their own brethren who were their slaves when each seventh year rolled around.

Now this is important, because God’s intention here was not to reinstate the seven year cycle of temporary servitude that the law of Moses allowed, no, now he had had enough.

The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. 

Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.

Jeremiah 34:8-9

His instruction then was for all Israelites to be released from this burden. He wanted his people to be set completely free. He had freed them from Pharaoh years before, now he wanted to free them from themselves. If we look closely though God was bringing not just freedom but also another important state back to his people… he was in fact moving them towards equality.

The Israelites were immediately convicted of the wrong they had done and so they set their fellow Israelites free (Jeremiah 34:10), but for some reason, later on, they changed their minds. Maybe this freeing of their slaves had made life hard for them, because they now had a lack of labour to carry out the jobs they needed, or even just wanted, done. There may have even been other reasons, maybe the sudden system of equality made people feel threatened regarding their status and maybe they didn’t like not being able to tell their brothers and sisters what to do? For whatever reason though they went back and got their fellow Israelites and forced them back into slavery – what a terrible thing to do!

This teaches us that it is possible to repent of good and turn back to evil, but doing this not only wounds the ones who are hurt by this, it enslaves our own soul, as we find ourselves in enslavement to sin and...