The story of David and Goliath is usually misunderstood to be a description of a clash between a champion and an underdog, but the story itself has far more meaning than that. It is true to say that Goliath was big and David was small, but because David is a ‘type’ of Jesus who was to come, the beginning of the story in 1 Samuel 17:28-37 emphasizes how David heard all of Goliath’s taunts and was willing to step into the breach for God’s people – something that the Lord Jesus did for God’s people to a greatest degree.
Author: Philip
‘The upside of a downward spiral’ (1 Samuel 16:14-23)
In 1 Samuel 16:14-23, Saul’s continued disobedience and hardened heart meant that his life soon began to spiral downwards. However in the providence of God, David, the youngest son of Jesse became instrumental in bring blessing to Saul in his torment. In this way David is a type of Jesus, his greater Son, who was to come and who brings the fullness of forgiveness, salvation and peace to all who come to Him in faith.
‘Samuel’s thoughts on his long walk back’ (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
When Samuel went in obedience to the Lord’s command to the home of Jesse to anoint a new king in 1 Samuel 16:1-13, he must have thought deeply about the disappointments he’d known, the task he’d received and the obstacles he’d faced. The anointing of the previous King, Saul, had ended in disaster and now Samuel may well have thought that the same lay ahead. God, however, had other plans for Samuel and for His people in the anointing of David, who would not have been the world’s choice. The principle Samuel learned in all this was the need to wait for God’s instructions and then obey.
‘On the beach with Jesus and then to wherever He sends’ (John 21:1-25)
John 21 concerns the appearance of the risen Jesus to seven of his disciples while out fishing and then on the beach. When they disciples saw him from their boat while out fishing they saw him as a stranger. When Jesus enabled them to bring in a great catch of fish, they saw him as their Lord. When Jesus carefully and gently reinstated Peter, they saw him as their friend. When Jesus then commissioned them to ‘follow him’, he made it clear they should serve him as their Lord
Ladies’ Coffee & Cake Night
Join us on Friday May 30th at 7:30pm when we will meet together with guest speaker, Glenda de Jager, National Director, Mukti Australia.
Mukti was founded in 1889 in India, where it is known as Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission, after its founder Pandita Ramabai and the Marathi word ‘mukti’ which means freedom, liberation and salvation.
There will be hand made items for sale and a gold coin donation is requested for the coffee and cake dessert! Oh…and yes, men are also very welcome 🙂
‘The core of faith: seeing what can’t be seen’ (John 20:24-31)
When Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, Thomas had not been with them and refused to believe their testimony. However, when Jesus appeared to Thomas and proved that he was alive, Thomas’ doubts soon evaporated and he freely confessed his faith. John’s purpose in writing what he did about Jesus was for this very purpose; that we too may believe God’s testimony concerning His Son.
‘The Day that changed everything and everyone’ (John 20:1-23)
When the disciples of Jesus had all but given up hope, because they had seen Jesus die and be buried, God changed everything by raising Jesus from the dead. Their perception of death, their perspective of Jesus and their purpose in life were all radically altered – and all for the better! The same change can come to all who believe God’s testimony concerning His Son Jesus who conquered sin and death.
‘Jesus: His thirst and your salvation’ (John 19:28)
Jesus spoke seven times from the cross. The sixth of His sayings was the short and plain, ‘I thirst’. These woulds could be taken in a very simple sense and quickly passed over. Of course he was thirsty! Dying is hard work. But there’s a whole lot more to it than that! What did jesus mean when He said what He said?
Liar, lunatic or Lord? (Another Easter reflection)
It has been reported in recent years from the UK that a student in a Religious Education class asked his teacher if he could stay behind after class and ask her a question about her Christmas lesson. (The student probably didn’t want to ask the question in class for fear of being embarrassed in front of his classmates). The question he asked was this, ‘Why would Mary and Joseph name their baby after a swear word?’
The truth that this story conveys is striking. When a student has never heard the name ‘Jesus’ apart from as a swear word, then we know for sure that general knowledge about the Bible or even about Jesus is at an all time low. It must be the greatest irony of all times. Human history is divided into two great sections – ‘BC’ (Before Christ) and ‘AD’ (Anno Domini – Latin for ‘the year of the Lord’) with Jesus Christ the very centre of it all, and yet two thousand years later, in many cases He is ignored, despised, hated and greatly misunderstood!
At Easter time, we are forced again to consider what the Bible says about Jesus. We simply cannot afford to ignore Him although many continue to do so. The great writer C.S.Lewis once summed up the situation logically like this – Jesus has to be one of three things. Either he is a liar (He deliberately went around telling people that he was the Son of God when He wasn’t) or he is a lunatic (He thought He was the Son of God but he was badly mistaken) or he is Lord (He really was and is the Son of God.)
The accounts of his life in the New Testament’s 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), clearly help us know which of the above options best fit the facts that are recorded about Him. To come to some other conclusion other than the evidence the Bible gives and the conclusion it reaches would be ludicrous! But even if we agree with who Jesus said He was, it will not be enough just to have the right idea about Him, or just to be sympathetic to Him, or be more or less in favour of Him…If He is Lord as He says, then He can be nothing less than your Lord and having Him as less than your Lord will never be good enough for Him. It’s all or nothing.
Jesus once asked his disciples this question, ‘Who do you say I am?’ (Matthew 16:15). This Easter, He is still asking us the same question.
‘Jesus: crucified, dead and buried’ (John 19:17-42)
The facts of the cross are plainly recorded in all of the gospels, but John has his own special emphasis on the events that unfolded that first Good Friday when the worst that man could show met with the best that God could give. The end result was and is a story of amazing sacrifice in which Jesus completed all the Father had sent him to do – to secure the salvation of all of God’s people.