Ministry > jamesburke
What Happens When We Rest: Pausing and Praying
There’s a very entertaining scene in the film ‘Mr. Bean’s Holiday’ that resonates with me and probably most of us. Bean is on a long drive in his classic Mini and he’s desperately trying to stay awake. He goes through all the typical methods like having the windows down, putting on loud music and slapping his own face, but then…
How We Rest: Relinquishing and Trusting
A good friend of mine is an officer on a merchant ship. One night they were sailing across the North Atlantic and the dreaded alarm rang: “Man Overboard”. My friend was the officer in charge of the rescue so he and a few other crew launched a lifeboat into the pitch-black darkness of a cold Atlantic night. Hope was almost…
Why We Rest: God Works to Give Us Rest
Our Father is not only generous in giving us the gift of rest, He’s actually so eager to give us the gift of rest that He’s willing to work so that we can enjoy it. God works so that we can rest. We can see this play out when God works to rescue His people from slavery in Egypt.
In Egypt,…
What Rest Is: Stop and Smell the Roses
When the Bible talks about our rest, it actually starts by talking about God’s rest. In Exodus 20:8-11, when God’s people were told to stop and rest (the command to remember the sabbath), they were pointed back to the rest that God enjoyed after creating the universe.
Our starting point for thinking about rest is to see that rest is something…
Invitation to Rest
His life was fraying at the edges. His emotions were stretched and his soul was brittle. He felt like a fence that could topple over with one small push. He didn’t just need a break for a moment. No amount of leisure time or holiday would fix the issue; he needed rest for his soul and restoration for his spirit.
We…
Our Father In Heaven
by Sheridan Voysey
The ‘Lord’s Prayer’, as it has come to be known, sits at the centre of the Sermon on the Mount. It’s possible to see it as a way of summing up the teachings of Jesus’ sermon and as a prayer to ask God to help us put those teachings into action. This prayer gives not only time-tested guidance…
New Zealand Floods: A Time to Work
A Time to Work
There are many parts that make up a good response to natural disasters. There are times to donate, times to reflect, times to pray, times to prevent, times to lament. The time during or immediately after a disaster is a time to act with our hands and feet. It is a time to work hard and…
New Zealand Floods - A Time to Pray
A time to pray
When faced with the news of these floods, it can be hard to know what we can do to help - especially if we’re nowhere near the affected areas. But there is one thing that any of us can do: pray.
In fact, the most powerful work a Christian can do is pray. In Old Testament times when…
What to Do When We've Lost Our Bible-Reading Streak
In a recent Aussie survey, 71% of people said they’d made at least one New Year resolution.[1] I’ve often joined them. I’ve also joined most people whose New Year resolutions have petered out by the end of January (if not earlier!).
Perhaps it was our new fitness regime that ground to a halt the moment life got busy again, or…
Face-Down Worship
Matthew tells us that when the Magi finally reach Jesus, “they fell down and worshipped him” (Matthew 2:11, ESV). This isn’t just a polite bow, this is face-down worship. It’s a striking scene because these men don’t fall down before a King in a palace, they fall down before a little child held in a mother’s arms.
What drives the…
Missing Out on Inexpressible Joy
Rumours are circulating like wildfire. “Have you heard the news? He’s here! He’s in Bethlehem!” The chief priests and teachers of the law are overjoyed, they can’t believe the promised Messiah has come on their watch. Even King Herod has inquired about His arrival. The true King of the Jews has arrived.
So they pack their bags and off they…
The Guiding Light of the Bible
When I was a child I once played the starring role in our church nativity play—I was literally the star. It involved a long piece of bamboo, cardboard and some aluminium foil. My job was to walk around backstage holding the star high above the set, guiding the Magi to Jesus.
The star plays an essential role in the story…
Listing Your Way to Serving
Look around. What do you see? Whom do you see? As Jesus walked the earth, he saw people as they were and met them at their greatest point of need. From physical and emotional issues, to their deepest pressing spiritual concerns, Jesus served the needs of others. Famously, He said that He “did not come to be served, but to…
The Queen Showed Up
Stephen Unwin, our Australian content editor, is currently in the UK. He wrote this reflection on the Queen’s life in the days following her death.
The Queen showed up
Last Thursday we saw that the Queen’s close family were called to Balmoral. Later that evening I was watching TV in the UK as the BBC interrupted the programming to announce that…
