Ministry > jamesburke
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…
Fathers' Day Reflections
This Fathers' Day, young dad-of-two Jay Bucao shares his reflections from 1 Kings 17 and what Elijah's story has taught him about this season of life as a dad.
You can either watch him share in the video, or read as an article below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRta-QTV354&w=560&h=315]
“Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the…
Heaven in Uncertain Times
We live in a climate of uncertainty. We’re told globally that financial markets and job markets are shifting and significant political situations are on a knife-edge. On a personal level, as the pandemic has changed our lives, nearly all of us have felt the ground beneath us shifting in all kinds of ways.
There’s a moment in the Gospels when the…
Be Eager
by Terry Shearer, Executive Director Australia
I’m sure that most of us have played with those cheap plastic toys that wind up and bounce on the spot. Often it's a kangaroo that bounces or a puppy that flips over or even a set of teeth that can chatter away. With a few winds they just keep bouncing away on the same…
Anzac Day: The Personal Cost of War
Some years ago, I visited a museum that had an exhibition on the cost of war.
Near the centre of the museum, there was a simple digital counter that showed an estimate of the number of lives lost in wars since the start of the 20th century. This impossibly long number kept ticking up and up and up and up.
Those…
A Better Burial
In this article, Bruce Pass unfolds the event of Jesus’ burial and uncovers what it means for us.
When we rejoice at Easter time, we celebrate the fact that Jesus died in our place for our sins and rose from the dead so that we might live forever with Him. But that’s not the whole story of Easter. Jesus didn’t just…
3 Ways the Church Can Love an Autistic Person Like Me
In this article, Madeleine Scholefield shares her experience as an autistic person, and 3 ways that churches and individuals can love autistic people. (Please note Madeleine uses ‘identity-first’ language, i.e. autistic person, because evidence suggests this is how the majority of autistic people prefer to be addressed).
I felt like a fraud during worship. Not because I didn’t mean what…
