It’s a Miracle!
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Weekly Reflections
It’s a Miracle!
How do you know something is a miracle? That depends of course on what you mean by miracle. If you have an old dictionary published in the mid 20th century it will tell you a miracle is an amazing or wonderful event.
If you look up a modern dictionary you will see the definition has changed. It is now an event that is contrary to the established laws of nature and attributed to a supernatural cause.
This is a significant change in meaning. The old definition followed the meaning of the idea in the Bible. The new meaning has developed from a skepticism about the events described in the Bible. Although most of our Bibles use the word miracle, it is actually a translation of words that mean a wonderful event, or a powerful work. Certainly some of the events described in the Bible are hard to explain using the “established laws of nature”. But most aren't.
But did any of these “wonderful events” happen? Can you believe it? Here is another twist in the meaning of words. Faith in the modern dictionary is “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.” But that is never the definition in the Bible. Faith is always based on knowledge. It is based on a foundation that is reliable. So if we want to know whether the “wonderful events” happened, we need to check out whether the stories are reliable.
The disconcerting thing about most of the stories of Jesus is that they turn out to be both reliable and confronting. They don't say what we think they should and don't do what we expect. Believing Jesus turns out to be quite a miracle itself.
Dale Appleby
12D. A New Old Idea Acts 10-11
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Acts
{podcast id=46}
3. A New Old Idea Acts 10-11
Series: A Mission without Leaders or Plans Acts 8-14
Sermon preached at Dongara Anglican on 23 August 2015
What happened and How it happened when the gospel went to the Gentiles
Bible Readings: Isaiah 42.1-9; Acts 11.1-19
2D. Who is Running this Mission? Acts 1-8
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Acts
{podcast id=45}
2. Who is Running this Mission? Acts 1-8
Series: A Mission without Leaders or Plans Acts 8-14
Sermon preached at St John the Baptist Dongara on 16 August 2015
Bible Readings: Isaiah 52.13 - 53.12; Acts 8.26-40
How the message spread without planning or leadership
1D. Joining Jesus Luke 24
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Acts
{podcast id=44}
1. Start Here: Joining Jesus Luke 24
Series: A Mission without Leaders or Plans Acts 8-14
Sermon preached on the occasion of a baptism at St John the Baptist Dongara WA.
Bible Readings: Isaiah 2.1-5; Luke 24.36-53
How and why we come to benefit from the baptising with water and the baptising with the Holy Spirit
12. Stand Strong Ephesians 6.10-20
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Ephesians
{podcast id=43}
10. Stand Strong Ephesians 6.10-20
Last sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on 15 February 2015
Misunderstanding the Struggle; Knowing the Defence; Calling for Back Up
If I could say one more thing... 15 Feb 15
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Weekly Reflections
If I could say one more thing...
It would be that it is the Word of God that changes lives and grows the church. I could tell you this because I have seen it over a long time working in a variety of congregations in six quite diverse dioceses.
But that would be anecdotal evidence. Or perhaps testimony. Notoriously unreliable some would say.
I suppose I came to this belief from two foundations a long time ago. One foundation was my own experience of growing to know Christ. I know I grew as I read and heard the scriptures expounded. The other foundation was the scriptures themselves. They are not merely religious history, or a kind of Christian life manual. They tell us what God has done and said. And it is clear that a great deal of what he has done is a result of what he has said.
By his word he created the heavens and the earth. He spoke to Abraham and made promises which he fulfilled because he had said he would. He spoke through prophets and fulfilled those promises through his Son.
9. Infants or Grown Ups? Ephesians 4.14-16
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Ephesians
{podcast id=42}
9. Infants or Grown Ups? Ephesians 4.14-16
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on 8 February 2105
A church of infants looks like this... And is caused by this... But can grow up by this means... to be ...