Category Archives: Ken Noakes

Happy Thanksgiving

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

(Psalm 100)

Have you ever had one of those ‘flat days’ – you know those days when you just feel blar? (a technical term!!). A day when the idea of ‘worship’ or ‘praise’ seems so removed from your mental space – I have them often.

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Who is wise among you?

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Who is wise among you?

Be careful how you answer – because there are two different kinds of ‘wisdom’. On the one hand there is heavenly wisdom and on the other there is worldly wisdom.

A wise person, should probably examine themselves before they give an answer.Of course a Christian would want to say they were a ‘heavenly wise’ person. Indeed. Would others consider you to be?

James in his letter shows us the difference between these two kinds of wisdom – and helpfully suggests that the way to determine a heavenly wise person is to effectively ask those around them!

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Sermon – James vs Paul (James 2:14-26)

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Sermon on James 2:14-26  ‘James vs Paul’ by Ken Noakes – available to stream or download: http://bit.ly/2cy1cZz.

Read the Bible text: http://bit.ly/2chYc32

Full Text of this Talk and Workings – James 2:14-26

In this talk, the question of whether James and Paul are at odds theologically over what it means to be justified by faith alone or by works is raised. The discussion is large and so the sermon deals with it briefly, but suggests this paper (‘Is James at odds with Paul?’) for further reading if so inclined.

Please note: This is an academic paper, so it is long, at times detailed, and uses technical language (including greek). Further, the paper was written several years ago and since then I have changed my position on the late dating of the letter of James (as you would hear in the sermon, I know think it is dated early). Regardless, it I think is still helpful for an inquiring mind.

English Support Handout – James 2:14-26

 

Book Review: I’d Rather Be Blind

I’d Rather be Blind: My Life after Afghanistan by Grant Lock (Melbourne: Broad Continent, 2016).

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Treat yourself to a wonderful read.  Grant Lock has written a book of personal reflection and observation influenced by his time serving as a director of an Afghan Eye Program for many years before returning to South Australia due to his own failing eyesight.

Each short chapter, jumps from present day to past day and back again as Grant skillfully paints a picture of what it was like serving in, at times, very difficult and dangerous circumstances. Then he skillfully draws on his experience to offer an insightful perspectives on the ways that we read the world in what is affluent and safe Australia.

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Book Review: 666 and All That

666 and All That: The Truth About the Future by John Dickson and Greg Clarke (Sydney: Blue Bottle Books, 2007).

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Reviewed by Katy Annis

What happens in the End? What does the Bible say will happen in the future?

The theological term most often used to describe the end of times is ‘eschatology’. 666 and All That by John Dickson and Greg Clarke addresses the topic of eschatology, a subject that both fascinates and concerns many people.

Dickson and Clarke treat this subject with a clear, concise and ‘no-nonsense’ approach. This book has a simple underlying argument; that is, Scripture itself does not provide a literal ‘play-by-play’ description of what the future will be like, therefore, we have little to gain by attempting to understand it in this way. Rather, they suggest that our focus should be on the promises, the hope and the joy that Christians can anticipate in the future Kingdom.

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Side by Side – Part 3 (of 3)

The first two posts in this series have offered two observations coming out of 1 Timothy 5:1-16 which may help a church family to further consider what it means to honour and care for those who are most vulnerable.

In the first post, we observed that the widow of 1 Tim 5 was akin to the ‘vulnerable’ today.

In the second post, we observed that when caring for a person in need – everyone is different and everyone can play a part. Five pointers were offered in how to do that.

In this last post, I would like to recommend a good book that works hard to offer principled and practical suggestions for getting alongside a person whom we are trying to love.

Side by Side – Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love by Edward T. Welch (Wheaton: Crossway, 2015).

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Side by Side by Edward Welch is a quick and helpful read, written by a Christian counselor who has practiced and written in the fields of depression, fear and addiction for decades.

The aim of the book is to identify skills that Christians can learn and then use in caring for others. His basic idea is that those who help best are the ones who both need help and give help.

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