No graver danger threatens the believer than that of forgetting that he was redeemed – forgetting even in the joy of realized life what our salvation cost, and what is the rock foundation of our faith. To meet this need, our Saviour pictures Himself not merely as the Rock of Ages, and our Strong Rock of Refuge, but the Rock of our Salvation. Here, in Him and upon His merit and atoning grace, we were saved from among the lost. Let us glory in this precious name and never forget that He was “wounded for our transgressions” and “that he bore our sins in his own body on the tree.”

- G. K. Chesterton, quoted as an epigraph in Neil Gaiman’s novel ‘Coraline’

“How could we forget those old myths which are to be found in the beginnings of every people; the myths of the dragons which are transformed, at the last moment, into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our life are princesses, who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrifying is at bottom the helplessness that seeks our help.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, ‘Letters to a Young Poet’ (translated by Reginald Snell)

The hosts of Israel stand before the gateway to a promised land. No swords are drawn, no skill have they, but with them is an unseen host, and with the host, “The Captain of Jehovah’s Host.” Jericho and all the giants of the land submit, and for thee, “behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadows, keeping watch above His own.”

There is a view of Jesus which men are slow to see, but some day all the world shall know that “A Sceptre” shall rise out of Israel, and evil will be destroyed before His righteousness more swiftly than ice must melt before the glowing sun. It is in the very nature of things that sin must be consumed before His glorious holiness. Can it be other than the love of sin that blinds the eyes of men to His consuming righteousness? “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see there if be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.”

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them: Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit. And you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls—family, health, friends and spirit—are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.

To know the value of one year –
ask the student who failed their final.

To know the value of one month –
ask the mother of a premature baby.

To know the value of one week –
ask the editor of a weekly magazine.

To know the value of one day –
ask the wage earner with six children.

To know the value of one hour –
ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To know the value of one minute –
ask the person who missed the plane.

To know the value of one second –
ask the person who survived the accident.

To know the value of one millisecond –
ask the Olympic silver medalist.

What could be more beautiful or more fitting than that our Lord should be called of God “a Star”? Those who know Him best may say, “I shall see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh.” From beyond our world of trouble and care and change, He shines with undimmed light, a radiant, guiding Star to all who will follow Him – a morning Star, promise of a better day.

But firstly, what are metaphors? And this is how I draw from  the Bible at times to be an aid for my teaching. Metaphors are word pictures. Technically speaking, a metaphor is a form of figurative language in which a word denoting one subject or activity is used in place of another to suggest a likeness between them. We use metaphors all the time in speaking. Metaphors are so woven into the English language that we usually use them without even realizing it. There! We just used a metaphor. “Woven,” used in reference to the activity of putting words together, is a metaphor which comes from the activity of weaving thread into cloth. Occasionally we consciously use a metaphor to more vividly convey a thought or point we want to make. At those times we carefully select the best word picture to convey our message. Such is the case of five metaphors in the book of Jude.

1. ‘Hidden Reefs’

The imagery of a hidden reef is quite graphic. Think of a sailboat clipping along in open waters where there is no indication of the danger of a hidden reef ahead. It looks like smooth sailing, but suddenly and without warning disaster strikes, with major damage and destruction.

2. “Waterless clouds”

This metaphor is very descriptive, especially if you live in the Middle East. After the dry season, the thirsty land craves the coming of the rains. How disappointing, then, when fast-moving clouds arrive without water. They give every impression of promise, but they produce no rain.

3. “Fruitless trees in autumn”

In the Middle East, if a fruit tree hasn’t produced fruit by autumn, it’s obvious that something is wrong with that tree. If a further examination shows that the tree has no root system, the evidence is that the tree is dead. In fact, it’s doubly dead–no fruit and no root.

4. “Crashing waves”

There is a good possibility that the waves Jude has in mind are those that crash against a rocky coast sending their spray up in all directions. Such violent confrontation is typical of the strident unbeliever who is constantly dashing against divinely ordained barriers. The result, then, would be a shameful exposure of the froth and spume of unbelief.

5. “Wandering stars”

In the ancient world, mariners and desert travelers used the stars for guidance. Navigation by stars is possible because certain stars, such as the North Star, remain fixed in the sky and can be depended on for guidance. Other stars and the planets do not remain stationary in the sky but “wander” as the earth makes its annual journey around the sun.

Is there any point of dispute between thy Lord and thee? One little thing which thou didst not surrender? He is right. He cannot change. It is thy heart which must surrender. Then canst thou receive the peace which passeth knowledge. He has made the offering which atones for all thy past, but thou must yield thy will to Him. Shall it be now?

“When we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war,” General McChrystal dryly remarked, one of his advisers recalled, as the room erupted in laughter.

Here’s the Powerpoint slide:

And here is the article that writes of how, like an insurgency, PowerPoint has crept into the daily lives of military commanders and reached the level of near obsession. (‘Enemy lurks in military briefings’) And perhaps in our own working lives as well? =D