Daniel 2:1-13

Daniel 2:1-13 - Daily Devotion - 28 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him. 2 So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

5 The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

7 They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final. 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”

10 The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer. 11 What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

12 This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

Yikes! What a request from Nebuchadnezzar! Today’s passage is almost comical. The most powerful king in the world wants his dream interpreted—but not just the interpretation. He wants the wise men to tell him what the dream was in the first place! And if they can’t, he threatens them with a brutal death. The wise men respond just as you’d expect: No one alive can do that!

Tomorrow, we’ll see that the true God steps in. Without giving too much away, this becomes a powerful display of God’s wisdom and might. But the key to today’s passage is verse 11: No mortal can know the king’s secret. In that moment, the wise men actually speak true wisdom. There is a kind of knowledge that belongs to God alone.

As I reflected on this, I was reminded of Romans 2:16, where God is described as the “judge of people’s secrets.” God’s knowledge has no limits. He sees what is hidden. He knows every secret. Even the thoughts we’ve never voiced—the ones we try to hide from others, and even from ourselves—He knows them all.

It’s easy to laugh at the wise men and their guessing games. It’s like calling a psychic hotline to predict your future—they can say anything in their interpretation, but ask them to tell you what you dreamed and they’d hang up the line. They don’t know. Yet God really does. And that’s not just amusing—it’s confronting. If God knows everything, then He knows me. The good parts, yes—but also the things I’d rather keep hidden. But that shouldn’t drive us to run away (after all – where can we run to?). The right response is to keep turning back to the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the one who knows the heart of humanity and yet still draws near to us, so that we can know God’s unconditional love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Daniel 1:6-21

Daniel 1:6-21 - Daily Devotion - 27 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

6 Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.

9 Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, 10 but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”

11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearances with those of the young men who are eating the royal food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14 So he consented to this and tested them for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. 16 So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.

17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.

20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The Babylonian indoctrination program was thorough, but Daniel had a line he wouldn’t cross. He would not disobey God’s law. So when he was offered food that God had declared unclean, he wouldn’t eat it. This was a courageous stand. You can imagine the Babylonians not taking too kindly to someone who thought their royal food was not good enough for them.

God has given us a clear line we shouldn’t cross – the commands of Jesus and his apostles in the New Testament. The world will pressure us to cross that line. “Everyone’s doing it” will be the catch cry. It could be bad language, disrespect, gossip, slander or dishonesty. We could be pressured into drunkenness, sexual immortality, cruelty or greed. But God calls us to say “No, I will not cross that line, no matter what happens.”

God honoured Daniel’s courage and faithfulness. He gave him success in the food trial and in entering the king’s service. He gave him great wisdom and understanding. He even caused him to outlast the kingdom of Babylon. He remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus. Cyrus was the Persian king who defeated Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to Judah and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Likewise, God will honour us when we take a stand for him. He will be with us. He will even cause us to outlast Satan’s kingdom! Long after Satan’s dominion has been destroyed, we will be reigning with Christ in the New Creation.

Let’s pray. Father, when the pressure comes from the world to disobey you, help us to stand firm and obey you, no matter what happens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Daniel 1:1-5

Daniel 1:1-5 - Daily Devotion - 26 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Over the next 5 weeks or so, we are going to be working through the book of Daniel. Our staff team are writing the reflections.

~~~

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

5 The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The book of Daniel begins about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. God had already judged the northern kingdom of Israel, and he is about to bring the southern kingdom of Judah to an end as well. Daniel 1 describes the first deportation of a few of the young Jewish nobles to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar will attack Jerusalem twice more, and the final attack will bring about the destruction of the city and the temple, and the end of Judah as an independent nation ruled by a king in David’s line.

This is the start of the Jewish exile in Babylon. The book of Daniel is all about God’s people living and suffering under foreign powers, waiting for God to intervene and rescue them. And yet, as we see today, some of them were offered special privileges.

Put yourself in the shoes of one of these young Israelite men selected for the King’s Academy in Babylon. Imagine you are a faithful Israelite – you believe the God of Israel to be the Creator God sovereign over all nations. He is your God. You’ve been devastated to see the kings of Judah lead your people away from God and bring down on them God’s discipline through the King of Babylon. And so now you find yourself a captive in Babylon.

But then this amazing opportunity opens up. You’re selected for the three year training program at the King’s Academy to prepare you for service in the palace – all meals provided!

Then your parents pull you aside and say “Son, we know you love God. We don’t want you to abandon your faith. But please keep your head down. Please don’t make a fuss about the details of your faith. Fit in with the other students as much as you can. Go along with the teachers. This could be a great opportunity for our family and all our people. You could rise in this kingdom and be a great help to all your people. You just need to let your faith slide under the radar for 3 years.”

Whenever we enter a new situation – a new course or a new job or a new neighbourhood for example – we are faced with a similar decision. Will we blend in for a while, downplay our faith and try to fit in with everyone around us, or will we – right from the start – be praying for opportunities to identify with Christ and talk about our faith?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our assistant ministers.

Philemon 18-25

Philemon 18-25 - Daily Devotion - 25 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

22 In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

So far, Paul has challenged Philemon on what the gospel means for how we view one another. God calls us to see one another as we truly are through faith in Jesus: partners in the gospel, coworkers, children of God with the same honour and value and status.

But there is one final issue he needs to address, which for Philemon might be even more difficult. It’s the twin topics of reconciliation and forgiveness. For Philemon to receive Onesimus back as if he were receiving Paul himself (v17), their relationship needed to be fixed. Onesimus had committed some serious wrong against his master, and Paul must have known that Philemon still felt … anger? resentment? a sense of entitlement, of demanding payback?

For Philemon to begin to obey Christ, there needed to be reconciliation. But Paul recognises that reconciliation can’t happen unless Philemon is willing and able to forgive Onesimus – to release the debt, let go of his demand for personal payback.

That can be SO hard, can’t it? But that’s what I love about the Bible: God knows that we struggle to forgive, and Scripture is realistic about how long it will take and how often we will need to be forgiven for failing to forgive!

That’s what we see here. Not only does Paul know Philemon will struggle to forgive Onesimus, he offers to help him with it – at his own expense. He offers to pay whatever damages Onesimus owes, simply to help Philemon to let go of his unforgiveness. What an amazing example of valuing the gospel and relationships over material things!

But Paul also slips in a subtle reminder to Philemon of the biggest thing that will help us to learn to forgive. He reminds Philemon, “you owe me your very self” (v19) – that is, Philemon is eternally in debt to Paul, and through Paul to God himself, for his eternal salvation and joy. Because Paul was the one who brought Philemon the gospel.

Our sin meant that all of us had a debt to God that we couldn’t ever pay off, not even if we had all eternity. But through the gift and sacrifice of his Son, God has gladly freed us from that debt. Compared to that, every other moral debt we are owed is trivial. Remembering that is what will help us to learn to not hold onto our personal grievances, and to extend the same kind of extravagant forgiveness to others that we have received in Christ.

As we saw yesterday, others at church might sometimes treat you by society’s stereotypes of classes and levels. Can you learn to forgive them? Because if you can forgive them first, it will be so much easier to do the hard work of talking with them about the way they’ve treated you. In the end, that is what will help us to grow as the very best thing there is: brothers and sisters in the Lord, and spiritual royalty together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Philemon 12-17

Philemon 12-17 - Daily Devotion - 24 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.

13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today Paul finally gets to the heart of why he is writing to Philemon. He’s taken a while to get there, because … he’s a godly, caring pastor. He was eager to start by affirming Philemon of his thankfulness to God for their partnership in the gospel and for the encouragement Philemon has been to him. I love seeing this example of Paul’s gentle, pastoral manner.

Now he gets to the point. Paul is about to send Philemon’s runaway slave back to him – Onesimus, who has now been transformed by knowing Christ. So what does Paul want Philemon to do? In a nutshell: receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but “better than a slave, as a beloved brother” (v16). Or in v17: receive Onesimus back just as if he were receiving Paul himself!

That doesn’t necessarily mean Onesimus would stop being Philemon’s slave, in legal terms. Slavery in the ancient world was very different from the pure evil of the African slave trade. Under a godly master, it could be a good form of employment. The issue for Paul was not whether Philemon was going to release Onesimus. It was how Philemon was going to view Onesimus from now on. Was he going to relate to him as an inferior, a good-for-nothing slave, or as Christ called him to – as an equal through the gospel, a cherished brother in Christ, someone to both encourage and be encouraged by?

This was an unbelievably radical thing for Paul to ask an ancient slave-owner to do. But that’s how radical and countercultural the gospel is! Christ raises all of us up to the same level. We will still have different styles, different backgrounds, different cultures and subcultures. But in Christ, there is only one level: the highest one there is. Jesus himself calls every single one of us his brothers and sisters (Heb. 2:11)! That makes us all spiritual royalty.

But it’s so hard to live that out in church life. It’s so easy to subconsciously think of each other by society’s class stereotypes. I’ve seen it so often in ministry (and in myself!) – tensions and conflicts and misunderstandings, because of blind spots on both sides of the class divide or the cultural divide. We slip so easily into looking at “those people” with suspicion, interpreting their words and actions in the worst possible light instead of with grace, generosity and deep affection.

Have you ever been on the wrong end of that? That wouldn’t be surprising. We’ll think about that more tomorrow. For today, pray that God would help you to view and treat all your Christian brothers and sisters as spiritual royalty in Christ, just like you are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Philemon 1-11

Philemon 1-11 - Daily Devotion - 23 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Over the next 3 days, we are looking at the little letter of Philemon.

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ. 7 I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

8 So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper, 9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Like 2 Timothy, Paul wrote this letter from a prison cell, though this was some years earlier (how many times was Paul thrown in jail for preaching Christ?!).

It’s a simple letter, but it’s important to understand the situation of the two main people Paul talks about. He wrote the letter to Philemon, who was a close Christian friend and a gospel coworker. It seems that Philemon was reasonably well-off – he had a church gathering meeting at his house, and he had at least one slave. Well, until recently.

That’s the other main character: Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus. It seems that Onesimus had been an unbeliever and a lousy slave, and had wronged his master Philemon in some way (we don’t know how – maybe he stole something from him). He then fled, but he somehow ended up with Paul in prison. Through Paul, Onesimus not only came to faith in Christ, Paul clearly came to have a deep affection for him. On top of that, Paul tells Philemon, “now he has become useful both to you and to me” (v. 11).

Paul is having a bit of fun with Onesimus’s name there. His name means “useful” or “profitable.” But before he knew Christ, when it came to the things of faith and eternity and salvation, Onesimus didn’t live up to his name. He wasn’t Mr Useful, he was Mr Useless, Mr Good-For-Nothing. But how amazing and transforming is it to know Christ?! Christ turned this crooked and spiritually useless runaway slave into Mr Useful-For-Jesus.

So Paul wants Philemon to see his slave Onesimus, not as a loser who will scrape into heaven in last place. Onesimus is now Philemon’s partner in the gospel, just like Paul is.

Two thoughts to finish. As you think about yourself: Jesus doesn’t just save us from hell. He saves us for useful work. His goal is to transform us into “gospel doers” in his service, hard-working partners with our brothers and sisters. Are you aiming and striving for Christ’s goal for you?

And as you think about your brothers and sisters at church: Which of them do you see as your potential gospel partners, as Useful-For-Jesus people? If there are some you don’t put in that category, pray for your heart and mindset now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

2 Timothy 4:16-22

2 Timothy 4:16-22 - Daily Devotion - 21 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.
21 Make every effort to come to me before winter.
Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Everett

My heart broke for Paul when I read v16. Going on trial must be scary. That’s why family and friends of a defendant usually come to court to support them. But Paul says no one stood for him at his defence. Not even his Christian brothers and sisters stood up for him while he was on trial for the gospel. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve felt abandoned, hopeless.

But Paul knew he wasn’t alone. I love the comparison between vs 16 and 17 – Paul says, ‘no one stood with me’ (v16), but in v17 says, ‘the Lord stood by me.” Even though no one else in that courtroom saw him, Paul knew that Jesus was with him, and was giving him the strength he needed to proclaim the gospel in that courtroom.

Paul also had confidence that Jesus would rescue him and bring him ‘safely into His heavenly kingdom’ (v18). That didn’t mean Paul wouldn’t suffer – he knew his own death was near (v6). But he had confidence that God would protect him spiritually, and help him to persevere and enter His heavenly kingdom.

I know Jesus calls us all to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matt 28:19), like Paul. I haven’t been on trial for the gospel, but I still find it scary to start a gospel conversation with my friends or invite them to church. Maybe you do too. But we all can have the same confidence as Paul here. As we share the gospel with friends, family, coworkers, and team mates, we can know Jesus is standing with us, right there, giving us strength. He’s with us always (Matt 28:20). And no matter what happens – whether people like what we say, don’t care, or even hate us – we can know that Jesus will protect us, and bring us safely home to heaven. “To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (v18).”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our Student Ministers.

2 Timothy 4:9-15

2 Timothy 4:9-15 - Daily Devotion - 20 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

9 Make every effort to come to me quickly, 10 because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry. 12 Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Today’s passage brings home some harsh realities of what it’s like being involved in the ministry of the gospel message.  Doing ministry is heavily relational, and requires being involved in people’s lives. But as this passage reminds us, there are seasons to these relationships, and sometimes, those seasons end badly.  There are four examples that I can see from this passage.

First, we have Demas, who appeared to have been in partnership with Paul in his ministry, but his love for the world resulted in him deserting Paul. Second are Titus and Tychicus, who were together with Paul in his ministry, but probably for the sake of the kingdom, have moved on to do ministry elsewhere. Third are Timothy and Mark, who are moving to join with Paul in his ministry. And finally, there’s Luke, who perseveres with Paul through his ministry, appearing to never leave.

In my workplace, over 6 years ago I started a Bible reading group. Initially it was just me. But then a few months later another joined, then another, then after the first year we had five people. These were mostly Christians, with the occasional borderline non-Christian joining. As the months rolled on, people left and others arrived. Overall, I have probably seen about 50 people pass through – people who I have read the Bible and prayed with. Only 1 person has stayed through the whole 6 years. He has been a great encouragement to me, and is someone who continues to wrestle with his faith in light of the world’s pressures.

Let’s pray for the ministry of the gospel everywhere, and that God would enable us to press on in faith and continue to be light to those around us, especially in seasons where relationally things might be tough.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 4:5-8

2 Timothy 4:5-8 - Daily Devotion - 19 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Matt Radloff

These verses are packed full of emotion as Paul passes on the torch of gospel ministry to Timothy. Paul has reached the end of his life, he has run the Christian race that we all run, and he wants his apprentice and his friend, Timothy, to run like he did. As we run the path following Jesus, it’s hard! There are times when the Christian journey might not feel hard – sometimes it might feel like a pleasant jog through the park. We feel joy in God’s word, prayer feels easy, going to church is refreshing. Thank God for those times!

But the Bible does promise us that there will be times of hardship. Times where it’s just difficult to keep doing the work we know God wants us to do. Times when it’s hard to keep trusting in Jesus. When it’s hard to keep the faith. The weight of sin, the desires of our hearts and the temptations of the world pull at us, call us to step off the track and take a break from the race. I find it comforting that Paul is real about the hardship of running for Jesus. He doesn’t sugar-coat it. He poured himself out for the sake of serving Jesus. That’s hard to do! He gave up everything in order to run the race. But Paul is also in no doubt that it was 100% worth it.

Finishing the race means receiving the crown of righteousness. When we reach the end of the race, God isn’t just going to give us a participation trophy. Not a “you ran in a race” ribbon. Not a “you tried your best” medal. God will give us the 1st place prize – not the prize for our own righteousness, but for the righteousness which Jesus won for us. Trusting in Jesus, through the good times and the bad, will be 100% worth it in the end. Knowing the prize means I can run with confidence. We can always know that it’s worth continuing to run.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt is one of our Student Ministers.

2 Timothy 4:1-4

2 Timothy 4:1-4 - Daily Devotion - 18 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.

3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alex Chen

Jesus changes how we should value truth and continue to share it even when our world doesn’t want to hear it. Paul has such a fatherly encouragement to Timothy to hold fast to the truth and keep proclaiming it, even when people only want to listen to what suits them. We might look out at the world and point fingers at greedy corporations or progressive politics and say, “they are closing their ears to the truth.” But it matters even in our homes. We too are in danger of only paying attention to things that suit our itching ears or our own desires, and closing our ears to harder truths. It might be finding self-value in status, money, or job fulfilment. We don’t just need small changes in these areas. We have died to the old self that sinfully put these above God, so we must live new risen lives.

I often thought preaching the word in season and out of season meant a taking loud, bold stance. But it’s more about the everyday – faithfully and consistently holding onto the gospel. Our decisions in small things making it easier to make decisions at big moments. Our character in small situations will make it clear in big clashes what truth we stand for. This is being prepared in season and out of season. We won’t always be given a few days to prepare a speech.

Often, the hard part is where Paul says to do this with “patient instruction.” We can be so zealous and bold for the truth that we forget that it’s a person in front of us who is being corrected, rebuked, and encouraged. When we just want the truth to be upheld, it can be hard to use our words wisely, love the person, and exercise self-restraint instead of being harsh. It helps to humbly remember that we too are sinners who need correction, and we all want to run the race together. Remember that Jesus will ultimately judge and will return to bring us to glory.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex is one of our Student Ministers.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

2 Timothy 3:14-17 - Daily Devotion - 17 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

14 But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Annie Davies

So far in this chapter, Paul has warned about people doing evil things in the last days. Despite the circumstances, now he encourages Timothy to continue to hold firm to Scripture and to the biblical truths he has learned since he was young. The reason? It makes you wise for salvation.

As I read this passage I am reminded of the importance of God’s word in the Bible. As we see people do wrong and seemingly live a full life, as we encounter new ideas or hard times of suffering, all we need is God’s word. God’s word is where He reveals His great plan of salvation for those who trust in Jesus. We can hold firmly to God’s word, knowing it is all we need. Those other things will pass away but our salvation through faith in Christ will remain.

Sometimes when I read the Bible, I can rush through, thinking, “I’ve read it before and I know it,” or I can skim over it and not be impacted by it. I can think it is old news – and slowly my life starts to look more like those around me who don’t know Christ. But this passage encourages me to continue to hold onto the precious teachings and promises God has made, and to be reminded that they are all I need. As Paul says in verse 17, God’s word makes us complete and is enough to equip us for the good work God has planned for us to do.

Timothy was taught the Scriptures “from infancy”. Having kids of my own, this passage also reminds me of the importance of teaching my kids from the Bible from when they are young, so that they might have the same certainty of salvation and comfort knowing the truth of God’s word throughout their lives. In the busyness of managing naps and meals and activities with young kids day to day, I am challenged to ensure teaching the Bible is a priority and a part of each day. After all, it is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ, and that is the most important thing I want for my kids.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 3:10-13

2 Timothy 3:10-13 - Daily Devotion - 16 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

10 You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, 11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Adam Davies

In the previous reading, Paul has just warned Timothy about people who will manipulate and abuse their power to gain from others. But how does Timothy know Paul himself isn't just like that as well!? How do we know that those who teach and disciple us aren't manipulating us or abusing their power for their own gain.

Well, it seems like we can discover that by doing life together. When we do life together, like Timothy saw for Paul, we see the shape of the lives of our leaders and teachers and mentors. Look at that list in verse 10 and 11. Timothy has seen it all! Everything about Paul – his teaching, yes, but also his conduct, his purpose, his faith in Christ, his character or patience, love and perseverance. He's seen that Paul is the real deal, willing even to suffer for the sake of living a godly life and proclaiming the gospel.

I'm so thankful that our ministers open their homes and share their lives with us, and that we know and spend time with their families. We get to know what kind of people they are, and see that their walk matches their talk. There might be some really smart, talented bible teachers online, but we don't know them or their lives, and that's dangerous. How can we know that they're the real deal? I'm keen to be taught and discipled by those leaders we know, whose lives match up in honouring Christ, and I feel at peace that I'm not missing out on anything I need for life and godliness. Praise God for giving us a church family and great leaders who we can share life with, so that we don’t just talk the talk, but together we walk the walk of the Christian life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 3:6-9

2 Timothy 3:6-9 - Daily Devotion - 14 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

6 They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,[A] so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. 9 But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

According to Jewish tradition, Jannes and Jambres are the names given to the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses and Aaron when they came before Pharoah – you can read about them in Exodus chapters 7 to 9.  What’s interesting about them is that they really stood in opposition to God. They attempted to discredit Moses and Aaron by performing god-like acts to show that the God of Moses had no real power.  After initially seeming to perform well, they are soon found out. God shows that there is no comparison – he is the Lord, and they are fakes.

In today’s passage, Paul warns us that we need to watch out, because the same kind of person might come amongst us today – not a magician, but someone with a form of godliness but denying its power, opposed to the truth, depraved in mind and disqualified from faith. They are the type to take advantage of vulnerable people, and seek to undermine the ministry of the gospel. They lead both men and women astray from the truth. Paul’s message to Timothy is one for us too: turn away from such as these.

I knew one such guy at my workplace. When I first met him a few years ago, he had started dating a Christian girl (not from work). He seemed interested in talking about the Bible and learning more about Jesus. He had informally been meeting up with people at work and at the same church of the girl he was dating.  Not too long after, Covid hit, and I lost touch with him. Two years later, I bumped into him and asked him how life was. He was now living together with the same girlfriend, and no longer interested in talking about Jesus. He probably never was really interested in making Jesus his Lord.

As a father of three girls, and as a brother to many other brothers and sisters in Christ, one of my biggest fears is watching someone like this drag the hearts of believers away from Christ.  As I think about how to help my brothers and sisters stand firm in gospel truth, this passage tells me that I need to be like the apostle Paul – staying close to them, encouraging and reminding them of the gospel, helping them through prayer and speaking words of truth, to help them discern for themselves who to stay near to and who to turn away from.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - Daily Devotion - 13 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4 traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

REFLECTIONS

Written by George Mihas

When I look at the state of ungodliness today, I wonder: Was there really ever a time of generational godliness? It can be easy to look back and think that past generations were more godly, but I’m not sure it’s that simple.

I come from a European background, and growing up we were taught to respect our elders. A lot of bad behaviours were not acceptable: the way we spoke, getting in trouble at school and on the streets of Sydney, and so on … and I was always in trouble. Does that mean we were a more godly generation? No, because our behaviour and discipline was never about godliness. It was always cultural, and the big concern was: What would the relatives say?

Even with my parents’ generation, which was much more modest, again it was about not dishonouring the family. For girls it was even harder. There was a lot of pressure on them to stay “pure” for marriage (why not the same pressure on the boys)?

The question I am wrestling with is: Was there a time when generations were genuinely more godly, or has worldly society always been about not dishonouring the family name? I remember watching a movie about girls who fell pregnant in Ireland in the Sixties. They were labelled as outcasts and sent to a jail-type laundry run by nuns. They were treated horribly with no mercy, no grace, treated like garbage by people who were supposed to be representing God.

So back to the Scripture.

Without Christ in our lives and in our hearts, we would be no better. We need God’s help to turn from the things Paul mentions, because we can still struggle with them: being lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (v2-4).

But we don’t just want a “form of godliness” (v5). We want to live in love for Christ, which is true godliness.

Know Christ and submit to his word. For the Christian there is no other way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 2:23-26

2 Timothy 2:23-26 - Daily Devotion - 12 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

23 But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. 25 He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Mei Chan

Have you ever heard the saying, “win the argument, lose the person”? It’s the idea that sometimes we can be so focussed on proving that we are right in the debate, that we don’t realise the damage to the relationship that can happen through our words or actions. How do we disagree well with a brother or sister in Christ, especially if the truth of the gospel is at stake?

In today’s passage, Paul doesn’t pretend that there won’t be disagreements or misunderstandings, but he encourages Timothy to stay away from the kinds of quarrelling that might stem from things that aren’t gospel issues – things that might be foolish or speculative. Even with debates that are gospel issues, Paul does encourage Timothy to correct false teaching, but with gentleness, kindness, forbearance. The goal of the gentle correction is not to win the argument, but to win their opponent away from Satan and back to God. It’s seeking their good in the deepest sense – longing for their repentance and renewed faith, gaining them back as a brother or sister in Christ instead of losing them forever to the devil.

Even though we’re not all leaders in a church like Timothy was, I pray that these verses would characterise us in the way we have disagreements with our brothers and sisters at church. I pray that we would seek to imitate Timothy (and ultimately Jesus) in the way he sought to bring people to the truth, but with gentleness and mercy, seeking the good of their souls rather than an argument won.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mei is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 2:19-22

2 Timothy 2:19-22 - Daily Devotion - 11 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

19 Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

20 A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use. 21 So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.

22 Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rodney Clarke

When we put our trust in Christ, God calls us to a special purpose. He asks us to put off the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness. We are part of God’s Kingdom – or His house, to pick up the image Paul uses in verse 20. And we each have a part to play in it. Some are called to up-front, Word ministry and others are in the background plodding away day in and day out, but in the eyes of God both are of equal value. We are the family of God who are called to stand in this particular place.

The thing that will stop us from being useful and honourable vessels for God is not what ministry we do, but what our lives are like. To be vessels of honour, we are to abstain from wickedness, ridding ourselves of our past life with its sin and instead being filled with God’s Spirit. The more we do that, by God’s strength, the more we useful we become to the Master. We are to put on faith, hope, love, and righteousness.

I struggle to do this daily. But I know that God has asked me to cast aside my old ways so that I can be renewed in Him. It's not about arguing and wanting to win at all costs. I find this difficult particularly when I ignore God and become pig-headed. This passage is sobering in that regard, because it reminds me of bad choices I have made in the past. Fortunately I can cast that aside and move forward, knowing that through Jesus God has forgiven me completely and always restores me. I don't want to be a vessel of dishonour – and it’s a comfort to know that through Christ, I can be set apart and be useful in the Lord’s service.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rodney is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 2:14-18

2 Timothy 2:14-18 - Daily Devotion - 10 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

14 Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.

15 Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.

16 But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness, 17 and the talk of such men will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Words have such a huge impact on people’s lives. When I reflect on some of the more significant moments in my life, so many of them involve words being spoken. I can think of specific moments in time when gospel truths have hit home and reshaped how I think and behave.

In today’s passage the apostle Paul warns Timothy about how important the connection between words and godliness is. On one hand, irreverent, empty chatter, quarrelling over words, and false gospel lies can have a devastating impact on listeners, leading them to ruin and ungodliness. On the other hand, one who handles the Word of truth accurately is one who presents themselves approved to God.

When I stand before God at the very end, what kind of Christian brother will he have seen me be? Will I have been like Hymenaeus and Philetus who deviated from the truth, spreading irreverent and empty chatter like gangrene?  Or will I be like Timothy, someone who was an unashamed workman who made every effort to know what the Word of truth is, and to stand firm in it?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 2:8-13

2 Timothy 2:8-13 - Daily Devotion - 9 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, as proclaimed by my gospel, 9 for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained! 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11 This is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with Him,
we will also live with Him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with Him;
if we deny Him,
He will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless,
He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Linda Vu

Paul knew that nothing could stop the good news of Jesus.

In verses 8-9, he tells Timothy to remember that Jesus Christ is from the family line of King David, and that after Jesus died he was raised from death. That is the good news. Paul was suffering for that good news of Jesus.

The resurrection reminds us that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and Christ’s descending from David reminds us that Christ is human, but also born in the line of the promised King.

Christ had to be human in order to die for us. He knows what it means to be hated by others, lied about, betrayed by friends, tempted, and ultimately killed for the sake of the gospel. Timothy needed to remember this, as he walked the same path of Christ. Christ walked it first, and Christ would walk beside him to give strength to faithfully endure.

There are times at work I could tell the good news to my non-Christians colleagues, but I find it very hard due to fear of feeling like an outcast and being treated differently. I need to remember Jesus, just like Paul did, to faithfully endure and not give up.

In verse 11, Paul highlights that if we are faithful, we will share in Christ's reign, and if we are unfaithful, he will not deny himself – he will remain faithful to his promises. This passage really helps me to remember that God's unwavering faithfulness does not change and to keep trusting in him because his promises are good and the power of his word goes forward no matter what. Chains cannot stop it!

Unlike the Apostle Paul, we are not in chains for our faith. Pray that God would help us to unchain ourselves from fear of others and open our mouth with the good news that the world so desperately needs to hear.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

2 Timothy 2:3-7

2 Timothy 2:3-7 - Daily Devotion - 7 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

3 Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him. 5 Likewise, a competitor does not receive the crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Herman Tu

When I first became a Christian, I remember speaking to my pastor, Vincent, about following Jesus and athletic endeavours. At that time, I was intoxicated with the mindset of becoming a “Herman who is an Australian athlete”. All of my actions had to funnel towards this single vision of myself. This included going to the gym for long hours most days of the week, befriending people on the basis that I knew they would be of benefit to me, and feeding myself with perpetual self-talk of unlocking my future potential.

It is no wonder that what Vinno said rocked me to the core: “Herman, you are a Christian before you are an athlete. Therefore, what is more important is not how well you perform, but your identity as a Christian.” More than that, he said: “Taking Jesus seriously means that all aspects of your life, including sport, should be done in a way that brings honour, praise and glory to God”. I was shocked. It was just so radical and countercultural.

This passage really resonates with my experience of those conversations. Understanding who Jesus is forces you, in a loving way, to give up all self-centred facets of your life and to use all of your life to worship God.

Paul definitely understood this, because he commands Timothy to life sacrificially and to join him in his suffering (v3). The Apostle Peter spoke the same way when he commends believers who “endure the pain of unjust suffering” for Christ’s sake (1 Peter 2:19).

What did they understand that propelled them to live so sacrificially and single-mindedly for Christ? As we will see tomorrow, they remembered Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David (v8). They remembered the good news that “with the precious blood of Christ” God has purchased for us “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4, 19).

For me now, sacrifice can mean giving something up. But it can also be choosing to use something for God joyfully, knowing that we may be judged or treated unrighteously. Because we know of the inheritance and the glorious future to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Herman is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

2 Timothy 2:1-2

2 Timothy 2:1-2 - Daily Devotion - 6 June 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tina Bogg

This part of Paul's letter to Timothy continues the theme of being entrusted with the gospel. Back in chapter 1 verse 14, Paul told Timothy to guard the “treasure” entrusted to him – the gospel that had been passed to him to preach. Now Paul is expanding this and urging Timothy to pass this same gospel on to reliable people who will then be qualified to teach others.

When I read these verses, they raise the question for me: What makes someone reliable? How would Timothy have known who would be qualified to teach others? Am I reliable? This passage reminds me of how important it is not only to witness to others and tell them the good news, but also to invest time ensuring they understand and are discipled so they can go on to teach others faithfully. I don't imagine the people Timothy was discipling were expected to have a theological degree before being able to teach others, but at least they needed to remember and understand the essence of being a follower of Jesus, to trust that He is the son of God who lived, died and rose again that we might have life. They also needed to be godly in their lives (as we’ll see later in the letter) – not to be quarrelsome or greedy or abusive, but to live lives dedicated to God.

We have all been entrusted with the gospel, even if we don’t all have the same official roles or responsibility of teaching in the church. But we should all be working on our character to be reliable sources, and to want to grow in our godliness, understanding and ability to teach others about Jesus. This includes reading God's Word regularly so we remember it, asking questions and discussing with one another so we understand it well, and striving to be more like Jesus in our daily lives, by God’s strength. We are also called for a purpose, to keep teaching others so God’s good news can keep spreading. Pray with me that we will keep studying God's Word and being reliable disciples who share God's word with others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.