Archive

Two kinds of people in the world Have you ever heard someone say, ‘There are two kinds of people in the world’? This is usually followed by a joke or some oversimplified statement about people....

No one wants to do it One word could be used to describe all of human history: suffering. Everyone who has ever lived has had to suffer. No one asked for it, no one wants it and most have wondered why...

Sincere Christian love Love must be sincere. Romans 12:9 (NIVUK) Have you noticed how often we human beings say things we don’t really mean? Sometimes it can be a trivial matter – for example, we...

Christ’s teaching on prayer “This, then, is how you should pray…” Matthew 6:9 (NIV) I remember being asked by a young member of our congregation how they should approach the practice of...

Being willing to listen Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:2 (NLT) We live in such a hectic, busy world, and it’s so easy to be distracted by one thing...

He watches over you! The Lord watches over you… Psalm 121:5 (NIV) I am seeking to memorise a new Psalm; Psalm 121, a short but sweet Psalm of encouragement. It is a Psalm of ascents, meaning that...

‘…all that is necessary for a Christian to know and to live’ 1 This study is the eighteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (Titus – read in 4 minutes) …in hope of...

He sees the heart I once saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said, ‘I don’t know why judges get paid so much. I judge everyone for free!’ Unfortunately, this funny line has a lot of truth in it....

God is always with us Just a little heads up – it’s less than five months until Christmas! We’ll soon be seeing trees and decorations, along with the incessant jingle bell-type...

A living sacrifice Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God… Romans 12:1 (NIV) When I was 11 or 12,...

Open the eyes of my heart. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. Genesis 21:19 (NIVUK) Have you ever completed a...

Open 24/7 “Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear” Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) We drove two hours to get there. She threw up the whole way, and I had to hold...

God’s love is boundless For [Christ Jesus] is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its...

Preach the word!  This study is the seventeenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (2 Timothy – read in 7 minutes) But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the...

Busy work Have you ever been assigned ‘busy work?’ I despise doing ‘busy work?’ It’s the type of work that doesn’t have a purpose except to keep you…well…busy. Sometimes this happens...

The longings of God As humans, we all have longings. The dictionary defines longing as “a strong desire especially for something unattainable: craving.” Longings can be good and they can...

Mercy for the guilty God has found everyone guilty of not obeying him. So now he can have mercy on everyone. Romans 11:32 (NIRV) However good we may think we are, we all know we are not perfect. Even...

A pearl of great value ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.’ Matthew...

A new identity Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he [or she] is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)  An identity crisis is defined as a period...

My everyday life He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is...

A letter from a father to a son This study is the sixteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (1 Timothy – read in 9 minutes) Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing...

Blessed to be a blessing There is a popular old hymn called “Count Your Blessings”. The chorus simply says:  Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath...

Normal but not normal A few years ago, my husband got together with some guys in the neighbourhood to play poker. When someone mentioned to the group that he was a pastor, a couple of them got funny...

The Lordship of Jesus …‘Jesus is Lord’… Romans 10:9 (NIVUK) In the ancient world the title ‘Lord’ could be used in a variety of ways: to a subordinate, it could mean ‘sir’; on the lips...

Keep up the chatter! Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared...

I am safe There is a wildfire nearby; we are about 10 miles from its start, and it is slowly creeping toward us. I have been following it closely as a fire can do anything it wants. It has become the...

All alone It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (TPT)...

A message of comfort and hope amid persecution This study is the fifteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (2 Thessalonians – read in 5 minutes) …do not grow weary in...

Consulting the physician I recently went to an oil change station to have my vehicle serviced. As I was waiting, a lady came in and approached one of the technicians and told him that her car stopped...

Exchanging bad for good A line from an old country song says if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Another old saying is that bad things come in threes. Sometimes life is...

Sacrificial love I am so concerned about my people, who are members of my own race. I am ready to be cursed, if that would help them. I am even willing to be separated from Christ. Romans 9:3 (NIRV)...

Steadfast Stephen …They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit… Acts 6:5 (NIV)  If someone asked me which book in the Bible is a good place to start, I would probably recommend...

Salvation in a nutshell ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave...

Making the right change “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 (NIV) We have been confronted with the need to make more changes around the...

Jesus Christ will return This study is the fourteenth in a series of studies on the books of the New Testament (1 Thessalonians – read in 8 minutes) Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1...

The whole world When reading scripture, it is often helpful to take a step backward and forward—to look at a scripture from a bird’s eye view. Jesus’ most quoted saying is John chapter 3 verse...

Surrender for freedom Wait – what? We don’t usually use those two words in the same sentence. Surrender is the last thing most people think of because we’d all rather fight and win,...

Lost for words …at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for.  But the Holy Spirit rises up within us…pleading to God with emotional sighs… Romans 8:26 (TPT) I...

Live in community …in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5 (NIVUK) Our culture is an individualistic one. Just think of how many times you...

Being confident I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being...