Unasked and answered Unanswered prayer has received a lot of attention over the years. People like to give reasons why God seems to say no, such as it’s not the right time, something better is...

Jesus’s concern for the marginalised …Jesus realised that power had gone out from him. He turned round in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ Mark 5:30 (NIVUK) Jesus was on his way...

Rooted in love …And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of...

A.C.T.S This is the thirteenth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer …pray continually…   1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIVUK)  Paul’s pithy command to ‘pray continually’, or ‘pray...

I will make a way …I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) The garden is out of control again. What used to be a vegetable garden is now filled with...

Men of peace This is the nineteenth study in a series of studies about shadows in scripture …and he [Solomon] had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man...

Two are better than one Recently, a photograph surfaced online that showed an early version of Sony’s PlayStation game system. To me, it just looked like an old cable box. But when I looked closer,...

The heart of Christianity Being Christian means different things to different people. Most of us, including those who believe in God, carry around preconceived notions, probably passed on to them...

Megastorm And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. Mark 4:37 (NKJV) A couple of years ago I was reunited with an old school chum. It had been 40...

Call on the Lord This is the twelfth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.  Psalm 5:2 (NIVUK) May 1940 was a time of grave...

Life after death “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants...

A firm anchor We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf… Hebrews 6:19-20...

Following in the steps of the disciples? “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life...

Father’s Day For Christians, Father’s Day is not only a time to celebrate fathers and fatherhood, but also a reminder of our heavenly Father’s unconditional love for all his children. In his...

Do the maths As a student, I did pretty well in maths – until I got to trigonometry! I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, so that was my last maths class. I do remember a little bit of...

We do not know how … “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The...

Commit your plans to the Lord This is the eleventh in a series of studies on the subject of prayer Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 (NIVUK) Some...

As we go The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you...

The personal touch Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man… Matthew 8:3 (NIV.) I cannot help but think about hands today. My hands hurt from the arthritis in them. My joints are swollen, and...

We will rejoice and be glad This is the eighteenth study in a series of studies about shadows in scripture …“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things...

Christ, conqueror of my soul The English poet, William Ernest Henley, was an avowed atheist. You might recognise his name from his famous poem entitled, Invictus. Invictus is Latin for...

God delights in us “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over...

Who is Jesus?  When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’ And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is...

A lament [God] has shown you . . . what is good…what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV) When we look at our societal...

Mayday This is the tenth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’   Matthew 14:30 (NIVUK)...

You did it for me “The King will reply. ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:40 (NIV) The morning was...

The whole armour of God This is the seventeenth study in a series of studies about shadows in scripture ‘I’ve searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He’s a man whose...

Personal salvation You have probably heard some form of the statement that Jesus is your personal saviour. But have you considered that being personal is more than being an isolated individual? What...

Staying close to God I suppose human beings have always been susceptible to distractions. Any shiny, new thing can pull us away from more important considerations. But it does seem the number of...

Precious We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (MSG) When our children were still living at home, there was a period when they would...

Don’t forget God This is the ninth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer. “When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. But that...

Our love compels us This is the first in a series of studies on the subject of sharing our faith. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the...

What is in a name? According to Wikipedia my name Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means ‘Favour’...

The hands that rocked the cradles… This is the sixteenth study in a series of studies about shadows in scripture …the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.  Revelation 13:8 (NIV) The...

Trinity Sunday Today marks the midpoint in our annual Christian worship calendar, all of which points to Jesus. The first half of the calendar is made of several seasons of celebration starting with...

A good Christian? While I was on a bowling team, I tried to follow the cardinal rule of maintaining peace: don’t discuss politics or religion. But these subjects did come up and occasionally I...

The voice of the Lord The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.  The voice of...

Praying for everyone This is the eighth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer. …for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened...

Six reasons to engage in the local community. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being...

The open door “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” John 10:9 (NIV) I have been binge-watching Casualty 24/7. I find...