9th November 2024
We live in a world that is a strange mix of life and death. Both are all around us. Every night when we go to sleep, we experience a kind of death. When we’re asleep, we aren’t in control...
7th November 2024
What do you say to someone who has lost a loved one? Often, I am lost for words, and sometimes there are no words that are adequate in this situation. We can’t resolve the grief a person is feeling,...
6th November 2024
The Bible begins with the book of Genesis affirming that God created the world and that it was very good. Continually throughout the Bible God reaffirms his positive attitude towards his creation. Yet...
5th November 2024
My daughter and I love to take the flashlight tour of the Baldwin Hotel Museum this time of year. We like to hear the history. Some of the people come to be spooked by the ghosts that may be...
4th November 2024
You don’t need to search far for references to Jesus in Micah’s prophecies. They are there in plain sight, from the prediction of his birth over 700 years before the event (Micah 5:2), ...
3rd November 2024
Have you ever had a conversation in which the primary communication was not the words spoken? Maybe an exchange with an old friend where you say very little to express your relationship? Maybe a...
2nd November 2024
Every year, I buy an amaryllis bulb, put it in the planting mix, give it some water and set it in a window. Then I marvel at how a bud emerges from the bulb, growing taller and larger until it finally...
1st November 2024
‘Jesus’ blood never fails me’ are the words in a contemporary Christian song1 but what does the blood of Jesus mean? To talk of the blood of Jesus can seem more appropriate to the script...
31st October 2024
If you are a captured soldier, in a closely guarded prison, unless you are able to escape, you are, to all intents and purposes, out of the fight. But if you are a Christian soldier, regardless of...
30th October 2024
Sometimes it can be a real struggle to find the energy to pray, especially when we have a busy period at work; we are rushed off our feet looking after our children, or we are consumed with grief,...
29th October 2024
Do you have a hard time listening? I set my mind to be still and to listen to the voice of God. I tell God that I have come to listen to him, and I try to think of nothing else but God speaking. I...
28th October 2024
In this scripture, Jesus himself draws a parallel between his own story and that of the prophet Jonah. On a sinking ship, Jonah declares to terrified sailors, “…I worship the...
27th October 2024
Have you ever been caught in a hurricane or a tornado? It can be a harrowing experience. If you are lucky, the only experience you’ve had with these monsters is footage from the news. But these...
26th October 2024
My last study may have left you feeling discouraged about the state of our hearts – dark, corrupt and deceitful above all things – or wondering about my reasoning in bringing up something we...
25th October 2024
‘It’s a perfect day!’ the bride and groom beamed. It was their wedding day; the sun shone, everyone was dressed in their best, and having a wonderful time. Food, wine, song and dance flowed in...
24th October 2024
Have you ever pleaded with God in prayer for something and the answer was not what you hoped for? Maybe you prayed that God would bless you with a particular job and you didn’t even get an...
23rd October 2024
Professor Peter Tse is an atheist, psychologist, and neuroscientist; his profession is to explore the inner universe of the mind and brain. In a discussion with the Christian professor John Lennox,...
22nd October 2024
In our attempt to love and accept all people, to be open to the way they do things and to accept their beliefs, we have become too lax in the things we believe. These words have been attributed...
21st October 2024
It feels like a confession when I admit that I always read the end of any book first. I like to know where it’s going – and then I can assess the path it takes to get there. The entire Bible, read...
20th October 2024
The selfie is the new autograph. Armed constantly with our phones, if we run into a famous person or even go to a famous place, we can snap a picture instantly. It’s better than the old, impersonal...
19th October 2024
A recurrent theme in Christian circles is repentance and that’s because it’s a recurrent theme in Scripture. There’s probably not a book in the whole Bible that doesn’t either...
18th October 2024
The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians at a time when they were facing persecution from other Jews who didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The author was showing how Jesus...
17th October 2024
How should we approach God when we pray? Some people approach prayer demanding that God acts, naming and claiming what they want God to do. Others can be so reticent that their prayers indicate that...
16th October 2024
If someone with a famous name, a well-known sports personality, movie star, or TV celebrity, were to walk into one of your worship services, they would doubtless have a warm welcome. Most members of...
15th October 2024
I have a love for medical shows – the details of an illness, the operations, and procedures to repair and heal a damaged and or deceased person. I have always wished I could have dedicated...
14th October 2024
Amos and Jesus lived about 750 years apart, but they had remarkably similar messages – and remarkably similar audiences. Amos’s message to Israel remained relevant to the world Jesus grew up and...
13th October 2024
There’s a TV show called Undercover Boss. Maybe you’ve watched it before. The show revolves around a high-ranking executive or business owner who goes undercover as an entry-level employee...
12th October 2024
This world is full of temptations, although most of the time you’ll only hear the word when someone is talking about chocolate cake or other sweet goodies. And giving into that kind of...
11th October 2024
Children are great at asking questions aren’t they? They usually begin with the word ‘why’ in questions such as: ‘Why is the sky blue? Why do I have to go to school? Why do I have to eat my...
10th October 2024
Some time ago I watched a concert on television of the singer Adele. In her chat to the audience she mentioned that she felt like an imposter. What she meant was that she felt unworthy of the fame and...
9th October 2024
The prospect of death concentrates the mind. Things that seem so important, yet are only transitory, fade away. The pretences and facades fall off the perfect image we like to present. Suddenly,...
8th October 2024
James warns what a terrible weapon we have in the tongue, in our speech. To keep control of our tongue we must be perfect. Well, I wish I could say that I am perfect, but I know that I am far from...
7th October 2024
Joel’s comparatively brief prophetic book, addressed to the nation of Judah, ploughs a similar furrow to other accounts from the prophets. This recurring theme focuses on Israel’s or Judah’s...
6th October 2024
I recently adopted two golden retriever puppies, Bumi and Zuko. One of the most endearing things they do is greet me with all their excitement when I return home. They’ll run up to me wagging their...
5th October 2024
We all have faith in something or someone. We put our faith in the systems of our society that keep things running. If we didn’t, we’d all go live in the woods, off the grid, away from...
4th October 2024
The final words purported to be uttered by famous people range from the prosaic ‘I’m bored with it all’ – Winston Churchill; to the tragic ‘I’m just going outside. I may be some time’...
3rd October 2024
My prayers often focus on requests. Please God do this for me, provide that for me, get me out of this trouble. Sometimes they are not selfish prayers: my requests are for God to do this, and provide...
2nd October 2024
James points to the example of Elijah as a man whose prayers were answered. We may read this and be encouraged. Or we may react by feeling a tad discouraged. I don’t think anyone would say that...
1st October 2024
We often think of living as living well physically, living the high life as some say. Many focus on what they can attain in possessions, what they can gain in the way of notoriety, and perhaps living...
30th September 2024
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the playwright has his protagonist create a situation intended to draw out evil and corruption in this story of jealousy and tragedy. Hamlet declares in Act 2 Scene 2,...