The eternity ring For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all...

Life in a handful of dust John starts his gospel work “In the beginning…”. Later Jesus creates sight for a blind man with a handful of dust. After his resurrection, he meets Mary in a garden...

A loving relationship God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV) Every believer in Jesus Christ has been called to...

In Christ alone “…For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”  Galatians 2:16 (NLT) When you see the words In Christ alone, you probably think of the popular worship...

Daniel in the lions’ den So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of the lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel,  “Your God, whom you serve...

Our royal heritage You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood… 1 Peter 2: 9 (NKJV) Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be born into a royal family with all the privileges that would...

Wait for the Lord.  Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land… Psalm 37:34 (NKJV) When some see the phrase, ‘wait for the Lord’, or ‘wait on the Lord’,...

Dissolving disagreements  I have a friend with two small preschool boys, and because they’re so close in age, they have a tendency to fight over toys. To keep her sanity, she told them that if they...

The sufficiency of Christ Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from...

A watershed moment ‘…We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved…’ Acts 15:11 (NIVUK) The Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15 is widely recognised as a watershed...

Bridge over troubled waters “‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (NRSV) There were two brothers who lived on two farms next to each other. They...

The great unwashed All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.  Isaiah...

Faithful One   But the LORD is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ( ESV) One of my favourite hymns is Brian Doerksen’s Faithful One as sung by...

The ripple effect Sitting beside the pond the day after my son’s wedding, I was thinking about how beautiful the wedding was, how thankful I am for our new daughter-in-law, and what a blessing it...

Moved with compassion But when he saw the crowds he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed, and cast away as sheep not having a shepherd. Matthew 9:36  (Darby Bible...

Go south As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Acts 8:26 (NLT) I know this is not for everyone but some of my happiest...

Recognising answered prayer “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” Matthew 6:6 (ESV) In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught his...

O Lord, make haste to help me! Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to...

Holy and blameless Blessed are those whose way is blameless… Psalm 119:1 (ESV) From our adversarial political system, through our society, down to our individual families, we are good at blaming...

A friend forever! A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 ( NKJV) I have had many friends in my life as I grew up and now...

Ripples in the world Have you ever skipped stones across a body of water? If you do it just right, the stone jumps across the water a few times before it finally sinks. When it does sink, the stone...

Let joyful music help your Bible study David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. 1...

Where does God live? “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.” Acts 7:48 (NIV) In reading the story of Stephen and his martyrdom one is struck by the grace that...

God is our potter But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV) Isaiah makes it very clear that God is our Father...

Aroma makes the difference! Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  Ephesians 5:2 (NLT) Cutty...

Nowhere to go  Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20 (NIV) In 2019/20 in London, 10,726 people were recorded as...

The Impossible “…for God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26 (NRSV) A few days ago I was watching a film titled The Impossible. It was based on a true story about a family of five that...

The empty tomb ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!…’  Luke 24:5-6 (NIVUK) Until recently, I worked for a Chinese-owned company, so it was not...

The aftermath of Good Friday    The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said…” ...

Today is Friday… When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him… Luke 23:33 (NIVUK) The evening was getting worse. Jesus was betrayed. One by one he was abandoned by his...

Shaking things up …But I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27 (NIVUK) Have you ever been so frustrated with someone you want  to shake them? There you are trying to tell them something...

Escaping the prison of sin  “…if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36 (NKJV) It once housed the worst criminals in the USA and it was based on the huge rock in San...

Wisdom …that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the...

How do you fight your crusade? When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 (ESV) My earliest memories of history lessons tell of King...

Whose likeness This is the coin in use around the time of Christ. Look closely at it and you see a major problem for the Jews of the day. The inscription reads: “Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the...

Esther and us “…Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 (NLT) As a teacher working in a Jewish school the story of Esther is one that we visit...

Can you bring me a donkey? “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:38 ESV Have you ever felt uncomfortable? I have, lots of times...

Fox’s poo! “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah...

But…! For I the Eternal your God hold you by the hand, whispering, “Fear not, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (Moffatt) Did you ever look at the ‘but scriptures’ in the Bible? ‘But’ means...

Are you listening? “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” Matthew 13:43 (NLT)  During His ministry Jesus...