Cash for honours “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9 (NIV)  This verse has two...

Philip preached Jesus So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this...

Love all, serve all But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)  Anyone who has feasted at the griddle of one of the 185 Hard...

‘Emergency services – which service do you require?’ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all...

The likeness of Christ …we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory… 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)  The...

Living water A commonly held assumption for treating people suffering from heat exhaustion is to just give them more water. The problem is that the person who is suffering could drink a gallon of...

Two signs A lot of homeowners in my area have “No Trespassing” signs on their property. I put one up as well (long story). The same kind of signs are around the perimeter of the walking...

Public sinner number one Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15 (NIV) Here in his first...

There is none like you  For we are God’s handiwork… Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) I was recently thinking about Lenny LeBlanc’s song There is none like you, the words of which are so poignant: There is...

Save me, O God Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out...

What goes around comes around Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans...

See for yourself! [I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands… 1 John 1:1 (Amplified...

Not wanting the shepherd Have you ever misheard the lyrics to a song in a way that drastically changed the meaning? Most of us have done this at one time or another, perhaps you even had a favorite...

No skipping to the end During the wedding of Prince Humperdinck and Buttercup (in the movie The Princess Bride), the prince became impatient and told the clergyman to skip to the end. He was a very...

What happened next? I am sending him – who is my very heart – back to you. (Philemon v.12 NIVUK) Philemon was a Roman nobleman who lived in Colossae, whom Paul had led to faith in Jesus on a...

The seed of faithfulness  … In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world… Colossians 1:6 (NIV) As Christians, living in the busy modern world, we may not...

Preeminence of Christ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He...

We are not what we experience Many in this world have experienced horrible, almost unspeakable circumstances. They have been brought on by war, violence, illnesses, loss, and abandonment. These...

Walk in the light … “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV) He said, ‘Never had fish fingers before!’...

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth Have you ever been deceived with the truth? It’s much harder to fall for an outright lie, but if a little truth is mixed in—a fact here and a...

Our power is His power Very few people have been or can be described as powerful. Some have great physical strength; some have been given the power to command countries or armies; some have intellects...

Speedy boarding “But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence...

Humility Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the...

A love that frees us …God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this...

Come to the table! “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…” Luke 14:13 (NIV) As children, always being hungry, we loved to hear the clarion call,...

 Just ask Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) Children are great at asking...

The boy from the well Have you ever felt completely powerless? Have you been in the unenviable place of having no recourse—no action you can take that will change your situation? Imagine being stuck...

Surrender first In 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the British House of Commons on the defence of Dunkirk and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. Toward the end of this dramatic...

Traditions or mission? Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the...

Seal of approval  “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”...

Along about midnight Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. (Acts 16:25 The Message) Your faith is not...

God loves us But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV) Speaking in public comes with pitfalls as well as rewards. On this...

A day for good news! How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God...

The story since day one Do you ever have a commercial jingle or a theme song from a TV show that you can remember perfectly years later? Decades might pass, you will have forgotten libraries of...

In need of rescue I’ve never needed to be rescued from a burning building or been in danger of drowning, but I did experience a rescue of sorts when I broke my arm several years ago. I started...

We’re surrounded. Run for it! Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run...

Journeys interrupted As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them… Luke 24:15 (NIV) There are two journeys described in some detail in...

A deep well A person’s thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out. (Proverbs 20:5 GNT) Have you ever considered the effect that a well-used bucket could have...

The Garden of Eden  The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed… The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge...

Abraham’s journey What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also...