The place of welcome “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5 (NIV) Walthamstow, the area of North East London, where I lived for most of my life, is famous for a...

Under the broom tree This is a broom tree. Solitary shrubs like this grew all over the desert in biblical times—rugged, resourceful plants that shot their roots deep into the unforgiving dry soil. 1...

The clean doorstep But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (NIV) Too many years...

God’s name is revealed Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites…and they ask me, ‘What is [God’s] name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This...

They are all our children Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3 (NIV) Children are a joy, a pleasure and often a great source of amusement. Many times we have...

James and John Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them…...

Now I am in Christ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh…at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of...

Walls of hostility You have heard the adage, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But hindsight says, “Bad neighbors, make good fences.” Ever since Adam and Eve turned hostile against God,...

Miss you M “…‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4 NIV The...

Stairway to heaven He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Genesis 28:12 (NIVUK) As...

A ship without a rudder “…So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.” Acts 27:25-26 (NLT) The Apostle Paul was being transported...

Pressing forward Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward...

When the answer is “no,” leaving us weak, then what? Recently my lovely wife Alberta passed. We were married for 25 years, 46 days. God’s answer to numerous prayers for her healing was “no”...

The Trapped and the Free Her name was Salome. The stepdaughter of Herod makes a brief appearance in Mark 6, her story ending with the gruesome image of John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter....

Old Jerusalem and new Jerusalem. Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David… 2 Chronicles 3:1 (NIV)...

Go Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will show you.’ Genesis...

There’s more to trees than meets the eye! …that you, being rooted and grounded in love… Ephesians 3:17 (ESV) Trees are God’s wonderful gift to mankind. Many tree varieties provide us...

No solos here “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”...

The ‘paidagogos’ But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law,...

The gift of love But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) The...

Plugged in The worst power outage in US history happened on August 14, 2003. It was called the Northeast Blackout of 2003, and it affected 45 million people in eight states from Ohio to Connecticut....

God in relationship The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) For many people in their journey of faith...

The family business Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (NKJV) Have you ever watched a small child struggling in a task but insisting...

Struck down, but never destroyed My wife and I enjoy feeding birds in our backyard. One of their favorite foods is black sunflower seeds. They attract numerous different birds that sometimes seem to...

Let’s race! Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all...

A word of encouragement …there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). Acts 4:36 (NLT) Every person needs a little encouragement at one time...

Eyewitness testimony Many movies and TV shows feature dramatic courtroom scenes where a surprise witness gives testimony that shocks the courtroom. The witness is so compelling that there is no doubt...

The Enabler It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us… 2 Corinthians 1:21 (NLT) It is five years since my husband died, years filled with time...

Follow Jesus [Jesus] said…“Follow me.” Luke 9:59 (NIV) I’m sure we can all remember one time or another when procrastination has got the better of us. Maybe there was a job to do or someone we...

Sweet harmony How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard, and...

Those ‘little grey cells’ Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 1 Corinthians 14:20 (ESV) Some scriptures point a finger at how abysmal...

The Divine irony No other writer in the New Testament uses metaphors of combat and conquering more than the gentle Apostle John. Notice this passage: …for whatever is born of God conquers the...

In the beginning was the Word In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him… John 1:1-3...

Praising our God O come, let us sing to the Lord…For he is our God. Psalm 95:1, 7 (NRSV) In Psalm 95, God is at the centre of our public praises. The psalmist brings out four aspects of the God we...

The GOAT I was having a conversation with my grandson about one of basketball’s superstars when he commented, “He’s the goat.” What? I thought – he hasn’t been the player who lost the game...

God is your giant killer “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to...

The beginning of wisdom The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) Taxi fares here in Cali, Colombia, are incredibly cheap and taxis are plentiful. I often wonder how...

Bind us together Lord “You didn’t choose me. I chose you…” John 15:16 (NLT) Look at the disparate group Jesus chose as his apostles. Some we know very little about, but we are given enough...

Jesus Goes Viral Have you ever seen a video that moved you so much or made you laugh so hard that you just had to share it with someone else? If so, you may have participated in making that video...

The blood of Christ …in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV) In God’s plan, the lamb was slain before the foundation of...