A number of years ago, an elderly lady in our church told me why she refused her friends invitation to attend a meeting at which there was a very well-known visiting preacher. ‘His name is bigger than Jesus’ on the poster’, she said! Her insight told me a lot...
The Christian life can be full of twists and turns, ups and downs, but should never be boring. As we journey with The Lord, he teaches us to trust him in every eventuality and makes known, his plans and purposes for us. More thrilling however, he continues to teach us...
I woke on Thursday morning to see the following headlines in the Guardian; Asia Bibi: Pakistan court overturns blasphemy death sentence. The journalist explained how ‘the Christian farm labourer, a 47-year-old mother of four, was sentenced to hang for blasphemy in 2010. She had angered fellow Muslim farm workers by taking...
Last week I had the privilege of speaking briefly from what I believe is one of the most wonderful passages in Scripture. I want you to picture the scene. Jesus and his followers are surrounded by a crowd who are weighed down by the rules and regulations imposed upon them...
Aware that Psalm 63 was shared at the prayer meeting last Monday lunchtime, I decided to read it for myself. Although familiar with the passage, I saw something in the text that I hadn’t noticed before. David, the songwriter, finds himself in the Judean wilderness; in danger; on the run...
In the aftermath of the latest terrorist attack on London, politicians took to the airwaves in order to condemn the atrocity and suggest solutions. Tragically however, interviews were cut short as news started to filter through of the road the bridge that collapsed in Genoa. Within moments we were reminded...
I have recently been reading the Psalms and have again been impressed by the honesty with which the writers bare their hearts, openly and honestly before God. Psalm 34 is written from a back-drop of despair. David, in fear of his life, flees the king and finds himself in the...
I was reminded this week of the words of Amos the Prophet. Amos, a contemporary of Isaiah, brought God’s word to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in a time of relative peace and stability. Yet, like Isaiah, Amos spoke of God’s judgement due to the people’s idolatry and complete disregard...
It seems wherever I go and whoever I talk to, there is only one topic of conversation. The weather! Although much of the talk is fairly superficial and concerns how to keep cool, journalists and scientists insist that the recent heatwave is evidence of something more concerning. Although I have...
At the prayer meeting on Friday morning, I shared, a Psalm that over the years has become really precious to me. In Psalm 67, the composer starts by asking ‘May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favour on us’ (vs. 1). Of course that’s a...
