Christ is Faithful!
I hope and pray that you are all well during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. It’s been many weeks now, and in some ways we are probably getting used to the strange environment of social separation, and at the same time feeling the strain of it. We may have been able to keep in touch with […]
Trusting God In Difficult Times
The Prime Minister said, “For us, 2020 is going to be a year like no other.” This is certainly true! The COVID-19 pandemic has put us, and societies around the world, under threat, with restrictions and losses that we haven’t experienced before. We have some sense of hope now that “a corner may have been […]
Are You Stockpiling?
The media continue to reveal the many ways in which people have responded to COVID-19, a virus which the World Health Organisation has named a pandemic.To generalise, people have acted either in a positive or negative manner. Virtues of generosity, kindness and love have come to the fore. In contrast, features of fear, rudeness, impatience […]
Don’t Be Afraid
I cannot vouch for it, but someone stated that there are seventy-five references to fear in the Psalms ― more than any other book of the Bible. Most often these refer to fear of God, sometimes to fear of nature, and sometimes to fear of other people. Those who wrote the Psalms had neighbouring nations […]
Psalm 11
READ Psalm 11. 1. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. 2. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3. When the foundations are being […]
Lament
Biblical Scholar, NT Wright, has reminded us at this time that Christianity doesn’t just give us “nice, neat answers” to all of life’s catastrophes. A major theme in the Bible, particularly in the Psalms – the Bible’s prayer book – is one of lament. That is, a crying out to God in our suffering that […]
Learning Who Instead of Why
As all parents know, every child’s favourite question is why: ‘Why do I have to go to bed now?’ ‘Why can’t I watch TV?’ This is not just a passing phase that the child will grow out of, their why question will continue throughout life.In fact, the hard reality is, even as adults, they will […]
Reality Bites
The COVID-19 crisis is now impinging more and more on our daily lives, and life is becoming very unfamiliar to us. In a very free society, strange new “fences” are being put around us, and we are being forced to stay, or go, where and when we would not choose to. All of this, with […]
Cutting Your Losses
This synonym is often used in business. For instance, an enterprising person takes on a new opportunity after a thorough evaluation. A business plan is drawn up, finance obtained and new prospective customers have been visited. Everything starts off on a good note. The first six months are positive and profitable. Then, for a number […]
Sin Happens
There’s no denying it!….But actually, there’s plenty of denying it; most people – including us – do it most of the time! Among non-Christians, and even plenty of Christians, the whole idea of “sin” has become either watered down to very little or rejected altogether. That is, the idea that people do things that are […]