Revised Common Lectionary: Year A

Revised Common Lectionary – Year A First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44 Awaiting Christ’s Return , let us worship God and walk in His ways. God calls us to worship Him - ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord... ’ - and walk in His …

Revised Common Lectionary: Year B

YEAR B First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Jesus Christ is God’s Answer to our prayer. We confess our sins to God - ‘We sinned... All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’. We look to …

The Purpose of Scripture

Berkouwer emphasizes that “the purpose of the God-breathed Scripture is not at all to provide a scientific gnosis in order to convey and increase human knowledge and wisdom, but to witness of the salvation of God unto faith” (Holy Scripture, p. 180). He insists that “This approach does not mean to separate faith and knowledge. …

What is man?

For much of modern theology, the question, “What is man?” must precede the question, “Who is God?” The approach which begins with man (’from below’) can be set against the approach which begins with God (’from above’). Berkouwer’s doctrine of man has been commended as “a middle course between conflicting theologies … achieved by a …

A Statement of Christian Faith

We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love. We believe in one God (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Jude 1-3). When we say, "We believe", we are emphasizing that we believe, together with others in the fellowship of faith. This fellowship of faith includes the whole people of God …

Notes: Job to Song of Solomon

JOB 1:1-2:13  -  Satan is very busy - ‘going to and fro on the earth...walking up and down on it’. Why is Satan ‘roaming through the earth’? - ‘Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’ (1:7; 1 Peter 5:8). If, like Job, you ‘fear God and turn …

Preaching God’s Word: Psalms 1-22

Burdensome Religion And Joyous Faith (Psalm 1:1-2) Burdensome religion and joyous faith are worlds apart. They are exact opposites. “I have to” – How shallow and superficial is “I have to” religion. The man or woman who thinks like this hasn’t even begun to appreciate the great love of Jesus Christ.What a far cry this …

Beyond the suffering, there’s the triumph.

"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 with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its …

Praying through God’s Word: Old Testament

GENESIS Genesis 1:1-3 Lord, help us to get our priorities right - Your priorities. May our lives be more centred on You - less centred on ourselves. Help us to listen for Your Word - not to jump straight in with our own words. Help us to open our hearts to Your Holy Spirit. May He …

Conviction Of Sin, Conversion To The Saviour

Jeremiah was fearless in his preaching of God’s Word. He spoke the truth. He spoke the Word which had been given to him by the Lord. When God speaks the Word of His holiness, the Word which exposes sin for what it really is, there is no place to hide. When we read Jeremiah’s words …

Before we can become witnesses, we must be worshippers.

2 Chronicles 2:1-5:1; 1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13; Psalm 97:1-12 Worship and witness belong together. The building of the Temple speaks to us of the priority of worship. Before we can become witnesses, we must be worshippers. The ministry of Paul speaks to us of witness: “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible …

Building the church on earth – and building for the Kingdom of heaven …

Ezra speaks of the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem (Ezra 5:11). Revelation speaks of “God’s Temple in heaven” (Revelation 11:19). Both belong together – building the Church here on earth and building for the Kingdom of heaven. We must never be content with a measure of success in building the Church here on earth. God’s …

Whatever comes our way

"You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings, what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus …

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Jeremiah 18:1-20:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:16; Psalm 119:1-8 “The Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail” (Jeremiah 20:11). This is a tremendous Word of encouragement when the battle is at its fiercest. In this battle, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5), empowered to …

Christ brings a change of direction into our life.

This change of direction is described for us in Acts 2:42 -“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Christ is preached. We believe the Gospel. We receive salvation. Life is no longer centred upon ourselves. It is centred upon Christ.

The Great Love Of God – Hallelujah! What A Saviour!

"Even outside the borders of Israel, the Lord is great (Malachi 1:5). The Lord is not great because we call Him great. We call Him great because He is great. When we worship God, we are not creating His greatness. We worship God because He is so much greater than we can put into words …

When we don’t understand what’s going on in our lives

Genesis 41:1-57 We read about the interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. The interpretation didn't come from Joseph. It was given to Joseph by God. This is emphasized in verses15-16 - "Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a …

When, Lord, we settle for anything less than Your very best, we miss out on Your blessing.

When, Lord, we settle for anything less than Your very best, we miss out on Your blessing - and we have no blessing to pass on to other people. Help us, Lord, to move out of complacency and into commitment, out of the 'No' attitude - 'no time for You, Lord' - and into the …

Our past, God’s future

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). Is our life being controlled by our past? Or, is God preparing us for his future? We look back on our past. What are we to say about …

Where do we start?

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10). Where do we start? We start with grace. …

God’s Blessing – Given, Accepted And Enjoyed

The “land” was given to Abraham by God. It was to be the land of His “blessing” (Genesis 12:1-3).  God’s gift of grace calls forth our response – “Abraham went, as the Lord had spoken to him” (Genesis 12:4). God had spoken. Abraham had acted upon God’s Word. Was it all plain sailing after that? …

Towards a Theology of Nature

Towards a Theology of Nature: Essays on Science and Faith; Wolfhart Pannenberg; Westminster/John Knox Press, Louisville, KY, 1993;166pp., n.p.; ISBN 0 664 25384 9 This is not really a new book, but a collection of seven previously published articles. Four have appeared in English. Three come from the early 1970s – ‘Contingency and Natural Law’ …

What are we looking for?

Luke 14:1-11 What are we looking for? Are we looking for praise from men – or from God?

Who says, “We don’t need God”?

"We don't need God. Science is enough for us." This is what a lot of people think. Is science really an alternative to faith? If you think that science has made faith redundant, maybe you might want to think about this: How do we get from believing that everything came about by chance to building …

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:1-15 Is anything too hard for the Lord? (14). We need to hear these words as God's call to greater faith. Sarah, like Abraham, had heard God's promises, yet 'she laughed to herself' (12). We can hear God's Word, and still remain, in our hearts, men and women of unbelief. The Word of God …

Hear, Read, Obey And Share God’s Word.

Lord, help us to be faithful in hearing Your Word, reading Your Word, obeying Your Word and sharing Your Word.

Watch Where You’re Going!

"Now see where one man's jealousy has led! The remnant feel themselves forced to go down to Egypt. Egypt has ever spelt doom to God's people, from Abraham downwards. There is a pull towards Egypt in all our hearts. That is where the battle lies for us. Resist!" (Rev James Philip on Jeremiah 41:11-18, Gardenstown …

We rejoice in what God has done for us …

Revelation  14:1-15:8  -  With ‘patient endurance’, we are to ‘obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus’ (12), This will not be easy. Satan will do all that he can to defeat us. How can we be ‘victorious’ over him? We must rejoice in all that God has done for His people, Israel. He delivered …

Who is on the Lord’s side?… We are on the Lord’s side… Always on the Lord’s side

Prayers based on the book of Haggai Haggai 1:1-15 We read, Lord, the questions that You put to Your people: 'Why is everyone saying it is not the right time for rebuilding My Temple?'; ‘Is it then the right time for you to live in luxurious homes, when the Temple lies in ruins?’ (Haggai 1:2-4). …

Change me, today. Change me, every day.

"God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). This is more than a statement of our intention: …

Our weakness – and the Lord’s strength

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When I think of my weakness, I, also, think of something else; I think of the strength of the Lord. Let us not think too highly of ourselves. If we think too highly of ourselves, we will not think highly …

More than words to be said and heard at the end of a church service

“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). We have often heard these words spoken. Here, we are reading them in the Word of God. How often do we think about these words? What do they mean? …

God is calling us to walk in His ways, all the days of our life.

2 Chronicles The continuation of God’s blessing is conditional on the continuation of Israel’s obedience. The Temple does not guarantee the continuation of God’s blessing: “If you and your descendants turn away from Me... I will reject this Temple that I declared holy for My Name. I will make it an example and an object …

Think of God’s faithfulness – and count your blessings.

Comfort (Isaiah 40:1) - This comes from God's great faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). In our past, present and future, we see the faithfulness of God - "His mercies never end. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). Think of God's faithfulness, and "count your blessings." Think of this, that and the other blessing (good things in …

Thirty-Eight Years at Gilcomston – William Still

Thirty-Eight Years at Gilcomston - William Still

Doors which only God can open… Doors which we must open…

There are doors which can only be opened by God – “See, I  have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). There are doors which must be opened by man – “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears My voice and opens the …

New Life!

Leviticus 17:1-18:30 Through the shed blood of Christ, we have peace with God and eternal life (Leviticus 17:11; Romans 5:1-2,8-10). We have received new life in Christ. Now, we are to leave our sinful past behind us. We are to live a new life as those who belong to Christ (Leviticus 18:1-5; Romans 6:12-14; Romans …

The Mercy Of God

“The mercy of God lasts all day long!… I trust the mercy of God forever and ever” (Psalm 52:1,8). Mercy is God’s gift to us. Trust is our response to God’s mercy. His mercy is for here-and-now. It’s for today. His mercy is everlasting: “His mercy endures for ever” (Psalm 136). It’s for today. It’s …

Times of refreshing

Joshua 4:1-24 'These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel for ever' (7). When, in the future, the question was asked, 'What do these stones mean?'(6), Israel would remember what the Lord had done for them (23). Knowing that 'the hand of the Lord is mighty', they would be strengthened to …

Lord, help us to rise to the challenge: to live as Your people…

We read about Elijah: “The Word of the Lord came to Elijah”; “You are a man of God and the Word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth” (1 Kings 18:1; 1 Kings 17:24). You’re challenging us to be all that You’re calling us to be – people who love You, people who …

People were doing what suited themselves.

Judges 17:1-18:13 Things are not going well - 'every man did that which was right in his own eyes' (17:6). People were doing what suited themselves. Micah was trying to 'get the best of both worlds'. He was worshipping idols (17:4-5). He was trying to keep on the right side of the Lord - 'Now …

We are to give thanks to God for all his good gifts – and we are to praise him that he is with us at every stage of our journey through life.

Genesis 29:1-30:24 Jacob meets Rachel (1-12). This was significant. Rachel was to become the mother of Joseph - the next significant character in the Bible story. The meeting of Joseph and Rachel is not described in spiritual terms. There is no mention of God here. In verses 13 to 30 - we read about Jacob …

Sometimes, Lord, it seems to us that some things just happen by chance.

Sometimes, Lord, it seems to us that some things just happen by chance. You’re saying to us, “No. It’s more than that.” You are working in us. You are showing us Your love. Day-by-day, You are showing us that You are the faithful God. You are the God of “amazing grace.” Help us to say …

Make Sure That You’re On The Lord’s Side!

"Doom comes at last, and all that Jeremiah had prophesied came to pass. Note verses 11 and 12. In the midst of the turmoil, Jeremiah is preserved. How wonderful! God honours His servant's faithfulness, and moves the heathen invaders to treat him courteously. It pays to be on the Lord's side. It is the only …

One Year Bible: Days 1-31

Day 1 Genesis 1:1-2:17; Matthew 1:1-25; Psalm 1:1-6 Genesis speaks of the beginning. Matthew speaks of a new beginning. The God who created us is the God who has provided for our salvation. If we are to enjoy God’s salvation, we must learn to follow the wisdom of Psalm 1:1-2 – “Blessed is the one … whose delight is in …

By grace you have been saved.

"In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry" (Jonah 2:2). "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins ... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us …

Holiness And Wholeness

Mark 9:14-41 If we are to walk with the Lord in His way of holiness and wholeness, (a) our life must be based on Jesus Christ - His death for us and His resurrection for us (Mark 9:31); (b) our life is to be a life of faith (Mark 9:23); (c) our life is to …

A revelation of love… A revolution of love…

The gospel begins with a revelation of love - "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us" (Ephesians 1:7-8), and it leads to a revolution of love - "When you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth …

Help us, Lord, never to say, “There’s nothing for me to do.”

"Rebuild the House of the Lord" (Ezra 1:3). This, Lord, is what You're calling us to do. Who are You calling? Is it just a few 'special' people? - No! It's "all those whose spirits God had moved" (Ezra 1:5). Help us, Lord, never to say, "There's nothing for me to do." There's always something …

Can there ever be anything more important than worshipping You, Lord?

‘The Lord is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King’ (Jeremiah 10:10). Can there ever be anything more important than worshipping You, Lord? We know the answer as soon as we ask the question! Very often, our lives gives a very different answer. We have taken our eyes off You, Lord. We have …

Sometimes, Lord, we wonder what it’s all about!

Sometimes, Lord, we wonder what it's all about! When we feel like this, help us to know that You love us. Help us to see that You are working in us, to teach us to love You.

Without love, everything else is nothing.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:12; 1 Corinthians 7:36-8:13; Psalm 95:1-11 “Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise” (Ecclesiastes 7:16). This is not a protest against wisdom and righteousness. It is telling us that, in our wisdom and righteousness, we must not become proud like the Pharisees. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Without love, …

Where does true love come from?

Where does true love come from? It comes from You, Lord. It comes from Your love. Give us real love. Give us Your love. When we know that we are loved by You, our love will grow strong: our love for You, our love for one another, our love for people who need You.

Good News For Sinners

In Hosea 8, we read about God’s judgment on the sinful nation of Israel. His standard is perfect holiness. Every one of us falls short. None of us can stand before God’s righteous judgment. There is, one Man who has not fallen short. God’s Son, Jesus, our Saviour, has taken our sin upon Himself so …

The Stone Was Rolled Away – By God.

"Who will roll away the stone ... ?" (Mark 16:3). "The stone had been rolled away" by God (Mark 16:4). What man cannot do, God has done! - Jesus "has been brought back to life" (Mark 16:6). "Shock and trembling overwhelmed them ... they were afraid" (Mark 16:8). This was the initial reaction. They came …

God’s love for us is His free gift to us.

“Return to the Lord your God ... Return to the Lord” (Hosea 14:1-2). Who is the God to whom we return? He is the God who loves us. He is the God who says, “I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4). God’s love for us is His free gift to us. He does not love …

We say, “We want to be happy.” You, Lord, say to us, “What about being holy?”

We say, “We want to be happy.” You, Lord, say to us, “What about being holy?” Happiness is like ‘the elusive butterfly.” We try to catch it, and it keeps on evading our grasp.” Lord, how can we find true happiness? Happiness comes to us when we are blessed by You, when we’re learning to …

A Great Promise

In Genesis 3:15, we have a great promise from God. He won't let Satan have the victory over us. He will sent His Son, Jesus ("the seed of the woman". Through His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus will triumph over Satan - for us. Satan will bruise Jesus' heel. We see this in Jesus' suffering on …

The Holy City

"The Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God - It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel" (Revelation 21:10-11).   At the heart of "the Holy City", there is Jesus Christ. In Him, we see the bright shining light of God's love. …

King of kings

Mark 15:1-39 "the King of the Jews" (Mark 15:2,9,12,26), "the King of Israel" (Mark 15:32) Jesus is more than this - He's "the Son of God" (Mark 15:39).  He's "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16).  "At the Name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and …