Even the best of kings can never begin to compare with Jesus – He’s the King of kings.

2 Kings 12:1-14:22; Acts 25:1-22; Psalm 81:1-7 The kings were compared with earlier kings - the evil king, Jeroboam (2 Kings 13:11), the good king, David (2 Kings 14:3). We may learn from this one and that one but, above all, our faith centres upon Jesus (Acts 25:19). Even the best of kings can never begin to compare …

Lord, we find ourselves somewhere between tragedy and triumph.

Lord, we find ourselves somewhere between tragedy and triumph. We look at ourselves, and we see our potential for tragedy. When we forget about You, we're like a runaway train - out of control and heading for a big crash. When, Lord, You take control, everything changes. You turn things around. You set us on …

In our own homes – Let us praise God: His love is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable.

https://youtu.be/7ScQfSjzbsY No-one goes on forever. We read about David’s reign coming to an end, about David being replaced by Solomon (1 Kings 1:30). Help us, Lord, to pray that the future will be “greater” than the past (1 Kings 1:37,47). In all of life’s changes, help us to remember this: You are the living God …

Help us, Lord, to see our sin – and help us to bring it to our Saviour, who forgives our sins.

We thank You, Lord, that ‘Your love endures for ever’. What a great message this is! It’s a message worth repeating – over and over again! Your love is an everlasting love – ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31:3). Your love is an unfailing love – ‘My unfailing love for you …

Hallelujah! He has found me.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10). In his "Sermon the Mount" (Matthew 5-7), Jesus begins with a series of sayings, known as the Beatitudes. In the third Beatitude, Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meek - what does this mean? …

Zechariah 7-14

ZECHARIAH 7:1-8:23 -  When people stop listening to God’s Word, their life becomes ‘a desolate wasteland’ (7:11-14). What are we to do when we see this happening? - ‘Do not be afraid... Be strong’. We must keep on believing God’s promise: ‘I will save you, and you will be a blessing’. We must keep on …

You shall love your neighbour as yourself (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Five).

Leviticus '"You shall love your neighbour as yourself. And when a stranger sojourns with you, you shall not do him wrong. He shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." Again, we …

Jesus Christ – the King of the Jews: going to the Cross for a world of lost sinners

1 Samuel 26:1-28:25; John 19:1-27; Psalm 68:21-27 To be “the King of the Jews” was a great honour. David recognized this when he said, “But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 26:11). Pilate didn’t. He sent Jesus “to the cross” with this “notice … Jesus of Nazareth, the …

Our call to holiness is grounded in God’s work of redemption (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Four).

Leviticus, "For I am the Lord your God; consecrate, yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. I brought you up out of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Here, we have the call to live a holy life. Again, we are reminded …

The glory of the risen Lord (Travelling through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Three).

Leviticus "When Moses and Aaron came out of the tent of meeting they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all." We have read about the sacrifices, offered to make atonement for sin. Our thoughts have turned to Jesus, the atoning sacrifice for sin, Here, we catch a glimpse of the …

A hint of something more (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Two).

Leviticus Here, we focus on three short phrases: "without blemish", "make atonement" and "as the Lord commanded." Each of thesce phrases point us forward to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What a wonderful Saviour he is! In perfect obedience to God the Father, the sinless Son of God, offered himself as "the Lamb of …

We begin with what the Lord has done for us and, then, we start thinking about our response to him (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part One).

Leviticus The Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel... ." Hearing the Word of God comes before speaking the Word of God. First, we hear the Word of the Lord. Then, we speak the Word of the Lord. "a pleasing odour to the …

Overview Of The Old Testament: 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1-7 Hannah ‘prayed to the Lord’ (1:10-11). God answered her prayer (1:20). God does not always answer our prayers in the way that we want. Sometimes, rather than changing our circumstances, He simply speaks His Word to us: ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Always, He ‘gives grace to the …

Where does the desire to follow Christ come from?

Matthew 8:23-9:17 In 8:23-9:8, we read of three great miracles, in which Christ demonstrates His power over nature (23), demons (28-34) and sickness (1-8). Following such mighty works of power, the next verse seems so ordinary - Jesus said, 'Follow me.' Matthew 'rose and followed Him' (9). Matthew's conversion may seem so unspectacular, but it …

Forgiveness, Instruction And Joy

"Blessed is the person whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sin is pardoned. ... The Lord says,  “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you. ... Be glad and find joy in the Lord, you righteous people. Sing with joy, …

Jesus – our holy and loving Saviour

'Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? ... He who has clean hands and a pure heart ... " (Psalm 24:3-4). When we look into our hearts, we have to say, "This isn't me." When we look at Jesus, we say, "This is him!" He is our holy Saviour For us, Jesus has entered …

1 Samuel 17-31

1 Samuel 17:1-58 - David defeats Goliath. This is not only a story about David and Goliath. It is about the Israelites and the Philistines. It is about ‘God’ and the ‘gods’ (43,46). Victory comes from the Lord. It is given by grace. It is received by faith (47). Notice the contrast between the attitude …

When, Lord, we put our trust in You, we are like the ‘wise man who built his house on the rock.’

‘Those who trust in the Lord… cannot be moved…’. When, Lord, we put our trust in You, we are like the ‘wise man who built his house on the rock’. His house ‘did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock’. When we don’t put our trust in You, we are like the ’foolish man who …

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our lives are changed.

‘The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand...’(Psalm 110:1). Lord, we read these words, and we think of our Lord Jesus Christ: When ‘He was taken up into heaven, He sat at the right hand of God’(Mark 16:19). When Jesus ascended to Your right hand, the Holy Spirit was sent down from …

We worship the Lord. Let us be His witnesses.

Second Sunday after the Epiphany – Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23 We worship the Lord. Let us be His witnesses. ‘I, the Lord, am your Saviour, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob’. We are not to keep this to ourselves. God wants ‘all mankind’ to ‘know’ (Isaiah 49:26). ‘Jesus, the …