Numbers 3:1-51

The Levites were to 'minister at the tabernacle' (5-8). Different people were given different responsibilities. They were not to compete with each other. There was to be no overlapping. One was not to interfere with the work of another. The call comes from God. 'Every male from a month old and upward' (15,24,28,34,39-40,43): Long before …

Our joyful privilege

Luke 24:13-53 'In all the Scriptures', Jesus teaches 'the things concerning Himself' (27). Do 'our hearts burn within us...while He opens to us the Scriptures?' (32). He calls us to be His 'witnesses', to preach His message of salvation 'to all nations' (47-48). Before we can preach, we must listen to Him. Before we can …

Learning from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s death

To the end, Bonhoeffer showed remarkable courage and compassion. The day before his execution was a Sunday. The prisoners were permitted to have a service, with Bonhoeffer as the minister. He spoke on "the Scripture passages for the day": "Through his stripes, we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5) and "Blessed be the God and Father of …

We thank You, Lord, that “the vilest offender, who truly believes, that moment, from Jesus, a pardon receives.”

We thank You, Lord, that "the vilest offender, who truly believes, that moment, from Jesus, a pardon receives." By faith, we receive Your forgiveness - but we never earn Your forgiveness. Forgiveness is always Your gift. It's never a reward. By faith, we look away from ourselves. We look to Jesus, our Saviour. We do …

Help us, Lord, to rejoice in Your love for us, and to share Your love with others.

You call us, Lord, to “be still and know that You are God” (Psalm 46:10). You call us to “shout to You with songs of joy” (Psalm 47:2). Your Word brings peace to our hearts – “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). Your blessing is not to be kept to …

Flow, River, Flow.

Genesis 2:13 “the river that flows through the whole land” God is not only concerned with our personal blessing. He wants His blessing to reach out to many people in every land: “Fill this land with the Father’s glory … Flow, river, flow … Flood the nations with grace and mercy” (from the hymn, “Shine, Jesus, …

What Are You Saying To Us, Lord, Here-And-Now?

"You have heard that it was said... But I say to you... " (Matthew 5:21-22,27-28,31-32,33-34, 38-39,43-44). When we see the great contrast between what has been said in the past and what Jesus says to His generation and our generation, we must remember Jesus' words, "Don't ever think that I came to set aside Moses; …

Lord, Your Word gives us a much-needed warning: “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould.”

Lord, Your Word gives us a much-needed warning: “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould” (Romans 12:2). You’re challenging us. You’re asking us a very disturbing question – “Are you becoming more like the world or more like the Lord?” This is not only a disturbing question. It’s a life-changing question. Answering this …

The Word of God, the worship of God, the way of God and the work of God

The Word of God calls us to worship God, to walk in his way and do his work. Worshipping the Lord, walking in his way and working for him: Here, we have a description of our whole life response to the Word of the Lord. When we read God's Word, it is so important that …

From the mountains to the old rugged cross

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2). Beautiful countryside, breathtaking scenery - we look around us, some of us see God, others don't. What's going on when we look up to the mountains? Why do some …

Waiting on the Lord, witnessing for Him and winning others for Him

Isaiah50:1-51:8  –  ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught’ (50:4). We are to listen to God. We are to speak …

To You, Lord, be all the glory.

To You, Lord, be all the glory – You have done so many great things for us. So many blessings – and they all come from You, Lord. Our sins have been forgiven. You’ve come to live in us. Such great blessing – but this is just the beginning! You’re leading us on to eternal …

The Scriptures and the Saviour

"Jesus' disciples saw him do many miraculous signs beside the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ , the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life" (John 20:30-31). There is such a close connection between the Scriptures …

Search The Scriptures: Luke’s Gospel

LUKE “You will know that what you have been told is true” (Luke 1:4). Historical truth underlies the spiritual truth through which the Spirit brings home to our hearts the meaning of the Gospel. Without the historical truth, there is no Gospel. The Gospel is not based on myth. It is God’s testimony to His …

What a great thing it is to be saved by the Lord…

Genesis 19:1-29 In Genesis 3, we read of humanity's fall into sin. Here, we see the awfulness of human sin and the awesomeness of divine judgment. We must take God with the utmost seriousness. If we refuse to take Him seriously, He will continue to take us seriously - in His judgment! Sin leads to …

Jeremiah 51-52

Jeremiah 51:1-33  –  ‘Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations!’ (27). God calls us to be His witnesses. If we are growing in our fellowship with the Lord, we will want others to know what they’re missing. We will want them to know how much blessing they cwitnould know …

Are we listening to God’s Word?

The Word of God, spoken by Jeremiah, still needs to be heard today - “O land, land, land! Listen to the Word of the Lord!” (Jeremiah 22:29). God has much to say to this land and every land. Are we listening to His Word? or Have we closed our ears? Jeremiah speaks of our Saviour, …

Apologetix – Lazzie Lay (a song about the raising of Lazarus from the dead)

https://youtu.be/aBuY3d4Iy0k

Love for God and love for our neighbour

"‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’" …

Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123 or Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30

Our help comes from the Lord. The glory goes to the Lord. Barak is an example of ‘faith’ (Hebrews 11:32-34). Faith involves believing God’s promise - ‘I will give...’and obeying His command - ‘Go’ (Judges 4:6-7). God still says, ‘Go... I am with you always...’ (Matthew 28:19-20). Barak needed Deborah’s help (Judges 4:8-10). Both needed …

Numbers 2:1-34

'The Lord said to Moses': These words appear more than eighty times in Numbers. Let your life be centred on the Word of the Lord - Listen, Read, Study, Memorize, Meditate! God's people were 'facing the tent of meeting on every side' (2). There were to be no gaps in the ranks. We are not …

We think, Lord, about Your great power and Your great love, and we say, “Praise the Lord!”

“God is mighty, and does not despise any” (Job 36:5). Lord, You are great in power. You are great in love. How sad it would be if You had great love for us, but did not have the power to save us. How terrifying it would be if You had great power, but had no …

Lord, it is not easy to keep on worshipping You when so many show no interest in worshipping You.

‘How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?’ (Psalm 137:4). Lord, it is not easy to keep on worshipping You when so many show no interest in worshipping You. What are we to do when our faith seems so weak and we are on the verge of giving up? …

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

"May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 115:15). What a wonderful thing it is to be blessed by the Lord! "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). When …

The Bible speaks to us from the ancient past – but it’s not to be left in the ancient past.

We read in the Bible about God’s love. Is this just something from the ancient past? Is it for us? The Bible speaks to us from the ancient past – but it’s not to be left in the ancient past. * “God so loved the world” (John 3:16) – This is for us today. He …

Lord, we make everything so complicated.

Lord, we make everything so complicated. We go our own way - and everything gets very messy. Everything would be so much simpler - if we kept our eyes on You. When we are tempted to turn away from You, help us, Lord, to keep on looking to You - and to know that we …

In Your work, Lord, we need visionaries, managers and workers.

In Your work, Lord, we need visionaries, managers and workers. David was a visionary. He had the original idea of building the Temple. Solomon was a manager. Under his leadership, the vision became a reality. The people were important. They built the Temple. Help us, Lord, to find our place. Help us to play our …

You call us, Lord, to seek You – and You, also, call us to serve You.

You call us, Lord, to seek You - and You also call us to serve You (2 Chronicles 31:20-21). Where does our seeking and serving come from? It comes from Your salvation. We read the words, "The Lord saved Hezekiah" ( 2 Chronicles 32::22) - and we think of our salvation. We rejoice in Your …

Help us, Lord, to worship You with holy fear and heartfelt love.

‘Exalt the Lord our God... Make a joyful noise to the Lord’(Psalm 99:5,9; Psalm 98:4,6; Psalm 100:1). Lord, You're calling us to worship You with joy. You're calling us to glorify You. You want us to enjoy You. In our worship, may we never forget Your holiness: ‘He is holy!... The Lord our God is …

Our love for God is to be a lifelong love. It is to be the love of our life.

‘I love the Lord... I will call on Him as long as I live’(Psalm 116:1-2). Our love for God is to be a lifelong life. It is to be the love of our life. What are we to do when our love for God grows weak? We must remember His love for us - ‘Great …

This man receives sinners.

Jesus is our Saviour. He receives sinners (Luke 15:2). Will we, sinners, receive Him? —– Prior to the parable of the prodigal son, we have two short parables - the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin. “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep / coin” (Luke 15:6, …

The Eternal God, The Eternal Kingdom

“I will place him in My royal House forever, and his throne will be established forever” (1 Chronicles 17:14). This is a word of prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the King of kings. It is a prophecy, which highlights the eternal purpose of God - the eternal Kingdom of the eternal God. “You made the people …

New Life In Christ

Colossians 2:8-3:17 Be what you already are. Be what God has made you in Christ. This is what God is saying to us here. ‘You have been raised with Christ... You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God’ (1,3). Paul is describing the new birth. Christ has made His home in …

Meditating on God’s Word: Old Testament

GENESIS * Begin with God. The first verse of the Bible gives us the best starting-place for our life: "In the beginning, God" (Genesis 1:1). Let us "seek first God's Kingdom and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). "In the beginning, God" - This is what gives our life its true meaning, purpose and direction. * Build on God's Word. …

“Do not be conformed … Be transformed … ” (Romans 12:2).

“However much any theology will bear the imprint of its environment, it must be remembered that, when it is really living and sensitive, Christian theology does not only submit to the cultural and conceptual framework of its time and place, but also regenerates and reforms it sometimes very drastically.” (E. L. Mascall, Theology and the …

God wipes out the shadow of our past – and He shines in the light of His future.

Micah 5:1-7:20; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Proverbs 21:17-26 God wipes out the shadow of our past - He “pardons sin” (Micah 7:18). He shines in the light of His future - “We will be “clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:4). From this standpoint of privilege, we are called to fulfil our responsibility: to be soldiers of …

The miracle of the new birth

Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 8:18). Here, we read about “signs and wonders” (Amplified Bible). Our thoughts turn to the spectacular. Thinking about eye-catching events, events that grab our attention, events that make us sit up and take notice, there is something that we …

Journey through the New Testament: Galatians

‘A revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1:12): Christ is our Testimony. Christ is our Message. He is the crucified Christ - ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me’. He is the living Christ - ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but …

O Lord, Your tenderness… O Lord, I receive Your love.

https://youtu.be/hA7QfCTJbIc

You are beautiful beyond description… I stand in awe of You.

https://youtu.be/TMdA5ztgJMA

Be Careful How You Live – Because You Love Jesus!

Ephesians 5:15-6:24  -  ‘Be very careful how you live’ (5:16). This is for all of us - in every situation of life. How are we to live? We are to ‘be filled with the Spirit’. We are to have ‘reverence for Christ’. We are to live ‘as servants of Christ, doing the will of God …

A Word Of Encouragement – From The Lord

Joshua 1:1-9 The Word of God is spoken to Joshua for his encouragement. Before we can speak the Word of God to others, the Word of God must be spoken to us. "Do not turn from it to the right or to the left" (Joshua 1:5). We are pulled this way and that way. We …

Love so amazing, so divine, shall have my soul, my life, my all. O use me, Lord, use even me, just as Thou wilt, and when, and where.

Numbers 7:1-47 Why do we bring our offerings to the Lord? - 'that they may be used in doing the service of the tent of meeting' (5). We give ourselves to the Lord - 'Love so amazing, so divine, Shall have my soul, my life, my all' - and we ask Him to put our …

Lord, You call us to serve You.

Lord, You call us to serve You. How are we to serve You? How can we serve You? - Our sin keeps on getting in the way. We start off well - and then, we take our eyes off Jesus, and things start to go badly. Lord, we need Your Spirit. He is the Holy …

A History Of Sin – And A History Of Salvation

Lord, we read about Israel’s sin - ‘They soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel... They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise... They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord... They rebelled against the Spirit of God’(Psalm 106:13,24-25,33). This is not only …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other” – This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Isaiah (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians …

Daily bread that sustains our faith

"And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”" (Exodus 16:11-12). "And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the …

Happiness

“Now you’re in a painful situation. But I will see you again. Then you will be happy, and no one will take that happiness away from you” (John 16:22). Where does happiness come from? Is it something that we reach out for and grasp? or Is it something that’s given to us? Our happiness comes …

Lord, Your Word challenges us.

Lord, Your Word challenges us, "What do you want to get out of life?" Help us to look carefully at what is important to us. Are we 'looking after No. 1'? Lord, give us ambitions that do not centre on ourselves. Give us a deep persistent desire to glorify You in all that we do …

Lord, You speak to us Your Word of warning – and Your promise of blessing.

Lord, You speak to us Your Word of warning - and Your promise of blessing. You call us back from the way of disobedience - and on to the pathway of obedience and blessing. Where does the blessing come from? Does it come from our obedience? No! It comes from Your love. It comes from Your …

How, Lord, are we to receive Your blessing?

How, Lord, are we to receive Your blessing? Are we to “do some great thing”? Are we to prove ourselves worthy of Your blessing? No! Your Word says this: “Wash and be clean” (2 Kings 5:13). Our salvation isn’t something that we’ve paid for. It isn’t something that we’ve earned. We don’t come to You, …

Keeping Christ at the centre

Without Christ, there is no Gospel.  Christ is the Gospel. He is our Message. He is our Testimony. In an ever-changing world, let us never lose sight of this: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8). May God help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. 

Lead us, Lord, out of the bitter way and into the better way.

“There is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure” (Job 16:17). We wonder, Lord, ‘Is this no more than Job’s own opinion of himself?” Your Word tells us that it’s also Your view of Job: “My witness is in heaven, and He that vouches for me is on high” (Job 16:19). As …

Help us, Lord, to look beyond this world.

Isaiah 4:1-5:17“Those who are left … will be called holy” (Isaiah 4:3). Lord, we hear worldly people speaking of ‘the holy people who need to learn to live in the real world.’ They speak with contempt. When You, Lord, call Your people “holy”, You speak with affection. You look upon us in love. You tell …

We compare ourselves to other people.

We compare ourselves to other people. We like to think that we’re doing pretty well. What, Lord, do You think about all of this? Are You impressed? You’re saying to us, “What about Jesus? How do you compare to Him? Help us, Lord, to look at Jesus – and see where we need to be …

Preaching the Word of the Lord – Exodus 20:1-21

Before the Ten Commandments, there is love (Exodus 20:2). There is more than law. There is more than the exodus. There is Jesus, our Saviour. He does for us what the law can never do for us. He saves us. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) - What effect do they have on us? Read Exodus …

Lord, You are holy. We are sinners.

Lord, You are holy. We are sinners. You see our sin - and You keep on loving us. We see Jesus - and we know that You will never stop loving us. Help us, Lord, to confess our sin and to receive Your forgiveness. Lead us out of our sin and into Your holiness - …

Sometimes, Lord, we say, “I can’t” when we really mean, “I won’t.”

Sometimes, Lord, we say, “I can’t” when we really mean, “I won’t.” We decide what’s important to us. You look at our chosen way of life, and You say, “You yourself have decided it.” You see our self-centred life, and You say, “So shall your judgment be” (1 Kings 20:40). Can we change? Yes! You …

The Lord is our Helper.

“O Lord, I cry to You for help!” (Joel 1:19).We look to some people for help – and they’re no help to us, God is never like that. He is our Helper. He’s always there for us. We call upon Him – and He helps us. He’s “the help of the helpless” (from the hymn, …

Jesus Saves. Jesus Keeps. Keep Your Eyes Fixed On Him.

John 10:1-42 The Christian life is not easy. The devil ‘comes only to steal and kill and destroy’ (10). Satan was working through the religious leaders. They were trying ‘to stone’ Jesus (31). ‘Again’, they failed (39). They could not take Jesus’ life. ‘His hour had not yet come’ (18; 7:30; 8:20). When Satan attacks …