Jeremiah 26-28

On July 9, 2022March 19, 2022 By charlieIn Jeremiah1 Comment

Jeremiah 26:1-24 - ‘He has spoken to us in the Name of the Lord our God’ (16). Jeremiah was a true servant of the Lord. We need people like him today. He was faithful. He was unashamed of his Lord. He was unafraid to speak up for his Lord. We see this same faithfulness in …

Continue reading Jeremiah 26-28

Be ready for Christ’s Return.

On July 9, 2022 By charlieIn Luke1 Comment

Luke 12:35-59 'Be ready' for Christ's Return (40): Wait on the Lord (36; Isaiah 40:31). Stay 'awake' (37), 'your loins girded with truth' (35; Ephesians 6:14), be real, be true to the Word of God. Keep 'your lamps burning' (35). Our 'lamp' is Christ, 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the …

Continue reading Be ready for Christ’s Return.

Some Ideas For Preaching God’s Love

On July 9, 2022July 11, 2022 By charlieIn God's love, Preaching, sermonsLeave a comment

In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God. ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. These opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right – (a) The priority of God (Genesis 1:1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) The priority of God’s Word (Genesis 1:3). God is the …

Continue reading Some Ideas For Preaching God’s Love

God is the strong defender of His people.

On July 9, 2022July 7, 2022 By charlieIn Esther, One Year Bible, Psalms1 Comment

Esther 1:1-2:18; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 140:6-13 God is at work in the life of both the Church and the nation. He has a message for His Church. It is the message of the Spirit: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 2:29; Revelation 3:6). This message …

Continue reading God is the strong defender of His people.

We will never be wise unless we build our lives on Jesus Christ.

On July 9, 2022July 6, 2022 By charlieIn Proverbs1 Comment

Proverbs 1:1-7 Scripture speaks of different kinds of ‘wisdom’. In Proverbs, wisdom is closely associated with godliness. In Ecclesiastes, wisdom - viewed as mere human intelligence - is described as ‘meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (1:12-18). This contrast is continued in the New Testament, where Paul describes Christ as our ‘Wisdom’, contrasting this Wisdom …

Continue reading We will never be wise unless we build our lives on Jesus Christ.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost; Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 or Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46

On July 9, 2022March 30, 2022 By charlieIn 1 Thessalonians, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Matthew, Psalms1 Comment

“The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.” ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:27): This is no guarantee of peaceful tranquillity. For Israel, there was conflict. ‘Saved by the Lord’, Israel had found true happiness. Still, there were ‘enemies’ to be ‘thrust out’and …

Continue reading Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost; Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 or Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46

Jeremiah 29-31

On July 9, 2022March 19, 2022 By charlieIn Jeremiah1 Comment

Jeremiah 29:1-32 - ‘I know the plans I have for you... to give you a future and a hope’. This was God’s long-term purpose for His people. It was important that they did not lose sight of this. There would be ‘seventy years’ of captivity in Babylon (10-11). At times, they must have wondered, ‘Will …

Continue reading Jeremiah 29-31

Lord, we need Your Word of encouragement.

Numbers 12:1-13:33 Lord, we need Your Word of encouragement. Sometimes, our problems seem to be so big. Help us to see that Your power is always greater than our problems. When everything in us seems to be saying, “I can’t”, help us to hear – and speak – the Word of faith, ” I can […]

We thank You, Lord, for Your love … Your Son … Your command … and Your purpose.

We thank You, Lord, for Your love – “You loved the world so much that You gave Your Son, Jesus” (John 3:16); Your Son – He died for “the sins of the whole world” (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2); Your command – “the Good News” of Christ’s love is to be preached to “every person” […]

God’s work doesn’t always move forward smoothly.

Ezra 4:1-5:17 – God’s work does not always move forward smoothly. We face determined opposition. Where there is opportunity, there will be opposition (1 Corinthians 16:9). The servants of Satan rise up to oppose the servants of the Lord. This is what happens here. The Lord’s enemies had some success: ‘the work on the House […]

The Lord looks upon us with love. We are special to Him. We are precious in His eyes.

Isaiah 4:1-5:17 – ‘Those who are left… will be called holy’ (4:3). The world speaks of God’s people with contempt – ‘the holy people who need to learn to live in the real world’. When God calls His people ‘holy’, He speaks in a very different way. He speaks with affection. He looks upon us […]

Lord, we are often tempted…

Genesis 3:1-5 Lord, we are often tempted – tempted to forget all about You. The pull towards self-centred living is so strong.We think that we can go it alone. We think that we don’t need You. We think that we can manage all right without You. Where does this kind of thinking come from? Does it […]

A house of prayer

Ezekiel 5:1-6:14 – ‘Because you have defiled My sanctuary… I Myself will withdraw My favour’ (5:11). To those who despise His Word and treat the place of prayer with contempt, Jesus still speaks His Word of judgment: ‘My House will be called a House of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves’ […]

Lord, You are the King.

Praying Through God’s Word 1 Samuel 8:1-9:10 Lord, You are the King. There is no king like You. No human king can even begin to compare with You – the divine King, the “King of kings” (Revelation 19:16). We lift to You our song of praise: “O worship the King, all glorious above. O gratefully […]

Genesis 31:22-33:20 – God is with us …

Genesis 31:22-42 As we try to unravel the complexities of Jacob’s dealings with Laban, we must remember this one thing: ‘If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac (the God before whom Isaac bowed in reverence) had not been with me…’ (42). This is the spiritual dimension. We […]

It is the Lord your God who fights for you.

Deuteronomy 3:1-29 – The promised land was near. For Moses, it was ‘so near and yet so far’. He was excluded. Together with the sadness of Moses’ exclusion, there was the joy of the people’s entrance (27-28). When we consider Moses’ sadness and the people’s joy, we must remember this: Nobody deserved to go into […]

Micah

MICAH 1:1-2:13 – Micah was a fearless preacher of God’s Word. His message was not popular: ‘Let the Lord God be a witness against you’. He was a forthright preacher of God’s Word. He knew that the people wouldn’t want to hear what he had to say to them. He demanded that they listen to […]

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – January

1st January: Joshua 1:1-18 For Israel, it was a new beginning. They were leaving the wilderness. That was their past. They were entering the promised land. This was God’s future. For God’s future there is God’s command – ‘Be strong’ – and God’s promise – ‘the Lord your God is with you’. We wonder what […]

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – January

1st January: Psalm 77:1-20 Sometimes, we have more questions than answers (7-9). The questions keep flooding into our minds. We wonder where the answers are going to come from. What are we to do when this happens? We must remember what the Lord has done for us (11-12). Look back over the ‘years’ – and […]

Daily Devotional Readings : Year One – January

1st January: Psalm 119:105-112 We begin the year with the words of verse 105: ‘Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’. This a great text with which to begin the year. It is a great starting-point for these studies in God’s Word. As we journey through life with […]

My One Year Bible

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 […]

Jesus – the King of kings and Lord of lords

Matthew 2:1-12 ‘King of the Jews’ (2). Jesus came from the Jews. He came for ‘all nations’ (28:19). He is the ‘King of kings’ (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). Here on earth, we are learning ‘to worship Him’ (2). We are being prepared for heavenly worship (Revelation 7:9-12): ‘Kings and queens and beggar men, presidents and servants, […]

Luke 2:1-20

‘A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’ (11). The Name, ‘Jesus’, means ‘Saviour’ (Matthew 1:21). Focus your thoughts on Him: The Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a prayer to help you make your response to Him: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, You have come to us, You are one with us, Mary’s Son. Cleansing our souls from […]

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – December

1st December: 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 […]

For the Christian, the King’s Highway is the Way of Holiness: “This is the way, walk in it.”

Numbers 21:1-35 In verses 5-9, there is an illustration of God’s salvation (John 3:14-15). There is sin and death (Romans 5-6; 3:23, 6:23). Christ prays for our forgiveness (7; Luke 23:34). Lifted up on the Cross, He dies that we might have eternal life. In love, He appeals to us, ‘Look to me and be […]

Without God’s grace and mercy, we will fall. With His grace and mercy, we will stand.

Ezekiel 4:1-6:14; Hebrews 5:11-6:12; Proverbs 26:23-27:4 “Alas! because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague” (Ezekiel 6:11). Alongside these words concerning Israel’s sin and fall, we place the solemn words of Hebrews 6:4-6, words which warn us of the danger […]

Ezekiel 1:1-3:27; Hebrews 4:14-5:10; Psalm 119:153-160

“Visions of God” – This is what we have in Ezekiel. These visions are not easy to understand. Their form emphasizes that God is beyond our understanding. We see the glory of God, and we fall before Him in worship (Ezekiel 3:23). We are not, however, to content ourselves with seeing the glory of God […]