We have not been saved because of our own righteousness. We’ve been saved by the grace of God.

Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Luke 12:1-34; Psalm 42:6b-11 As they entered the promised land, the people of God received this reminder of the undeserved grace of God - “It is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this land to possess” (Deuteronomy 9:6). In His free grace, God gave the land …

“What’s the world coming to?”, we ask. God turns our question on its head: “Christ is coming to the world.”

God is in control! Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Long before it happened, God had it planned (Luke 2:1-7; Micah 5:2-3). As we approach Christ's Return, God still has His plan. He is still in control. The birth of Christ is not merely an event from the past. It is also a message for the …

The fire of the Holy Spirit: burning away our sin and brightening up our lives

Numbers 9:15-11:3; Luke 3:1-22; Psalm 35:19-28 From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire” (Numbers 9:15). "Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1). “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in …

True faith is always faith in Christ, and never faith in anything we can ever offer to God.

Genesis 4:1-5 The name of Abel appears among ‘the heroes of the faith’ (Hebrews 11:14). The story of Abel is a story of grace, faith and obedience. Abel's sacrifice was a blood sacrifice while Cain’s was a fruit sacrifice (3-4). The blood sacrifice points forward - via the Old Testament sacrificial system - to the …

Jesus – the Name that is above every name, the Name of our salvation

Genesis 7:1-24 Here, we pick up on the words of verse 16 - ‘the Lord closed the door behind them’. What was going on outside of the ark is contrasted with the haven of salvation inside the ark. What was it that made the ark a place of salvation? - The Lord. What is it …

The servant of the Lord dies, but the work of the Lotrd goes on.

"Moses the servant of the Lord died...  Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:5,9). The servant of the Lord dies, but the work of the Lord goes on. Our service for the Lord …

Jesus Is Calling Us On To His Future.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is not merely a figure from the past. He is “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus Christ, the risen Saviour, the living Lord, stands at the centre of our future. He does not only speak to us from the past. He also speaks to us from the future. …

Help us, Lord, to remember that there is one treasure which lasts forever – the treasure of salvation.

‘A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies… Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised’ (Proverbs 31:10,30). Lord, You’re calling us to seek ‘treasures in heaven’ rather than ‘treasures on earth’ (Matthew 6:19-21). You’re showing us that the riches …

Lord, You’re calling us to win others for You.

Lord, You’re calling us to win others for You. You’re calling us to share Your love with them. You’re calling us to bring Jesus to them. Help us, Lord, not to keep Your Good News to ourselves. Help us to pray, “Here I am, wholly available – as for me, I will serve the Lord” …

God’s Beloved Son – Jesus, Our Great Saviour

"A voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”" (Luke 3:22). What wonderful words about Jesus, our Saviour! He is God's beloved Son. He reveals God's love to us. What a great Saviour Jesus! - This is the great message that comes to us from Jesus' …

Pleasing God is more important than pleasing people.

Matthew 10:21-42 Jesus tells us that 'a student is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master' (24). Our Teacher is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Master. Jesus emphasizes that 'it is enough for the student to be like his teacher and the servant like his master' (25). This is the …

The Lord’s work is moving on.

Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12 The Lord’s work is moving on. The Lord’s servant – Moses – is looking towards the future. He is pronouncing God’s blessing on the people of Israel. He pays special attention to each tribe. There is a Word from the Lord for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The people of Israel …

Keep On Speaking The Word Of The Lord – And Keep On Walking In His Ways.

"How horrible it will be ... " (Amos 6:1,3-6,13) - This is a prophecy concerning God's judgment. Such words need to be heard, if people are to be turned back into walking in the ways of the Lord. If we don't hear of God's judgment, we are likely to keep on walking in our own …

Fear is such a powerful emotion.

"Do not be afraid, Abram" (Genesis 15:11). Fear is such a powerful emotion. It can have such a negative effect on us. Abram needed to hear this word from the Lord. We need to hear this word from the Lord. There are times when everything seems to be so out of control. We wonder, "What's …

Worship The Lord With Joy. Live For Him With Joy.

"Come, let’s sing joyfully to the Lord. Let’s shout happily to the rock of our salvation" (Psalm 95:1).  We are to worship the Lord with joy. We are to be happy with him, in him and for him. (a) Be happy with the Lord. He is all that we need - "The Lord is my shepherd. …

Let Christ bring you from “no peace” to real peace.

Joshua 9:1-10:15  -  Some chose ‘to make war against Joshua and Israel’ (9:1-2). The Gibeonites came, looking for peace. They achieved their objective - ‘Joshua made peace with them’ (9:15). In this story we see the work of Satan, and we may catch a glimpse of the work of God. The ‘peace’ was based on …

God’s Word calls for our response.

Ezekiel 32:1-33:20; James 1:1-27; Psalm 127:1-5 God’s Word must be spoken as a Word which calls for response. The prophet is to “warn the wicked man to turn from his ways” (Ezekiel 33:9). He is to declare that “the Sovereign Lord … takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from …

On earth, we have trials. In heaven, we will have salvation.

1 PETER 1:1-25 - On earth, we have ‘trials’. In ‘heaven’, we will have ‘salvation’ (3-9). In our journey from trials to salvation, from earth to heaven, we are to live a life of holiness and love. In this life of ‘obedience to the truth’, we must never forget that we have been ‘redeemed with …

The work of God is moving forward.

2 KINGS 1:1-2:13 -  ‘He took up the mantle of Elijah’ (2:13). Elijah’s ministry had ended. Elisha’s ministry was about to begin. It was the beginning of a new era. This may have been a new ministry. It was not, however, a new message. Both men preached the Word of the Lord. Elisha continued Elijah’s …

Christ sets us free to please God, not to please ourselves.

Exodus 37:1-38:31; Mark 8:14-9:1; Proverbs 6:1-11 Jesus warns His disciples against the godless influence of the Pharisees. Their influence on people is classed along with the evil influence of Herod (Matthew 8:15). The Pharisees had become obsessed with the externals of religion but they had lost the awareness of God’s glory. They conformed to the details (the kind of …

God’s Word challenges our way of thinking and our way of living.

"The Lord spoke His Word through the prophet Haggai" (Haggai 1:1). The prophet is only the messenger. It is the Lord who speaks His Word. God's Word challenges our way of thinking and our way of living. We say, "Everything is okay." God says, "Everything is not okay." There is a problem. God says to …

God Says To Us, ‘I Am The Lord Your God.’ We Say To Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You Are Our God.’

Numbers 8:1-26 The Levites were ‘set apart’ for God (14). They were ‘a gift to Aaron... to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting...’(19). We are to work together as a team. ‘Yield yourselves to God...’(Romans 6:13): Help each other to be better servants of Christ. The ‘lampstand’(1-4): ‘Thy …

The glory of the Lord, revealed through Moses and Elijah, was nothing compared with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 9:2-32; Psalm 26:1-12 “The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). There is, however, an even greater demonstration of God’s glory - in Christ. Concerning Christ, God says, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). The glory of God, revealed through the ministries of Moses …

The Lord is leading us on to our eternal inheritance.

Deuteronomy 24:1-25:29 -  Justice for the vulnerable is grounded in God’s redemption (24:17-18). This is an important principle for us. God loves us. He has done great things for us. He cares. We are to care. Let His love be the guiding light in every part of your life. Scripture speaks of both salvation and …

At the end of my ministry: looking back and looking forward

From time to time, I wondered what I would say to the people in the final service of my ministry. This is what I did say. As I began to think about this service, my thoughts turned to the the opening words of Psalm 115, "Not to us, not to us, but to your name …

Help us, Lord, to listen to Your Word – and be changed by Your Word. May we rejoice in this: ‘He saved us by washing away our sins’ – our sin is great, our Saviour is greater (prayers based on Ezekiel 14-16).

Ezekiel 14:1-15:8 ‘Some of the elders of Israel came to’ Ezekiel. He spoke the Word of the Lord to them: ‘Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’ (Ezekiel 14:1,8). This, Lord, may not have been what they wanted to hear. It was what You wanted them to hear. They did not …

Jesus Christ – forsaken by God and pierced for our transgressions

Read of the Psalmist’s sufferings. Think of the Saviour, suffering for you (Psalm 22:7-8, 18; Matthew 27:39 ,43, 35). We highlight two statements: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’, ‘They have pierced my hands and my feet’ (Psalm 22:1, 16). Jesus Christ was ‘crucified and killed by the hands of the lawless …

So few people make time for worshipping You, Lord. Are we to become discouraged?

Isaiah 10:5-34 “A few, the remaining few of Jacob, will return to the mighty God” (Isaiah 10:21). So few people make time for worshipping You, Lord. Are we to become discouraged? No! We must take encouragement for  Your Word: “The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame” (Isaiah 10:17). Lord, …

Real Listening

Real Listening, A Real Turning To The Lord And A Real Sense Of His Blessing (Psalm 85:8) We are to pray for real listening - ‘I will listen to what God the Lord will say’- , a real turning to the Lord - ‘turning to Him in our hearts’- , and a real sense of …

In all the changes of life, we must learn to say, “Blessed be the Lord.”

1 Kings 1:1-53  -  David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past (37,47). …

God so loved the world.

 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It's many years, now, since these words were, first, brought home to my heart with power - life-changing power, the power of God's love. There are some things …

The Story Of God’s Amazing Grace Is Worth Repeating Over And Over Again.

Psalm 106:1-48 We read here about sin and salvation. There is a very realistic description of 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... …

A life-changing decision

What's your idea of God? Some people would say that God is an idea. Others would ask the question, "Did the idea of God come into our minds because God put it there?" Going back to the beginning, we are faced with a decision. We read the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning, …

How do we react to difficult circumstances?

Nehemiah 1:1-2:20; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 147:1-11 How do we respond to adverse circumstances? We can respond in a godly way or we can respond in a worldly fashion. "The walls of Jerusalem ... had been broken down, and its gates ... had been destroyed by fire" (Nehemiah 2:13). Nehemiah responded with faith in God: "Come, …

Let us learn about how much Jesus loved people, and how much he loves us.

Mark 6 verses 1-6a In Jesus' "hometown" (v.1), many people were "amazed" at his teaching (v. 2), but "they took offence at him" (v.3). Why did they not accept Jesus and his teaching. They had known Jesus since he was a wee boy. They knew his family. They couldn't let Jesus grow up, and become …

A human explanation, but that’s not the whole story!

“Come, let’s kill him” (Matthew 21:38). From Jesus’ parable, we look to His death. The crucifixion of Jesus has a human explanation: “wicked men put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross” – but that’s not the whole story! In the death of Jesus, we see God’s “plan” of salvation – His eternal …

Lord, You show us the way of blessing. It is the way of obedience.

Praying Through God's Word: Psalm 119 Psalm 119:1-24 Lord, You show us the way of blessing. It is the way of obedience (Psalm 119:1,9,11,17). Many will choose the way of disobedience - ‘influential people sit together and slander me.’ Help us to choose the way of obedience - ‘Your servant will meditate on Your teachings’ …

Jesus says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Then, He asks us, “Do you believe this?”

John 11:1-44 -  Everything is moving on towards Christ’s death and resurrection. On His way to the Cross, Jesus performs a mighty miracle – the raising of Lazarus (43-44) – which points unmistakably to an even greater miracle – His own resurrection (Acts 2:24). Accompanying this miracle – the raising of Lazarus – , we …

The story of Jesus comes to us from the past, and it leads us on to the future.

What kind of story is the story of Jesus? It's a story that comes to us from the past, from a long, long time ago. Is it a story that's to be left in the past? or Is it possible that it's more than a story from the past? Could it be that it's a …

From bad news to Good News

This is a continuation of the Word of judgment, which began in Ezekiel 26. How final are the words at the end of Ezekiel 27: “You have come to a terrible end, and you will never exist again” (Ezekiel 27:36). This is the bad news concerning all of us. We are sinners. We are under …

God so loved the world – not only the important people, but all people.

Genesis 10:1-32 What a lot of names! Why is all this included in God’s Word? It may describe the historical conext of God’s unfolding purpose of providing salvation for sinners, but what does it say to us? The inclusion of so many obscure names emphasizes that everyone - however obscure - is important. ‘God so …

Does Jesus still have something worthwhile to say to people in today’s world?

What are we to believe? Are we to believe in God? or Are we to say that there is no God? Are we to believe that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15)? or Are we to say that we do not believe that Jesus is our Saviour? These are …

The Rock and the River

The Rock and the River are still there – even when I can’t see them! We look out towards Dumbarton Rock and the River Clyde. There is, however, a problem! Straight ahead of us, there are some large trees. When the leaves are on the trees, we can’t see anything that’s behind the trees. We …

God knows what we’re like – and He can change us!

"Jonah was very upset about this, and He became angry" (Jonah 4:1). After the high points of prayer (Jonah 2) and revival (Jonah 3), we come to this! This is pathetic. It's more than being upset and angry. Jonah became suicidal (Jonah 4:8-9). Why? - There's no good reason for him to feel like this. …

Fear God and keep His commandments.

“Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Lord, we read these words, and we wonder, “How can we even begin to fear You and keep Your commandments when our hearts are full of sin?” We ask, “How can our hearts be cleansed from sin?” We cannot do this for ourselves. Only You can do …

Let The Living Water Flow.

“And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away” (Genesis 21:25, King James Version). As I read this verse, I found myself thinking about God’s Word and God’s Spirit. Through God’s written Word, the Holy Spirit speaks to us His Word of “reproof” and “correction” (2 Timothy …

Jesus Christ – Our Crucified Saviour, Our Risen Lord

Psalm 31:1-24 “Into Thy hand, I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). As we read these words, Lord, our thoughts turn to Jesus Christ, crucified for us. In death, He gave Himself for our sins (Luke 23:46). Beyond His “affliction and the anguish of His soul”, there was the “spacious place” of His resurrection – and …

The Word of God still needs to be heard today.

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, …

Spiritual Growth

Genesis 2:9 “Out of the ground the Lord God made every tree to grow” If we are to make progress in spiritual growth, we must be grounded in Christ – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). It was the Lord God who made every tree …

Nehemiah and his fellow-builders face determined opposition from their enemies.

Nehemiah and his fellow-builders face determined opposition from their enemies: “What they are building - if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” (Nehemiah 4:3). When the enemies “heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were …

Lord, we are surrounded by so many enemies. What are we to do?

Lord, we are surrounded by so many enemies. They are Your enemies, enemies of Your Gospel, enemies of Your truth, What are we to do? What can we do? Left to ourselves, we are helpless. Our situation is hopeless – until You come to us with Your love and Your power. You assure us that …

The priority of worship – we must never forget this.

Genesis 13:1-18 We read about Abram and Lot - and the choices that they made. There are choices to be made. We need to learn to choose the Lord's way - not the world's way. In verse 18 - we read something very encouraging about Abram. When he was in Egypt (12:10-20) - he let …

Lifted by the Lord

"Lift up your heads, you gates;     be lifted up, you ancient doors,     that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?     The Lord strong and mighty,     the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates;     lift them up, you ancient doors,     that the King of glory may come …

Lord, You’re still speaking to us today. You’re calling us to listen to You.

Jeremiah 36:1-32 ‘The king cut it with the penknife, and threw it into the fire’ (Jeremiah 36:23). Help us, Lord, not to be like this king. He didn’t like Your Word. He thought he could get rid of Your Word. What a fool he was! You saw what was going on. The king’s attempt to …

Some thoughts on preaching

“The bigger the truth we try to speak the smaller the words we should use, and the shorter the sentences” (Ian Pitt-Watson). Good preaching does its hearers good. Our concern is not to impress people with our eloquence. Our goal is to direct attention away from ourselves to the Saviour. We should aim to be …

A new beginning

Mark 1:1-20 This is a new 'beginning'. The prophets had spoken. Now, the Saviour has come. This is good news. John has prepared the way. Now, he stands aside to make way for Jesus Christ, the Son of God' (1,11). Following Jesus' baptism, there was temptation. This was Kingdom against kingdom. Satan's kingdom was under …

Where do God’s peace and joy come from?

Where do God's peace and joy come from? They come from his love. It's the greatest love of all (Ephesians 3:18). There's nothing like the love of God. His peace is great. His joy is great. His love is even greater. This is where his blessing comes from him. He loves us. He loves us …

Less fear, more faith

Mark 5 "Don't be afraid. Only believe" (verse 36). Jesus says to us, 'Don't stop believing.' He says to us, 'Keep on believing.' Throughout life, each of us is involved in a battle. It's a battle against fear. It's a battle for faith. How are we to win the victory? "Perfect love drives out fear" …

Visions from God

Ezekiel 1 “Visions from God” (Ezekiel 1:1); “The power of the Lord came over Ezekiel” (Ezekiel 1:3); “A bright light” (Ezekiel 1:27); “A rainbow in the clouds” , “The Lord’s glory”, “Bowed down”, “I heard someone speaking” (Ezekiel 1:28). In these phrases, we have some suggestion of the kind of lines we must follow, as …

The blessing of God is for you and me.

God loves us. This isn't for some perfect people who've never fallen into sin. There's nobody who's like that. All of us have made a mess of things, but God still says to us, "I love you." He says, "My Son, Jesus, died for you." This is what gives us the strength to choose his …