In Christ’s Suffering Is Our Salvation.

Luke 22:1-38 Jesus’ enemies were ‘religious’ men but they were not God’s men (2). Behind the scenes, there was the activity of ‘Satan’(3). He ‘disguises himself as an angel of light’- Judas Iscariot was ‘one of the twelve’! (3; 2 Corinthians 11:14). In reality, Satan is ‘a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour’(1 Peter 5:8). …

Don’t settle for second best.

Numbers 33:50-34:29 'Drive out all the inhabitants of the land' (52): We must drive out the enemy (Satan) if we are to enter more fully into our salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:3-14). Idolatry is to be banished (52). It has no place among God's people. God wants us to 'possess the land' (53): a …

Think Back Over Your Life, And Thank God For All That He Has Done.

Numbers 33:1-49 In the history of Israel - Set free by the power of God, failure to learn, wandering, the promised land - , there is a picture of the Christian life - conversion and growth to spiritual maturity by way of learning from our mistakes. We are not to remain in the past. That …

Let Us Give Jesus Christ His Rightful Place In Our Lives.

Luke 21:1-38 The ‘poor widow’ gave her ‘all’ to the Lord (1-4). True giving is a response to ‘the grace of God’. Learning to appreciate ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’, we will learn to give with ‘abundance of joy’ and ‘wealth of liberality’(2 Corinthians 8:1-2, 9). Let us give ourselves to our Lord. …

Better a minority with God than a majority without Him

Numbers 32:1-42 Some look for an easy life. They know that there will be conflict on the other side of the Jordan. They opt out - 'do not take us across the Jordan' (5). They think they've travelled far enough. God says, 'Let us go on to maturity' (Hebrews 6:1). 'My happiness' - This is …

G C Berkouwer and Karl Barth on “Natural Theology and General Revelation”

Barth proposes three reasons for the persistence of natural theology (Church Dogmatics, Vol. II, 1, pp. 85-126. The three reasons are succinctly stated by G W Bromiley: "(a) It is thought to be possible and practicable ... (b) It is thought to be pedagogically useful at least as an introduction to theology ... (c) It …

The Battle May Be ‘Fierce.’ The ‘Victory Is Secure.’

Numbers 31:21-54 If we are to be ‘soldiers of Christ’, we need to be ‘purified’, made ‘clean’. There is purification by ‘fire’ and ‘water’. Purification may be painful, but we have the promise of God’s protective presence. He says, ‘I will be with you’. He assures us, ‘the waters... shall not overwhelm you... and the …

Knowing Jesus and preaching him: it’s all about loving him.

"I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). "We preach Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 1:23). Here, Paul speaks to us about knowing Christ crucified and preaching Christ crucified, Before we can preach him, we must know him. God speaks to us before we speak for him. What …