In times of prosperity, in times of adversity

Jesus speaks to "the cities where most of his mighty works had been done" (Matthew 11:20). He gives them absolutely no encouragement to bask in their past glories. He presents them with the challenge of the present. He calls on them to makle an immediate response to God. In no uncertain terms, he challenges them …

Lord, You speak to us about our sin and Your salvation.

Lord, You speak to us about our sin - ‘Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people’ - and Your salvation - ‘I will... put a new spirit in them...’ (Ezekiel 12:2; Ezekiel 11:19-20). Show us, Lord, that we must receive’ with humility, the bad news concerning our sin - ‘The wages of …

Lord, we’re on a journey – from grace to glory.

Lord, we're on a journey. We're travelling from grace. We're travelling to glory. Everything comes to us from Your grace. Everything is leading us to Your glory. You have given us all that we need - all that we need to bring us into Your salvation, all that we need to take us on into …

When we think about our salvation

When we think about our salvation, we must not think about it as our own achievement. We must, always, remember to come to God, with humility. We must, always, remember to give all the glory to God. Before God's Word speaks to us about our faith, it speaks to us about God's grace: "By grace, …

A great conflict and the final result

Romans 7:1-25 God's purpose is not easily fulfilled in us. Our battle with sin is extremely intense. There is a great conflict going on within us. 'The Spirit' and 'the flesh' are at war with each other (Galatians 5:17). God has given us His Spirit - 'we serve...in the new life of the Spirit' (6). …

Hallelujah! He has found me.

"I can't get no satisfaction." "None but Christ can satisfy." This is the contrast between life without Christ and life with Christ. When we have found Christ, we say, "Hallelujah! I have found Him." The moment we say, I have found Him, we realize something else, "He has found me", and we say, "Hallelujah! He …

How far can psychology and sociology take us?

When I was a young student, I studied psychology and sociology. I learned a lot about these subjects. Most of it I've now forgotten. Here's something I haven't forgotten. At my first psychology seminar, the leader described the study of psychology as building on shifting sand. As I heard these words, I remembered the parable …

Jesus drinks from the cup of our condemnation. We drink from the cup of His salvation.

John 18:1-27 The story continues. Jesus is betrayed. Jesus is arrested (1-11). He stands before the Jewish authorities (12-14,19-24). Jesus is 'drinking from the cup which the Father has given Him' - He drinks from the cup of our condemnation so that we might drink from the cup of His salvation (11; Matthew 26:38-39; 2 …

Learning from Martin Luther (The Kingdom Of God: Romans and Galatians)

This message was preached as part of a series in which we looked at what the books of the New Testament say about "the Kingdom of God." Since the focus is really on Martin Luther, I've given "Learning from Martin Luther" as the main title, with "The Kingdom of God: Romans and Galatians" being given …

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:1-32 'I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith' (16). Do you think it was easy for Paul to maintain such commitment to Christ, such confidence in Christ? What kind of world did he live in?: a world of 'ungodliness and …

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Galatians 5:22-23).

* The love in us comes from the love of God. * The joy in us comes from the joy of God. * The peace in us comes from the peace of God. ... The God of love, the God of joy, the God of peace ... Without God, there can be no love in …

Will we make a new beginning with the Lord?

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 the …

Human kings come and go. The Lord,our King, continues forever.

1 Samuel 12:1-13:15a To the king as well as the people, God speaks in promise and warning: 'If both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well... If you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord... then the hand of the Lord will …

We must not get too big for our boots.

1 Samuel 9:11-10:16 The Lord is King: We must never forget this. A human king is no substitute for the divine King (8:7). God was not pleased with His people. They wanted to be 'like all the nations' (8:5). God refused to abandon His people. They wanted a king. He gave them their king (15-17). …

When everything seemed to be so promising

1 Samuel 10:17-11:15 Everyone was so happy - 'Long live the king! (24). Everything seemed to be so promising - 'The Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul' (6). God's people were victorious (11). God's people 'rejoiced greatly' (15). This is not, however, the whole story. Things were to get worse, much worse - 'You …

God has great things in store for His people.

Romans 5:1-21 God has great things in store for His people! (a) 'Much more' (9-10): 'Justified by Christ's blood', 'reconciled to God', 'We shall be saved by Christ from the wrath of God', 'saved by His life'. (b) 'Much more' (15,17): 'The grace of God' has 'abounded for many'. In Christ, we have 'received the abundance of …

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 us 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, the world seems so strong.

Lord, the world seems so strong – but You are stronger! “The world is ever near … my foes are ever near me … but, Jesus, draw still nearer, and shield my soul from sin.” Sometimes, the battle seems to be too much for us. Sometimes, we feel like giving up. Come to us, Lord. …

There is hope.

Hosea 14:1-9 There is hope. There is a future. Hosea 14:9 - Conclusion: This is for us. The only way to live is the Lord’s way. Repentance (Hosea 14:2) - It’s returning to the Lord (Hosea 14:1). It’s more than “words” (Hosea 14:2). It’s a way of life. As we walk with the Lord, we …

Preaching God’s Word: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 There is hope. This is a message which is very relevant in today's world. We hear of death and destruction. We ask the question, "Is there hope?" This question impresses itself upon us as we take seriously the events of our day. "Is there hope?" As we consider this question, we may …

We thank You, Lord, for the Scriptures.

We thank You, Lord, for the Scriptures. They lead us to our Saviour - Jesus. The Scriptures speak to us of His suffering and our salvation. When we think of all that Jesus has done for us, may we receive, from You, the spirit of thanksgiving - joyful thanksgiving, heartfelt thanksgiving.

Let Christ’s love give you strength – to keep on serving Him.

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - July 1st July: Exodus 20:21-21:32 So many instructions - Don't get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. …

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 …

I have decided to follow Jesus.

"It's pointless to serve God. What do we gain if we meet His standards or if we walk around feeling sorry for what we've done" (Malachi 3:14) - This what the world says. What does the Lord say to us? - "The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings for you people …

Choose Christ, and be glad.

Psalm 16:1-11 'Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore' (11). In this earthly life, there are many difficulties. For all of God's people, there is something better still to come. We must look not only at the things which …

Redeemed by God, let us live in odience to Him and enjoy His blessing.

Numbers 35:1-36:13 Cities of refuge were provided for those who had killed someone accidentally. This is a good illustration of fleeing to Christ for refuge. He is our 'strong tower'. We 'run' to Him and we are 'safe' (Hebrews 6:18; Proverbs 18:10). God gave Israel a 'land'. They were not to 'defile the land' (34). …

Something very wonderful has happened: Jesus has risen from the dead.

Luke 23:26-24:12 'God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong' (1 Corinthians 1:27). In his weakness, the thief on the cross trusted Christ for salvation (42-43). Pilate, a man of power, rejected Christ, sending Him off to be crucified (23:23-25). Jesus was 'delivered into the hands of sinful men'. Jesus was …

A glimpse into the eternal dimension, a vision of glory

"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and …

Earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to God’s holy people.

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people" (Jude 3). We rejoice in the great salvation that has been given to us. It is a good thing …

Carl Bangs, “Arminius: A Study in the Dutch Reformation”

In this post, I will draw comparisons between Arminius and Berkouwer.  * Bangs points out that the historical situation in Holland was not a simple one - Calvinism coming in, Arminius nearly ruining it and the Synod of Dort restoring it: “The earliest Dutch Reformed leaders don’t seem to be Calvinists at all. They rise …

We are to live the truth.

"It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John, verses 3-4). "Walking in the truth" We are to live the truth. This is more …

We’ve wandered away from the Lord. He’s waiting for us to make our way back to Him.

For more notes on God's Word, visit God's Word For Every Day. Genesis 4:6-16. In the story of Cain, we see the development of sin. Jealousy leads to anger, and anger leads to murder. In this story, we see ourselves in the 'mirror' of God's Word. Here, God emphasizes our exceeding sinfulness - 'The heart is …

Lord, where have all the years gone?

Genesis 5:1-17 Lord, where have all the years gone? Five years become ten years. Ten years become twenty years. Twenty years become forty years …. Is there something more than this? - We thank You that You are the eternal God. In all the changing circumstances of our life, help us to remember this: “The …

Without the Lord, there can be no salvation and no victory.

As we read of David and his many exploits, we must remember that this is part of the great story of the mighty works of the Lord. To God’s people, there is the command, “Be strong.” From God’s people, there is the commitment: “Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and the cities of our …

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 …

Lord, we thank You that You are so determined to keep on blessing us.

Lord, we thank You that You are so determined to keep on blessing us. There are times when we're not expecting very much - and then You come to us with Your blessing, and everything changes. Everything becomes so much brighter. You are with us. You are leading us forward. You are leading us on …

When there seemed to be no hope

1 Samuel 13:15b-14:23 Humanly speaking, Israel seemed to be 'no hopers' (13:22). There was, however, something else. The Lord was with His people and He would give them the victory (14:6,19,12,23). There is a very important lesson for us here: 'The weapons of our warfare are not worldly'. We are to 'put on the whole …

More than good advice

"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his …

God’s love for us, our love for him and our love for one another

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19) .  Before there is our love for God, there is his love for us. Before there is our love for another, there is God's love for each one of us. God's love, always, comes first. This is something we should never forget. When we become …

God’s Eternal Love – In creation and Scripture, we see love, eternal love, the love of God.

God reveals Himself in creation and Scripture. He speaks through His created world. He speaks through His written Word. God is always speaking. He is never silent. Through His created world, God is speaking to us, every day and  every night. He is showing us His glory (Psalm 19:1-2). He makes us aware of His …

Whenever we speak of God’s holiness

Whenever we speak of God's holiness, we must, also, speak of his love. Holiness shows us where we've gone wrong - but it's love that forgives our sins. Let's thank God that He did not, because of his holiness and our sin, keep his distance from us. He has reached out to us in love. …

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, …

Berkouwer’s reinterpretation of election – not a devaluation of divine sovereignty

Berkouwer emphasizes that his reinterpretation of election "has nothing to do with a devaluation of divine sovereignty. It is not motivated by respect for the autonomy of the free man" (A Half Century of Theology, p. 95). He sought to affirm divine election while avoiding the dangers of determinism. Describing the process by which he …

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 …

More than a moral teacher

How are we to get to know Jesus Christ? Are we to look at his moral teaching - and look no further than that? Looking at Jesus' moral teaching will take us so far - but does it really take us to the heart of the good news concerning God's love for us? If we …

A new creation in Christ

Romans 6:1-23 (a) What a great thing God has done! He has made you 'a new creation in Christ' (2 Corinthians 5:17). (b) 'Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus' (11). Believe it. This is what the Lord has done: 'you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit... …

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 …

The Lord Leads Us in His “Everlasting Way.”

We thank You, Lord that, through Christ our Saviour, You lead us ‘in the way everlasting’: ‘God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son’ (Psalm 139:24; 1 John 5:11). Your great purpose of eternal salvation seems ‘too wonderful’ - ‘too good to be true’! ‘It is a thing most wonderful, …

The way of the cross – for Jesus and for us

Luke 22:39-71 Jesus was 'greatly distressed... troubled... very sorrowful... ' (Mark 14:33-34). 'Nevertheless, in obedience to His Father's will, He chose the way of the Cross (42; John 10:17-18). Satan - 'the power of darkness' - would have his 'hour', but Jesus was to be 'seated at the right hand of the power of God' …

Looking ahead to the cross, Jesus said, ‘For this I was born…’

John 18:28-19:16 'Barabbas was a robber'. He was released (39-40). There was 'no crime' in Jesus. He was 'crucified' (38,4,6,16). Was Jesus no more than the innocent victim of a shameful and tragic miscarriage of justice? No! Jesus, the King of kings, chose to die. Looking ahead to the Cross, He said, 'For this I …

We all make mistakes. May God help us to learn from our mistakes.

1 Samuel 14:24-52 Making mistakes: it's part of life for all of us: 'We all make mistakes. If any one makes no mistakes... he is a perfect man' (James 3:2). What are we to make of the 'mistakes' made by Saul and Jonathan? Saul's 'mistake' was an error of judgment which 'troubled the land' (24,29). …

The Kingdom Of God In The Teaching Of Jesus

 * The Kingdom of God does not belong to this world (John 18:36). The Kingdom of God has come into this world (Mark 1:15). God's Kingdom cannot be identified with anything that belongs to this world. The church is not the Kingdom. The church is a signpost. It points us to The Kingdom. It is …

There is no god who can compare with the Lord.

2 Kings 16:1-17:41; Acts 26:24-27:12; Psalm 81:8-16 “They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless” (2 Kings 17:15). There is no god who can compare with the Lord (Psalm 81:9-10). He alone is worthy of praise. He alone gives value to our lives by bringing fulfilment to them: “Open wide your mouth and I will …

When we feel like the light’s been switched off

Our light can go out. Jesus' light never goes out. This is something we must never forget. It's not about our light. It's about His light. Our feelings tell us one thing. Jesus tells us something else. Who are we to believe: our feelings or Jesus, our Saviour? We know what our answer should be, …

By the mercy of God, through the Word of God, in the power of God, for the glory of God

In the work of ministry, we are, often, discouraged by the lack of response. May God help us to remember that "we have received this ministry by the mercy of God" (2 Corinthians 4:1). May he give us the wonderful privilege of seeing more and more people, responding to the Word of God, which, by …

The restoration of God to His proper place among His people

David becomes king (1 Chronicles 11:3). David is helped by his supporters. He has more than the help of other people. His help comes from the Lord (1 Chronicles 12:18). The work, done by David, was, first and foremost, the work of God - the restoration of God to His proper place among His people …

There’s something more than human love.

"Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105). Without the Word of the Lord, we stumble along in the darkness. We stumble, and we fall. When we stop listening to what the Word of God says to us, the darker things become. It's not easy to keep on …

Sadness And Gladness

Sin brings sadness. Salvation brings gladness.

A spiritual journey

Genesis 1 Let's start at the very beginning. It's a very good place to start" (from The Sound of Music). We begin with God, not with ourselves. He was there before us. We came later. Genesis 3 Everything began so well, but things didn't stay good for very long. This is the story of sin. …

A heartfelt prayer that was heard and answered (Part Two)

Thinking about Hannah's story makes us think about our own story. What kind of people are we? What kind of people are we becoming? As we think about the past that lies behind us and the future that lies ahead of us, we must ask ourselves an important question, "Where do we go from here?" …