God has not stopped loving us.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17).  When it seems like everything's going from bad to worse, let's remember …

Receiving help from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2). Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 124:8). What is the help that we receive from the Lord? As I was thinking about this question, several words came into my mind: love, …

Free grace is not cheap. It is costly.

We preach free grace: salvation is received as a gift from God through Christ, and is not earned as a reward for our good works. The preaching of free grace points us away from ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners. There is no place for a superficial moralism which says, "I've done more …

Words of peace, joy and victory – from Jesus, our Saviour

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) What great words these are - words from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. They are words of peace, joy and victory. The peace is His. …

At The Lord’s Table, We Remember Him – And We Respond To Him.

John 6:1-59 In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus stands before us as the One who calls for our decision. There is no automatic guarantee that all who hear the preaching of God’s Word do, in fact, receive the blessing of which God’s Word speaks. There is no automatic guarantee that all who receive the blessing to …

From Eternal Love To Eternal Glory

We wonder, "Where have we come from? Where are we going to?" Jesus says, "I know where I came from, and where I'm going" (John 8:14). Show us, Lord Jesus, Your eternal love - the love that calls out to us from the beginning, the love that calls us on to the end, the love …

The truth will set you free.

Jesus says to us, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). What is the truth that sets us free? There is the truth concerning ourselves: We are sinners. We need to be saved. There is the truth concernimg our Saviour: Jesus saves sinners. He saves us. The truth …

The Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

How great is the king's joy in the victories you give! (Psalm 21:1). This first verse of Psalm 21 begins with the words, "The king rejoices in your strength, Lord." These words come to us from a long time ago, but they are not only words for long ago. They are much more than that. …

Jesus Died For Barabbas – And For Us.

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 was …

Set free by Christ, set free for Christ

In John 8, there are three very important verses, which teach us a great deal about the life of discipleship. These verses are John 8:36 - “If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed”; John 8:32 - “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”; John 8:31 - “If …

Was this the end of the road?

In Mark 14:66-72, we read about Peter denying his Lord three times. Was this the end of the road for Peter? No! In John 21:15-17, we read of Peter declaring his love for Jesus - three times, once for each denial! In Acts 2:41, we read of three thousand people being brought to faith in …

Where does our life of faith begin?

Where does our life of faith begin? Does it begin with our decision? or Does it begin with God's grace? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. The …

What a great thing the Lord has done for me.

The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (John 6:29). Is believing a "work", something which we do to make ourselves acceptable to God? Is this what Jesus is saying to us here? No. It's not. What does he mean when he speaks about believing in him? He means this: …

Walking in the light with Jesus

Blessed is the one... whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). Have we forgotten these words that come to us from the first two verses of the book of the Psalms, or do we hear another voice, the voice of our Lord …

Grace comes first.

Before we come to “the Ten Commandments”, we have these great words, “ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).  Grace comes first. Holiness follows on from grace. We see the same pattern in the New Testament – in the teaching of Jesus, in …

Let’s Honour The Son Of God By Listening To His Voice.

John 4:43-5:29 In Jesus’ healings, we see the love of God. He ‘went about doing good.’ In His healings, we see the Source of His spiritual strength: ‘God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power’ (Acts 10:38). We look beyond Jesus to God the Father: ‘mighty works and wonders and signs which God …

When it seems to be nothing but bad news

"I once was blind, but now I see" (John 9:25). Everywhere we look, there is bad news - nothing but bad news, bad news ... Everywhere we look? Really? Aren't we forgetting something? Are we forgetting Jesus? Are we forgetting that we have a Saviour? Are we forgetting that He makes everything look very different. …

A Life Of Obedience And Fruitfulness

John 14:15-15:17 Those who love the Lord are called to a life of obedience, keeping His ‘commandments’, keeping His ‘Word’ (21,23). We cannot live this life in our own strength. Christ must make His home in us (23). Once He has come to live in us, we are to abide in Him (4). Jesus says …

Did God really say?

We go back to Genesis 3:1, back to "the serpent", and on, from there, to Revelation 12:9, "that ancient serpent, called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray." Satan begins by questioning God's Word: "Did God really say?" - but he does not stop there. He goes on from questioning God's Word …

The Sin, the Suffering, the Supplication, the Salvation

(1) The Sin "They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’" (Numbers 21:5). (2) The Suffering "Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people …

Look, I’m standing at the door.

Look, I’m standing at the door (Revelation 3:20). Are you ‘looking for a better country – a heavenly one’ (Hebrews 11:16)? ‘God has put eternity into man’s mind’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In every human heart, there’s ‘a God-shaped blank’. Jesus came to give us ‘life’ – ‘abundant life’, ‘eternal life’ (John 10:10; John 17:3; 1 John …

The greatest love of all

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:13). "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay …

God speaks to us because he cares about us.

"The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one shepherd" (Ecclesiastes 12:11). As I was reading these words, my thoughts turned to Psalm 23:1 - "The Lord  is my Shepherd" - and John 10:11 - Jesus said,“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life …

Jesus loves us much more than we love Him.

Jesus loves us so much more than we love Him. In love, He comes to us to draw out from us a greater love for Him. I find great encouragement in the story of the restoration of Peter in John 21. Peter had denied the Lord three times. For each denial, Jesus came to Peter …

Let it be to me according to Your Word.

‘Let it be to me according to Your Word’ (Luke 1:38). When we ‘walk in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16, 22-23), God sees that it is ‘good’ (Micah 6:8). Let us ‘walk in the light’ (1 John 1:7). May the Spirit's ‘living water’ flow in us (John 7:39-39). This is the way of fruitfulness.

The love of God

"This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). As I read these words, my thoughts went to the words of John 3:16 - "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only …

The blessings that we receive from the Lord

"This is what he promised us - eternal life" (1 John 2:25). What a wonderful promise the Lord Jesus has given to us. He says to us, "I go to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me so that where I am, there you may be …

When there seems to be nothing but trouble… Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). When there seems to be nothing but trouble, and everything seems to be going from bad to worse, let us remember these great words that come to us from our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Into our darkness, his light …

An abandoned life or an abundant life?

An abandoned life or an abundant life? There are times, for all of us, when we our heads go down and we feel that we have been abandoned by God. Life has a way of making us feel like this? What are we to do when it feels like God is far away from us? …

God hasn’t stopped speaking to us through His Word – but have we stopped listening to Him?

Some people say, “Surely, you don’t believe the Bible.” They say that the Bible belongs to the past. It’s not for us today. This kind of talk takes us right back to the Garden of Eden – “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1).  The Bible says that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God?” …

The love of God – reaching out to us and changing us

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17). Here, we read about the love of God, reaching out to us. …

More than a great preacher

"I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me" (John 17:8). Jesus was sent by God - to speak the Word of the Lord, but he was more than one of many preachers. Jesus is different …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Jesus Christ – Crucified For Us

John 12:20-33 “Not yet” becomes “The hour has come” (John 12:23). The time for Jesus's crucifixion is drawing near. -- For Christ, The Glory Road must be seen in relation to His suffering and death (John 12:24). * The Road of the Broken Will * The Road of the Loving Heart * The Road of …

Jesus Christ – The Servant

John 13:1-38 As we listen to God’s written Word, we hear the voice of Jesus Christ, God’s living Word. Christ speaks to us through the Scriptures.He speaks to us concerning Himself. Jesus is the Son, the Saviour and the Servant. He is God’s Son. He is our Saviour. Here, we focus on Jesus, the Servant. …

Good News for this generation

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son... " (Hebrews 1:1-2). This is more than the prophets speaking about God. This is God, speaking through the prophets.The prophets looked forward to Jesus, God's beloved Son. God speaks to …

Life in the Spirit …

"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" (John 7:38-39). Rivers of living water, the Holy Spirit flowing …

Jesus Christ is the Word of God.

John 1:1-34 Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He is the Beginning. He is also the End (1-3; Revelation 21:6). He is 'the Word...made flesh'. 'We have seen His glory' (14). This is only the beginning. When He returns, we shall see His glory - 'we shall see Him as He is' (1 John …

The flesh and the Spirit

"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you" (Romans 8:8-9). The flesh and the Spirit are very different. This is what Paul says here. It's what Jesus said in John 3:6. In John …

The best is yet to be. Jesus is preparing a place for us in His Father’s House.

John 13:21-14:14 -  Difficult times lay ahead for Jesus. He would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot (21-30). He would be denied by Peter (36-38). For Jesus, there was His departure (31-33). It would be a difficult time for His followers. He tells them to ‘love one another’: ‘By this all men shall know that they …

Jesus prayed for His first disciples, ‘that they may be one.’ He prays the same prayer for us.

John 17:1-26 -  Jesus prays for you. Jesus prays for me. We have come to faith in Him through the written Word of His apostles (20). The story of the Cross (1-5), the story of the first disciples (6-19) is an ongoing story. It continues in us. The saving effects of Christ’s death are still …

Through God’s one and only Son, we become God’s children.

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the …

The Light Is Switched On.

When the love of God reaches us, we step out of our darkness and into His light. It's Jesus  - the light of the world - who shows us how much God loves us (John 8:12). When the light is switched off, it doesn't do us any good. When it's switched on, the love of …

The Vine

“You transplanted a vine from Egypt. You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land” (Psalm 80:8-9).When we read, here, about a “vine”, we should remember that Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me …

Christmas is a great time of the year.

Christmas is a great time of the year. What do we mean when we say this kind of thing? Are we saying that we prefer “the bleak mid-winter” to the “summer suns” (Church Hymnary, 178, 624)? We endure the bleak mid-winter - “Frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had …

Jesus Is The Bread Of Life.

John 6:35 Have you ever been really hungry or thirsty? – Find food. Find drink. Eat it. Drink it. Are you spiritually hungry and thirsty? Find the Bread Of Life, come to Him and be fed. John 6:36 Some do not believe. They will not believe. They refuse to believe. John 6:37 What is God’s …

“Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).

When Jesus was praying to His Father for His first disciples, He spoke these words, "Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth" (John 17:17). If, in our generation, we are to be the people of God - filled with His power, His love and holiness, we, no less than Jesus' first disciples, need …

The deep things of God – and the deep love of Christ

"'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived' — the things God has prepared for those who love him — these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  "I …

Jesus’ death was a triumph – not a tragedy.

1 Samuel 29:1-31:13; John 19:28-20:9; Psalm 68:28-35 The contrast between the death of Saul, the first king of the Jews, and Jesus, the true King of the Jews, is striking. Saul’s death was a tragedy. Jesus’ death was a triumph. The contrast is the difference between a man who said, “it is enough” (Saul had had enough …

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) III – Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12); John 1:1-14

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) III – Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12); John 1:1-14 Good News ‘Good News’- Let us ‘shout for joy’. ‘Good News’- Let us sing ‘songs of joy’. There is the Good News of God’s reign - ‘Your God reigns’. There is the Good News of …

Good News: God loves us.

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) III – Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12); John 1:1-14  -  These readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. The same Bible Readings are suggested for Year B and Year C. Good News ‘Good News’- Let us ‘shout for joy’. ‘Good News’- Let us …

Jesus has the words of eternal life.

Are you confused by what's happening in today's world? You're not alone. Is there a way out of this confusion? Are we to look for easy answers? or Do such answers only show that we have failed to understand life's deepest questions? Can we answer life's deepest questions? or Do we have to look beyond …

So little feeds so many.

Andrew looked at the bread and fishes, and asked, “how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9). He did not understand how so little could find so many - but this didn’t stop him bringing the boy, with his bread and fishes, to Jesus. This was an act of faith. Andrew says to Jesus, …

Glorifying Jesus – this is the great ministry of the Holy Spirit.

"He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you" (John 16:14). Glorifying Jesus - this is the great ministry of the Holy Spirit. Living in the power of the Holy Spirit, we become more like Jesus. Let us never seek a …