I will build my church.

"I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). It is Christ who speaks these words. This is important. When we put the emphasis on ourselves, we're setting ourselves up for a great fall. The truth about everyone of us is this: the gates of hell do prevail …

Genesis 8

The flood is over. The time of judgment has come to an end. As I was thinking about the flood and what lay beyond the flood, I found myself thinking of some words from the hymn, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Here's a lyric video of the hymn. …

A road that leads to somewhere

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Are we travelling on a road that's going nowhere? Sometimes, it feels like this. God's Word says, "No." Is there the glorious hope of an eternal future - with God? God's Word says, "Yes." …

Easter Sunday worship

Christ the Lord is risen today. https://youtu.be/XveIGmAUdkQ We thank You, Lord, that Your Son, Jesus, drank from the cup of our condemnation so that we might drink from the cup of His salvation. What a great thing Jesus has done for us. He has done all that needed to be done – for us to …

First, Jesus has risen from the dead. Then, He lives within my heart.

The hymn, "I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today" is probably better known by the first line of its chorus, "He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today." In the chorus, we have these words, "You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart." Before we have the …

Easter Sunday – early morning worship

"Low in the grave He lay... up from the grave He arose... " https://youtu.be/oN77HjfAc8k Lord, we thank You for Your great love. It is not a love that we can take for granted. We dare not say, ‘God loves us. We can do what we like.’ Your love calls for our response. It’s a love that calls …

Thursday in Holy Week

Let's begin our worship with "The Old Rugged Cross." https://youtu.be/zyfR7URb8TY Lord, You’re calling us to worship You with joy. You’re calling us to glorify You. You want us to enjoy You. In our worship, may we never forget Your holiness: ‘He is holy!… The Lord our God is holy!’ (Psalm 99:5,9). In our worship, may …

Wednesday in Holy Week

Let's begin our worship with the hymn, "I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me." https://youtu.be/hDPCFbAysBc ‘With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!’ (Psalm 119:145). Lord, You’re calling us to pray. There is nothing more important than this. If other things have become more important in our lives, …

Uphill struggle or downward slope?

Am I on the way up - or the way down? This question can be asked in terms of our social standing - upwardly mobile or downwardly mobile? Let's think about this question in a different way: Are we moving up - towards the Lord? or Are we moving down - away from the Lord? …

Tuesday in Holy Week

“Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!” (Psalm 66:5). Where will we see what the Lord has done for us? Let us come to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. There, we will see what a great love our Saviour has for us! Here’s a great hymn of praise, I stand …

Monday in Holy Week

“Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget, after I wandered in darkness away, Jesus, my Saviour, I met. Oh, what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart, shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.” https://youtu.be/ncwt0XFWuwU Lord, You show us the way …

Palm Sunday Worship

Let us worship God. Let's begin with rejoicing in the Lord and giving thanks to Him. This is the day that the Lord has made. https://youtu.be/IRLxugEtqx8 ‘The Lord is my Strength and my Song. He is my Saviour’(Psalm 118:14). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus Christ is our Saviour. We thank You that He gives …

We were “far off.” Now, we have been “brought near.”

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). We were "far off." Now, we have been "brought near." "This is the Lord's doing; and it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:23). Each and every one of us were like the prodigal son - …

King of kings and Lord of lords

Jesus was tempted. Jesus is victorious. He is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16) – and He’s at work in us, bringing us through temptation and into victory. We don’t live in constant victory. Often, we’re defeated. We need to learn to listen to God’s Word and be led into the pathway …

First things first: our Saviour’s love for us, not our love for him

"I heard the voice of Jesus say, Come unto me and rest." Listening for the voice of Jesus - this is the most important thing in reading the Bible. Does he come to us with a whole lot of Do's and Don't's? No! He comes to us with his love. The first thing that he …

To God be the glory!

"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31). Salvation is never something that we earn. It's always God's gift. When He saves us, He doesn't reward us for our good works. He saves us - despite our persistent failure to live the kind of life that pleases Him. He saves us …

Nothing is greater than the love of God.

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). When we read these words, we are lifted into the atmosphere of eternity. We read of "the eternal God" and "the everlasting arms." Getting this eternal perspective is so important. Very often, we get bogged down in things that are happening …

Forty years in the wilderness… Is there more than this?

Forty years - it's such a long time. We look back. We try to remember what happened down through the years. We've forgotten so much more than we, still, remember. Have we forgotten the Lord? or Do we, still, remember him? We ask about our remembering and our forgetting, but there are more important questions …

Ancient words

"Abraham is a prophet, and he will pray for you" (Genesis 20:7). The prophet speaks for God. The prophet speaks to God. Speaking for God and speaking to God - we need both. We bring the Word of God to the people, and we pray that his blessing will be upon the people. When we …

Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross.

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13). We read these words, and our thoughts move forward to the words of 1 John 1:7 - "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin." How wonderful this is! Hallelujah!  What a Saviour! Here's a song which, I hope, will …

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 …

Faith laughs at impossibilities.

"Sarah laughed" (Genesis 18:12). It wasn't only Sarah who laughed. Abraham, also, laughed (Genesis 17:17). The laughter of Sarah and Abraham was the laughter of unbelief. There is, however, another laughter, a better laughter. It's the laughter of faith; "Faith laughs at impossibilities, and cries, 'It shall be done.'" (Charles Wesley). https://youtu.be/Tkzu_sz3EGQ

Jesus is the answer for the world today.

"We wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). Where is history taking us? Is there a future for us? We ask questions. We're looking for answers. Where are the answers to come from? Do we make up our answers? or Are they …

In our own homes – let us keep on praising the Lord.

'O Lord, You are exalted for ever… The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty… ' (Psalm 92:8; Psalm 93:1-2).  You, Lord, are ‘exalted’. Help us to exalt You in our worship. You are not exalted because we exalt You. We exalt You because You are exalted. You are ‘exalted far above all gods’. That is why we sing, ‘I exalt …

In our own homes – let us praise our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We thank You, Lord, that You have opened up for us a great future. What glory awaits us in Your eternal Kingdom! What encouragement this gives to us when we’re going through a hard time! Help us, Lord, to lift up our eyes, to catch a glimpse of Your glory, to be changed by Your …

None but Christ can satisfy … Hallelujah! I have found Him!

We look out beyond the life that we have found in Christ. The world's way of living is drawing us away from our Saviour. May God help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, know this, "None but Christ can satisfy", and have this testimony, "Hallelujah! I have found him!" Here are the two hymns …

Further down the road

"Further down the road, heaven waits for me." Whatever the future may hold - none of us knows, only the Lord, let us hold on to this: By the grace of God, we are heading for heaven. "Further day down the road, heaven waits for me" - Take this thought with you on your journey …

In our own homes – let us praise Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

https://youtu.be/RbBOOmkMLmI _____ We thank You, Lord, that Your Son, Jesus, is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). In His death for us, we see Your love for us. Help us to come to the Cross of Christ. Help us to worship You in the beauty of holiness. …

One day at a time

We wonder about the future. God's Word teaches us "to take one day at a time." Here's a song that I hope will help you to keep your eyes on Jesus, as you travel through life with him. https://youtu.be/IOfPQReS6vU May the Lord bless you and keep you, as you listen to and sing along with …

In our own homes – let us open our hearts to the love of Jesus, our Saviour.

In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus - sung by Fernando Ortega Often, Lord, we have too much self-confidence and not enough confidence in You. May there be less ‘I can’ – that’s the pride we can do without – and more ‘God can’ – this is the faith we need so much. …

Making a new beginning with God

"Abram worshipped the Lord" (Genesis 13:4). Here, we see Abram, returning to a place where he had, at an earlier time, worshipped the Lord. As I was reading this verse, I thought of a song that I haven't heard for years. https://youtu.be/nKq0_d9bfr0 How long? - Too long! Now is the time for making a new …

King of my life, I crown Thee now… Lead me to Calvary.

https://youtu.be/Hhds_OsPCnI

Let us praise the Lord.

We thank You, Lord, that Jesus has risen from the dead (Luke 24:6). Death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). He has triumphed over death – “Where, O death, is your victory? … Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). _____ When we read the …

Days of Elijah

https://youtu.be/ca9LnzJnpjQ

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene.

"Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!" (Psalm 66:5). Where will we see what the Lord has done for us? Let us come to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. There, we will see what a great love our Saviour has for us! Here's a link to the great hymn …

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven.

“Joseph is a fruitful bough,    a fruitful bough by a spring;    his branches run over the wall.The archers bitterly attacked him,    shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved;    his arms were made agileby the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob    (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),by the God of your father who will help you,    by the Almighty who will bless you    with …

It’s spreading.

"He led me through water that was ankle-deep .. He led me through water that was knee-deep ... He led me through water that was up to the waist. Now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in – a river that no one could …

From the rising of the sun

"The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy" (Psalm 65:8). The sun rises. The sun sets. We catch a glimpse of the glory of God. "From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised" …

Hallelujah! I have found Him

https://youtu.be/ik7ebzJ4guc

Rejoice in the Lord… If God be for us, who can be against us?

"Rejoice in the Lord ... " - Read the words, and listen to the hymn, and sing along with it. https://youtu.be/RDGl859Ml-Q Rejoice in the Lord! Oh, let His mercy cheer 1 Rejoice in the Lord! Oh, let His mercy cheer; He sunders the bands that enthrall; Redeemed by His blood, why should we ever fear, …

The Church’s One Foundation

https://youtu.be/3SpI1jCczao https://youtu.be/MDFH4SLWfnc

Praise God! My sins are gone!

With "boldness", let us "enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). What a wonderful blessing this is! What a wonderful Saviour we have! Our sin is great. Our Saviour is greater than our sin. Here's a song which will encourage you to rejoice in your Saviour. May the joy of the Lord increase …

Jesus – my Forever Friend

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11). I was about to set out on a life of ministry. It was a "path of life" that had been chosen for me by God. At the beginning of this life of ministry, I received a …

Majesty, worship His majesty

"Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1). Here's a great hymn of praise - "Majesty, worship his majesty." Listen, sing - and may your heart may be moved to worship the Lord. https://youtu.be/jWSy18_Jv7Y

From strength to strength, from faith to faith, from glory to glory

"Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1). By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are led from strength to strengh, from faith to faith, and from glory to glory. (1) From strength to strength The phrase, "from strength to strength" is taken from the hymn, "Soldiers of …

In our own homes – may we experience God’s love and enjoy His blessing.

https://youtu.be/lCt1s44cfMM The Father, The Son, The Holy SpiritAdvent is the time of preparation for Christmas. Make sure that you prepare your heart for a real celebration of our Saviour. Remember that Christmas is not about us. It’s about God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: “an angel of the Lord” comes with …

In our own homes – let us remember that the Lord is with us, every step of the way.

https://youtu.be/JmGwHdNtpEw _____ Less of our sin, more of Your love – Lord, this is our prayer. Our sin does us nothing but harm. Your love always does us good – nothing but good. We’re sinners, Lord. Why do You keep on loving us? We don’t know why – but we’re glad that You do! We …

In our own homes – let us pray to the Lord and let us praise the Lord.

‘How I love Your Temple, Almighty Lord! How I want to be there! I long to be in the Lord’s Temple. With my whole being I sing for joy to the living God’ (Psalm 84:1-2).  Lord, we read this words, and we know that this is much more than paying lip-service to You. This is real. ‘I long …

In our own homes – let us be faithful in worshipping the Lord, reading His Word and praying to Him.

https://youtu.be/s3hNZT6ddJg ‘Fulfil your vows’ (Nahum 1:15). Lord, You’re calling us to be faithful to You. We are to be faithful in worship. We are to be faithful in reading Your Word. We are to be faithful in prayer. We are to be faithful in giving. We are to be faithful in witness. Our faith is …

In our own homes – May the Lord fill our hearts with His love, joy and peace.

https://youtu.be/-Msh0PAJfPU Lord, we read about Your judgment upon sinful nations – Ammon (Ezekiel 25:1-7), Moab (Ezekiel 25:8-11), Edom (Ezekiel 25:12-14) and Philistia (Ezekiel 25:15-17). You speak to us. You say to us, ‘You will know that I am the Lord’ (Ezekiel 25:5,7,11,17). You speak to us as our Judge. You speak to us about ‘sin, …

In our own homes: Let us look to Jesus – and be changed by Him.

https://youtu.be/mgzRB4gEPf4 We compare ourselves to other people. We like to think that we’re doing pretty well. What, Lord, do You think about all of this? Are You impressed? You’re saying to us, “What about Jesus? How do you compare to Him? Help us, Lord, to look at Jesus – and see where we need to …

In our own homes – Let us return to the Lord and hear His Word of salvation.

https://youtu.be/BUT-G4xHYpo ‘The Lord roars.’ ‘The Lord thunders’ (Amos 1:2). We thank You, Lord, that Your Word comes to us from above – ‘The Lord will roar from on high.’ You speak to us from heaven – ‘He will thunder from His holy dwelling.’ We dare not ignore Your Word. Your Word comes to us as …

In our own homes – let us praise our Saviour.

“In the beginning, God … ” (Genesis 1:1). “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start… ” (from the film, The Sound of Music). When we go back to “a long time ago”, do we go back far enough? The first four words of the Bible takes us back beyond “a long …

Through it all

"When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:4-5). "He saved us." We do not save ourselves. The Lord saves us. He is our Saviour. Our faith can never be more than a response to his love. Throughout our life of …

Thy hand, O God, has guided Thy flock from age to age.

Future generations will be told about the Lord (Psalm 22:30). We look back to the Old Testament. We look back to the New Testament. We wonder, "Is this just ancient history?" We ask, "Does all of this have anything to do with us in today's world?" Here, God's Word gives us God's answer to our …

The life-changing power of God’s love

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This the final verse in the first of the three chapters that are known as "the Sermon on the Mount." The moment we read the word, "perfect", we panic. We say to ourselves, "That's not me. This is too much for me. I'm not …

Sometimes, life can seem like an obstacle course.

Sometimes, life can seem like an obstacle course. Things don't turn out the way we thought they would. There are many surprises along the way - and they're not, always, good surprises. As I was thinking about the twists and turns that life takes, I found my thoughts turning to the words of Job 23:10 …

Responding to God’s Word (57): Lo, he comes with clouds descending

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb... The Lamb, at the centre of the throne, will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from …

Responding to God’s Word (56): Faithful One, so unchanging

Keep yourselves in the love of God, as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (Jude, verse 21). To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God, …

Let go and let God have His wonderful way.

“Take the staff, and you (Moses) and your brother Aaron, gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink” (Numbers 20:8). Speak to the rock – this is what the Lord told Moses to do. What did Moses do? – he “struck the rock twice with …