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, …

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 …

Romans 11-14

Romans 11:1-36 -  ‘You stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe’ (20). In 9:32, Paul contrasted ‘faith’ and ‘works’. Here, he contrasts ‘grace’ and ‘works’ (6). Grace and faith belong together. ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling’ (Church Hymnary, 83) – This …

We are sinners. We’re called to be servants. Jesus is our Saviour.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). We read the words of Paul - and we look beyond him to …

God sees us as we really are – and he keeps on loving us.

"For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others" (Ecclesiastes 7:22).  "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things" (Romans 2:1).  The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector "Also …

Realism and encouragement

"They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says the Lord, “to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:19). Jeremiah was given a difficult task - but he was not on his own. God was with him. He would face plenty of determined opposition - but he would not be defeated. God …

In the power of the Holy Spirit

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to …

Our Sin And God’s Salvation

"Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). Here, we read about our sin and God's salvation. Once we have received God's salvation, we must not forget about our sin. We have been …

God’s purpose – for all nations and all generations

1 Chronicles 12:23-14:17; Romans 15:14-33; Psalm 90:1-10 God’s purpose concerns all the nations – “The Lord made all the nations fear David” (1 Chronicles 14:17). Paul was “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles” (Romans 15:16). God’s purpose concerns all generations – “Lord, You have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations” (Psalm 90:1). From …

Jesus, the risen Lord, calls us to look up from our suffering and catch a glimpse of his glory.

"Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). When we're suffering, it's not easy to lift up our eyes and catch a glimpse of the glory of God. Our thoughts are taken up with the things that are happening to us right now. What is …

God’s greatest gift – Jesus

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 or Jeremiah 20:7-13; Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 19:24-30 Let us rejoice in God’s greatest gift – Jesus. We have here the contrast between Isaac, the child of promise, and Ishmael, the fruit of unbelief. Ishmael was born as a result of impatience, the …

It’s not the beginning of the end. It’s the end of the beginning.

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). Is everything that happens to us good? How are we to answer this question? Should we answer a question with another question? Will the final outcome be good? When we look on to the final outcome, everything changes. …

More than conquerors

"I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”" (Psalm 91:2). When the going gets tough, what are we to do? Are we to say that we are tough? Are we to say, "I'll not let this get to me"? or Are we to say that we're …

As we learn to love and serve the Lord, may we learn to trust his precious promise, “I am with you always.”

You are fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20). Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17, New |King James Version). Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching …

We may stop loving God, but he will never stop loving us.

"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). What is God's Word saying to us here? …

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Christ has come. Christ is coming again. Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of ‘Immanuel’ - ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). We look forward to the Second Coming of Immanuel: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will …

Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of ‘Immanuel’ - ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). We look forward to the Second Coming of Immanuel: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and …

Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold. Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of ‘Immanuel’ - ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). We look forward to the Second Coming of Immanuel: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, …

Christ calls all nations to turn to Him.

Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12 Christ calls all nations to turn to Him. The family tree of ‘Jesse, the father of King David’ has a very special ‘Branch’ - Jesus Christ (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:1,6,16). Jesus Christ has raised ‘a banner for the nations’. He is ‘the Saviour of the …

God’s answer to our prayers

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13). Our Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! There are times when we feel that …

Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Christ calls all nations to come to Him. The family tree of ‘Jesse, the father of King David’ has a very special ‘Branch’- Jesus Christ (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:1, 6, 16). Jesus Christ has raised ‘a banner for the nations’. He is ‘the Saviour of the world’. He has died ‘for the sins of the …

God calls us to worship Him.

First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44 God calls us to worship Him. God calls us to worship Him - ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...’ - and walk in His ways - ‘Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord’ (Isaiah 2:3,5). We are …

Filled with joy and peace, overflowing with hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Joy, peace and hope: is this just about being positive people, or is there more than this here? It is so important that …

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 …

Jesus is more than our teacher and example. He’s our Saviour and Lord.

"Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2). Not conformed to the world, transformed by the Lord: how are we to live this kind of …

The Lord’s face shines upon us.

"The Lord make his face to shine on you" (Numbers 6:25). "Restore us, O God, let your face shine that we may be saved" (Psalm 80:3). The Lord's face shines upon us - these words are very precious to us. To know that we are blessed by the Lord - saved by him, this is …

In life’s hard times, God keeps on loving us…

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life" - What does this mean? Does it mean that only good things will happen to us? …

God’s constant love – the divine pattern for our living in love

Amos 1:1-2:16; Romans 2:17-3:8; Proverbs 17:5-14 God is perfectly holy. He cannot stand sin. This is clear in both Amos and Romans. It is stressed in Proverbs, which emphasizes that sin is not so much sin against man but “contempt for their Maker” (17:5). Proverbs 17:9 tells us that we are to “promote love.” This love …

Good News for sinners

God's way of righteousness begins with this - He is "just" - and leads to this - He "justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). "For our salvation Christ came down from heaven" (Nicene Creed) - This is Good News for sinners.  As we rejoice in the "for our salvation" message of the Gospel, …

We don’t like change.

We're creatures of habit. We have our daily routines. What are we to say about this? - Take care that you don't get stuck in a rut! If we are serious about our commitment to Jesus Christ, we must be ready for change. Jesus doesn't leave us the way that he finds us. He changes …

The Gospel for our generation

Amos 6:1-7:17; Romans 4:16-5:11; Psalm 86:11-17 Amos was commissioned by the Lord - “Go, prophesy to My people Israel” (Amos 7:15). The purpose of such prophecy, in our generation, is to declare the Gospel: “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If …

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 …

The Lord brought about a great victory.

1 Chronicles 11:1-12:22; Romans 14:19-15:13; Psalm 89:46-52 1 Chronicles 11 speaks of “David’s mighty men” (1 Chronicles 11:11). The focus is not, however, on either David or the “mighty men.” It is on the Lord – “The Lord brought about a great victory” (1 Chronicles 11:14). In their warfare, “the Spirit” brings this message – …

The Word and the words (13): Jesus – the resurrection and the life

"I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die" (John 11:25). Jesus speaks to us with realism - we will "die." He speaks to us with hope - we will "live." Jesus' words find an echo in the words of Paul - "The wages of …

God is working for us, in us and through us.

For us: "God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). In us: "The Spirit of God lives in you" (Romans 8:9). Through us: "According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts... " (Romans 12:6-8). Thank you, Lord, for all that …

Lord, help us to keep on telling people what you have done for us.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch (Isaiah 62:1). “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a …

Hope may be just around the corner.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). Life isn't always a bed of roses. Sometimes, there is joy. At other times, there is sorrow. Who are we to say when sorrow will come our way? Who are we to say when joy will come our way? We live on the edge of …

We need to be changed by the Lord.

Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 We need to be changed by the Lord. It was ‘a valley of dry bones’ (Ezekiel 37:1-2). Then, the Lord changed everything - ‘I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live’ (Ezekiel 37:5). What a difference the Lord makes! ‘Breathe on me, Breath of …

When God works in mighty power

Jonah 1:1-4:11; Romans 2:1-16; Psalm 85:1-7 In Nineveh, God works in mighty power. "Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry" (Jonah 3:10-4:1). To this proud attitude, God says, "You ... have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else" (Romans 2:1). He calls for a change of attitude: "Do you show contempt for the …

Jesus Christ our Lord: crucified for us and risen for us

"We do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord" (2 Corinthians 4:5). Jesus is Lord. This is the message that Jesus' resurrection brings to us. In Romans 10:9, Paul brings the two together: Jesus has been raised from the dead, and Jesus is Lord.  "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your …

When we preach Christ crucified, let us, also, preach that he is the risen Lord.

"We preach Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 1:23). In his preaching. Paul "reasoned with people from the Scriptures" (Acts 17:2), but he did not say, "We preach Isaiah", "We preach Jeremiah" or "We preach... ." He said, "We preach Christ crucified." When Paul spoke about the death of Christ, he spoke about the love of God: …

Real Peace – And No Peace

The proclamation of peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1) must be carefully dissociated from a proclamation which says, "'Peace, peace', when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11).

God shows us our sin so that we might appreciate His salvation …

"Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). Here, we read about our sin and God's salvation. Once we have received God's salvation, we must not forget about our sin. We have …

Learning from the Apostle Paul

Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Galatians 6:14 Paul was no silent disciple, no half-hearted follower of Jesus. He was not ashamed of his Lord. He was glad to say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith" (Romans …

When the Lord comes in power

Ezekiel 32:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45  When the Lord comes in power, everything changes. To the valley of dry bones, the Word of God is spoken: "I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live" (Ezekiel 37:14). It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that there can be blessing among …

Let us rejoice in Jesus, God’s Son. Let us rejoice in Jesus, our Saviour.

"God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3-4). This post is a continuation of my earlier post, "This is my Son. This is your Saviour." You should, really, read that post before reading …

Are there some things that are more than “just your own opinion”?

"I'll tell you what I think." "I'll give you my opinion." In today's world, people will listen to all sorts of opinions. They may disagree with what's being said, but they will listen, and they will say, "You're entitled to your opinion." What happens when someone says, "This is what the Word of the Lord …

Life with Christ or life without Christ?

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) What a difference there is between wages and a gift! It's the difference between death and life. It's the difference between a life centred on ourselves and a life centred on Christ.  Life …

When we bow at the foot of the Cross, we say, “To God be the glory.”

Romans 11:1-36 'You stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe' (20). In 9:32, Paul contrasted 'faith' and 'works'. Here, he contrasts 'grace' and 'works' (6). Grace and faith belong together. 'Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling' (Church Hymnary, 83) - This is …

Let us rejoice in God’s great salvation.

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having …

No condemnation…

"Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Here, Paul speaks to us about "faith", and he, also, speaks to us about "our Lord Jesus Christ." What does it mean to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? "Faith" and "our Lord Jesus Christ": it is important that …

Responding to God’s Word (42): You will be saved.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). How are we to respond to God's Word? Here, Paul tells us: confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. What is to be our confession …

The commonplace and the deeper experience of worship

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36; Romans 16:1-27; Psalm 90:11-17 In a book full of so many names, David’s psalm of thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 16) stands out. It is a high-point in the midst of the commonplace. The commonplace is not insignificant in God’s purpose. It is the backcloth against which God gives to us His special high-points. In …

A great Saviour, a great salvation

"Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). What wonderful words - words of love, mercy and grace! "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves …

It’s God’s Love For Us That Creates, In Us, Our Love For Him.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we come to God, our loving, heavenly Father. In Christ, we see God's Fatherly love. Enjoying God's Fatherly love - This is more than our entrance into God's family through faith in Christ. It's living as a member of God's family. It's discovering how much we are loved by God. …

The Name of the Lord – the Name of our Salvation

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:8; Romans 10:5-11:10; Proverbs 18:7-16 More names! It’s great to have a name – and not to be a nameless person of unknown identity. It’s even greater to have the Name of the Lord given to us for our salvation. “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans …

Transformed by the renewing of your mind

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). As we read these words, may each of us pray, "Lord, change our way of thinking - and change our way of living." Let us feed our minds with God's Word - and pray that our lives …

Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

"I can't take any more of this." What are we to do when we feel like this? What about listening to what God's Word has to say to us? "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else …

The pouring into our hearts – and the pouring out from our hearts…

"God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is poured out from our hearts. First, there is the pouring into our hearts. Then, there is the pouring out from our hearts. …

God so loved the world.

1 Chronicles 7:1-9:1a; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 89:38-45 Is there no end of names? As we read so many names, we wonder at the amazing scope of the Lord’s love: “God so loved the world … “ (John 3:16). When we consider the universal scope of the Lord’s great love, we are strengthened in our obedience to His …