Category Archives: Uncategorized

EXODUS 31 and 32God provided two skilled men to oversee the design and construction of the tabernacle – God’s holy tent where he would be worshiped, and offerings would be brought. Bezalel of Judah and Oholiab of Dan. They were filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge, and with allContinue reading “Saturday 22nd February 2025”

MARK 6We are hard-wired only to accept an expert if he or she is from somewhere distant, has a mysterious history, and is slightly aloof. If he comes from our hometown, his family is well known, we remember his childhood ‘scrapes’ and he openly shares his life with us – then he has no gravitas,Continue reading “Friday 21st February 2025”

MARK 5If he had lived today, he would simply have been ‘sectioned’ as insane. He spoke in a multitude of different voices and claimed that Jesus was torturing him – clearly some kind of religious mania? He seriously self-harmed and spent nights without sleep, wandering around graveyards and howling in despair. But we know thatContinue reading “Thursday 20th February 2025”

MARK 4The Parable of the Sower is more logically the parable of the soil – since that is what really makes the difference here. The seed, or the living word of God, is sown into all kinds of soil – just like a First Century farmer would do accidently. Some of this soil has beenContinue reading “Wednesday 19th February 2025”

MARK 3If you have ever visited a great and beautiful building and arrived to see it under repair and covered in temporary scaffolding, you will have had that feeling of ‘let-down’, of second best. The same is true of the Christian gospel when legalism has been allowed to wrap itself around it – and JesusContinue reading “Tuesday 18th February 2025”

MARK 2Today’s ‘front page of the Rome tabloid’ contains the following action scenes from the life of Jesus: Scene 1: They gathered to hear Jesus teach in Peter’s home in Capernaum and the place was very crowded. Four guys carried their paralysed friend onto the top floor and dug through the mud roof in orderContinue reading “Monday 17th February 2025”

EXODUS 17, 18, 19, and 20In a desert, water is even more important than food and cannot be stored as easily either. Learning nothing from the ‘manna’ experience, they grumbled again against Moses, and by extension, against the Lord. The solution was quick, simple, and miraculous: hit a rock with your staff and out willContinue reading “Sunday 16th February 2025”

MARK 1In this ‘Bible In One Year’ reading plan, the four gospels appear one after another. This gives the reader an excellent opportunity to compare one eye-witness account with another; the different perspectives of each gospel writer combine to create a complete ‘almost 3-D’ image of Jesus’ – in rather the same way that ourContinue reading “Saturday 15th February 2025”

MATTHEW 28The Resurrection! If you asked four eyewitnesses to describe truthfully the same event, it would probably surprise you how different their stories were from one another. The same is true of the Resurrection accounts of the four gospel writers. Consult a ‘harmony of gospels’ and see these accounts when laid out side by side.Continue reading “Friday 14th February 2025”

EXODUS 11, 12, 13 and 14Chapter 12:12-13 was the Lord’s battle plan, which included judgment on all the gods of Egypt, redeeming Israel with his mighty power and releasing the nation from slavery. The preparations were elaborate, in order that no Israelite family would suffer the same punishment that night. Take one lamb and lookContinue reading “Thursday 13th February 2025”

MATTHEW 27“The Crucifixion”: the plot by the Jewish authorities to have Jesus killed was very difficult to organize and almost impossible to plan much in advance. Jesus was enormously popular with the masses and the religious people were not. Also, the Jews had no jurisdiction over the death penalty in an occupied Roman territory. Somehow,Continue reading “Wednesday 12th February 2025”

EXODUS 9, 10, and 11After the destruction of the livestock and the plague of boils, we have the hailstorms – the seventh wave of judgment. Many of the government officials of Egypt by now had realised that Moses and God meant what they had threatened; therefore many cattle and slaves were brought indoors and wereContinue reading “Tuesday 11th February 2025”

EXODUS 6, 7 and 8Egypt became a battleground between Pharaoh, his magicians, his officials, and the false gods of the land – against the Lord, Moses, and Aaron. The outcome was never in doubt! Ten plagues of increasing severity were unleashed against the stubborn Egyptians, with God demonstrating his power and control over his creation.Continue reading “Monday 10th February 2025”

MATTHEW 26Like a ski jumper heading for the great leap into the unknown, Jesus was now accelerating towards his crucifixion and resurrection, and his disciples were struggling to ‘keep up’. In Matthew 26:2, he states, almost matter-of-factly, that in two days he will be arrested and crucified. But first the scene shifts to the peacefulContinue reading “Sunday 9th February 2025”

EXODUS 1, 2, and 3Some people never show gratitude, no matter how much blessing they receive. The same applies to some nations. Egypt had been rescued from starvation and annihilation by Joseph and his Israelite family – but national memories are short, and soon Israel was seen as a threat to them, in rather theContinue reading “Saturday 8th February 2025”

MATTHEW 25The Parable of the Ten Virgins is unique to Matthew’s gospel. Its purpose is to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. These ten women were effectively escorts to greet the Bridegroom and take him to meet his bride. Five were wise and five foolish; the only difference being that the wise ones brought along additionalContinue reading “Friday 7th February 2025”

JOB 38 and 39Finally, in the last five chapters of Job, God himself takes centre stage! He ‘appears’ concealed within a vast storm cloud and his voice probably carries more fear and awe than all that thunder and lightning! The concealment of God’s full glory and presence within the cloud was perhaps for two reasons:Continue reading “Thursday 6th February 2025”

MATTHEW 24This long chapter is extremely similar to Mark 13 – which is not really surprising, since it describes the same speaker on the same topic! It is certainly possible that both the gospel writers derived material from a common source, or else one writer began with the other’s gospel in front of him. BothContinue reading “Wednesday 5th February 2025”

MATTHEW 23“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to Hell?” That was Jesus describing the most committed religious leaders of his day with their fasting, their tithing, their memorizing of the scriptures, and their devotion to God. It goes to prove that sometimes your religious observances can be so ‘right’Continue reading “Tuesday 4th February 2025”

JOB 30, 31, and 32Compared with Job’s glorious past, his present is deplorable. His contemporaries, who once revered him, have taken the opportunity to ‘put the boot in’! Job 30:1,9-11 NIV. “But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. [9] “And nowContinue reading “Monday 3rd February 2025”

MATTHEW 22Telling pointed parables about your opponents is a guaranteed way of offending them and of stirring up a hornets’ nest of retaliation. Yet Jesus did not shrink from causing offence where the truth was concerned. The chapter today is similar to Mark 12, but with a couple of differences in content. The ‘pointed parable’Continue reading “Sunday 2nd February 2025”

MATTHEW 21Lots of exciting goings-on today in what seems to be one of those real-time 24-hour micro-documentaries of Jesus’ life. It began at a village just outside Jerusalem called ‘House of Figs’ (Bethphage). Nearby was also the village of Bethany – meaning ‘House of Affliction’ or ‘Poor House’ – where Jesus lodged during the finalContinue reading “Saturday 1st February 2025”

JOB 19, 20 and 21Job’s words to his so-called friends are perhaps the most interesting and engaging of all the sections of this amazing book. In the shock of hearing the terrible news about his children’s demise, he declares resolutely that the Lord is sovereign and good, and that His will is absolute (1:20-21; 2:10).Continue reading “Friday 31st January 2025”

MATTHEW 20Jesus ends the previous chapter of Matthew with the rather cryptic statement: “…But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”. He then proceeds to illustrate this with the most infuriating parable in all the gospels (well, in the opinion of many people, anyway): ‘The Workers inContinue reading “Thursday 30th January 2025”

JOB 11, 12, 13 and 14Many years ago, I was rather careless with my iPad; I allowed some heavy object to fall on it and later discovered that the glass was cracked!!! After that, most of the time it worked brilliantly, but every so often it went completely wild and irrational. More about this later.Continue reading “Wednesday 29th January 2025”

MATTHEW 19It’s a funny thing that in First Century Judea the hot topic was ‘Divorce’, when today it is more likely to be ‘Marriage’! The Pharisees were engaged in debate about whether a person could legitimately get divorced for just about any reason, or only in the case of sexual immorality by one of theContinue reading “Tuesday 28th January 2025”

JOB 4, 5, 6 and 7Let’s ask the question again: “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” No-one in the Book of Job fully answers this one, but chapters 1, 2, and 42 do introduce an important purpose: to demonstrate that true believers in our Living God can be faithful toContinue reading “Monday 27th January 2025”

MATTHEW 18Now Jesus talks about both biological children and spiritual children. The qualities found in a young human child – humility, realism, a sense of dependency, asking for help – are exactly the qualities needed to become and to be Jesus’ disciple. The Kingdom of Heaven is about realising your need, about asking, and aboutContinue reading “Sunday 26th January 2025”

MATTHEW 17 – Part 2After the Transfiguration, as they descend Mount Herman, Jesus swears Peter, James and John to secrecy. He also confirms – in answer to their question – that John the Baptist was a spiritual fulfilment of Elijah, as prophesied beforehand. On returning to the other disciples and the crowd of onlookers, JesusContinue reading “Saturday 25th January 2025”

MATTHEW 17 – Part 1Chapter 16 finished with the important statement by Jesus that he would next go to Jerusalem to be crucified, and that any genuine follower of His would also be prepared to identify with Jesus and to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The very final verse of chapterContinue reading “Friday 24th January 2025”

MATTHEW 16“Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” – asked Jesus to his disciples. They took it in turns to list the different ideas that the crowds held about him: John the Baptist, perhaps, or Elijah (nearly the same thing), or perhaps a reincarnation of Jeremiah or one of the otherContinue reading “Thursday 23rd January 2025”

MATTHEW 15Watch out for hypocrisy! God hates it! “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules” (Isaiah 29:13). The longer a faith becomes entrenched within a society, the more it seems that an outward observation is all thatContinue reading “Wednesday 22nd January 2025”

GENESIS 41 and 42 Joseph was given all the honour, power, and status that a de facto ruler of Egypt deserved; Pharaoh remained king of Egypt in name only (a kind of constitutional monarchy!). Joseph was renamed ‘Zaphenath-Paheah’ – which probably means: ‘God speaks and lives’; this would have made Joseph more acceptable to EgyptianContinue reading “Tuesday 21st January 2025”

MATTHEW 14Today we have a flashback, a miracle of catering and an apparent pause in the laws of physics. The flashback was triggered by King Herod’s comments about Jesus: “It is obviously John the Baptist, risen from the dead doing these miracles” (v2). Herod wanted to believe this because of the enormous weight of guiltContinue reading “Monday 20th January 2025”

GENESIS 38 and 39Jacob’s problems continue today when his son Judah moves away from the family, falls into bad company and then marries a Canaanite woman, with whom he has three sons. This episode probably occurred whilst Joseph was in captivity in Egypt, and the bible contrasts Joseph’s moral integrity with Judah’s distinct lack ofContinue reading “Sunday 19th January 2025”

MATTHEW 13What kind of soil are you? Jesus told that famous parable of ‘The Sower’ – which should really have been ‘The Parable of the Soil’, since that is what made all the difference each time. The destiny of the four sets of seeds was: (1) No root and no shoot; (2) no root butContinue reading “Saturday 18th January 2025”

GENESIS 34 and 35As the old saying goes: ‘Insanity is hereditary – you get it from your kids!’ Certainly, the things our children get up to are often very stressful and, in Jacob’s time, it was exactly the same. Having twelve sons and a daughter would have stretched parental wisdom to its limits, not toContinue reading “Friday 17th January 2025”

GENESIS 32 and 33‘Out of the frying pan and into the fire’, so Jacob must have been thinking after saying relieved ‘goodbyes’ to his father-in-law and now about to face an irate brother! Just then he was met by a large number of God’s angels, the same ones he had seen in that dream atContinue reading “Thursday 16th January 2025”

MATTHEW 12In the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath was essentially a social safeguard against enforced over-working; it was clearly designed to ensure that the weakest and most powerless, in particular, found rest for at least one day a week. It is strange that, today, we almost mock it as an anachronism. It is possibly more necessaryContinue reading “Wednesday 15th January 2025”

MATTHEW 11 (Part 2)The pinnacle of this great chapter is the verse: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For myContinue reading “Tuesday 14th January 2025”

MATTHEW 11 (Part 1)Early in this chapter, Matthew deals with the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus, showing conclusively that John’s ministry was destined to diminish and Jesus’ ministry to expand. John had sent his own disciples to check with Jesus that he was indeed the one that John had been signposting Israel towards.Continue reading “Monday 13th January 2025”

MATTHEW 10Discipleship means watching, then doing – learning, then acting on that knowledge. Jesus called his twelve main disciples and gave them genuine supernatural power to heal the sick and release people from demonic powers. He himself had been demonstrating those powers already, and now it was time for his disciples to demonstrate them too.Continue reading “Sunday 12th January 2025”

MATTHEW 9Try this little test. Say “Your sins are forgiven” and then “Get up and walk” (to a paralysed man). Which was easier to say? Well, both have four words in the sentence and are probably equally easy to say. But, for ordinary men or women, both are equally impossible to do. I think theContinue reading “Saturday 11th January 2025”

GENESIS 21, 22, and 23Today’s reading is all about Births, Deaths, and Marriages! And about faith and failure too. At the end of yesterday’s readings (Genesis 21) Abraham, out of fear, repeated the same lie about his wife (not being his wife) that he had made previously to Pharaoh (Ch. 12); again, amazingly God graciouslyContinue reading “Friday 10th January 2025”

MATTHEW 8All in a day’s work, it would seem! Everything in a frenetic Chapter 8 seems to have occurred within 24 hours. First a leper demonstrated the faith to ask for healing: “If you are willing, you can make me clean” (v2). That is all that is needed for healing to happen: faith that GodContinue reading “Thursday 9th January 2025”

MATTHEW 7Jesus was especially against hypocrisy. He hated outward righteousness blended with inward corruption. He was particularly offended by those who criticised others whilst doing even worse things themselves. The hyperbole of attempting to remove a speck from someone else’s eye, whilst having a ‘plank’ in your own, was a case in point. We oftenContinue reading “Wednesday 8th January 2025”

MATTHEW 6It is the curse of short-termism! It is a sign of immaturity… The need to have it all now! We see it every day: the credit card that ‘takes the waiting out of wanting’; the relationship where instant sexual gratification is a necessity. The political bribery that promises ‘jam today’, regardless of the painContinue reading “Tuesday 7th January 2025”

GENESIS 11, 12, and 13“Abraham: The Man of Faith and the Friend of God”. We now begin to see the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 32:9 (see yesterday’s notes) though the life of Abraham. But is goes further than this: indeed it is hard to overstate the importance of Abraham to the purposes of God in hisContinue reading “Monday 6th January 2025”

MATTHEW 5Moses climbed up the mountainside and sat while God dictated the Ten Commandments and the law to him, for the benefit of his people. Here in Matthew, the author is portraying Jesus as the Great King, giving his own teaching to those listening on the mountainside of Galilee. “The Sermon on the Mount” hasContinue reading “Sunday 5th January 2025”

MATTHEW 4These days, after a baptism, everyone usually sits down to a relaxing celebratory meal with friends and family. Not so for Jesus! The very next thing was that the Spirit of God ‘drove him’ into the Judean wilderness to be tested or tempted by the devil. ‘Devil’ (from the Greek) or ‘Satan’ (from theContinue reading “Saturday 4th January 2025”

MATTHEW 3John the Baptist represents the ‘tipping point’ between Old and New Covenants. He was the final Old Covenant prophet, whose job was to ‘close’ that covenant and open the new one, by introducing the Messiah. In a sense, his whole ministry was an outworking of Jeremiah Chapter 31. For further explanation about John’s lifeContinue reading “Friday 3rd January 2025”

MATTHEW 2He was the resident tyrant of Judea, ruling by appointment of the Roman Senate from 37–4 BC. He wasn’t even a Jew, but an Idumean – from modern day Jordan and descended from Esau / Edom. King Herod the Great was a byword for ruthlessness, warming up for his slaughter of the Bethlehem Under-Two’sContinue reading “Thursday 2nd January 2025”

MATTHEW 1We begin our ‘Bible In One Year’ reading plan by reading the first gospel of the New Testament. Matthew is many people’s favourite gospel. It is wonderfully poetic and beautifully structured. It quotes the Old Testament more than any other gospel. Its job is to prove to all Jews that Jesus really is theirContinue reading “Wednesday 1st January 2025”

REVELATION 22Every great city has a great river that sustains all life within it. The New Jerusalem is no exception. Just as the Garden of Eden had rivers flowing through it, so the New Jerusalem has “the river of the water of life” proceeding from its source, the throne of God and of the Lamb.Continue reading “Tuesday 31st December 2024”

REVELATION 21“Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And IContinue reading “Monday 30th December 2024”

REVELATION 20The great story begins all over again, starting with Christ’s First Coming to earth and ending with his Second. But the emphasis is very different this time. Each of the seven ‘sections’ of between two and four chapters in Revelation – according to the commentator William Hendriksen – covers this gospel age in someContinue reading “Sunday 29th December 2024”

REVELATION 19“When justice is done, the righteous rejoice”, says Proverbs 21:15. We see, in Rev 19, that the great multitude of believers in heaven has raised a mighty shout of joy. God has finally judged ‘The Great Prostitute’ and has avenged the blood of his faithful servants. Justice has been done and God’s righteousness hasContinue reading “Saturday 28th December 2024”

NEHEMIAH 7 and 8“Please, please, please will you read us the bible and talk to us about what it means?” – so begged the people of Jerusalem to Ezra. Now that is probably a ‘first’ for the people of God! Sadly, it seems not to occur very much in the UK’s churches these days either.Continue reading “Friday 27th December 2024”

REVELATION 18“Babylon is fallen – we told you so”. This seems to be the theme of today’s reading. The announcement is made as though it has already occurred, and it echoes the prophetic announcements made in Isaiah and Jeremiah. But there is a future sense that the ‘Babylon of today’ will fall, even though itContinue reading “Thursday 26th December 2024”

“A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS!!!” REVELATION 17“Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast!” This is an attention-catching title to chapter 17. What is it referring to? We have seen that there are five main enemies of Christ – in the Book of Revelation: the Dragon, the Beast from the Sea, the Beast from theContinue reading “Wednesday 25th December 2024”

REVELATION 16We now come face to face with those seven bowls of wrath! God himself orders that these be emptied out over the earth onto the ungodly. Notice the striking resemblance to some of the plagues of Egypt here. If anyone has failed to heed the warning of those previous trumpets of judgment, then theContinue reading “Tuesday 24th December 2024”

REVELATION 15Seven angels with seven plagues! That’s an apt title of this next section of just two chapters in the Book of Revelation. Previous sections have focussed successively on:• God’s churches as light-bearers for the gospel (chapters 1-3)• God’s persecuted people, persevering through trials and persecutions (4-7)• Warning judgments visited upon an ungodly world thatContinue reading “Monday 23rd December 2024”

REVELATION 14We now meet another group in heaven who have not been sealed with the ‘mark of the beast’, but instead have the name of the Lamb and of his Father on their foreheads. (Verses 1-5). Who are they? Surely the same ‘sealed multitude’ as in chapter 7. Both are called the 144,000 and bothContinue reading “Sunday 22nd December 2024”

REVELATION 13It is at this time of the year that we talk about “Santa’s little helpers”. Well, in this next chapter, we read about Satan’s little helpers! Out of the sea thunders a beast of indescribable horror and viciousness. Ten horns, seven heads, ten crowns with a body represented by leopard, bear, and lion. ItContinue reading “Saturday 21st December 2024”

REVELATION 12“The Woman and the Dragon” is the title of this chapter (at least in the NIV). According to Hendriksen, we begin a new 3-chapter section that again covers the entire time period from the first to the second coming of Christ. Each section focuses on a new aspect of this crucial timespan. In 12-14,Continue reading “Friday 20th December 2024”

REVELATION 11In this next vision, before the seventh trumpet sounds, two “Witnesses” appeared. Who or what are they? Before we go there, what is happening when the apostle is commanded to measure the temple and altar of God – excluding the outer court, the court of the Gentiles? This is clearly symbolic – John wasContinue reading “Thursday 19th December 2024”

REVELATION 9We have had four trumpets sound already, and the previous chapter ends with a very severe warning that the last three trumpets will cause ‘woes’ or catastrophes that are far worse than the first four. This time around, John describes spiritual attack… Trumpet 5: The first ‘woe’! A ‘star’ falls to earth; clearly thisContinue reading “Wednesday 18th December 2024”

REVELATION 8If the Book of Revelation were a great piece of music, then chapter 8 would be the start of a new ‘movement’ within it. According to the commentator William Hendriksen, there would be seven such ‘movements’ and we are now in the third, chapters 8-10. But similar to a great piece of music, thereContinue reading “Tuesday 17th December 2024”

REVELATION 7“Once the righteous have been removed to a safe place…” is the phrase I ended yesterday’s notes with. The story seems to continue in chapter 7 with 144,000 from the ‘tribes of Israel’ – a very precise number indeed! These people are ‘sealed’ on their foreheads by God’s angel to prevent them being harmed.Continue reading “Monday 16th December 2024”

REVELATION 6Dragons, locusts, fearsome mysterious beasts, seals, trumpets, and bowls – what on earth do they all mean? How are we supposed to interpret all these details and apply them to our daily lives? Who are the 144,000 who are sealed? What about the great multitude that no-one can count? The content of Revelation seemsContinue reading “Sunday 15th December 2024”

REVELATION 5Almost the same vision appears in chapter 5, but this time the Lion of Judah, the Lamb, the Son of God appears and is accorded exactly the same degree of worship that the Father receives. (Show that to the next Jehovah’s Witness that knocks on your door!). But the Lamb has a further keyContinue reading “Saturday 14th December 2024”

REVELATION 4Chapters 4 and 5 are a ‘webcam’ into heaven itself – similar to Daniel 7:9-14) – showing the Great Throne of God (notice that God the Father is unseen and undescribed), Heavenly Council, and the powerful divine worship of the Lord that continues day and night. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,Continue reading “Friday 13th December 2024”

REVELATION 3Sardis:This city was built even higher than Pergamum: it rose 1,500 feet about its surrounding valley and was a natural fortress. As a city it was wealthy and famous. Like the city, its church had fame too. But Jesus knew better: this lively church was, in fact, dead! In spiritual terms, being dead meansContinue reading “Thursday 12th December 2024”

ESTHER 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5God is not mentioned once in the Book of Esther; neither is prayer or worship. What are mentioned are a lot of feasting and fasting, Gentiles and genocide, jealousy, pride, and power. The absence of any reference to God did cause some theologians to question whether Esther should beContinue reading “Wednesday 11th December 2024”

REVELATION 2The Seven Churches of chapters 2 and 3 are symbolic of the worldwide church but highlight particular issues and sins that might appear in any local church today. In each letter, Jesus greets them by emphasising some aspect of His character or glory. Then he usually pinpoints some sin that offends him and asksContinue reading “Tuesday 10th December 2024”

THE BOOK OF REVELATION – “An Introduction”If you are complacent, comfortable, over-fed, and ‘fat’ as a Christian, then the Book of Revelation is not for you, and you won’t appreciate it nor understand it. It was not written for ‘armchair theologians’ or fair-weather disciples who enjoy having a good time at church. It is aContinue reading “Monday 9th December 2024”

JUDENone of Jesus’ biological brothers labelled themselves as such – probably out of a sense of humility and perhaps a lingering shame for having rejected him for longer than his other disciples. Jude calls himself a brother of James, but a ‘servant’ of Jesus Christ. It is also possible that he realised that biological relationshipsContinue reading “Sunday 8th December 2024”

3 JOHN“John the Elder” – who was he? Clearly, from the context, it was John, the Apostle, the “Disciple that Jesus Loved”. In both these short letters he styles himself as “The Elder”. This one is probably to a church in western (modern-day) Turkey, in which John had a pastoral role, in addition to hisContinue reading “Saturday 7th December 2024”

2 JOHNJohn writes his shortest letter to: “…the lady chosen by God and to her children…”. Who can he possibly mean? And he signs off with: “The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings”. Of all the New Testament writers, John was probably the most comfortable with allegory and metaphorContinue reading “Friday 6th December 2024”

1 JOHN 5“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (5:1). Do you believe this or not? It determines your eternal destiny! This statement by John was also aimed at being a ‘slap in the face’ for the Gnostic heretics in their midst. “In fact, this is love for God: toContinue reading “Thursday 5th December 2024”

DANIEL 10, 11 and 12Dull stuff today: regional dark spiritual forces, an archangel, perhaps an appearance by Christ himself to Daniel, some complicated earthly battles, the appearance of the Antichrist, and a sneak preview of the End of the Age! We are in the third year of Cyrus King of Persia’s reign. Daniel was promptedContinue reading “Wednesday 4th December 2024”

1 JOHN 4How do we know if a prophecy or body of teaching is genuinely from God? How can we really know what is true? How can we avoid being both gullible and cynical – both equally dangerous characteristics in a Christian? It is interesting that almost everyone would rather be known as cynical ratherContinue reading “Tuesday 3rd December 2024”

1 JOHN 3“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (3:2). What a wonderful hope! It is a free gift that arises from knowingContinue reading “Monday 2nd December 2024”

1 JOHN 2“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins…” (2:1-2). John makes it clear that Christians should quickly identify and acknowledge toContinue reading “Sunday 1st December 2024”

1 JOHN 1John, son of Zebedee, was the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’, one of the inner circle of Jesus’ three best friends, and possibly Jesus’ first cousin. He almost certainly wrote John’s Gospel in about 85AD, the Book of Revelation in 95 AD, and the three anonymous letters 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John,Continue reading “Saturday 30th November 2024”

2 PETER 3Our thought life is very important. Ultimately, it is a matter of life and death. Consequently, we experience a ‘battle for the mind’ resulting – we hope – in progress and maturity as our mindset becomes transformed over time (Romans 1:2). Rarely is this a smooth upward curve, though; more usually we fluctuateContinue reading “Friday 29th November 2024”

2 PETER 2Both Peter and – as we will see in a few days – Jude warn their readers of the dangers of false prophets and false teachers, who introduce destructive heresies and manipulate the faithful for their own ends. 2 Peter 2 and Jude 1 have some very similar sentences, and most scholars reckonContinue reading “Thursday 28th November 2024”

2 PETER 1We’ve said ‘goodbye’ to Paul, and now we say ‘goodbye’ to Peter. Even if we count the Gospel of Mark as essentially Peter’s words, he did not write nearly as much as Paul, and only authored two letters in his own name. Peter was a man of the spoken word and of action,Continue reading “Wednesday 27th November 2024”

1 PETER 5“Young men: submit yourselves to your elders” – have some respect! “Elders” is simply a label for church leaders, and Peter counted himself amongst that crowd! The metaphor of ‘shepherd’ is a very apt one for Peter: recall when, after the Resurrection, Jesus commanded Peter to “Feed my Sheep” and “Feed my Lambs”.Continue reading “Tuesday 26th November 2024”

Ezekiel 47 – 48 (additional information) In chapters 47:13 to 48:1-35, the land is to be divided in a very different way from the original historical allocation to the tribes of Israel during their conquest of Canaan under Joshua (see Joshua chs.13 to 21). Compare these two maps: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AqmXwc9NXEEFh-EGbjgZ-jyddDhkgg?e=gmiR7w . The new allocation in EzekielContinue reading “Monday 25th November 2024 – Bonus!”

1 PETER 4If you suffer for being a Christian believer, then be proud that you are counted worthy of joining your Saviour in a precious elite group. (Actually, this group is probably going to grow quite fast!). But don’t be proud if you suffer for being a criminal, or just for being a ‘pain inContinue reading “Monday 25th September 2024”

1 PETER 3Some wise words to husbands: “…in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (3:7). What does “in the same way” mean? ItContinue reading “Sunday 24th November 2024”

1 PETER 2The next step from ‘New Birth’ leads us logically to new babies growing up, eagerly desiring the ‘milk’ of the word of God and a close relationship with the Lord. For us, these are just as essential as milk is to a young child. Jesus is like the cornerstone, the keystone of aContinue reading “Saturday 23rd November 2024”

1 PETER 1It is pretty certain that the Apostle Peter wrote 1 Peter. Just about the entire early church and the ‘Church Fathers’ agreed on this point. It carries the weight of his authority but may not entirely be his own words: towards the end of the letter, he gives Silas credit for helping himContinue reading “Friday 22nd November 2024”

JAMES 5Who are these ‘rich people’ in verses 1-6? Probably not Christians actually, since the promised judgments against them are extremely severe and show none of the grace that believers would obtain. Many Old Testament prophets cried out God’s judgment upon the wealthy pagan nations. And, in general, the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, for example,Continue reading “Thursday 21st November 2024”

JAMES 4Greed is a strange thing! It is wrong, not because what it is aimed at, but because of the way in which that aim is obtained. “God… richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17), is a foundational biblical truth. God is very generous and wants us, his beloved children, toContinue reading “Wednesday 20th November 2024”

JAMES 3If yesterday was about faith in action, then today is about faith in words. The human tongue – our speech – speaks volumes about our faith. James ranks it as the most accurate and sensitive indicator of our spiritual condition: “Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able toContinue reading “Tuesday 19th November 2024”

JAMES 2This entire letter is about testing – testing your faith to see if it rings true! The person who is the best judge of it is the person to whom the letter is written: that is, to you and to me. We are not in a situation where others are expected to appraise us;Continue reading “Monday 18th November 2024”

JAMES 1We now read an ‘epistle’ (letter) written by one of Jesus’ biological brothers, James. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, verses 55-56, we read:“When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did thisContinue reading “Sunday 17th November 2024”

HEBREWS 13“Whatever you do to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do to me” – so Jesus said in Matthew 25. Treat your fellow believers the very best way you can – and you may be in for some pleasant surprises! One of the key aspects of Christian fellowship is empathy:Continue reading “Saturday 16th November 2024”

EZEKIEL 28, 29, 30 and 31Who were the Ruler (or ‘Prince’) of Tyre and the King of Tyre? The first sounds like one of Tyre’s kings, proud of heart, who claimed: “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas”. The Lord replies: “But you areContinue reading “Friday 15th November 2024”

HEBREWS 12The time has come for our Olympic Games! We are lined up on the running track, ready for the starter’s gun to sound. The stadium is packed full of thousands upon thousands of people, all completely engrossed in the outcome of our great race! Who are they? Who are they supporting? “Therefore, since weContinue reading “Thursday 14th November 2024”

EZEKIEL 24, 25, 26 and 27The Lord is very precise in his timing. “Make sure you record this date, Ezekiel”, he instructed in chapter 24. On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign in Jerusalem (January 15th 588 BC, in our calendar), the King of Babylon beganContinue reading “Wednesday 13th November 2024”

HEBREWS 11Today we learn about ‘blue-sky thinking’! Hebrews 11 is one of the most critical chapters in the whole Bible. We read in 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf”. Yesterday’sContinue reading “Tuesday 12th November 2024”

EZEKIEL 20 and 21Today, God tells a story (via his prophet Ezekiel) to the exiled elders of Judah/Israel to illustrate the ‘problem’ that he has with them and with the majority of the nation. “Let’s examine the facts of the matter”, God says, “I chose Israel and revealed myself to them first in Egypt… sayingContinue reading “Monday 11th November 2024”

HEBREWS 10Yesterday’s reading ended with the triumphant message that Christ’s sacrifice was once for all time, sufficient to do away with sin, at the culmination of the ages. He ushered in the gospel age, which spans the entire period between his first and second comings. Today’s chapter continues to major on the ineffectiveness of theContinue reading “Sunday 10th November 2024”

EZEKIEL 16 and 17What would you do if you found a new-born baby girl abandoned in an open field? God did once. Ezekiel 16 is an allegory – a story with a deeper meaning, where each event translates into a teaching point. (This is where a parable is different: a parable has generally only oneContinue reading “Saturday 9th November 2024”

HEBREWS 9Worship under the Old Covenant was complicated and ‘gory’! It involved much ornate furniture, gold and silver, curtains and veils, associated equipment and utensils, and a pair of very exclusive rooms. Into one room, only the priests ‘on duty’ were permitted to go (v6) – that was the ‘Outer Room’ or the ‘Holy Place’.Continue reading “Friday 8th November 2024”

HEBREWS 8In the previous chapter, the Law of Moses was described as ‘weak and useless, making nothing perfect’. (7:18-19). Today, the Old Covenant is ‘ditched’ as being ‘obsolete, outdated, and soon to disappear’! (8:13). First the rituals and ceremonies are described as mere ‘copies’ and ‘shadows’ of the reality that is found in heaven. (ClearlyContinue reading “Thursday 7th November 2024”

HEBREWS 7The Jews were completely wedded to their Levitical priesthood, so it was vital that Jesus was not seen as just another priest in Aaron’s long genealogy.  It was necessary to the Holy Spirit’s plan that the Old Covenant priesthood be undermined and quickly abolished.  The destruction by the Romans of the Jerusalem temple inContinue reading “Wednesday 6th November 2024”

EZEKIEL 5, 6, 7 and 8 First, a further thought about yesterday’s reading: (1:26) “…High above on the throne was a figure like that of a man”.  And the reason it was like a man is that it was a man.  Our God is not a passionless force or a robotic tyrant, he is alsoContinue reading “Tuesday 5th November 2024”

HEBREWS 6 These basic foundational doctrines mentioned in the previous chapter included repentance, faith in God, instruction about baptisms (that had been an original ‘sticking point’ for Apollos before Ananias and Saphira had sorted him out Acts 18:24-26), the laying on of hands (for baptism, appointing elders, healing or just imparting blessing), and doctrines ofContinue reading “Monday 4th November 2024”

HEBREWS 5 We begin with a basic explanation of what a high priest’s role and necessary qualities were.  Israel required an empathic representative, appointed by God, who could offer the required forgiveness-sacrifices for the sins of the nation and – crucially – for his own sins too. The author then goes on to show howContinue reading “Sunday 3rd November 2024”

HEBREWS 4 No rest for the wicked!  So the old-fashioned saying goes!  It is actually a quote from the last verses of Isaiah chapters 48, 57, and 66.  But it is also a development of Psalm 95 that is referenced here.  The term ‘Rest’ might have meant the seventh day of creation, when God restedContinue reading “Saturday 2nd November 2024”

HEBREWS 3 The previous chapter ended with a reference to Jesus representing us as God’s true High Priest.  This theme continues in today’s chapter, telling us believers to “… fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.  He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as MosesContinue reading “Friday 1st November 2024”

HEBREWS 2 You have been warned!  Rejection of God’s Messiah was, and is, spiritual suicide.  These Jewish believers and those Jews who were perhaps near to coming to faith needed to understand something fundamental:  there was no alternative route to salvation.  Jesus was and is the only way!  Our God is a great Judge asContinue reading “Thursday 31st October 2024”

HEBREWS 1 The Letter to the Hebrews is anonymous.  For centuries people thought it was by Paul, but the writing styles are very different, and Paul always identified himself as the ‘shepherd’ with a message to his ‘flock’.  Some theologians ascribe the letter to Barnabas – who knew his Old Testament exceedingly well.  However, IContinue reading “Wednesday 30th October 2024”

PHILEMON This is another of Paul’s so-called ‘Prison Letters’ – probably written in AD 60 whilst he was under house arrest in Rome, under appeal to the emperor (Acts 28).  It is likely that it was sent at exactly the same time as the letter to the Colossian church, since Philemon was a key memberContinue reading “Tuesday 29th October 2024”

TITUS 3 Are you obedient to your government, the police, and the local authorities?  (Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 concur with this command).  There are no examples of civil disobedience encouraged in the New Testament!  We are expected to be model citizens of earth, on the basis that our true citizenship is elsewhere (PhilippiansContinue reading “Monday 28th October 2024”

TITUS 2 All theology is practical if it affects your thinking, your attitudes, your faith, or your lifestyle.  Today’s chapter is very lifestyle orientated. Older women are not to be timewasters and gossips (as many with time on their hands are tempted to be) but models (in a mentoring sense!) and teachers of the youngerContinue reading “Sunday 27th October 2024”

TITUS 1 Today we intercept another spiritual ‘e-mail’ from Paul to one of his best friends – this time, Titus.  This young man was a Gentile (unlike Timothy) who again deputized for Paul when his mentor was off on his missionary travels.  Titus also carried the letters from Paul to the church in Corinth andContinue reading “Saturday 26th October 2024”

2 TIMOTHY 4 In this last chapter, we come to the core of Paul’s ‘will and testament’, his final instructions: preach the gospel in favourable situations and in tricky ones; teach and apply the scriptures even in times when Christian doctrine is ‘out of fashion’ amongst the Christians!  Avoid trying to be ‘popular’ in whatContinue reading “Friday 25th October 2024”

2 TIMOTHY 3 “There will be terrible times in the last days!”  The term ‘last days’ means the entire period between Christ’s first coming – as a baby – and his return later as the Living God.  The entire ‘Christian’ era represents these days, and there will be no subsequent ‘phase’ of earthly life beforeContinue reading “Thursday 24th October 2024”

2 TIMOTHY 2 As has already been said: discipleship is key to church growth: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (v2).  In once sentence, four generations of believers are identified: Paul, Timothy, Timothy’s disciples, andContinue reading “Wednesday 23rd October 2024”

2 TIMOTHY 1This was the Apostle Paul’s final letter ever – before his death!  It therefore reads like a last will and testament.  He had a parting legacy for his ‘son’ (in the faith) Timothy – in fact, an entire inheritance!  “Timothy, I’m handing over to you the Gospel; please look after it with careContinue reading “Tuesday 22nd October 2024”

1 TIMOTHY 6 If you are a slave, then you may not be reading these notes!  But if you an ‘employee’ then you must give one hundred percent to your employer.  If they are a Christian too, then give them one hundred and fifty percent!  Treat your employment as though God were your employer.  AndContinue reading “Monday 21st October 2024”

1 TIMOTHY 5 Social action played a vital part in the First Century Church.  Children and grandchildren need to put their faith into action by caring for their own parents and grandparents, especially vulnerable widows; this is a way of repaying them in part for the many sacrifices they made for you earlier in life,Continue reading “Sunday 20th October 2024”

1 TIMOTHY 4 Some false teachers had moved into the area.  “You must not marry”, “You must avoid certain foods” – these were some of the ascetic heresies that they tried to plant in the local church.  This was the beginning of Gnosticism, which included the belief that the material world was inherently evil andContinue reading “Saturday 19th October 2024”

1 TIMOTHY 3 It is OK to ‘aspire’ to be a church leader, since it is a ‘noble’, serving role in God’s church.  One of Timothy’s chief tasks was now to appoint a group of ‘Overseers’ or ‘Elders’ for each local church.  With Paul elsewhere and Timothy now moving from region to region, these appointmentsContinue reading “Friday 18th October 2024”

1 TIMOTHY 2 We are urged to pray together.  Requests, prayers, intercession, thanksgiving – prayer in all its ‘flavours’.  Do it alone and do it together.  Surprisingly, Paul tells us to pray for all rulers, including the evil Emperor Nero, who was in power at the time that Paul wrote this letter.  Why?  Because theContinue reading “Thursday 17th October 2024”

1 TIMOTHY 1 Discipleship is not just the best way to grow the church… it is the probably the only way!  Large worship meetings, slick Alpha courses, well-equipped buildings, powerful preaching, miracles, great youth work and a missional emphasis are all highly desirable, but they will all fail to reproduce our faith in others withoutContinue reading “Wednesday 16th October 2024”

2 THESSALONIANS 3 “Deliver us from the Evil One” – this is a basic part of the prayer pattern that Jesus himself taught us.  Paul begins this chapter in that frame of mind too.  Pray that the gospel message he speaks will be honoured and obeyed.  Pray that he, and all God’s people, will beContinue reading “Tuesday 15th October 2024”

2 THESSALONIANS 2 God is not simply ‘love’, but ‘justice’ too.  Paul does not ‘pull any punches’ here.  The previous chapter paints a fearsome landscape of what will be done to those who are disobedient to the gospel and who have rejected Christ.  Those people are implicitly challenging the Lord to exercise justice in hisContinue reading “Monday 14th October 2024”

2 THESSALONIANS 1 This letter was sent for the same reason that 1 Thessalonians was written – and as a follow-up and reinforcement to it.  A church in the middle of persecution needs a great deal of encouragement, with reasons for enduring and persevering emphasised strongly. God will not let us be tested nor temptedContinue reading “Sunday 13th October 2024”

1 THESSALONIANS 5 “Save the date!”  Now that’s something that God will never say to you.  Why should he tell you the date when Jesus will return – He didn’t even tell his own Son when on earth (see Mark 13:32).  Jesus, after his Resurrection also told his disciples directly: “It is not for youContinue reading “Saturday 12th October 2024”

1 THESSALONIANS 4 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage ofContinue reading “Friday 11th October 2024”

1 THESSALONIANS 2 Here, Paul is talking about motives and perception.  There are few more powerful things on earth than these, in directing people’s will and actions.  If you believe that someone loves you, you will do almost anything they ask of you – trusting that their motives are pure and that they act inContinue reading “Thursday 10th October 2024”

1 THESSALONIANS 1 Both letters of this name were written from AD 51 to AD 52 by Paul to the mainly Gentile church of the Greek city of Thessalonica (now in North-Eastern Greece).  They were written to encourage new believers in trials and persecutions, and to give assurance over the future of believers who diedContinue reading “Wednesday 9th October 2024”

COLOSSIANS 4 If you are like me, you will feel the ‘sting’ of the Holy Spirit in your heart when you read verse 2:  “Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful”.  Very few of us claim that we are prayerful enough (and I am not one of the ‘few’).  But rather than feeling condemned,Continue reading “Tuesday 8th October 2024”

COLOSSIANS 3 We are not called to live by rules but called to disciplined living.  What is the key to disciplined living?  A vision and a mindset that lead to a motivation, are what makes the difference.  We will do almost anything and endure almost any discomfort if we are sufficiently motivated towards the goal. Continue reading “Monday 7th October 2024”

COLOSSIANS 2 Paul is fighting hard for these Colossian believers – even those he has never actually met face to face!  How?  He does this by the power of prayer – a channel by which those physically absent can be entirely present in the spirit realm.  Paul prayed for his own disciples and for theContinue reading “Sunday 6th October 2024”

JEREMIAH 7, 8 and 9 “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord…!”.  And they would go on and on and on like this.  The religious people of Jerusalem were superstitious and totally reliant on repetition and ritual.  They had convinced themselves that, however badly theyContinue reading “Saturday 5th October 2024”

COLOSSIANS 1 You and I may send e-mails, post blogs or text our friends; the Apostle Paul had his words dictated onto a scroll with a quill pen and ink.  The purpose was the same: to communicate and to try to preserve the message for as long as possible and for as many readers asContinue reading “Friday 4th October 2024”

PHILIPPIANS 4 “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Rejoice!” (v4).  Paul echoes the voices of the Psalms in encouraging us to verbalise and harmonise our praise to the Lord.  Spoken and sung praise and thanksgiving is a vital part of our worship and devotion.  Do it corporately and individually; do it regularly – do it allContinue reading “Thursday 3rd October 2024”

PHILIPPIANS 3The chapter begins with Paul tearing up his Curriculum Vitae – his whole life before he met Christ on the road to Syria.  If anyone could have earned his way into the Kingdom of God, it was Paul!  But, on meeting the Lord face to face, he came to the great realisation that no-oneContinue reading “Wednesday 2nd October 2024”

PHILIPPIANS 2 Paul had very few criticisms, if any at all, for his Philippian readers.  But he did issue several warnings and encouragements to Christ-like behaviour: 2:2-5  “…then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vainContinue reading “Tuesday 1st October 2024”

JEREMIAH 1, and 2 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”.  This was the word of the Lord to Jeremiah when he was called by God in the thirteenth year of King Josiah.  (Jeremiah 1:5) Continue reading “Monday 30th September 2024”

PHILIPPIANS 1 “From Rome with love”.  This is Paul’s ‘email’ (using the technology of his day) to the household churches in the province of Philippi, a prosperous Roman colony in Macedonia.  Any citizen of Philippi was automatically given Roman citizenship, and they were immensely proud of this.  They acted as more ‘Roman’ than the peopleContinue reading “Sunday 29th September 2024”

EPHESIANS 6 Human relationships are the acid test of what goes on in our hearts.  At the end of chapter 5 we read about the relationship between husband and wife.  Now we learn about how to live out the gospel in other relationships that are perhaps more ‘hierarchical’, such as parents / children and mastersContinue reading “Saturday 28th September 2024”

EPHESIANS 5 Under the old covenant, the burnt offering was described as producing a ‘pleasing aroma’ to the Lord – an acceptable sacrifice (Genesis 8:21;  Exodus 29:18 etc.).  The death and resurrection of Christ later produced an offering to God that was completely acceptable for all time – this sacrifice was borne out of aContinue reading “Friday 27th September 2024”

ISAIAH 63, 64, 65 and 66 Chapter 63 clearly has messianic roots: verses 1-6 speak of the Messiah coming in vengeance over the surrounding nations, typified by Edom and its capital, Bozrah.  The trampling of grapes is symbolic of God’s judgement of the nations – found also in Joel 3:13; Revelation 14:18-20; and Revelation 19:13-15. Continue reading “Thursday 26th September 2024”

EPHESIANS 4 (continued from yesterday)…Or else Paul might have continued his interrupted train of thought in verse one of this chapter.  “As a prisoner for the Lord…” he begins.  Remember that the first verse of chapter 3 was a reference to Paul as a prisoner too – and then Paul changed the subject!  Ephesians isContinue reading “Wednesday 25th September 2024”

EPHESIANS 3 Verse one of this chapter is rather like a false start in a sprint race: the runners seem to stop as soon as they have begun.  Or, more literally, Paul interrupts himself before he has completed half of one sentence!  “For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sakeContinue reading “Tuesday 24th September 2024”

EPHESIANS 2 This is a chapter in two parts:  The first ten verses describe our personal reconciliation to God, and our resulting unity with him, whilst the remainder of the chapter describes the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles in Christ, and the resulting unity of Christ’s Body on earth. The first ten verses, then, tellContinue reading “Monday 23rd September 2024”

EPHESIANS 1 This letter contains more protein than a two-pound steak; don’t expect to digest it all at one sitting!  Ephesians contains 155 verses of high-quality biblical truth.  In Paul’s time the city of Ephesus was the principal city of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and a vast commercial hub for the Roman empire.  It wasContinue reading “Sunday 22nd September 2024”

GALATIANS 6 “Carry each other’s burdens and, in this way, you will fulfil the law of Christ” (v2).  Now consider: “…for each one should carry their own load” (v5).  How do we explain these two potentially contradictory verses?  How does it explain a great deal of this chapter? The subtle balance between corporate and individualContinue reading “Saturday 21st September 2024”

GALATIANS 5 If you have waited many thousands of years – since the dawn of history – for freedom, then its arrival seems especially good!  Mankind, having been held captive by sin, by the Devil, and by religious legalism, has at long last found freedom in Christ.  So, it is with extra urgency that PaulContinue reading “Friday 20th September 2024”

ISAIAH 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48 “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.  They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams”.  (Isaiah 44:3-4).  This was spoken to a down-trodden captive nation in a pagan land, where no-one wanted toContinue reading “Thursday 19th September 2024”

GALATIANS 4 “Are you still a slave or are you now free?”  Paul asks this question of the Galatian believers, and the Holy Spirit asks the same one of us today.  Up until then, the most god-fearing person in the world was an observant Jew, serving God and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Continue reading “Wednesday 18th September 2024”

GALATIANS 3 “Believe the gospel and receive the Holy Spirit”.  “Believe the gospel and see miracles worked among us”.  That is the message that Paul sends to his churches and to us.  Perhaps our problem today is not that we expect to have to earn the presence and power of the Spirit, but that weContinue reading “Tuesday 17th September 2024”

ISAIAH 37, 38 and 39 When Hezekiah heard the Assyrian commander’s threat on behalf of the King of Assyria, he did the right thing: he humbled himself, dressed for mourning, fasted, and went to seek the Lord in his temple.  And he sent word to Isaiah to the effect that the King of Assyria hadContinue reading “Monday 16th September 2024”

GALATIANS 2 “Horses for courses” – as Paul sort-of said.  He was recognised as the chief apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews), whilst Peter was the chief apostle to the Jews.  Paul’s qualifications for apostleship had been attacked by certain Judaistic elements in the Galatian churches, on the basis that he was not an ‘original’ andContinue reading “Sunday 15th September 2024”

GALATIANS 1 TO:  The churches in the Roman province of Galatia (probably Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe).  These are the ones that Paul founded in his very first missionary journey.  This would make this letter Paul’s first letter, written perhaps in 48-49, between that journey and the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). CC:  AllContinue reading “Saturday 14th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 13 Paul reminds us again that the ultimate example of God’s power being shown through human weakness is the Cross.  Jesus submitted himself to the most degrading torture and death that mankind could deliver – becoming as weak as it is possible to be – and then unleashed the full power of heavenContinue reading “Friday 13th September 2024”

ISAIAH 28, 29 and 30 Isaiah prophesies a series of six ‘woes’ on various nations in the vicinity of Judah.  Firstly, he rounds on Samaria, the capital of the Northern kingdom and generally acknowledged to be beautiful, built on a hilltop and full of luxury and fine living.  Like a stunning bunch of flowers, itContinue reading “Thursday 12th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 12 Today we investigate Paul’s much-debated ‘Thorn in the Flesh’; what was it?  But first, Paul is well into his stride boasting (perhaps just a little sarcastically) about amazing visions and revelations of heaven and of Jesus himself.  Paul describes – actually in a tone of extreme modesty – a time when heContinue reading “Wednesday 11th September 2024”

ISAIAH 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 Tyre was the major seaport and trading centre on the Mediterranean coast of the Middle East.  It was founded before 2000 BC and was a centre of colonisation that included Carthage in North Africa.  A substantial part of Tyre was originally built on two rocky outcrop islands halfContinue reading “Tuesday 10th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 11 Some Christians are very perverse!  Their ‘bar’ of proof is raised very high when they listen to the true gospel and biblical teaching; they query it and take a great deal of persuasion to put it into practice.  Then along comes some more ‘trendy’ but unbalanced teaching from someone on the outside,Continue reading “Monday 9th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 10 The context of today’s chapter is that Paul was being slandered by some sections of the Corinthian church, claiming that he was an ineffective apostle, long on both rhetoric and threat when writing from a safe distance, but weak, lacking persuasion and short on authority when he was physically present.  In addition,Continue reading “Sunday 8th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 9 ‘Generosity’ Part Two is today!  The background: for a year or two, the believers in Jerusalem and Judea had suffered disproportionally from famine and intense persecution and so were severely financially disadvantaged compared to the Christians in Macedonia and Greece, for example.  Therefore, a big gift of money to the Judean ChristiansContinue reading “Saturday 7th September 2024”

ISAIAH 9, 10, 11, 12 Some classic chapters in Isaiah that most people will have heard read aloud at a Christmas carol service…  “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  AndContinue reading “Friday 6th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 8 The next couple of days feature two great chapters on ‘Generosity’ (8 and 9); everything is based on the grace of God shown in the life of Jesus: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so thatContinue reading “Thursday 5th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 7 Paul had paid a visit to Corinth, which was evidently very unpleasant for him and for them (see chapter 2:1).  By way of follow-up, he had written the Corinthian church a harsh letter (now missing, but probably in between 1 and 2 Corinthians) – the contents of which ‘pulled no punches’.  PaulContinue reading “Wednesday 4th September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 6 “In the time of my favour, I heard you, and in the day of salvation, I helped you” (Isaiah 49:8).  The Day of Salvation – the Time of Favour – alludes to the ‘Year of Jubilee’ and really represents the entire gospel age between the First- and Second- Comings of Christ; duringContinue reading “Tuesday 3rd September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 5 If you are a Christian – or indeed any kind of human being – then you are a seasoned camper!  So says the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.  He compares a person living in a tent to the human soul inhabiting its mortal body; and it is a very apt comparisonContinue reading “Monday 2nd September 2024”

MICAH 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 Today’s notes cover the whole book of the prophet Micah – all seven chapters of it.  What does it say?  Here are some background facts, comments on key verses, and suggested applications for is today: o The only mentions of the Prophet Micah are in theContinue reading “Sunday 1st September 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 4 How does your church attract people to the gospel?  How do you do it?  Is it your attractive personality?  Or is it: “Why not join our exciting community”?  We may well attract some like-minded people who are friendly with us – for a while – but later, they will drift away whenContinue reading “Saturday 31st August 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 3 If you are a real believer in Christ, you won’t need a certificate that proves the fact, because your heart has His Name written all over it.  Your life will prove ownership and membership.  Paul’s disciples in Corinth were all the introduction he required to that particular church – they only existedContinue reading “Friday 30th August 2024”

2 CHRONICLES 34 and 35 It must have been a shock to Josiah: being made king of Judah at an age when most children have just started junior school!  Son of Amon, son of Manasseh, and destined to be the very last godly king of God’s people, at the age of eight he ascended theContinue reading “Thursday 29th August 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 2 The people you love most bring out the strongest emotions in you.  In this next chapter, we read some thoughts about Paul’s love for his disciples and the grief they are causing him.  He had already visited Corinth the first time, to establish the church, and then he wrote the First LetterContinue reading “Wednesday 28th August 2024”

2 CHRONICLES 29, 30 and 31 Hezekiah is the person in the Bible who really should have had a book named after him!  Born of a terrible father, King Ahaz, and born during the reign of the last king of Northern Israel, the pagan King Hoshea, Hezekiah might have been excused for making a completeContinue reading “Tuesday 27th August 2024”

2 CORINTHIANS 1 Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is addressed to people who are ‘in trouble’.  God is the ‘God of Comfort’ – the first person to turn to when you are in a crisis and the one who is best able to meet your needs in that crisis.  He also uses other believersContinue reading “Monday 26th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 16 This chapter of 1 Corinthians is right back down to earth – and it starts with money!  Generous giving frees us all from greed and materialism.  The Early Church gathered usually on the ‘First Day of the Week’ – i.e. on a Sunday – to break bread, to study, to share theContinue reading “Sunday 25th August 2024”

2 CHRONICLES 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 Up until now, the kings of Judah have generally been the ‘good guys’ and those of Northern Israel the ‘noisy neighbours’; from today’s readings, Judah starts to sink as low as Israel.  Jehoshaphat returns from the losing battle to the safety of Jerusalem – but he didContinue reading “Saturday 24th August 2024”

2 CHRONICLES 18 “Do not be unequally yoked” is a common phrase or concept in both Old and New Testaments.  It means not to involve yourself in any relationship or enterprise that may risk you compromising your own beliefs and values.  Foolishly, the godly Jehoshaphat, king of Judah – who had been blessed by theContinue reading “Friday 23rd August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 15 It has been claimed that if the Resurrection of Christ could be disproved then Christianity would be finished as a faith.  I completely agree – and so did the apostle Paul!  His very gospel – outlined very briefly in 1 Corinthians 15 – is resting on this one historical fact: that ChristContinue reading “Thursday 22nd August 2024”

2 CHRONICLES 13, 14, 15 and 16 It is interesting how two views of the same person and their actions can both be true and yet both read so differently.  Abijah, son of Rehoboam, received a rather negative ‘appraisal’ in 1 Kings 15:1-8 and a very positive one in 2 Chronicles chapter 13.  And yetContinue reading “Wednesday 21st August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 14 If the message of 1 Cor 12 is that the Body of Christ has unity and power through diversity, and the message of 1 Cor 13 majors on the method and motivation of manifesting the gifts, then today’s chapter is about administering these powerful gifts. Paul explains in more depth how toContinue reading “Tuesday 20th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 13 Because the Body of Christ is so united, any impact on a single individual member will have a knock-on effect, for good or for ill, on every individual member and on the entire body.  The point of everyone working at their specialist skills and giftings is to benefit the whole body andContinue reading “Monday 19th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 12  Imagine a football team that fielded eleven goalkeepers; or an army where everyone drove tanks; or a building firm that employed only electricians; or a cricket team full of fast-bowlers; or a hospital of nothing but brain surgeons!  They’d all fail or lose or go bust or even die!  The composition ofContinue reading “Sunday 18th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 11 The ‘Covering Heads in Worship’ debate has gone on for many centuries.  I will not draw any firm conclusions in these notes, except to make some general points from 1 Corinthians 11: The ‘food’ issue resumes when Paul talks about the Lord’s Supper – the breaking of bread as it is calledContinue reading “Saturday 17th August 2024”

2 CHRONICLES 5, 6 and 7 The Temple, having been completed, it was now time for the Ark to be transported and installed into the Holy of Holies that had been prepared for it.  It had been held in a tent at Zion, the old city of David, where the temple musicians had conducted theirContinue reading “Friday 16th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 10 Like the ominous reversing warning sounds of a heavy goods vehicle, the danger of sin is made very clear to us by the Lord.  His scriptures, his Spirit in us, our consciences, and our brothers and sisters in Christ are all suitable resources to warn us of sin’s stealthy approach.  And weContinue reading “Thursday 15th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 9 Rights, responsibilities, and self-control are the name of the game for Paul.  Responsibilities sometimes mean that you exercise self-control so as not to take advantage of your rights, in order to be more effective in your witnessing. Rights:  Paul worked hard among his churches and was clearly their ‘builder’ in Christ, ratherContinue reading “Wednesday 14th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 8 These ‘superior’ Corinthian Christians were so proud of their deep knowledge of the truth of the scriptures, which categorically say that there is only one God.  They lived in an idolatrous culture that worshiped many different gods and sacrificed all kinds of things to them, including food.  Probably their non-Christians friends kindlyContinue reading “Tuesday 13th August 2024”

ECCLESIASTES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 The Book of Ecclesiastes.  What’s it all about?  Who wrote it?  Can we believe everything it says? The most likely author of Ecclesiastes is King Solomon, as 1:1 seems to indicate.  It was apparently written in his later life and possibly in a melancholy old age.  ItContinue reading “Monday 12th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 7 The Corinthian leaders had already sent Paul a long list of questions or statements on all kinds of lifestyle issues.  For example: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman?”  (They seem to assume that Paul will agree with them unreservedly.)  But Paul always upholds theContinue reading “Sunday 11th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 6 Before resuming his teaching on sexual sins, Paul continues where yesterday’s chapter ended: ‘You are judging the wrong people in the wrong places’, he basically says!  The Corinthian believers were both judging the ungodly and also taking one another to court to be judged by the ungodly.  Paul points out that weContinue reading “Saturday 10th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 5 “Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5).  ‘Sex’ is the main topic in today’s reading.  There are sexual unions that God blesses and encourages, and sexual unions that he regards asContinue reading “Friday 9th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 4 “For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena.  We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wiseContinue reading “Thursday 8th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 3 Tribalism is the curse of the church!  “I follow Paul”; “I follow Apollos” – what a ridiculous line to take!  They are both the servants of Christ and are just doing a job for him.  The real root of tribalism is the misplaced need to be exclusive: “I follow Apollos and notContinue reading “Wednesday 7th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 2 “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but withContinue reading “Tuesday 6th August 2024”

1 CHRONICLES 19, 20, 21 and 22 What started as a kindness ended in a full-scale war.  Such is the power of misunderstanding!  David simply wanted to express his sympathy to the new king of the Ammonites, over the death of the previous king – all this is almost identically in 2 Samuel 10 andContinue reading “Monday 5th August 2024”

1 CORINTHIANS 1 Corinth in AD 55 was a thriving city, the main commercial centre of Greece and a port with two separate harbours, on opposite oceans.  Rather than sail all around Southern Greece, smaller ships would be hauled full loaded across a stone road from one harbour to the other.  Corinth was therefore aContinue reading “Sunday 4th August 2024”

ROMANS 16At the end of this letter, in chapter 16, there is a long roll of honour: believers whom Paul wishes to commend for their service in the gospel – including Priscilla and Aquila who had done so much to bless the churches Paul had established.  It seems that, by then, they were living backContinue reading “Saturday 3rd August 2024”

1 CHRONICLES 13,14,15 and 16 Two main events occur in today’s readings:  The battles against the Philistines and the bringing of the Ark into Jerusalem.  The Books of Samuel and Chronicles deal with them in a different order, because of the different emphases of each book.  The Chronicles account is not chronological and Chapter 14’sContinue reading “Friday 2nd August 2024”

ROMANS 15 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”  (15:7).  We were accepted by Christ ‘just as we were’ – i.e. warts and all!  We therefore have no right to reject other believers at all – assuming that they are believers.  This is perhaps the keyContinue reading “Thursday 1st August 2024”

ROMANS 14 So why are you a vegetarian (if indeed you are)?  As part of Paul’s efforts to bring the gospel to life, he raises some ‘lifestyle’ issues that affected not only the First Century Romans but also affects the 21st Century Western world.  We have a huge amount of freedom under the gospel: howContinue reading “Wednesday 31st July 2024”

ROMANS 13 We read yesterday, in chapter 12, that personal revenge is not permitted for God’s people.  One of the reasons given was so that God could have room for vengeance instead.  It is much better to wait for the Judge of All The Earth to execute his judgments, with the full facts and motivesContinue reading “Tuesday 30th July 2024”

ROMANS 12 Having established eleven chapters of closely argued doctrine, Paul now shows us how we should live in the light of that doctrine.  This combination of doctrine plus lifestyle in us is both essential and irresistible.  The eleven chapters of doctrine are difficult because they challenge our understanding, but the following chapters on lifestyleContinue reading “Monday 29th July 2024”

ROMANS 11 Today we reach Romans 11, which continues to discuss the question of the Jews in more depth.  “Did God reject his people?” is the first question.  Paul’s answer is: “It depends on what you mean by ‘His People’”.  He has already stated in 9:6-7 that: “Not all who are descended from Israel areContinue reading “Sunday 28th July 2024”

ROMANS 10 Paul again begins by declaring that his heart’s desire and prayer is for Israel to be saved.  He acknowledges that they have zeal for righteousness but not the knowledge of how to get it.  For many of us today, we often have ample knowledge but little zeal for others to gain that righteousness! Continue reading “Saturday 27th July 2024”

1 CHRONICLES 1 and 2 In today’s readings the unsuspecting reader finds himself/herself whizzed back to the beginning of creation (did you blink!).  1 Chronicles starts with a raft of genealogies that begin at Adam.  The purpose of the Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles is not to duplicate the Books of Samuel and ofContinue reading “Friday 26th July 2024”

ROMANS 9 The controversial topic of predestination is now addressed more fully, starting with Israel as an example, but applying it comprehensively to Jew and Gentile alike.  Many Christians find this doctrine unacceptable because they think it reflects badly upon God – rather than because the opposing view is supported by scripture – which itContinue reading “Thursday 25th July 2024”

HOSEA 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 God continues in the book of Hosea, alternately reminding Israel of the times that he rescued them and led them through danger to a place of rest – and then giving them analogies of what they are like as a rebellious people.  Some significant verses standContinue reading “Wednesday 24th July 2024”

ROMANS 8 “No Condemnation!”  What a wonderful couple of words!  If there is ever a message that humans need to hear, it is that one.  The Apostle Paul has already shown the futility of Christians trying to please God by obedience to the Law (in chapter 7); now he explains how simple it is toContinue reading “Tuesday 23rd July 2024”

ROMANS 7 Romans 7 is one of the more controversial chapters in the New Testament.  The first six verses are vital to grasp the full meaning of the chapter.  It is a tale of two symbolic marriages, both of them involving us as sinful people.  In the first marriage, our husband was ‘Mr Law’ –Continue reading “Monday 22nd July 2024”

HOSEA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 In God’s viewpoint, the worship of false gods or idols is spiritual adultery.  Israel had been joined by covenant to the Lord – analogous to a marriage – since they had crossed the Red Sea, but they had subsequently begun a series of ‘affairs’ with theContinue reading “Sunday 21st July 2024”

ROMANS 6 Paul, the great apostolic teacher, anticipates his readers’ important questions – particularly when faced with this revolutionary gospel of grace and freedom that is on offer.  Here’s one: “If grace gets larger when sin gets larger, perhaps we should sin even more!”  This thought emerges from chapter 5:20 “The law was brought inContinue reading “Saturday 20th July 2024”

ROMANS 5 Romans chapter 5 really takes up the thread from chapter 3 – meaning that chapter 4 was in ‘parentheses’.  Paul uses this literary tool a great deal, particularly in the book of Romans.  We left the thread in Romans 3 with the vital doctrine of ‘Justification by Faith Alone’.  In chapter 5, PaulContinue reading “Friday 19th July 2024”

AMOS 6, 7, 8 and 9 “Do horses run on the rocky crags?  Does one plough the sea with oxen?  But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness…”.  God is now rebuking both Israel and Judah for their complacency, since they worship the Lord in a ritualistic fashion, butContinue reading “Thursday 18th July 2024”

ROMANS 4 “What Would Abraham Do?”  This was the perpetual thought that circulated around an orthodox Jew’s head as he went about his daily religious duties.  Abraham, their forefather was, from their perspective, almost a ‘god’ and he carried enormous influence over the Jewish people, more two thousand years after he had died.  Paul, knowingContinue reading “Wednesday 17th July 2024”

ROMANS 3 Chapter 3 is the big one!  Everyone is the same: all under the power of sin, all falling short of God’s glory and his standards of holiness.  And, left to our own human devices, “…there is no-one who seeks God” (3:11).  No-one will be declared acceptable to God by obeying the Law; theContinue reading “Tuesday 16th July 2024”

AMOS 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Amos was not a ‘professional’ prophet, but a shepherd who prophesied ‘on the side’.  He lived about 10 miles south of Jerusalem and yet his ministry was directed at the Northern kingdom (Israel); this is rather like having a job in Guildford and spending your ministry time inContinue reading “Monday 15th July 2024”

ROMANS 2 Chapter 2 speaks to different kinds of person: the self-congratulatory ‘moral’ person and the ‘religious’ person.  Both are different examples of the sin of pride in action! The average quality newspaper journalist might be a typical example of Type 1: he or she appears to ooze moral superiority and looks down upon mostContinue reading “Sunday 14th July 2024”

2 KINGS 22, 23, 24 and 25 It must have been a shock to Josiah: being made king of Judah at an age when most children today have just started junior school!  The very last godly king of God’s people, at the age of eight he ascended the throne and then reigned a total 31Continue reading “Saturday 13th July 2024”

ROMANS 1 Romans: probably my favourite book of the Bible.  It took the great bible teacher Martin Lloyd-Jones nearly 700 consecutive weekly sermons to exposit its teachings – on Friday evenings from 1955 to 1968.  My task is to cover it in just sixteen daily posts!  An introduction to the book is found in theContinue reading “Friday 12th July 2024”

2 KINGS 20 and 21 The finest and most faithful king since the days of David was given a death sentence by God.  “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover”.  (2 Kings 20:1).  When a highly qualified medical consultant gives you an unfavourable prognosis, it is badContinue reading “Thursday 11th July 2024”

ACTS 28 “Out of the frying pan and into the fire!”   Or so it must have seemed for an instant for Paul.  Having survived a huge storm at sea, he was then bitten by a poisonous snake and expected to die.  Then he remembered the prophecy that Jesus had given him, plus the promises inContinue reading “Wednesday 10th July 2024”

2 KINGS 18 and 19 Hezekiah is the person in the Bible who really should have had a book named after him!  If you want to find out whether a Christian has even the faintest grasp of their Bible, then ask them to turn to something like ‘Hezekiah Chapter 5 verse 10’ – which doesn’tContinue reading “Tuesday 9th July 2024”

ACTS 27 And so to the journey to Rome!  In late summer, the prevailing wind in the Mediterranean is from the West.  For Paul to be taken to Rome from Caesarea in a direct line would mean heading almost due West and so would be impossible.  (See Map of Journey ).  The usual viable routeContinue reading “Monday 8th July 2024”

ACTS 26 The gospel has three ‘tangible’ strands that make it so compelling to its hearers, and one ‘intangible’ strand.  These all feature in this chapter of Acts.  1) Truth and Reasonableness (v25):  It is hard to commit yourself to a message that is either meaningless or non-sensical, so the mind needs to be convincedContinue reading “Sunday 7th July 2024”

ACTS 25 It is easy to ‘gloss over’ the human consequences and emotions of the last verse of Acts 24: “When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favour to the Jews, he left Paul in prison”.    Imagine how Paul must have felt!  He hadContinue reading “Saturday 6th July 2024”

ACTS 24 Paul found himself caught up in politics: Governor Felix was an ineffective ruler who was later to be recalled to Rome to answer for his incompetence.  He had recently married the 16-year-old daughter of Herod, Drusilla, who became his third wife – she herself having been induced to leave her previous husband ofContinue reading “Friday 5th July 2024”

ACTS 23 “You must be on your guard.  You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.  On account of me, you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.  Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do notContinue reading “Thursday 4th July 2024”

2 KINGS 5, 6, 7 and 8 The supreme commander of Syria’s armed forces becomes very ill with an incurable disease; he hears that a Christian believer has a strong prophetic healing ministry, and he travels to meet him, in the hope of being healed.  The healing is fast and simple, and the commander isContinue reading “Wednesday 3rd July 2024”

ACTS 22 From the safety of the Roman barracks, Paul requested that he be permitted to address the mob.  The commander agreed, and Paul wisely chose Aramaic as his language – the speech of the common man of the day.  If you read the first 21 verses of this chapter – Paul’s testimony of hisContinue reading “Tuesday 2nd July 2024”

ACTS 21 The journey of Paul and his companions continued by sea until they reached the Judean coastal city of Caesarea.  After that long and difficult trip, they rested for a few days at Philip the Evangelist’s home.  Philip may have been at Caesarea for nearly 25 years by then, which gives us an ideaContinue reading “Monday 1st July 2024”

ACTS 20 After the riot, two separate groups of disciples travelled with Paul to the Troas, but not at the same time.  Eventually they met up with the local disciples and stayed a week, culminating in a meeting of the whole church to break bread – that is, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper – onContinue reading “Sunday 30th June 2024”

ACTS 19 Today is also about discipleship, and what happens if it goes slightly wrong.  It also demonstrates that you cannot help but reproduce what you are in your disciples.  Paul had begun his third so-called ‘Missionary Journey’ and decided to take the inland route through Turkey to get to Ephesus on its west coast. Continue reading “Saturday 29th June 2024”

ACTS 18 Today is about discipleship and its importance.  Corinth was a Greek city of two seas and two major ports on opposite sides of a narrow isthmus of land, and with an innovative way of getting ships from one side to the other across that short stretch of land.  The city was a hugeContinue reading “Friday 28th June 2024”

1 KINGS 17, 18 and 19 Today’s the day of the big showdown:  Elijah’s God versus Ahab’s god!  The arrival of Elijah on the scene is a bit mysterious – in 1 Kings 17 he just appears and starts speaking.  He was raised in Tishbe, over the other side of the Jorden, in the regionContinue reading “Thursday 27th June 2024”

ACTS 17 Paul knew that the heart will not usually warm to what the mind cannot accept.  On the other hand, a purely intellectual grasp of the gospel is insufficient for salvation.  Both elements of a person’s character are required to empower the will to submit to Christ and follow his commands. In Thessalonica, aContinue reading “Wednesday 26th June 2024”

1 KINGS 15, 16 It is interesting how two views of the same person and their actions can both be true and yet both read so differently.  Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, received a rather negative ‘appraisal’ in 1 Kings 15:1-8 and a very positive one in 2 Chronicles chapter 13.  And yet the passagesContinue reading “Tuesday 25th June 2024”

ACTS 16 Paul: “Some good news, Timothy: you are accompanying me on my next mission trip”.  Timothy: “Great!  When do we leave?”  Paul: “As soon as you can walk again after being circumcised!”  This is how Paul’s Second Missionary Journey might have started.  Actually, if you read the end of yesterday’s chapter (15), you willContinue reading “Monday 24th June 2024”

1 KINGS 12 So what did they all do wrong?  Rehoboam, Jeroboam, the Prophet of God, the Old Prophet, Israel, and Judah… all of them sinned in some way against the Lord and were duly punished.  Let’s start at the top with Rehoboam (in 1 Kings 12): As a King of Judah, he needed toContinue reading “Sunday 23rd June 2024”

ACTS 15 Today we witness a master-class in high-powered talks and negotiations over the future direction of God’s church on earth; talks which could so easily have resulted in schism, complete disunity, and huge recriminations.  The critical issue was nothing to do with ‘brand’, methodology, style, or leadership – things that we get so upsetContinue reading “Saturday 22nd June 2024”

1 KINGS 9 It is now 24 years into Solomon’s reign and the two gigantic building projects are completed (4 years before the temple was begun + 7 years building the temple + 13 years building Solomon’s palace).  Just as he did at the beginning of Solomon’s reign, The Lord appears again to him andContinue reading “Friday 21st June 2024”

ACTS 14 If you stir up a hornets’ nest, you had better expect some retaliation!  Paul and Barnabas, by proclaiming the good news about Jesus, had effectively ‘invaded’ the enemy territory.  Having had some tremendous success in Pisidian Antioch, they incurred the backlash of persecution and fled to Iconium, a major agricultural region in theContinue reading “Thursday 20th June 2024”

1 KINGS 5, 6 and 7 Solomon began the greatest construction project that he would ever undertake: the Temple of The Lord in Jerusalem.  1 Kings chapters 5 and 6 are roughly paralleled by 2 Chronicles chapters 2 and 3, although there are some subtle differences of emphasis. First, he wrote to Hiram, king ofContinue reading “Wednesday 19th June 2024”

ACTS 13 Today’s and tomorrow’s readings describe Paul’s First Missionary Journey, which lasted about two years, from AD 46-48.  This was a whole eleven years after Paul had been converted (AD 35).  The Book of Acts covers a long time period of intense activity and does not have room for the extended ‘pauses’ between keyContinue reading “Tuesday 18th June 2024”

ACTS 12 Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, not everything was wonderful for the church there.  King Herod Agrippa I had taken over the role of persecutor-in-chief and also wanted to strengthen his own position by making himself more popular with the Jewish Authorities.  The obvious strategy was to attack the Jews’ prime enemies, the Christians!  HeContinue reading “Monday 17th June 2024”

ACTS 11 Back in Jerusalem, there was some serious explaining to do!  The church there had only known the concept of being born a Jew, or converted to Judaism, as a prerequisite to accepting Jesus as the true Messiah.  But these Gentiles had apparently entered ‘via the back door’ and the Jewish Christians wanted toContinue reading “Sunday 16th June 2024”

ACTS 10 The raising of Tabitha from the dead had also strategically placed Peter in Joppa – part of modern-day Tel Aviv.   The stream of new disciples that resulted from her spectacular resurrection needed leading, discipling, and welding together into a local church – so Peter planned to stay quite a while there, at theContinue reading “Saturday 15th June 2024”

ACTS 9 “Those who attack you will surrender to you” – or so said the prophet Isaiah in 54:15.  In Saul’s case, it could not have been more vivid.  One moment he was the chief persecutor of Christ’s church; the next, he was on the way to becoming the most effective apostle the world hasContinue reading “Friday 14th June 2024”

ACTS 8 God’s sovereignty is shown in the graphic contrasts between the lives of Stephen and Philip; both were saved at about the same time, and both served faithfully on the same ministry team, the ‘Seven’.  As disciples of Jesus, they were equally powerful and effective.  Yet the Lord chose to cut short Stephen’s lifeContinue reading “Thursday 13th June 2024”

2 SAMUEL 19, 20, and 21 That scheming Joab was right this time: David was so preoccupied with his own grief for his dead son, Absalom, that he was totally neglecting his duties as king.  You would have thought it was a military defeat rather than a great victory!  Joab, who was never afraid toContinue reading “Wednesday 12th June 2024”

2 SAMUEL 16, 17 and 18 Now David was running for his life and, to make matters worse, the disgruntled members of Saul’s household were taking the opportunity to get their revenge.  Ziba, the not-so-faithful steward of Mephibosheth, had decided to curry favour with the King at his master’s expense.  By slandering Mephibosheth and makingContinue reading “Tuesday 11th June 2024”

ACTS 6 and 7 Martyrdom is the greatest gift you can give God – although ‘daily martyrdom’ (see Luke 9:23) is a requirement of all disciples.  It seems that, as far as the Lord is concerned, we can ‘die’ a little bit each day of our lives, or lose our whole life in a singleContinue reading “Monday 10th June 2024”

2 SAMUEL 13, 14 and 15 Nathan’s prophecy of the punishment imposed by God on King David started to be fulfilled in the next three chapters.  First, Amnon, David’s eldest son, became obsessed with his half-sister, Tamar who was stunningly beautiful.  We see later that it was a lustful obsession, rather than real love.  ThisContinue reading “Sunday 9th June 2024”

ACTS 5 God clearly cannot stomach hypocrisy.  The account of Ananias and Sapphira is not about ‘giving’, but about ‘lying’.  There is indeed something worse than a lack of generosity: a false generosity!  The previous chapter ends with descriptions of almost miraculous financial giving, of open hearts and open wallets towards the poor, and ofContinue reading “Saturday 8th June 2024”

ACTS 4 Three ‘P’s today:  ‘Persecution’, ‘Prayer’, and ‘Possessions’.  The religious authorities deeply resented Peter’s miracle for several reasons:  (1) They couldn’t do any, so they were very jealous;  (2) Peter and John were uneducated country folk, who had followed up their miracle with some of the most persuasive bible teaching ever heard in theContinue reading “Friday 7th June 2024”

ACTS 3 It was an ordinary afternoon – nearly impossible, really, after Pentecost! – and Peter and John went as usual to the temple for a special time of prayer.  They still followed the Jewish rhythms to some extent at that time and realised the importance of a disciplined devotional time each day in theirContinue reading “Thursday 6th June 2024”

2 SAMUEL 7 and 8 The next chapter in 2 Samuel is simple, yet profound!  The Ark had been safely returned to Jerusalem without anyone else dying and David was now established fully as king over all Israel.  He had had a cedar palace built and moved in with his wives, concubines, children, and servants. Continue reading “Wednesday 5th June 2024”

ACTS 2 This chapter describes “The Birth of the Church”.  The Day of Pentecost was, of course, the Jewish festival that celebrated the firstfruits of harvest.  How appropriate that the seeds of discipleship that Jesus had ‘planted’ over a period of three and half years should now blossom into a great ‘tree’ or ‘vine’ thatContinue reading “Tuesday 4th June 2024”

ACTS 1 The Book of Acts could be subtitled: “Jesus – Part Two”.  Written again by Luke, it begins:  “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all the Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles heContinue reading “Monday 3rd June 2024”

JOHN 21 After a completely stressful, totally exhilarating, life-changing experience, the usual human response is to do something very ordinary.  Peter and his friends went fishing.  Unsuccessfully, as it happened! This chapter fills in the time gap between the appearances of Jesus to his disciples in Jerusalem, and the official ‘rendezvous’ with all eleven disciplesContinue reading “Sunday 2nd June 2024”

JOHN 20 It was fitting that the first person to meet the Lord after his resurrection was Mary Magdalene, who had shown him so much devotion previously, and who had risked arrest and death by sticking so close to him during his trials, crucifixion and at the tomb.  She arrived at the tomb at theContinue reading “Saturday 1st June 2024”

1 SAMUEL 28, 29, 30 and 31 Meanwhile, back to the Samuel, Saul, David, and the Philistines story!  David had impressed his Philistine host, Achish, so highly that he and his men were invited to be Achish’s bodyguard from then on.  Achish was totally unaware of David’s other battle exploits that were not against Israel.Continue reading “Friday 31st May 2024”

JOHN 19 Flogged, crucified, died, and buried.  That was the sequence of events for the Hero of so-called ‘Good Friday’!  Pilate, in his attempt to avoid this unjust execution, had one more throw of the dice: have the prisoner scourged, dress him up and humiliate him, and the crowd might just have their sympathies arousedContinue reading “Thursday 30th May 2024”

1 SAMUEL 21, 22, 23 and 24 The whole of life is a degree-course in learning to trust God.  It is not simple to do, which is why it takes a lifetime to master.  In this university of Christian Life, the examination season comes when times get very tough, when we reach the end ofContinue reading “Wednesday 29th May 2024”

JOHN 18 His disciples having been fully briefed and his prayers completed, Jesus crossed the steep Kidron Valley between the city walls and the Mount of Olives.  In doing so, he was retracing his route of a few days previously when he had ridden triumphantly into the city, to the cheers and acclaim of greatContinue reading “Tuesday 28th May 2024”

JOHN 17 Now we are eavesdropping on a private conversation between Jesus and his Father.  The Holy Spirit – through scripture – draws back the curtain and reveals to us some of the secrets that the Old Testament kings and prophets would have given anything to learn.  Within an obvious face-to-face, person-to-person relationship, the overridingContinue reading “Monday 27th May 2024”

JOHN 16 Persecutions will come – Jesus told his disciples then, and he tells us now too – because we are now part of God’s Kingdom and on a different side to the majority of the world’s inhabitants.  We will be surprised, after the return of Jesus, to learn just how many of the strangeContinue reading “Sunday 26th May 2024”

JOHN 15 There are few occupations on earth that are more single-minded than that of the vine grower.  His or her only purpose in life is to produce the maximum crop of the highest quality grapes.  Nothing else is permitted to get in the way.  Everything else is sacrificed for the sake of fruit.  AContinue reading “Saturday 25th May 2024”

JOHN 14 The longest account of Jesus’ teaching at and after the Passover meal is in John’s gospel.  Five chapters of doctrine, encouragement, warnings, and reassurance come from Jesus’ lips, and it is impossible to do justice to them all in these notes!  So I will just comment on a small selection of verses thatContinue reading “Friday 24th May 2024”

1 SAMUEL 13 and 14 Saul was an impetuous and impatient king; he had Jonathan attack a Philistine outpost in order to provoke a counterattack, so that the whole army of Israel would be forced to assemble behind Saul.  Unfortunately, he stirred up a hornets’ nest and the Philistines retaliated with their heavy weaponry.  TheContinue reading “Thursday 23rd May 2024”

JOHN 13 John refers to the same Passover Supper events detailed in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but John completely omits all details of the meal and the bread and wine.  He focuses on Jesus the Servant King.  The lowliest servant did the foot washing – for a very good reason – and the disciples wereContinue reading “Wednesday 22nd May 2024”

JOHN 12 Just about everything Jesus says in this chapter is related to his death.  All four gospels have an account of a woman anointing Jesus with some kind of expensive perfume.  However, Luke 7:36-50 is clearly a quite different event – much earlier in Jesus’ ministry – from the one in this gospel andContinue reading “Tuesday 21st May 2024”

1 SAMUEL 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Today’s readings describe a key transitional period between the futility of the times of the Judges and the prosperity of Israel under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon.  God was now disposing of the ‘old guard’ represented by Eli, with his permissive attitude towards his sons and towardsContinue reading “Monday 20th May 2024”

JOHN 11 “I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die”.  (John 11:25-26).  Just about everything Jesus taught was backed up by action, and nearly all his actions were a means of teaching too.  The ‘Lazarus Incident’ (as theContinue reading “Sunday 19th May 2024”

1 SAMUEL 1, 2 and 3 It is hard to describe, to those who haven’t suffered, it the pain that infertility brings.  Most people would assume that to have lost a loved one is the worst thing of all, but for a woman – and a man – who are not able to have thatContinue reading “Saturday 18th May 2024”

JOHN 10 Chapter 10 continues seamlessly from chapter 9: these Pharisees are not the true shepherds of Israel – they are thieves and robbers, ruling harshly over the flock, using the sheep for their own benefit, and having no meaningful relationship with them.  Ezekiel 34 refers to the false shepherds of Israel and, in exasperation,Continue reading “Friday 17th May 2024”

JOHN 9 Two huge questions were raised during this healing event.  1. Are those people who are chronically sick or disabled actually being punished for sins committed by themselves or their parents?  2. Was healing permitted on the Sabbath day?  Jesus quickly answers the first question by decoupling the connection between sin and sickness, declaringContinue reading “Thursday 16th May 2024”

JOHN 8:31-59 If we hold on to Jesus’ teaching, actually putting it into practice, then we are truly his disciples.  This is not merely a grasp of theoretical doctrine, but a full immersion into his teaching and a complete submission to his will.  By ‘knowing that truth’ (v32) in this way, we will be completelyContinue reading “Wednesday 15th May 2024”

JUDGES 17, 18, and 19 After the account of Samson, the final five chapters of Judges are a kind of epilogue to the Book and describe graphically the depths to which human behaviour can sink.  In chapter 17, an Ephraimite named Micah stole a huge amount of money from his own mother, and only confessedContinue reading “Tuesday 14th May 2024”

JOHN 8:1-30 The account of the woman caught in adultery is interesting.  It does not feature in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of John’s Gospel and seems logically better located just after Luke 21:38; indeed, a limited number of manuscripts do have the account appearing there in Luke.  Regardless of where it ‘should’ beContinue reading “Monday 13th May 2024”

JOHN 7 Again, there is a big ‘gap’ in John’s gospel narrative – filled in by the synoptic writers – and then Jesus travels incognito to Jerusalem to appear publicly half-way through the Tabernacles festival week and to teach in the temple courts.  It was on the last and greatest day of the festival thatContinue reading “Sunday 12th May 2024”

JUDGES 10, 11, 12 and 13 Israel had been in the Promised Land 300 years by then and the spiritual temperature towards the Lord had fallen again.  It was G. K. Chesterton who said:  “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything.” – and these Israelites were outContinue reading “Saturday 11th May 2024”

JOHN 6 John 6 is a momentous chapter and one in which Jesus really starts to ‘tell it as it is’.  Perhaps the death of his close relative and forerunner, John the Baptist, spurred him on to tell the plain truth regardless of consequences.  The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) cover a lot ofContinue reading “Friday 10th May 2024”

JUDGES 8 and 9 It is a sad fact of human history that the real pioneers do not get the credit they deserve.  When no-one else has the courage and the selflessness to step up to the mark, they do it.  Others are often content to spectate safely from the sidelines and then criticize theirContinue reading “Thursday 9th May 2024”

JUDGES 6 and 7 As dream interpretations go, this one was at the top of the Premier League!  A Midianite soldier shares an inconsequential dream he’d had the previous night about a bouncing barley bread loaf smashing into his tent and collapsing it (see 7:9-15).  Quick as a flash, his Midianite colleague snapped in anContinue reading “Wednesday 8th May 2024”

JOHN 5 It all started with a miraculous healing at a magical pool with pagan overtones.  Legend had it that at random times an angel would stir up the waters of the twin pools at Bethesda in the city of Jerusalem, and that whoever was the first to jump in was healed of any diseaseContinue reading “Tuesday 7th May 2024”

JUDGES 3, 4 and 5 In my opinion, Judges is the best ‘window’ into human nature in the whole Bible.  If you digest the stories and teachings of Judges, you have no grounds for asserting that human beings are essentially good and naturally god-fearing!  The human heart is no different today; most people will callContinue reading “Monday 6th May 2024”

JOHN 4 He was talking to a woman.  On his own.  Worse still, she was a Samaritan woman!  He even drank from a jug that she had filled.  He discussed the deepest aspects of theology with her as they sat together.  What on earth was Jesus thinking! It was midday and they had met atContinue reading “Sunday 5th May 2024”

JUDGES 1 and 2 When your leader is not present, you find out how much you have really learned from him, and how much self-motivation you possess.  We see today, in the first two chapters of Judges, that Joshua had been dead for quite a while and it was now left to each individual tribeContinue reading “Saturday 4th May 2024”

JOSHUA 22, 23 and 24 From heroes to apparent ‘zeros’ in a short space of time: the Transjordan tribes had fought bravely and unselfishly to secure the territory for their brothers west of the Jordan, leaving behind their wives and children for a total period of at least seven years.  Individuals were probably permitted periodsContinue reading “Friday 3rd May 2024”

JOHN 3 Many people imagine that Billy Graham first coined the phrase ‘Born Again’, as a powerful emotional lever to persuade people to become Christians.  Not true!  The need for all to be born again or ‘born from above’ is an imperative directly from God the Son himself.  “Truly, truly, I tell you, no oneContinue reading “Thursday 2nd May 2024”

JOHN 2 John calls miracles ‘signs’.  His gospel has the least number of miracles recorded – only eight – but he certainly chose to include the most spectacular!  They are ‘signs’ because they point towards the true nature of the Son of Man, who was and is also the Son of God.  They are theContinue reading “Wednesday 1st May 2024”

JOSHUA 16, 17, and 18 Judah’s allotment of land had now been sorted and it was the turn of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, to receive theirs next.  Some of the time they were known collectively as ‘Joseph’ still.  It is interesting that – as with Judah – there was a group ofContinue reading “Tuesday 30th April 2024”

JOHN 1 If the first verses of Genesis introduce the beginning of the world, the first verses of John’s Gospel refer to a much, much earlier time!  Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, is given the name “The Word”, which in Greek is ‘Logos’, meaning ‘Reason’.  Indeed, Jesus is the first and the lastContinue reading “Monday 29th April 2024”

JOSHUA 12, 13, 14, and 15 It is good to keep a record of your past victories.  They are a reminder of the favour and power of God in your life – and an incentive to keep going in the future when things get tough.  The list starts with the Transjordan territories, inherited by theContinue reading “Sunday 28th April 2024”

LUKE 24 The Apostolic Church of the first three Centuries did not celebrate Christmas or Easter.  These modern-day festivals only came into official existence in 350 AD and 325 AD respectively.  However, the early church did better than that: they lived in the power of the Incarnation 365 days per year, and they preached theContinue reading “Saturday 27th April 2024”

JOSHUA 9, 10 and 11 Big Mistake Number Two makes an appearance today!  Yesterday we read how Israel disobeyed the Lord by stealing some of the plunder from Jericho that was rightly all God’s.  Today, the error was more subtle but had longer-lasting consequences.  You probably remember that the Lord had commanded Israel not toContinue reading “Friday 26th April 2024”

LUKE 23 Jesus, having declared himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God, had provided more evidence of blasphemy to the ‘salivating’ Sanhedrin than they could have hoped for in their wildest dreams!  The man actually said that he was God!  The big problem with their trial, and with their definition of blasphemy, was: Continue reading “Thursday 25th April 2024”

LUKE 22 In all three other gospels, we have the account of Jesus being anointed by Mary of Bethany, as Jesus reclined at table.  In Luke, there is no such story.  This is because a similar-sounding, but completely different, account in Luke 7:36-50 took place much earlier in Jesus’ ministry and was located in theContinue reading “Wednesday 24th April 2024”

JOSHUA 1, 2, 3 and 4 In our Old Testament reading, we are beginning a new Book: Joshua.  From an action point of view, it largely continues the stories in Numbers; from a teaching point of view, it expands on Deuteronomy.  Most conservative scholars regard Joshua, servant of Moses, as the main author of mostContinue reading “Tuesday 23rd April 2024”

LUKE 21 By 18th January 2013, Bill Gates and his wife had already given away at least 28 billion dollars of their fortune to charitable work worldwide; they intend to give away at least 95 percent of all their money eventually.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/bill-gates/9812672/Bill-Gates-interview-I-have-no-use-for-money.-This-is-Gods-work.html Warren Buffett, currently the richest man in the world, has pledged to giveContinue reading “Monday 22nd April 2024”

DEUTERONOMY 32, 33 and 34 If you wrote and released a song along the lines of the Song of Moses – Deuteronomy 32 – it would be a commercial failure; this is mainly since it spends most of its verses rebuking its target listeners and telling them “I told you so”!  But it is aContinue reading “Sunday 21st April 2024”

LUKE 20 “Trick or Treat?”  “We are going to ask you an impossible question and, if you give the wrong answer, something bad might happen to you!”  In today’s reading, Jesus’ opponents take it in turns to attempt to catch him out by asking him to ‘clarify’ what he believes.  It turns out that, ledContinue reading “Saturday 20th April 2024”

DEUTERONOMY 30 and 31 the Lord immediately reveals what will become of Israel: they will in fact inherit both the blessings and the curses; for a time they will obey the Lord and be blessed in every way, and then they will rebel as an entire nation and be cursed and dispersed.  In chapter 30Continue reading “Friday 19th April 2024”

LUKE 19 Four stories, including one parable, that all feature a king arriving unexpectedly to groups of people: Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector had a major advantage in life: he was very rich; and a major disadvantage: he was very small.  He chose to do the Romans’ dirty work for them – for a fee,Continue reading “Thursday 18th April 2024”

LUKE 18 Prayer features a great deal in Luke’s gospel.  Today, in a series of parables or encounters, Jesus tells us what a disciple’s attitude and behaviour towards God should be like.  First, the parable of the ‘Persistent Widow’:  Always pray and don’t give up!  Perseverance even works in a selfish human situation, so itContinue reading “Wednesday 17th April 2024”

DEUTERONOMY 24, 25, 26 and 27 The subject of legitimate divorce was as live a topic in Jesus’ day as the question of legitimate marriage is in ours.  Two ‘schools’ of rabbis – Shammai and Hillel – disputed whether a man could divorce his wife for ‘any and every reason’ or whether it was onlyContinue reading “Tuesday 16th April 2024”

LUKE 17 Today’s reading starts with an interesting look at ‘forgiveness’.  Do you always have to forgive someone?  What does that forgiveness look like in practice?  What about people who harm you, but then you never meet them again?  Does the process work exactly the same between God and us?  I think that the answerContinue reading “Monday 15th April 2024”

LUKE 16 It is surprising how often the topic of money comes up in the gospels.  Most times it is Jesus himself who raises it.  In this chapter – unique within the four gospels – he illustrates how cleverly some of the people of this world deal with money, to gain wealth, power, and fame. Continue reading “Sunday 14th April 2024”

LUKE 15 A unique chapter – not found anywhere else in the gospels – and focussed on ‘Mission’ and ‘Redemption’!  It consists of three simple fictional stories crafted to illustrate Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ allegation: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (v2).  The ‘Lost Sheep’ (singular) implies safety in the flock (whereverContinue reading “Saturday 13th April 2024”

LUKE 14 Luke’s gospel contains five of the seven times that Jesus is recorded as healing on the Sabbath.  He really did want to make an important point, didn’t he!  (Which was what?) Most illustrations in today’s reading, however, come from eating and feasting.  What do we learn?

DEUTERONOMY 14, 15 and 16 Food, Finance and Festivals – these three topics largely make up today’s readings.  The food laws have been referred to previously and more or less boil down to Israelites only being able to eat vegetarian creatures and not carnivores (but that is only approximate).  A reminder, too, from Mark 17:19Continue reading “Thursday 11th April 2024”

LUKE 13 How do we react to human disasters?  Are they a punishment from God for rebellious, irresponsible behaviour – or are they a kind of random consequence of living in a ‘broken’, fallen world?  Whilst accepting that ‘randomness’ is nothing more than a human confession of ignorance, and that true randomness is impossible forContinue reading “Wednesday 10th April 2024”

DEUTERONOMY 11, 12 and 13 The search for the source of the Nile is a topic that has fuelled both fact and fiction.  The reason is that the Nile is vitally important to Egypt’s irrigation and agriculture.  Farmers had a type of foot-powered water pump that lifted water from the Nile itself into their ownContinue reading “Tuesday 9th April 2024”

LUKE 12 If Luke 11 was about Jesus training his disciples in prayer, then today’s is about ‘Fear’!  “Fear Him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him”.  (v5)  The ‘Him’ is referring to God himself, and the message is that he isContinue reading “Monday 8th April 2024”

DEUTERONOMY 5, 6 and 7 Growing up in a God-fearing, Bible-believing home does have its drawbacks.  It is tempting to think that all the real action happened between your parents and the Lord, before you were born, and that you are just a kind of afterthought or add-on to your parents’ blessings.  The Children ofContinue reading “Sunday 7th April 2024”

LUKE 11 In my opinion, this is not really the “Lord’s Prayer” (that one is found in John 17).  This would better be titled “The Disciples’ Prayer”, as it was designed by Jesus for his disciples.  An almost identical version is found in Matthew 6:9-13, as part of the Sermon on the Mount.  Personally, IContinue reading “Saturday 6th April 2024”

DEUTERONOMY 3 and 4 Moses continues to remind the Children of Israel that God had then given them a great victory over the other Amorite king, Og, who ruled over the northern end of the Transjordan region, up as far as Mount Herman in what is today the Golan Heights.  Og was the smallest possibleContinue reading “Friday 5th April 2024”

LUKE 10 In Luke 9, Jesus sent out the ‘Twelve’ apostles in a mission to proclaim the gospel exclusively to the Galilean Jews.  In today’s reading – found exclusively in Luke – He sends out ‘Seventy-Two’ (or Seventy) others to cover a wider territory, that included Samaritans and Gentiles.  Significantly, the ‘Table of Nations’ inContinue reading “Thursday 4th April 2024”

NUMBERS 35 and 36 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence.  Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.  Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel!  I will scatter themContinue reading “Wednesday 3rd April 2024”

NUMBERS 33 and 34 Moses is commanded by the Lord to itemise the stages in the journey that they have taken from the Exodus to the Promised Land.  There are exactly 40 stages mentioned, which probably has symbolic significance – 40 symbolises a ‘generation’ and, of course, an entire generation perished in the desert onContinue reading “Tuesday 2nd April 2024”

LUKE 9 In Stage One of discipleship (yesterday: Luke 8), Jesus took his apostles along with him to watch him at work in the towns and villages of the Galilee region.  Today we see Stage Two, when Jesus sends these same men, under his own power and authority, to dispatch demons and heal diseases, whilstContinue reading “Monday 1st April 2024”

NUMBERS 28, 29 and 30 Let’s look first at a fascinating chapter in today’s reading – Numbers 30.  In my bible it is entitled ‘Vows’, but the real meaning should be ‘Authority’, since that is what it is all about.  And the implications are huge, for those people and for us.  It begins with aContinue reading “Sunday 31st March 2024”

LUKE 8 We now take a closer look at Jesus’ methods of mission and discipleship.  Having been rejected by the people he grew up with in his hometown of Nazareth, he based himself at Capernaum on the shore of Lake Galilee, where he preached, taught, and healed extensively, both within the synagogues and in theContinue reading “Saturday 30th March 2024”

NUMBERS 26 and 27 The focus shifts back to the Old Testament: Israel was told by The Lord to organise another census, following the one that occurred 38 years previously.  There were two main reasons for this:  (a) to demonstrate to all parties that every one of those Israelites previously 20 years old or olderContinue reading “Friday 29th March 2024”

NUMBERS 23, 24 and 25 You would imagine that a man who was really a false prophet, a fraud and a mercenary would be put off his mission by being rebuked by his donkey and nearly killed by the Angel of the Lord.  He certainly offered to turn around – since he was scared forContinue reading “Thursday 28th March 2024”

LUKE 7 In this episode, an honest fighting man, in charge of around eighty men, seems to grasp the ways of God more quickly than some of God’s own people!  Whereas they approach Jesus and ask him to help the centurion on the grounds that “…he has built our synagogue” (v5), he realises that itContinue reading “Wednesday 27th March 2024”

LUKE 6 With the previous thought of ‘new wineskins’ still an echo in our minds, the first real test of this comes in the form of ‘The Sabbath’.  What happens when the ‘wave’ of new life rolls onto the ‘rock’ of Jewish tradition?  Surprisingly, the rock is shattered!  Jesus ‘harvested’ grain on the Sabbath andContinue reading “Tuesday 26th March 2024”

NUMBERS 19, 20 and 21 The water of cleansing in Numbers 19 was unusual.  The animal killed was not sacrificed, but slaughtered outside the camp, rather than at the altar.  It was a female, not a bull, and every part of it was burnt, including the blood and the offal.  It was only needed toContinue reading “Monday 25th March 2024”

NUMBERS 17 and 18 As a final demonstration of power, in support of Moses’ and Aaron’s authority, the Lord turned Aaron’s dead staff into a living tree, producing fruit.  Ultimately, true leadership in God’s church is confirmed by its fruitfulness and effectiveness in producing growth.  Whether you are in new covenant leadership, or one ofContinue reading “Sunday 24th March 2024”

LUKE 5 A complete stranger appears at your place of work, performs a very impressive miracle, and then asks you to leave your job, your possessions, and your family – and to follow him wherever he goes.  Is that plausible?  Is it likely?  Is it even a wise course of action? Those of us whoContinue reading “Saturday 23rd March 2024”

NUMBERS 14 Democracy only takes you so far!  Many times it actually holds you back.  The problem that Moses created by choosing a representative from each tribe to explore the land was that when ten of them rejected the will of God, all their tribal relatives ‘voted’ with them and that meant that most ofContinue reading “Friday 22nd March 2024”

LUKE 4 “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread”.  (v3).  “The Devil led him to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world…’I will give you all their authority and splendour… if you worship me, it will be yours’”.  (vv6-7).  “If youContinue reading “Thursday 21st March 2024”

LUKE 3 Read the first couple of verses… For the third chapter in a row, Luke wants to anchor these key events firmly in a historical context and so he links the lives of seven famous people of the time to the emergence of John the Baptist.  As a result, historians of today have aContinue reading “Wednesday 20th March 2024”

NUMBERS 8, 9 and 10 The Holy of Holies (or ‘Most Holy Place’) had no man-made light in it.  On the one hand, it wasn’t necessary, since no human was allowed in there; on the other hand, the glory of God filled that tent, since the Light of the World was resident between the CherubimContinue reading “Tuesday 19th March 2024”

NUMBERS 7 Well, now I know where they got the idea for “The Twelve Days of Christmas”!  Numbers 7 is the longest chapter in the Pentateuch (89 verses) and it benefits hugely from the copy-and-paste facilities that a word processor now provides.  Twelve representatives of the twelve tribes each bring an offering on one ofContinue reading “Monday 18th March 2024”

LUKE 2 “She gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger” (v7). At his birth, she wrapped him in strips of cloth and placed him in a manger.  Much later, at his death, she was present when they wrapped his body using similar cloth stripsContinue reading “Sunday 17th March 2024”

NUMBERS 4 Then these three branches of Levites were counted again – this time for all the men between thirty to fifty years old, who would serve at the tabernacle.  Previously, every male had been counted for the purposes of redemption, and the total had come to 22,000 precisely.  This time, for the purpose ofContinue reading “Saturday 16th March 2024”

NUMBERS 2 and 3 As well as individuals, there was a careful arrangement of each clan in their encampment around the tabernacle.  Three camps to the East, under the authority of Judah, three to the South, under Reuben, three to the West under Ephraim, and three to the North under Dan.  All these camps wereContinue reading “Friday 15th March 2024”

NUMBERS 1 The Book of Numbers covers a period of 38 years and 9 months, most of which was a complete waste of time!  The actual distance to the Promised Land could have been covered in a matter of weeks or months at the most.  The Hebrew name for Numbers is “In the Desert” andContinue reading “Thursday 14th March 2024”

LUKE 1 “…since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (vv3-4). The ‘Good News’ must be accurate and historically truthful in order to be believable and life-transforming.  We areContinue reading “Wednesday 13th March 2024”

MARK 16 (“The Amazing Jesus”): Possibly the most studied chapter in the New Testament – but not for the reasons you might expect!  When theologians are chatting over their pre-dinner drinks, the conversation may drift to “What do you think about the ending of Mark’s gospel, then?”.  All reliable manuscripts have verses 1 to 8,Continue reading “Tuesday 12th March 2024”