<b>"Serve the Lord with gladness".</b>  There are times when this reminder is timely: When asked to do something we would not choose. When the job in hand calls for special grace. When we go for a long period without any obvious result. When our lamp burns low or we are asked to donate the last ... Read more

<b>"the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed".</b>  The deputy was astonished to find a statement of belief that was supported by a miracle. It was the Lord working, confirming His word with signs following, as Mark says at the end of his Gospel. Saul, at the beginning of his ministry, rebuked Elymas the ... Read more

<b>"Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites".</b>  People need encouragement and God's work needs "encouragers". There is a lot of lethargy and half-heartedness and folk need encouraging to begin working. Note that it was the Levites, or priestly tribe, that Hezekiah encouraged. They led the people in worship and they needed encouragement.  They were not ... Read more

<b>"Master, all these have I observed from my youth".</b>  Maximum attendance, paying full attention, committing to memory the Law and the Commandments and applying this to every aspect of his life was not enough. Perfect in all but one point is to be imperfect. The young ruler's perfection in so much made him very conscious ... Read more

<b>"and there was no more sea".</b>  In several chapters in Revelation sea is mentioned: chapter 4 describes a sea of glass, like crystal before the throne. Ch.5 every creature in the sea crying blessing and glory unto the Lamb. Ch.7 the wind was not to blow on the sea and an angel was given permission ... Read more

<b>"most of them did not even know why they had come".</b>  They were just carried along with the crowd and found themselves in the amphitheatre crying, 'Great is Artemis of Ephesus' for two hours on end. (This was the demonstration orchestrated to oppose the Apostle Paul.) People today don't know why they do a lot ... Read more

<b>"the Lord your God is gracious and merciful".</b>  All who come to God in true humility and repentance find grace and mercy. It is when we acknowledge we deserve punishment from Him we may find mercy. God's graciousness calls on His mercy. Under Hezekiah Israel needed to put right the evil that had permeated the ... Read more

<b>"You must be born again".</b>  From Jesus' words to Nicodemus, credit for the following was not enough: - Seeking counsel from Jesus - Deep respect for the Person and ministry of Jesus - Religious upbringing - High office in the church - a Pharisee - Exemplary public life as a leader of his nation - ... Read more

<b>"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me".</b>  Paul had his disappointments. He wrote the words from prison in Rome. Demas had forsaken him and become enticed away from the faith, returning to Thessalonica. His faithful companions, Crescens and Titus, had now left him for Galatia and Dalmatia respectively. Alexander, perhaps the one supporting ... Read more

<b>"Nympha and the church in her house". </b> We owe it to recent translation to tell us that this name applied to a lady and not a man. Yet we know nothing more about her except that if you know anything about the believers in Colosse you would know there was a gathering in Nympha's ... Read more