"It is the Spirit who gives life". Without the Holy Spirit, the church is like a club, the Bible is antiquity and the Christian life the mere adoption of high ideals. The Holy Spirit makes the church the Body of Christ, the Bible the Word of God and the Christian life a life in the ... Read more
"Neither did". The rot set in on the premise that if enough fall, failure is not so bad after all. Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali all joined the "neither did" failure club. They didn't drive the enemy out of the territory God had given them. It's an insidious evil, this comparing ourselves one with the ... Read more
"all my fears". Many will think they could compete with the Psalmist in the list of their fears. But it is not how many, but how terrifying your fears are. It is not really important how well-founded your fears are: fear causes pain and pain is unpleasant and can in extreme instances become unbearable. The ... Read more
"Each day has enough trouble of its own". Without our adding to it, that is. Some unnecessary troubles include everybody else’s problems, troubles that threaten to break tomorrow, dreamt-up troubles, illusions, misunderstandings. God will give you strength to solve today's problems, overcome today's difficulties, resist today's temptations and triumph over today's evil. Jesus' teaching was: ... Read more
"bind this line of scarlet thread in the window". It's a line that ran through the Old Testament from the time that animals were slain to provide covers of skin for Adam, down to the daily sacrifices offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. It broke out into a fountain at the Cross of Calvary when ... Read more
"see a man who told me all things that I ever did". Something of an exaggeration? It is unlikely that Jesus told the woman at the wellside all she had done but He obviously told her enough to make her think He could tell her it all, and she was right. The same holds for ... Read more
"Moses took the bones of Joseph with him". Moses' life, like any one of our lives, was making history. He demonstrated his belief in the prophetic last words of Joseph years before. The bones of Joseph represented the hope of Israel. Could the bones of a premier who died years before live again? The hope ... Read more
"If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it". Do you experience this? It is more than a being concerned for the plight of others – more than being moved when seeing pictures of those in famine stricken areas, or being sorry and saddened when children suffer needlessly. The Apostle is comparing the body ... Read more
"One thing is needful". A clean home? I've worked unceasingly since dawn this morning. A meal worthy of the occasion? I've done nothing but plan and prepare ever since I knew you were coming. A bit of help from someone? Well that would be appreciated, but I've let you know what I think about my ... Read more
"Her children arise and call her blessed". We must be grateful for this epilogue in the Book of Proverbs that gives us the characteristics of a godly wife. It is worth reading in full. Here are some important points: Skilful with her hands, she gets up while yet dark to prepare the day's food. She ... Read more