The words of the Lord are pure words (Psalm 12:6). God speaks to us through his Word. How are we to hear God, speaking to us through his Word? We must listen to the reading and the preaching of his Word. We are not, however, to content ourselves with hearing God's Word read to us …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 11 – In the Lord, I put my trust.
In the Lord, I put my trust (Psalm 11:1). As I read these opening words of Psalm 11, my thoughts turned to two hymns, "Jesus, I will trust Thee" and "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus." "Jesus, I will trust Thee, trust Thee with my soul. Guilty, lost and helpless, Thou canst make me whole. …
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Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 10 – You, Lord, are the One who lifts my head high.
What a great contrast there is between the opening words of Psalm 9 - "I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart" - and the opening words of Psalm 10 - "Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide in times of trouble?" Some days, it feels like we're …
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Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 9 – May the Spirit of the Lord create in us a spirit of praise to the Lord and give to us a song of praise to the Lord.
I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to you, O Most High (Psalm 9:1-2). How are we to praise the Lord with our whole heart? How are we to tell of all …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 8 – Let us praise God for the greatness of his power, and let us praise him for the greatness of his love.
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1,9). Psalm 8 begins and ends with these great words of praise to the Lord. In verses 4-5, we read words that declare to us the greatness of God's love for human beings. We are to praise God for the greatness of …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 7 – The devil gives us a lot of trouble, but he will not have the final victory over us.
Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, 2 or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me (Psalm 7:1-2). As I was reading the words, "they will tear me apart like a lion", I found myself thinking of the …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 6 – By the grace of God, we have been saved – “To God be the glory, great things He has done.”
Lord... save me because of your faithful love (Psalm 6:4). It is because of God's faithful love that we are saved. This is important. We should never think that the Lord saves us as a way of rewarding us for our great faithfulness to him and our great love for him. In our thinking about …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 5 – In love and grace and mercy, the Lord is calling out to us to return to him and be forgiven by him.
But, as for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy (Psalm 5:7). Each of us must make our choice. We must keep on making our choice. We must keep on choosing to keep on worshipping the Lord our God. Here, we read about the Psalmist, making his choice. He …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 4 – You, Lord, have put gladness in my heart.
As I was reading Psalm 4, I found my attention being drawn to the Psalmist's personal testimony - "You, Lord, have put gladness in my heart" (verse 7). When we receive from the Lord the true gladness that only he can give to us, we can never be the same again. We have been changed …
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Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 3 – Whatever problems we may have, may we never forget this: God has blessed us with his great salvation.
Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God."... Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people (Psalm 3:1-2,12). What a great contrast there is, in Psalm 3, between the …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 2 – Are we listening to the world, and is it discouraging us? We can listen to God’s Word – and be encouraged.
“Why do the nations rage… ?” (Psalm 2:1). “Blessed are all those who put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 2:12). “The word of the Lord was rare in those days”, but “the lamp of God” had not yet gone out “in the temple of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:1,3). In today’s world, there is …
Learning from the Psalms: Psalm 1 – Learning to walk with the Lord in the light of his Word
What is the Lord teaching us from Psalm 1? As I was reading the first Psalm, especially verses 1 and 2, and as I was thinking about what we can learn from this Psalm, my thoughts turned to the hymn, which begins with the words, "When we walk with the Lord in the light of …
When the Holy Spirit comes on you
Acts 10:1-11:18 ‘When the Holy Spirit comes on you… you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth’(Acts 1:8). This great advance of the Gospel - Salvation reaches ‘the Gentiles’(Acts 10:45; Acts 11:1,18) - is a movement of ‘the Spirit’(Acts 11:12). The Spirit speaks through the Word (10:44; 11:15). In God’s Word, we …
Trust in Christ, not in yourself.
Romans 9:1-33 We read about 'Jews' and 'Gentiles'. We learn about salvation. The Jews are not saved because of their nationality. It is 'not because of works'. The Gentiles are not excluded because of their nationality. It is 'because of His call'. Salvation comes from God's grace, not from our good works. It is received …
The Word of God, the worship of God, the way of God and the work of God
The Word of God calls us to worship God, to walk in his way and do his work. Worshipping the Lord, walking in his way and working for him: Here, we have a description of our whole life response to the Word of the Lord. When we read God's Word, it is so important that …
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Let us thank God for Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Hebrews 8-10 When we make comparisons between the Old Testament sacrifices and the sacrifice of Christ, there are two things we need to note. First, there's continuity in the work of God. Second, there's the uniqueness of Christ's sacrifice for sin. The Old Testament leads us to Jesus, but Jesus takes us beyond the Old …
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When things are difficult, keep on praying.
Jeremiah 35:1-37:21; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 119:49-56 Life was not easy for the prophet Jeremiah. The king and his attendants did not pay “any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet” (Jeremiah 37:1-2). We must pray for “kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). They have so much …
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Less fear, more faith
Mark 5 "Don't be afraid. Only believe" (verse 36). Jesus says to us, 'Don't stop believing.' He says to us, 'Keep on believing.' Throughout life, each of us is involved in a battle. It's a battle against fear. It's a battle for faith. How are we to win the victory? "Perfect love drives out fear" …
God’s work goes from strength to strength.
Acts 7-8 In chapter 7, through a history of God's dealings with Israel, Stephen exposes the sin and guilt of hts accusers, They react violently, and Stephen is stoned to death. Saul watched this, and "entirely approved of the killing" (8:1). Saul went on from there, "working for the total desctruction of the church" (chapter …
Obedience to God arises out of knowing that we are loved by Him.
Numbers 1:1-2:9; Luke 1:26-38; Psalm 33:12-22 “The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 1:54). “‘I am the Lord’s servant’, Mary answered, ‘May it be to me as You have said’” (Luke 1:38). Obedience to the Lord’s Word – this is emphasized throughout Scripture: “the eyes of the Lord are on …
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Science: What are we to say about it?
Not far off sixty years ago, when I was a young teenager, I learned a bit about science: not a lot, I must admit. When I was in my mid twenties, I dipped into some books which touched on the subject of science. What I'm saying is this: I'm not, exactly, an expert on science. …
Loving Him who first loved me
We begin with a line from a hymn. The hymn is "Saviour, teach me day by day love's sweet lesson to obey", and the line is "Loving Him who first loved me." The love of the Lord for us comes before our love for Him. First, the Lord comes to us. Then, we come to …
Taking Up The Mantle Of Prophetic Ministry
2 Kings 1:1-2:13 ‘He took up the mantle of Elijah’(2:13). Elijah’s ministry had ended. Elisha’s ministry was about to begin. It was the beginning of a new era. This may have been a new ministry. It was not, however, a new message. Both men preached the Word of the Lord. Elisha continued Elijah’s work. He …
Link to “The Theology Of G C Berkouwer” blog
The Theology Of G C Berkouwer This blog has a new title - Read Your Bible, Find Your Saviour.
Everything seems to be changing. We trust in God’s unchanging love.
Genesis 49:28-50:26 It was a time of "very great and sorrowful lamentation" (10). Jacob had died (33). Soon, Joseph would be gone (26). God was still there. He had been there in the past (20). He would be there in the future (24-25). Times are hard. We rejoice: ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never …
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Jesus prayed for His first disciples, ‘that they may be one.’ He prays the same prayer for us.
John 17:1-26 - Jesus prays for you. Jesus prays for me. We have come to faith in Him through the written Word of His apostles (20). The story of the Cross (1-5), the story of the first disciples (6-19) is an ongoing story. It continues in us. The saving effects of Christ’s death are still …
Don’t miss God’s opportunities to share Christ’s Good News!
Acts 28:1-31 Read of Paul's protection from the 'snake'. 'Rejoice' - Christ has won for us a great victory over 'that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan'. When God gives us His victory, we must not think too highly of ourselves - 'he was a god'. We must give all the glory …
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When we’re suffering, let’s remember Jesus: in love for us, He suffered for us.
Numbers 19:1-21:3; Luke 5:33-6:11; Proverbs 8:1-11 The wilderness years were not easy. The pathway from Egypt (the land of oppression) to Canaan (the land of promise) was not an easy pathway. For Jesus, the pathway between Bethlehem and Calvary was not easy. Jesus’ suffering did not begin at Calvary. There was suffering from the very beginning …
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Do you have a story to tell? Tell your story: This is what the Lord has done for me; What He’s done for me, He can do for you.
Acts 26:1-32 Paul answers three questions concerning himself. He puts a most important question to his hearers. (a) What was I before my conversion? Here, he speaks of his religion - 'According to the strictest party of my religion I have lived as a Pharisee' (5). This brought him 'to the ground' (14). (b) How …
Worshipping the Lord
https://youtu.be/_lQRmFXNA2Q Fill our hearts, O God, with praise to You. Help us to exalt You with hearts, full of joyful thanksgiving. https://youtu.be/kA4bTqCjLQw Often, Lord, our faith is weak. Help us to remember that the love of Jesus, our Saviour, is always strong. https://youtu.be/mOrkdW5NAM0 Lord, help us to sing the Kingdom songs - and live the …
Salvation Comes From The Love Of God.
Mark 6:30-44 "He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.Then He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). Salvation comes from the love of God. We are sinners without a Saviour. He teaches and He shows us the Good News of His salvation. "This …
Sermon Ideas
The Day of the Spirit’s Power In Acts 2, we read about the Day of Pentecost. It was a great day. The Spirit was poured out on God’s people. Christ was proclaimed to the crowds. Many were brought to faith in Christ. What is to be our response to the God who worked so mightily …
Spiritual revival: Where does it come from? It comes from God – from the rediscovery of His Word.
2 CHRONICLES 34:14-35:19 - During the reign of King Josiah, there was spiritual revival (33). Where did this spiritual revival come from? It came from God. It came from the rediscovery of God’s Word. Where was the Word of the Lord found? - It was found ‘in the House of the Lord’ (34:15). God speaks …
Reaching out with the Good News of Jesus Christ
‘Reconciled’ to God through Christ, we have received ‘the ministry of reconciliation.’ Saved by Him, we are to ‘work with Him.’ We are ‘not to accept the grace of God in vain’ by living for ourselves. We are to be ‘ambassadors for Christ.’ We must proclaim the urgent message of salvation - ‘now is the …
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The relationship between grace and faith
When we are worshipping the Lord, we praise Him, rejoicing in this: He has saved us by His grace. When we say that He has saved us by His grace, we do not deny that we have been saved through faith. We say both these things: "by grace" and "through faith". "Through faith" reminds us …
Jesus is more than our teacher and example. He’s our Saviour and Lord.
"Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2). Not conformed to the world, transformed by the Lord: how are we to live this kind of …
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I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever.
‘I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness through all generations’(Psalm 89:1). Many years have passed since these words were written by the Psalmist. Many generations have come and gone since Jesus Christ came to our world. The years come and go. The centuries …
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The Lord has helped us in the past, he is helping us now, he will help us in the future.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, Thus far the Lord has helped us (1 Samuel 7:12). Let's look back and remember how much the Lord has helped us. As we look back over our life's journey, we soon realize how much we have forgotten. We recall the …
The Lord is King. He’s the King of love.
‘The Lord reigns’(Psalm 96:10; Psalm 97:1). ‘The Lord is King!’. He is not only ‘the King all-glorious above’. He is ‘the King of love’. He is ‘our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend!’. He is not only ‘the King of heaven’. He is ‘the God of grace’. He is ‘the King of mercy’(Church Hymnary, 35,36,388,360,86). His …
Salvation is not a reward, to be earned. It is God’s gift.
Romans 4:1-25 Salvation is not a 'reward' to be 'earned'. It is God's 'gift' (4-5). Salvation comes from the Lord. 'God so loved the world that He gave His only Son' (John 3:16): Without the love of God, the gift of God, the Son of God, there can be no salvation. The way of salvation …
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The kindness of God
2 Samuel 9:1-10:19; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 70:1-5 The kindness of God is shown in different ways. We read of “God’s kindness” being shown to Mephibosheth – “he always ate at the king’s house” (2 Samuel 9:3,7). Nevertheless, we are also told, at the end of the chapter, that “he was crippled in both feet” (2 Samuel …
When our situation seems to be utterly hopeless, God is with us.
Psalms 108:1-13- ‘With God we shall gain the victory. He will trample down our enemies’(13). In ourselves, there is only defeat. We are no match for ‘our enemies’- the world, the flesh and the devil. We are surrounded by the world - ‘The world is ever near. I see the sights that dazzle. The tempting …
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Do we think we can do without God? or Are we becoming more willing to listen to what he has to say to us?
"A cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”" (Mark 9:7). Who are we listening to? So many people have so much to say. What are we to make of it all? There is so much that fills us with anxiety. The more we hear, …
You call us, Lord, to seek You – and You, also, call us to serve You.
You call us, Lord, to seek You - and You, also, call us to serve You (2 Chronicles 31:20-21). Where does our seeking and serving come from? It comes from Your salvation. We read the words, "The Lord saved Hezekiah" ( 2 Chronicles 32::22) - and we think of our salvation. We rejoice in Your …
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Fill us, Lord, with Your strength and Your joy.
Daniel 9:20-11:1; 1 John 3:11-4:6; Psalm 137:1-9 "When He spoke to me, I was strengthened" (Daniel 10:19). The strength we receive from the Lord is a greater strength than the temptations we face: "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). To know that …
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When we bow at the foot of the Cross, we say, “To God be the glory.”
Romans 11:1-36 'You stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe' (20). In 9:32, Paul contrasted 'faith' and 'works'. Here, he contrasts 'grace' and 'works' (6). Grace and faith belong together. 'Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling' (Church Hymnary, 83) - This is …
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We are to live in the light of eternity.
Who knows how long each of us has left? No-one but the Lord. When I am conducting a funeral service, I pray for myself and the other mourners - that the Lord will give us grace to live, for the remainder of our life on earth, for His praise and glory. I remember, back in …
Keeping Christ at the centre
Without Christ, there is no Gospel. Christ is the Gospel. He is our Message. He is our Testimony. In an ever-changing world, let us never lose sight of this: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8). May God help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Let us worship the Lord, our God.
https://youtu.be/RAyKmYD2Zg8 Taking the Place of Barabbas (Luke 23:13-25) Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which …
The Lord – My Strength, My Rock, My Fortress, My Deliverer
Psalm 18:1-50 - The first three verses set the tone: Worship. What a great start to this Psalm. Our attention is directed away from ourselves to the Lord: ‘my strength...my rock, my fortress and my deliverer...my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold’(1-2). The great testimony of verse 3 - ‘I call upon …
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Often, Lord, we feel like David – facing Goliath.
Often, Lord, we feel like David - facing Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Everything seems too much for us. Was Goliath too much for David? He wasn't too much for You - and You were on David's side. We're not alone. Help us to remember this. When we feel weak, help us to remember that You …
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‘Justification By Faith’ Or ‘Justification By Grace Through Faith’?
Using the phrase, "justification by faith" can be misleading. It tends to suggest that it's our faith that saves us. It gives the impression that our faith is more important than it really is. It could lead us to think more highly of ourselves than we should. We should really speak about "justification by grace …
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Let us worship the Lord and learn from him.
https://youtu.be/44RNKCp-hCY “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" (Luke 24:5-6). We look together at the risen Christ, and we learn from him. We learn to live for him, always keeping our eyes fixed on him. How do we look to Jesus? How are we to learn …
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God’s Kingdom will triumph over the kingdom of Satan.
Daniel 3:13-4:18; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Proverbs 29:1-9 "The Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17). It is a great comfort to know that God is sovereign. It gives strength in the midst of the conflict. It’s an unequal conflict: God’s Kingdom will prevail over the kingdom of Satan. We must not, …
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Jesus is a very different King from the kings of this world.
In Matthew 21:1-22, we learn that Jesus is a very different King from the kings of this world. He is the King of love. There is no tyranny, no dictatorship, no reign of terror. Alongside His love, there is His holiness. We see this in the cleansing of the Temple. He is looking for us …
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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – October
1st October: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34 In 17:3, we read of backsliding - in David, Asa and Jehoshaphat. 'Jehoshaphat walked in the first ways of his father David'(Authorized Version). David, Jehoshaphat's ancestor, started off so well - 'the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power'. Things fell apart for him when he set his …
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Search the Scriptures: Esther
Queen Vashti is removed from her position. She is replaced by Esther. There is no direct mention of God in connection with these events. That fact that the book of Esther has been included in the Word of God indicates that these events were interpreted as evidence of God’s activity among His people. It is …
Thinking about faith, love and hope, let us worship the Lord with joy.
https://youtu.be/-TVTmq7THU4 Faith: Thomas said, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Like Thomas, we speak our words of faith to Jesus, our Saviour. This is more than confessing our faith in a church service. It's saying "thank you" to Jesus for all that he has done for us. We thank Jesus for all that he …
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Learning From God's Word 