Weekly Updates

Simple truth

Simple truth

We can sometimes take what God has said, through his word, and interpret it to a fault because of our desires, naivety and in some cases lack of trust, respect and simple obedience to his word. On putting the dinner plates on the table my wife, Cate, stated, “these are hot, do not touch”. Little did our daughter know the plates had been on the hob and had become scalding hot; she didn’t need to know, the safe boundary had verbally been set. However, our daughter had interpreted her mother’s statement as “these......


Shalom

Shalom

How many of you are familiar with this word ‘Shalom’. Those who do know it consider it to mean ‘peace’. Yes, that is one of its meanings. However it is one of those beautiful words in Hebrew which cannot be translated into a single word in English, but has a series of meanings: Hello, goodbye, security, completion, soundness of mind, well -being, wholeness, health, nothing missing, nothing broken, nothing lacking. How wonderful to have just one word to describe so many wonderful benefits. In Jeremiah 29 v 11 God uses the word Shalom......


Living water

Living water

Recently I was reading the scripture in 2 Timothy 1 v 4,6-7 , This was a letter from Paul to Timothy – his protegee, encouraging him. He had trained him up to take the gospel to the Gentiles and I guess Timothy was having a blip, thinking he couldn’t do this on his own but needed his mentor Paul to be beside him. But Paul’s words were enough for him to carry on I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted, and I will be filled with......


Shekinah glory

Shekinah glory

In the book of Exodus, God gave Moses the tablets on which were written the 10 commandments, but because he had spent so much time with the Lord on the mountain, when he came down the people, led by Aaron, had moulded a golden calf and were worshipping that as a god. Moses was so angry that he smashed the stone tablets on the ground. (Exodus 32) The Lord was angry with the ‘stiff necked’ people and said that He would not go with them. However, Moses appealed to the Lord and then......


Set a fire

Set a fire

Do you have days when you feel dried up, lacking inspiration, empty, in a desert place? I think we all do from time to time. But this morning as we (TLC) worshipped the words of the song ‘Set a Fire’ lifted me up and as I listened to the words, and sang, I realised how true they are. ‘Set a fire within my soul, that I can’t contain, that I can’t control, – I want more of you God’. You know God understands when we feel like that and He has already provided......


Our guiding light

Our guiding light

How many of us when setting off on a journey we haven’t done before switch on the SatNav (GPS)? I love the way it adjusts itself and changes direction when we don’t follow it exactly. I read this analogy this week in the Bible in a Year, written by Nicky Gumbell. So, I am repeating this example, courtesy of Nicky Gumbell. I think it’s a pretty good analogy of our Christian life. Jesus told His disciples before He went to the cross to lay down His life for us, that He was going......


Let there be light

Let there be light

I was reading an article the other day about a group of 6000 young people in Salzburg cathedral, filled with the Holy Spirit and worshipping God in that place. What an awesome sight that must have been when we look around and see many of our young people today living in spiritual darkness, most seeking and searching for the answer which they think they will find in drugs, alcohol, sexual exploits etc. How awesome to see so many young people worshipping God and sending out a beacon of light into the spiritual darkness......


On time

On time

Recently I was reading a story about Corrie Ten Boom when she was a little girl. (She was a Dutch Christian who helped Jews escape from the Nazis In the second world war). She said to her father ‘Daddy I don’t think I will ever be strong enough to serve Jesus Christ’. And her father replied ‘when you want to go on a train do I buy a ticket weeks in advance? No I get it when you are ready to depart’. Maybe we can all learn a little from this story. We......


Be yourself

Be yourself

I read a quote this morning from Oscar Wilde – ‘Be yourself – everyone else is taken’. It just made me realise that when God created each one of us He made us as He intended us to be. And yes, He wants us to ‘grow in strength and Spirit and be filled with wisdom’ as Jesus did (Luke 2 v 40) but He wants to use us as we are and not pretend or strive to be someone we are not. He wants us to acquire knowledge and wisdom but to be......


Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit

I was brought up in the Catholic church and I never forget the occasion of my Confirmation when I was about 11. All the girls wore white dresses and veils on our heads and took on another name – our confirmation name – mine was Helen. It was a very special time but then I don’t think I realised the significance of it. I learned a prayer which I have never forgotten: – ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love……….’ A beautiful......


That is faith

That is faith

One definition of faith in ‘Wikipedia’ is ‘ believing in something without evidence’ or as Hebrews 11 v 1 puts it ‘It (faith) is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen, It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see’ .(NLT) then Hebrews chapter 11 goes on to give examples through scripture of great faith : God’s creation; Abel’s offering; Enoch who was taken to heaven without dying; Noah building the ark when he had never seen rain, then one of the most well-known stories of faith......


Stop worrying

Stop worrying

How many of us have made New Year Resolutions.? And how often have we broken those promises? I reckon a good one to make this year is to stop worrying. You know I’ve heard it said that a mother worries about her children to show that she loves them. But you know I think that is a lie of the enemy. If the devil can clutter up your mind with unnecessary cares, thoughts, worries then it makes less space for the Word of God or the good things we need to focus on.......