Does God forget?
Does God forget things? Well not quite, but he doesn’t remember our sins once we repent of them: “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” ~ (Hebrews 8:12). A slight difference then maybe, but surely it takes even more love and grace to ‘not remember’ something than it does to ‘forget’ it? i.e. Read more…
Elisha’s Bones
Check out the bible’s account of Elisha’s last days: 14 The prophet Elisha was sick with a fatal disease, and as he lay dying, King Jehoash of Israel went to visit him. “My father, my father!” he exclaimed as he wept. “You have been the mighty defender of Israel!” 15 “Get a bow and some arrows,” Elisha Read more…
Is your wineskin too old for new wine?
When some disciples asked Jesus about how his teachings were different to those at the time he replied with some quite interesting imagery: “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.” (Mark 2:22) In those days people kept wine in Read more…
Focus on the roots not the leaves
There are times in life when despite our strongest efforts tough circumstances appear out of our control, no matter how hard we try the circumstances remains the same. Irrespective of how these situations arise one thing always remains true – God doesn’t want to waste this time but to use it for good. God is Read more…
Bible Study: Act Your Shoesize!
Jesus says to receive the kingdom of God as a little child. This of course, isn’t to act childish, as 1 Corinthians 13:11 puts it: 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish Read more…
Shoebox Sunday 2012!
Shoebox Sunday 2012 was a great success – about 200 boxes from Bethany, 150 from schools and a further 200 or so already in the van ready to go to the village of Suceava in Romania – that’s over 500 boxes that will be gratefully received by children who wouldn’t have otherwise received presents this Read more…
Bible Study: Gentleness
Bible Study Passage: John 8:1-11, 2 Timothy 2:22-26, 1 Timothy 6:11-12. Gentleness is a fruit of the spirit, and this week we’re digging a little deeper, by recalling a story of Jesus. When confronted with another typical ‘catch 22’ situation by the Pharisees, Jesus dealt with the situation in a rather unusual way. Seldom does Read more…
Bible Study: Joy
Luke 15:1-10, Habakkuk 3:17-18, Isaiah 61:10. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit, and a fundamental part of our relationship with God. He takes joy in us, and we in him. We look at defining this joy, and examples of it in the bible. Most notably, two parables that Jesus spoke of – Read more…
Romania: November 2012
John and Christine have returned from Romania this week, providing support for the poor villages. The trip was a success, and as it turned out, more necessary than ever. Over the summer months, there was a long drought and a severe hailstorm in Romania, completely destroying the crops. Food was in very short supply, but Read more…
The Still Small Voice
God’s ‘Still Small Voice’ is a familiar passage of scripture. It comes from 1 Kings, and it’s about Elijah. Elijah had just done amazing things – defeated prophets of a false God, and even prophesied the end to a three-year long drought. Shortly after, and perhaps a sign of his human-nature, Elijah was fleeing from Read more…