“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Every time I read this verse, I am challenged about my own prayer life. Jesus had so much to do (Simon and the others are coming to … More Oh, to pray like Jesus!
The Navigators’ 5x5x5 reading plan starts with Mark’s gospel. If you’re following this plan, it may be helpful to know a little bit about Mark’s gospel. I don’t claim any credit for what follows; it comes from the ESV Bible introduction to Mark. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son … More Mark’s gospel
Tomorrow our church begins the Navigators’ 5x5x5 reading plan, which takes us through the New Testament in a year, with readings for 5 days each week. I plan to post some short reflections on the readings from time to time, but before we start, here are some thoughts on how to approach reading God’s word. … More How to approach reading God’s word
Having neglected this blog for a while, here is a quick update on my situation… In April, I received a call to serve God in a new church in Gosport, Hampshire, called Alverstoke Evangelical Church. After 25 years serving full time at Lansdowne Evangelical Free Church, in south London, this was a huge step to … More New things
For the last few weeks, I have been resting from full time service at Lansdowne, because I have been recovering from a hernia operation. Once the initial few days of pain were over, I was able to start reading again. It is good as a Christian minister to read books about the ministry. I recently … More The Pastor : His Call, Character and Work
Hebrews 4:15. “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses.” The Christmas story reveals that God the Son, while remaining fully God, took to Himself a true human nature. That human nature was real and He experienced all the weaknesses and frailty of human nature: tiredness, hunger, thirst, … More Christmas meditation 2023
This will be the final devotional until 4 January, although I hope to post some of my Christmas sermon recordings over the next couple of weeks. Thank you for reading these devotionals. May you know the Lord’s blessing this Christmas. John 1:29 Over the last two days, we have looked at how we can truly … More Christmas devotional – John 1v29 – The Lamb of God
John 1:18 part 2 Jesus reveals God to us. Through Him we know God. We don’t just know about Him, but we know Him – personally. Jesus reveals God fully to us because He is God. This is what the rest of verse 18 (that we started looking at yesterday) shows us. Jesus is the “One … More Advent Devotional for 24 December 2020 – John 1v18 part 2 – He has made God known
John 1:18 “No-one has ever seen God…” Wait a minute, John, what about Moses or Isaiah? Scripture doesn’t lie, so what John is saying is that no-one has ever seen God in the fullest sense. Moses and Isaiah had glimpses of His glory but didn’t see the full manifestation of God’s person and glory. What Moses … More Advent devotional for 23 December 2020 – John 1:18 – no-one has ever seen God
John 1:17 part 2 “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” We saw yesterday that God is a God of grace. Verses 16-17 are showing that God has always been a God of grace; the “grace and truth” through Jesus Christ is a continuation (and fulfilment) of the grace that God showed His people when … More Advent devotional for 22 December 2020 – John 1v17 part 2 – grace and truth
The best is yet to come 