20 He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’ (Mark 7:20-23) These are heart-searching verses. It is … More What’s on the inside?
“He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables…’” (Mark 4:11) Why did Jesus teach in parables? It almost seems from these verses that he is trying to stop people believing! How is this fair? However, it is not … More Some thoughts on parables
Leonard Ravenhill’s Why Revival Tarries (Bethany House, 2004) is a class book in revival, originally written in 1959, and reprinted many times since. I first read it over 25 years ago when I was more involved in the charismatic movement. Although I’m not there now, and this isn’t a book that ticks all my theological … More Why Revival Tarries?
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem … More Suffering before the cross (Mark 3:20-22)
‘But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they … More Who can forgive sins?
“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