blog

  • Just a thought... 16 Nov

    These glum days of November always seem to drag, don’t they? Grey skies coupled with dismal news from the NHS, Covid 19 and Cop26 all conspire to dampen the mood! Add the fearful news about new legislation and a general sense of displacement that everyone has at this time of year and it’s no wonder that some feel like the grass would be greener somewhere (anywhere!) else! Yet as we saw from Ezra 5 & 6 on Sunday morning the Word of God is living and active to change our hearts and our circumstances! Haggai & Zechariah continued...

  • Just a thought... 9 Nov

    We don’t like being ‘told’ to do things – especially when the thing we’re told to do is inconvenient, uncomfortable or costly! The ‘rebel’ that’s at the core of our sinful human nature dislikes any demands put on our independence. Cries of “why should I’ go hand-in-hand with “who do they think they are to tell me?”! Yet when the Lord Jesus commands His first disciples at the end of Matthew chapter 28, there is no ambiguity of either why they should obey, nor of who He is: 18 Then...

  • Just a thought... 2 Nov

    We all tend to see ourselves as just ‘innocent’ Christians. What could possibly be the problem with loving and seeking to serve the Lord! Surely everyone can see that’s a good thing to do even if they don’t believe in Him?! Yet we should never forget that the MOST political statement that can EVER be made is: ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’! The exclusivity of His being Lord necessarily means that ultimately other things, or other people, are not. The reality is that as we seek to serve Him, those who won’t may well oppose us...

  • Just a thought... 26 Oct

    "David said to [Goliath], “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands."" (1 Samuel 17:45...

  • Just a thought... 19 Oct

    Behind all opposition to loving and serving God is a real spiritual war, the existence of which we must never forget. It can be tempting to treat opposition either as something to ignore, or as something mega-dramatic. Of course, it can fall into either category and for some Christians it can sadly be very dramatic indeed! Yet an awareness of the spiritual realities behind what’s going on will help us to maintain a proper perspective: On Sunday morning we saw from Ezra chapter 4 that the Old Testament believers in Jerusalem politely rejected practical help they were offered...

  • Just a thought... 12 Oct

    It’s always really tempting to look back at what’s past with the ‘rose-tinted’ spectacles of nostalgia! When I was young, the sun always seems to have been shining – except on snowy days which I don’t remember being cold! Adult life teaches us that our perceptions are skewed: we remember things being better, but at the time they almost certainly seemed to be worse than they were before! On Sunday morning we saw from Ezra ch 3 that having sought to apply God’s Word and keep everyone’s attention on His faithfulness, God’s...

  • Just a thought... 5 Oct

    The Lord Jesus told His disciples in Matthew ch 9vs 37 & 38 “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” On Sunday morning we saw from Acts ch 8 that Philip became the answer to his own prayer as he shared the Gospel with someone who didn’t know it. The fact is that whether or not we are ‘gifted’ to do so, all Christians have the good news of the Lord Jesus and are commanded by the great commission...

  • Just a thought... 28 Sept

    It may be that the last couple of years has prevented us from doing it as we would like to, but to worship and serve the LORD can be a wonderful experience! On Sunday morning we saw from Ezra ch 3 the remnant of God’s Old Testament people assembling together in Jerusalem to rebuild the wrecked altar and start again worshipping the LORD as He prescribed. They re-established the daily sacrifices and brought sacrifices for sin: seeking His forgiveness. One of their very first acts was celebrate their equivalent of ‘Harvest’ and wholeheartedly give thanks to the...

  • Just a thought... 21 Sept

    Winston Churchill (among others!) is credited with the quote: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Can the same be said for the ancient History we find in the Bible? The answer is that’s what it’s there for! Not necessarily that we might be in danger of repeating it, but certainly that we might learn! On Sunday morning we found ourselves with lists of names from Ezra Ch 2 and the danger of failing to see real people with real lives making real sacrifices so that the LORD would be honoured...

  • Just a thought... 14 Sept

    The idea that the God of the universe should be interested in the political movements and decisions of empires and countries is a big enough one for us to try and grasp. Yet the fact of His interest in the hearts of individuals like us to bring about His plans is truly humbling – and that’s what we saw from Ezra Ch 1 last Sunday morning. Over 2500 years ago the LORD moved the heart of the Persian King Cyrus so that His people could start to come back into a relationship with Him – just as He had...