How do we minister in the light of who God is?
I can find the urgency of a task so great that I struggle to stop. I can be driven by the expectations of others, or even myself. This is not the pattern of our Lord. He stops for refreshment mid battle. But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. (Psalm 110:7 NLT) … More Refreshment
We complain about the demise of the Church and ask God why He is not advancing the gospel. We do not realise that He is! He is returning us to reality! We live in a time of disgrace for the church of God. The cry of many is – Restore us again, God our Savior, and put … More Looking for God to restore
We desire to see the Lord’s fame go to the world, to see God yield His harvest. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm67:6-7) This skips to the end of a process. It … More Overflowing grace
Our culture has only one question to determine value – “Does it work?” Jesus takes a different view. After feeding the 5000 He leaves. Most would have continued the ministry. When the people find Him, He challenges their motives – ‘… you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but … More What do we value?
Jesus’ unearths His followers’ motives following the feeding of the 5000 because it is here that the eternal value of what someone does is seen. ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. John 6:26 … More Live for eternity
Jesus talks of how we choose to receive His word. An emphasis on visible results has pushed us towards – The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. Results are easy! We can count green shoots of decisions … More Choose Jesus’ way
Christmas is often expressed as a time to live without limits. John the Baptist challenges our generation with its rejection of boundaries. We don’t think to ask “Who has God made me to be?” but rather, “What could I make of myself?” John the Baptist knew who he wasn’t. He did not fail to confess, … More Christmas without limits?
What does it mean to be human? I find Jesus’ take shocking. When I survey our culture’s opinions I see anything from a triumphalistic ‘Top of the heap’ to ‘A virus wreaking destruction’. For many Christians, people are made in the image of God, and so to be respected. My shock came looking at the … More Being human
How poorly I appreciate the unseen work of Christ. I recently organised a conference. There was a sense of God at work, one person even said it was the best conference they had ever been to. Yet looking back I experience frustration that only half the expected number turned up. May I never boast except … More What counts?
When what we say lifts Jesus as God and acknowledges ourselves as servants then we have the keys of Kingdom. When speaking in independence we lose them. Spiritual authority is based on submission to Jesus, ‘Son of the living God.’ In Matthew 16 following Peter’s confession: 16 …, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of … More Keys to the Kingdom
