Encouragement and wisdom

Some thoughts and reflections to encourage faith and understanding in all who read and consider them

He Spoke

He did not use sophisticated words;He spoke simple words that were profound. He did not have to persuade the disciples;He spoke, and they followed Him. He did not perform on a stage in front of a cheering crowd;He spoke, and the multitude gathered around Him. He did...

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The Obedience of Faith

On Romans 1:5 What does it mean to be a Christian? Are we saved by faith or by obedience? What does the Bible mean when it says that we will be judged by our works at the end? The letter to the Romans opens with the following words: ‘Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,...

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An Unquenchable Life

An Australian Prime Minister, frustrated perhaps with the expectations placed upon him, was once heard to say that “life wasn’t meant to be easy”. He was attacked and derided because people wanted, even demanded, ease, as if it were a fundamental right. Indeed, for...

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Marriage, Law and Death

This year, our church family has been listening to God speak through the book of Romans, a letter by the apostle Paul, in the Bible. As a result, I've been attempting to commit the entire letter to memory and so far have gotten the first six chapters down pat. Last...

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Worship and Authenticity

On the Chaconne from Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor. Concerning the Chaconne: “On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I...

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This Dark Hour

I love musicals. I was delighted when the film, The Prince of Egypt, was adapted recently to a live musical in London's West End, though I doubt I will ever get to see it. The film tells the story of Moses and the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. I am...

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My light and my salvation

(Encouragement from Psalm 27) The LORD is my light and my salvation;Whom shall I fear?The LORD is the strength of my life;Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) We have light in order to see, not the light itself, but everything else in that light. The Lord banishes...

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Rules and Relationship – A Letter

Dear Jess, Thank you for your long and very welcome letter - I found it so full of interest, particularly the description of your recent, rather harrowing, experience. It doesn't matter that you don't know why this happened to you - there will be fruit out of it...

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Psalm 19

"The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." (Psalm 19:1) Paul could well have used the beginning of David's psalm in his letter to the Romans. "Since the creation of the world", he wrote, "His invisible attributes are clearly seen,...

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Looking in the mirror

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:1-2) We see faults in others long before we see them in ourselves. We judge others more harshly than...

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On Repentance

"I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:20-21) Paul frequently distils into a few...

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Sandra – Chapter 6

The next morning Sandra knew a busy day lay ahead.  Because her auntie had come there would be lots of visitors dropping in to meet her and to collect all the things she had brought for them from their friends and family. Most of the people who came were not...

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