Christ is coming again!
‘The day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.’ 2 Peter 3:10 NLT Jesus is coming-Don’t let ‘date-setters’ make you cynical about Christ’s soon return. When the founder of a major church denomination predicted in print the date of Christ’s second coming, his successors faced the embarrassment of having to publicly acknowledge […]
Change your expectations
‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you.’ John 15:11 KJV Change your expectations-Why did Jesus say, ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full’? Because if you let it, stress will drain you of joy […]
‘Servants’ for life
‘Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle.’ Romans 1:1 NASB Servant for life-In the Bible the word ‘minister’ isn’t just a noun (which denotes a person, place, or thing); it’s also a verb (an action word). It’s what you do, not what you claim to be. In Scripture, the word ‘servant’ sometimes […]
Build a relationship with your children
‘Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.’ Psalm 127:1 KJV How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heart-breaking? Enjoyable? If you want a real eye-opener, ask them to describe their feelings about you and their home. But be warned – what they say might not be to your […]
Today, choose the right attitude
‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ Romans 12:2 NASB Long before William James, the Father of American psychology, was attributed with saying, ‘The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes,’ God said, ‘As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). […]
Beware of self pity
‘No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.’ 1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV Self-pity can be deadly. It tells the wife and mother who works hard, ‘You’re not appreciated.’ It says to the office worker, ‘Look how valuable you are, yet you’re never recognised or rewarded.’ It says to the unemployed, ‘No chance!’ […]
He will do it again!
Jacob set up a memorial…to mark the place where God had spoken with him.’ Genesis 35:14 GWT There are events in all our lives that, looking back, had to be the hand of God at work. One author puts it like this: ‘Maybe you bumped into somebody who introduced you to your spouse…or a co-worker resigned and […]
Recovering from burnout
‘I am weary and worn out.’ Proverbs 30:1 NLT Weary? Weary?Dr Richard Swenson says, ‘You can go into the woods, select a ten-foot sapling, bend it over, and when you release it, it will return to its normal height. But if you keep bending it further and further, it will stay down. With stress, first […]
Don’t give up on your Saul
‘Go to the house…on Straight Street and ask for…Saul, for he is praying.’ Acts 9:11 NIV Has everyone else written off your Saul? ‘He is too far gone.’ ‘She is too hard…too addicted…too old…too cold.’ Joseph believed one day he would be reunited with the brothers who betrayed him, and it happened. The prophet Hosea’s […]
You must care for the needy
‘Blessed are those who have regard for the weak.’ Psalm 41:1 NIV Care for those in Need Three-quarters of the world’s income ends up in the pockets of 20 per cent of its population. Think of it this way: ten dairy farmers live in the same valley, and among them they own ten cows. But the cows aren’t […]