Freedom is a word bandied around a lot these days. People want freedom to be themselves, which means to some people not having to abide by rules made by others. They want freedom from parental control, freedom from personal responsibility, and freedom from commitment. But freedom usually comes at a price as David found out. Since he was king David thought he had the freedom to do what he liked and disobey God’s commands about adultery. But what a price it ended up demanding. It resulted in him getting deeper and deeper into a web of sin, lies and subterfuge … Continue reading →

Have you ever looked at your kids and wondered how they can keep making the same mistakes, after you’ve told them time and time again about it? We can be tempted to think much the same when we look at Scripture and the Israelite people. Recently my readings have been in Numbers. I read how the Israelites refused to listen to Caleb and Joshua and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years instead of entering the Promised Land. They also refused to listen to Moses and Aaron and grumbled against them, Numbers 16 and again in Numbers 20 … Continue reading →

Are you going forward in your Christian life? Are you learning to trust God more with each day and with your future? If we’re not going forward, then we are not living the life God wants for us. This stuck me yesterday in more than one reading. The first was in Numbers 13. God told Moses to send spies out to check out the land He had promised to give them. God’s aim, I’m sure, was to encourage them with how good the land was and also to see what was in their hearts and whether they trusted Him. The … Continue reading →

I love how the gospel accounts are so different, each one inspired by God but reflecting the personality of the individual. The logical and ordered mind of Luke, the doctor, set out to write a factual ordered account to help Theophilus as well as anyone who reads this gospel, understand more of Jesus. Interestingly Luke was not a Jew, yet the starts his account with the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy of the one who would prepare people for the Savior God would send. This was John the Baptist. Luke had obviously got a lot of his information from … Continue reading →

I love the way God brings me to parts of the bible through my daily reading and they will be just what I need when I need them. I hope you have found the same. This week I have been reading in Daniel and want to share some of the things that spoke to me from Daniel 2. In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a dream that concerned him. He wanted to know what it meant. His wise men could not reveal the meaning of his dream especially when he insisted, if they … Continue reading →

One thing that is often hard to deal with for many Christians is judgment. No I’m not talking about God’s judgment but the judgment that comes from other Christians. I’ve seen and experienced a few examples of it at times. It often comes about when people have a different view. With elections coming up m in Australia in a couple of weeks, I was listening to a local candidate standing for the Christian Democrat party and he was saying how Christians can have very different views which is why we have different denominations and churches with different ideas. He also … Continue reading →

Fear can produce all sorts of effects on the body. It can induce headaches, nausea or a general air of not feeling well, ulcers as we worry about the things we fear, and insomnia, just to mention a few. As I was reading through an old time with God journal I came across this passage and it talks about fear. Romans 8:15 reminds us, for you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry “Abba Father!” So this verse reminds us we have … Continue reading →

Over the years the psalms have brought encouragement and help to many people, myself included. One reason is they are so honest and full of emotion and practical tips for our Christian lives. Today I’m going to look at Psalm 48, which is not one of David’s psalms but a psalm of the sons of Korah. It starts by praising God for the city of Jerusalem that God has been pleased to call his own. Have you ever stopped to praise God for the city or place where you live and to pray for the people of that place? The … Continue reading →