Our Father is seeking spiritual fruit. The fruit He looks for are the fruits of the Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22,23. These are the attributes, or character, of His Son. Jesus told us that His Father, as the vinedresser, takes away the branches that bear no fruit, and those which bear fruit He prunes so … Continue reading He Must Increase
The Cross
Ears To Hear
The shock, confusion and disbelief experienced by Jesus’ shattered disciples immediately after His death on the Cross must have been immeasurable. Drawing from our own human experience we can only imagine the questions that went through their minds and the sense of utter despair they must have felt. Imagine, if you can, Nathanael¹, poignantly recalling … Continue reading Ears To Hear
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Something Beautiful
He is just a boy, a lad, a child. Yet he holds in his hands the making of a miracle. Looking shyly into the face of the rabbi, he intuitively understands this is not a Man who will forcefully take anything from him. He’s not so sure about the Man’s friends though. But he … Continue reading Something Beautiful
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To Whom Shall We Go?
Into every life there comes at least one crucial watershed moment. Moments where the soul is sifted and the true motivations of our hearts are revealed. Moments when events align around us that will require hard choices and ultimately determine our destiny. It is my belief the slowing down currently caused by the world-wide coronavirus … Continue reading To Whom Shall We Go?
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Mary, Did You Know?
Mary, did you know on that night long ago in Bethlehem, the night you gave birth in a lonely, dung strewn cattle shed, that one day you would stand shivering before a Roman execution stake and watch your son die a bloody and cruel death? Did you imagine the scene unfolding before your eyes … Continue reading Mary, Did You Know?
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The Gospel Time Forgot
I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you … Continue reading The Gospel Time Forgot
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Crucified! (Reposted)
The mood among them was sombre to say the least. Passover was meant to be a celebration of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, but all this talk of Him going away without them was hitting them like a bucket of cold water. Now His conversation had turned again to the Father and the One He called … Continue reading Crucified! (Reposted)
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From The Archives: Coming to Moriah
When Abraham laid his son Isaac on a sacrificial altar no witness was present but God. The Bible is silent on whether Abraham wept as he bound the boy to the firewood. The scriptures do not tell us whether he averted his eyes from Isaac’s frightened gaze. If we have ever loved someone dearly, however, … Continue reading From The Archives: Coming to Moriah
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Still Feasting on the Tree of Life
Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. (Song of Songs 2:3) It is just over five years since I stepped into the unknown and launched Bread for The … Continue reading Still Feasting on the Tree of Life
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The Rock and The Hard Place (From The Archives)
A night of high drama. A brotherly kiss between friends, but not all is at it seems. Eyes meet in a silent moment of raw, agonising truth. Hearts are laid bare. One man weeps hot bitter tears; another discards all hope. A bag of silver coins is thrown in the dust. A verdict, a sentence … Continue reading The Rock and The Hard Place (From The Archives)
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The Marks of Jesus
A friend recently shared with me this quote from the sermons of Theodore Austin Sparks: "Beloved, you and I will never come through to God’s eternally intended place for us in the heavenly Kingdom until everything of this earthly life has been smitten, has been smashed. We have got to be broken men and women … Continue reading The Marks of Jesus
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The Rock And The Hard Place
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He. Deut. 32:4 A night of high drama. A brotherly kiss between friends, but not all is at it seems. Eyes meet in a silent moment of raw, agonising truth. … Continue reading The Rock And The Hard Place
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The Vine And The Grain
Six years have flown by since we moved into our current home. The recent anniversary of our move came with a jolt. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the home we left six years ago: a huge two storey brick and tile on 1.4 acres near the edge of our town. We lived happily … Continue reading The Vine And The Grain
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Learning The Way Of Otherness
The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard. About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw … Continue reading Learning The Way Of Otherness
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From The Archives: Thy Kingdom Come?
First posted in January, 2013: "Thy Kingdom come." It’s probably the most frequently spoken prayer known in Christendom, uttered all over the world daily by multitudes of Christians since time immemorial. We so desperately want the Kingdom of God to come, don’t we? Errr….don’t we? Well…..maybe. Ever considered what we’re actually asking for as we … Continue reading From The Archives: Thy Kingdom Come?
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The Cross and Our Identity Crisis
If your Christian experience has been anything like mine you would regularly have heard that Jesus went to the Cross in your place. The wages of sin is death, right? All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory? And you’d agree that faith in Christ’s substitutionary act on our behalf is foundational to … Continue reading The Cross and Our Identity Crisis
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No Fear? Part One
Part One of Two I always thought I’d run into her in a supermarket aisle or perhaps in the doctor’s rooms. It was neither as it turned out. At the shopping mall, as I emerged from the ladies’ rest room, there she was: approaching the rest room from the opposite direction, in a long narrow … Continue reading No Fear? Part One
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The Question
This is not the post I planned to share today. Today many of us are grappling with deep sadness and questions no one can answer. This weekend we were brought once again to the shattering reality that humanity is in deep, agonising trouble. While politicians promise dramatic responses, musicians comfort us with gentle tunes, and … Continue reading The Question
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From The Archives: No You Can’t, Uh Uh, No Way!
So there was Jesus making His way along the road. And there was the usual crowd, pressing, squabbling, gawking, chattering. Seems a familiar scenario - Jesus and crowds go together, right? No, not this day. This day Jesus turns, faces the crowd and presents them with something they didn’t come for. “You can’t follow Me” … Continue reading From The Archives: No You Can’t, Uh Uh, No Way!
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Unconditional Love – Or Not
Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.( Luke 8:37) “Just go Jesus, OK? We don’t want anything to do with you. Don’t even think about entering this city. We’ve seen … Continue reading Unconditional Love – Or Not
Bread for the Bride 