The oneness of Christ’s Body is something we are rarely encouraged to consider. From a safe distance we smile suspiciously at those believers who don’t practice Christianity the same way we do, or who embrace a different view on non-foundational interpretations of scripture. Somewhere in our journey we became convinced that our little crowd, our … Continue reading Discerning The Body, Part Two
Christianity
Discerning the Body
Do you long for real connection with the Body of Christ? Are you tired of all the theories, platitudes, and empty rhetoric about the blessing of being part of His Body while you search for the tangible evidence of that presumed blessing? Is there really a community of people on this earth that continually loves, … Continue reading Discerning the Body
Wait, There’s More
Ten years ago in 2003 I was given the words to a prophetic song (see below). They speak of a time when the Bride of Christ will emerge in the fullness of the stature of Christ. They speak of a coming season, when having embraced His Cross, she will also embrace His resurrection life. That … Continue reading Wait, There’s More
More Than a Shepherd
Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, is a mental picture many of us have embraced since childhood. We love the idea of the softly spoken shepherd tenderly leading His sheep, don’t we? There is a good reason Psalm 23 is one of the most often quoted and well-loved Bible passages. It comforts us to know … Continue reading More Than a Shepherd
Sleeping with the Light On
Darkness can be a deceptive thing. You may be out walking, or busy with some important task, and suddenly you look around to find darkness is descending on you much faster than you had expected. Spiritual darkness has the same quality. While we’re distracted elsewhere, it creeps up on us, subtly invading every aspect of … Continue reading Sleeping with the Light On
The Gift
For the third time, the ageing Pharisee circled the strangely shaped object lying at his feet. No one could tell him who had left it unsolicited outside his door, or even when it had appeared. Wrapped in the skin of a lamb and crudely labelled with just one handwritten Hebrew word, “chen”, its appearance was … Continue reading The Gift
Thy Kingdom Come?
"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 repeat that well-worn phrase? … Continue reading Thy Kingdom Come?
Twisted Truth and Lethal Lies Pt. 3: “I’ll Cover You”
“I’ll Cover Smother You!” Some of you may remember the old western TV shows of the fifties and sixties. “I’ll cover you” was a frequently heard phrase in those shows. It usually meant one cowboy would make a run for it while his/her partner engaged the bad guys with a few well aimed pot shots. … Continue reading Twisted Truth and Lethal Lies Pt. 3: “I’ll Cover You”
Challenging Behaviours
As the mother of a son with Asperger’s Syndrome I’ve had years of opportunity to observe challenging behaviours. Our youngest son, ‘P’ (now 27) has been a constant source of baffling behaviours threatening our family’s accepted ‘norms’ for the last 27 years. The moment comes to mind when he suddenly jumped up and placed an … Continue reading Challenging Behaviours
Incarnation
Shepherds, angels, starry night The sounds of birth An infant’s cry Swaddled now In the arms of earth Stable, manger, oxen stare Wood and straw No room elsewhere Smell of cattle Earthen floor Lowly men and lowly beasts Eyes and hearts Contemplate the humble scene Each one chosen For their part Blood … Continue reading Incarnation
Twisted Truth and Lethal Lies
The Myth of Lawkeeping The Lie: “Jesus said He came to fulfil the law, therefore by His example, I must also make the Ten Commandments my standard for living a Christian life.” The Truth: “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should … Continue reading Twisted Truth and Lethal Lies
The Promise
The breeze toyed playfully with His hair Tugging wistfully at His robe At the tread of His sandals The earth sighed with inexpressible hope Sunlight wrapped joyfully around His frame And danced with delight on His face Waves stumbled softly one over another In gleeful contest to caress His feet Wind and storm bowed willingly … Continue reading The Promise
Law and Spirit
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are IN CHRIST JESUS, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:1-2) Fact One: There is an … Continue reading Law and Spirit
Shedding the Older Brother
For the law was given through Moses....... The ageing prophet trembled as he slowly ascended the smoking mountain. He had come to love and trust the God who had first revealed Himself in the burning bush. He had also come to know Him well enough never to take their friendship for granted. He had seen … Continue reading Shedding the Older Brother
Today if you hear His voice…
God’s purpose has always been to complete what He starts. In nothing is He half-hearted or uncommitted. In leading Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness His intention was always to bring them in to the Promised Land. Far too many didn’t make it. They believed He could deliver them from Egypt, but they … Continue reading Today if you hear His voice…
Destination Christ
The Bride’s journey is not a journey TO somewhere. It’s a journey INTO Someone. Her goal is communion with the Father, by means of the Spirit, through oneness with Christ the Bridegroom. Her destination is nothing less than Christ's fullness (Eph. 4:13). This is the very thing Jesus prayed for in his final hours of … Continue reading Destination Christ
Creation
Creation is groaning Laden with weariness Like a prisoner confined to shadows Aching with indefinable loss Haunted by elusive memories Of a distant day of brightness When nothing hungered And Adam’s touch Was free of fear Creation is listening Straining to hear again The laughter of innocence Echoing like a melodic song Summoning every … Continue reading Creation
Mixing Sacred and Profane
It must have been quite a scene: men running in all directions, frightened sheep bleating, wild-eyed oxen stampeding through the crowds, money scattered on the ground and tables upended. In the middle of it all stood an angry Man wielding a self-made whip, at the same time yelling something about His Father’s house. There was … Continue reading Mixing Sacred and Profane
The Beautiful Journey
Psalm 23 is surely among the best known, best loved of Bible passages. I would like to invite you now to take a fresh look at this well-loved psalm, possibly from a new perspective, for within it is hidden a prophetic picture of the Bride of Christ. The Psalm reveals the Bride’s beautiful journey in … Continue reading The Beautiful Journey
Rocking the Boat
There are two ways to view scripture. Either it’s the word of God to humankind infused with the living Spirit of God whose fruit is always abundant life, or it's the dead letter of religious law-keeping, the fruit of which is always condemnation and spiritual death. The first view is rooted in the sure knowledge … Continue reading Rocking the Boat
