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
kingdom of God
Grieving In Zion
I can say no more about the poem below than this: there will be those who will treat it like a snack on the run and quickly move on to something more satisfying. Hopefully, there will also be those to whom it will be more like an anticipated expensive meal, to be tasted, carefully considered and allowed to be digested in full. By reading … Continue reading Grieving In Zion
Share this:
About Those Heavenly Places…..
Am I alone in having kept a vague little picture hidden in my mind that I used to pull out and dust off every time I heard the phrase ‘heavenly places’? (I’m guessing I’m probably not.) Take this example for instance: ‘But God….made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up together and made us sit … Continue reading About Those Heavenly Places…..
Share this:
Until Christ Is Formed
Travail. It’s a very outdated way of describing a woman’s heavy labor during childbirth. A word rarely heard these days. Try dropping the word ‘travail’ at the local Playgroup or nearest women’s health clinic and it's pretty certain people will look at you like you just landed from Mars. It’s right up there with: ‘curmudgeon’ … Continue reading Until Christ Is Formed
Share this:
Fire And Water
Last week I clocked up sixty-six years of living on this planet. I like to deal with the mixed emotions advancing years can bring by imagining each passing year as just another mile. The greatest part of my life’s journey has been travelled together with Jesus. Frankly, I wasn’t in much of a mood to celebrate … Continue reading Fire And Water
Share this:
From The Archives: Of His Flesh and Of His Bones: A Mystery
One of the things I like about some more historic versions of the Bible is their poetic language. I know not everyone will agree and some struggle to understand the older translations, so this is purely an individual observation. Modern language translations and paraphrases also have an important place and personally I enjoy consulting a … Continue reading From The Archives: Of His Flesh and Of His Bones: A Mystery
Share this:
Somewhere A Church
Heard the one about there being no perfect church? It goes like this: ‘Well, there’s no perfect church because churches are made up of imperfect people’, or words to that effect. It’s one of those often repeated Christianese statements that have no basis in scripture but are frequently thrown around as if they do. I … Continue reading Somewhere A Church
Share this:
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
Share this:
What’s Mine is Yours
Two friends did everything together. The greatest happiness for each of them was to be in the other’s company. Day and night, whatever they were doing, they sought to be doing it in the companionship of the other one. Hours were spent talking, laughing, confiding, sharing, trusting one another. For each of them this rare … Continue reading What’s Mine is Yours
Share this:
ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Three
Dear friends of Bread for the Bride: I am currently away taking a short break. Thankyou for your continued support for the Bread for the Bride blogsite since I started it in April 2012. And if you are a new subscriber, welcome! There are 193 articles and poetry for you to explore while I am away and … Continue reading ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Three
Share this:
ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Two
Dear friends of Bread for the Bride: I am currently away taking a short break. Thankyou for your continued support for the Bread for the Bride blogsite since I started it in April 2012. And if you are a new subscriber, welcome! There are 193 articles and poetry for you to explore while I am away and … Continue reading ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Two
Share this:
ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part One
Dear friends of Bread for the Bride: I am currently away taking a short break. Thankyou for your continued support for the Bread for the Bride blogsite since I started it in April 2012. And if you are a new subscriber, welcome! There are 193 articles and poetry for you to explore while I am away and … Continue reading ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part One
Share this:
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
Share this:
Burning Questions
There were two burning questions on Jesus’ mind concerning those who followed Him. The first was uttered on the Road to Caesarea Philippi: ‘Who do you say I am?’ The second came not long after, on a day when many would-be disciples turned back from Him: ‘Do you also want to go away?’ Interestingly, both … Continue reading Burning Questions
Share this:
On The Crest Of The Kingdom
So…here we are. Seated in heavenly places as we simultaneously inhabit a world in which we are unwelcome strangers (Eph. 2:6; Phl. 3:20). Sometimes, no often, it seems impossible to reconcile both those truths. When we hit that wall of mental impossibility, we call it ‘mystery’. But then there’s the tension: the daily spiritual, emotional, … Continue reading On The Crest Of The Kingdom
Share this:
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?
Share this:
Lessons From The Wilderness Part Five: The Revelation Of The Son
The Spirit that guides, counsels, comforts and shows us things to come is a Spirit of revelation (Jn. 16:13). He is a revealer. And that which He reveals is Christ. It is always the purpose and ministry of this holy, revealer Spirit who is the very living breath of God, to reveal Christ. There is … Continue reading Lessons From The Wilderness Part Five: The Revelation Of The Son
Share this:
What If Revival Doesn’t Look Like Revival ?
Y'know how everyone says they want revival? And y'know how so many only really want a revival they can control or own or put their name on somehow? Oh, you didn't? OK, we must move in different circles. Nevermind. But have you noticed God's up to something, and it's not in the rule book? Here's something to chew … Continue reading What If Revival Doesn’t Look Like Revival ?
Share this:
From The Archives: Deep, Deep Love
In this season of newness, when we look back at where we have been and contemplate where we may be going, I have decided to share again this post from the Bread for the Bride archives. For all who are in the process of stepping out of the boat and onto the wild water, whatever that may … Continue reading From The Archives: Deep, Deep Love
Share this:
The Jesus That Time Forgot
Until Christ is revealed in us and to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit we cannot know Him. For many Christ followers our journeys begin in a similar way. We hear and believe the gospel and set out expectantly, seeking to know more about this Jesus Christ who took our place on a Roman cross. … Continue reading The Jesus That Time Forgot
Bread for the Bride 