Imagine yourself in this scenario. You are on a train travelling at high speed, a speed that grows faster with each passing moment. You are in a crowded carriage where every other passenger is seated. But you are standing in the aisle, trying very hard to stay on your feet as the train’s … Continue reading The Old Man and The Train
kingdom of God
From the Archives: The Courts of the King
And Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him.’ For much of my Christian life, I have found that simple Old Testament statement profoundly intriguing. What did it mean that Enoch walked with God to the extent that God found it irresistible to remove him from this earthly life into His … Continue reading From the Archives: The Courts of the King
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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 Of His Flesh and Of His Bones: A Mystery
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So You Want To Be A Lover
Rumour has it I’m pretty much a failure when it comes to loving the brethren. If you like your dollops of Christian love handed over with bear hugs, chatty phone calls and affectionate enquiries about every tiny corner of your life, I may as well warn you now I’m not the one you’re looking for. Pass me by … Continue reading So You Want To Be A Lover
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When Jesus Isn’t Enough
The young pastor peered intensely at me through searching brown eyes, trying hard to articulate his dilemma. “Tell me, please tell me, how can I move my ministry into these wonderful things that have been promised to me and that I so desire? I believe you can instruct me in this.” Sitting across the table … Continue reading When Jesus Isn’t Enough
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From The Archives: Where Do You Live?
Ladies, gentlemen, young people, please fasten your seat belts as we make our final ascent to our destination. As you disembark please take a few moments for your eyesight to adjust to the brightness, which is due to the total lack of darkness in your new host country. To assist you in settling comfortably into … Continue reading From The Archives: Where Do You Live?
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Endless Life
Eternal life is so much more than a vague never ending timeline of Heavenly ‘happy ever after’ waiting for us after this life finishes. This thing we commonly call ‘eternity’ cannot be adequately measured within the framework of any human definition. Eternal life is essentially the supernatural, abundant, endless, pure life of Christ into which … Continue reading Endless Life
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For Black Sheep and Misfits
My favourite childhood uncle died last week. The combination of age (he was in his eighties), dementia and Parkinson’s disease finally became too much. I had seen him only once in the last ten years, but my strongest memories of him will always be childhood ones. I remember him as a kind and trustworthy man. … Continue reading For Black Sheep and Misfits
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When Jesus Wept
When Jesus wept at Bethany What sorrow did His heart conceive? Was it unbelief in all its masks That caused His overflowing grief? That human eyes that day conveyed While human tongues unknown betrayed? When Jesus wept at Bethany Did He weep for you and me? When Jesus wept at Bethany What aching filled His gentle … Continue reading When Jesus Wept
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Exploring Community Part Two: True and False Community
We have seen how the very essence of authentic community lies within the mystery of Three in One Elohyim: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwelling eternally as vibrant, living, loving community among Themselves. We have seen how humanity is incapable of creating community, for it is not created, it is imparted. Apart from ongoing … Continue reading Exploring Community Part Two: True and False Community
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Exploring Community Part One: In the Beginning
In the beginning Elohyim¹, the One God who is True and who Lives, the God who is Three in One, the God besides whom there is no other god². And this true, living God who is perfect Oneness is also a community of three divine personalities: the Father, divine Lifegiver; the Son, divine Utterance; and … Continue reading Exploring Community Part One: In the Beginning
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Sinnerwoman and The Bride, Reblogged from May 2012
The Bride of Christ can be likened to a woman, a known sinner, arriving unexpectedly at a banquet held by a respected religious leader. Entering unannounced, her eyes quickly scan the room for one face, the face of Jesus Christ. At first few notice her uninvited intrusion, caught up as they are in conversation and … Continue reading Sinnerwoman and The Bride, Reblogged from May 2012
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So It’s Really Not About Me? Really??
Our Father has one holy, consuming passion, a passion that we find difficult to perceive. It is the revealing of His Son. It pleases God immensely to reveal His Son. From the beginning, the ongoing revelation of His Son has been, and continues to be, God’s chief delight and primary objective (John 5:39). It fills … Continue reading So It’s Really Not About Me? Really??
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The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives
We spoke little as we hurried through the streets of Jerusalem. Slivers of warm sunlight were already piercing the dying darkness as the long night fled away. I pulled my cloak tightly around my face as if to protect myself against the harsh realities coming daylight would bring. Between us we carried the oil and … Continue reading The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives
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ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Three
For a fuller understanding of this article please first read Altar, Temple, Kingdom Part One and Altar, Temple, Kingdom Part Two. As Jesus related parable after parable to demonstrate kingdom life He presented to His hearers a Kingdom not to be imagined in a distant future but freely available in the present, or ‘at hand’. … Continue reading ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Three
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ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Two
The Kingdom For a much fuller understanding of this article please first read Altar, Temple, Kingdom Part One here. Word spread like wildfire through the inhabitants of Jerusalem that amazing day. Jesus of Nazareth was approaching the city! Many had already witnessed his signs and listened intently to His teachings, but this day was different. … Continue reading ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part Two
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ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part One
The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the … Continue reading ALTAR, TEMPLE, KINGDOM Part One
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Sacred Space
We sit comfortably on specially provided green plastic chairs, our bottled water, with our Bibles, close at hand on the small table that serves as a pulpit. The young girls have lovingly covered the old table with a pristine white lace tablecloth…..a prized possession in this small house. Outside the half open door people wander … Continue reading Sacred Space
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Featured Poem for February: All The Way Home
Bread for the Bride will take a short break for a couple of weeks while I am away teaching in Asia. In the meantime here is the featured work of poetry for this new month of February. This is a new poem called All the Way Home, previously unpublished. I hope it blesses you immensely. =============================== … Continue reading Featured Poem for February: All The Way Home
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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 No You Can’t, Uh Uh, No Way!
Bread for the Bride 