In Matthew chapter 10, we read Jesus sending out His sheepish yet hard-core company of followers into a dangerous world with the gospel and an express set of instructions that are particularly interesting – particularly interesting because He usually didn’t prescribe formulas for miracles. There was no Visa, no North Face apparel, no weekending bagContinue reading “Masquerading Messengers of Light”
Category Archives: Worship, Music and Song
Exercising an Exorcising Faith
I love thinking about Jesus. Because His name is inextricably linked with infinite, creative power, even my thoughts about Him hold potential to change my heart. Indeed, the epic hymn Be Thy My Vision exclaims, Thou my best Thought, by day or by night… So, settling down with the Bible in hand and regularly spending timeContinue reading “Exercising an Exorcising Faith “
Daddy’s Little Girl
This month I’ve worked with a local singer/song-writer to produce a special film adapting a powerful Brennan Manning story from one of my favourite books, The Furious Longing of God.
Manchester’s 23rd Body
I write a lot. I actually write an average of thee blog articles every week including for several online magazines. This means that I can occasionally lapse into carelessness when it comes to forming ideas, concepts and sentences; or rush and take the proverbial half-baked loaf out of the blog oven before a post is reallyContinue reading “Manchester’s 23rd Body”
Ready: Developing Affections in an Adulterous World
“Listen! My beloved! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.” He’s leaping and bounding towards us. He’s coming over the horizon. He’s walking up the road. He’ll be here any moment. What do you do? Tidy the house? Hide? Run out to meet him. And he says: Arise, come withContinue reading “Ready: Developing Affections in an Adulterous World”
Carried Along (5 minute study of 2 Peter 3)
I was reading 2 Peter earlier this morning in the ESV as I leaned in to God for a cuddle. A phrase struck me that I found immediately vivid and helpful: Right at the beginning of the letter in 1:21, Peter refers to the human writers of Scripture who were “carried along” by the HolyContinue reading “Carried Along (5 minute study of 2 Peter 3)”
Ready: The No. 1 Hallmark of a Healthy Christian
Your Spiritual Spring Clean “I will agree with something Godly, righteous and true, nod my head, allow my heart to rise, even say ‘amen!’ out loud and then…do nothing.” Last week I encouraged you to go away, get alone with God and begin a conversation with Him about how you might begin to convert thoughtsContinue reading “Ready: The No. 1 Hallmark of a Healthy Christian”
Ready: Living Prepared For The Coming Storm
Living urgently, alertly and appropriately replete in the 21st Century has been the focus of this blog series so far. Thomas, Andy and Joshua have kindly helped us to honestly consider our Christian lifestyles, provoked by Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and to what extent we’re living with urgency or lethargy, with alertness or sleepinessContinue reading “Ready: Living Prepared For The Coming Storm”
Speak
Psalm 29 pictures the holy voice of Yahweh as being like a thundering force of such powerful glory that it breaks Cedars of Lebanon, strips vast forests back to their bone and provokes adoring worship in all the earth. His speaking voice is like a cloud of stone-softening exhale as Kings and Presidents plot, asContinue reading “Speak “
Ready: Living Alert in a Sleepy World
Are we asleep to this gospel? Am I really living as if this is true – that Jesus is coming back – maybe later today – to punish rebels and reward his waiting bride? Have we replaced the bracing realities of the gospel with “evenings without number obliterated by television, evenings neither of entertainment nor of education, but of narcotised defence against time” (Neuhaus, Freedom for Ministry, p. 227)?
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