She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the...
Swaddled
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Recent articles
Coming of the King – Advent peace
This is the second in a series of studies on Advent. ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour...
Christmas unwrapped – fruitful
This is the first in a series of Christmas studies. ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you...
More than wishful thinking
…God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (ESV) We are used to hearing the word ‘hope’ used within the context of...
HOW DO I WITNESS?
This is surely a question we have all asked ourselves. Am I doing it the way Jesus wants me to? Am I doing it at all? My Collins dictionary...
God’s constant love
How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own...
Face to face
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.Psalm 80: 3 (NIVUK) Imagine for a moment that a teenager is not behaving as his...
The great unwashed
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our...
Eyes on the prize?
…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God...
Preach the word!
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me…2 Timothy 4:17 (NKJV) Paul pleads with...
The longings of God
As humans, we all have longings. The dictionary defines longing as “a strong desire especially for something unattainable: craving.” Longings can be...
THE DAYS OF SMALL THINGS
I have recently read a novel called ‘The day of small things.’ It is a book I shall easily forget except for the title. No exciting events, no...
Preach the word!
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me…2 Timothy 4:17 (NKJV) Paul pleads with...
Where does patriarchy come from?
August is Women’s month in South Africa. We celebrate Women’s Day on the 9th of August. I have heard some men lamenting the fact that we don’t have...
Exchanging bad for good
A line from an old country song says if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Another old saying is that bad things come in threes....
Steadfast Stephen
They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…Acts 6:5 (NIV) If someone asked me which book in the Bible is a good place to...
The route to personal fulfilment
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39 (NIV) You may be familiar with...
Abba Father
…And by him [The Holy Spirit] we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’Romans 8:15 (NIVUK) A key role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian is...
A double minded man
… For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.Romans 7:18 (NIV) Peter Mill Paul’s famous struggle laid bare in chapter 7 of...
Mission possible
“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”Acts 1:8 (NIV) As I was growing up one of the...
THE BLESSING OF A FATHER
In South Africa we celebrate Fathers’ Day on June 18. Personally I have good memories of my own father who was rather strict by today’s standards,...
MOTHERHOOD – A CHALLENGE
Yesterday – 14th May, we celebrated Mothers’ Day. Is being a mother a challenge? As a great grandmother I can say yes! We have surely all...
Incognito royalty
Passengers on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines may be surprised to know that on any number of flights over the past few decades, they were flying with...
Another advocate
“…and he will give you another advocate to help you…”John 14:16 (NIV) We have all heard the expression ‘Would you like another… ?’ You fill in the...
We were there
Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.John 19:40 (NKJV) This...
The Lamb was silent
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is...
Not surprised or offended
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but Easter may be one of the most significant events in history and of the Christian calendar....
WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED FREEDOM?
Freedom means many different things to many different people. For a great majority of South Africans it means freedom from the injustice of...
Peace with God
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 5:1 (ESV) When I was a young girl, I...
Light and darkness
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.1 John 1:5 (NKJV) There is...
How can it be?
Think about it. A King who committed adultery and murder! A man who was ruthless at times - so much so that God forbade him to build the temple...
The Ascension and the Return of Christ
In Acts 1:9, we are told: After Jesus said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. I would like to...
The point of no return
Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.Psalm 23:4 (NLT)Built into every airlines...
Faith and funerals
Funerals are big business in South Africa. For those watching morning or evening television, adverts for funeral policies are everywhere....
A tender trap
I have never thought of myself as an escapist, but I confess to switching to the animal channels when the news gets too heavy to bear and the...
The trinity revealed
A few weeks ago I attended a friends church. As the service began, the choir began to sing an old hymn. It was a paraphrase of Martin Luthers...