Being in The Courts of the King A few weeks ago, I was considering the concept of the courts of the king – in medieval concepts as well as ancient (like David and Saul) – even looking up visual representations on what it actually looked like and how it functioned.  Simultaneously, I was going through what some may call ‘a dry season’. To be honest, I don’t even know how long I have been in this season for. It seemed that life and distractions kept getting in the way of everything and suddenly I was dry. As it is in the natural when you are working without thinking about water…

For the last week or so we have seen a shift in how the church perceives itself. In the western world compared to other regions, we can practice our faith in relative in peace and safety. It is therefore jarring to see someone who is killed for their faith.  Charlie Kirk’s murder was a tragedy and injustice beyond comprehension, although we can see in Charlie an example of someone who saw the risk and danger of seeking the lost worth the price he could pay. Yet, there has been a sharp response within the Church. There are few people today in the western world who have been so impactful as Charlie Kirk…

Love has been a word that has been used in countless contexts in the English language. Often we forget that for the single English word, there are eight Greek counterparts: Eros (intimate love), Mania (obsessive devotion), Ludus (playful / flirtatious),  Phillia (friendship), Storge (parental love), Philautia (self-love) and Xenia (hospitality). Finally, Agape, the love the Bible speaks about. (source below) Agape is an ancient Greek word (generally written as agapaw), generally meaning affection – but in the biblical context (agape) is much deeper. Specifically the self-giving love between God and humans, and by extension the love between Christians. The love of God towards us is such a profound concept – a love that existed before time and compelled Jesus willingly to the cross. A love that compelled God, the source…

The False Report Psalm 3 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. (Verse 1-3) We’ve all felt in too deep, from time to time. Perhaps it’s the sickening feeling of a bad day. For some, it’s investments that have failed to thrive; some have seen natural disasters break all they thought was secure. David wrote those words at a desperate time – and of the people he called foes – he once called them generals, friends and even son. In the…

The Sword of the Spirit I have looked through the Armor of God in the last few months and left only the Sword of the Spirit. I have heard many examples of why the Word of God is considered like a sword, and I do not doubt that each one is applicable. I like the image of the Word of God being likened to a short Roman sword that could be used to excise arrows that had made it through defenses – as indeed God’s word has power over the poisonous words of our enemy. The word of God is a great tool of defense against lies, as truth is…

                ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.’Prov 13:12 There is a difference between hope and dreaming. One can dream of seeing the stars in space, but most people don’t hope to actually do it.   Hope is not a passive thing – it is an active function. It is an invisible rope one holds to a future they are yet to see, in the hope of drawing it near. Without hope, one cannot have faith, as faith is the very substance of the things we hope for. (Hebrews 11.1) It is the ability to stand on what may seem to…

The oil stain Many years ago, on a Saturday afternoon, I was changing the oil in my car in the car park of the apartment block we lived in. I’m generally quite capable of this without spilling oil and making a mess, but this time, something fell and splashed oil everywhere. I cleaned up all I could, but I was worried about a stain on the concrete—something that would attract an angry letter from the apartment block manager. I had no time to attend to it any further, I locked my car and rushed in for dinner. The next day it still weighed heavily on my mind while I drove…

Walking with a Cast On Hi friends, Lana and I were teaching in our school last week on the importance of being free of a victim mentality. During the session, a picture came to mind that I felt to share as an encouragement and exhortation to you on this list. Imagine, you hear about a friend who had broken their leg, and now had a plaster cast on – as is the process of healing. I have known people to have a cast on for six weeks, sometimes twelve, depending on the break. But if you saw your friend six months later still with a cast, trying to walk on it (as…

In the Image of God The Bible begins its story with perhaps the most amazing example of power. With words: God spoke, and His words manifested physical realities. It once occurred to me that God could never lie, at the utterance of His word, whatever He uttered would be manifest. If He spoke something that was not yet truth – it would be truth by the time He finished the statement. What is remarkable also, is the concept that we are made in His image. The word ‘image’ is ‘tselem.’ (Hebrew) It is used 17 times in the Old Testament. A few times about man being made in the image…

Belt of Truth ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ That’s a phrase my mother used to say, often, as we were growing up. I was a rambunctious kid like many others, although generally well natured (in my recollection).  Nonetheless, there still occurred the occasional broken plant pot, cracked window or other broken item that I would be tempted to conceal my responsibility in their destruction. It rarely worked, and repercussions were often greater because of it. Truth, today, seems to be an easily lost commodity. It can be shaded to hide injustices or even to create injustice. Especially in our social and political climate. In our day as much as it was…