“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20 NIV)
Just before His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, Jesus seeks to explain to His Disciples what will be the consequences for them of all that is about to happen.
The Holy Spirit will come to reveal to them the truth of what has taken place and of who Jesus is and who they are in Him.

‘I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.’ (Jude v3 NIV)
I was recently looking at one of the coins I received in my change and noticed that around the Queen’s portrait is the inscription ‘ELIZABETH II D.G. REG. FD.’
This stands for ‘Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor’. It’s a Latin phrase, found on all of the UK’s coins, which is translated as ‘Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.’

‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.’ (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)
If you were in conversation with someone who wasn’t a Christian and they asked you, ‘what is it that you believe?’ how would you answer them?

‘Above all, love each other deeply’ (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)
Like the majority of people in the UK I was saddened and appalled at the shooting and stabbing of the Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, resulting in her death on 16 June 2016.

And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24–25 NRSV)
In his book, Church, Ministry and Sacraments, C.K. Barrett makes this perceptive observation: “‘in the New Testament the church is at the same time central and peripheral’. (p.9)”.

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV)
Pioneer 10 must be considered one of the most successful spacecraft of all time.
Designed for deep-space exploration, which at the time of its launch in 1972 meant pretty much anything beyond the moon, Pioneer 10 achieved a number of firsts while sending back valuable data along the way.

“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11 NRSV) The story of the Maccabee’s victory over the powerful Greek army is a fascinating one. The Greek army exerted a very heavy hand against the Jews, determining to crush the Jewish religion. They […]

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26 NIV) Words have power. The writer of proverbs tells us that, ‘The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the […]

‘we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory’ (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV) The heart of the Christian walk is being transformed into the likeness of Christ, becoming more like him. This is a really positive goal to have and yet it is hugely ambitious. The extent of […]

‘walk by the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16 NIV) The Nicene Creed states, that ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life’, affirming what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17, ‘the Lord is the Spirit’. Commenting on this Tom Torrance writes, ‘…God himself …immediately present in our midst, miraculously and savingly […]

‘for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible’ (Colossians 1:16 NRSV) God by Christ created not just human beings and animals, but also angels. Angels are a bit of an embarrassment to many Western Christians today and are often explained away or ignored completely. In Scripture, by contrast, they […]

‘I will not tolerate anyone who secretly slanders his neighbors; I will not permit conceit and pride.’ (Psalm 101:5 Living Bible) Now that Jesus has returned to his Father we are left with his Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us but we are also left with a third gift: each other. Now that’s a significant challenge […]

‘I pray also for those who will believe in me through [the disciple’s] message’ (John 17:20 NIV) Do you find it difficult to pray sometimes? I know I do. The words don’t always come; we can be too tired in the morning or the evening, and during the day our time can all too easily be filled […]

“These men who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 ESV) It’s not uncommon to hear people, even Christians, say things like, ‘The church in the UK is finished’, or ‘The church is only a generation away from extinction’. This is a rather jaundiced view of Christianity which if it is allowed to spread will infect […]

‘The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.’ (James 5:16 NRSV) Do you believe things will happen when you pray? I have to admit that sometimes my prayers have been more wishful thinking than believing, trusting petitions to my Abba with the confidence he will answer. If you are in that position you are in good […]

‘You have turned my mourning into dancing’ (Psalm 30:11 NRSV) I was recently intrigued by a true story that came out of China. In 1966, the Cultural Revolution closed all churches and religious places of worship in China, whether from Taoism, Confucianism, Islam or Christianity. Henan province was declared an ‘atheistic zone’ by the authorities. A house […]

‘Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.’ (Mark 16:6 NIV) The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the great claim of Christians – But can we believe that this event actually took place? Jesus had predicted that he would rise from […]

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NIV) The Israelites had just been freed from Egypt in a miraculous act of deliverance, but were they happy? No they were not. They moaned and grumbled and gripped about their situation. I doubt that there are […]

Thomas said to [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 NIV) What do you think of Jesus’ disciple Thomas? It’s unfortunate that some 2,000 years after he lived we still refer to him as, ‘Doubting Thomas’; not a very flattering epitaph to be saddled with is it? But I rather like him. He wasn’t […]

‘Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26 NIV) Have you ever seen ‘The Apprentice’ on the TV? All of the candidates to be Lord Sugar’s apprentice have to complete a CV documenting who they are and what they have achieved. Towards the end of the process the […]