Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18People sometimes wonder, ‘what is God’s will for my life’? Should I be a nurse or a teacher? Should I go to this university or that one? Should I take this job or that one? Most of the time, God doesn’t mind! What is God’s will? That you would rejoice in Christ....  Read More

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9I had only been at church for a few months (many many years ago in a church far far away) before I witnessed a sadly classic ...  Read More

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us today our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from the evil one.’Matthew 6:9-1So finally we get to what is perhaps the big ticket item. ...  Read More

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.2 Corinthians 5:14-15 What does it mean to show thankfulness? I reckon it depends a bit on the context. Someone takes your plate to wash up. Saying thanks seems proporti...  Read More

Q. 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.Westminster Shorter CatechismI’m a Dad. It’s one of my ‘offices’, along with ‘Pastor’, ‘Husband’ and ‘Brother’ (in the Christian sense). An office is a God instituted role that comes with specific respon...  Read More

Give careful thought to the paths for your feetand be steadfast in all your ways.Do not turn to the right or the left;keep your foot from evil.Proverbs 4:26-27I remember the first time I skied down a double black run at Perisher. Well, more like tumbled down. It was icy on the slopes and I kept edging as best I could (going across the slope rather than straight down). But eventually, I caught some...  Read More

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Let’s do a quick recap of last Tuesday and Saturday’s blog. Prayer is calling on the name of the Lord for Him to keep His promises. It’s to ask Him to save us and others from our sins. It's to call on Him to restore all things according to His purposes....  Read More

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,    to receive glory and honor and power,for you created all things,    and by your will they were created    and have their being.”Revelation 4:11Here’s an amazing scene. The throneroom of Heaven. Angelic beings and people surrounding the King, crying out in worship to Him. What an amazing sight. Better yet what an amazing sound. I’ve always loved the parade afte...  Read More

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.1 Peter 2:4-5At dedicated moments throughout the year, Israel would gather together at the tabernacle and later the temple to offer sacrifices...  Read More

Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.Genesis 4:25-26Ok, so we left off on Tuesday with a question. Why did these early inhabitants of the earth begin to call on the n...  Read More

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.Ephesians 2:8-9On weekday mornings at the Canosa household we do family breakfast. On Mondays, we memorise something from the Bible. Tuesday-Thursday, it’s working through ‘Exploring the Bible Together’ by David Murray. On Fridays, we spend time givin...  Read More

Q. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?A. Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of her yet without sin.Westminster Shorter CatechismMythology contains many stories of ‘gods’ taking on human form. The Greek gods were described as devious ch...  Read More