Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.Romans 12:15Have you ever felt like you had to put on a ‘front’ as you walked into Church? That somehow you had to pull it together and at least appear like everything was ok, no not just ok, but great :) I’ve experienced this. Why does this happen?Well, I want to take responsibility, sometimes it was my pride, I didn’t want to be seen to ...  Read More

7 “When my life was ebbing away,    I remembered you, Lord,and my prayer rose to you,    to your holy temple.8 “Those who cling to worthless idols    turn away from God’s love for them.9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,    will sacrifice to you.What I have vowed I will make good.    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”Jonah 2:7-9One of the hallmarks of previous generations was a dee...  Read More

For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful,I know that full well.My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed body;all the days ordained for me were written in your bookbefore one of the...  Read More

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?A. God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.Westminster Shorter CatechismOurs is a tale of two estates (think household -...  Read More

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember...  Read More

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.Jonah 1:17It was only 2021 when a scuba diving lobster fisherman in Cape Cod (USA) was accidentally sucked into the mouth of a humpback whale. For 30-40 seconds. He went to hospital with significant tissue damage but no broken bones.Why only 30-40 seconds? Well, humpback whales...  Read More

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.Romans 3:23-24Few verses proclaim the gospel so succinctly. All have sinned. All who are justified are so by grace alone and Christ alone. It’s worth breaking down a little.Sinned → none live up to the standard of goodness that God created us for and de...  Read More

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.I will consider all your worksand meditate on all your mighty deeds.”Psalm 77:11-12I encourage you to go and read all of Psalm 77 if you can. It’s a wonderful example of why God’s people sing. The Psalmist is in a dark place. Feeling forgotten by God. Ever been there?But what does the Psalmist do? Verse 6, he reme...  Read More

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.Jonah 1:3Have you ever tried to ‘flee from God’? No, probably not physically - although maybe you tried.But maybe think of it this way. Have you felt/thought God was telling you to do someth...  Read More

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God.Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.John 11:41I remember when the whole family got COVID. It was in the time when you had to stay at home until you tested negative. We were stuck in the house together with varying degrees of sickness for four days. Suffice to say there was some tension! It’s usually the complaining tha...  Read More

Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.Westminster Shorter CatechismYep. We skipped a couple of questions. Sometimes the old English Puritans could be a bit too thorough. But that can also be hel...  Read More

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.Proverbs 11:2Do you remember arguing with a parent or a teacher about something, only to find out later that you were wrong. It’s not a nice feeling, particularly if others were watching. It’s something I've experienced too many times. But what if the disgrace isn’t the worst part?Maybe it’s that I rejected an opportunity to gro...  Read More