Love, the reality check John's first epistle seeks, among other things, to delineate the marks of a true Christian. And no characteristic features more strongly than love for our fellow believers. John's teaching on this matter is well summarised in 1 John 3:10-19. The apostle recognised that the churches to which he wrote contained both…
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The fruit of faithfulness Faithfulness is unfashionable. It is not highly esteemed in our day, whether, generally, in marriage and everyday life, or in Christian commitment and obedience to God's word. The account in 2 Kings 4:42-44, where Elisha fed 100 people from a backpack, may therefore be instructive. The man who was faithful We read, 'There…
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Waking up to God Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah, was suffering thirst - along with the kings of Israel and Edom. Their armies, bent on punishing Moab for rebelling against Israel, had marched for seven days through the wilderness of Edom without finding water to sustain them (2 Kings 3:1-9). But this was Israel's quarrel,…
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The ever-present God 'Am I a God who is only close at hand?' says the Lord. 'No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?' says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:23-24). The God we worship is the…
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Only oil The prophet's widow was experiencing hard times. Not only had she lost her husband and fallen into debt, but her creditor was threatening to take her two sons into slavery as repayment. She cried to Elisha for help in her distress and poverty (2 Kings 4:1-7). Perhaps we have here a portrait of…
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Sometimes the briefest conversations can be the most important. We find an example in Isaiah 40:6 - 'The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?”' The commentators argue over who said what, and in a sense it doesn't matter. But I shall assume that 'the voice' that says 'cry out'…
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Earthquakes The largest earthquake to hit Britain for 25 years struck only a month ago, in the early hours of Wednesday 27 February 2008. Although its epicentre was in Lincolnshire, the ten-second long tremor was felt throughout England and Wales. The Association of British Insurers estimated it caused damage of more than £10 million. Mercifully, there…
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Comment: The anointingWhat makes a true believer abide in the doctrine of the apostles and not fall away from following Christ? Having described some who had departed from the faith, John declares that those who persevere 'have an anointing from the Holy One' (1 John 2:18-27). They embraced the apostolic faith because they had…
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CommentMore than a dreamThe words 'I have a dream' were made famous by American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King, in a speech in Washington DC in 1963. He ended the speech with the words: 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!' By any measure this was…
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Comment: Witness, false and trueThere have been several high profile cases recently of people being unjustly accused of serious crimes when there was no genuine evidence against them. Madeleine McCann's parents were accused of accidentally killing their daughter and fabricating her abduction. A bizarre example at the end of November was the accusation that…
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CommentThe joy of the LordCan a believer ever be carefree and happy in the face of a malicious devil, a hostile world and a consciousness of remaining indwelling sin? One popular model of sanctification has it that the believer at his best will constantly be beating his breast - always parading before his conscience…
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Comment Grace works Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). Some reformed Christians have problems with verses such as this. They either ignore them or accuse of legalism anyone who dares to refer to them.…
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