Category: Uncategorized
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Do not judge (2 Kings 9-10; Psalm 49; Matt 7)
“Do not judge” – this must be one of the most loved and most quoted Bible verses! Whereas in the past it would have been John 3:16, now everyone loves saying “do not judge”. But what was Jesus actually getting at when he said “do not judge”? As with all Scripture, we need to read…
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Do not be anxious (2 Kings 7-8; 2 Chr 21; Matt 6)
I love Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34. What peace He offers to a world full of trouble and anxiety. If only we would listen! It’s so easy to get caught up in worry and anxiety. I remember talking to someone who said it was hard to have to learn to stand on their own two…
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Why is grace so hard to accept? (2 Kings 4-6; Matt 5)
Naaman was really unwell, he had a form of leprosy, an awful skin disease. In his house he had a servant girl from Israel. She had been taken captive, but amazingly God worked in her life so that she loved her enemy (something Jesus commands in Matthew 5). She sought good for the man who…
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Secure in Christ (2 Kings 2-3; Ps 48; Matt 4)
Have you explored and meditated on the security that Jesus offers? Psalm 48 invites us to do just that. It’s a Psalm that praises God for who He is, how great He is, and how great His place is. The Psalmist invites to walk around and see (v12). When God is your God, you don’t…
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Where to turn in trouble? (2 Chr 19-20; 2 Kin 1; Ps 20; Matt 3)
Where do you turn when trouble comes? Jehoshaphat was afraid, it’s not surprising 3 of the superpowers of the day were coming against him in battle! (2 Chronicles 20). What did he do with his fear? He set his face to seek the LORD. He turned towards the LORD and not away from him. He…
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Leadership matters (1 Kings 22; 2 Chr 18; Matt 2)
What makes a good leader? In 1 Kings 22 we see two very different leaders. The difference is in how they treat God. When a decision has to be made Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah seeks God (v5). He wants to know and obey what the Lord says. This is what we should look for…
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Surprises in Jesus’ family tree (1 Kings 19-21; 2 Chr 17; Ps 129; Matt 1)
How far back can you trace your family tree? Have you had any good or perhaps embarrassing surprises? Matthew begins his gospel by going back 42 generations in the family tree of Jesus!In the first Century the family tree, the genealogy was a way of saying to the world “This is who I am.” It…
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Zeal for God (1 Kin 17-18; Ps 119; Jude)
“My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.” (Psalm 119:136) The psalmist had a real passion that God’s Word was heard, delighted in and obeyed. As we read this challenging Psalm, we should we pray that God would give us a greater desire to follow Him. In our reading from…
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A bad end (2 Chr 15-16; 1 Kin 16; Philemon)
Is it more important how you begin or how you finish? Asa had begun so well, he’d helped to reform the country by returning to the Word of God (2 Chr 14-15). He had relied on the Lord when trouble came, he got rid of the idols and sacrificed to the Lord. What went wrong?…
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Be gentle (1 Kin 15; 2 Chr 13-14; Titus 3)
What has happened to gentleness? I think it’s something that today’s world would benefit from greatly! There are plenty of people who are polite on the surface, but cross them and they explode! What has happened to gentleness? We are supposed to be a tolerant society, but try disagreeing with those who say we should…
Light and Momentary Troubles 