There’s something profoundly significant in the statement “From this day on I will bless you” As you read it or hear it, I wonder how you are responding? I wonder if you are asking whether this statement could apply to you and your church right now? If from now on God will bless you, then… Continue reading “I will bless you”
Tag: blessing
Does God sometimes reward sin?
When Abraham goes to Egypt because of a famine in the land of Cannan and attempts to pass off Sarai his wife as being just his sister, the consequences for Pharoah are serious. God strikes Egypt with plagues. However, Abraham, himself appears to do well out of it. First, we are told that “when Pharaoh’s… Continue reading Does God sometimes reward sin?
Some advice on preaching feedback
One of the best ways you can bless a preacher, no matter how long they have been preaching for is to give them feedback. It blesses them in a few ways. One way is that it helps them to know that someone has been listening. One of the toughest times for preachers was during the… Continue reading Some advice on preaching feedback
Abraham’s heirs
Galatians 3 finishes by describing the church, Jews and Gentiles alike as “Abraham’s heirs”. This is an important principle that we find in Romans 9-11 as well. The Jews saw themselves as God’s chosen people because they could trace their ethnic lineage back to Abraham, the recipient of the Covenant. They saw themselves as heirs… Continue reading Abraham’s heirs
The curse
When the people of Israel came out of Egypt, God gave them The Law in the wilderness at Sinai. Then, before they were about to go into Canaan, Moses in effect set before them a choice between curse and blessings. This choice was to be enacted in a covenant ceremony. The people were to pass… Continue reading The curse
Two Trees: Two Ways To Live
I believe that there is a single choice running through Scripture. It’s the choice that we find here in Genesis 2-3, it’s offered to the people of Israel at the end of Deuteronomy, it’s the choice that Christ makes at Calvary and we too are called to make that choice in response to the Gospel.… Continue reading Two Trees: Two Ways To Live
“Go to the land I will show you “-Abraham and God’s place
When God tells Abraham to go to the place or land he is going to show him, Abraham obeys. This is despite all the challenges and obstacles that he faces. God has promised the land to him and his descendants, but he is old, without children and the land is already occupied. Not only is… Continue reading “Go to the land I will show you “-Abraham and God’s place
Not without hope
Genesis 11 paints a pretty hopeless picture. The new, post flood humanity have in effect squandered the blessings and privileges of the covenant with Noah. Their hubristic rebellion against God has been crushed, they are divided by language and scattered across the world of the day. However, at the end of the chapter, we are… Continue reading Not without hope
Blessing from nowhere
I was talking with my friend Dan James about sermon he was preparing for his church on Haggai 2 the other day and was struck by something fascinating. Have a look at Haggai 2:10-19. What stood out to me was verse 19: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree,… Continue reading Blessing from nowhere
Learning to love one another (changing our culture)
So, how do we develop a culture of grace within the church where one another love is witnessed and experienced? In this post, I want to make a couple of suggestions. First of all, it has to be modelled by pastors and leaders. This means that we need to prioritise choosing elders and appointing pastors… Continue reading Learning to love one another (changing our culture)
Faithroots 