Category Archives: New Testament

Testimony

Michelle

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Michelle had never considered herself to be a particularly bad person, so why did she feel the need to repent?

‘For as long as I can remember, I have believed that the Bible tells the truth about who Jesus is. My parents were believers and our family went to church every week. My parents’ faith and lifestyle of ministry and service was always a household priority. My mum was unwell throughout much of my childhood, and her bed-based Bible reading, prayer life and unwavering faith was very noticeable to me. So too was my dad’s commitment to Mum and us children, and his trust in God despite Mum’s very difficult health circumstances.
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What does a ‘Personal Devotion’ look like?

Personal Devotion

I had become a Christian around the age of twenty, it was six months on. One of my new friends, a Christian guy whom I had met at church asked me: ‘How are you enjoying the Christian Life’!

How would you answer that?

I had no idea what to say. ‘Um…it’s good I guess!…I am enjoying finding out more about Jesus…Um…is that what you were asking?’

Seeing my discomfort, he asked ‘Are you enjoying your Personal Devotions?’

Well now I was totally lost! What on earth did he mean by ‘personal devotions’ – is he asking if I have stuffed up like I used too? (the answer was yes, but I didn’t really want to tell him that). Was there something that I was supposed to be doing that I had not read in the manual of How to be a good Christian?!

‘Um, I’m not sure what you mean’ I ventured. ‘Your Quiet Times?’ he said. Nope, still no help. Maybe being a Christian meant that sometime in the day I was supposed to be silent and quiet, and although I didn’t think I was particularly loud, I know that I had not given any thought to the idea of being quiet!  Oh help.

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Eternal New Year’s Resolutions

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  1. Clean my teeth twice daily
  2. Always stick to the speed limit
  3. No Chocolate
  4. Don’t lose my temper with the kids
  5. Always meet deadlines
  6. Weed each week

Are you a New Year’s resolution kind of person? If so, then today is a good day to be thinking about your new year’s resolutions! It is also a good time to review how you are going in faith. Would it not be a great thing if (by God’s Grace and with his help) in a years’ time you were even more godly than you might be today?

To start the year I thought I might offer some suggestions for resolutions which may have eternal benefits (rather than just annual benefit!)…

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Testimony

Caroline

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What was the problem that Caroline faced?

I became a believer in Jesus because I realised that just being a good person wasn’t good enough. As a child, I knew a little about God—I believed that he was there, and he was powerful, and I would pray to him occasionally—but I didn’t have a relationship with him. When I was in primary school, my mother was diagnosed with cancer again, and over the next year or so of her illness, I particularly saw my parents living out their faith in Jesus. Mum died when I was 10, and I know that she is, and will be, living with Jesus forever. Continue reading →

Book Review: Honest Evangelism

Honest Evangelism – How to talk about Jesus even when it’s tough by Rice Tice with Carl Leferton (UK: Good Book Company, 2015).Honest Evangelism

Reviewed by Peter Blyth

I hope everyone has a great and wonderful new year and to pray for opportunities to share and be witnesses to Christ’s identity, mission and call to respond to him in faith.

I have be reading a short little book by Rico Tice (Associate Minister at All Souls Langham Place, London) and I think it is really helpful and offers some great tips to engage our family and friends with the good news of who Jesus is. There are simple yet effective ways of speaking Jesus into peoples hearts.

Following are some helpful hints summarized from the book:

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O Holy Night

5pm Christmas Logo

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

What a magnificent way to end a Carols event – to have many singing the praises of our Saviour and calling for each other to fall to our knees.

This famous (French) poem ‘O Holy Night’ is rich in good theology and takes us on a thrilling ride from loss and condemnation (‘Long lay the world in sin and error pining’) to wonder and praise at the birth of Christ (‘For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn’ ) That child, Jesus, was the Son of God sent to absolve us of our sin by his death on the cross.  That child was, and is, the hope of the world.

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