Easter has just passed, and I found myself reading John 3:14-15, where Jesus refers to Numbers 21:4-9. Both are well-known texts, but what strikes me is the way that Jesus, in His early days, must have pensively considered the text as He read it or heard it read. It must have been hard to dwell on. In His… Read More »
I discovered a new word recently. Well, I’ll come clean: I heard it on Radio 4 as I drove to work, and after looking it up in the dictionary, I began to muse about it. The word is “palimpsest,” which refers to a piece of writing material, like parchment, that was used multiple times after earlier writing was… Read More »
It is intriguing to note that in the bible narrative where Moses appoints seventy elders for Israel and brings them before God for God to anoint them with the Holy Spirit, that only two of them are named – the ones who are in the camp, Eldad and Medad. (Num 11:16-29) The incident is interesting because a number… Read More »
drawing close to God The Church I attend, Emmanuel Sheffield is one of many across the UK that has realised the great encouragement the gift and ministry of prophecy brings. We embrace it because, as we learn from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, prophecy—along with the other gifts (or ‘gracelets’) of the Spirit—builds, encourages, and edifies the church,… Read More »
If you are reading through your Bible in a year, the book of Jude at approximately 431 words will probably be a treat. What will be a challenge, however, is what to do with Jude’s challenge “Keep yourselves in the love of God,” (Jude 1:21-23). It’s a verse that leaps out at you and carries a richness and… Read More »
In all the excitement of the Book of Acts, we sometimes need to apply the brakes on the narrative rather than accelerating through significant moments onto the thrilling spectacles of signs, wonders, healings, and miracles. A case in point is Acts 15, where, upon realising that the Gentiles were also privy to the greatest opportunity in history (the… Read More »