And it won’t be because of you I’ve been musing over the beatitudes recently, as you do, and one verse got me thinking, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” It’s Jesus speaking. And standing there on that Galilean hillside were men and women who knew their own contradictions. Quick tempers. Hidden lusts. Petty… Read More »
Jesus. Justice. And why grace never carries a clipboard. People watching. It’s therapeutic. Have you ever sat in a coffee shop, people watching, and noticed someone outside with all their belongings in a plastic bag-wondering what brought them there, and what keeps you from being in their shoes? Local councils want nice, tidy streets. The old saying is… Read More »
God can put you pack together. Today. I loved English lessons at school. Even at fifteen, when a poem of mine, Plastic Tomorrow, was passed around other classes by my teachers, what really hooked me was learning how to read properly. Pulling texts apart. Asking what was actually being said. To whom. Not who. By whom. Where. Why.… Read More »
Three things you forget when everything hurts. I think you will find this useful… I wanted to write something that would be practical. We’re going to walk through three things that help faith hold together when life starts pulling it apart – when the future’s unclear, the prayers fall flat, and nothing moves. You know the moments, you… Read More »
It’s later than you think. One question we rarely hear asked today, but as an Elim pastor, it was in the air every Sunday evening: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” I loved end-times preaching! It’s the question the disciples asked, gazing up at the massive, immovable stones of… Read More »
God’s strange way of building a church This is about me not you, but welcome to my world. I’m not very tolerant. Yes, I’m aware of it, and working on it. Let me explain. Every once in a while God seems to move someone across my path who is being a bit… weird. Not dangerous. Not heretical. Just… Read More »
This is not the story we expected. A few days ago I read John 3 in my ‘Bible in a Year’ plan – and having recently walked through Numbers again, I was struck by the connection Jesus makes. You might be too. You’ll probably guess where I am going when I ask how you feel about snakes. I… Read More »
If you are sitting, get ready to stand? I’ve got a brilliant scripture to think about – maybe it’s way out of our culture, or the way we do things, but, simply put, the instruction is out there; so how do we respond to it? Before you reach for your bible let me tell you, this is one… Read More »
You’re the guest! “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Ps 24:1) That’s not just a nice verse for a fridge magnet, it’s a line of ownership. Of authority. God isn’t circling above like Air Force One, waiting for someone to give Him access. He reigns. Always has. And… Read More »
Night language for day assignments There are moments in the night – just before waking – when something stirs. A flicker of something meaningful, encouraging, holy. You can’t quite name it. Maybe a phrase half-heard, the weight of a warning, or simply a presence you didn’t invite. Then it’s gone. I’ve laid many times one minute before the… Read More »
You feel it the moment you say yes Over the weekend I found myself sitting with Matt Hatch’s book Metamorphosis. It is the kind of book you do not skim. You make time for it. You clear the diary, pour the coffee, and let it work on you. When you close it, your mind keeps moving. Mine drifted… Read More »
and all is well? Good morning! It’s 7.00am GMT on 16th January 2026. We’re sixteen days into the new year, the weekend is already whispering to us from just around the corner. How’s it going? How does it look so far? This morning, Alexa pinged before the kettle had finished boiling. “Jon – there is an amber alert…”… Read More »
Seen by God. Drawn to others. If you don’t know whether you are coming or going when it comes to the topic of fasting Isaiah 58 is thought provoking. Prophet Isaiah can be a bit imposing, you don’t mess with him. When you turn the page to chapter 58 it doesn’t come swinging with accusation. It doesn’t –… Read More »
So that you can be satisfied I read the Beatitudes recently. It’s easy to become over-familiar with them but they are Jesus’ Kingdom manifesto, and they are going to be with us forever. There’s a proverbs-like assertion in there that doesn’t land gently. It doesn’t warm you up. It doesn’t leave you with any ambiguity. Wriggle room. It’s… Read More »
Until it doesn’t. You must have heard it, seen it on television – or at least, read it; “We live in a world… governed by strength, governed by force, governed by power.” Deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller speaking on behalf of the President of the United States of America. #Other comments are available. And looking at the… Read More »
Four words for you? Full. Radical. Sustained. Realignment. Those four words might sound like they belong on a Bethel conference poster. But they’re not marketing. They’re a mirror. Not a prophetic new-year agenda for 2026, but my own personal reckoning of what is always important for me as I watch my own heart. They name what’s needed –… Read More »
The reset button has been hit! I just wanted to say Happy New Year to you. There. Mission accomplished. Now seriously. If you’re reading this, you’re one of the valued readers who subscribed to First Edition. There are somewhere between one and two thousand subscribers on the site, and you’re one of them. If you didn’t skim that… Read More »
‘Now’ is the day of salvation … I’m not sure why it feels exciting, but as the New Year approaches it carries a quiet sense of ‘let’s get it over with, roll up our sleeves, take a deep breath, and get on with it.’ Every January, we reach for the same emotive ticker-tape. A new year. A new… Read More »
Joel saw the clouds. Acts heard the thunder. Have you ever wondered about Joel 2 and Acts 2; one speaks of dreams, visions and prophecy and the other is about tongues as the Holy Spirit is poured out on the gathered believers. Peter is straight off the sprint block like Hussain Bolt announcing “this is it!” This is… Read More »
The odd fear of being seen as God sees us Something made me wonder, as I began to write the bio a Christian publication had asked for. “Writer, communicator, and… something else?” “God’s favourite?” It’s strange how quickly a simple task can turn inward. There’s an odd feeling that creeps in when someone asks you to write a… Read More »