Forward in Hope

The Book of Truth

Let’s talk a little more about truth! Truth by definition is unique. There can only be one truth, and we acknowledge anything as a fact, we are immediately saying that everything else is false or illegitimate. Truth is also essential. Without truth there would be no life. Truth is life-giving. For example, if you are…

Who is the Messiah?

The Definition The word ‘Messiah‘ means ‘anointed one’, and is used throughout Scripture to refer to different people. According to Biblehub the Hebrew word occurs 39 times. mashiach: anointed Original Word: מָשִׁ֫יחַ Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: mashiach Phonetic Spelling: (maw-shee’-akh) Short Definition: anointed The References Lev 4 & 6 (4 times) ‘the anointed priest’ 1 Sam 2:10. ‘The…

Jesus Christ, the Son of David

Some I have spoken to recently have disputed this point, claiming the Jesus was not of the seed of David; that the genealogies are invented; that Jesus cannot be the promised Messiah. However, throughout the Gospels we find people referring to Jesus, in passing, as the Son of David. In other words, Jesus’ link with…

Does Jesus point us to Himself?

Absolutely! The following are a list of verses that clearly demonstrate Jesus pointed to Himself as the way back to God. If we want to come to the Father, we must come to Jesus Christ. If we want to follow God, we must follow Jesus Christ. To receive Jesus is to receive God; and to…

Saul sees the Light

Consider the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, in Acts chapter 9. The first thing he sees is a light from heaven, brighter than the midday sun. The initial reaction of a Muslim friend of mine was to compare it to God’s revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai. I agree that this is a most obvious connection to…

Jesus is God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with a God, and God was the Word. John 1:1 John cannot be clearer in establishing that the Word, while being the outward expression of God, is also in essence God. And it is this Word that is the subject of John’s writing, and having…

Singing to Make You Smile

Have a listen to this group of 5 to 7 year olds singing ‘My God is So Big’

What or who is the Word of John 1?

‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’. John 1:1 A good friend of mine asked me the other day about the Word referred to above in John 1:1. Christians often go to this text as evidence that Jesus Christ is God. My friend, however, disputed…

‘Come unto me … and I will give you rest’

“Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11v28 The Absence of Rest As dusk settles on our city all seems peaceful. But, under this appearance of rest, turmoil and struggle abound. From day to day, the burdens, the disappointments, and sorrows of life bear…

Poetic Greats – William Cowper

Not of Works Grace, triumphant in the throne, Scorns a rival, reigns alone; Come and bow beneath her sway, Cast your idol works away: Works of man, when made his plea, Never shall accepted be; Fruits of pride (vain-glorious worm) Are the best he can perform. Self, the god his soul adores, Influences all his…

#LoveTrumpsHate

This hashtag has become well-known over the course of the 2016 American Presidential Election, and in the aftermath of Donald J Trumps victory no less a personality than Lady Gaga was seen driving through New York on a truck, holding up this message. But is it true? Does love trump hate? The answer is … it depends!…

Redemption – we all need it!

We all love a good story about redemption. A human hero, warts and all, who overcomes weakness to win the day. We love it because we live it. We identify with the weakness and maybe even the warts, and we hope to overcome, to win. Redemption is such a common theme that GoodReads has a shelf…