Bring me the Scrolls
It is often the case that a minister only begins to really appreciate the value of his books when the time comes for him to part with them. Sometimes it…
Mark Johnston
The sweet comfort of the Gospel
The first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism has resonated with generations of people familiar with it. Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That…
Face to face with the Majesty of God
Public worship can all too easily feel lacklustre and mundane, not just for a congregation, but also for the one entrusted with leading it. This is not some new phenomenon.…
Remember your Leaders
Reformation Day is drawing near. It provides an annual opportunity for Protestant churches worldwide to fulfil the exhortation of the letter to the Hebrews: ‘Remember your leaders’ (He 13.7). It…
The Gentleness of God
The much-loved hymn, ‘I greet thee who my sure Redeemer art’ – included in the Strasbourg Psalter of 1545 and attributed to John Calvin – contains the lines, Thou hast…
Prayer: Undervalued and Underused
How little we appreciate the privilege and blessing of prayer. That we, sinful mortals as we are, should have access to God beggars belief. That he should even consider us,…
Safeguarding Ministerial Sanity
Back in 1959 a short book appeared under the title The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner. It was the fictional account of a troubled teenager who took up running to…
Equipping the Saints
Church was never intended to be the spiritual equivalent of a spectator sport. Yet, somehow, this is how it has come to be treated, not only by many Christians; but…
Satan’s Propaganda War
The book of Ezra is notoriously difficult to read, let alone preach; but it is there in the canon of Holy Scripture to edify and equip the saints (2Ti 3.16).…
‘Lord, teach us to Pray!’
How easy it is for us to become frustrated over our carelessness in prayer and, indeed, the way it all too often ends up with prayerlessness and damages our walk…
Names, Numbers and Covenant Faithfulness
There are more than a few places in the Bible – frequently in the Old Testament, but also in the New – where we find long lists of names, sometimes…
The Arrival of the King of Heaven
As Easter approaches, many churches will mark its beginning with a Palm Sunday service. This is more than just a nod to the tradition of the church; it is an…