Author: Alex

At the age of 19, having attended church all my life, I embarked upon a new adventure – my first Alpha course. Truthfully, I did not know what to expect. I’m not even sure whether I wanted to go, but it felt like the right thing to do. Our church had a new pastor, and he had bucket-loads of enthusiasm. Up to that point, Bethlehem had been a pretty quiet place. We had Sunday services, with Sunday school in the middle. There was also a mid-week meeting for children, and a Monday night prayer meeting and Bible study. I guess looking back that wasn’t bad going for a congregation of about 12 people, many of whom were over 60. However, for me, church had become a little irrelevant. I had never lost my faith, but I wore it kind of like an old tired garment. I didn’t read the Bible, and my prayers were a sort of mantra, asking Jesus each night to protect those I loved from, I quote, “fires, fights, burglaries, serious illness, disease, and accidents of any kind.’ Don’t ask me how I defined the difference between serious illness and disease. I guess I was just covering all bases.
Continue reading “How Can Three Be One?”

When I was growing up, I instinctively knew that I had to speak and interact differently with my parents than with my friends. My friends were my equals, but my parents were older, wiser, and as the authority figures in my life, they deserved respect. If I didn’t give it, they soon told me, and rightly so. They were quick to remind me they weren’t there to be my buddies, but to teach and guide me into a profitable future.
Continue reading “The Most Amazing Friendship.”

During my childhood, I would often grumble at my parents over the things they wouldn’t allow me to do, especially if my friends’ parents didn’t have the same scruples. I chafed at what was a seeming injustice, not understanding their desire to protect and nurture me in the hope I’d grow into a responsible adult. A friend could watch a certain television show, so why couldn’t I? My mother’s answer would often simply be: “Well, I’m not her mother, so I don’t make the rules in her house.” I understand the wisdom of her choices now far more than I did back then, and I am grateful for the boundaries she set.
Continue reading “Don’t Fall Into The Comparison Trap.”

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22: 6.)

One of my earliest memories is of sitting on my mother’s lap, staring up at the chapel roof, which was dark and imposing. I was probably about 2 or 3 at the time, but from the beginning, our little Baptist chapel was a huge part of my life. Half past 2 on Sunday afternoons was Sunday school time, come rain or shine. My mother would shepherd as many children as she could fit into her car off to church, where we would hear Bible stories, sing songs, and draw. I was not very good at the drawing part, but I was not going to be left out.
Continue reading “Put Jesus In Your Everyday Life.”

During this past month, 3 people I know have lost loved ones. One death was expected, but the others were not, and none of them were related to Coronavirus. Yet, its impact has been felt in terms of how these people deal with their losses. The usual conventions of families visiting, friends bringing hugs, cakes and casseroles, and well attended funerals and memorial services are no longer permitted. We can express our condolences over the phone, or even stand at the edge of a garden path and speak from a distance, but we can’t do the thing that comes most naturally – pull that grieving soul into our arms for a warm embrace. Each funeral can only be attended by a handful of people, meaning even the closest relatives are sometimes robbed of their chance to say goodbye.
Continue reading “The Reality Of Grief.”

I am writing this in the midst of the lockdown here in the UK, caused by the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Many people are afraid as the death toll all over the world rises, and some Christians are asking whether this has anything to do with end time prophecies. The truth is that I can’t answer that question, and I feel it would be wrong for me to even try. We know the world is getting darker. There have been famines and earthquakes in various places as the Bible predicts, and sadly, many people still do not wish to turn to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. I pray that in these difficult times more people will recognise that the things relied upon for security by many and which are now under threat, such as jobs, finances, homes, and so on, are nothing in the light of where we are going to spend eternity.
Continue reading “Be Ready By Living It Out.”

Recently, I heard of a pastor who was told off by a member of his congregation for saying Easter was cancelled this year. Of course, given that we are in 2020, and most of the world is in lockdown thanks to a scary virus that is ravaging our communities, what the pastor actually meant was that there wouldn’t be the regular church services. This is usually one of the church’s most active seasons, with many celebrating Maundy Thursday, not to mention Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday itself. Yet in 2020,, for the first time in living memory, the church doors have remained closed. However, I would argue that in our time of fear and confusion, the church has been more active than ever before.
Continue reading “Easter Will Never Be Cancelled.”

This is the final instalment in Sarah’s excellent series of lent devotionals.
Last week, we saw how Jesus was constantly persecuted, but there is something even more hurtful: Rejection from those you’re trying to reach. “’This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live for ever.’ He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Continue reading “Rejection, by Sarah Tummey”

This is the penultimate instalment in Sarah’s excellent series of lent devotionals.

From the very beginning of His life, people were at odds with Jesus. “At this they exclaimed, ‘Now we know that You are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet You say that whoever obeys Your word will never taste death. Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do You think You are?’
Continue reading “Enmity, By Sarah Tummey.”

This is the fourth instalment in Sarah’s excellent series of lent devotionals.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve considered what Jesus gave up. Now let’s look at some of the things He suffered. Though He lived a blameless life, He did experience temptation. “Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. After this, He was very hungry. The devil came to Jesus to tempt Him, saying, ’If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread.’
Continue reading “Temptation, By Sarah Tummey.”