From that time, Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17 ESVUK) There’s a wonderful word to get someone’s attention in the area where I grew up in England. That word is “Oi!” Even typing it makes me chuckle as I recall the times hearing it. It’s not […]
Read More OTKC 02: RepentKey Episode Scripture: Jonah 1-4 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (Jonah 3:10 ESVUK) The book of Jonah covers one episode in the life of the prophet. The episode, among […]
Read More For 40 Days – Day 28: Doomsday: ConceptsThey vie for your attention. You cannot give it to them. It is an episode referred to often when looking at the life of Nehemiah. That episode namely being how he was being enticed to leave his work to deal with distractions deliberately set up by his opponents. Some of those who opposed him were […]
Read More JJ 24 #11: This Requires FocusRepent. God is eager to restore. He knows where we belong; He knows our capability. He has great things in store. Repent. To access what God offers, we need to do some things. We need to acknowledge the need for restoration; to confess the condition we find ourselves in that makes restoration necessary; to admit […]
Read More Dryden Shorts: Repent – Restoration Is ConditionalRepent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We are told that John made this proclamation and then after he was arrested, Jesus would declare the same statement. It is a fascinating one to consider. Made to an audience experiencing the rule of foreigners who hoped to free from that arrangement. Made to an […]
Read More An Announcement and An ActionReturn. This is not real peace. It’s a mirage. This is not true justice. It’s an illusion. This is not righteousness. It’s a parody. This is not good. It’s a counterfeit. This is not love. It is a twisted, corrupted and dissatisfying sham. To do this requires a rejection of the real deal. It requires […]
Read More Dryden Shorts: Return(Reflections and notes on Jesus’ words to the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29. Explore the previous parts of this series.) The words that Jesus has for the churches is that He is fair and just in His assessments. It is not about flattering anyone to make them feel better about themselves. It’s also not about […]
Read More What The Spirit Says … 08 Thyatira: Tolerating the IntolerableIt’s remarkable that a command can be an invitation and yet that’s exactly what is going on in the good news being declared. It’s not just good news that should bring a smile to the face and cheery feeling in the soul. It’s not the good news that should make us feel better for a […]
Read More King Jesus Says – RepentWhat they found unnerving and somewhat intimidating as well as fascinating and intriguing was how He spoke as one who had authority. Not only did He speak as though He was one who could command and expect the appropriate response, they marveled how He would go about exercising this as much over the elements of […]
Read More Who Rules? By Force or By Faith?There are times when you reflect on relationships and see that things changed and not for the better. It’s easier to remember those who did you wrong. Is it as easy to recall when you were the perpetrator? Those quiet moments when you reflect reveal so much. Yeah, maybe … no not maybe … definitely. […]
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