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When a monarch dies, the cry rings out 'The King is dead, long live the King (or Queen)!' The person dies, but the office passes on to the next in line. They pick up the mantel of responsibility and a new reign begins. We've seen that God's kingdom is all upside down, today is no different, as we cut into the story of the crucifixion. There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Ar

Yesterday, we met someone who tested Jesus. He could hold his own in debate, yet Jesus had a parting shot for him - you're not far from the Kingdom. He understood much, but he wasn't there yet. Today, we learn the key to being part of God's kingdom. Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the sig

When you walk along a path, there are two sides you can fall off... so it is good to be clear where both edges are. As we think more about baptism our eyes are directed to the other edge of the path. Q45. Is baptism with water the washing away of sin itself? A. No, only the blood of Christ and the renewal of the Holy Spirit can cleanse us from sin. In the previous question we learned how baptism is not a meaningless image. However we need to be clear, baptism itself does not

We all know someone who loves a good debate. And they must win that debate - they are right, even when they are wrong. In today's reading, Jesus encounters some of these people in today's reading One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?""The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is o

Yesterday, Jesus taught about the upside down values of his Kingdom using a memorable image. Today, he demonstrates those same values. People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell anyone who will not receive the kingdom of Go

We've seen already how Jesus Kingdom is upside down. It's values turn the values of the world upside down. It's easy to say, but when you see what that means in practice, it is truly shocking! Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle th

In any group of Christians, one topic that is sure to cause debate and / or confusion is baptism. One of the many questions that arise is should we baptise infants or not? The catechism doesn't answer that question, but the important thing to note is that what it teaches on baptism holds true however you answer that question. Q44. What is baptism?A. Baptism is the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; it signifies and seal our adoption i

What would you give to find true joy? "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.""Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."Matthew 13:44-46 These parables of Jesus are deeply challenging as in their simplicity they cause us to ask what

In today's passage, King Jesus declares the upside down values of his Kingdom. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers, fo

Special offers displayed in big letters always come with small print. When you dig into that detail, the offer never turns out as good as it seemed! The good news that Jesus proclaims is different - it really is good news for everyone, as todays passage declares. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brou

As churches seek to facilitate worship during the COVID-19 outbreak many have provided services online. When doing so, the question arises - do we go MP3 and just use sound? Or should we go full video? Without entering that specific debate, our catechism question today shows us that Jesus gave his church sound and picture, in full HD. Q43. What are the sacraments or ordinances?A. The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord

We have news 24 hours a day - on websites and TV channels - I wonder how many minutes are dedicated to 'good news stories'? At a time when we long for a good news story, today's passage rings loud and clear. After John was put in prision, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"Mark 1:14-15 Our passage only gives us the headline - it will take the rest of

When things aren't going our way; when we are confronted with horrendous suffering - it is natural to ask does God care? The answer from today's passage is a resounding YES. May all kings bow down to himand all nations serve him.For he will deliver the needy who cry out,the afflicted who have no one to help.He will take pity on the weak and the needyand save the needy from death.He will rescue them from oppression and violence,for precious is their blood in his sight.Psalm 7

One of the first things we get taught in school is how to read, from then on we must read billions of words in a variety of contexts. From road signs to FB posts. There's newspapers, books, letters, blogs payslips, to government advice and updates on corona-virus. Each one we read differently. For some we pay attention to every word. Others, we skim over and flick through quickly. What about reading the bible? How should we read it? That's what the next question i

It's true of so many things, we never realise how much we need or value something until we loose it. Think of your health, car, job or even toilet roll. We can go even more basic -food, water, and air. All things which we need - things which we probably don't value as we should... that is until we loose them. We are living in very unsettling times. The pace in which 'normal life' is changing is frightening, as normal freedoms - things which we have taken for granted for

Our next question is really familiar - that makes it easy to learn, but no less valuable to ponder! Q41. What is the Lords prayer? A. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lots of has been written on this prayer over the years, so here is just a coupl

Over the past week I have part of a group being trained to use the 'Trauma Healing Course'. The group was an eclectic bunch of pastors, church and voluntary sectors workers as well as lay leaders, coming from the Church of Scotland, United Free, Baptist, Independent and Pentecostal churches. We where ably facilitated by Pearl (Scottish Bible Society) and Dorothy (volunteer trainer), who where being mentored by Rebecca (Trauma Healing Institute). The course has emerged from

Johannes Kepler, the 17th Century scientist, described science as 'thinking God's thoughts after him.' Our catechism question today describes prayer as 'speaking God's word back to Him'. Q40. What should we pray?A. The whole word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us. A few things to note: The whole word, means the whole word. It is tempting to turn to the Psalms, or the prayers of Paul, or a favourite passage i

I recently visited the home I grew up in. Last time I was there I was 11 years old, going back - everything looked smaller. The front drive, the hallway - all seemed smaller than I remembered... I took a glance out the the back window, thankfully the garden still looked big enough for a game of football! As you grow up, your perspective changes - not just on size, but on time and what is important in life. As your perspective changes, it affects how you act and react in va

We made it through the New City Catechism a while back in church, but I never finished blogging it all... so now that I have some sabbitical I am aiming to finish off the blog! We pick up at Q38 - on prayer. It is a really simple, clear and beautiful question and answer. It warms the heart, but must move us to action! Q38. What is prayer? A. Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving. Some points to note: Prayer has a dir