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Glen

Filthy Lucre

1 Peter 4:12-5:14 On the surface it’s a quaint archaism.  But it speaks of a deadly trap.  “Filthy lucre” is used four times in the King James Bible and in each case it refers to a grave temptation for gospel ministers (1 Timothy 3:3,8; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:2).  Eg: Feed the flock of God […]

Once and for all

Hebrews 10:1-18 “Out, damned spot! out, I say!” Lady Macbeth’s line is one of Shakespeare’s most famous.  In the first act of Macbeth she helps her husband to murder the King.  By the end of the play she is in mental torment and eventually takes her own life.  In her final scene she is before […]

A two-edged sword

Hebrews 4:1-16 In modern speech a “double-edged sword” is a powerful weapon that “cuts both ways”.  It’s an argument or feature or technology that has a clear benefit and a clear liability.  It’s something that advances both your own cause and that of your opponent. But the bible’s usage of the term is a little different.   […]

Keep the faith

2 Timothy 4:6-8; James 5:7-12 At the end of your days, what would you like to say?  How would you want to summarize your life? Facing death, Paul was able to say he’s “fought the good fight”, he’s “stayed the course” and he’s “kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). We’ve seen how these three phrases […]

Finish the course

2 Timothy 4:6-8; 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 We’ve been thinking about Paul’s parting words to Timothy: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.  (2 Timothy 4:7) First Paul compares himself to a single-minded soldier.  The victory is certain in Jesus but the fight remains arduous.   One day, […]

Fight the good fight

2 Timothy 2:1-7; 4:6-8 In the space of one verse Paul gives us threephrases: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) “Fighting the good fight”, “finishingthe course” and “keeping the faith” have all become well-known.  Perhaps this trifecta of famous phrases is not […]

Itching ears

Click for source 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 One of the most pervasive myths of the modern world is this: We think we know what we want.  We think we know what’s best for us.  And we think we ourselves are the best judges of these matters. The truth could not be further from this common misconception. […]

Money is the root of all evil

1 Timothy 6:1-12 Here’s a verse of the bible which everyone knows.  Except that they don’t. 1 Timothy 6:10 does not say “Money is the root of all evil.”  It says “the love of money is the root of all evil.”  And if we really wanted to pick up on the nuances in the Greek, we […]

King's English Omnibus: Paperback, Hardback and Kindle

The one year edition of the King’s English is out now.  All 365 devotions in one volume, from “In the beginning” to “Alleluia”. Now available in three formats… As a paperback: £13.95 As a hardback: £21.99 (Get 20% off your order if you quote the code “FELICITAS” before 14 December) Also available as a Kindle… From […]

Labour of love

1 Thessalonians 1:1-9 The Christian life is one of waiting and of working. Advent puts us in mind of the waiting.  We look not only to Christ’s first coming, but ahead to His second coming, to judge the living and the dead. Here is how Old Testament saints waited for that first coming: “I wait […]