Author: nickjones2011

All sin is grievous for it is against a loving and holy God, but there is something so devastating about adultery for it brings so much hurt and pain. God created marriage to be a picture of His intimate, faithful covenant love to His people. I’m sure we’ve all seen the awful hurt caused by…

Can you imagine a church refusing to allow someone to join in Sunday school because they were autistic? Or a church where some were reluctant to move a pew to make space for a wheelchair? It’s hard to believe, but sadly those with extra needs sometimes find they have to fight to make places more…

What a promise! David was blown away. He’d had a good intention to build some sort of temple for the ark of God. The prophet Nathan also thought it was a good idea, until God told him otherwise! Why did God say “no” to David’s intention to build a temple? First of all, to teach…

What a shocking event! How do you feel about the LORD putting Uzzah to death for steadying the ark of God? Does it seem a bit extreme? Whatever you make of it, surely it’s a pointer to the divine origin of Scripture – you just wouldn’t make this stuff up! As biblical scholar Dale Ralph…

Finally David is recognised as king, it looks so promising! Here is a king who will bring justice and defeat their enemies and bring peace and prosperity to Israel. No wonder first Chronicles 12 tells us that there was joy in Israel. Psalm 122 seems a fitting song of celebration, here are God’s people finally…

God is amazing! Psalm 106 begins and ends with praise. Everyone should praise God for He is truly amazing, and yet the psalmist asks the question, “who can declare all his praise?” The answer is in v3 – only those who do righteousness at all times. Who is that? The rest of the Psalm shows…

What do you want to be remembered for? In today’s readings we see how two Sauls end their lives. The first Saul was the first king of Israel. His death notice reads: So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted…

It is a little embarrassing to admit that I once tried to challenge an RP minister about not joining in with the worship at a conference! Why couldn’t he just join in the songs like the rest of us? They were good words, many of them straight from the Bible, what was his problem?! Had…

How tragic to see the king desperately seeking out someone to speak to the dead for him (1 Sam 28). Before you feel sorry for him, he’s brought this tragedy on himself by refusing to listen to (and obey) God’s Word (ch 15). He’s also got rid of the priests who spoke God’s word (ch…

David is still on the run. God has rejected Saul as king (ch15), David had been anointed as king (ch16), but Saul is still reigning as king, and does not want the kingdom to pass to David. He fears David and seeks to destroy him. David acts with the utmost integrity as twice he refuses…