2026 will again be through the Bible chronologically selecting verses which attract my attention or questions or encourage me on the day. I pray it blesses whoever reads . . . My theological background is Salvation Army College and now Church of England. I love all Christian denominations.
Lord Jesus, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Forgive me and help me turn from everything I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the price and set me free from my sin. Please come into my life, fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen.”
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 32 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.“ Joel 2:28-32
Lord who gives,
Joel is not easy to understand. But here in chapter 2 we find these beautiful promises which Peter picks out and recites to the crowds at Pentecost (Acts 2:15-21) . You are a God who will give of Yourself to everyone who calls to You. The catalyst being Your Son Jesus opening the way to the whosoever. To embrace all men and women and children.
Joel says a Day of the Lord coming. Peter saw that one had come. But we are also waiting for that day when Jesus shall return. At the Ascension, two men in white apparel, told those men watching that Jesus would come back one day (Acts 1:10-11). Jesus said not even he knew the date, the important thing was to always be ready (Matthew 24:43-44). He told us to live each day, one day at a time (Matthew 6:34). It is a lot to take in and I don’t think I shall ever understand all about Jesus coming back till it happens. Meanwhile I am grateful that You poured out Your Spirit upon us, even me. So I could see what You show me, dream of heaven and hear Your voice in my heart. And prepare me for when You do come again.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Tuesday 29th September 2026
Written in 1930 but still absolutely relevant words for today. And still we look forward to the day You return – but also with a little fear and trepidation of how it will happen?!
God of grace and God of glory, on Thy people pour Thy pow’r; crown Thine ancient church’s story, bring her bud to glorious flow’r. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour, for the facing of this hour.
2 Lo! the hosts of evil round us scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways! Fears and doubts too long have bound us, free our hearts to faith and praise. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days, for the living of these days.
3 Set our feet on lofty places; gird our lives, that they may be armored with all Christ-like graces in the fight to set men free. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, that we fail not man nor Thee! That we fail not man nor Thee!
“The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten. 5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation has come up against My land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a fierce lion. 7 He has laid waste My vine, and ruined My fig tree; he has stripped it bare and thrown it away; its branches are made white.” Joel 1:1-7 NKJV
Lord who speaks,
I cannot find an exact date for Joel. But in the NKJ chronological version he is placed here. At the time of the second Temple. He speaks of a day of the Lord in chapter 1 verse 15. Not The Day of the Lord. His initial concern was about a day of a plague of locusts. A plague, not just a swarm. In his day that meant ruin, famine and often death. He warns the people of Jerusalem, and sees it as a sign from You Lord. He calls the priests, on behalf of the people, to humble themselves and repent of sin. They should call a sacred assembly and cry out to You Father for mercy.
We may not always see disasters as Your judgement Lord or locusts as Your punishment. But Joel uses this opportunity to call people in situations they cannot control to come and humble themselves before You to ask for help. And he calls them not to come as if it is their right or as a show but to rend their hearts and not their garments ( Joel 2:13). To return to You their God, just as they are, so You may relent and leave a blessing (Joel 13-14).
Sometimes there is nothing else we can do but approach You God in the face of what we call natural and man made disasters. To rend our hearts and ask You to relent and leave a blessing. And where others suffer, to be Your hands and help where we can. Even if that means just giving money for medicine and aid to places we cannot reach.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Monday 28th September 2026 Joy Webb wrote this in 1978. I haven’t heard this for many years. It is timeless and almost always moves me to tears.
Come into our world, come into our world.
All around us, seemingly, darkness holds its sway; Truth and love are faltering, peace in disarray; And if we needed you, we need you now!
Come into our world, Come into our world, come Lord Jesus. Come into our world, Come into our world, come
People sit in loneliness, children cry for bread; Men fight men in hatred, by suspicion led; And if we needed you, we need you now!
Come into our world, Come into our world, now, Lord Jesus. Come into our world, Come into our world come.
Faced with such confusion, hope has slipped away; Men have stopped believing, forgotten how to pray; And if we needed you, we need you now! Come into our world Come into our world, now, Lord Jesus.
“Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” 19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.” Nehemiah 13:17-19 NKJV
Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, 3 On an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound. 4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:1-4 NKJV
Lord of the Sabbath,
One of Nehemiah’s reforms was to reinstate the Sabbath. This practice set them apart from every other nation. Nehemiah is very abrupt and seems quite severe. Some would do as they were told I am sure because they were told they must, a legalistic keeping of the Sabbath. But others would be glad to be able to take a days rest and be glad to praise God who had brought them back from captivity.
Today we live in a political system that values money and trade and convenience. There are still a few shops that close on a Sunday but there are as many occupations that demand shift work on a weekend for safety and necessity. But for us worshippers, church goers – it demands a question. (And some have to work on a Sunday). When people ask us if we go to church, when we can, do we sound like the Psalmist? Do we reflect how good it is, and do we go joyfully at least most of the time? Do our Sundays look different to the world? Joyful does not have to mean happy clappy but to want to be there and enjoy fellowship?
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Sunday 27th September 2026
We worship the God who was We worship the God who is We worship the God who evermore will be He opened the prison doors He parted the raging sea My God, He holds the victory
There’s joy in the house of the Lord There’s joy in the house of the Lord today And we won’t be quiet We shout out Your praise There’s joy in the house of the Lord Our God is surely in this place And we won’t be quiet We shout out Your praise (Oh-oh, oh) we shout out Your praise (Oh-oh, oh)
We sing to the God who heals We sing to the God who saves We sing to the God who always makes a way ‘Cause He hung up on that cross Then He rose up from that grave My God’s still rolling stones away
Chorus
We were the beggars Now we’re royalty We were the prisoners Now we’re running free We are forgiven, accepted Redeemed by His grace Let the house of the Lord sing praise
‘Cause we were the beggars, Now we’re royalty We were the prisoners, Now we’re running free We are forgiven, accepted., Redeemed by His grace Let the house of the Lord sing praise. Repeat
