Today I will be teaching from what must be one of the hardest passages to understand in the letter to the Hebrews – Chapter 6:4-12. On the surface it seems to suggest that a person who believes in Jesus, but then slips away for a period, will never be able to be restored again. If…
By God’s grace and protection, we are back to normal after what can only be described as a remarkable effort by our team of 5 million. These events we have all lived through during these last months will be recorded in the history of N.Z. in time to come. We will tell our story of…
We are living in unprecedented times. Who would have thought, just a month ago, that everybody entering our country would need to self-isolate for 2 weeks and that all large meetings would be cancelled? The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our country and the world in the last 2 months. Yet, as Christians, we are not…
I have recently been challenged once again about my prayer life. None of us pray as much as we could or should. Prayer is an aspect of our Christian lives which remains a constant struggle, but something we must persist with. Jesus clearly said we must pray and not give up. The area of prayer…
How embarrassing! After 10 years of boating and diligently remembering to put the drainage plug into the boat before launching, this week I forgot! It did not take long for my boat to start taking on water. I noticed that strangely the carpets were very wet, and then to my shock, I realised the boat…
This past Thursday our whole country enjoyed a day of rest and reflection. The big occasion that was attended by our politicians and senior leaders was the Waitangi Day gathering at the Bay of Islands. This was not the only celebration; every big city and many of the maraes around the country, marked this historic…
A new year, a new term, a new beginning! As we put aside the long summer holidays and settle into the New Year, it is time to make a fresh start, not only with our day to day activities, but also our spiritual lives. It is time to take stock and set the bar higher…
As I write this last devotion for the year there are 17 days to Christmas. Our church is in full swing with the Christmas celebrations, having enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and planning to sing carols at the Auckland City Hospital on Monday night. Let us fully embrace this special time of the year and use…
This week we will once again be planting white ribbons on the front lawn of our church as a sign of solidarity and support for those locked in the cycle of family violence. Sadly, this ongoing cycle of abuse continues to be a dark and ever-present shadow over almost every community in N.Z. Do not…
An important decision has been made in Parliament this week. David Seymour’s bill on euthanasia has passed its 3rd reading and has been successfully passed in parliament by a small majority. Thankfully, this bill will not be passed into law in N.Z. yet because New Zealand First has stipulated that it must be put to…
