Ezekiel 23 has been called the most shocking chapter in the Bible, chronicling as it does the radical unfaithfulness of Israel to God, and his radical love for them. We see an example in Israel, sinful emulation in Judah, and the execution of God's purposes in judgement, yet also mercy. To the Church it is a lesson that we must depend on God alone …

The Lord Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save. We see in the account in John 8-1-11 the conspiracy to trap him into judging, his callenge to human hypocrisy, and his care for a sinful woman who had been used by his foes. He came to set people free from sin, not as a judge.

What is the Bible's teaching on judicial oaths and making solemn vows-- Chapter 23 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession deals with these issues that may seem remote to us, but which were live issues in the 17th century. May a Christian take an oath to tell the truth in court-- What did Christ mean when he said -Do not swear at all--- And wh…

Wanted - Christians with backbones- Ezekiel 22 lays out the awful corruption of Jerusalem of his day, and is a warning to the professing church today. We see the condemnation of a church that has forgotten God, the crucible of God's providence, and the corruption that calls for courage.

Christ divides people. He divides those who believe from those who do not, even as he condemns the world. We see in John 7 the debate concerning who he is- his teaching on discerning the truth- and the division that he makes between those who listen and those who reject based on prejudice.

God sees and judges. What then is the end of that judgement-- In Ezekiel 21 we see the sword of God, the sovereighty of God, and the sentence of God.

Christ's words are scandalous to the carnal mind. He tells us that we must feed on his by faith if we are to be his disciples, and that he alone is the Saviour of the world. We see in John 6-51-71 first the controversy about Christ's words, then the challenge of his words, and finally the confession of the true disciples.…

Why do we worship on Sunday-- The last two paragraphs of chapter 22 of the 1689 Confession deal with the Sabbath. We see the day and its change, the reason for it, and the way in which we keep that day holy.

The Church keeps on failing, but God never does. We see in Ezekiel 20 a sorry history, and then we realise it is ours. God saved his people, but they kept going astray, and yet his grace kept on with them. We see God's covenant, his people's corruption, and the cleansing of the Church.

Christ is the Bread of Heaven who gives his life to and for the world. We see in John 6-24-51 the failure of the multitude to see further than their own appetites, the spiritual food that God gives in his Son, and the Father's will and gift of salvation.

God is who he is. In Exodus 3 we see that he is the God who speaks, who sees, and who acts, as he shows himself in all of Scripture. We are reminded that we know him because he has revealed himself, and we know him for who he has revealed himself to be.

The Christian life is life in the Trinity. We see in Romans 8-12-17 how the Spirit unites us to God, the Father adopts us as his children, and we share in the life of Christ.

How shall we worship-- Chapter 22 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession sets forth the Regulative Principle, that God is to be worshipped only as he has commanded in the Bible. We see the principle of worship, the parts of worship, and the place of worship.

-Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.- Pentecost reminds us of the freedom the Spirit gives to live unto God. In 2 Corinthians 3 we see the Confidence the Spirit gives, the Contrast between the Law and the Gospel, and the Contemplation of Christ that transforms.

The risen and ascended Christ sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to abide with the Church. We see the signs of wind and fire and speech- the spectators from the world who heard- and the sermon of Peter, who by the Spirit preached Christ.

Christ sets his people free- but what does it mean to be free-- Chapter 21 of the 1689 Confession deals with Christian liberty. We see the definition of Christian liberty, the liberty of the Christian conscience, and the false liberty that is really slavery.

Christ has ascended on high. What does the Ascension mean for us-- In Ephesians 1 Paul prays for the church to be enlightened to understand the exaltation of Christ, and how he exercises his authority for his people.

What is the meaning of the Ascension of Christ, and how does it relate to the Christian hope-- We see in Acts 1 the Person of our hope, the programme of hope, and the promise of hope.

What does it mean for church leaders to fail, and who is the leader who does not fail-- Ezekiel 19 gives us a picture of the two last great failure kings of Judah, and the reason for the failure of Judah. We see the fall of worldly leadership, the futility of trying to same thing over again, and the failure of Judah, and we see in Christ the leader…

Is it possible to reject Jesus while appearing to accept him-- Yes, if in fact you insist on trying to make Jesus fit your plans and ideas rather than accepting him as he is. We see in John 6-1-21 the feeding of the multitude, the failure of the multitude to see beyond the food, and the faith of the disciples in the storm.…

We have a Gospel to proclaim- Chapter 20, -On the Gospel- was added to the Savoy Declaration in 1658 because of false ideas about salvation of Gospel preaching, and carried over by the Baptists in 1689. It speaks of the necessity and sufficiency of the Gospel, and the need of the Holy Spirit in evangelism.…

God is personal, and we relate to him personally, not simply as groups. The exiles of Ezekiel's day used the idea of corporate responsibility to escape from their indidual responsibility before God. We see in Ezekiel 18 personal relationship to God, personal responsibility before God, and personal repentance unto God.…

We must honour the Son just as we honour the Father- The Lord, answering the lies of his enemies, speaks of the nature of his equality with the Father, of the eternity of the consequences of rejecting him, and of the evidence on which we should believe him.

What hope does the Church have-- Ezekiel 17 challenges superficial thinking about the Church's problems, points us to the reality of sin, and tells us that we ave but one hope - God in Christ.

What is the Sabbath, and why-- The institution God has given for our good has too often been distorted into a burden. We see in John 5-1-18 first our Lord's compassion, second the condemnation of the Pharisees, and thirdly the correction Christ gives. The Sabbath is a positive thing, a blessing of rest, affirming life, a day on which God works for …

A heartwarming tale as old as time- an abandoned baby girl rescued by a king who at last makes her his Queen. But wait- It all goes horribly wrong, as she throws herself into detestable wickedness- And this Cinderella gone wrong is Jerusalem- We see a warning for the Church as we see the favour of God, the faithlessness of his bride, and the future…

Faith means taking Jesus at his word. John tells us that he wrote his Gospel -that you may believe,- but what does that faith look like-- In John 4-43-54 we see one aspect of that, taking Jesus at his word. We see the request of the father, the rebuke of Christ to the multitude, and the revelation of Christ to faith.…

The Resurrection changes everything- Christ's Resurrection is intimately linked to the resurrection of believers. Addressing the issue of people in Corinth who denied the general resurrection, Paul shows that the Christian hope revolves around resurrection. We see the problem in Corinth, the promise of Christ's Resurrection, and the prospect of the…

Christian faith is faith in the risen Christ as Lord and God. In John 20-19-31 we see the doubt of Thomas, the demonstration of the Resurrection, and the declaration of faith.

What is God's Law, and what is its use to the Christian-- Chapter 19 of the 1689 Confession deals with this often vexed question. We see the history of the Law, and the use of the Law laid out, and both legalism and antinomianism confronted and opposed.

Christ is our Peace, and his resurrection declares the peace he gives. We see in Luke 24-13-48 the perplexity of the disciples on the road, the peace Christ gives, and the pilgrim Church he sends out as his witnesses.

Christ is risen- This fact leads us to great joy. In Matthew 28 we see first the Resurrection announced. Second we see the recognition of the risen Christ, and third his reign in spite of all his foes.

Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. In this Good Friday meditation we think upon the Sufferer, the Substitute, and the Saviour.

How may I know for sure that I am a Christian-- Chapter 18 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of faith deals with the doctrine of assurance, challenging error, and pointing us to Christ as the source of all assurance.

Why did the righteous suffer-- Psalm 69 is often quoted in the New Testament in reference to Christ's sufferings. Its original occasion was David's suffering though he was innocent of reason for it, but it applies all the more to our Lord. We see his cry, his cup, and his crown.

Meek and riding on a donkey, the Lord Jesus enters Jerusalem. -Who is this--- people ask. We see how his Triumphal Entry shows us he is the Prophet, the Son of David, and the Lord.

Christians keep on keeping on. Chapter 17 of the Second London Baptist Confession deals with the Perseverance of the Saints. We see who it is who persevere, how they persevere, why they persevere, and the challenge to that perseverance.

The Church is of no use at all if it is not being the Church- Just as the vine is useless if it is fruitless, so is the Church that is not rooted and grounded in Christ. We are therefore called to radical faithfulness, that we may be a blessing.

We have heard his voice- We see in John 4-42 that we believe not simply because we have heard about Jesus, but because we have heard him. Those who believe bear witness to Christ, and our witness is all about him, and seeks to bring others to him - and he is pleased to draw people through our witness.…

What is the place of good works in the Christian life-- Chapter 16 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession addresses this question, avoiding both legalism and antinomianism, and dealing with the errors of the Roman Catholics.

God sometimes deals in what seems like a harsh way with his people because he must. In Ezekiel 14 we see how God had to deal with Israel's heart-idols, seizing their hearts and calling them to repentance, to restore them at last to a right relationship.

Who is Jesus, and what does he give to his people-- In John 4-1-26 we see Christ and the woman at the well, his promise of the Holy Spirit as living water, and true worship in spirit and truth.

Repentance and faith are twins, never apart. Chapter 15 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession deals with the doctrine of repentance. It speaks of the necessity and nature of true Christian repentance as an evangelical grace.

False prophets are people who claim to speak for God, but actually just speak from their own minds. In Ezekiel 13 God condemns them. We see the deceivers who are the false prophets, God's denunciation of them, and God's deliverance of his people from their clutches.

Christ is all. In John the Baptist's final testimony recorded in the 4th Gospel, he corrects some of his disciples who did not understand, and points to the importance of a confession of Christ, and faith in him.

God's Word is sure and certain. We see in Ezekiel 12 God's Word being preached, and a warning against despising it. We see God's word concering the prince, Zedekiah, God's word concerning the people, and God's condemnation of a foolish proverb.

What is it to become a Christian-- It is not a mere change of opinions, but a new birth- In John 3-7 Jesus says -You must be born again.- WE see the conundum of the New Birth, the Cross of Christ, and the Condemnation of rejecting Christ.

What is the faith that saves-- Chapter 14 of the 1689 Second London Confession speaks of the grace of faith, the life of faith, and the victory of faith.

Where is the Church to put its hope-- In Ezekiel 11 we see how the leaders in Jerusalem in Ezekiel's day had a foolish arrogance that they were safe because of their position. In fact the only hope the Church has is in God, in his work by his Spirit.

THe Lord Jesus Christ is the true Temple of God. In John 2-12-25 we see his cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple, his claim as Son of God, and his caution in committing himself to those not truly committed to him.