Readers familiar with the Bible will recognise that the heading refers to a book and chapter, and some will immediately be aware that it records a fascinating story. A Christian man called Philip is preaching in a city called Samaria, the crowds “paid close attention to what he said” and the outcome was “there was…

Watching a rerun of one of the many police programmes recently, a driver was “pulled over” by a police officer and “invited” to sit in the back of the police car. The officer asked the motorist for his driving licence and then details of his car insurance. The motorist, willing to cooperate, produced his licence…

Watching one of the many hospital-based programmes on TV, I was interested in one of the patients in the Accident and Emergency department. The patient’s wife shared a little of how the two had met, and in the early days of their friendship, as a Christian, she invited the young man to church, expecting him…

After almost 25 years of faithful service, it was reluctantly agreed that I could demolish our greenhouse. This task, despite its challenges, was an enjoyable experience and involved several trips to the local Recycling Centre. The next major decision was whether or not to replace it, and if so, with what. After several hours of…

This phrase is taken from Isaiah 6 verse 8, and each time I hear it read, I am reminded of an occasion when I attended a missionary conference at the Methodist Central Hall in London. The large room was filled to capacity, and for me, one of the highlights was to watch and hear the…

Years ago, it was my practice to go for a haircut without making an appointment, so while waiting for my turn, I would read any available literature. One of my favourites was the Reader’s Digest, concentrating on the many humorous stories and comments. One story that has stayed with me related to two elderly men…

In a Facebook post, a Christian writer, speaking of Anna’s reaction to seeing the baby Jesus, included this statement, “For that day that we all so long for is surely coming.”  My immediate response was to question whether that statement was true for me. It is not that I do not want to go to…

It was one Christmas Eve, in the late 1990’s, that I returned home from work to visit an aged aunt living in the annexe of our house. As I entered her lounge, I was aware that she was listening to a Christmas carol concert from Cambridge, though not the famous King’s College. Shortly after my…

I recall reading an article from a few years ago that suggested there are at least 3 Advents. The first, and probably mostly associated with that word, is this current period in the Church calendar. The second suggestion is the personal Advent when, individually, we invite Jesus into our hearts. Although written to Christians, the…

Not long ago, I was contacted by a lovely Christian who broke down as he tried to speak with me on the phone. Patiently waiting as he tried to control his emotions, I learned that he was facing a life-changing challenge and even had occasional suicidal thoughts. In the circumstances, only a very few Christians…