The original context of this post was that it was spurred on by my desire to market one of my books.  This is why I refer to marketing. Why can’t I be a complete person on my own?  Why can’t … Continue reading →

Perhaps you have read about spiritual gifts.  And perhaps now you are objecting, “That’s all very well, but I don’t seem to have any spiritual gifts.  Why not?”  There are a couple of possible answers to this question.  So let’s … Continue reading →

Among Christians there is a divide about the place of women in the Church.  Complementarians believe that women must be subordinate to men in home and church.  Women are denied roles in church leadership.  The main passages used in support … Continue reading →

Conspiracy of Fear “the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me…“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of … Continue reading →

Filling the Void Jan 2021 Introduction We live in increasingly extreme times. From the ideologues of political left and right, to antivaxxers, to climate change warriors and deniers, to those who speak as the final authority on their sexuality/gender unquestioning … Continue reading →

Lessons from America “I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen.” (Jer 13:26) Preamble As a child of parents who lived through WW II, there wasn’t anything much America could do wrong … Continue reading →

The Baptism of our Lord 10/1/21 Gen 1:1-5; Ps 29:1-11; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11 https://youtu.be/bDbnGxpr9Vg Introduction The bible teaches of the one baptism uniting all Christians (Eph 4:5), but the Church is divided over the age of baptismal candidates, how … Continue reading →

The City Worth Dying For Introduction Many mature Christians are sure the Lord has revealed to them something much better than the present state of Church and nation, but it has not yet come to pass. Why? A significant factor … Continue reading →

Today is 6th January 2021.  I found this reflection on the pandemic which I wrote in April 2020.  It is probably still pertinent. Yesterday was Good Friday 2020.  We are all in isolation because of COVID19.  Yesterday I read the … Continue reading →

“Tented for Us”: The Mystery of Christmas Introduction Recently I stated that the renewal of Western Christianity depends on a “tent dwelling” spirituality “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Heb 11:9-10). Since … Continue reading →

  Part II: Whose City? Heb 12:18-25 Rev 21:1-14    Audio: https://www.daleappleby.net/media/podcastmanager/BeyndPolit.mp3   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA4tpuU2cBQ   Introduction   It is much easier to argue with someone over political right and wrong than it is to wrestle against the evil spiritual … Continue reading →

 Beyond the Political Part I: The Dilemma of Our Times Gen 4:1-17; Matt 5:21-23 Audio: https://www.daleappleby.net/index.php/mp3-sermons/51-recent-sermons/1076-the-dilemma-of-our-times Video: https://www.stmarksbassendean.church/post/the-dilemma-of-our-times Introduction Daniel says the God who “changes times and seasons; removes kings and sets up kings; gives wisdom to the wise and … Continue reading →

The Straight Way of the Lord Isa 40:1-11; Ps 85:8-13; 1 Cor 1:1-9; Mark 1:1-8 Audio: https://www.daleappleby.net/index.php/mp3-sermons/51-recent-sermons/1075-the-straight-way-of-the-lord Video: https://www.stmarksbassendean.church/post/the-straight-way-of-the-lord Introduction John the Baptist’s one great mission in life was to prepare his hearers for the coming of the Lord. As … Continue reading →

A sermon for Dalkeith Road Church of Christ November 2020 “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13 ESV). “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But … Continue reading →

A New Landscape. Really? “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth … Continue reading →

The Love in the Supper: a meditation  John 13:1-35 https://youtu.be/MhTVOTz3B4g Introduction We live in a time, in the Western world at least, of little spiritual discernment. Millions of Christians, by reaction or reaction, have been distracted by a noisy gong … Continue reading →

Grief upon Grief: true and false spiritual fathering Introduction Somewhere around 3 am, unable to sleep, I inquired of the Lord if there was a specific issue disturbing my heart. I sensed the Spirit illuminating that I was suffering grief … Continue reading →

3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:3 ESV Dear friends and family…, God’s Son “always was and always will be”; the “Light of the world” and ‘hope and glory’. For … Continue reading →

The Power and Presence of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist/Mass/Holy Communion  Luke 22:14-23; 1 Cor 11:17-34 https://youtu.be/gqeDYRQzlsA Introduction For centuries the meaning of the Lord’s Supper has divided the Church with an intensity like almost nothing else. If you are a Catholic … Continue reading →

Spiritual Discernment 2. Discerning of Spirits Introduction It is likely that the church in Sardis were familiar with this prayer, “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able … Continue reading →

Spiritual Discernment 1. The Way of Jesus and the Discernment of Persons  https://youtu.be/A13W-7RWvIo Introduction Christians have long struggled to discern the voice of God in their life circumstances. The Corinthians were beset by Greek views of wisdom and knowledge, the … Continue reading →

The Door    Ps 24; Isa 22:15-25 (Rev 3:7-13), Acts 14:24-28; John 10:1-9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzXlAfad2FQ Introduction Despite significant spiritual growth at St Marks in recent years,  as a group we have yet to shift our focus from maintaining activities that benefit ourselves … Continue reading →

Sermon for Dalkeith Road Church of Christ October 2020 “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we … Continue reading →

Prophets and the rest of God 2: The Church at Rest Jer 31:1-9; Heb 3:7-4:11 https://youtu.be/vbqkGfU7bDU Introduction Last week I spoke about the content of the rest of God in Christ. That after enduring the judgement of God in our … Continue reading →

Ferocious Warriors: a fellowship of groaning  Introduction Whereas the godly of previous generations believed in the intense anger and mercy of the Lord (Num 25:4; Deut 13:17; Rom 2:8; 11:22; Heb 10:27 etc.), a deep sharing in such realities is … Continue reading →

Prophets and the Rest of God: 1 the victory of Christ Gen 1:31-2:3, 8-17;Isa 57:15-21; Heb 4:1-11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B-9WGoR6pE Introduction In an evil age (Gal 1:4) subject to divine judgement human beings are chronically restless about the state of their lives … Continue reading →

Where is Jesus? “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.” (Ps 113:7-8)…“he has brought down the mighty from their … Continue reading →

Blind seeing Seeing blind    Deut 29:1-4; Ps 36:1-9; John 9:1-23, 24-41; Eph 5:8-14 Audio: https://www.daleappleby.net/index.php/mp3-sermons/51-recent-sermons/1065-blind-seeing-seeing-blind-john-9 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVSxxBPxCjc Part 1  The Blind See Introduction The healing of the man born blind in John 9 is a story of extreme contrasts. Firstly, … Continue reading →

A sermon for Dalkeith Rd Church of Christ 27th September 2020 ESV 1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. NIV 1 Corinthians 13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always … Continue reading →

Prophets and God’s Righteousness Is 59:1-10; Matt 3:1-15; Acts 17:24-31 Audio: https://www.daleappleby.net/index.php/mp3-sermons/51-recent-sermons/1063-prophets-and-the-righteousness-of-god Video: https://www.stmarksbassendean.church/post/prophets-and-the-righteousness-of-god   Introduction The righteousness of God is one of the most dominant themes in the Bible. Whilst in the Old Testament in particular, righteousness and justice … Continue reading →