Being a Scottish preacher in American churches can be quite novel at times. For some reason, folks like to listen to my Scots accent because they find it to be quite lyrical. I used to think that this was a great thing and relished each … Read more

In many years of ministry, I have seen people who were truly thankful to God for help and healing. Their lives were changed in a single moment, so they devoted themselves to worshipping and serving God for the rest of their days. I, also, … Read more

Over many years of pastoral ministry, I saw some dedicated people who were always present for Sunday worship and church programs. They were totally immersed in the life, work, and ministries of the congregation, and it seemed as though … Read more

Over many years of being a pastor, one of the saddest things about ministry that I experienced was the number of people who took their faith for granted and attended church infrequently. No matter how hard that I tried to encourage them … Read more

Sometimes, I get frustrated with God, especially when my prayers of concern take a while to be answered. I'm usually a patient person, but when I get anxious, I can't help feeling that God is either ignoring me or doesn't understand the … Read more

Recently, I was travelling back from a church committee meeting with two other pastors. As we drove home, we talked about how a word preached at the right time to the right person can have a profound effect on their life. A short phrase, … Read more

My wife and I once set up a kids' club for over 40 inner-city children each Monday night. They ran about screaming and shouting, thankful for a large hall to play in, especially during wet and cold winter nights. Beneath the hall, a small … Read more

The older I get, the more that I want to learn about Jesus and read about God. As a pastor for almost forty years, I thought that I knew a lot, but now, I realize that there's infinitely more to learn about Christ and more to experience … Read more

I see a lot of memes on Facebook that appear to condemn the church for not being the church that the world expects. The memes usually attack the church for being hypocritical and not compassionate enough. There is some truth to what is … Read more

The conclusion of the gospel story about Jesus healing the demon-possessed man has always intrigued me, because what happened after he was delivered is so similar to my own story. The cured man wanted to follow Jesus, probably because he … Read more

Every day, I pray for my family who live in the United States, as well as those in Scotland and around the world. I ask God to bless and protect them, to guide and support them, to love and cherish them. It's a ritual that I go through … Read more

I don't know how many times in my life that I've called on the name of the Lord, but I'm thankful for God's gracious response when I've needed reassurance, guidance, deliverance, and support. As a troubled teenager who lost his way … Read more

We all make mistakes in our lives, and there are things in our past that we often regret. Sometimes, it's about something that we've neglected to do or say, and other times, it could be something that we've said or done. For me, it was my … Read more

I'm currently reading a series of biographical books: Great Generals. I've finished two books on General Patton and General Grant and am now reading a book about General Eisenhower. All three of them were called on to make major … Read more

Climate change is one of the biggest issues that we're facing today. Whether we believe that human activity has caused it or not, there seems to be something going on with regard to glaciers melting, sea levels rising, and more storms … Read more

The mindfulness of God is something that I have really grown to appreciate over the years. His constant presence has helped me on many occasions to overcome times of adversity, distress, and tragedy that I thought I would never be able to … Read more

I've been thinking and reading a lot about forgiveness recently. I guess the older that we get, the more that we realize how many mistakes that we've committed, foolish choices that we've made, and careless words that we've said, and end … Read more

This coming Saturday, the world will be focused on the coronation of King Charles III. Television cameras from all over the world will broadcast this unique event live, and no doubt, many people will be amazed to see the coronation … Read more

We live in anxious times, and I suspect that many of us, including me, are just glad to get through each day. There's so much uncertainty in the world, and it's affecting each one of us. We don't know what lies ahead, and after three … Read more

There's something heavy that has been weighing on my heart for several years. It sometimes causes me to wake up in the middle of the night and sadly reflect on how some people that I dearly love are being misled by what is untrue, unjust, … Read more

When I was a teenager and had strayed away from God, I found it very difficult to go back to church. I felt as though I had let God down, and the church members I once knew had become strangers to me. It was far easier to ignore God, as … Read more

A couple of times this week, I've had friends confess to me how unworthy they feel to be loved by God. It bothers them greatly and hinders them from coming back to church. They genuinely feel that because COVID has isolated them from … Read more

I love the genial attitude of Paul when he is being interrogated by the local Roman rulers in today's passage. He knows that his life is on the line, but instead of remaining fearfully silent or pleading for forgiveness, he shares his … Read more

My wife Evelyn and I have just returned from a beautiful trip to Greece. We explored many places, climbed thousands of ancient steps, and visited some of the most amazing Greek and Roman ruins in the world. We had planned this holiday for … Read more

I don't know anyone right now who isn't worried about the future because of the war in Ukraine. We're all hoping and praying that it doesn't escalate because it's the nearest we've been to a nuclear conflict since the 1960s. The threat of … Read more

One of the greatest burdens in ministry, as well as in other counselling or caring professions, is the amount of indifference that we come across from folks we attempt to help or try to support. I can remember in Scotland spending many … Read more

As part of the history class that I took in high school, I had to study the origins of World War II. Our class spent several weeks focusing on the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and how he motivated the American people to deal … Read more

One of the great sadnesses that I have noticed about this prolonged pandemic has been the constant lack of love when people argue about their personal choices. It's far easier to berate and ridicule our opponents, rather than to have a … Read more

When I was in high school, I used to enjoy long-distance running. Going around the track twenty times or more gave me moments of solitude and clarity that enabled me to find solutions to some of the problems and issues that I faced as a … Read more

I've made many mistakes through the years, both foolish and sinful, so I often look to Jesus not just to accept and forgive me, but also to fully understand my failures and to redirect me onto the path that He hopes that I will follow. … Read more

I wonder, if we knew where Jesus was going to be one day, somewhere in our community, would we leave everything we were doing and run ahead to that place to greet Him? Would we look forward to seeing Him in person to listen to His … Read more

We live in scary times because of all the uncertainty that we're experiencing. We try to live our lives as normally as we can, but currently, there seem to be so many setbacks that none of us can find a "normal" routine. As creatures of … Read more

Throughout my many years in ministry, I've recognized that the invisibility of God is a problem for some people. Because He cannot be seen in person, they refuse to accept His existence. They think that if He were to turn up one day and … Read more