Ray Bell

‘Authority’ and ‘obedience’ are so often seen in a negative light today and are rarely, if ever, combined with ‘joy’. However, this week in Philippians 4:2-9 we are commanded to rejoice! Twice! And to ‘rejoice always’! It is possible to be both obedient AND full of joy. In fact, being joyful is to obey. God…

Even our best efforts and intentions contribute in no way towards our right standing before God and having peace with him. This week, in Philippians 3:1-11, we will hear Paul speaking of the very core of the gospel – righteousness which comes from God through faith in Christ; the very essence of faith – counting…

What appears to be a break in Paul’s declaration of the gospel and his exhortations to the Philippians to tell of his travel plans for himself and his fellow workers, is in fact no break at all. On the contrary, as we’ll see this week, Philippians 2:19-30 demonstrates the same selfless love and humble service…

Our text for this Sunday is Philippians 2.12-18.  In verse 12, Paul gives this startling instruction: “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”. While this has perplexed many believers ever since he wrote it, we need to see that this salvation has already been given to us from God through faith in the Lord…

This coming Sunday we commence a new series through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In the opening section (verses 1-11) we are given insight into Paul’s prayer for the saints at Philippi. Despite being imprisoned at the time, he is filled with thanksgiving and joy for their partnership with him in the gospel, and with…

This week we conclude our series through Ecclesiastes where we read, ‘the end of the matter; all has been heard.’ Having heard the wisdom of the Preacher, who has investigated every possible aspect of life under the sun for meaning and gain, only to find it is all meaningless, we could easily be driven to…

Despite the meaninglessness and seemingly random nature of all things under the sun, the Preacher of Ecclesiastes is certain that wisdom is better than folly. Our passage this week (Ecclesiastes 9:13-10:15) provides numerous proverbs which drive home this conclusion. For example, the words of a poor wise man deliver a meagre city besieged by a…

When one observes life ‘under the sun’ it is easy to think that good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. To the Preacher such events seems to be unavoidable and random, a matter of time and chance. However, he is aware that such events are in the hands of…

This week we hear from the Preacher of Ecclesiastes in the second half of Chapter 7 who, having searched high and low under the sun, seeking wisdom, righteousness and ‘the scheme of things’, comes up empty handed. ‘Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins,’ he remarks. Aware…

Through confronting questions, wise counsel and striking proverb the Teacher continues to probe the perplexing issues of life: existence, death, grief, pride and anger, living in the past and struggling with the sovereignty of God. No simplistic answers here, but neither is there a giving way to godless despair. In the gospel the Spirit indeed…