We held the first of a two part teaching on Faith in the Midst of Suffering yesterday and as usual I thoroughly enjoyed the day, although I am always mindful of the fact that as I always enjoy speaking and teaching about the Lord and His Word, it is a joy to my soul to hear that others have been encouraged and edified by His Spirit.

Isn’t it amazing that the first line in this Psalm explains so much - the fact that God is our refuge and strength shows us that we are not immune from troubles and problems. The abundant life that Jesus offered us is not a troublefree life.

Jesus spoke many parables - both to reveal and to conceal who He is. Often He said 'those who have ears let him hear' and we know that He explained to His disciples that for those with hard hearts the parables would only harden their hearts further - but for those who truly wanted to know the truth they would be like windows through which the light would shine.