You know the account of Achan in Joshua 7 - of Israel's failed attempt to conquer the city of Ai because he had taken things from their first victory in the Promised Land. God had specifically instructed that no-one was to touch the treasures that they found - that they were 'under the ban' which means 'devoted to God'.

This was my prayer this morning; O Lord deliver me, protect me, be my stronghold, my refuge as I seek to live Your way - as I seek to speak Your truth into a world that is overrun by the schemes of the enemy of my soul.

Someone said to me a long time ago that what Job feared came upon him - that God deliberately and specifically, in order to rid him of his fear, brought exactly that into his life. That thinking of course has come from the enemy of our soul and its effect is to make us afraid of God and afraid to be honest with Him about our fears.

I have read many reports, from inside and outside of the church - I've listened to statistics and heard the alarms and I have had to remind myself to stay with the Lord and to trust, simply trust, that He is in control.

I have been reading through the account of Joseph and his family, an account littered with difficult trials and tests - first for Joseph and now here for his brothers. I can also see that God had a glorious plan - a plan to protect and make secure the family that would become a nation - the people who were to live for His glory and witness to His greatness in the world.

It's funny isn't it how so often we seem to inherit the fears of our parents. Reading here in Genesis and seeing Isaac respond in just the same way as Abraham by lying about his wife opened up some questions for me. Have I inherited any of the fears of my ancestors and if I have what am I to do?

It's the start of another year and I am brought back to basics. I need my God. I need Him every day in every way. I need His grace and His mercy and His love. I need His strength and His joy and His peace.

I always think it so interesting how Paul prays for those fellowships that he knows are sharing in the work of the gospel; how he thanks God for them and prays that their love - their faith - will be heard of and talked about and that the love he sees in them will grow.

Paul recognised that work in Corinth - saw the enemy's efforts through the false teachers and their deceived helpers - and knew that he must fight with the weapons that God had provided - with prayer and with the Word of God.

Praise your God - speak about who He is and all that He means to you - speak out His Word and tell of His mighty deeds. He is the Lord and highly to be praised and in that praising you will experience His presence. God inhabits the praises of His people - when you praise there He will be!

Will I smell You, will I see You?

Will I sense You, will I hear You?

Will I touch You, will I know You?

And in the room, are You near me, are you in the gloom?

Are You still, or moving round me?

Are You breathing, are You smiling?

Is there joy, are You weeping?

I was reading this morning in John 18 and came to verse 36. Jesus states clearly here that His kingdom is NOT of this world. That word 'world' means 'cosmos or material universe' and knowing that, we begin to understand what Jesus meant.

We've put up a calendar on our website and on it are the conference dates, the regular classes, the prayer times....all the things that DT are currently involved in. Take a look and make a date to come and be with us as we seek to proclaim the excellence of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. 1 Peter2:9

Should have been teaching the regular weekly classes today - seems an age since we were together - this cough/cold/whatever it is has taken its toll and yet another week goes by with me feeling rather poorly.

It's snowing and has been for a while now which has meant that most of us have had time at home that we didn't expect. For me, unlike so many others, that has been a great blessing as I have been able to do some extra reading and studying and to get ahead in the writing of material for classes and conferences.

Jacob was head of a pretty dysfunctional family. He was wrong to favour Joseph - it set up a storm of jealousy and hatred in the hearts of his brothers and ended up causing Jacob years of tremendous grief - not to mention the hardships, imprisonment and great difficulties that Joseph ended up facing.

'As for God His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God, the God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless?

Let all those who take refuge in You be glad Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.

Happy new year!! We have so many new things happening this year that it is almost impossible to know where to start!