Tag Archives: God With Us

Purification by proxy

Posted on January 28, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Every twelve years, millions of Hindus flock to Allahabad to bathe in the River Ganges, believing that they will be cleansed from sin. Sadly, scores of pilgrims regularly get injured in the crush as the crowds rush to the water. … Continue reading →

Posted in Forgiveness, New Life, Purification, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Man sees the deed, but God sees the intention.’

Posted on January 4, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

I remember my little daughter once deciding to buy me an ice-cream with her own money. But on the way back from the Mr Whippy van the ice cream started to melt. So she began to lick the sides of … Continue reading →

Posted in Acceptance, Failure, Faith, Forgiveness, God, God's faithfulness, Grace | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

An unknown region with a well-know inhabitant

Posted on January 2, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

We know very little about the after-life but someone once described it as “an unknown region with a well-know inhabitant.” I remember an old man I once ministered to just before his death, who told me how, in London, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Eternity, Faith, God, Heaven, Trust in God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What’s beyond the door

Posted on January 2, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A.M. Hunter used to tell the story of a man suffering from a terminal illness, who asked his doctor to tell him about what lay ahead for him after he died. As the doctor fumbled for a reply, he heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Faith, Heaven, Trust in God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cape of Storms

Posted on December 31, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The southernmost point of Africa was for centuries known as the “Cape of Storms”. But then, in the sixteenth century, Vasco De Gama, successfully sailed around it and found beyond the raging storms a great calm sea, and beyond that … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Despair, Faith, Grace, Hope, Spiritual blessing, Spiritual discernment | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

You can get bitter, or you can get better

Posted on December 31, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The best selling book entitled You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better got it’s inspiration from a young woman who had just received word that her husband had been killed in a farming accident, leaving her alone with … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Growth, Healing, Hope, Life, Life's journey, Overcoming, Pain, Spiritual growth, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble, Tried, Troubles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The benefit of being two-faced

Posted on December 20, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Research in cognitive science – how the brain works – has found that the mechanisms we use to remember the past are the same as the ones we use to envisage the future. To walk down memory lane is, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Facing the future, God's faithfulness, Looking ahead, Remembering the past, Remembrance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Whispering hope

Posted on December 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Septimus Winner, one of the best known song writers of the nineteenth century, whose songs are still sung round many a campfire, has been rediscovered and inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. His best loved and most enduring song … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Hope, Hope of Glory, Life's journey, Light, Light of Life | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Comfort through a cat

Posted on December 15, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

At the Steer House Nursing Home in Providence, Rhode Island, a cat named Oscar provides a unique service to the residents of the dementia unit. He makes regular rounds, hopping onto patients’ beds, purring and snuggling up to people before … Continue reading →

Posted in Cat, Death, Eternity, Faith, Fear, Healing, Heaven, Hope, Hope of Glory, Spiritual comfort | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Not Alone

Posted on November 13, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

A few years ago, best selling writer Philip Yancey wrote these words: ‘For all its faults and failures, the church offers a place to bring wounds and to seek meaning in times of brokenness and struggle. Visiting them I heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Courage, Faith, Mystery, Prayer, Spiritual growth, Spiritual Insight, Strength, Troubles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment