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We don’t know her name only her love. When Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster flask of costly fragrant oil and poured it on His head.  Set free from torment and now living with new hope, she came to pay her debt the best she could. But some disciples including Judas asked why the fragrant oil was “wasted?” GK Apoleia” Literally “ruined to perdition.” 

300 denarii was close to a year’s wage. That is extravagant worship. You can’t accurately ladle out worship, so she poured it out.  Worship is wasteful; it is always excessive, even over the top. You can only pour it out unmeasured. Extravagant worship always exposes the hard, pragmatic, selfish or merely natural mindset

Judas also asked why her passion and devotion were not used to help the poor. But worship is not about being helpful or alleviating need. Meeting a need is a good thing to do at any time but it is not worship.  Worship is given to the One who has no need - we worship because it is we who have the need to worship.

Tellingly, when Jesus was describing Judas later, as the “son of perdition”, he used the exact same word "wasted", meaning “ruined to perdition.”  When a man calls wasted a thing that God esteems, God who wishes to esteem every man's life, may call it wasted.

Friends, the extravagance of our worship and how we rejoice in extravagant worship by others, is a good indicator of our heart and our future.

 Worship is the gyroscope of the soul. Worship is a sign of right order in the universe. When men and women worship God they begin to find out what they are born for and the benefits that God plans for them. Worship is all about God, but it benefits us. 

Worship lifts a man out of obscurity. Of course, God knows every person and loves them, but people don’t really appear on His “radar” until they begin to worship Him. Worship will lift a man to his place in history.  Gideon worshipped God and discovered he was a mighty man of valor. Moses was unknown till he bowed at the flaming shrub and Isaiah was just the son of a rich man until he saw the Lord high and lifted up. When people worship, they become what they were intended to be.

Worshipping Jesus is the only way to get the best from our life and our day. When Jesus was visiting His friends in Bethany, Martha was busy in the kitchen but Mary sat at His feet.  When Martha later complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping her, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the best part. On an average day, there are tasks to complete and people to relate to, but they can never become the best they could be, till we have done the best part of the whole day, which is to worship Him.  Without the best part of the day in place, all other parts are ill-placed and unaligned. We may have a wrong perspective, or life’s priorities may become distorted like Martha’s. She believed that love was best shown by industry, not intimacy even in inactivity.

Being “unproductive” is not a virtue in the world or even in the kingdom of God but imperative in the very presence of Jesus. Our importance and what we can do for Him, is zero compared with what He can do for us as we worship.

Friend, to become the person, the father or friend, we were intended to be, and even to have the day God intended, choose to be a worshipper.

The young Hebrew men refused to bow to the image and were tossed into a furnace so hot it killed their wardens. Nebuchadnezzar never said to stop believing in God; he simply asked them start bowing to something else. Daniel’s friends understood that today’s complacency becomes tomorrow’s captivity. The boys refused to bow to what culture worshipped, and that released their calling.  After the fire, they stepped into the authority God planned for them, but that authority wasn’t gained in the furnace. It was won long before.  Authority is built through a thousand small battles like resisting fear, immorality, and unforgiveness. (Some believers ignore these “lions and bears,” then wonder why they cannot stand when a giant appears). The fire wasn’t sent to destroy the men; it was sent to qualify them. The furnace only proved they were ready. Our strength of character is not created in the fire. It is revealed in the fire.

But when the men came out, the fire had not touched them. They walked out of the furnace smoke-free.  “When the officials crowded around them, they saw that not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!” Dan 3:27 

Sure, to smell like heaven, we must refuse to bow to the gods of Babylon.  And when we do, we may face our own furnaces of betrayal, pressure, temptation, or disappointment. Seasons where everything feels like a furnace. Yet by the grace of God, what was true for the Hebrew boys can be true for us. We can come out not burnt or bound — but blessed because of the ONE who stands beside us. “I see four men, unbound, walking in the fire… and the fourth looks like a god!” Daniel 3:25

Friend, if you are in the fire, know that your dream is not dead and God has not finished. Your purpose is not cancelled. Like the boys, God is positioning you to occupy territory the enemy is trying to keep you out of. You are blessed not because of what you’re standing in, but because of who stands with you. Jesus, the Fourth Man, is with you to bring you out. Fire can burn ropes, but it won't burn your calling. Flames can test you, but it cannot consume God’s favour.  And that’s why you can say: “I may be going through hell, but I will still smell like heaven.”

Gideon’s men quietly picked their way in the darkness around the Midianites’ camp. At the signal, they broke their clay vessels, revealing their flaming torches. The Midianites felt outnumbered by the great army that they thought had come upon them. It's amazing what God can do with people who have the lamp in their vessels and are willing to obey and break it in the battle. (Judges 7:19).  The Word of God is the lamp (Psalm 119:105).  And that lamp can be hidden inside our hearts (the vessel).  David said he hid God’s Word in his heart so he might not sin against God. If there is no Word stored in our heart, there will be no victory in the field.  It is the Sword that works, not garlic. How many of us still memorise scripture?   The Bible has to be more to us than an App on our phone next to Instagram and Facebook.

When Paul and Silas, vessels for God, were broken by imprisonment, they sang. Their faith-filled songs sounded so good, God turned up and every prisoner's bands were loosed - not just the Apostles. When a woman broke her alabaster vessel to worship Jesus, the room was filled with the fragrance of devotion.

Friend, today, we may find someone who is sick, or who needs our prayer of faith, or we have the opportunity to share the good news with them. Breaking our vessel is taking the risk to step out and to do it. Whenever we allow the Word of God and our devotion to shine out of our lives, there will be a breakthrough. In our lives and theirs!

When Israel faced the towering walls of Jericho, they believed God's words and acted boldly. It required something from them before God’s plans could continue to unfold.

Many years ago, when I was new in ministry, a minister asked me to sit in on a deliverance session. It was an education. The woman was a mature believer, with a solid marriage and a respected position in the church. She confessed to sexual activity with incubus demons. She was ashamed and exhausted, but she asked for help. That moment was one of the greatest demonstrations of courage and humility I have ever seen. She stepped into the light. And God met her there. She was wonderfully delivered, and of course, thankful.

The old hymn says, “The way of the cross leads home.” In my experience, the way of courage and humility isn’t just the way home — it’s the way forward in almost every area of the Christian life.

Successful relationships take bravery and humility. To bring up issues honestly with grace and for the other to respond without defensiveness.  If the issue isn’t resolved, it takes courage and humility to keep loving them until God brings a breakthrough.

To move into new levels of ministry takes courage and humility, because nobody gets it right the first time. To move in the gifts of the Spirit, whether on the street or in the church, also takes courage and humility. To grow and go forward, we all have to do the hard things, as did Jesus.  To fulfil His Father's purpose, He showed God-sized courage and unspeakable humility on the cross, for us.

Friends, as we step into 2025, I’m not predicting the annexation of Greenland, the rise of the Nephilim, the Ezekiel 38 war, or the removal of presidents or pastors.  But I will predict this:  We will need to grow in courage and humility, because every step forward in the Kingdom requires both. If you face a “wall”, be courageous, consider Jesus and take action because God's planned future for you is on the other side of your wall.

Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

God emptied heaven to bring us back to Him by sending His Son on a mission. God said to Joseph, “Call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” God saw the manifold sufferings of people, but He was dealing with the root of our problem, because humanity’s deepest issue is not economic, social, racial, or educational—it is sin. Today, the media pours out details of the hate between nations, neighbours, and bus riders, but they never mention the Hope: Jesus Christ, who came to save us.

When a PhD cheats on their taxes, and a school leaver pays theirs, the difference isn’t education; it’s sin. When MPs on both sides of the house commit adultery, the issue isn’t politics; it’s sin.  Both rich and poor can become depressed or suicidal, because the cause isn’t money; it’s sin. When suburbs with the greatest public amenities and services still lead in social problems, it's not the environment; it is sin.

Socialists insist our problem is financial inequity, solved by redistribution and taxes. Humanists reject the idea of sin, but, embarrassed by growing evil, blame society and its institutions. New Agers and Avatars tell us cosmic consciousness will solve our problems, but our “godness” is slow coming. Secularists place their hope in technology, but our kids are emotionally sicker. Some psychologists say people's problems come from the suppression of desires and instincts. But their solution to release those drives to be “free,” sounds dumb to me.   Atheists claim that everyone is without sin and is evolving towards utopia. I haven't noticed. They confuse capacity with choice: Though we are created for worship and love, we still choose wrong. So the Scripture is true, “All have sinned… and fallen short of God's requirement” (Romans 3:23).

Everyone has a diagnosis and a cure. But if the diagnosis is wrong, the solution is hopeless. By all means, let's help the poor, alleviate symptoms and suffering and educate all who want to learn. But until we realise the problem is not in our purse or in our parliament, but in our hearts, true change can never come. Only the blood of Christ removes the guilt of sin. Psychiatry may expose it. Psychology may help us cope with it. But only Emmanuel—God with us—can pardon it and remove it. Only Christ the Saviour can save us from the penalty and the power of our sin. Thank you, Jesus!!

Ps. Have a brilliant Christmas celebration with your family and friends. See you in 2026!

In 2025, we visited Malta, specifically to see the Bay of St Paul, where Paul was swept ashore after his ship went down. We travelled for an hour to a mountain village, where the bus broke down. We waited in 40‑degree heat for the replacement, which came so late that we no longer had time to reach St Paul’s Bay. It wasn’t the day we imagined or planned!

Paul’s story carries the same shape. He thought he would sail all the way to Rome, but the ship broke apart. Acts 27–28.  Yet we know Paul still reached Rome, just not by the path he assumed. Sometimes what we think is necessary to reach our destination isn’t needed at all. God often takes us by a route we never expected to bring us His desired plan.

With rocks approaching, the sailors tried to escape in the lifeboat. Paul told them to stop and to cut the boat loose. Faith often looks like releasing the thing we were relying on and trusting God. When the ship finally shattered, the sailors reached Malta by clinging to broken planks of wood. In Scripture, wood often points us to the cross—Moses throws a tree into bitter waters, and they are healed. This time, wooden boards carry the endangered to safety. Clinging to the cross is still our strategy. It can bring us from shipwreck to shore if we hold on. Hold on and look to the One who was nailed there for you. The cross is the sure promise of His love and purpose for your life.

Friend, your life may not have unfolded the way you thought it would, but God can still bring you to His desired destination. In our shipwrecks, understanding God is optional, but trusting God is essential. Perhaps you feel like you are the broken thing? Being broken doesn’t deter Him. If you’ve failed, He can restore you. And if you are not right, you can call on the Name that is always right. The storm may rage, and the plans you thought would work may be sunk, but God’s promise stands. God fulfilled His plan for Paul, and He can do it for you.

The other night we saw the movie “What About Bob? a man trapped in unreality, plagued by compulsive behaviours who believed he had many illnesses despite no medical evidence. While Bob lives in unreality, he mirrors our spiritual state before we met Christ.

In Mark 5:15 Jesus met and delivered the insane man from the tombs, who then sat listening at Jesus' feet, clothed, and with a sane mind. He was free of demonic thoughts and ready to follow and witness for Jesus. That is sanity!  Scripture teaches that without Jesus, we are literally insane—our minds darkened, our perceptions distorted, our fears unchecked, but when we are born again, God gives us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.  (sōphroneō: saved and sane 2 Timothy 1:7)

Every person, including PhDs, politicians, parents and preachers who reject Christ, are biblically insane, believing things about the universe that are not real. Atheists who have no access to the spiritual realm brazenly claim that God does not exist. Marxists believe joy comes from the state controlling all things. Materialists believe happiness is owning more. Modernists trust only science or themselves.  Pantheists believe they can meet god by touching their hair to a branch of a tree. Woke believe that the “marginalised” are always right, and postmoderns tell themselves that deconstructed relationships are better than marriage, when even recent secular research says different: “Adults who are married report being far happier than those in any other relationship status, according to a Gallup Poll published Friday. 9 Feb 2024. Married couples report higher trust and satisfaction in their relationships compared to unmarried cohabitating partners, according to the Pew analysis. 21 Apr 2024. Couples who are merely cohabiting might be less willing to invest in their relationship and associated social networks as compared to couples with the relational stability that comes with marriage. Statistically, cohabiting men are four times more likely to cheat than husbands, and cohabiting women are eight times more likely to cheat than wives.” Blekesaune, 27 Mar 2021.

 Yet, people choose to live in unreality and self-selected echo chambers, education and media reinforce their delusions. Unbelievers live in a frightening world—without God, hope, or help. And sadly, for some people, it is literally traumatic. For them, denial can become a comforting defence, but it cannot deliver.

So, friend, how is your sanity? Are you seated at Jesus’ feet, clothed in His love, filled with gratitude, and ready to tell of His goodness? Yes? Great! People so need to meet Jesus, because until they do, they’re just nuts.

In 2016, we were running late and trying to get to the airport in Portugal. On the motorway, the GPS was slow to refresh and appeared to say to turn right. We did and ended up on one of the longest bridges in the world. We couldn't turn around for 20 kilometres! There are moments in life when it feels like you’ve taken a wrong turn and ended up on a bridge you never wanted to cross. Maybe it’s a financial burden, a health crisis, a broken relationship, or a spiritual dry spell. We didn’t plan it, but here we are.

David returned to Ziklag to find everything gone—his city burned, his family taken, and his men ready to stone him. David had every reason to collapse under the weight of grief, fear, and exhaustion. But in that moment, when no one stood with him, David did something powerful: “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6. He didn’t have answers. He didn’t have support. But he had a history with God. Kings need to know how to stand alone. It was only a short time after that, that he was crowned King.

Encouraging yourself in God doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine. It means remembering who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s promised. It means choosing to believe that God who blessed your going out is still with you in your coming in—even over a bridge you hate.

Friend, your bridge isn’t forever and God isn’t finished yet. So look up and go ahead. Encourage yourself that God is still good, still present, and still in control. Because crowns come to those who are faithful in trials. And by the way, we just made it to the check-in, and they opened the bag drop again, just for our bags!