But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. (Psalms 3:3) The story of the woman caught in adultery is one of my favourite illustrations of grace, mercy and judgment and how it all works together in our favour when the world turns against us in all its cruelty and prejudice. It…
Author: Ansophie Joubert
Writer and speaker in women's ministry.
111. Come on – throw a party!
It is significant how the concept of a joyous get-together is part of ancient Jewish history and religious worship. In general, ancient societies were much more socially supportive, than the modern focus on privacy, personal preference and individual superiority afford a member of the social order today. Survival demanded group cooperation. Feasting found a firm…
110. Know that you know – no doubt.
Many times when I read about Jesus’ walk on earth, I try to imagine how it might have been for the ordinary folk. Caught in the political strife of the day, they struggled to make sense of the Roman government and taxes, being hassled and mistreated as an outpost of a vast empire very impatient…
By the way…words of life.
Dear Pebble pals, I would like to share something very personal with you. I would like you to think about the following. We will continue our study of the Gospel of John next week. We are in the midst of the most important weekend of the Christian calendar. For years I have asked the Lord…
109. And you? What do you have to say?
Talk is cheap, says the old saying. I know it refers to promises made in words and not kept in deeds. For me, it also implies the gossipy chatter about something or someone in the public domain; the safe talk of anonymity that could never commit any person to an opinion that might be quoted…
108. Do you believe in fairytales?
We are inundated with fantasy these days. Books and movies created a new and vibrant wave of the genre in literature defined as: the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable. There are so many titles to name. Older ones like the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of…
107. Full and fed – what now?
What would happen if all our prayers were answered in one go, suddenly, just like that? We would be overwhelmed with gratitude with the One who made it possible and spontaneously worship Him. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a natural response to greatness and miraculous deeds, just like the crowds…
106. Little is much…abundance.
We so love the success stories of this world – the rags to riches type of thing. Ordinary people becoming rich and famous, commoners marrying royalty to live the fairytale life so many yearn for. Dreams of big money, luxury lives and desirable possessions drive the mad rush towards achievement, life at the top and…
105. The One and Only, the One in All.
The package deal, is what we want. We have so many things pre-packaged. Somebody else thought long and hard and put things together to serve a combination of needs. Some may call it a hamper, some may call it the full meal deal, some may call it a wrap up – whatever the goodies inside…
104. An old, old story for the new year.
Let us go back. To our birth? No further back. To the time of our forefathers? Even further back. Well okay, to the time of Jesus on the earth because we are studying the book of John. No, wrong again. Let us go back to the beginning. The beginning of what? The beginning of everything….
Pebbles of Perpetuity 