Bruce Staley

Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz in Budapest, later Ehrich Weiss or Harry Weiss; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice as "Harry Handcuff Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged different police forces to try to keep him locked up. This revealed a talent for gimmickry and for audience involvement that characterised all his work. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and to holding his breath inside a sealed milk can. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Houdini) There were two things that set Houdini apart, firstly KNOWLEDGE of what he knew to be true and secondly, ENTHUSIASM, the capacity to persevere in the face of great odds and to overcome the temptation to quit. Enthusiasm is a passionate eagerness in any pursuit. Enthusiasm is a sign of responsible living, the sign that you are able t...

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him - that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognising and understanding [the wonders of His person] more strongly and more clearly. And that I may in that same way come to know the power out-flowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers]: and that I may so share His suffering as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death. That's it, everything in one grand statement... This passage, which takes a bit to get your head around, is taken from the Amplified Version of Philippians 3:10. Charles Swindoll personalises it this way, "I want to know Him. I also want to model the power out-flowing from His resurrection. And I certainly want to be continually transformed into His likeness...which requires accepting my share of suffering." This gives us a whole new perspective on life and its difficulties, its crises. All sorts of ...

In Acts 20:22 Luke records the words of the Apostle Paul,   And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, NOT KNOWING what will happen to me there. Again, the author of Hebrews in 11:8 writes, By faith Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance obeyed and went, even though he did NOT KNOW where he was going. The responses of Paul and Abraham can be seen as contrary to the common human response which says I want to know what is ahead before I commit myself. The follower of Jesus however, knows that the bottom line, when called by God or compelled by the Spirit, is to trust and obey even though we may not know what or where. Here's a brief checklist to confirm that it is of the Lord. Is the action consistent with the Scriptures? Is my motive unselfish and pure? Will my action injure others or my testimony? Seek wise counsel We are strangers and pilgrims in a foreign land, people on the move, unencumbered, ready to respond to the compel...

I wrote this Word of Encouragement on Friday 21 June 2013, the shortest day, shortest in terms of daylight hours. I’m not making a case for finding more time to rush around doing more. Rather I’m calling for the wise use of time. Each of us has the same amount of time as the next person. Last year I noticed a newspaper article announcing that Stephen Covey had died as a result of complications arising from a bicycle accident. Stephen was considered the pioneer of the self-help genre that aims at helping people live more productively. His most notable publication, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, was published in 38 languages and sold over 20 million copies. Covey proposed a fourth generation of time management that recognised the challenge wasn't to manage time, which we cannot do, but to manage ourselves. And one key to effectiveness is to give attention to our relationships. In the light of Covey it’s interesting to note the response of Jesus, in Matthew 22:36-40, to...

I stood there for a few moments, it was cold and the ground damp, however, I noticed the last of the autumn leaves clinging to the branches of two of the four ornamental pear trees in our backyard. I had just finished putting the green waste in the compost bin as I do each day. There was still a colourful display of green, gold, bronze and burgundy leaves. The other two pears had already shed their leaves. The Manchurian Pear in the back corner, the first to lose its leaves, always has an amazing display of colourful leaves each autumn. The pause as I mentioned was brief however, I was acutely conscious of this cycle of life in the face of winter's cold blast, but more than that I had a deep sense of the presence of God. He was gently whispering to me about His creation. It was a privilege to be assured by God, the Creator, of His presence in all and through all. I looked around and the bulbs in the bulb garden had begun sprouting healthy  green shoots, daffodils, jonquils and hyac...