Author –

‘All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea’, Gen. 14. 3

‘All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea’, Gen. 14. 3 The salt sea, perhaps better known as the Dead Sea, is a landlocked lake between Israel and Jordan, the lowest…

John Bennett

2026 Volume 81 Issue 1

Front Cover

‘And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons’, 2 Sam. 5. 11

‘And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons’, 2 Sam. 5. 11 The move of David’s headquarters from Hebron to Jerusalem may have been strategic but there…

John Bennett

2023 Volume 78 Issue 2

Front Cover

‘And their father Israel said … take of the best fruits in the land … almonds’, Gen. 43. 11

The background of our verse is the famine that afflicted the world of the time - ‘the seven years of dearth’, Gen. 41. 54. Because of the food shortages, ‘all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for t…

John Bennett

2024 Volume 79 Issue 1

Front Cover

‘And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak’, Judg. 6. 11.

‘And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak’, Judg. 6. 11. Biblical commentators suggest that there is some difficulty in determining the exact meaning of the words translated ‘oak’ in …

John Bennett

2023 Volume 78 Issue 3

Front Cover

‘And When We Had Sailed Over the Sea . . . We Came to Myra’, Acts 27. 5.

‘And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra’, Acts 27. 5. Of course, this is really the Mediterranean Sea but the section of it described lies off the coast of Cilic…

John Bennett

2026 Volume 81 Issue 3

Front Cover

‘Can . . . the Leopard [Change] His Spots?’ Jer. 13. 23

‘Can . . . the leopard [change] his spots?’ Jer. 13. 23 This is a well-known phrase in English derived from a biblical text. The leopard is one of the species of cat closely related to the lion, tiger…

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 3

Front Cover

‘I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top’, Ps. 102. 7

‘I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top’, Ps. 102. 7. The sparrow is one of our most familiar wild birds, and said to be found on every continent except Antarctica. It is perhaps most n…

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 3

Cover Image

‘It is no place of seed, or … of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink’, Num. 20. 5.

‘It is no place of seed, or … of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink’, Num. 20. 5. Having been delivered from slavery in Egypt via the Red Sea, the children of Israel now arrive in the D…

John Bennett

2024 Volume 79 Issue 2

Front Cover

‘Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly’, Prov. 17. 12

‘Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet: a man, rather than a fool in his folly’, Prov. 17. 12 The bear is a formidable beast, known for its strength and power. They are omnivorous and feed on a variety…

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 4

Front Cover

‘Make thee an ark of gopher wood’, Gen. 6. 14

‘Make thee an ark of gopher wood’, Gen. 6. 14 The opening verses of Genesis chapter 6 are incredibly sad. After the creation of the world in perfection and beauty, what havoc had been caused by the en…

John Bennett

2023 Volume 78 Issue 1

Front Cover

‘Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread’, Mark 8. 14

‘Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread’, Mark 8. 14 It is of note that the verse that accompanies our cover picture sits in the context of Mark’s account of the feeding of the four thousand. I…

John Bennett

2024 Volume 79 Issue 4

Front Cover

‘Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into . . . the Red sea’, Exod. 15. 4

‘Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into . . . the Red sea’, Exod. 15. 4 These words form part of the song of ‘Moses and the children of Israel … [which they sang] unto the Lord’, v. 1. It w…

John Bennett

2026 Volume 81 Issue 2

Front Cover

‘The owl also and the raven shall dwell in it’, Isa. 34. 11

‘The owl also and the raven shall dwell in it’, Isa. 34. 11. In the scriptures, as here, the owl is often associated with ruins and desolation. Indeed, the extent of desolation is portrayed graphicall…

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 2

Cover Image

‘The Way of an Eagle in the Air’, Prov. 30. 19

‘The Way of an Eagle in the Air’, Prov. 30. 19. Looking up into a clear blue sky it is possible to see the streaks of cloud that are the sign that an aircraft has passed at high altitude. These clouds…

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 4

Front Cover

‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb’, Isa. 11. 6

‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb’, Isa. 11. 6 Wolves are the largest and most powerful members of the biological family of animals including dogs, foxes, and coyotes. There are three distinct …

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 1

Front Cover

‘There was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion’, Judg. 14. 8

‘There was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion’, Judg. 14. 8 It is Judges chapter 14 that introduces us to the enigma that is Samson. He is a man whom the Lord blessed, 13. 24, and wh…

John Bennett

2024 Volume 79 Issue 3

Front Cover

‘They shall make an ark of shittim wood’, Exod. 25. 10.

‘They shall make an ark of shittim wood’, Exod. 25. 10. The title ‘shittim wood’ is also translated and generally understood to be the Acacia. There are several varieties which grow in the Middle East…

John Bennett

2023 Volume 78 Issue 4

Front Cover

‘Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion’, 1 Sam. 17. 34

‘Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion’, 1 Sam. 17. 34 Known as ‘the king of beasts’, the lion is a large, powerfully built cat that is second in size only to the tiger. It has no…

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 2

Front Cover

All Things

Within the first chapter of Colossians these two words occur at least six times. These six are but a small sample of what scripture records of the ‘all things’ of Christ. Divine Power in Creation, Col…

John Bennett

1994 Volume 45 Issue 1

Devotional

Amaziah – ‘thine heart hath lifted thee up’

There is a sense of promise and expectation when a young man starts his spiritual life with energy and enthusiasm. Amaziah was twenty-five years old ‘when he began to reign’, 2 Kgs. 14. 2, and there m…

John Bennett

2012 Volume 67 Issue 4

Devotional

An Assembly of the Lord’s people will be a people among whom – Separation is required – Part 10

Following the recent Covid-19 pandemic this subject has taken on a different meaning and significance. Whilst the concept is not new, social distancing has entered the vocabulary and consciousness of …

John Bennett

An Assembly of the Lord’s people will be a people among whom …

2021 Volume 76 Issue 1

Contemporary Issues

Approved

In the long list of salutations found in Romans 16 there is one that is of particular interest in relation to this article. In verse 10 it is said of Apelles that he is ‘approved in Christ’. The signi…

John Bennett

1995 Volume 50 Issue 3

Contemporary Issues

At His Feet – Part 1

It was the prophet Isaiah who wrote: ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvat…

John Bennett

At His Feet

2017 Volume 72 Issue 4

Exposition

At His Feet – Part 3: John 12 – Worshipping at His Feet

‘Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus’, v. 3. You will notice the word that introduces this chapter as well as Mary’s action in verse 3: ‘Then’.…

John Bennett

At His Feet

2018 Volume 73 Issue 2

Exposition

At His Feet: John 11 – Weeping at His Feet

One simple lesson we can learn from this chapter is that believers are not immune to sorrow or exempt from times of grief and loss. From the first verse we learn of the close relationship that existed…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 1

Exposition

Capernaum (1)

Capernaum was a city located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee and, as we read in Matthew chapter 4, it was ‘in the borders of Zabulon, and Nephthalim’, v. 13. That is, it was in the area o…

John Bennett

Towns and Cities in the Life of the Lord

2024 Volume 79 Issue 1

Devotional

Capernaum (2)

John 6. 15-21 - a storm on the lake As the background to this event, we should notice the omniscience of the Saviour - He ‘perceived that they would come and take him by force’, v. 15. The Lord knows …

John Bennett

Towns and Cities in the Life of the Lord

2024 Volume 79 Issue 2

Devotional

Chairman’s Notes

In such unprecedented times, it seems apt that these brief comments should be set alongside Malcolm Davis’ introduction to the book of Esther. In it he states, ‘The book illustrates the truth that God…

John Bennett

2020 Volume 75 Issue 2

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes

In the November 2019 notes, I commented on the significant changes that had taken place in the year, some more noteworthy than others! Perhaps, as we face 2020, we should do so with the expectation th…

John Bennett

2020 Volume 75 Issue 1

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes

As another year draws rapidly to its close, for many 2019 has brought significant change. The political, economic and social landscape of the United Kingdom has altered quite dramatically. With the co…

John Bennett

2019 Volume 74 Issue 4

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes

2018 has brought its challenges for the work of Precious Seed. We started the year by moving our book printing and distribution operation from Northern Ireland to Southampton. Thank you to Howard Cole…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 4

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes

As 2017 draws to a close I trust that we can all give thanks for the Lord’s blessing over this year. It may have been a hard year for some, but the Lord has seen us through the disappointments, sadnes…

John Bennett

2017 Volume 72 Issue 4

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes – November 2022

For many of us, 2022 has been a difficult year. Although the impact of Covid-19 infections has been lessened by the introduction of vaccines, the pandemic continues. Its impact is now being felt throu…

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 4

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes – November 2023

For many of us, the years seem to pass by with increasing rapidity. No sooner had 2020 drawn to its close but we seem to be at the end of 2023. Where has the time gone? However, we are grateful for th…

John Bennett

2023 Volume 78 Issue 4

Editorial

Chairman’s Notes – November 2025

As Elijah and Elisha took their journey from Gilgal to Bethel, and from Bethel to Jericho, and over the Jordan river, it is interesting to note that the whole journey was set against the background th…

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 4

Editorial

Changes in the Precious Seed Trust

As the careful reader will have noted, there have been a number of significant changes in the Precious Seed Trust over the course of 2016. These changes will enable us to move forward in 2017 DV, and …

John Bennett

2016 Volume 71 Issue 4

Report

Charles Stanley 1821-1890

Charles Stanley, known under the initials of ‘C.S.’, was born in Rotherham, England. Little is known of his parents as he was left an orphan at the age of four and was brought up by a grandfather whom…

John Bennett

2021 Volume 76 Issue 4

History

Cover Image – ‘The Heron After Her Kind’

‘The heron after her kind’, Lev. 11. 19; Deut. 14. 18. In the list of birds that were regarded as unclean and therefore not to be consumed by Israelites, it is relatively easy to appreciate why birds …

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 1

Cover Image

Cover Image – Galilee

‘And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee’, Matt. 21. 11. Galilee forms one of the most northerly parts of the land of Israel, its soil and sea often forming the backdr…

John Bennett

2021 Volume 76 Issue 4

Cover Image

Dalmanutha

Exactly where Dalmanutha, or Magdala (Magadan KJV mg.), was located is difficult to determine. Most commentators see them as two closely related places, some placing them on the western side of the Se…

John Bennett

Towns and Cities in the Life of the Lord

2025 Volume 80 Issue 3

Devotional

David Livingstone

2013 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of David Livingstone and the 140th anniversary of his death. What was crammed into those sixty years of his life is astounding! Livingstone was a man who rec…

John Bennett

2013 Volume 68 Issue 4

History

e-magazine

Have you seen it? Have you read it? Have you downloaded it and passed it on to fellow Christians? This new venture was commenced in December last year. It is an eight-page full colour magazine aimed a…

John Bennett

2012 Volume 67 Issue 2

Contemporary Issues

Editorial

‘For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing’, Acts 17. 21. From this verse one might suggest that there are ma…

John Bennett

2016 Volume 71 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial

‘Submit yourselves therefore to God’, James 4. 7. I was never a very good swimmer. In fact, I would be reluctant to venture outside of the comparative safety of a swimming pool. However, one thing I n…

John Bennett

2016 Volume 71 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial

‘Some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts’, Luke 21. 5. One stone does not make a building. A pile of stones is not a building. However, once the stones are shaped, an…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial

‘When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away’, 1 Pet. 5. 4. ‘It is an indescribable tragedy that Christianity is now under such threat … Of the 196 cou…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 2

Editorial

Editorial

‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink’, John 7. 37. It is not without significance that the Lord should choose…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial

‘Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting’, John 2. 13-14. Although the major supermarkets appear to have a stran…

John Bennett

2014 Volume 69 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial

‘Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled’, Heb. 12. 15 The writer of Hebrews had deep desires for th…

John Bennett

2013 Volume 68 Issue 2

Editorial

Editorial

‘To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God’, Eph. 3. 10. We said in our last editorial that ‘it is appropriat…

John Bennett

2013 Volume 68 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial

‘God remembered Abraham’, Gen. 19. 29 Abraham had risen early in the morning and taken the journey to the vantage point he had occupied before. From that position he looked out over the plain to behol…

John Bennett

2011 Volume 66 Issue 2

Editorial

Editorial

‘We … shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air’, 1 Thess. 4. 17 This is the first issue of the magazine for a new year. As the first month of that year may well…

John Bennett

2011 Volume 66 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial

‘The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore’, Ezra 2. 64. In reading through such chapters as this it is striking to notice God’s attention to detail. In a…

John Bennett

2010 Volume 65 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial

‘He saved others’, Luke 23. 35. There are many times when we are brought back to a particular text or passage of scripture. It may be that the Spirit of God needs to impress the lessons of that porti…

John Bennett

2010 Volume 65 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial

‘Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body’, Phil. 3. 21. As we get older we become more aware of the frailty of this mortal vessel in which we dwell. It may…

John Bennett

2010 Volume 65 Issue 2

Editorial

Editorial

‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee’, Josh. 1. 5. The daunting prospect that faced Joshua was how to succeed a man of the calibre of Moses. Moses was a…

John Bennett

2010 Volume 65 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial – August 2022

‘Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany’, John 12. 1 One of the few places on earth where the Lord was received and where He was honoured was in this little village of Bethany, and th…

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial – February 2023

‘That the scripture might be fulfilled’, John 19. 28 As publishers of a Christian magazine that focuses upon the exposition of scripture, this is an important text. Its context is the crucifixion of t…

John Bennett

2023 Volume 78 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial – February 2025

‘What doest thou here, Elijah’, 1 Kgs. 19. 9 When God asks a question, often His purpose is to get the individual to think about the answer for themselves. Whilst God knows the answer, He wants us to …

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial – November 2022

‘Now some are puffed up’, 1 Cor. 4. 18 Despite the centuries that have now passed since the KJV translation came into existence, it is interesting that many more modern translations have retained ‘puf…

John Bennett

2022 Volume 77 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Abstain from all appearance of evil’, 1 Thess. 5. 22.

I still remember with affection the days of childhood, and being able to play outside in the garden. It wasn’t just the pleasure of summer holidays and sun. There was that sense of additional freedom.…

John Bennett

2013 Volume 68 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Apollos … mighty in the scriptures’, Acts 18. 24.

In the consideration of Apollos in our last editorial, we wrote that the position and status of pre-eminence belongs to God alone! However, rather than put someone like Apollos on a pedestal, it is al…

John Bennett

2016 Volume 71 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial – ‘For if ye do these things ye shall never fall’

‘For if ye do these things ye shall never fall’, 2 Pet. 1. 10. It is instructive that Peter should write these words. He was someone who knew, from personal experience, what it was to fall. He had mad…

John Bennett

2012 Volume 67 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial – ‘In whom we have … the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace’, E

I wonder whether those of us brought up in Christian homes really appreciate the significance of these words. Having the inestimable privilege of godly parents, and an environment where the excesses o…

John Bennett

2014 Volume 69 Issue 1

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others’, Phil

‘We all deserve a little “me” time’. This was the focus of the advert promoting another ‘must have’ product. Yet, in that simple statement, there lies the nub of human thinking – ‘me’ first. We are en…

John Bennett

2014 Volume 69 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them’, Mark 2.

‘Many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them’, Mark 2. 2. I wonder whether you long to see the situation described in our verse above. Perhaps, like me, you’re part of…

John Bennett

2012 Volume 67 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you’, Matt. 28. 20.

‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you’, Matt. 28. 20. In the Lord’s commission to His disciples there was the command to ‘Go … into all the world, and preach the gospel …

John Bennett

2012 Volume 67 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial – ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love’, Gal. 5. 22

‘The fruit of the Spirit is love’, Gal. 5. 22. Evidence of spiritual life is paramount in any new Christian but you expect to see spiritual progress and development in every believer. None of us can b…

John Bennett

2012 Volume 67 Issue 2

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Touched with the feeling of our infirmities’, Heb 4. 15.

Touched! What a precious thought it is to know that we have a sympathetic and compassionate High Priest! We live in a hard-hearted world. Some of that condition is linked to our innate sinfulness. We …

John Bennett

2013 Volume 68 Issue 3

Editorial

Editorial – ‘We be brethren’, Gen. 13. 8.

If there is one thing that has marred the testimony of the Lord’s people down through time it is the problem of personalities. Even a matter that involves the neglect or abandonment of a fundamental p…

John Bennett

2011 Volume 66 Issue 4

Editorial

Editorial – ‘Who is Apollos?’ 1 Cor. 3. 6.

It was not that Paul was unaware of who Apollos was and what his contribution to the work at Corinth had been; the question was asked for a far greater reason than that. Perhaps the question is just a…

John Bennett

2016 Volume 71 Issue 2

Editorial

Editorial – Do I seek to please men?

‘Do I seek to please men?’ Gal. 1. 10 In the 21st Century the cult of the personality is rife. Whether it is musicians, media personalities, or sportsmen and women, so many seek to model themselves on…

John Bennett

2011 Volume 66 Issue 3

Editorial

Epistle to Philemon

Onesimus’ Restoration ‘Thou therefore receive him’, v. 12;1 ‘receive him as myself’, v. 17. Here is the nub of this letter. It is, in effect, a letter of commendation from Paul to Philemon with regard…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 4

Exposition

Eternal Security

The previous article looked at the opening verses of Hebrews 6. In the final section of the chapter, vv. 13-20, the writer builds upon those previous verses to present the evidence for the eternal sec…

John Bennett

Eternal Security

2006 Volume 61 Issue 4

Exposition

Eternal Security

We are all prone to doubt. It is a characteristic of human nature. In our lowest moments, at times of greatest trial and testing, we are liable to question our salvation and the goodness of our God. T…

John Bennett

Eternal Security

2006 Volume 61 Issue 3

Exposition

First Samuel

Introduction First Samuel is a book of contrasts. There are the themes of light and darkness that pervade the book. The times of spiritual darkness might be summarized by the writer’s comments in chap…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 1

Exposition

Frederick Stanley Arnot: 1858-1914

‘I have seen many missionaries under varied circumstances, but such an absolutely forlorn man, existing on from day to day, almost homeless, without any of the modern appliances which make life bearab…

John Bennett

2014 Volume 69 Issue 2

History

General Data Protection Regulation – Article 29 of the EU

‘In May this year, Europe’s data protection rules will undergo their biggest changes in two decades. Since they were created in the 90s, the amount of digital information we create, capture, and store…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 2

Views from the News

Henry Craik 1805-1866

Few, if any, readers of Church history, or secular history in relation to the care of the poor, would be unfamiliar with the name of George Muller of Bristol. What he accomplished on the basis of fait…

John Bennett

2016 Volume 71 Issue 3

History

Hezekiah’s Confession

The extent of Hezekiah’s confession is instructive. He does not skate over offences. As he seeks forgiveness so he is open and frank about the extent of the problem. He states clearly: 'our fathers h…

John Bennett

Hezekiah’s Revival

2004 Volume 59 Issue 4

Exposition

Hezekiah’s Revival

Hezekiah’s Priorities If revival starts by a desire to return to the simplicity of first principles, it is important for that desire to be matched by zeal. Zeal characterized this man for we read, ‘In…

John Bennett

Hezekiah’s Revival

2004 Volume 59 Issue 3

Exposition

Hezekiah’s Revival

If we were to consider which two kings stood out as the most notable in the history of Judah, following the division of the kingdom in the days of Rehoboam, surely Hezekiah and Josiah would be amongst…

John Bennett

Hezekiah’s Revival

2004 Volume 59 Issue 2

Exposition

J. Charleton Steen, 1865-1931

Although to many the name J. Charleton Steen will be largely unknown, his contribution to the work of the Lord over the latter years of the 19th Century and into the 20th Century was significant. J. C…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 1

History

Jericho

Today, the modern city of Jericho is located on the West Bank of the Jordan River. It was captured by the British in 1918 towards the end of the First World War and was part of the British-mandated di…

John Bennett

Towns and Cities in the Life of the Lord

2026 Volume 81 Issue 1

Devotional

John R. Caldwell

John Caldwell was born in Dublin on the 26th May, 1839. As a child of five years old he came with his parents to reside in Glasgow. His father being a leader in connection with the Independent Church,…

John Bennett

2017 Volume 72 Issue 1

History

Jonah – May 2023

Few books have attracted the attention of sceptics and rationalists more than this one. The fact that a human could be swallowed by a great fish and survive has been ridiculed as fanciful. However, as…

John Bennett

Studies in the Twelve (Minor) Prophets

2023 Volume 78 Issue 2

Study

King Asa

‘Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?’ Gal. 5. 7. Thus might run the epitaph of Asa, King of Judah. His start was auspicious but his end lamentable. He started in fel…

John Bennett

Kings of Judah

2011 Volume 66 Issue 2

A Word for Today

King Jehoshaphat

‘How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!’ 2 Sam. 1. 25. Although this was David’s lament over Saul, it might be a fitting summary of the early days of Jehoshaphat, but in a battle that …

John Bennett

2011 Volume 66 Issue 3

Exposition

Leonard Strong (1797-1874)

The story of Leonard Strong is remarkable in that whilst working for the Lord in Georgetown, British Guiana, he was breaking bread without any connection with similar meetings convened in Dublin in 18…

John Bennett

2024 Volume 79 Issue 1

History

Light & Life Literature

The work started in 1998 as a consequence of our desire to evangelize the small market town of Warsop in Nottinghamshire where we lived. The town is a needy ex-mining community suffering from all the …

John Bennett

2003 Volume 58 Issue 1

Organisations

Major-General Sir Charles H. Scott, KCB, RA 1848-1919

For those living in 21st-century Britain, this article must be read against the background of the nation’s colonial history, particularly its involvement in India. It was to that country that the youn…

John Bennett

2019 Volume 74 Issue 1

History

Man’s Attitude to Christ

In the section of John 6, from verses 22 to 60, there are six questions posed by the differing groups of people with whom the Lord Jesus conversed. The six questions arising from the crowd indicate di…

John Bennett

1993 Volume 44 Issue 1

Contemporary Issues

Moses’ Vision of God

In Exodus 34 we have recorded God’s descent in the cloud and His passage before Moses. While we cannot begin to imagine what the vision that passed before Moses’ eyes was like we can meditate upon wha…

John Bennett

1992 Volume 43 Issue 5

Devotional

Nain

This village of Nain is located in northern Israel, in the region known as Lower Galilee. It lies fourteen kilometres or eight-and-a-half miles south to south-east of Nazareth. In the context of Luke’…

John Bennett

Towns and Cities in the Life of the Lord

2025 Volume 80 Issue 1

Devotional

Nazareth

Nazareth is now home to more than 60,000 Israeli Arabs, as well as thousands more Jewish residents. It is situated inside a bowl on the top of the ridge of hills or mountains north of the Jezreel Vall…

John Bennett

Towns and Cities in the Life of the Lord

2023 Volume 78 Issue 4

Devotional

Priests and Levites

It has always been God’s desire to dwell amongst His people, to enjoy their fellowship and to receive their worship. This commenced in Eden and was demonstrated again in the tabernacle and then …

John Bennett

The Tabernacle

2021 Volume 76 Issue 3

Study

Robert Eugene Sparks 1844-1918

Of all the notable men involved at the inception of the work that later became known as Echoes of Service, it is likely that the name Robert Eugene Sparks would be largely unknown. Yet his contributio…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 3

History

Second Samuel

Introduction ‘Observe that just as Joshua begins with “After the death of Moses” and Judges begins with “After the death of Joshua," so also 2 Samuel begins with “After the death of Saul”’.1 Some ha…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 2

Exposition

The Central Role of the King

His Command It is worth noting the central position that Hezekiah plays. We read: 'he brought in the priests and the Levites’, 2 Chr. 19. 4; ‘And he commanded the priests’, v. 21; ’the king commanded…

John Bennett

Hezekiah’s Revival

2005 Volume 60 Issue 1

Exposition

The Chuch in Smyrna

REVELATION 2. 8-11 THE CHURCH ADDRESSED ‘And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna’, v. 8a. Unlike the church at Ephesus we know very little of this assembly in Smyrna. We have no record of it being …

John Bennett

The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor

2007 Volume 62 Issue 1

Exposition

The Council at Jerusalem and Its Lessons for Us

Being a Christian, and in fellowship with other Christians, will expose us all to difficulties and problems. The Acts of the Apostles is an honest testimony of such problems and difficulties in the ea…

John Bennett

Paul’s Missionary Journeys

2022 Volume 77 Issue 1

Study

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995

We have all rejoiced in the gospel truth expressed in the words of the hymn writer: ‘Whosoever will may come’. It will soon be our duty under the terms of the Act that forms the title of this article …

John Bennett

2002 Volume 57 Issue 3

Organisations

The Epistle to Philemon – Part 1

 Philemon is one of only four letters written by the apostle Paul to individuals rather than to companies of the Lord’s people. It is, in effect, a letter of commendation for Onesimus to Philemon, and…

John Bennett

The Epistle to Philemon

2015 Volume 70 Issue 3

Exposition

The Fear of the Lord

Willliam Arnot entitled his book on the Proverbs, Laws from Heaven for life on Earth. It aptly describes the truths contained within this often neglected book. The purpose of this article is to trace …

John Bennett

1995 Volume 50 Issue 2

Contemporary Issues

The Gospel of Mark – Part 13

As we continue our studies in chapter 4, these verses provide further teaching by parable – something that was commenced in chapter 3 verse 23. The parables in private,vv. 21-34 Within this third se…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2021 Volume 76 Issue 1

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 14

As we draw to the close of chapter 4, these verses are the final section marking the end of the first phase of the Lord’s Galilean ministry. Of this, Hiebert comments, ‘Four separate withdrawals from …

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2021 Volume 76 Issue 2

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 16

The daughter of Jairus, 5. 21-24, 35-43 The next major event in this chapter of deliverance is the raising of Jairus’ daughter. The attitude of Jairus, vv. 21-23 We should note the manner in which Jai…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2021 Volume 76 Issue 4

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 1

Introduction The Gospel of Mark is designed to portray the Lord Jesus Christ as the perfect Servant of Jehovah. Sidlow Baxter wrote, ‘What Jesus did proves who He was. What He wrought authenticates wh…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2018 Volume 73 Issue 1

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 10

Although we have moved into chapter 3 of the Gospel, this chapter continues the theme of the Galilean ministry of the Lord. There is continuing opposition and conflict from the religious authorities o…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2020 Volume 75 Issue 2

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 11

As we continue our studies in chapter 3 and the Galilean ministry of the Lord, we come to the choosing of the twelve. The servants, vv. 13-19 The Lord chose those that were to be His special companion…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2020 Volume 75 Issue 3

A Word for Today

The Gospel of Mark – Part 12

Continuing our studies into chapter 4, we remain in the Galilean ministry of the Lord. The continuing opposition and conflict from the religious authorities of the day, observed in chapter 3, leads th…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2020 Volume 75 Issue 4

A Word for Today

The Gospel of Mark – Part 15

Having crossed the storm-tossed lake at the end of the previous chapter, this one records the Lord’s dealings with three individuals – the Gadarene demoniac, the woman with the issue of bl…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2021 Volume 76 Issue 3

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 2

We come now to our study of the book. Chapter 1 We might divide the chapter into seven main sections: The ministry of John Baptist, vv. 1-8; The manifestation of the Son, vv. 9-13; The ministry of th…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2018 Volume 73 Issue 2

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 3

The manifestation of the Son, vv. 9-13 Mark’s account of the baptism of the Lord by John in Jordan is remarkable in its conciseness. It is Mark who tells us that ‘Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee’,…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2018 Volume 73 Issue 3

Devotional

The Gospel of Mark – Part 4

The ministry begins, vv. 14-20 (continued) The call of the ministry, vv. 16-20 It seems clear from Mark’s structure of events that those who accepted the Lord’s preaching were few. Rather than the mul…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2018 Volume 73 Issue 4

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 5

The magnitude of need, vv. 29-34 The ceaseless energy of the perfect Servant is seen, for as soon as He has come out of the synagogue the next needy case is brought before Him. The specific need, vv. …

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2019 Volume 74 Issue 1

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 6

The man with leprosy, vv. 40-45 As this first chapter draws to its close, it is interesting to look back upon the service of the perfect Servant and to see what He has accomplished. The demoniac in th…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2019 Volume 74 Issue 2

Devotional

The Gospel of Mark – Part 7

The theme of the Galilean ministry of the Lord continues into chapter 2 of the Gospel, but, in this chapter, we see the storm clouds of opposition and conflict begin to cross that ministry. It is a sa…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2019 Volume 74 Issue 3

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 8

As we continue in the Galilean ministry of the Lord, we come to: The call of Levi, vv. 13-17 As we shall see from this second section, the Lord calls Levi from the receipt of custom to become one of H…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2019 Volume 74 Issue 4

Exposition

The Gospel of Mark – Part 9

As we continue in the Galilean ministry of the Lord, we come to: The concern of John’s disciples, vv. 18-22 Within this third section of chapter 2, we see that the meal that Levi had organized was als…

John Bennett

The Gospel of Mark

2020 Volume 75 Issue 1

Exposition

The King in Psalm 45

v. 1 The SubjectThe writer’s introduction emanates from the heart, the seat of the affections and the centre of the being: a heart that is now full to overflowing (‘bubbling up’, ‘gushing’). It is whe…

John Bennett

1992 Volume 43 Issue 3

Study

The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet Part 1 – Introduction

In considering something of the life of Elijah the prophet, it is remarkable how he appeared on the pages of scripture without any preamble or record of his life, and he disappeared from the scripture…

John Bennett

The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet

2023 Volume 78 Issue 1

Study

The Precious Seed Web Site

The Precious Seed web site was rebuilt and relaunched in July 2005. It has been the desire of the trustees to develop a searchable archive of written ministry based upon the articles that have appeare…

John Bennett

2006 Volume 61 Issue 1

Report

The Prophet Gad

 For many believers there might be an enquiry as to who was the prophet Gad. Whilst we may be familiar with the name as one of the twelve tribes of Israel, the man who forms the basis of this simple s…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 3

Exposition

The Warnings (1)

Alongside the important doctrine of the person, offices, and work of Christ, the writer to the Hebrews weaves various warnings, impressing on his readers the significance of what has been taught. In t…

John Bennett

The Teaching in the Letter to the Hebrews

2024 Volume 79 Issue 1

Study

The Warnings (2)

As was stated in the first article, the writer to the Hebrews weaves various warnings to his readers alongside the important doctrine relating to the person, offices, and work of Christ. Coming to the…

John Bennett

The Teaching in the Letter to the Hebrews

2024 Volume 79 Issue 2

Study

Their Finest Hour – Mary Magdalene

As with so many who have served the Lord faithfully, the name of Mary Magdalene has been much maligned by people of the world, ranging from Popes to film-makers, but the role that she played in servic…

John Bennett

2018 Volume 73 Issue 4

Devotional

William Lincoln (1825-1888)

‘I hope you will not talk about William Lincoln, for I am only a saved sinner’.1From such a beginning, perhaps it would be inappropriate to write this article, or one on any other servant of the Lord,…

John Bennett

2025 Volume 80 Issue 1

History

William Rhodes Lewis 1877-1964

As one of the editors wrote of Lewis, ‘His … unfailing grace, his old-world courtesy and his devotion to his work, to his wife and to his Lord would be hard to match anywhere’.1 For a man who was an e…

John Bennett

2014 Volume 69 Issue 4

History

William Trotter 1818-1865

This year is the 150th anniversary of the death of William Trotter at the young age of 47. In that relatively short life, it was said that Trotter had done the work of three. It was NEATBY who wrote o…

John Bennett

2015 Volume 70 Issue 3

History

William Yapp 1807-1874

Although unknown to most believers today, few readers would realize that the Bible that they carry and read is a testimony to the man who is the subject of this short article. As one writer states, ‘C…

John Bennett

2024 Volume 79 Issue 4

History

Working with Senior Citizens – Part 2

In a previous article we looked at working with Senior Citizens through a regular gospel tea meeting. This article seeks to explore other ways in which this growing group of people can be reached with…

John Bennett

Working with Senior Citizens

2013 Volume 68 Issue 2

Contemporary Issues