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| Figureheads |
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
The Thames and the Cutty Sark
On Friday I went with family down the Thames to Greenwich, where we looked oer the Cutty Sark, which had not done before. All very well presented. Great weather.
John Keats
Family here again this week. My eldest got me down to the Londoon Archives near the Angel, which I know nothing about. There was an interesting lecture from the archiviist Rachel Barratt on John Keats who, of course, was a Londoner. Blackwood Magazine even tried to rubbish him as a poet of the Cokney School. She went through his life using the variouos archives available to chart the course. About twenty gathered and others were online. Lotsof queestions at the end. We then joined the family for a picnic lunch in the Spa Fields park. Lovely time.
Midweek Meeting August 27 2025
Just the usual few last night. We looked at Psalm 76 together and then prayed.
Lord's Day August 24 2025
It was a good Lord's Day when we last met. As usual now we had a larger morning service and a smaller evening one. There was a new Iranian lasy in the morning and the Iranian family came again. I resumed my series in Ephesians 6 and spoke on the belt of truth in the morning. In thevening I took a text - Jeremiah 6:16.
Turtles
One of the things we did with the family last week was to go round London looking at turtles. We did it with snowmen and a little bit with penguins but this time it was turtles. Good fun.
Reflecting on Mirrors Article in Sep ET
I was pleasantly surprised to see they have published my article "Reflecting on the mirrors of the women who served" in the September Evangelical Times. I wrote it a while back.
10 close readings of the Old Testament found in the New
1. Matthew 4:4 Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 … man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Jesus, in the wilderness, stresses every word as the true sustenance, countering the devil’s temptation to turn stones to bread. He emphasises the completeness and ongoing authority of God’s speech.
2. Matthew 22:41–46. Jesus interprets Psalm 110:1 closely. Psalm 110:1 says The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" Jesus quotes it, asking why David has the Lord speaking t my Lord.
3. Acts 2:25–31 Peter quotes Psalm 16:8–11 … nor will you let your Holy One see decay. He notes that David did die and decay, so the verse must be referring to someone else - the Messiah. It is impossible to apply no decay to David himself
4. Romans 4:3 Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 It was credited to him as righteousness. Paul takes the chronological order seriously - Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision. This shows justification is by faith not by works of the Law.
5. 1 Corinthians 9:9, 10 - Deut 25:4 Do not muzzle an ox. Paul asks if God is really concerned about oxen, and says the verse was written “for us” - to show that workers deserve to share in the fruits of their labour.
6. Galatians 3:16 - Paul quotes Genesis 12:7 To your offspring (seed) I will give this land and points out that the promise says “seed” (singular) and not “seeds” (plural). The promise refers ultimately to one person - Christ - not to many descendants generally.
7. Hebrews 2:8 - The wroter quotes Psalm 8:6 You put everything under his feet. He emphasises “everything” - if everything is under him, nothing is excluded - though we don’t yet see that reality.
8. Hebrews 4:7. There is a reference to Psalm 95:7–8 Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts… The writer emphasises the word Today to argue that the opportunity for entering God’s rest is still open, even long after the wilderness generation.
9. Hebrews 7:3 - Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18- 20 - Melchizedek is introduced without genealogy or record of death. The writer of Hebrews takes the silence of the text (no mention of birth or death) as a deliberate pattern, portraying Melchizedek as without beginning or end,a t ype of Christ.
10. 9. Hebrews 8:13 The writer quotes Jeremiah 31:31 I will make a new covenant … and argues that by calling it new, the old covenant is already being made obsolete.
Six Books Recently Read
Among books recently read are Loving the Law by Stephen Spinnenweber. This is This is a little stick of dynamite. It covers quite basic Reformed theology with regards to the Law and relies mainly on basic sources such as Calvin, the Westminster catechisms, Matthew Henry, Ernest Kevan and Puritan writers. Having said that I'm not sure where you would turn for a similar tome. I have plenty of books that take me through the Commandments but few that begin with a general piece on the three types of law and end with a discussion of the the three uses. Great stuff.
I also read a couple of books by the prolific Tim Chester. Angels is a very brief book that covers the basics fairly uncontroversially. Behind it, is a good reading list in the subject and allied matters. The temptation to speculate is pretty much avoided. I also read the first of a set of bite-size biographies have done. Istarted with Aidan of Lindisfarne as the most obscure. He competently cover the bases.
I also read a little book on Psalm 22 by Paul Mallard and Hope for all the earth an Old Testament survey by *. Short books are popular these days and Mallard's one excellently surveys Psalm 22 pointing firmly to the cross and to the resurrection. In six chapters he takes us from Good Friday to Easter monday. Mitchell CHase's work is the shortest of surveys of the Old Testament and is a useful primer or refresher for anyone who wants to get a good idea of the sweep of the Old Testament. Several significant dates are included without argument and incorporated in a chart at the beginning. I should know more of those dates than I do. They would be worth committing to memory.
Figureheads I picked up at the maritime museum in Greenwich. It is a lavishly illustrated hardback and a lovely introduction to the fascinating world of figureheads on ships. Sometimes a bit of detective work is needed on the figures that survive but mostly the book provides an insight into Greek legend, famous people and the history of the British merchant and royal navies.
Greenwich
We have family here again and so we all went down to Greenwich to see the naval museum. It was an impressive set up with lots for kids. I bought a fascinating book on figureheads and another on maritime phrases. We also went on the cable cars. Great day.
Midweek Meeting August 20 2025
Five of us gathered with one online the other Wednesday to look at Psalm 141 and to spend time in prayer.
Lord's Day August 17 2025
I preached two one offs on the last Lord's Day - on Mark 12:24 and a phrase from Acts 15:9. Great texts. We were well attended in the morning (over 40) and not so bad in the evening (14) but there were only five of us for communion before the evening service. A new Iranian family in the morning and other visitors.
Aberystwyth 2025 9 (final)
The conference closed with a packed Great Hall gathered to hear Lewis Allen who preached from Psalm 87. It has been a good conference, though one always yearns for more. More here.
Aberystwyth 2025 7
The evening session at Aber tonight was Graham Beynon surveying the Christian armour from Ephesians 6. The project to include women in the public worship was extended further. Sarah Allen not only read the Sctiptures but also led in prayer, something I don't believe has ever happened before in the long history of the conference. Mpre here.
Aberystwyth Conference 2025 6
Good stuff again this morning here in Aber from Vaughan Roberts. Psalms 126-128 this time. More here.
Aberystwyth Conference 2025 5
Fine stuff from Welshman Emyr James last night on that classic text, 1 Timothy 1:15. More here. Sorry not to be reporting on the various workshops going on. Lots of good conversations too.
Aberystwyth Conference 2025 4
I thought Vaughan Roberts second message, from Psalms 123-125 were very fresh on the enemy, God and the pilgrim. More here.
Aberystwyth Conference 2025 2
The main speaker this year is Vaughan Roberts from Oxford. He plans to take us through most of the psalms of ascent. Today it was Psalms 120-122. More here.
Aberystwyth Conference 2025 1
So the conference is off to a start. We began on Monday evening with Steffan Jones, pastor in Pontardawe, who preached from Hebrews 2. More here.
Lord's Day August 10 2025
It's good to be in Aberystwyth once again. On the Lord' Day we and most of the family were there to hear my son, Rhodri, preach in Alfred Place. He was in Acts 9 in the morning and John 1 in the evening. Lots of people there and it was good meet to old friends and new.
Chelsea Bayerleverkusen
Somehow I failed to blog on this at the time. I suppose it was heading to Aber the next day. Anyway my son Gwion and his nephew, my grandson, Gwilym, came down to London to see Chelsea play a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge. We mad eour way down there in good time and were able to bus all the way back on the 328. Great time. Chesea were on good form and won 2-0.
Midweek Meeting August 6 2025
We were seven las Wednesday with one online. We looked briefly at Psalm 143 and how to pray. We then mentioned various matter for prayer and we all prayed.
Lord's Day August 3 2025
Behind with this but a good day last Lord's Day. We began with a well attended communion and then I preached to a decent number on Genesis 3:4 which I was inspired to do by some recent reading. A local girl who has come the last four weeks was nit there, which was disappointing. Hope she is back soon. In the evening I took four texts (Isaiah 38:17 and 43:25; Micah 7:18, 19; Psalm 103:12) each privifding a striking picture of what it means to be forgiven. We were just into double figures.
Crossway Short Classics
As stated previously I have been working my way through a set of ten short classics published in a series by Crossway a few years back. I hav enow read them all and here are my notes on the final seven.
First a sermon by Spurgeon on not despising the day of small things (with a shorter piece for ministers). It is classic Spurgeon and very encouraging - just as it says on the tin. Once again the beautfiful cover and presentation adds to the joy of the experience. Like others in this series I could find the text elsewhere but it was so good to read it through in one sitting or so. I was more than encouraged.
The J C Ryle also has the same beautiful presentation as the others in this series. Yes, it can once again be found elsewhere but once again it was a worthwhile exercise to sit and read it once more in more or less one sitting. Really enjoying this series.
These two sermons (the Lord's work in the Lord''s way and No little people) are not the sort of thing one immediately thinks of when thinking of Francis Schaeffer but such notes were sounded throughout his ministry and can be found elsewhere in his written works. I liked this quote “Often men have acted as though one has to choose between reformation and revival. Some call for reformation, others for revival, and they tend to look at each other with suspicion. But reformation and revival do not stand in contrast to one another; in fact, both words are related to the concept of restoration. Reformation speak of a restoration to pure doctrine, revival of a restoration in the Christian’s life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture, revival of a life brought into proper relationship to the Holy Spirit. The great moments in church history have come when these two restorations have occurred simultaneously. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation, and reformation is incomplete without revival.” (No Little People).
Th next I read was the surprise contribution to the set. A litte longer than some, it contains four sermons by the dual heritage African/White American, Lemuel Haynes. The final sermon is against slavery and has a strength that comes from the author's own background. All the sermons are brief and to the point and well worth reading by all. This is an extract from the larger book "Lemuel Haynes: Black Puritan, Black Republican", also in my library but only partly read.
Martin Luther is always worth reading though his writings make up a vast library. This recent translation of The freedom of a Christian by Robert Kolb makes it very easy to read and this work is a basic one and short enough to read in no time. Nice intro by Carl Trueman.
Really loved the Jonathan Edwards one on Heaven a world of love though I must have read it before as it is found in Charity and its fruits. Edwards simply describes heaven as it must be in terms of it being a place of love. This has the effect of making you long for heaven and long to be more heavenly minded now. There is a short section describing hell in similar terms which works well. So glad to have read what was for me the ninth book in the seriies.
The life of God in the soul of man by Henry Scougal is the longest of the series and well worth reading. I have long been aware of it (see https://publishdarticles.blogspot.com/2018/03/books-in-history-scougal-on-life-o... ) Scougal seems to come at things from a different angle to many and this would be a great book for a religious person.
Four Books Recently Read
I have recently read two short biogaphies of men of God I have known personally.
The first was a wonderful little biography that my father-in-law has put together with a brief losing piece by my oldest son. Both were Bud Mort's pastors. So glad the folk at the Met Tab were willing to publish it. They have made a vary good job of it. I knew about Bud but a lot of the details were unknown, however, and it is good to have read this delightful little story. Bud became profoundly deaf when young and his daughter, Linda, is mentally disabled. These and other tough issues were hard to accept but by the grace of God Bud not only accepted them but was more than conqueror through Christ. Every Christian could benefit from this book and it might make a good present for an unbeliever, especially if they are deaf or touched by the tragedy of disability in some way. Not feted by the high and mighty, here is another of whom the world was not worthy.
The second sadly has not been done half so well. The pictures are poor and the typos many. Better, however, that it is done at all than not. The content is excellent. It has been my privilege to meet Brian more than once but this little book gives his background in a way that could not be covered in that brief time. Here is the story of another hero of the faith, briefly told. I would urge all who have an interest in the gospel and in mission to read it. The book explains something of the history of Cubao Reformed Baptist Church and some of the works connected to it. Short contributions from others supplement the main body of the work which is by Brian himself.
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Then I have also been reading this Crossway Short Classics eries. I have now read all of them. I made notes about B B Warfield's one on the emotional life of Christ elsewhere. Anpther two I have read were by Thomas Chalmers and Jim Packer.
Chalmers. I have long known the phrase "The expulsive power of a new affection" and was aware that it is a work by Thomas Chalmers but it is only now that I have taken the time to read this very encouraging sermon or essay in this beautifully presented form. It is not brilliantly written and seems to be a little repetitive but the main point is hammered home effectively and is very worthwhile to keep in mind.
Packer. I was half expecting this to be the essay Packer wrote as a preface to Owen on the death of death but it What did the cross of Christ achieve? is a separate work originally given as a lecture. It is a very through piece of work and provides support for the orthodox position, support I am sure I have been leaning on for years without knowing it as others have imbibed the points he makes. Very well worth reading and digesting.
10 Things about God Paul says in Acts 17
1. Creator of the universe. He is the God who made the world and everything in it
2. Ruler of all creation. He is the Lord of heaven and earth
3. Self-sufficient. He does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.
4. Life giving. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
5. Creator and Ruler over humankind. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
6.Tob esought by everyone. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
7. Source of life and father of all. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
8. Not representable by an idol or image. Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone - an image made by human design and skill.
9. He commands everyine to repent In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
10. He will judge the whole world. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.
(Proven by the resurrection - He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.)
A Real Pain
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The other thing we did with Gwion and Lydia yesterday was to watch a film. Being film buffs they had watched it before but gladly watched it again. A real pain has garnered loads of awards since its release in 2024. It stars the director Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin (not Jewish apparently - I would not have guessed). Two mismatched cousins reunite for a Jewish heritage tour to Poland in honour of their late grandmother. Old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Too much swearing for me but a very interesting and sometimes funny film that is very thought provoking on the Jewish question, mental health adn peronality and more broadly. I'm not sure if it is possible to think straight about matters Jewish unless you have a good Bible grasp. Glad to have seen the film. Great title.
Singer Sargent Exhibition
Nearby Kenwood House has a special exhibition on at the moment, so we went with my visiting son and his wifeyesterday. The small exhibition is made up almost exclusively of portraits. These are all the work of John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) who died a hundred years ago this year. Apparently, between 1870 and 1914, 102 American women married into the British aristocracy. Often dubbed "dollar princesses" these women, typically heiresses from wealthy American families, exchanged their fortunes for titles and social status within the British upper class. I recognised many of the names of the featured individuals, sometimes married more than once - Astor, Chamberlain, Colgate, Curzon, Playfair, Vanderbilt, etc. These portraits - many in charcoal but some full oils - have been pulled in from all over (Boston, Dublin, Houston, Washingtn, etc) and it is a rare treat to see so many gathered together like this. The exhibition goes on to October 5. (Nice to see the Vermeer, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, etc, again).
Death of Allan Ahlberg
I hear that Allan Ahlberg, the children's writer, has died aged 87. With his wife Janet he produced Funnybones, Peepo, Burglar Bill, the Jolly Postman and many other books that delighted our children growing up and many others. See here for the Guardian obituary.
Jesus and Zoology in the latest Banner Mag
You may be interested to know that amongst many other good things in the latest Banner Mag is an article I have written with the intriguing title, Jesus and zoology.
Midweek Meeting July 30 2025
Seven of us gathered this week to look at Psalm 75 and to pray. Most of us led in oprayer. Lots of subjects to cover.
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