Lord's Day September 27 2026

I may have announced my last sermons in Childs Hill previousy but these really were the last, last Lord's Day. In the morning I preached to a good sized congregation on 1 Timothy 6:6-9 The art of godliness with contentment and then in the evening to about twenty or so on Genesis 4:8-16 Learning about our spiritual state from Cain. Strange day in some ways. The leaving does not yet seem real. Lots of kind owrds and gifts too once again.

Sense and Sensibility

https://www.focusfeatures.com/
sense-and-sensibility

On Friday we went to see the latest Jan Austen adaptation and it was very good. There is a little messing wth the plot perhaps but not much that I noticed. A very good version of a very well written book.

10 Cakes

James Petts from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Birthday/Christmas cake
2. Angel cake
3. Welsh cake
4. Cheesecake
5. Eccles cake
6. Jaffa cake
7. Pancake
8. Oatcake
9. Ricecake
10. Fish cake

(Also Chocolate cake, Madeira cake, Mooncake, Upside down cake,

etc)

A Faulty Bow

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bows and arrows are not as common as they once were, so when in Psalm 78:57 Asaph says of God's people Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow or when in Hosea 7:2a the prophet says of them They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow it may not be immediately clear what is being said. A little investigation, however, reveals that bows in ancient times could prove faulty in a number of ways.

For example, a bow may have an unpredictable aim. A warped bow will fail to respond to the archer as it should and when he shoots an arrow, it may veer off course unpredictably. Or the wood of the bow can lose its tension and elasticity so that arrows shot from it lack the force necessary to reach the target. If the bow is completely wrecked then it will actively frustrate the user because it cannot perform the basic job it was built for.

In a similar way, we can become faulty, not heading in the direction or heading in the right general direction but lacking the power to live as we should because we are not depending on the Lord as we should. Some are so completely out of sorts that there is no way that the Lord can use them.

Several commentators point out that the faulty bow looks fine hanging on the wall. It is when you come to use it that the problems become evident. It is a little like the story of Jesus and the cursing of the fig tree. The fig tree looks fine. It is covered in leaves. But when Jesus goes to look, there is no fruit. Hence its cursing. Israel's history again and again was such that they looked like a magnificent bow or a luxuriant fig tree but then proved to be useless to the Lord, firing erratic or inaccurate shots or producing no fruit.

In Isaiah 29:13 we read The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Earlier in Psalm 78, in verses 35-37, Asaph says of God's people They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.

Even today it is tempting for professing believers to think that lip service is enough. Showing a lack of true loyalty to the Lord and expecting him to use us is like our taking an apparently trusty bow from the wall and trying to use what turns out to be a faulty bow.

Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney

We stayed for two nights in a hotel in Sydney while we were in Australia. one ofthe highlights was seeing the Hyde Park Barracks. This is where the convicts lived in the early days. The story is presented very well.

More here.

Richard Johnson Obelisk

I omitted to mention how we came across the Richard Johnson obelisk in downtown Sydney. It marks the first Christian service on Australian soil February 3, 1788 and the first srmon preached by Johnson on Psalm 116:12 (What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits) and the first church, August 25, 1793.

Midweek Meeting September 23 2026

Bondi

It was a delight to be with the folk at the Childs Hill Baptist midweek meeting last Wednesday. We were nine in the room and another five online. I read from Romans 1 and prayed and then gave some feedback on the trip to Australia. I spoke about the three churches attended and some of the lovely Christian people we met. It is encouraging to think that others are labouring as we are but on the other side of the world. We then spent some time in prayer. Good to be there again.

Blue Mountains

Lamington (Australian cake made from squares of butter cake or sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut.)

Afternoon tea at the Waldorf

We had one of those teas recently that a friend of ours sometimes likes to shout us. We were again celbrating a birthday for Eleri. This time it was at the Waldorf Hilton. Lovely cups of tea and finger sandwiches and nice little cakes ans scones once more, and not forgetting the signature salad. There was also a very clever trick with a bowler hat and some dry ice. Lovely.

Evangelical Library Wesley & the Odium theologicum

Great lecture last Monday from Roger Fay on Wesley and the odium theologicum. It was a good lecture. It was only a shame that there were not more present. Next one October 26 - Jonathan Wilson on Mile Coverdale.

Lord's Day September 20 2026

Last Lord's Day I was preaching in East Finchley Baptist Church nearby. The way it has worked out, over the years I have rarely preached there, though I once took a weekend away for them many years back. They called a new pastor a little way back, an American called Clay Gibbons and things seem to be quite encouraging. It was good to be there. I preached on 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Reuben Saywell preached for us and I joined them all for fellowship lunch. He also preached in the evening on Elijah and the still small voice.

Australian Hat Trick

 

Like many a man I like my hats. These three get more Australian as we go on.

10 Men often mentioned in connection with 2 Corinthians 8:18-22

18 And we are sending along with him (Titus) the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honour the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. 22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.

1. Titus. He is named in the passage.

First brother

2. Luke (The Strongest Tradition) The earliest and most widespread tradition among early church fathers (including Chrysostom, Jerome and Eusebius) points directly to Luke. The Argument: The phrasing "whose praise is in the gospel" was historically interpreted by the early church to mean praise for writing a physical Gospel book (the Gospel of Luke). Furthermore, the Book of Acts uses "we" passages right around this time, indicating Luke was actively travelling with Paul. The Counter-Argument: Modern scholars point out that when Paul wrote this letter, "the gospel" referred to the oral preaching of the good news rather than a written biography of Jesus. Additionally, the Gospel of Luke may not have been fully written or widely circulated yet.

3. Barnabas. Another early tradition mentioned by historical writers is Barnabas. The Argument: Barnabas was a highly prominent, universally respected figure across the early Gentile and Jewish churches. He was well-known for his generosity and gospel ministry.

The Counter-Argument: By the time 2 Corinthians was written, Paul and Barnabas had famously parted ways following a sharp disagreement over John Mark (Acts 15:36–41), making it less likely they were traveling together on this specific fundraising mission.

4. Apollos. Some commentators suggest Apollos. The Argument: Apollos was famously described in Acts as an eloquent speaker who was mighty in the Scriptures. His public preaching ministry perfectly matches the description of someone whose "praise is in the gospel".

The Counter-Argument: In Paul's previous letter (1 Corinthians 16:12), Paul notes that Apollos strongly declined to visit Corinth at that time, though he promised to come later when he had the opportunity.

(Apollos is also suggested for verse 18. The Argument: The text says this brother is now extra enthusiastic to visit Corinth because of his "great confidence" in them. If it was Apollos, this would mean his previous hesitation to visit Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:12) had finally been resolved, and he was now eager to return to a church he helped build.)

5. Trophimus or Tychicus (representatives from the province of Asia)

(Trophimus is also suggested for verse 22 - The Argument: Like Tychicus, Trophimus was an Asian Christian who accompanied Paul specifically on this journey to Jerusalem with the collection (Acts 20:4). He was so closely tied to Paul and this specific fund that his later presence with Paul in Jerusalem actually sparked a massive riot (Acts 21:29).)

6. Gaius

7. Aristarchus (representatives from Macedonia)

Second brother

8. Tychicus (The Leading Candidate) Many commentators view Tychicus as the most likely identity for the verse 22 brother. The Argument: Tychicus was a deeply trusted companion from the province of Asia who travelled with Paul to deliver the Jerusalem collection (Acts 20:4). Paul explicitly praises him in other letters using very similar language, calling him a "beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord" (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21). The Fit: His reputation for being dependable and "often tested" matches Paul's description perfectly.

9. Silas

10. Timothy

Older traditions occasionally suggested Silas or Timothy. The Counter-Argument: Timothy is already listed as a co-author of the letter in 2 Corinthians 1:1, so Paul would not refer to him anonymously in the third person here. Silas had largely stopped travelling with Paul by this stage of his missionary journeys.

Melbourne Recordings Available

The addresses on preaching Song of Songs given recently in Melbourne are now all available. The first is here.

A lecture on conscience given on the afternoon of the Lord's Day in Christ Covenant Church is also available. See here.

Art Gallery of New South Wales

It was good to see some of the paintings in the NSW art gallery in Sydney. we have mentioned one painting. I missed the John Constable but these caught my eye. All are in the opublic domain and gathered via Wikimedia Commons, except the Augustus John found here - https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/1134/

Tissot

Edouard Detaille

Cezanne

Monet

van Gogh

Augustus John

10 Tyre Companies

1. Michelin: Based in France, one of the largest and most well-known tyre makers globally.
2. Bridgestone: A Japanese company and one of the largest tyre producers in the world.
3. Firestone: American company now owned by Bridgestone
4. Goodyear: A major American manufacturer with a long history of tyre technology.
5. Continental: A leading German brand specializing in premium vehicle tyres.
6. Pirelli: An iconic Italian brand famous for high-performance and luxury vehicle tyres.
7. Hankook: A major South Korean tyre manufacturer known for quality and value.
8. Yokohama: A prominent Japanese brand popular for passenger and performance cars.
9. Dunlop: A historic brand with a strong global presence in safe motoring
10. Giti: Indonesian company with it headquarters in Singapore

Not sure what prompted this but I have been thinking about retirement a lot recently.