10 Significant Sleeps in the Bible

1. Creative sleep. Adam sleeps while God forms Eve
2. Revelatory sleep. Abraham falls into a deep sleep when God reveals Israel's future.
3. Heavenly sleep. Jacob sleeps at Bethel and sees a staircase between heaven and earth.
4. Sinful sleep. Samson who is lulled to sleep by Delilah and then loses his strength.
5. Ignorant sleep. Saul who sleeps while David steals his spear and water jug.
6. Rebellious sleep. Jonah who sleeps on the way to Tarshish.
7. God fearing sleep. Daniel who is in a deep sleep when God reveals certain things to him.
8. Sorrowful sleep. John, James and Peter who sleep in Gethsemane in their Saviour's hour of need.
9. Complacent sleep. Peter who sleeps the night before he is due to die.
10. Tired sleep. Eutychus who sleeps when Paul preaches on and on.

4,6,8 - in these cases the sleep was sinful

Midweek Meeting May 25 2022

We were quite a select group yesterday for Bible Study and prayer. We looked at the final verses of Philippians 1 and then prayed. Lots of prayer requests.

Lord's Day May 22 2022

Last Sunday was my birthday so I thought I would preach some birthday sermons. I'd thought it might improve the numbers attending but, if anything, numbers were worse than last week. I do this from time to time. I did it when I turned sixty and back in 2016 when I was 57. This time I preached in the morning on 2 Corinthians 4:5 and in the evening on my "baptismal verse" 2 Peter 3:13. People were very kind with cake and cards and gifts, which was not my aim, of course. We also had a lovely afternoon with church people, again so very kind. Good day.

10 People who died at the age of 63

1. St Bernard of Clairvaux (August 20, 1153)
2. Rembrandt van Rijn (October 4, 1669)
3. Robin Williams, actor and comedian (August 11, 2014)
4. Audrey Hepburn (January 20, 1993)
5. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (April 12, 1945)
6. Ulysses S Grant (July 23, 1885)
7. Cicero (December 7, AD 43)
8. Guglielmo Marconi (July 20, 1937)
9. Donna Summer (May 17, 2012)
10. Alfred Nobel (December 10, 1896)

(Also, Robert E Lee, Brahms, Vivaldi, H M Stanley, Sir Malcolm Campbell)

10 Helps Against Temptation by Thomas Brooks

If you would not be taken with any of Satan’s devices, then ...

1. Walk by the rule [of the Word]

2. Take heed of vexing and grieving the Holy Spirit of God

3. Labour for more heavenly wisdom

4. Make present resistance against Satan’s first motions.

5. Labour to be filled with the Spirit

6. Keep humble

7. Keep a strong, close, and constant watch

8. Keep up your communion with God

9. Engage not against Satan in your own strength but be everyday drawing new virtue and strength from the Lord Jesus

10. Be much in prayer

(From Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices)

Midweek Meeting May 18 2022

 

Another good zoom meeting last Wednesday for prayer and the word. Especially pleased to hear someone praying for the first time.

Day Off Week 20 2022

 

Behind as ever but last Tuesday was a day off. It was a little unusual in that I spent an hour or so in the morning in the dentist. Good to have that over though there is one more bit to come. When I got home my mouth was numb so I watched some ELR on TV. Most of the rest of the day I was reading a lovely edition of The Mayor of Casterbridge. Such a great book.

Lord's Day May 15 2022

 

It was my privilege to preaching once again last Lord's Day. In the morning we looked at the next part of Luke 10. Only four verses but lots of things to explain of the passage is to be understood and applied properly. People missing as ever but again a decent number morning and evening. In the evening we had communion first and then looked at the first half of Psalm 18 (verses 1-27). We sing accompanied at the communion and I have slowly learned to pitch it but last Sunday evening I used the same tune for both hymns which didn't matter but was unintentional.

Kate Rusby at the Cadogan Hall

We went off to a concert last night down in central London. We took public transport to Sloane Square and had a nice vegan meal at a Wulf and Lamb. We were in our seats in good time for an excellent concert in two haves. We've only been to Christmas concerts before so it was good to see the regular type concert. We had lots of chat and lots of songs, mostly from Thirty and Hand me down (including Ghost, Three little birds, If I had a boat, Maybe Tomorrow, We will sing, Jenny, Cruel, Hunter Moon and Only desire what you have) and a short session from the excellent five piece band. We ended with Blooming Heather and then Underneath the Stars as an encore. Great evening.

Midweek Meeting May 11 2022

We were zooming again this week with a good number present. We looked at the next part of Philippians. We had a good time of prayer but I had to stop someone who badly expressed their theology. Always a little awkward but I think we got through it.

Day Off Week 19 2022

With one thing another it's been a while since I had a regular day off. Anyway, I did some walking and some reading and TV watching and one or two must do things. Had a nice day. The reading was a book on Constable. Everybody seems to love Turner these days but Constable was a fine artist and has a lot to be said in his favour. I also read most of Sharon James' excellent little book on gender, kindly passed on to me by Mike Iliffe. Also watched some recorded Everybody loves Raymond on TV.

Lord's Day May 8 2022

I was especially glad to be there on the Lord's Day as I had been testing positive for covid most of the week. I arrived early as I wanted to walk someone to church who's not been in ages. He was able to sit through most though not all of the service. I had decided to begin with the hymn "Christ is our cornerstone" so I thought I'd begin by reading the appropriate verse from Ephesians. I read all of Chapters 3 and 4 to myself and was dismayed not to find it and so I turned to something else. It's in Chapter 2, of course. Anyway we had a decent number morning and evening (16). I was especially encouraged about the evening, as we are often a lot smaller. I preached from the beginning of Luke 10:16 (every point began with P!) and Psalm 17, very refreshing.

10 Women Prophets in the Bible

1. Miriam (Exodus 15:20)
2. Deborah (Judges 4:4)
3. Abigail (1 Samuel 25:28–31)
4. The wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:3)
5. Huldah (2 Kings 22)
6. Anna (Luke 2)
7. - 10. The four daughters of Philip (Acts 21:9)

(There are also false prophets such as Noadiah in Nehemiah)

Time Well Spent

A practical guide to developing your daily devotions I bought this recently and have read it. (It is not long). It's not really aimed at people like me but I read it as I feel my "Quiet Times" need a refreshing and because I wanted to look at the subject in connection with a present project. The book is very clear and engaging and assumes nothing. It begins with a definition then five reasons for having one. It goes on with Jesus's quiet time from Mark 1:35-39 and then, in the longest section sets out the ingredients (preparation, Bible and prayer). Next comes something on common problems and some useful tips. The penultimate chapter recommends the use of the Lord's Prayer and the Psalms, with which I would heartily concur. The final chapter I have not tackled fully yet as it is a series of eight Bible studies to get you started. Very much worth passing on. It is by Colin Webster, who I have never met.

An Answer to Prayer

When I returned from the Banner of Truth Ministers Conference I heard that several had contracted covid and so I tested myself but was negative and so preached last Sunday. However, I did have a cold and so I tested again last Monday and was positive. So I went to bed with my father-in-law's new autobiography and missed the Westminster Conference committee but zoomed for the midweek meeting and an Evangelical Library committee I had. Anyway by today I am negative again and so have avoided (I hope) having to implement our contingency plan - using an audio recording. My wife and son have remained negative. I think this is a real answer to prayer and has greatly encouraged me. This is the second time I have had covid. These are strange and difficult times.

Midweek Meeting May 4 2022

Midweek we were a fairly decent number (about 12) - still on zoom. We carried on with the next part in Philippians 1 and then prayed. It was all over quite soon.

Lord's Day May 1 2022

We are rather behind with our regular reports. I have been confined to the house this week (more on that later) and so I should have done this by now but somehow I haven't got round to it. We began with communion and then I preached on the final verses of Luke 9 about discipleship. We are having a decent number of children these days and I read them one of my father-in-law's adaptations of Aesop (Belling the cat). We were a decent number in the morning. At least five are away at the moment for several weeks. In the evening we turned to another psalm I've no record of preaching on, Psalm 15. Good day.

200 Articles

 

I now have some 200 articles on my Published Articles blog. See here.

A Great Read

So I've now read the wonderful tome. What makes it so good is that it is an interesting story and it is told in an interesting way. Obviously, I know much of the story and so is of interest to me but I think that would extend not only to anyone who knows Geoff but to anyone wanting to grasp the Reformed faith today, believer or unbeliever. It is honest, self-effacing, informative, thought provoking and to the glory of God.

The Article on Deacons

 

The article on deacons can now be read here.