Lord's Day November 17 2024 Waterford House, Strood

Last Lord's Day I was preaching in Waterford House Evangelical Church, Strood, Kent, for their anniversary. It was avery good day. I preached from the first part of Ezekiel 37 in the morning and in the evening on Philippians 4:6, 7 on prayer. This was followed by communion led by an elder and between the two services we had lunch together and I spoke (not very well) about my trip to Kenya earlier this year. I know the pastor Adrian Tribe mainly becasue we both served on the LIP committee for many years. It was nice to have time with himand his wife Andrea. The previous pastor, Norman Hopkins, is still in membership. I now him mainly through the Evangelical Library. Also in membership these days are Bernard and Linda Lewis. Now retired from full time ministry Bernard was a fellow student at the seminary. It was good to spend a little time with them too. Great day.

10 more things about God noted by Walter Calmers Smith

1. Unresting, (always at work)
2. unhasting,
3. and silent as light,
4. nor wanting, nor wasting, (immutable)
5. thou rulest in might; (omnipotent)
6. thy justice like mountains high soaring above thy clouds, (just)
7. which are fountains of goodness and love. (good)
8. To all life thou givest, to both great and small; in all life thou livest, the true life of all; (life giving and self-sufficient)
9. we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, and wither and perish but naught changeth thee. (immutable)
10. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light ...  O help us to see 'tis only the splendour of light hideth thee. (glorious)

 

10 things about God noted by Walter Chalmers Smith

Smith's hymn reminds us that God is

1. Immortal, (1 Timothy 6:15)
2. invisible, (Romans 1:20, Hebrews 11:27, etc)
3. God only wise (ie the only one not necessarily the wise one, see 1 Timothy 1:17)
4. in light inaccessible hid from our eyes, (1 Timothy 6:16)
5. most blessed, (Acts 17:24-29; 1 John 1:4)
6. most glorious, (Isaiah 6:3)
7. the Ancient of Days, (Daniel 7:9)
8. almighty, (Psalm 89:8-13, 115:3; Isaiah 46:9, 10)
9. victorious, (Psalm 2)
10. thy great name we praise (summing up his wonderful character)

10 Athletes Born on March 23

I don't think there is anything in this but it makes an interesting list

1. Roger Banniste,distance runner 1929
2. Robbie James, footballer 1957
3. Steve Redgrave, rower 1962
4. Mike Atherton, cricketer 1968
5. Joe Calzaghe, boxer 1972
6. Jerzy Dudek, footballer 1973
7. Chris Hoy, track cyclist 1976
8. Shelley Rudman, skeleton bobsleigh athlete, 1981
9. Mo Farah, long distance runner 1983
10. Jason Kenny, track cyclist 1988

Midweek Meeting November 13 2024

About eight of us gathered last night for our prayer meeting and Bible study. First we looked at Romans 7:7-12 and then after a bref chat we prayed. Everyone prayed. It was good to be there. I like this story I came across by the late James Montgomery Boice, giving an example of how law doesn't work because of what they call counter-suggestibility.

One spring, when I was in the sixth grade (11 or 12 y o), our school principal came into the classroom just before lunch. He'd heard that some of the students had been playing with fireworks and wanted to say that this was definitely not allowed. Fireworks are dangerous and were against Pennsylvania state law. If any student even brought a firework into school, even if it was not set off, he'd expel him. I didn't own any fireworks. I'd not even been thinking about fireworks. But, you know, once a person starts thinking about them, fireworks really are intriguing. As I thought about it, I remembered a friend had some. On the way home from school a friend and I went by this friend's house, picked up a firework and returned to school within 45 minutes of the principal's announcement. We went into the cloakroom, invited a friend to join us and said, “You hold the firecracker by the middle of the fuse. Pinch it very tight. Then we'll light it. The others will think that it's going to explode. But when it burns down to your fingers it'll go out, and everything will be all right.” What we hadn't counted on was that the fire would burn our friend's fingers. When we lit the fuse, it did. Our friend dropped the firework. It exploded in an immense cloud of blue smoke and tiny bits of white paper in the midst of which we emerged from the closet, shaken and a bit deaf. You can't imagine how loud a firework sounds in an old public school building. Nor can you imagine how quickly a principal can get out of his office, down the hall, and into a classroom. He was in our classroom before my friends and I had staggered through the cloakroom's open door. He was as stunned as we were, though for a different reason. I recall him saying over and over, after we'd been sent home and had come back to his office with our parents, “I'd just made the announcement. I'd just told them not to bring any firecrackers into school. I just can't believe it.” He couldn't believe it then. But I'm sure that our rebellion, as well as other acts of rebellion by children over the years, eventually turned him into a staunch, Bible-believing Calvinis - at least so far as the doctrine of total depravity is concerned.

10 Successful writers whose fathers were ministers

1. Charlotte Bronte (And Anne and Emily)
2. John Buchan
3. Pearl Buck
4. Jane Austen
5. Lewis Carroll
6. Stephen Crane
7. Elizabeth Gaskell
8. Ronald Knox
9. Harriet Beecher Stowe
10. Dorothy Sayers

Day Off Week 46 2024

It was a more conventional day off last Tuesday after a little lay off. I found it hard to get up and going at first but once I had my jeans and my oldest rainers on and was out in the sunshine all was fine. Unsually, I had a coffee near the beginning of my walk rather than near the end as it was quite late by the time I got out. I also had lunch out and through the rest of the day I read most of the slave story (see quotes below) I became aware of through the Magnus Magnusson book and worked on the latest issue of In Writing. In the evening we watched two episodes of Show Trial on BBC iplayer.

Quotations

A judge says to a woman

Margaret Douglass, stand up. You are guilty of one of the vilest crimes that ever disgraced society; and the jury have found you so. You have taught a slave girl to read in the Bible. No enlightened society can exist where such offences go unpunished. (Craft, William; Craft, Ellen. Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: African American Slave History (Annotated) p 28. Kindle Edition.)

This was the first act of great and disinterested kindness we had ever received from a white person. (Craft, William; Craft, Ellen. Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: African American Slave History (Annotated) p 61. Kindle Edition.)

It is very sad to see Gardiner Spring quoted as declaring from the pulpit that, "if by one prayer he could liberate every slave in the world he would not dare to offer it." (Craft, William; Craft, Ellen. Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: African American Slave History (Annotated) p 68. Kindle Edition.)

Craft seems on safer ground when he quotes the Old Testament thus

In the 23rd chapter of Deuteronomy, 15th and 16th verses, it is thus written:—"Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is es- caped from his master unto thee. He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him."

"Hide the outcast. Bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee. Be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler." (Isa. xvi. 3, 4.)

(Craft, William; Craft, Ellen. Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: African American Slave History (Annotated) p. 71. Kindle Edition. 

Lord's Day November 10 2024

Last Lord's Day was very full. We began with the two minutes silence. (Several were late held up intraffic at the various civic functions at the war memorials in Golders Green, Hendon, etc). In the morning service I preached from Ephesians 1 again, verses 11-14. We were a good number with newcomers once again, inckuding a lady from Nagaland here to study and an Iranian family that came the week before. Always plenty away, however. After the morning meeting we sat down to lunch together, always a good time. As soon as that was over I went next door where I preached to our Korean friends on an earlier part of Ephesians 1 (in English!). Good to be with them. In the evening it was 2 Chronicles 8, which went fine. We were in double figures but only just.

10 Political Leaders whose fathers were ministers

1. Woodrow Wilson (Presbyterian)
2. Grover Cleveland (Independent Presbyterian)
3. Chester Arthur (Baptist)
4. Aaron Burr (Presbyterian)
5. Jesse Jackson Jr (Baptist)
6. Gordon Brown (Presbyterian)
7. Theresa May (Anglican)
8. Angela Merkel (Lutheran)
9. Kenneth Kaunda (Presbyterian)
10. Bob Hawke (Congregational)

10 Available Advent Calendars

We ar enow in Advent Calendar buying season adn it may surprise you what is available. I have a cheese one which I am looking forward to using.

1. Just pictures
2. Chocolate
3. Tea
4. Coffee
5. Wines
6. Cheese
7. Gemstones
8. Garden seed pots
9. Lego
10. men's moisturiser

(and twenty more - hot chocolate, gin, cocktails, jams, pringles, herbs, dog treats, science tricks, metal puzzles, toy soldiers, toy cars, fidget toys, slime, funko pops, rubber ducks, jigsaws, mini books, candles, jewellery, bath and beauty products)

European Mission Fellowship Conference Welwyn

It has been a pretty full week and this afternoon (Saturday) we went up to Welwyn (about 20 miles north) where EMF had organised a conference featuring a number of their missionaries. We began with a recorded interview from near the frontline in Ukraine with Vitalii Mariash, a forces chaplain. Then there was a slot featuring Volodomyr Kostyshyn with another Ukrainian pastor. After a short break we had a panel discussion featuring Volodymyr, Rogério Ramos from Portugal and Pal Borsazi from Romania, chaired by Martin Tatham. Finally, Pal Borsazi preached an excellent sermon on the conference theme How long? A lovely tea to close and great to chat to old friends. Interestingly, the week's earlier themes of trauma and the psalms were in evidence as the matter of seeing God's smile behind his frowning providence was discussed. 

Christopher Ash on The Psalms at The Pastors Academy

I have remarked I am sure on the blessing of living near to the London Seminary/Pastors Academy. They had another of their special lecture weeks this week nnd I went along. Christopher Ash has a four volume commentary out on the Psalms and was able to draw on that to provide two and two half-days of lectures for Seminary students adn others. Ash is a mild mannered fellow and not Ivory-towered at all. I enjoyed his stab at the psalms, looking at their theology, the history of their exposition and other matters. I am very sympathetic to his view that we should see Christ everywhere in the Psalms (as opposed to Philip Eveson and others who are much more cautious). There were no major break throughs for me but something like the paralllels between Psalms 1 and 2 I'd missed (see below).

1. They are both untitled, something which is unusual in the first book of the Psalter.

2. There is an inclusio which uses the word happy or blessed at the start of Psalm 1 (1:1) and the end of Psalm 2 (2:12).

3. Both refer to ‘the way’ - 1:1 and 2:12 again.

4. Both use the Hebrew word hagah in a manner central to the psalm’s ‘argument’. In 1:2 it is often translated meditating and in 2:1 as muttering. In both places it could be translated as murmuring; in the former case the positive murmuring of torah and in the latter, negative language as in the English idiom of ‘under one’s breath’.

5. The pious individual in Psalm 1 parallels the anointed of Yahweh in Psalm 2.

6. The wicked, sinners and mockers in Psalm 1 parallel the rebellious kings and rulers in Psalm 2.

(I couldn't reach ten!)

Tony Wilcox at The Westminster Fellowship

I failed to report on last Monday. Last Monday was the November meeting of the Westminster Fellowship. The usual twenty or so gathered to hear Tony Wilcox from Tyndale House. Tony is a very pleasant academic with an interest in the Old Testament. He introduced us, more generally, to Tyndale House and, more specifically, to current Old Testament studies. This latter segment included a quick tour through trauma theology. Copies of the atest TH mag were made available adn I have been enjoying articles this week. We should be thankful to Tyndale House for its work, although it all sounds very tedious and mainly just inches things forward and it is not work I think I could devote myself to. Most of it is appreciated, however.

10 Pictures From Annie Ross Cousin Via Samuel Rutherford

The sands of times are sinking was composed by Annie Ross Cousin drawing on material in Rutherford's latters. Focusing on the verses ususally sung we can see at least 10 pictures used to help us think of life and glory and our passage from one to the other.

1. Sand in an hour glass slowly sinking. The sands of time are sinking
2. A long dark night followed by a bright summer day. The dawn of heaven breaks The summer morn I've sighed for The fair, sweet morn awakes Dark, dark hath been the midnight But dayspring is at hand
3. Hazy glimpses of glory then seeing the King's unveiled glory. The King there in His beauty Without a veil is seen
4. A sometimes hazardous journey to a wonderful destination. It were a well spent journey Though sev'n deaths lay between
5. Finally, beholding the Lamb and his army. The Lamb with His fair army Doth on Mount Zion stand
6. Thirsting on earth, thirst scarcely quenched, then beholding the fountain or well of God's love. O Christ, He is the fountain The deep, deep well of love The streams on earth I've tasted More deep I'll drink above There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand
7. The weaving of a tapestry. With mercy and with judgment My web of time He wove And always dews of sorrow Were lustered with His love
8. Coming to the throne in the will and plan of God. I'll bless the hand that guided I'll bless the heart that planned When throned where glory dwelleth
9. A poor, vile person brought into a house of wine. Oh, I am my Beloved's And my Beloved's mine He brings a poor, vile sinner Into His house of wine I stand upon His merit I know no other stand
10. A bride seeing her bridegroom, about to be married. The bride eyes not her garments But her dear Bridegroom's face I will not gaze at glory But on my King of grace Not at the crown He giveth But on His pierced hand

I'm no prophet but ...

I happened to notice a blog I wrote a few years ago. You can find it here.

It is Justin Welby capitulating on women bishops. Well, unsurprisiingly, he has now capitulated on homosexual sex too.

He now says “Where we’ve come to, is to say that all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship whether it’s straight or gay.”

So what is next?

Vegan Halal Nail Polish

 

I was surprised to see this in my local pharmacy but it is a thing as you can see from the ad in the corner. It's a modern world.

Ice Cream Piranha

Spotted this in my dish the other day 

Midweek Meeting November 6 2024

It was good to be with God's people once again and to pray. Beforehand we looked at Romans 7:5, 6 and considered the contast between life BC (before Christ) and after he comes.

Lord's Day November 3 2024

We began last Lord's Day with communion and then I preached from Ephsians 1:7-10, which is really rich territory. In the evening I preached 2 Chronicles 7 and again there was a rcih vein to mine. Numbers were typical - decent in the morning but down to seven in the evening. Several were ill and some were absent for other reasons.

10 Livery Halls Where Dissenters Once Met

When thrown out of the national church,  dissenters needed to find places to meet. Many chrches in London were able to hire the halls connected with the Livery Companies. For more detail and other examples see Walter Wilson's multi-volume work on dissenting churches.

1. Cutlers Hall, Cloak Lane (Independent)
2. Glovers Hall, Beech Lane (Baptist then Independent)
3. Haberdashers Hall, Gresham Street (Presbyterian)
4. Joiners Hall, Thames Street (Baptist)
5. Lorimers Hall, Fore Street (Baptist)
6. Pinners Hall, Old Broad Street (Independent)
7. Pla(i)sterers Hall, Addle Street (Independent)
8. Salters Hall, Cannon Street (Presbyterian)
9. Tallow-chandlers Hall, Dowgate Hill (Baptist)
10. Turners Hall, Philpot Lane (Baptist)

Midweek Meeting October 30 2024

I failed to report on our midweek meeting last week for some reason. It was a good meeting with nine present and one online. We went back to Romans again, looking at Romans 7:1-4. Everyone prayed before we parted around 9.25 pm.

GBM Annual Meetings 2024

Grace Baptist Mission is perhaps unique in being very much a church based missionary society. Part of the way this plays out is that once a year they have a day of meetings, usually in London. I always enjoy the meetings if I can get to them. That's where I was last Saturday. Sorry not to have reported sooner.

It was good to be there in the very convenient and adequate Friends Meeting House near Euston Station. The pastor was there and Ellen and it was nice to see many old friends, including some former members.

The first part of the day is taken up with a business meeting where all churches involved are able to send delegates (I was there to represent Childs Hill). Our chair is now Tom Forryan, formerly pastor at Hitchin. This year's meeting was a little more protracted than usual as the committee wanted to make two changes. One was a change to the doctrinal basis. They wanted to make clearer where we stand on gender issues. This was flagged up some time ago and was accepted by the churches. More difficult was a change to the constitution aimed at streamlining things. Not everyone was entirely happy with this but the change was passed by majority vote.

The rest of the day was taken up with meetings at which the various missionaries spoke, closing with a plenary worship meeting at which the preacher was Jason Murfitt, currently working on the island of Madeira. We took the opportunity after the delegates meeting to go and hear Reuben Saywell. As he warned me, it was more or less what he had had to say in Childs Hill but it was good to hear it again and to see one or more new slides and to hear questions asked. Nice to see Cathy and their latest child too. The family have now returned to The Philippines and we pray that the encouraging work will continue to go forward.

We then went to hear Andrzej Kempczynski from Legionowo near Warsaw in Poland. His wife Monika was also around. Again it was encouraging. They have a lovely new meeting place (the local library) and have joined the Baptist denomination, which brings some advantages.

After this there was a plenary session with Nathan and Urpha Javed. Nathan pastors an Urdu/Hindi speaking congregation in Bradford and most of them were there to sing to us in the style they use there. There were also testimonies from Nathan, Urpha and others and lots of slides on the screen.

After all this I was rather overloaded and as we had family visiting back at home I skipped the final session. Among those I did not hear - James Hammond (Bordeaux), Adrian & Abigail Yeboah (Amsterdam) Phil & Carolyn |Reid (West Africa).

Perhaps you will want to come next year and see what God is doing in different places.

10 Amazing things about grace according to John Newton

Amazing grace and amazing things about it, according to John Newton. It

1. Saves wretches - that saved a wretch like me!
2. Brings back the lost - I once was lost, but now am found,
3. Heals the blind - was blind, but now I see.
4. Brings about conviction of sin - 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
5. Comforts us - and grace my fears relieved;
6. Sustains us - Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come: 'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
7. Brings us to heaven - and grace will lead me home.
8. Is revealed in the Word - his word my hope secures;
9. Is guaranteed by God - he will my shield and portion be as long as life endures
10. Secures heaven for us - Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease: I shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine; but God, who called me here below, will be forever mine