10 Reasons to Lament over the Church of Christ

Claude Vignon, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>,
via Wikimedia Commons

This list was prompted by what Christopher Ash had to say at the conference

Because of ...

1. The persecution so many suffer
2. The needless divisons that too often exist
3. The false teachings that have come in and doen much harm
4. The ill taught nature of so many
5. The scandals that Christians fall into, especially ministers
6. The triumphalistic pride and self-confidence that is sometimes shown
7. The lack of success in evangelism
8. The worldliness that characterises so many
9. The lack of love and joy that is so often the case
10. The lack of repentance that seems to prevail so much

Banner of Truth Conference Day Three Evening

 

At 5 pm this evening we had a session chaired by David Campbell on various mission matters - from Africa, India, Switzerland, Slovenia, Canada, Banner worldwide and the Open Air Mission. Then after dinner we had the final session with Christopher Ash, looking at Lamentations 4 and 5.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day Two Evening

This evening we had messages from Jeremy Walker and Christopher Ash, again. The conference theme is revival and Jeremy guided us through nine of its characterisitcs, with historical references, ie supplication, proclamation, conviction, affection, opposition/division, puriification, elevation and extension, magnificaion and intensification. With Christopher Ash, we looked briefly at Lamentations 2 and then ore extensively at Lamentations 3, with an emphasis, as ever, on Christ.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day One

It is good to be here in Yarnfield Park once again at a packed Banner Conference. I drove up with my father-in-law and my friend Keith Berry. The opening session was a sermon from Dan Peters on the widow of Nain's son in Luke 7 and it was preaching of the very highest quality. Then after our evening meal Christopher Ash gave the first of three addresses on Lamentations. He handled it very well, managing not to depress but to stir us.

Catalyst Day Three 2025

Simon Arscot

The first two days high standards were kept up on day three. Simon Arscot did well on the Lord's Supper, not straing too far in either direction on its importance. Christopher Ash was very good again on the psalms, this time on what Christ would have learned of evil and judgement. Jason Heliopoulos ended well with a reminder of the basics. It is not about you, minister, but about God and your people. Some nice illustration once again. The day began once again, however, with Sinclair Ferguson, who stands head and shoulders above us all with his vast knowledge and great spiritual acumen. His final subject was Christ Conqueror and High Priest. Just superb. Do check these messages out especially those by Dr Ferguson when they appear on YouTube soon on the IPC Catalyst channel. (If Simon looks rather youthful it's because I forgot to snap him this time and have used a pic from a previous year!).

Catalyst Day Two 2025

Ash

So more of the same on the Wednesday. Dr Ferguson was superb as he drew our attention to the founder of our faith (the archegos) and our worship leader. Well illustrated and theologically deep, it was a privilege to be there. The others were up to speed to - an excellent paper on the Sabbath from Simon Arscott, more good stuff on the Psalms from Christopher Ash (this time with a focus on the church) and then an encouraging last session from Jason Heliopoulos on the importnace of friendship, taking Paul and Calvin as exemplars. As ever, good to chat to people.Good to see the lollipops and cornettos available in the afternoon.

Catalyst Day One 2025

Heliopoulos

Ferguson

It is good to be at the Catalyst conference in Ealing with our Presbyterian friends once more. In this tenth yearthey have stuck with their tried and tested formula of four speakers across three days, beginning as ever with Sinclair Ferguson. He spoke on the person of Christ from Hebrews 2:5-9 making some excellent points about Hebrews and how the whole Bible undolds fom Genesis 3:15. We need to help our congregations see Jesus through "Emmaus Road preaching".

Simon Arscott was the second speaker of the morning, on Christ's presence in the sermon from Matthew 23:34 making goodd use of a book by Hugh Martin on the subject recently republished. (I couold have had a free copy if I had booked earlier). Scribes bind and loose from the text and that brings Christ near to the congregation.

In the afternoon it was good to hear Chritopher Ash on Christ in the psalms once again. Our final speaker, one new to me was Jason Heliopoulos on gratititude. Good day with over 300 present.

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!)

Aber Conference 2023 Wednesday Parry and Ash

Good day yesterday. More from Ian Parry and Christopher Ash. Ian took us to Revelation 5 and spoke about the Glory of the Son and Christopher Ash spoke on Psalm 149. His suggestion that the sword swinging is a metaphor for praise might well be right.

Wednesday morning here.

Wednesday evening here.

Aber Conference 2023 Tuesday Evening Christopher Ash 1

Good stuff tonight from Christopher Ash on Psalm 11. See here for the service.

Christopher Ash Hearing The Spirit

It was great to be with over 40 others this morning hearing Christopher Ash of the Proclamation Trust outlining his recent book on Word and Spirit. These are the chapter headings:

1. The Spirit, the Word and His words

2. The Spirit, the Word and the Cross

3. The Spirit, the Word and His Apostles

4. The Spirit, the Word and the Bible

5. The Spirit and understanding the Bible
6. The Spirit and other spirits

7. The Spirit at work in the world and the church

Ash himself introduces the book here:

In chapter 1, mainly from the fist half of John’s Gospel, we are going to think about Jesus the eternal Word (as John calls him in John 1:1-3) and the words He spoke. We shall see an intimate connection between the two, and see how Jesus made the Father known by words.

Chapter 2 is also mainly from the first half of John’s Gospel, and focuses on the weakness of Jesus’ words and His paradoxical failure effectively to reveal the Father until after the Cross and therefore until the Holy Spirit was poured out on God’s people. This will highlight for us how vital is the work of the Spirit.

Chapter 3 explores the vital provision Jesus made for the continuation of His words through the Spirit-led teaching of His apostles.

Then in chapter 4 we draw the line from the words of Jesus, through the words of His apostles, to the words of the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament. We ask the question, ‘Where do we find the words of Jesus today, since Jesus is no longer physically on earth?’ It is all very well saying how wonderful were His words, but that does us no good unless we can still hear them. We shall see that every Bible word is Jesus’ word, and that we cannot and must not separate Jesus the Eternal Word from Bible words. This is a vital link to establish, for – if it is true – it means we have access to Jesus’ words today, and the Father can be made known to us too.

Chapter 5 is a harder chapter. You may prefer to omit this on first reading perhaps and come back to it later. It builds on the argument of chapters 3 and 4 to ask what principles ought to guide us in interpreting the Bible so we understand it aright.

In chapter 6 we think about why it matters to be Bible Christians. We shall see that there are plenty of spirits out there just waiting to put on the Holy Spirit’s clothes and pretend to be Him. It is an important cautionary study.

Then in chapter 7 we take a good look at the wonderful work the Holy Spirit does both in the non-Christian world and in the Christian church.

Finally, in conclusion, we ask how we today can listen to the Spirit, and how this relates to the Bible. In all our study, we must remember that knowing the Father depends upon these truths.