Aber 09 5

Joel Beeke's final message was aimed especially at young people and was on contagious and consistent integrity from Daniel 1. It was one of the best of the messages I thought. He spoke of Daniel's resolution (1:8) trial (1:14) and perseverance (1:21) making several good points regarding what integrity is, how to face temptation, the need not to be Babylonised and witness (you are the Bible they read).

He said that worldliness is the opposite of the Reformed idea of living in coram deo. It is turning your back on God and living without him. It is practical atheism. It is to put profit, pleasure and position first. Worldliness is interested in going forward rather than upward, in the outward rather than the inward.

What a privilege it has been to sit under this godly man's ministry this week. He has now left for Korea where he is speaking at a large ministers conference in Seoul.

In the evening Andrew Davies gave a fine evangelistic address from Romans 10 speaking of the voice of law, of faith (in conviction, confession and the comfort of justification and regeneration) and the Word itself, which urges us to go to Christ. He passed on that statement from J C Ryle that says of Daniel Rowland "He used also often to say, that a self-righteous legal spirit in man was like his shirt, a garment which he puts on first, and puts off last."

So very quickly, it seems, another conference is over for another year. It was good to have fellowship back here with our friends Keith and Janice Hoare and with Owen Milton and his wife Dilys. Lovely meeting so many but no chance to talk to most.

Aber 2010

Our chairman Gareth Edwards announced this morning that the speakers next year will be, God willing, Dale Ralph Davies and Gareth Williams (Bala), (Heresy Huntin') Martin Downes, Bill James and Stuart Olyott. Looks good.

Aber 09 4

So today we had Joel Beeke's third message in the morning. This time he took us to Jacob at Peniel (Genesis 32) and spoke of contagious blessing, looking at perseverance in prayer, penitence, power and price. This is not an easy passage but this was a helpful call to look to God at all times.

In the afternoon although it was sunny I joined a hundred others to hear Gwyn Davies on the 1859 revival. Gwyn gives unique lectures that find their strength in his thorough knowledge, understated passion and gentle humour.

He began with a reference to Thomas Charles Edwards and then spoke of the origins of the revival with Humphrey Jones and Dafydd Morgan. He then pointed out that although they are often seen as the main figures there was really another revival alongside their activity as hundreds of prayer meetings took place across the land and people were saved. Other features were a sense of God's presence (a newspaper spoke of "triumphant solemnity" at an association meeting in Llangeitho) and new spiritual vitality, as in the case of Dafydd Morgan who was on fire in the years of revival.

The revival led to old things such as

1. Abundant conversions of all sorts including the worst types.

2. New chapels built and old ones extended.

3. Society was transformed including political change that brought down the Tories, closed the pubs on Sundays and eventually saw the disestablishment of the Church of England. He gave an anecdote of when Queen Victoria came to Bethesda in North Wales and the slate quarrymen used their day off to hold prayer meetings rather than to see her.

All revivals are mixed and this one was particularly marred we were told by new things such as

1. Finneyism. Finney's ideas were employed first by the Wesleyan Jones who had worked in America and then by Morgan too. People were brought into membership too quickly and that diluted the church spiritually.

2. Gorfoleddu or rejoicing, which sometimes was taken to extremes. There was too much smoke with the fire.

3. Sadly Humphrey Jones claimed the gift of prophecy and predicted the coming of the Holy Spirit at a specific time. When nothing happened he had something of a breakdown.

Lessons were drawn from

1. The example of clear preaching from the heart by Morgan and Jones, despite their faults

2. The general example of zeal

3. The danger of Finneyism

*

I was in again tonight so missed Peter Baker who spoke of the need for prayer, compassion and to be forgiven.

Aberystwyth 1823

As familar as I am with Aberystwyth I had never noticed this interesting plaque until it was pointed out to me this week. It says

IN THIS HOUSE

WAS FORMULATED

THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF

THE

CALVINISTIC METHODISTS

1823

See the confession here.

Aber 09 3

Yesterday (Wednesday) I only heard Joel Beeke's second address as I was babysitting in the evening, when Richard Bewes spoke for a second time. People seemed to think he did less well this time, although many appreciated the three point structure. I also missed Ian Parry on Lloyd-Jones the evangelist where he spoke very well on a teacher who taught, a witness who testified, a doctor who diagnosed and an advocate who pleaded, among other things. We were visiting the missionary exhibition here instead and visiting the AP Christian bookshop. Joel Beeke spoke this time on blind Bartimaeus from Mark 10 and Luke 18:43, highlighting his needing, finding and following/glorifying Christ and the effect this had on others. It was quite evangelistic early on and very challenging to Christians from then on. We were all quite moved when he shared how his son had written an essay for school on him and said that despite his faults the son doesn't know a man who loves Jesus Christ more. This was said not to boast but in amazement. It is a paradox that the holier we become the less aware we are of it.
Joel came back to the manse in the evening and it was good to share fellowship with him informally as he talked about the seminary, his new hearing aids, books, selling books to Timothy Keller, his doctor who loves Rob Bell, etc. He plans to do Jacob at Peniel next.

Aber 09 2

Joel Beeke is the main speaker this year. His theme is Contagious Christian Living and he began Tuesday morning with an intro talking about the need to be a Christian, to make use of the means of grace and to have an evangelistic heart. He took Jephthah's daughter as his first example - the contagion being expressed in the tradition of remembering her in Israel (see Judges). Perplexingly, Joel went against the view of Matthew Henry and Dale Ralph Davies, etc, that Jephthah actually killed his daughter. Anyway his points about the difficult call to submission and the wonderful exercise of it in the case of the daughter still stand more or less. He called powerfully for us in every situation to acknowledge, justify, approve, cling to and honour the Lord.

In the afternoon Dr Beeke also gave a seminar on Calvin. I missed the beginning where he defended Calvin against charge of being doctrinally unevangelistic. By the time I had arrived he had moved on to Calvin's practical evangelistic efforts in the congregation, throughout Geneva, into Europe especially France and even as far as Brazil, though this latter mission proved unsuccessful. Perhaps Calvin was not as active in world mission as one might have hoped but he was very busy with many things, the need at home being his priority. There were also many government restrictions. However, he sought God's glory and was compelled by his belief in election to seek to win souls.

He closed with a call to humble passion, holy patience, heartfelt prayer and happy perseverance in evangelism. We must stay on task; we must see that discouragement is often followed by revival; we must rely on God; we must take heart.

*

The Tuesday evening speaker was Richard Bewes, former rector at All Souls. Some how I've never heard him before. A short interview from chairman Stuart Olyott established the roots of this pucker Englishman with the Andrew Neil comb over (grandfather converted under Moody, parents missionaries in Kenya, the books, etc). He seemed a strange choice for this conference to me but he gave what I thought was a fine talk on penal substitution. He used words like redemption, wrath, propitiation, etc, which were good to hear. It was all on the blood. I thought some of his illustrations and his explanation of eating Christ's flesh was excellent. Lots of people I spoke to, however, found it difficult to follow (because they wanted to take notes I guess). Anyway he's on again Wednesday night.

52 JC No 28

Calvin on world evangelism (comment on Genesis 17:23)

Today, when God wishes his gospel to be preached in the whole world, so that the world may be restored from death to life, he seems to ask for the impossible. We see how greatly we are resisted everywhere and with how many and what potent machinations Satan works against us, so that all roads are blocked by the princes themselves. Yet each man must perform his duty without yielding to any impediment. At the end our effort and our labours shall not fail; they shall receive the success which does not yet appear.

Aber 09 1

So here we are in Aber for the conference. The tradition is that we go to hear Geoff on the Sunday. The services normally at AP are held in Bethel diagonally opposite. There are also services in Baker Street nearby. The preachers there this year were Jeremy Bailey (Aberavon) and Paul Gamston (Newport). Everyone spills out of the two buildings around the same time and stewards have to keep the road clear for passing cars. It's always great to see familiar faces and lots of others.

This year Geoff looked on Sunday morning at The Deity of Christ and why you must believe it. He showed it very thoroughly from Christ's words, actions, life and those who knew him best. The call was to confess him as such.

Then in the evening it was The death of Christ and why you need it. He spoke about the cross of Christ and - 1. Its origin in the love of God 2. The fact it should never have happened (not to such a one) 3. Its necessity because of our sin 4. The fact its necessity is highlighted everywhere in the Bible. Towards the close he quoted these helpful words

"A crossless Christ my Saviour could not be.

A Christless cross, no refuge were for me.

But, O, Christ crucified, I rest in Thee."

*

Years back, the tradition began of adding a third message on Monday mornings. It usually falls to me introduce the sermon with the Bible reading and prayer, which I did again this year. The subject was The discipleship of Christ and why you must receive it. Geoff was keen to differentiate conversion from discipleship again. After a while he got on to his main point which was self-denial, properly understood. It was very helpful and full of lovely anecdotes.

Then tonight in the first meeting in the Great Hall Jonathan Thomas (Ammanford) spoke on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Excellent exegesis and good application. I'd not heard Jonathan before and so was pleased to see he was relaxed, evangelistic and more.

Seaside Ynyslas

Visiting Dad 09

We headed for Wales today and came first to Newport to see my dad. He was much brighter today for the first time in a week and may be that is a good sign. He was asleep when Eleri and I arrived but woke and was glad to see us and not surprised as I'd said we would be coming last week. We trooped the four boys in with us and my dad was pleased to see them. We read a bit more from Mark and I prayed. We weren't there so long.
We went on to Cwmbran to see my sister and her children. It was nice to see them. William was in and out. He's just decided to leave the Croesy team to pray for Llany. Gail took a dim view of that being a good Croesy girl.

Geoff Award

I meant to include this before. This is the plaque that the Calvin Quincentenary committee very kindly gave my father-in-law Geoff Thomas in Geneva last month to mark his long years as a Reformed pastor.

Book Buys July

Rather quiet on the book buying front this month in some ways. Almost no Christian books bought but two events piled up my supply of secular books.

First, The Times were giving away Penguin paperbacks free in certain places. By this means I picked up the following

1. Green (Adventure)
The 39 Steps by John Buchan
Treasure Island by R L Stevenson
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers
(I missed Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne)
I've read the first two but not the second two. It would be nice to get round to them.

2. Pink (Romance)
The Lady with the Little Dog and other stories by Chekov
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Sons and Lovers by D H Lawrence
(I missed Madame Bovary by Faubert)
I don't think I've read any of these.

Then, second, I was on Oxford Street and they had a closing down sale in Borders (no surprise there, they never seemed to know quite what they were doing). For £1 each I got

Julia Pastrana: The Tragic Story of the Victorian Ape Woman/Gylseth and Toverud

Hans Christian Andersen/Jack Zipes
Will in the World: How Shakespeare became Shakepseare/Stephen Greenblatt
Text and Experience: Toward a Cultural Exegesis of the Bible/Ed Smith-Christopher

I also got in July for £1 each biographies of George Elliot and Chrisopher Wren in the very interesting people series from OUP (I have one on Ruskin already). The other buy was the very interesting

Why not Catch-21 by Gary Dexter

RnR04 I hear you knocking

This was nearly the first a single I ever bought back in the seventies. I bought something else instead in the end. It is again a strange choice in some ways as this is a fifties blues song only later done in the rock and roll style in the seventies. (This live version doesn't quite do what the single does but gives the idea. The studio version included a litany of fifties stars - Fats Domino! (who covered the song) Smiley Lewis! (him too) Chuck Berry! Huey Smith!) Oh yeah, Dave Edmunds it is - and he's Welsh.

Elspeth of Nottingham

This is the Tudor style Elspeth of Nottingham from the album Focus 3. Enjoy.

Visiting Dad 08

My dad had to go into hospital in the week and so yesterday I was back off down to South Wales once again. I went by car this time, which has its advantages and disadvantages. I left here at 9.30 am and had a straightforward run. I linked up with Gail in Cwmbran for a nice chat and a bit of light lunch in the Marks Spencer cafe. (She has come home from the Carey Conference alone). That was a bonus.

I then headed down to the Royal Gwent to see my dad. He'd move wards and when I finally located his ward I didn't recognise him as he was lying down flat with glasses on (which he never wears normally). He was doing better yesterday than he had on previous days but they really don't know what is wrong and that has to be disturbing. My dad felt more pessimistic about things than he ever has before.

Being in hospital it was easier to read the Bible again - so we had a bit more of Mark's Gospel and I prayed (a bit better than usual we both agreed). Then it was back in the car again.

I listened to the news all day - Bobby Robson soon became lead story (the Welsh radio stations managed to find Welsh people to speak about him, even a Welsh speaker). He was praised by all as a gentleman. The pronunciation of Asberger's syndrom changed I noticed over the day (from a soft to a hard G).

I had a break from the radio with an old tape I found of my (rather scrathced) vinyl versions of Aliens and Man who built America by Horslips. Those later albums are not as good as the early one but have their own charm and keep interest up.

It was good to be back home to Eleri. it's been quiet this week with only two boys at home. We watched the film Rendition.