Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Dennison Forum article below. Sorry forgot to reference it.
Blind Faith in Sufferings ?
When such tragedies are in the news, I am always conflicted as to how to respond in this article.
On one hand, I want to offer encouragement and hope. Concerning these attacks, I can remind us that our Father walks with us through the fires and floods of this fallen world and grieves as we grieve (cf. Isaiah 43:1–3). When humans misuse the free will God gives us so we can love him and others (Matthew 22:37–39), the consequences are not God’s fault but theirs.
On the other hand, I remember times in Scripture when God intervenes to prevent the consequences of misused freedom. He sent his angel to release Peter from Herod’s prison (Acts 12:6–11). He used an earthquake to free Paul and Silas from their unjust imprisonment in Philippi (Acts 16:25–26). He used Paul’s nephew to alert the Romans to a plot against the apostle’s life, saving Paul from his enemies (Acts 23:12–31).
If then, why not now? If he would act to protect Peter and Paul from injustice, why not the victims in Seattle and Berlin?
I know that refusing to trust God because we don’t understand him only makes things worse for suffering people. Such a refusal exempts us from our Father’s protection and provision and denies us the peace “which surpasses all understanding” he promises to those who rely on him (Philippians 4:7).
But put our situation in human terms: If your human father could have kept you from being attacked in a mass shooting but chose not to do so, would your faith in his future protection be affected?
This is our quandary. On one hand, we want to trust God and know that doing so is for our good and his glory. On the other, when we see news like today’s headlines, a part of us—perhaps forced back into the subliminal realm of unstated feelings—struggles to believe in a God whose benevolence we’re not sure we can trust.
“Blind faith” and “rational faith”
In a Worldview Bulletin Newsletter article published today, the apologist Adam Lloyd Johnson makes a helpful distinction between “blind faith” and “rational faith.”
“Blind faith” is a decision made without evidence or even despite it. Johnson reminds us of Indiana Jones’s famous “leap of faith” when he steps out into an apparent void to save his father but with no reason or evidence to support his decision.
By contrast, “rational faith” is a decision made based on evidence and logic that nonetheless requires a commitment transcending them. To use Johnson’s example, I have more reason to trust my wife after forty-six years of marriage than I have ever had, but I still cannot have omniscient knowledge of her and our future together, so I must trust her beyond what I can prove about her.
Using Johnson’s distinction, it would be blind faith to trust God in the face of innocent suffering if we had no evidence for such faith. But we do.
This is where the times in Scripture when God acts to protect innocent people help rather than hurt our reasoning. Anything he has ever done, he can still do. If he could protect people from the sins of others then, he can protect us today. If he answered prayer then, he can answer prayer now. If he calmed the storm in Galilee, he can calm the storm where you live too.
What the cross proves
So, as I write this article on this Monday morning, here’s where I think we are: the times God does not prevent innocent suffering count as evidence against trusting him with our pain, while the times he does prevent such suffering count as evidence for such faith.
I wish such evidence against faith did not exist, of course, but this is to wish for a world that cannot exist. If God prevented the consequences of misused freedom every time such sin occurred, humans would not be free. If I am on a low-carb diet but order a pizza and the delivery person brings me a kale salad, my freedom was only apparent but not real.
Faced with the dilemma of faith, I choose to trust God to prevent my suffering or to redeem it when it occurs. The less I understand how he could redeem the tragedies with which we began today, the more I must trust him to do what only he can do.
Here’s why I make this choice: the cross proves that no matter what happens in our lives, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). A Father who sent his Son to suffer a horrific death for the sake of my salvation is a Father whose love for me transcends all comprehension and circumstance.
So, I am making a leap today, not into the dark but into the light.
Will you join me?
Thursday, July 23, 2026
My times
This week I have had a reminder of our finitude and frailty. After a fortnight of bad tummy pains I went to a doctor who recommended a quick trip to hospital to get a CT scan, ultra sounds and a blood test. He recommended I travel by ambulance. He insisted I was having fevers (I couldn’t feel them), which his thermometer convinced me may be possible. We drove to hospital. After much poking prodding and tests the surgeon (yes you read it right) insisted in had pancreatitis. Several surgeons quizzed me about my alcohol consumption. Other than chocolate liqueurs at Christmas my alcohol consumption is negligible, but try convincing the doctors of that. Although they did believe Lorelle more than me. As the CT scan didn’t reveal gall stones (which would have required immediate surgery), they concluded I had endured the worst of it and just needed to give my pancreas more rest by not eating for awhile. In Psalm 31, David describes his “affliction,” the “distress” of his soul, and his “grief” over the fact that “my life is spent with sorrow” and he has “become like a broken vessel” (vv. 7–12). But rather than give in to despair, he prays, “I trust in you, O Lᴏʀᴅ; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand” (vv. 14–15). My times are in your hands. I first came across these words from psalm 31 on a wall hanging in Glen Innes while on a pastoral visit. It was an elderly widows strong encouragement. The words were turned into a hymn last century by William Freeman Lloyd Each verse is well worthy of your consideration. 1 My times are in Your hand; my God, I wish them there! My life, my friends, my soul, I leave entirely to Your care. 2 My times are in Your hand whatever they may be, pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as You know best for me. 3 My times are in Your hand; why should I doubt or fear? My Father's hand will never cause His child a needless tear. 4 My times are in Your hand: Jesus, the Crucified; those hands my cruel sins had pierced are now my guard and guide. 5 My times are in Your hand; such faith You give to me that after death, at Your right hand I shall for ever be. As friends and family endure life’s difficulties we are reminded that our Fathers hand will never cause His child a needless tear. David can close his psalm by encouraging us to “be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lᴏʀᴅ!” (v. 24). Psalm 31:23-24 ESV Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. [24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
My times
This week I have had a reminder of our finitude and frailty. After a fortnight of bad tummy pains I went to a doctor who recommended a quick trip to hospital to get a CT scan, ultra sounds and a blood test. He recommended I travel by ambulance. He insisted I was having fevers (I couldn’t feel them), which his thermometer convinced me may be possible. We drove to hospital. After much poking prodding and tests the surgeon (yes you read it right) insisted in had pancreatitis. Several surgeons quizzed me about my alcohol consumption. Other than chocolate liqueurs at Christmas my alcohol consumption is negligible, but try convincing the doctors of that. Although they did believe Lorelle more than me. As the CT scan didn’t reveal gall stones (which would have required immediate surgery), they concluded I had endured the worst of it and just needed to give my pancreas more rest by not eating for awhile. In Psalm 31, David describes his “affliction,” the “distress” of his soul, and his “grief” over the fact that “my life is spent with sorrow” and he has “become like a broken vessel” (vv. 7–12). But rather than give in to despair, he prays, “I trust in you, O Lᴏʀᴅ; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand” (vv. 14–15). My times are in your hands. I first came across these words from psalm 31 on a wall hanging in Glen Innes while on a pastoral visit. It was an elderly widows strong encouragement. The words were turned into a hymn last century by William Freeman Lloyd Each verse is well worthy of your consideration. 1 My times are in Your hand; my God, I wish them there! My life, my friends, my soul, I leave entirely to Your care. 2 My times are in Your hand whatever they may be, pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as You know best for me. 3 My times are in Your hand; why should I doubt or fear? My Father's hand will never cause His child a needless tear. 4 My times are in Your hand: Jesus, the Crucified; those hands my cruel sins had pierced are now my guard and guide. 5 My times are in Your hand; such faith You give to me that after death, at Your right hand I shall for ever be. As friends and family endure life’s difficulties we are reminded that our Fathers hand will never cause His child a needless tear. David can close his psalm by encouraging us to “be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lᴏʀᴅ!” (v. 24). Psalm 31:23-24 ESV Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. [24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
When slandered
F B Meyer. David. ABJURE MORE COMPLETELY THE CARNAL LIFE. Why do we smart under these unkind and slanderous words, which are as baseless as uncharitable? Is it not because we set too high a value upon the favour and applause of men? Is there not a deadly fear of being despised and condemned? Does not the world still live within us, revealing the tenacity of its hold, in this mortification and shame? Is this being crucified to the world, and the world crucified to us ? If we were really nothing, and God were all in all if the Spirit and the Lamb of God were dominant in our inner life ; if we were dead to the flesh, with its affections and lusts, and alive only to God surely it would be a matter of indifference what became of our good name in the lips of foolish and sinful men. Here then there is a revelation of a deeper death to be realized ; let us not flinch from it, but be willing to fall into the ground, and die to our reputation, as Jesus did, who endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself, and of whom they spoke as in league with Beelzebub, the prince of demons. We must choose death in all those forms in which our Master knew it; that having been planted in the like ness of his death, we may be also in the likeness of his resurrection. V. LEAVE GOD TO VINDICATE YOUR GOOD NAME. Any unjust imputation or stigma that rests on us is part of the evil of the world, and a manifestation of its inveterate badness; it is a grief and care to God; it is part of the burden which He is carrying ever; it is impossible for us to cope with or remove it; it is useless to retaliate or revenge. Like Jesus, we may meekly ask the false accuser to establish his untrue charges, or we may meet them with our steadfast denial; but when we have done this, and we shall find it of little avail, there is no more to do but wait patiently till God arise to avenge our wrong and vindicate our characters.
Selectivity
The people who age the best aren’t the ones who fought hardest against getting older, they’re the ones who, somewhere in their late fifties, quietly made peace with becoming a person their twenty-year-old self wouldn’t fully recognize, and stopped apologizing for it.” The article says just what its headline reports, but it includes an insight I found relevant, whatever our season in life.
Lewis Sherrill’s The Struggle of the Soul focuses on the different stages through which we progress in life, identifying “simplification” as the season of older age in which we determine what matters most and center on it. The article on aging described the psychology behind this focus as “socioemotional selectivity theory.” Developed at Stanford in the 1990s, it notes:
As people perceive their time horizon shortening, they do not simply become more anxious. They become more selective. They prune. They prioritize emotionally meaningful relationships over instrumental ones. They stop investing in social currency they no longer need.
Does such “selectivity” appeal to you today?
Philippians 3:7-16 ESV - But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Straining Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
My times are in your hands - a thought on ageing
This week I have had a reminder of our finitude and frailty.
After a fortnight of bad tummy pains I went to a doctor who recommended a quick trip to hospital to get a CT scan, ultra sounds and a blood test. He recommended I travel by ambulance. He insisted I was having fevers (I couldn’t feel them), which his thermometer convinced me may be possible.
We drove to hospital.
After much poking prodding and tests the surgeon (yes you read it right) insisted in had pancreatitis. Several surgeons quizzed me about my alcohol consumption. Other than chocolate liqueurs at Christmas my alcohol consumption is negligible, but try convincing the doctors of that. Although they did believe Lorelle more than me.
As the CT scan didn’t reveal gall stones (which would have required immediate surgery), they concluded I had endured the worst of it and just needed to give my pancreas more rest by not eating for awhile.
In Psalm 31, David describes his “affliction,” the “distress” of his soul, and his “grief” over the fact that “my life is spent with sorrow” and he has “become like a broken vessel” (vv. 7–12). But rather than give in to despair, he prays, “I trust in you, O Lᴏʀᴅ; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand” (vv. 14–15).
My times are in your hands.
I first came across these words from psalm 31 on a wall hanging in Glen Innes while on a pastoral visit. It was an elderly widows strong encouragement.
The words were turned into a hymn last century by William Freeman Lloyd
Each verse is well worthy of your consideration.
1 My times are in Your hand;
my God, I wish them there!
My life, my friends, my soul, I leave
entirely to Your care.
2 My times are in Your hand
whatever they may be,
pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
as You know best for me.
3 My times are in Your hand;
why should I doubt or fear?
My Father's hand will never cause
His child a needless tear.
4 My times are in Your hand:
Jesus, the Crucified;
those hands my cruel sins had pierced
are now my guard and guide.
5 My times are in Your hand;
such faith You give to me
that after death, at Your right hand
I shall for ever be.
As friends and family endure life’s difficulties we are reminded that our Fathers hand will never cause His child a needless tear.
David can close his psalm by encouraging us to “be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lᴏʀᴅ!” (v. 24).
Psalm 31:23-24 ESV
Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. [24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
Sunday, July 19, 2026
The Tabernacle in psalm 27
Psalm 27:3-5 ESV Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. [4] One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. [5] For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. I wonder if the familiar Tabernacle in Gibeon (Moses Tabernacle 2 Chronicles 1:3 ESV And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there.) had such a special place in David’s heart, and in his time fleeing Saul in the wilderness, separation from the Tabernacle grieved his soul deeply. And yet God had provided aeons before a huge cavern (large enough for six hundred men), cut from rock. That cavern became a tabernacle where David again met with God. A meeting place with God. A pleading place for David. A refuge from his enemies. A place to wait for God to act.
Psalm 27
Psalm 27:1-14 ESV The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? [2] When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. [3] Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. [4] One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. [5] For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. [6] And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. [7] Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! [8] You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." [9] Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! [10] For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. [11] Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. [12] Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. [13] I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! [14] Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Psalm 27
Psalm 27:1-14 ESV The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? [2] When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. [3] Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. [4] One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. [5] For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. [6] And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. [7] Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! [8] You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." [9] Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! [10] For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. [11] Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. [12] Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. [13] I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! [14] Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Shot gun shots
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Waiting On To Waiting For The Lord
Psalm 40:1-5 ESV
I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. [2] He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. [3] He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. [4] Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! [5] You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
Wait For The Lord To Act
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. [12] For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.
Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! [15] Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"
[1] When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the wilderness near En-gedi." [2] So Saul took three thousand of Israel's fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. [3] When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave, [4] so they said to him, "Look, this is the day the LORD told you about: 'I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.'" Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul's robe. [5] Afterward, David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul's robe. [6] He said to his men, "I swear before the LORD: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD's anointed." [7] With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.
[6] Then David asked Ahimelech the Hethite and Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, "Who will go with me into the camp to Saul?" "I'll go with you," answered Abishai. [7] That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. [8] Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won't have to strike him twice!" [9] But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and be innocent?" [10] David added, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will certainly strike him down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. [11] However, because of the LORD, I will never lift my hand against the LORD's anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let's go."
[15] David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. [16] Then Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God, [17] saying, "Don't be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I'll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true." [18] Then the two of them made a covenant in the LORD's presence. Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.
[16] When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, "Is that your voice, David my son?" Then Saul wept aloud [17] and said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you. [18] You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the LORD handed me over to you, you didn't kill me. [19] When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? May the LORD repay you with good for what you've done for me today. [20] "Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! [5] You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. [6] In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. [7] Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: [8] I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." [9] I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. [10] I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. [11] As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the LORD!" [17] As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the LORD!" [17] As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
Friday, July 17, 2026
J C Ryle Fellowship with Christ in Dying Day
In Our Dying Hour by J.C. Ryle “The day may come when after a long fight with disease, we shall feel that medicine can do no more, and that nothing remains but to die. Friends will be standing by, unable to help us. Hearing, eyesight, even the power of praying, will be fast failing us. The world and its shadows will be melting beneath our feet. Eternity, with its realities, will be looming large before our minds. What shall support us in that trying hour? What shall enable us to feel, ‘I fear no evil’? (Psalm 23:4.) Nothing, nothing can do it but close communion with Christ. Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith,—Christ putting His right arm under our heads,—Christ felt to be sitting by our side,—Christ can alone give us the complete victory in the last struggle. Let us cleave to Christ more closely, love Him more heartily, live to Him more thoroughly, copy Him more exactly, confess Him more boldly, follow Him more fully. Religion like this will always bring its own reward. Worldly people may laugh at it. Weak brethren may think it extreme. But it will wear well. At even time it will bring us light. In sickness it will bring us peace. In the world to come it will give us a crown of glory that fadeth not away. The time is short. The fashion of this world passeth away. A few more sicknesses, and all will be over. A few more funerals, and our own funeral will take place. A few more storms and tossings, and we shall be safe in harbour. We travel towards a world where there is no more sickness,—where parting, and pain, and crying, and mourning, are done with for evermore. Heaven is becoming every year more full, and earth more empty. The friends ahead are becoming more numerous than the friends astern. ‘Yet a little time and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.’ (Heb. 10:37.) In His presence shall be fulness of joy. Christ shall wipe away all tears from His people’s eyes. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death. But he shall be destroyed. Death himself shall one day die. (Rev. 20:14.) In the meantime let us live the life of faith in the Son of God. Let us lean all our weight on Christ, and rejoice in the thought that He lives for evermore. Yes: blessed be God! Christ lives, though we may die. Christ lives, though friends and families are carried to the grave. He lives who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. He lives who said, ‘O death, I will be thy plagues: O grave, I will be thy destruction.’ (Hos. 13:14.) He lives who will one day change our vile body, and make it like unto His glorious body. In sickness and in health, in life and in death, let us lean confidently on Him. Surely we ought to say daily with one of old, ‘Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!'”
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Philippians 4. The peace of God from the God of peace
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. [2] I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. [3] Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. [4] Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. [5] Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. [9] What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
What more can he say than to you he has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea —
The Lord, the Almighty, your strength e'er shall be.
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
For I will be with you your troubles to bless
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.
My sov'reign, eternal, unchangeable love,
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still on my shoulders be borne.
Nurse Cavill
Monday, July 13, 2026
Immanuel
"When storms of sorrow toss my soul, When waves of care around me roll, When comforts sink, when joys shall flee, When hopeless gulfs shall gape for me, One word the tempest's rage shall quell, That word, Thy name, Immanuel!" — Charles Spurgeon
Multiculturalism and Pluralism
- Multiculturalism: Focuses on the social and political acknowledgment of diverse ethnicities, traditions, and backgrounds. From a Christian perspective, this is often viewed through the lens of God creating humanity in His image (Imago Dei), valuing the beautiful variety of cultural expressions across the globe.
- Pluralism: In its theological definition, pluralism assumes that all religions are equally valid paths to God. It asserts that no single religion—including Christianity—has a monopoly on absolute truth.
- The Challenge of Truth: Christianity is inherently rooted in the belief of objective, revealed truth as expressed in Jesus Christ. Theological pluralism contradicts this by arguing that truth is relative or that all differing religious views are equally correct.
- The Danger of Relativism: Conflating the two can lead to "hyper-tolerance," where affirming another culture requires Christians to compromise their core theological tenets and abandon evangelism or the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
- The Value of Distinctiveness:
- Christianity supports respecting one's neighbor and engaging with diverse cultures peacefully—often referred to as covenantal pluralism. However, it draws a line between respecting the rights and dignity of individuals from other faiths and agreeing that their religious beliefs are equally valid.
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Heart Failure. Faith’s Failure
Heart failure, where the fluid around the heart increases which consequently restricts heart activity and a person’s physical strength and stamina. Faith Failure works the same way. How can you get over heart failure? My kids tell me to exercise more! How can you get over faith failure? God’s word tells us how to trust more. Move from a conscious commitment to a confident trust to a deepening communion. This 56the psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure This psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure in his faith. Can you see David’s steps downward as his faith fails? This Psalm comes out of a regretted experience. 1 Samuel 21:1-3 ESV - Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 1 Samuel 21:8-15 ESV - Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” David Flees to Gath 10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” 1. The Fear that made Him Run 2. The Fear That Made Him Lie 3. The Fear That Mae Him Forget God’s Plan 4. The Fear That Made Him Crazy 5. The Fear That Brought Mockery To God’s Man 6. The Fear That Brought Mockery To God’s Name Psalm 56:1-2 ESV - . Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly 1. David recommitted himself to trust the Lord. Psalm 56:3-7 ESV When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. [4] In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? [5] All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. [6] They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. [7] For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! There is emotional conflict There is a conscious choice here I shall trust There are desires for revenge. 2.David renewed confidence to trust the Lord. Psalm 56:8-9 ESV You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? God’s omniscience God’s compassion Psalm 56:9-11 ESV Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. [10] In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, [11] in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 3.There is confidence to trust here There is confidence grounded in God’s Word. Who would be the bigger loser if God failed David? God would lose His reputation on his promises. 4. David renewed communion with Lord Psalm 56:12-13 ESV I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. [13] For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life
David’s Failure Of Faith
This psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure This psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure in his faith. 1 Samuel 21:1-3 ESV - Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 1 Samuel 21:8-15 ESV - Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” David Flees to Gath 10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” 1. The Fear that made Him Run 2. The Fear That Made Him Lie 3. The Fear That Mae Him Forget God’s Plan 4. The Fear That Made Him Crazy 5. The Fear That Brought Mockery To God’s Man 6. The Fear That Brought Mockery To God’s Name Psalm 56:1-2 ESV - . Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly 1. David recommitted himself to trust the Lord. Psalm 56:3-7 ESV When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. [4] In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? [5] All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. [6] They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. [7] For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! There is emotional conflict There is a conscious choice here I shall trust There are desires for revenge. 2.David renewed confidence to trust the Lord. Psalm 56:8-9 ESV You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? God’s omniscience God’s compassion Psalm 56:9-11 ESV Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. [10] In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, [11] in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 3.There is confidence to trust here There is confidence grounded in God’s Word. Who would be the bigger loser if God failed David? God would lose His reputation on his promises. 4. David renewed communion with Lord Psalm 56:12-13 ESV I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. [13] For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Psalm 56
This psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure in his faith. 1 Samuel 21:1-3 ESV - Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 1 Samuel 21:8-15 ESV - Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” David Flees to Gath 10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” David recommitted himself to trust the Lord. This psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure in his faith. 1 Samuel 21:1-3 ESV - Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 1 Samuel 21:8-15 ESV - Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” David Flees to Gath 10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” This psalm reflects David’s recovery from a failure in his faith. 1 Samuel 21:1-3 ESV - Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 1 Samuel 21:8-15 ESV - Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” David Flees to Gath 10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” Psalm 56:1-2 ESV - . Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly 1. David recommitted himself to trust the Lord. Psalm 56:3-7 ESV When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. [4] In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? [5] All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. [6] They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. [7] For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! There is emotional conflict There is a conscious choice here I shall trust There are desires for revenge. 2.David renewed confidence to trust the Lord. Psalm 56:8-9 ESV You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? God’s omniscience God’s compassion Psalm 56:9-11 ESV Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. [10] In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, [11] in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? There is confidence to trust here There is confidence grounded in God’s Word. Who would be the bigger loser if God failed David? God would lose His reputation on his promises. David renewed communion with Lord Psalm 56:12-13 ESV I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. [13] For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
