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.
Friday, July 10, 2026
Your final destination
Church buildings can become theatres
FW Boreham. Give God Time
More than ten years later I found myself face to face with a crisis. I had to make a decision on which my whole life's work depended, and I had to make the decision by five o'clock—the hour at which the telegraph office closed—on a certain Saturday evening. It chanced once more that a minister was my guest. But he could not help me. He thought it vastly improbable that God could concern Himself about individual trivialities. ‘The Lord has so much to see to, such a lot of beds in the ward!’ He was inclined to think that a certain element of chance dominated our mortality, that a person was bound to take certain risks, and that life was very much like a lottery. ‘And if a person makes a mistake at a critical juncture like this?’ I asked anxiously. He shrugged his shoulders. ‘And after that the dark.’ I remember with a shudder how my faith winced and staggered under that blow.
But I thought of the sunny morning on the verandah ten years before, and clutched desperately and wildly at my old faith. Saturday came. I positively had not the ghost of a notion as to what I ought to do. At five minutes to five I was at the telegraph office, still in hopeless confusion. At three minutes to five a man rode up on a bicycle. So far as I knew, he was absolutely ignorant of the crisis through which I was floundering. But he told me something that relieved the entire situation, and made my course as clear as noonday, and by five o'clock the message had been dispatched.
Dr. Jowett, of New York, says that he was once in the most pitiful perplexity, and consulted Dr. Berry, of Wolverhampton. ‘What would you do if you were in my place?’ he entreated. ‘I don't know, Jowett, I am not there, and you are not there yet! When have you to act?’ ‘On Friday,’ Dr. Jowett replied. ‘Then,’ answered Berry, ‘you will find your way perfectly clear on Friday! The Lord will not fail you!’ And, surely enough, on Friday all was plain.
One of the very greatest and wisest of all Queen Victoria's diplomatists has left it on record that it became an inveterate habit of his mind never to allow any opinion on any subject to crystallize until it became necessary to arrive at a practical decision.
Give God time, and even when the knife flashes in air the ram will be seen caught in the thicket! Give God time, and even when Pharaoh's host is on Israel's heels a path through the waters will suddenly open! Give God time, and when the bed of the brook is dry Elijah shall hear the guiding voice.
F W Boreham, ‘Lead, Kindly Light’, Mountains in the Mist (London: Charles H Kelly, 1914), 52-53.
Luke 5
The Secret of Success by Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey Clarence Darrow, a famous attorney who happened to be an atheist or agnostic, had an intriguing conversation with a minister. As he reflected on his law career, he admitted, “This has been an exciting life.” He felt he had been somewhat of a success. Darrow asked, “Would you like to know my favorite Bible verse?” The minister said, “Indeed I would.” Darrow said, “Luke 5:5, ‘We have toiled all night and have taken nothing.’” He added, “In spite of my success, that verse seems to sum up the way I feel about life.” It is interesting to note that Darrow was so close to discovering the secret of success, in fact, it was hidden in plain view in the passage he cited. Notice three steps in this success story. First, there is a confession of failure to the Lord. Luke 5:5a reads, “But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing. . .’” Second, there is an expression of faith in the Lord. Luke 5:5b reads, “. . .nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” Previously Jesus commanded him, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). Third, there is the possession of favor from the Lord. Luke 5:6-7 reads, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.” This time their efforts were crowned with success! Dr. Enoch Mellor explains the lesson, “We can do worse than fail — we can succeed and be proud of our success, and burn incense to our net, and despise those who fail, and forget the Hand whose it is to give or to withhold.” Luke 5:8-11 reads, “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” Dr. Henrietta Mears shares the following in Dream Big: The Henrietta Mears Story: “Will is the whole man active. I cannot give up my will; I must exercise it. I must will to obey. When God gives a command or a vision of truth, it is never a question of what He will do, but what we will do. To be successful in God's work is to fall in line with His will and to do it His way. All that is pleasing to Him is a success.” Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, Author of Don’t Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah and Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice [Both available on Logos and Amazon] July 4, 2022 © All Rights Reserved
Col 3
But Christ is all and in all by Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey Major W. Ian Thomas often said, “Go where you’re sent. Stay where you’re put. Give what you’ve got.” That is good advice for all God’s saints. May all God’s saints confess with Paul, “but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11b). The epistle to the Colossians is a treasure trove of Christology, the study of Christ. Note three references to being with Christ in the first four verses of this great chapter. Colossians 3:1-2 reads, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” This refers to a prioritization by the saints. Colossians 3:3 reads, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” This refers to a protection for the saints. Colossians 3:4 reads, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” This refers to a presentation of the saints. In the verses that follow, notice three directives for the saints. First, note what you are to put off. Colossians 3:5-9 reads, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.” Second, note what you are to put on. Colossians 3:10-14 reads, “And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” Third, note what you are to put out. Colossians 3:17, 23-25 reads, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. . . And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” When you “stay where you’re put,” remember to put out wholehearted service to the Lord in whatever you do. Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, Author of Don’t Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah and Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice [Both available on Logos and Amazon ©July 5, 2025, All Rights Reserved
FW Boreham. Give God Time
More than ten years later I found myself face to face with a crisis. I had to make a decision on which my whole life's work depended, and I had to make the decision by five o'clock—the hour at which the telegraph office closed—on a certain Saturday evening. It chanced once more that a minister was my guest. But he could not help me. He thought it vastly improbable that God could concern Himself about individual trivialities. ‘The Lord has so much to see to, such a lot of beds in the ward!’ He was inclined to think that a certain element of chance dominated our mortality, that a person was bound to take certain risks, and that life was very much like a lottery. ‘And if a person makes a mistake at a critical juncture like this?’ I asked anxiously. He shrugged his shoulders. ‘And after that the dark.’ I remember with a shudder how my faith winced and staggered under that blow.
But I thought of the sunny morning on the verandah ten years before, and clutched desperately and wildly at my old faith. Saturday came. I positively had not the ghost of a notion as to what I ought to do. At five minutes to five I was at the telegraph office, still in hopeless confusion. At three minutes to five a man rode up on a bicycle. So far as I knew, he was absolutely ignorant of the crisis through which I was floundering. But he told me something that relieved the entire situation, and made my course as clear as noonday, and by five o'clock the message had been dispatched.
Dr. Jowett, of New York, says that he was once in the most pitiful perplexity, and consulted Dr. Berry, of Wolverhampton. ‘What would you do if you were in my place?’ he entreated. ‘I don't know, Jowett, I am not there, and you are not there yet! When have you to act?’ ‘On Friday,’ Dr. Jowett replied. ‘Then,’ answered Berry, ‘you will find your way perfectly clear on Friday! The Lord will not fail you!’ And, surely enough, on Friday all was plain.
One of the very greatest and wisest of all Queen Victoria's diplomatists has left it on record that it became an inveterate habit of his mind never to allow any opinion on any subject to crystallize until it became necessary to arrive at a practical decision.
Give God time, and even when the knife flashes in air the ram will be seen caught in the thicket! Give God time, and even when Pharaoh's host is on Israel's heels a path through the waters will suddenly open! Give God time, and when the bed of the brook is dry Elijah shall hear the guiding voice.
F W Boreham, ‘Lead, Kindly Light’, Mountains in the Mist (London: Charles H Kelly, 1914), 52-53.
FW Boreham. Give God Time
More than ten years later I found myself face to face with a crisis. I had to make a decision on which my whole life's work depended, and I had to make the decision by five o'clock—the hour at which the telegraph office closed—on a certain Saturday evening. It chanced once more that a minister was my guest. But he could not help me. He thought it vastly improbable that God could concern Himself about individual trivialities. ‘The Lord has so much to see to, such a lot of beds in the ward!’ He was inclined to think that a certain element of chance dominated our mortality, that a person was bound to take certain risks, and that life was very much like a lottery. ‘And if a person makes a mistake at a critical juncture like this?’ I asked anxiously. He shrugged his shoulders. ‘And after that the dark.’ I remember with a shudder how my faith winced and staggered under that blow.
But I thought of the sunny morning on the verandah ten years before, and clutched desperately and wildly at my old faith. Saturday came. I positively had not the ghost of a notion as to what I ought to do. At five minutes to five I was at the telegraph office, still in hopeless confusion. At three minutes to five a man rode up on a bicycle. So far as I knew, he was absolutely ignorant of the crisis through which I was floundering. But he told me something that relieved the entire situation, and made my course as clear as noonday, and by five o'clock the message had been dispatched.
Dr. Jowett, of New York, says that he was once in the most pitiful perplexity, and consulted Dr. Berry, of Wolverhampton. ‘What would you do if you were in my place?’ he entreated. ‘I don't know, Jowett, I am not there, and you are not there yet! When have you to act?’ ‘On Friday,’ Dr. Jowett replied. ‘Then,’ answered Berry, ‘you will find your way perfectly clear on Friday! The Lord will not fail you!’ And, surely enough, on Friday all was plain.
One of the very greatest and wisest of all Queen Victoria's diplomatists has left it on record that it became an inveterate habit of his mind never to allow any opinion on any subject to crystallize until it became necessary to arrive at a practical decision.
Give God time, and even when the knife flashes in air the ram will be seen caught in the thicket! Give God time, and even when Pharaoh's host is on Israel's heels a path through the waters will suddenly open! Give God time, and when the bed of the brook is dry Elijah shall hear the guiding voice.
F W Boreham, ‘Lead, Kindly Light’, Mountains in the Mist (London: Charles H Kelly, 1914), 52-53.
Tuesday, July 07, 2026
Family reunions
I did a funeral for a fella who made his way across Australia with his family. He would hold a raffle for his kids’ dog at each pub in each town. But only one ticket number would come out each time, his mate’s number. Until one time another number came out. How? No one knows. Someone else one the raffle and they took the dog home. They had to go see a man about a dog late at night to steal it back and then move the whole family to the next town overnight. 6 months later I did another funeral in another area. That family told me a similar story of moving across from Perth 50 years before. The same raffle scam with the same dog. They said they had lost contact with the other family. I facilitated a two-family reunion.
How Sweet The Name
- TEXT:
- John Newton
- MUSIC:
- Alexander Reinagle, Bill Moore
1. How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
2. It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
3. Dear Name, the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!
4. By Thee, my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am owned a child.
5. Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my life, my way, my end,
Accept the praise I bring.
6. Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I'll praise Thee as I ought.
7. 'Til then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy name
Refresh my soul in death.
