Sermons, Articles, and Other Things

Meals are opportunities for affirmation, appreciation and affection. A family will have a meal to celebrate when one of the children becomes twenty-one at which event the individual will be affirmed by the others, some means of appreciation will be arranged for the person, and expressions of affection will be made to him or her. The same three responses can occur at a wedding meal or at a retirement meal for a long-term employee. We know that an obvious feature of those occasions is that the people at the centre of the event are visible to the others and their presence is realised by the others.    When we think of the Lord’s Supper, we recognise that it too is a meal in which affirmation, appreciation and affection should occur. Yet the fact is that the One receiving the affirmation, appreciation and affection from participants is not visible to them nor is there any observable indications of his presence. Still, those participating in the meal would say that Jesus is there. ...

Psalm 73 is a reminder that a believer can have difficult spiritual experiences, even ones in which he or she reveals a sinful response connected to the misapplication of a divine promise.    Why is this psalm included in God’s Word? Obviously because God wanted to include it. This means that he inspired it secretly in Asaph’s mind and guided him what to say about his fall and recovery. The Lord included in his Word because Asaph’s experience is not unique, nor are those who are involved in public roles in the church immune from it.    Asaph had an important role in arranging the forms of worship that took place in the temple. One day he rebelled in his heart, and then later he felt divine pressure to record what he had done, why he had done it, and how God took him out of that state. So what we have here is the confession of a restored backslider. Of the psalmists, it is not only David who can be so described.   The sanctuary of God In this sermon, I don’t want...

George Muller had an inspiring prayer life, asking God daily to send food and other provisions for his orphanages. He also prayed for individuals. In November 1844, when he was thirty-nine, he began to pray for the conversion of five individuals, children of some friends. The first was converted after eighteen months (in 1846). The second was converted five years later (in 1851). The third then was converted after about six more years (in 1856). Muller died forty-one years later in 1897, but he had prayed for the remaining two every day for those forty-one years, which meant that he had prayed for them for almost fifty-two years. A few years later they believed in Jesus. Praying without ceasing, we might say.    There is a story told of a group of ministers who were discussing this text and they found it very difficult to explain. A maid came into the room and one of the ministers decided to ask her if she prayed without ceasing. They were surprised when she said that she did,...