Heavenly Worldliness

10 Contrasts Between Genesis 1-3 and Revelation 21 and 22

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:29:35 +0000

Made with AI

The Starting and End Point: Genesis 2:8 God places the first humans in an uncultivated, rural landscape Revelation 22:2 God brings redeemed humanity into a grand city, the New Jerusalem.
The Curse Undone: Genesis 3:17 God curses the ground because of human rebellion. Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be any curse.
The Flow of Living Water: Genesis 2:10, a river flows out of Eden to water the physical earth. Revelation 22:1, the River of the Water of Life flows eternally from God’s throne.
The Hiding Ends: Genesis 3:8, terrified humans hide from God's physical presence among the trees. Revelation 22:4, the ultimate restoration is achieved: They will see his face.
Banishing the Dark: Genesis 1:5, God creates the night to alternate with the day. Revelation 22:5, night is permanently abolished because God's glory replaces all darkness.
Access to Life Restored: Genesis 3:24, cherubim guard the way to the Tree of Life to banish humanity. Revelation 22:14, humanity is granted the formal right to the tree of life (also see 22:2)
No more sea: Genesis 1:10 the creation of the seas Reveation 21:1 no more sea
Precisou stones: Genesis 2:12 mentions gold and onyx Revelation 21:18-21 describe the New Jerusalem in terms of precious stones and golden streets.
Satan cast out: Genesis 3 tells how Satan brought about the fall through a serpent Revelation 21:8, 22 and 22:15 speak of eil being expelled. See also Revelation 20.
The Bride: Genesis 2 Adam is presented with Eve as his bride Revelation 21:2 and 9 speak of the holicity as Christ's bride.

Midweek Meeting June 24 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:05:14 +0000

More Thames Path Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:53:07 +0000

Billingsgate

Whale on the Wharf (made from plastic waste)

Millennium Dome on the South Bank

London cable cars in the distance

Outram Pumping Station, Isle of Dogs

Final word of poem by W C Bennett inscribed along a 170m stretch by Nicky Hirst (Flow on in glory, still flow on, O Thames, unto the sea, Through glories gone, through grandeurs here, through greatness still to be: Through the free homes of England flow, and may yet higher fames, Still nobler glories, star your course, O my own native Thames!)

Day Off Week 26 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:41:56 +0000

I carried on with my Thames walk on Tuesday, although things didn't turn out quite the way I planned. I got the Jubilee line down to Canary Wharf, where I had a coffee in a Black Sheep cafe. I then headed for the path but at that point the Thames makes a big loop and so you can get to it in three directions. I'm not sure what I did but by the time I eventually got to the path I was quite a way on and so I walked back, eventually getting to Island Gardens DLR, where I headed home. I notice that at a certain point references to the Thames Path are replaced by ones for Riverside Walk. By then I had walked well over 12,000 steps in the heat (although there were breezes to be fair). As for the rest of my day off, I did some reading (a book on Spurgeon and the Sabbath which I'd almost completed the day before and a chunk of Owen on Gospel Evidences of Saving Faith). I also had a nap so I was awake for the England game against Ghana - a rather boring nil-nil draw.

10 examples of mocking idols in the Old Testament

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:09:28 +0000

1. Judges 6:31 Gideon's father Joash mocks Baal. But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”

2. 1 Samuel 5:2-5. After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

3. 1 Kings 18:27: Elijah’s sarcastic taunts. During the famous showdown on Mount Carmel, the pagan prophets slash themselves and scream to Baal, but nothing happens. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

4. Psalm 115:4–8: The Silent Senses. These verses methodically strip idols of all power, listing mouths that cannot speak, etc. Also note the sting in the tail.

But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.

They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk,

nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

5. Psalm 135:15–18: The Echo. This psalm duplicates the mockery from Psalm 115 almost word for word.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.

Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them

6. Isaiah 44:9–20: The Lumberjack Analogy. The longest and most famous idol satire in the Bible. All who make idols are nothing,

and the things they treasure are worthless.

Those who would speak up for them are blind;

they are ignorant, to their own shame.

Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?

People who do that will be put to shame; such craftsmen are only human beings.

Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and shame.

The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals;

he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm.

He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.

The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker;

he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses.

He shapes it in human form, human form in all its glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.

He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak.

He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself,

he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal,

he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.’

From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says,

‘Save me! You are my god!’

They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so that they cannot see,

and their minds closed so that they cannot understand.

No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,

‘Half of it I used for fuel;I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?’

Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say,

‘Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’

7. Isaiah 46:1–7: The Exhausted Beasts. Isaiah mocks the chief gods of Babylon, Bel and Nebo. Instead of the gods carrying the people, the heavy metal statues become a massive burden that exhausts the poor donkeys and oxen forced to cart them around.

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden.

The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary.

They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity.

'Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel,

you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born.

Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

‘With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?

Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, nd they bow down and worship it.

They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save them from their troubles.

8. Jeremiah 10:3–16: The Scarecrow Analogy. Jeremiah compares impressive-looking pagan idols to helpless garden fixtures: For the practices of the peoples are worthless;

they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not totter.

Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them;they can do no harm nor can they do any good.’

No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.

Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.

They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.

Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple – all made by skilled workers.

But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.

‘Tell them this: “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.

He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of his inheritance – the Lord Almighty is his name.

9. Habakkuk 2:18–19 Shouting at Stone. Habakkuk mocks the sheer futility of speaking to rocks: “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

10. Hosea 8:4-6 4 They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval.

With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.
Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity?
They are from Israel! This calf - a metalworker has made it;
it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria

10 interesting facts about Psalm 113

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:14:34 +0000

It is all praise and no requests
It begins and ends with a Hallelujah
It is the first psalm in what is called the Hallel (113-118)
It is one of two psalms traditionally sung before the Passover meal
Jesus would have sung it at the Last Supper
It is one of two psalms often used in the early church for baptisms at Easter or Pentecost
The psalm is built on the twin truths that God is the one whose glory is above the heavens and yet who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth
It echoes the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2
It points forward to Mary's prayer, the Magnificat, in Luke 1
It has inspired music by Monteverdi, Vivaldi and Mozart

Some dates for your interest

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:00:46 +0000

Some readers of the blog will be interested to know our plans for the future (ie me and Eleri and Owain). At present we are looking forward to a leaving service here in Childs Hill on Saturday July 11 (2. 30 pm), when my father-in-law Geoff Thomas will preach. All are welcome!

The next day we have a visiting preacher who is preaching "with a view".

My term here will then officially come to a close at the end of July.

However, I have agreed with the church to supply the pulpit on four of the five Sundays in August to help them.

At the end of August we will head to Australia where I am preaching in Sydney and Melbourne. We return from there mid-September and then, near the end of September, we move to South Wales, where the next chapter begins. I am preaching in Guernsey in October.

Lord's Day June 21 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:43:47 +0000

Another good Sunday in many ways. Numbers quite low in the evening. We had communion first. Carrying on through these final chapters of Luke back to back.

London Seminary end of year 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 04:46:23 +0000

It was good to be present yet again at the nnual thanskgiving in Finchley last Saturday. It was subuded affair this time arouns as only two servants were leaving (Craig Woodhams and Victor Stauchean) both having completed the course over a four year period. Brad Franklin was the preacher who took us to the second half of John 3 and reminded us who's party it is. The usual tea on the lawn followed and the opportunity to chat with people. Whether we will be able to come next year is open to question. It may be the end of an era for us. The seminary seems to be doing okay and picking up after a bit of a low spot numbers wise. Next year will be its fiftieth year.

10 Old Testament Quotations in Matthew 1-4

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 04:12:54 +0000

Yuvalr, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Matthew Chapter 1: The Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel."
Matthew Chapter 2: The Infancy of Jesus Matthew 2:6 quotes Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah ... out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel."
Matthew 2:15 quotes Hosea 11:1 "Out of Egypt I called my son."
Matthew 2:18 quotes Jeremiah 31:15 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children ..." (Matthew 2:23 alludes to "the prophets" (likely linking to Isaiah 11:1 or Judges 13:5) "He will be called a Nazarene.")
Matthew Chapter 3: The Ministry of John the Baptist Matthew 3:3 quotes Isaiah 40:3 "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’"
Matthew Chapter 4: The Temptation and Early Ministry Matthew 4:4 (Jesus) quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:6 (Satan) quotes Psalm 91:11–12 "He will command his angels concerning you... so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
Matthew 4:7 (Jesus) quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Matthew 4:10 (Jesus) quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."
Matthew 4:15–16 quotes Isaiah 9:1–2 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali ... the people living in darkness have seen a great light ..."

10 Blessings for the God fearing and Law abiding Psalm 112

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:32:46 +0000

Psalm 112 says

Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.

Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. (They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor)
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honour.

The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

10 no mores in Revelation 21 and 22

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:18:00 +0000

Aasish Giri, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

1. No more sea

Rev 21:1 Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

2. No more death

Rev 21:2-4 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death'

3. No more mourning or mourning

4. No more crying or crying

5. No more pain or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

6. No more temples Rev 21:22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

7. No more sun or moon Rev 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

8. No more impurity Rev 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

9. No more curse Rev 22:3 No longer will there be any curse.

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

10. No more night

Rev 22:5 There will be no more night.

They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

10 Acrostic Poems in Psalms and Proverbs

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:59:20 +0000

Psalm 9
Psalm 10
Psalm 25
Psalm 34
Psalm 37
Psalm 111
Psalm 112
Psalm 119
Psalm 145
Proverbs 31:10-31

(Acrostic poems are also found in Nahum 1:2-8 and Lamentations 1, 2, 3 and 4. Chapter 3 is a triple acrostic, using each letter three times)

Rasputin by Anthony Beevor

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:00:32 +0000

I saw this in bookshop and decided to get it on kindle. The current kindle system is very good iin that you can download a sample and when you have read that you have covered 10% of the book and so it is easy to download the rest and read. Typically, I am aware of Rasputin but could not have given you his dates or much else and there was no distinction in my mind between the rumours and the facts. Anthony Beevor makes a brave effort it give context and to distinguish fact and fiction but it is not easy. There seemed to be as much about everyone else as there was about Rasputin and with a large dramatis personae it was hard to keep upp at times. I think I've got a better hande on it now and there clealry is a connection between Rasputin's role and the fall of the house of Romanov. Beevor suggests it is the power of rumour. Certiny there is a lot of gullibility and suprstition going on here. Whether this will lead me on to other books by Beevor I am not sure.

Midweek Meeting June 17 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:26:27 +0000

We were five in the room tonight plus two online. A new person, a youung lady, came along for the first time. We looked at another interesting word of phrase. This time, penal substitiutionary atonement. We spent a little while in prayer after that. All over in less than an hour.

Day Off Week 25 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:03:46 +0000

Yesterday I started back on my walk along the Thames Path. I went down to Wapping overground station to get near the start of my next section and had a coffee in the Urban Baristas coffee shop there. I then walked over old ground and onto new as far as Canary Wharf where I managed to find a Jubilee station thanks to the help of two young ladies bent onthe same quest. One was a Nigerian Brit student and the other an Iraqi German visiting her. Nice chat. During the day I sarted reading The Voices of Pompeii on kindle and in the evening watched lots of TV. Lovely weather.

Lord's Day June 14 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:05:15 +0000

We had lunch in church last Sunday, which is always nice. We could all squeeze into the Parlour as we were not a vast number. Several are away on holiday and others don't turn up. It was a good morning congregation and even in the evening we were in double figures. We continue to work through the closing chapters of Luke's Gospel. Yesterday morning we looked at Peter's denial and then in the evening Jesus's trials.

10 rules to observe to come to stability in obedience by John Owen

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:12:34 +0000

Attributed to John Greenhill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In his work on Psalm 130 John Owen gives a series of rules for coming to stability in obedience

RULE I Realise Christ is the only infallible judge of our spiritual condition

RULE II Self-condemnation and abhorrency for sin are consistent with gospel justification and peace— The nature of gospel assurance

RULE III Continuance in waiting is necessary unto peace and consolation

RULE IV Remove the hindrances of believing by a searching out of sin with rules and directions for that duty

RULE V Distinguish between unbelief and jealousy

RULE VI Distinguish between faith and spiritual sense

RULE VII Make sure not to mix foundation and building work together

RULE VIII Spend no time in heartless complaints

RULE IX Take heed of undue expressions concerning God and his ways in distress

RULE X Duly improve the least appearances of God in a way of grace or pardon

(RULE XI would be to consider where lies the hinderance to peace)

10 contrasts between Psalms 105 and 106

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:09:22 +0000

Philip De Vere, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Psalms 105 and 106 are twin historical psalms that tell the same story from two different perspectives. While Psalm 105 focuses on God’s perfect faithfulness, Psalm 106 focuses on humanity’s persistent unfaithfulness.

Psalm 105 is a hymn of praise. Its tone is joyful, celebratory and filled with gratitude. Psalm 106 is a prayer of repentance. Its tone is sombre, reflective and confession-driven.
Psalm 105 builds confidence. It reminds the reader that God always keeps His unconditional promises. Psalm 106 teaches humility. It reminds the reader that mercy is the only reason the nation survived.
Psalm 105 is about God's loyalty. It highlights God's initiative, promises and miracles. Psalm 106 is about Israel's rebellion: It highlights human failure, complaints and spiritual amnesia.
Psalm 105 omits all sin. It completely skips over the golden calf, the grumbling and the rebellions. Psalm 106 details every failure. It acts as a national confession, listing specific sins from Egypt to the Exile.
Psalm 105 starts with Abraham. It traces the covenant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before reaching Moses. Psalm 106 starts at the Red Sea: It bypasses the early Patriarchs to jump straight into the Exodus sins.
Psalm 105 celebrates the plagues. It portrays the plagues as God's mighty judgments against Egypt. Psalm 106 laments the wilderness:. It portrays the wilderness as a place where Israel constantly tested God's patience.
Psalm 105:37–39 says God brought them out laden with silver and gold. He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to give light at night. Psalm 106:7 says They gave no thought to God's miracles in Egypt. They did not remember His kindness; they rebelled by the Red Sea.
Psalm 105:42–44 says God remembered His holy promise to Abraham. He brought His people out with joy. He gave them the lands of the nations. Psalm 106:24, 25 says They despised the pleasant land and did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.
Psalm 105:44, 45 says He gave them the lands of the nations... that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! Psalm 106:34–36 says They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord commanded. Instead, they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs, worshipping their idols.
Psalm 105 ends with victory. It concludes with the triumphant possession of the Promised Land. Psalm 106 ends in captivity: It concludes with a plea to be gathered and rescued from exile among the nations.

The world cup 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:28:02 +0000

UKinUSA from Washington, D.C., USA, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>,
via Wikimedia Commons

Watched Canada draw 1-1 with Bosnia Herzegovina last night. Typical world cup - great fans, sturring anthems, lots of boring bits and one or two flashes of brilliance. I think most games will be on in the middle of our night so I won't see much. It's a great spectacle though. (My wife thought they should have shown more Michael Bublie).

Upcoming Conference in Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:13:19 +0000

Catalyst 2026 Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:23:18 +0000

Four Baptists among friends
(I had friends from Germany and France staying and my father-in-law was there too)

Today was perhaps the best day with all four men doing very well. Reuben Hunter spoke helpfully about persecution from John 16 and Sinclair Ferguson on John Owen and the fellowship of the Spirit. Good stuff too from Harrison Perkins and Kelly Kapic. Sorry not to have given any detail but the videos will be available soon. Here's one brilliant take away

"The love of God is like himself — equal, constant, not capable of augmentation or diminution; our love is like ourselves — unequal, increasing, waning, growing, declining. His, like the sun, always the same in its light, though a cloud may sometimes interpose; ours, as the moon, has its enlargements and straightenings." John Owen

MIdweek Meeting June 10 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:05:30 +0000

Six of us present and one online yesterday evening as we looked at union with Christ. A good time of prayer too.

Catalyst 2026 Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:09:51 +0000

Another good day at Catalyst with similar vibes to day one. Reuben Hunter moved on from John 14 to John 15, Sinclair Ferguson from the love of the Father to the grace of the Lord Jesus. Kelly Kapic focussed on the church in regard tio liing as a Christian. All very helpful. They will be up online soon, I'm sure.

Here is a snippet from Thomas Watson which I believe Reuben Hunter quoted today

You who are the branches of this Vine, let me beseech you to love the Vine which bears you—kiss and embrace Christ! Let your souls sound forth hallelujahs to the whole Trinity. Admire God the Father in sending a Vine from heaven; admire God the Son who was a bleeding Vine for you; admire God the Holy Spirit who has, by His mighty power, implanted you into this Vine. Turn all your sullen discontentments, into triumphant songs! You who were once dead—are now made living branches! You who were once unclean—are now made holy branches! You who once brought forth thistles—you now bear luscious grapes! Oh, make melody in your hearts to the Lord! Admire and celebrate free grace! It is well that there is an eternity coming—and that will be little enough time to praise God!

Catalyst 2026 Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Brady) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:44:21 +0000

Great to be in IPC Ealing once again for the Catalyst Conference. Four sessions roday - two Brits in the morning and two Americans in the afternoon. So Reuben Hunter and Sinclair Ferguson followed by Harrison Perkins and Kelly Kapic. Feguson and Kapic, the Owen scholars, stood out in terms of presentation and content but a good and encouraging day all round. What a privilege to be there. I drove there with two guests we havesaying with us from France and Germany.