Speaking the Truth in Love
John and Charles Wesley were used of God in a powerful way. Not only in the Christian world, but nations and empires were different because of their lives. Charles Wesley wrote over 6500 hymns during his lifetime and many of them are still favorites today. Isaac Watts, who himself is probably Charles’ only equal when…
Recently, I finished reading Scott Aniol’s book, “Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship“. It is a relatively small book at 121 pages, but its conciseness is part of its strength. Across five chapters Scott lays out a Biblical case for what constitutes Biblical, corporate worship. Many today worship in a purely emotional way and then assess…
The first book I preached through, verse-by-verse, was Ephesians. That was 17 years ago at Faith Baptist Church, Newtownabbey, in Northern Ireland. It has shaped my whole preaching ministry ever since. At that time I found a story and then lost it, until this morning when I found it again. It’s not enough for us…
Genesis 10-11 Chapter 10 may seem to be one of those chapters to get through in order to get on with the rest of the story. After all, how does a list of names and nations compare to the devastating rebellion and judgment at Babel? But looked at another way, chapter 10 serves as one…
Part 1 – https://martinwickens.com//2019/07/how-to-pray-for-one-another-thankfulness-1-4 Part 2 – https://martinwickens.com//2019/10/how-to-pray-for-one-another-wisdom-knowledge-2-4/ Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 Many years ago I remember my pastor…
Part 1 – Introduction Part 2 – Piper’s Aim Part 3 – Two Wills How extensive is the sovereign will of God? This is the chapter title of chapter 3 in John Piper’s small book. The author asserts, Behind the complex relationship of the two wills in God is the foundational biblical premise that God…
Part 1 – https://martinwickens.com//2019/07/how-to-pray-for-one-another-thankfulness-1-4/ A few weeks ago I began a series looking at how we can pray for one another. In the first part I focused on the blessing we have in our brothers and sisters in Christ and that we ought to constantly thank the Lord for them. In this post, we will…
At times, the guilt and shame of acknowledged sin can leave us feeling crushed, speechless, and perhaps even wondering how we can recover. In these instances, I believe the Penitential Psalms can give voice to emotions and thoughts we cannot express on our own. The majority of the Bible cover God speaking to us. One…
Happy National Pi Day! Let’s talk Math. And you know it, I’m having some kind of pie today. It has to be done. Have you ever wondered how many pounds weight of sugar there are in 232 hogsheads, if each one weighed 12cwt. 1 qr. 22lbs? If you haven’t guessed the answer, it is 323,408lbs.…
On January 27th, 2019, Bedford Bible Church met and voted to invite me to be their pastor. This was my final step away from my role as a missionary. For that reason, I am sending out a final prayer letter and deleting the associated mailing list. If you would like to continue hearing from us,…