Martin Wickens
Speaking the Truth in Love
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Wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10 The Book of Proverbs offers wisdom for every arena of life. Multiple times it impresses on the reader the importance of God’s wisdom, contrasting it with the foolishness of man. It often states that…
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Infinite
(4) He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. (5) Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. – Psalm 147 This Psalm has long been a favourite of mine. Verse 4 originally caught my attention because it shows the greatness of God and the smallness…
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One Generation to Another
One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. – Psalm 145:4 The Psalmist makes a connection between constant praise and the communication of God and His works. Because his praise would be constant, others would know about God and His unsearchable greatness. Under the Mosaic Law, God told Israel…
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Overwhelmed
“Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.” – Psalm143:4-5 When the psalmist found himself overwhelmed he turned to God. David at different times had been overwhelmed due to personal…
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The Wounds of a Friend
“Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.” – Psalms 141:5 True friends who will lovingly challenge us toward Christlikeness are few and far between. Yet, for…
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Through the Bible in 90 Days – Day 35
2 Chronicles 35 As the kingdom of Judah draws closer to judgment it is encouraging to see that even in those days there could be a revival. Under the godly reign of King Josiah, a Passover was held that was unequaled Israel’s history. 2 Chronicles 36 Surprisingly, the son of Josiah turned out to be an evil…
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Through the Bible in 90 Days – Day 34
The plan continues in 2 Chronicles 23 today with the establishment of the reign of King Joash by the wisdom of the High Priest, Jehoida. 2 Chronicles 23-24 Jehoida impressed me earlier in the chapter when he spoke of doing “as the Lord hath said”. His focus was on God’s will and not his own…
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Through the Bible in 90 Days – Day 33
Day 33 of 90 – Just over a month ago I began a Bible reading plan that will take me through the Bible in 90 days. Most Bible reading plans I have used have gone through the Bible in a year. Sometimes I have finished the plans, other times I struggled to keep up and…
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The Voice of Jezebel
Concerning the church at Thyatira in Revelation 2, G Campbell Morgan warns, “Through the whole New Testament the call is to separation, to peculiarity, to a clear line of demarcation between the Church and the world. I fear that the voice of Jezebel is yet tolerated, and that the children of God are being seduced.…
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When Works, Labour and Patience are Not Enough
Let me describe a church for you. This church was planted by a pre-eminent missionary and theologian. His own conversion had shaken a nation and his consequent ministry set the standard for generations. He is still the measure that many look to and his methods have been copied ever since his groundbreaking ministry. This church…