Friday 23 December 2016

What spiritual question would you like to be answered?: Use the Search Engine on this blog

The search engine on this blog can help you to get answers to vital spiritual questions. I began writing blog posts to sow the seeds of solid Evangelical and Reformed doctrines. In my experience as a Christian the church needs truth and the world needs truth as well.

Perhaps you have questions on topics such as:

+ A Bible book, such as Hebrews, Song of Songs, Revelation, Jude.

+ Specific theological topics such as the doctrine of the Trinity or why we should not use temporal analogies to describe the Triune God.

+ Certain men who have been used in the church such as John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and so on.

+ Matters of controversy surrounding matters such as worship, women wanting to be ordained in ministry, charismatic influences on the church, or new covenant theology.

+ Book Reviews

+ The doctrine of the church, the Westminster Standards or Presbyterianism.

As you find the time, try using the search engine for topics you may want answers on. I have found this blog to be a helpful means of conveying biblical truth from a biblical and Confessional perspective. I uphold the inerrancy of Scripture and fully subscribe to the Westminster Standards as part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales.

Monday 12 December 2016

Reformation Bible Conference, Sheffield, 2017.

This is the third conference we have had at Hill Top Chapel, Sheffield. The last tow have proved to be a great blessing to nourish and feed the Lord's sheep at the beginning of a New Year. It gives the opportunity for fellowship, while sitting under preaching.

The theme this year is Christ our head, husband and bridegroom. The preachers will be Richard Brooks, Warren peel and Kevin Bidwell.

The dates are are Friday 6th and Saturday January 7th, 2017.

The conference is free and there will be an offering of the Saturday to go towards the church planting work in Salford-Manchester.

For more information check out the Sheffield Presbyterian Church website at: http://sheffieldpres.org.uk/reformation-bible-conference

This has proved especially beneficial to the age group 16-25's as a time of meaningful and wholesome fellowship, however all age groups attend. We do not want to divide the body of Christ and all peoples, ages and nationalities are warmly welcomed.

Tuesday 6 December 2016

Six Excellent Christological Sermons from the book "The Song of Songs"

I would like to commend "Five Excellent Sermons" by men who have preached on "The Song of Songs" from a Christological position.

John Flavel (1628-1691): This puritans preacher was a favourite from his writings with Archibald Alexander, one of the foremost theologians that the American content has produced, in my view. This sermon is found in Volume 6 of the Works of John Falvel published by the Banner of Truth.

A Coronation Sermon: Preached at Dartmouth to Celebrate the Coronation of William III and Mary II on 11th April 1689.
The text from The Song of Songs was 3:11 "Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart".

Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843). These sermons are found in the book by the Banner of Truth "Memoirs and Remains".

Song of Songs 2:2-3 "Christ and the Believer".
"As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste".

Song of Songs 2:8-17 "The Voice of the Beloved", preached the first day he was in St Peter's Church in Dundee.
"The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains".

Song of Songs 3:4 "Holding Christ Fast".
"Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me".

Song of Songs 4:12 "The Church a Garden and Fountain".
"A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed".

Song of Songs 5:6-7 "The Church Coming Up from the Wilderness".
"I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls".

May these sermons help us all to rediscover the glories of Christ and the church in this amazing book of holy Scripture!

Monday 5 December 2016

Recovering "The Song of Songs" with a Trinitarian and Christological Approach

"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love", Song of Songs 2:4.

"What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?", Song Songs 3:6

During times of spiritual awakening in the church, the rich and immeasurable love of God is often magnified. Just think of these hymns as examples>

From the Welsh Revival

Here is Love vast as the ocean

By Charles Wesley in the 18th Century

Jesu' Lover of my Soul

Love divine, all loves excelling


These are just a sample. Likewise during times of what we may term revival or awakenings, an increased sense of God's love for us through Christ comes to the forefront of the church's experience. It is no surprise then, that at such times that the rich poetic expression of the book of the Song of Songs comes to be loved by the church in a renewed way. Its rich language of love expresses the divine love between Christ the bridegroom and the church, the bride of Christ.

Admittedly there are two lines of interpretation that are proposed. One is that this book is on a horizontal level about human love in marriage; the other is that it is primarily about our union and communion with Christ. I hold the latter view. The overarching theme of the Bible is that the Triune God's salvation plan is for the Father to redeem a bride for his Son, in the blood of the redeemer the Son, and she is gathered in by the Holy Spirit. This marriage is consummated eternally in heaven.

Some rich resources to consider are commentaries on this by Richard Brooks and George Burrows. Additionally sermons by Robert Murray M'Cheyne also follow this rich Christological line. I encourage you to read this book again with fresh eyes to consider our union and communion with Christ our head, husband and heavenly bridegroom.