Donald McLeod                     Word on the Week                         27^th May 2023.

The death of Professor Donald McLeod last Sunday added to the pantheon of Christian exponents who have recently been called to higher service!   ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints’ (Psalm 116 verse 15).

He leaves a legacy of sermon recordings and writings which he sets out with sparkling clarity.   It’s not for nothing that he has been called ‘The People’s Theologian’.   God gave him the ability to make difficult things seem simple, without compromising their profundity.   He will be sadly missed.

He was born in the outer Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis in 1940 into a Christian family and educated in the renowned Nicholson Institute in Stornoway.   He did his theological training in the University of Glasgow.   I remember at the time he completed his doctoral thesis at the Free Church College in Edinburgh, that it was questioned whether there would be scholars qualified to assess his paper!

After serving as Minister in the remote village of Kilmallie near Fort William for eight years, then he was called to the large free Church in Glasgow known in 1972 as Partick Highland.   From there he was appointed professor of systematic theology at the Free Church College in 1978, a position he held for some 33 years.   During that period, he trained virtually all the Ministers in the Free Church!

As happens with people of ability there were those who took issue with him in his desire to modernise the Free Church.   They also took him to court over his conduct with women.   At the end of the lengthy trial the court found that “the women had all lied in the witness box to further the ends of Professor Macleod’s enemies in the Free Church of Scotland.”   This happened in 1996.

In 1999 McLeod became Principal of the Free Church College, a position he held till his retirement in 2010.

His writing was not without humour.   Reminiscing about his origins in the West Highland Free Press he claimed “At birth, the Maker dealt me a real duff hand.   I was born a Gael, a Calvinist and a Wee Free, a crippling triple whammy!   He overcame many challenges to produce great books!

‘Christ Crucified’ published in 2014 deals sublimely with the doctrine of atonement.   To conclude with an example from it of Christ’s substitution on the cross where literally ‘He died for me’.  The work is done.  He did it once for all time (Hebrews 7 verse 27).    Salvation!

Donald McLeod has completed his task and made it easier for us who follow.

Tim Keller                        Word on the Week                     20^th May 2023.

In the passing of Dr Tim Keller this week the evangelical community has lost a towering figure.   His stature came from his close walk with Jesus whom he portrayed in the most compelling language and actions.

Few can forget the superb Gospel illustrations he gleaned from the contemporary world of the arts, film and drama with which he presented the truth of Christ to a New York congregation.

Redeemer was the name of the church he planted, boldly stating the reason why Christ came to earth.   He gathered his congregation by travelling weekly from Philadelphia to New York to lunch with a contact.   During the meal Tim would share the Gospel and his vision of a new church specially for people like his new friend.

He would conclude by asking for two visiting cards.   These would be of people the diner thought would appreciate meeting Tim over lunch the following week.   This was how he built up a community and with the prayers of his friends in Philadelphia, Redeemer came into being.

His method of training disciples was also Gospel centered.   Candidates were invited to become part of the Redeemed staff for a year during which time they were to make their church planting plans known and encourage any in the congregation to join a new work.

Perhaps Tim is best known through his books and taped addresses.   He was a popular conference speaker who, along with Don Carson founded the Gospel Coalition.   The vision they held was that Gospel churches had more in common with each other than with their denomination.   The Gospel Partnerships these churches formed was a way to foster the Lord’s work without necessarily leaving their denomination.

Another part of his vision was the ‘City to City’ ministry.   He understood the similarities which exist between large cities.   Often they have more in common with each other than they have with their hinterland.    We have an example of this work in ‘The Third Way’ in Smithfield Dublin – a Christian space for Gospel work.

Perhaps the greatest asset in all his endeavours was his wife Kathy.   She shared her vision with Tim and the Lord used them greatly.   Our sympathy goes to her and their three sons on their great loss.

Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today (2 Samuel 3 verse 38).

Gospel Progress              Word on the Week                     13^th May 2023.

There is a promise made by God early in the Bible which is being fulfilled as lives born into Adam are born again into Christ.   It is where Abraham passes the supreme test of his faith in the offer of his son and receives the promise “through your offspring all Nations will be blessed” (Genesis 22 verse17).

In God’s mercy one of these nations is Ireland and some of this blessing spilled out to the delight of the audience on Tuesday night when Baptist Missions reviewed a number of the Gospel advances made in the previous year.  These traced Bible study groups which have grown into church plants and obtained premises in the locality in which to meet together as a church.

People have put their faith in Christ, been baptised into the Triune Name and equipped by the Holy Spirit to serve the Lord in their community.   All this is taking place against an increasingly hostile background as the culture follows the pervading ideology.       Traditional behaviour has been cast aside and new ‘norms’ established.   Some of these have been enshrined in law.

It was similar in Apostle Peter’s day; “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”  So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2 verses 38 to 41).

The Gospel has always shined brighter against the prevailing darkness.  Overseas it makes the best advances where persecution is strongest as in China today.    The Gospel has prospered in the Southern Hemisphere as the promises made to Abraham are being fulfilled.

It is the proclaiming of Christ crucified that changes lives.  Christ the sinbearer who on the cross became the perfect sacrifice for sin.   By his death he purchased new life for the repentant believer.   This enables the Christian to walk in his ways along the narrow road that leads to life (St Matthew 7 verses 13/14).

Jesus shall reign where’re the sun, Doeth his successive journeys run.        

His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore,                                                      

Till moons shall wax and wane no more.                                                        

As Isaac Watts wrote paraphrasing Psalm 72 verse 8.  

There is a completeness to Christ’s reign to look forward to.   Praise God.

Royal Vows                      Word on the Week                     6^th May 2023.

A vow or oath is an instrument to put the one who makes it under stronger constraints to keep it than that person would have in its absence.    It emphasises the importance of following through with the task to its completion.

It is used in Law Courts to underline the importance of the spoken words.   These should be true and fulsome in their description of the matter in hand.

In an age where there is a propensity to lie the impact of the vow is weakened by the poverty of belief in the Bible over which the vow is made.   The ninth Commandment could be translated ‘do not lie’ (Exodus 20 verse 16).  Where no belief exists the Courts are prepared to accept an affirmation to speak the truth taking the wording from St Matthew 5 verses 33 to 37.

Most of us would be familiar with Marriage vows.   These are made before God and solemnly declare lifelong love and faithfulness to one another.   The vow usually contains the line to forsaking all others and to make one’s allegiance to each other alone.   There is also the promise to care for any children.  This is a Marriage covenant and is “till death do us part” i.e. for life.

This gives a glorious certainty to the union in which love can grow and prosper as the years go by.    Sadly, today the more common option is the marriage contract.   In this case vows are taken to abide by the contract so long as it fulfils my desire.   This inevitably permits a selfish element to be introduced and the sense of permanency is lost.

In becoming King of England this Saturday Charles will be required to take the monarch’s vows.    He is at a disadvantage as he does not have his Mother’s strong Christian faith.    Despite this he is expected to be a “defender of the faith”.   He has stated he wants the word faith to be in the plural to encompass all the faiths in his kingdom.  This is not possible as they are mutually exclusive.

Charles will automatically become supreme governor of the Church of England upon his coronation.   This he accepts on oath.   The copy of the Bible which the Presbyterian Minister gave him came with this citation: –        To keep you ever mindful of the Law and Gospel of God as the rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, receive this Book the most valuable thing that this world has to offer: –

Here is wisdom: –

This is the royal Law: – 

These are the lively oracles of God.

May the King and may we find it to be so, by God’s grace, in our lives.