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[00:00:00] Speaker A: Original.
[00:00:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:00:02] Speaker C: It was just the framework. It may be that I'm used to listening to a good, clear framework.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:00:09] Speaker C: But I think that that is important.
Well, for us, all that what we give is presented in such a way that it does.
It's got pegs to hang on in people's minds. I think that's awful important. I think there are a few people who can just take up, say, a passage and go through it, drawing out lessons, and it is a real gift with them. If we have not got that gift, I think it's important to be able to leave certain clear impressions in people's minds of the points we've given, of the chief matters in what I'm saying.
Were there three points or any number of points, or were you just going through.
I couldn't really get three points to send everything to hell.
[00:00:58] Speaker A: Just went through. Yeah. Well, now there, I think, is a good example of the need, obviously, of time when a message comes to you to be able a. To condense it into one sentence so that you know exactly what you're saying and then to get clear headings. Not necessarily that we might have them, but because it gives such, so much greater clarity to what you have got to say.
However, I feel it was very good. It was very original, but I would have personally preferred a little more introduction. Can everyone take this in? Because if we speak, let me put it this way, very rarely can you launch into what you're saying without a clear introduction. You can just now and again, you can dispense with an introduction altogether and leap straight into the message. But generally speaking, an introduction is very important. Or people are left at sea from the beginning and they may get some wonderful thoughts, but you need to explain. And you see, I think that if you had, for instance, been able just to say to us that you believe that this is a picture of the family of God and that we have here one or two lessons we can learn about the family of God, or we have here a picture of the human family. And some of the lessons that we can learn here are applicable to our families. And to say how important the family is. You see what I mean, that the family is really important.
And a few words there could introduce then this parable, and we would get it more clearly. Anything else anyone would like to say?
[00:02:57] Speaker C: I did wonder a little bit, possibly nerves.
One other thing that distracted me, I was a bit nervous for you at the beginning, was your. Your bible was sort of swaying with your notes in it like that. And I really felt that they were going to go any moment.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: Yeah, I finally kind of stepped back a lot as I wondered where he was going.
[00:03:32] Speaker A: Yeah, well, that could be, you see, he was going through the passage rather than actually having definite headings.
[00:03:45] Speaker C: One point matter of sartorial elegance. I wonder if that Fred's tie was.
[00:03:51] Speaker A: Outside, jacket half in and half out.
But you spoke with your sleeves rolled up.
Oh, I see. I'm sorry.
[00:04:08] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:04:10] Speaker A: What's that?
Yes. Now and then you must watch that kind of thing. Yeah, okay.
All right. Can we move on to our next ken?
[00:04:30] Speaker D: It needs to, but find my notes.
I want to speak from psalm 46.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: It.
[00:04:47] Speaker D: And it's all to do with the river of God.
A nice, refreshing subject for an evening like this.
We'd start at verse four.
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high.
God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her.
And that right early.
This river of God is a wonderful picture of the life of God, connecting the father to the child of God.
And you and I, as believers, have this wonderful resource. In the midst of all that is dry and arid, we have contact with God himself.
And it's wonderful to know this quickening of the life of God in our circumstances, which can be very far from cheerful.
The thing that Ezekiel pictures is a river coming from the threshold of the temple.
And this river has a wonderful effect upon those who come into contact with it. It pictures these waters as they come through the river, that trees spring up on either side.
As the river proceeds, it gets down to the sea, and there it heals those waters.
How wonderful.
And then everything that liveth which moveth with us, whosoever the river shall come, shall live, and there shall be a very great multitude of fish.
Well, that is what God is like.
It's not only what we see of his wonderful works, but what he is within.
There's activity in God, tremendous activity. And it's this which the world cannot see, but which the believer knows is going on within him. As Paul said, that which worketh in me mightily, and that is God at work.
Well, the thing that is the purpose of this river is really that God might have a harvest out of this world.
And you know, it says in psalm 45 64, verse five, the river of God is full of water.
Thou preparest them corn when thou hadt so provided it.
And, you know, this river is to produce a harvest.
And you know, the thing that has encouraged me. I was reading a book just recently by David Duplesi. And the thing that interested me was that he says there that you need chaff for there to be wheat.
And, you know, so often we want all that is the wheat, and God wants the wheat, but the chaff is also necessary.
And, you know, it says, first that which is natural, and after that which is spiritual.
And the encouraging thing to me is that God uses the chaff in our lives to bring forth the wheat.
And so the things that we pass through, the things that get us down, God can use to bring forth wheat.
And, you know, I thought of those examples, such as Moses, 20 years in the backside of the wilderness. He must have thought that the river of God had dried up, or there was every indication that there was not much water flowing. But God used that in Moses to get wheat in him.
And, you know, the encouraging thing is that so many of the things that happen to us, God can use in the end to bring forth wheat to his glory. So let us be encouraged by the fact that God, although these things, we don't always see what God is doing, yet the river is still there. There's plenty of water in it, and God is using it. And as we respond to the life of God, God can use these very things to bring forth wheat.
The encouraging verse is, all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. So let us be encouraged by the fact that there is a river which flows from the heart of God, and as we by faith take hold of God's word, and the fact that that river is flowing, we shall not be moved. Praise his name.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: The.
[00:10:51] Speaker C: Ken is quite nervous.
[00:10:53] Speaker A: Yes, you are, Ken. You're a very nervous person.
In a way. Of course, it's easy to say that, because this is what nerves do for you, and it does very much to your voice, destroys very much the natural tone of your voice. You look up, and it's very, very hard when a person looks up and their tone of their voice is destroyed.
So that, you see, what you had to say was good.
Yes, as always. But I think it wouldn't be easy to listen for long.
You see, if you could cultivate, looking at folks a little more, I don't know whether you could do that, whether that would completely finish you, would it?
[00:11:50] Speaker C: I think perhaps if one got more.
[00:11:52] Speaker A: Confidence, I think one could, yeah.
[00:11:59] Speaker C: Did you find that it was clear?
[00:12:05] Speaker A: I think diction. What would you say about the. I think diction, yes, but I think the tone is not easy. It's not easy.
It's not monotonous, but it's got a certain.
Yes, again, it's the same problem. It would be very difficult to listen for long.
It's voice production. You would need.
[00:12:35] Speaker C: I think, with breathing it would. Because breathing can help nervousness as well.
[00:12:40] Speaker A: Well, you see, much of our problems go down to inhibition or some kind of bondage physically. I mean, psychologically, and breathing. And of course, this is what Yogi. Not yogi bear, but yoga and so on.
The yogi teacher actually is putting over.
It's the whole question of breathing. And of course, this is why people have actual so called spiritual experiences sheerly through breathing.
Because as people, very much depends upon our breathing. Most extraordinary. So I would say that in one way. Yes, of course, that's just purely on the human level. It would help you, I think, there.
What are others? Can I make a comment of the lips? Yes. There didn't seem to be a very great variety of movement in the lips. Obviously, we could say two. It is different to say one.
Yes, but this is the same problem. Same problem, you see, because many men don't use their lips, dip up a lip and all that kind of thing.
[00:14:06] Speaker B: It's a fact.
[00:14:06] Speaker A: I'm afraid there's one little point, and.
[00:14:10] Speaker C: That is that dear Ken has a fascinating vibration of his toes.
[00:14:19] Speaker A: As he.
[00:14:20] Speaker C: Got to and fro. Of course, he was wearing sandals.
But it all goes back to Ken.
[00:14:32] Speaker B: Basic.
[00:14:33] Speaker A: Yes, well, now we smile about this. But you see, the reason we're asked. We can't ask everybody, even if we have another time.
What we want to do is to take each of these things and learn from them, you see, lessons for everybody. Now, Ken, with Ken, as with many others. But very clear with Ken, is the whole problem of nervousness.
And what it does to a person, to their very stunts. The way they stand to their voice, to their lips, you see, to pretty weather. And yet the message, you see, was good message, good. Was good stuff there.
Well, I know something about that. Perspiring, of course, in preaching.
Well, it just has.
Yeah, it does. Oh, that's why I, of course, drip, you see, on some of the other times. That's why I take off my jacket. Because before I used to do that, I used to absolutely run. And I used to think, well, perhaps this is worse for people watching than if I were to take off my jacket and at least be a little cooler.
In the actual gatherings, you often have to listen very carefully.
Especially when the room is full. Yes, it is true. It's very hard sometimes to hear Ken. Even when you announce a hymn, just.
[00:16:07] Speaker C: A little more body would do greatly help, seems to me.
I suppose it's because I haven't got the wherewithal.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Yes, it's breathing. Breathing is the problem, but it's not only breathing. Quantity is lips as well.
Yes.
[00:16:29] Speaker C: Congregation, instead of reflect, or almost your.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: Words come out as if you're reflecting.
[00:16:36] Speaker C: Instead of a reflection we're getting while.
[00:16:38] Speaker A: You'Re looking up, ignoring it. Yes. You see, a person who is an absolutely marvelous preacher might get away with looking up steadfastly into heaven and preaching. But if we're not, I think it is much easier. It's a question of communication. If you look at people, there is just that little bit more communication. Now, I think that would help greatly if you were able to look at us a little more.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: On the positive side, I did feel.
[00:17:09] Speaker A: That Andy looked at us a few times, his tone.
Yes, that's the same with Andy the other day. You see a little on into your message.
You relaxed a bit more, looked at us, and it was a bit better. But I think you need help.
[00:17:34] Speaker C: Just say about the message itself.
[00:17:51] Speaker A: Yes. One other point also on this matter, Ken, try and remember this, or everybody, when you make reference to something, because when you've not got much time, it's obvious you can't explain everything. But for instance, when you said about the river coming down and turning, I can't remember how you said it about the sea. You said it.
Yes. You see, I think that needs explaining. I mean, supposing I don't know what sea you're talking about.
Do you see what I mean? And to say that there will be fish in it, I might well think. But there are always fish in the sea. You see, now this is because we know that most people know what actually understand what we're referring to. But from psalm 46, you wouldn't quite understand that if you just said about the dead Sea. Now, the dead Sea is absolutely dead. There's not a thing in it that lives. And there's very little real vegetation, in one sense, around because of the salt. And the wonderful thing is that when this river hits, it meets it, it turns the whole thing into life. Then I think we're done. Step. We understood what you meant, but I think it's a point, you know. Okay, one other traditional practice. One, he said, psalm 64, verse five, says, the river of God is full of wolves.
[00:19:20] Speaker C: 65, verse nine.
[00:19:22] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:23] Speaker C: Moses spent 40 years in the backside of the desert, not 20.
[00:19:28] Speaker A: Did he?
[00:19:30] Speaker B: Ken?
Never mind.
[00:19:37] Speaker A: Your nerves have done more to you than you realize.
But let's take another. John.
[00:19:46] Speaker E: You haven't spoken before, have you?
[00:19:48] Speaker A: John? He's a prodigal son.
[00:19:53] Speaker B: It.
[00:19:54] Speaker A: John, please tackle shirt.
[00:20:08] Speaker B: Right. I've always also been asked to speak from the prodigal son.
As you know, this is found in Luke 15. I'm not going to read it because of the shortage of time. I would first of all like us to see this parable which Jesus told in the context of the other two in the same chapter.
That is the lost sheep, the lost coin, and then the lost son. And Luke puts these three together in the same chapter. So we have the lost sheep, a sheep which was originally a member of the fold, but then for some reason went astray and was lost.
And then we have the lost coin, the coin which was originally in the possession of the owner of the house, but then she lost it. And then we have the lost son. Originally he was a member of the household, but then he decided he wanted to go his own way. So first of all, I think we can see this story that Jesus told relating to someone who has had an experience with God, someone who has become a Christian, but then they have gone away from God.
And I think we see this in the New Testament. We see it is possible for someone to be born again of God's spirit, to receive the divine nature in one, but then it's possible for that person to deliberately say no to what is of God in them and to live according to the flesh. And I think we can also link this up with the people of Israel, God's chosen people. And in the Old Testament, we continually see how they disobey God. Again and again they go away from God. But we see this picture of God waiting for them. And there's a very similar picture to the one Jesus paints in this story, in Isaiah, chapter 30. So perhaps we could just look at that. Isaiah, chapter 30, and verse 15 to 18.
For thus Seth, the Lord God, the holy one of Israel, in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. And ye would not, but ye said no. For we will flee upon horses, therefore shall ye flee, and we will ride upon the swift. Therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. 1000 shall flee at the rebuke of one. At the rebuke of five shall ye flee, till you be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exhorted that he may have mercy upon you. And just to emphasize verse 18 again, this tremendous picture of God waiting. Here's Israel deciding they don't want to go God's way. They want to go their own way. But here we have the picture of God waiting, waiting to be gracious unto them. And I know, we know similar examples of people who perhaps have become christians or for one reason or another have gone away from God. And there was an example of this at school the other day. Two of the christian girls came up to us. They were very concerned because a few years ago, one of the girls in the school became a Christian. And it seemed she was really going on with the Lord. And then she started to go away. And sometimes she says some things now even against the Lord. But these two came to us. They were very concerned. And they said, well, what can we do? What can we do? And we said, well, we pointed her to this story of the prodigal son. And we said, we must wait and pray. And they said, well, can't we do something? And we said, well, if God definitely gives you something to speak to that person, then yes, but otherwise, just to show them normal love and concern and just to see this picture of how God is waiting for that person, waiting for that person to come to their senses, waiting to kill the fatted calf, waiting with the ring and waiting with the robe.
And perhaps just to look at Jeremiah, chapter three and verse twelve in connection with this again, this time it's in connection with the children of Israel again. But to see this picture of God waiting, his gracious waiting and calling his people back. Jeremiah, chapter three, verse twelve.
Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, return, thou backsliding Israel. Seth the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful, Seth the Lord and I will not keep anger forever, only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God. So here again we see this picture of God saying, if you return to me, I will be merciful. And how that person also has to come to the point where they acknowledge their sin. And in the prodigal son, he had to say, father, I have sinned against heaven and before earth. And he goes on.
And then secondly, I think the word of God is tremendously flexible and the Lord can apply it in different situations. And often, as you know, this is used when speaking to unsaved people. And I remember when Arthur Wallace was here, he spoke on a Sunday evening and he told that terrific story. I can't remember the exact names of the characters. I think it was Uncle Bill and Jack. And it was Jack's 21st birthday, and Uncle Bill gave him a chest of drawers.
Sorry, a bureau. And in the bureau was an envelope. And when Jack looked at the envelope, Uncle Jack had written something on it. It said, for me to live is Christ. And underneath it wanted him to fill in what for him to live was for. And he thought to himself, well, it certainly isn't Christ. And he put down pleasure. And then the years went by. Jack went into business. But then things started to fall down. The foundation of his life started to crack. And he came to that point of despair and to that place where he turned to God.
And sometimes I think God can apply this to such people. I think perhaps of my own brother, someone who's never become a Christian. But he came to Holford house once, and there was a time when he was thinking about things of God. But it seems at the moment he's said a deliberate, no, I don't want it. And, well, what can I do in this situation? I think I must pray and look to God. He's waiting. This gracious way. He is waiting.
And I think what comes through in these three stories is heaven's reaction when someone does turn, whether it's a Christian or whether it's someone who doesn't know God, when they turn from their proud way and they humble themselves and they turn to God, and you see this tremendous joy there is in heaven, and you get this pictured in the merry making and in the party, which we see at the end of the prodigal son.
[00:28:00] Speaker A: You made the same mistake as Bob in putting your notes on the table.
[00:28:08] Speaker C: The ones were blowing away, and there were the others.
[00:28:13] Speaker A: They weren't his notes.
Well, now, please remember this. I have learned this from bitter experience, that when you've got markers in your Bible and you take them out, put them in the back of your bible, because you will find that if you get a draught or wind or suddenly the doors open and they blow off, everyone goes rushing. They think they know your notes, and you've lost your message, and you find there's such a kerfuffle, it can throw you off because no one's listening. So remember that little one.
[00:28:45] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:28:45] Speaker A: Now, what do you have you to say about.
Yes, addiction is good.
[00:28:55] Speaker C: One thing that I find does distract a little john, and that was your hands.
[00:29:02] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:29:03] Speaker C: I don't really know how you get through on this, but I forget when it was. But on some other occasion, you had actually got them in a very sanky way like that.
[00:29:15] Speaker A: We did deceive.
[00:29:17] Speaker B: Unnecessary hand action.
[00:29:19] Speaker A: Well, not unnecessary hand action, no. I would say that you look very much like one of those classic saints from the dark ages, you know, looking upwards. I think you've got to watch your hands. What you're going to do with them, I don't know.
I mean, when you're speaking, it is a problem. And if you become conscious of your hands, you don't know where to put them. They seem to be terribly ungainly things.
[00:29:46] Speaker C: You can do without being rigid. I mean, you'll find your own way with the Lord, but sometimes it helps just to hold the edge, or one edge of the book rest, or perhaps to rest the other on your Bible.
[00:30:00] Speaker A: I think you do need to watch that with your hands because it's a bit too extreme a mannerism.
[00:30:15] Speaker C: Could be something of a teacher having.
[00:30:16] Speaker B: Been in that classroom using too much.
[00:30:19] Speaker C: Expression of the hands.
[00:30:22] Speaker A: I don't think it matters to express your hands.
Use your hands so long as you are using them. But this was not using them. It was here nearly the whole time. Either this or this. You see all this and when it's too much, I think it's a little unusual. Do you see maybe hold your bible, possibly, yes. Or the side you may find easier till you've got over this problem.
Yes, you do.
Yes.
A little more mobility with your feet, John, would be helpful. You didn't move your feet the whole time.
[00:31:03] Speaker C: They were absolutely stuck in the same.
And I think perhaps just a little.
[00:31:08] Speaker A: Move, the cave may help you. May help you. Yes, it's true.
[00:31:19] Speaker C: What I would have loved is, John, if you'd have just read that little bit in the story after what you said, it would have just somehow gathered it up. Was it not fitting that we should rejoice for this? My son was lost and his found was dead and is alive. That would have somehow just gathered it.
[00:31:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
Anything else?
[00:31:44] Speaker F: The voice was high.
[00:31:51] Speaker A: I found it.
Yes, I found the same places. It was a little sort of high.
Well, that's breathing again. Of course.
[00:32:02] Speaker C: Not always wrong with the voice.
[00:32:04] Speaker B: No, I must say, I wouldn't have.
[00:32:06] Speaker A: Said there was anything wrong with the voice. Or diction. Diction was clear.
Yes.
You want to get to a's. This is a very common mistake with people. A's nose. Ow. Not you. But people do. Even Mr. Heath, our prime minister, says now instead of now. So it is a problem.
Yes, well, that's all right, so long as he's giving something of value.
But anything else that anyone to say here this connection?
Well, then I think we ought to ask you, Alan, can you. Have you got anything?
[00:32:59] Speaker B: No.
[00:32:59] Speaker A: You, Alan.
[00:33:11] Speaker E: Psalm 27, verse, the ledge is not big enough.
The Bible's too fat.
Psalm 27, verse one. Great minds think alike. Reading from the revised standard version, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
Well, I think we can say that this and all the psalms speak to us of the Lord Jesus Christ, our all in all.
And in this psalm. Indeed, as in many of the 73 psalms that are attributed to David, in the book of psalms, he affirms his trust in the Lord.
Now, psalm 27 undoubtedly came about through David's own experiences before he was anointed king, when he was in hiding in the caves in the wilderness from King Saul, who sought his life because he was jealous of David.
And we would read of this in one Samuel 18 to 23.
In the darkness of the caves, David knew the Lord as his light, his hope, or his way.
So it can be with believers in our moments of despair and gloom, when everything seems against us, we can lift.
[00:35:04] Speaker B: Our heart.
[00:35:07] Speaker E: To the Lord and know him as our light, our hope, our way. He, by his holy spirit, if we trust him, will shine away through for us and lift us above our circumstances.
David, as a repentant sinner, knew also the Lord as his salvation, his saviour. And David affirms this in a definite way.
The Lord is not, was, not, will be, but he is my salvation. Whom shall I fear?
Though his foes were many at the time, David also knew the Lord as his stronghold, or, if you like, refuge.
By the way, a stronghold can be described as a fenced place cut off, a place of safety, surrounded by a wall built of stones and boulders.
And David felt secure in something like that. But he was in the wilderness, in the caves. And that so we, too, can surely know the same assurance of security and safety. If we put our trust in the Lord, why should we afraid? Why should we be afraid of our foes, that terrible neighbor or that horrible man at the work? If we, like David, will only trust in the Lord and know him as our savior, our all in all.
In another of his, psalms 61. Shall we turn to it? Verse three.
Um, David says of the Lord, for thou art my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
The same thought is also in Nahum one seven.
[00:37:23] Speaker A: If we turn to that.
[00:37:25] Speaker E: Bob referred to this, but he didn't turn to it.
Nahum one seven. It's between Micah and Habakkuk, if you can't find it. And there we say the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows those who take refuge in him.
Well, in conclusion, we can say with the psalmist, as in psalm 118 and verse six, with the Lord on my side, I do not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me. Or put more simply, we can say, I am a child of the living God. Why should I be fearful of mortal men?
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Whom shall I be afraid?
Praise his name.
And just by way of a commercial, if you do play that birthday thing tonight, yours true.
[00:38:50] Speaker B: Well.
[00:38:53] Speaker A: I think for one thing, you need some help with your notes.
I don't know whether were you having any difficulty reading them or was it just your nerves?
Because you see, here is the whole problem of notes. If your notes are not really clearly laid out because were you reading everything you said or were they just headings?
[00:39:19] Speaker E: Well, I've written them out in full.
[00:39:22] Speaker A: No, but you see, if you've read out, if you've written out in full what you're going to say, then it's better, I think, to put your Bible here and put the notes here and read them.
People may not even know you are reading, but you think, but don't ever make a compromise.
Don't write out your notes in full and then try to speak as if they're headings, because you will get into a mess.
This always happens when you've looked up you're speaking, then you've got to look down, then you've got to find where is the place you stopped. And for a while you have to read. And people can't understand quite what's happening, especially if you have troubles, also with glasses and so on in this way. I think that's a big point to make. Any other. Yeah.
[00:40:24] Speaker C: Just again, on the notes, not only Alan, but quite a number have made this mistake. It just shows how we don't listen.
We've said this over and over again, but folk have come, they plopped their bible on the book Rest and then put slithery notes on top of the Bible. And even before they've begun to speak, it happened with Alan. Even before they've begun to speak, their notes are slithering down the Bible. So you've got to make up your mind where you're going to put your notes. Either you're going to stand and hold your notes in the Bible, or you're going to stand with your Bible and put your notes on the book.
[00:41:00] Speaker A: Rest.
[00:41:00] Speaker C: You've got to be clear even before you speak, just what you're going to do.
[00:41:04] Speaker A: Yeah. This is a dreadful lecture, as you must all now have the greatest sympathy, if I bring it up, that it would be good to invest in a new one.
But the point is that I think it's good for us, at least, if ever we ever had training sessions to always use this dreadful thing. Because, believe me, you will have far worse than this. I have been in the most terrible things. Some things are like that, so that everybody sees everything and so on, and some are not even that. You just have a flat pulpit edge frequently. Yes.
So I think it is good to get used to this. And this is why, may I say it again? Using notes.
Have concise headings and subheadings. And don't use flimsy paper and don't use card.
Use something that is stiff and yet not as stiff as card, and you'll be greatly helped. Anything else?
[00:42:15] Speaker C: Just like to ask on this question of introduction.
[00:42:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:42:19] Speaker C: Is it always good to read your passage first and then go on with an introduction, or do you do sort.
[00:42:25] Speaker A: Of an introduction and then read passage? I think that must depend very much on the person who's speaking.
Some preachers who are very gifted always begin very dramatically.
Fb Meyer always began in classic style. He would ask a question, you see. Always. He nearly always began like that. He would ask some question which gripped everybody, you see, and then he would say a few words, and then he would read the scripture. And of course, he caught everybody, you see. Everyone was absolutely riveted from the start.
Others, of course, will tell a story or say something, give a fact to see, and so on. I don't know. I often read myself. I often read the word clearly first and then say something.
I don't think you could put a law for the way you begin. If the law gave Alan something for.
[00:43:25] Speaker C: Contribution during an open time, it would be quite possible.
[00:43:32] Speaker A: Yes.
There's nothing wrong in reading something. There are those who feel that if you read something, it's obviously not inspired. But of course, this is nonsense. Holy spirit is just as able to inspire you in writing a few things as to inspire you there and then at the point. I think the higher thing is to be able to just speak from the heart. But we have to also say that some can't do that. On the other hand, there is nothing more terrible than someone standing up and reading out in a flat voice.
Some sort of word which is just awful.
Generally speaking, in an open time, everything's got to blend and therefore we've all got to move and be flexible. Moving with the Lord. Yes.
[00:44:30] Speaker B: Apart from the gaps in between.
[00:44:32] Speaker A: Yes, there were many gaps between the statements.
[00:44:34] Speaker B: Yes, that.
[00:44:34] Speaker A: That made it difficult.
[00:44:37] Speaker C: I feel a bit sorry for various mortal men.
[00:44:40] Speaker A: The neighbors mortal men.
[00:44:48] Speaker F: I have an advice that would lose. Which a person uses, and he never loses his notes because he folds them together. He folds the paper like a pistol. And if it is more than one paper, he puts them together in the middle and folds them like a booklet. And then put the paper clip in the last pages and in the. In the Bible.
[00:45:12] Speaker A: Oh, I see.
[00:45:13] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:45:13] Speaker A: So when you have one plan to.
[00:45:17] Speaker F: Take down the time.
[00:45:21] Speaker A: Well, sounds possibility. Anyway. Well, now we are moving on, so we'll just ask one or two more. And then I think the best thing to do is, if you're happy, we'll have another evening.
It'll have to be perhaps next Wednesday. For those who manage it. Be the only way that we could go on. But.
