2024 has been a very significant year in my life for at least two main reasons. Firstly, I recently celebrated my 70th birthday and am increasingly conscious of the passing of time and am praying much, with Moses:
The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty…they are soon gone, and we fly away…So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:10-12)
By God’s grace I am still in generally good health and relatively sane (I think!) and still receive more invitations for ministry than I can respond to, and so I plan to continue in active ministry for as long as the Lord allows me to do so. The last thing on my mind is retirement – whatever that means! Indeed, I am as busy now as I have ever been and continue to get a huge sense of satisfaction and joy from studying, preaching and teaching God’s precious word.
Secondly, it is 50 years this year since I took my first tentative steps into preaching. My first sermon was preached in the church in Yorkshire where my father served as Pastor at the time. In this 50th year, I have been reflecting on significant people that the Lord has brought into my life who have shaped and affected me and contributed in some way to make me the preacher and Christian man that I am today.
In a series of blog posts, I want to honour these men by acknowledging their input into my spiritual development and ministry, starting next time with a man whose name I don’t even know!