BITS and PIECES
A random collection of news and views compiled by Frank McClelland for the Toronto Free Presbyterian Church.
248th Edition – June 22, 2025
SEVENTY YEARS AGO
It was seventy years ago on June 16, 1955 that my wife first cast anchor in the Lord Jesus as her Saviour and Lord. Two days later I went with her to the Jack Shuler Crusade in the Kings Hall in Belfast where some 5000 people had come to hear the American evangelist. But I met someone more important than Jack Shuler. I too met the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.
We look back over those seventy years with gratitude to God. We can join with Fanny Crosby and say,
“All the way our Saviour leads us;
What have we to ask beside?
Can we doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been our guide.”
Yes, there were difficult times when the Lord challenged us until we were able to say, “It is good for (us) to be afflicted; that (we) learn Thy statutes” [Psalm 119:71].
But we thank God for His mercy, kindness and goodness to us. We feel such unworthy recipients of His grace. We are not worthy of the least of His mercies but He has blessed us with the very greatest of them with the gift of His dear Son to be a Prince and our Saviour.
GIVING A TESTIMONY
A well-known preacher from a by-gone era said that when a Christian gave a word of public testimony, the Lord went to the cupboard in heaven, took out his crown and gave it an extra polish. If that were true a lot of believers would have tarnished crowns.
The pastor mentioned that on prayer meeting nights he intends to make space for some personal testimonies. This is good to hear how the Lord has dealt with His people.
If you get the opportunity to testify, write out what you plan to say. One of the great difficulties is getting started and not
knowing when to stop. Many an otherwise good word is spoiled by prolixity which means ‘using too many words – tediously lengthy.’ The idea is to stop while the people are still listening, rather than have them wonder when is he, or she, going to stop?
One of the causes of prolixity is going into too much detail. The listener does not want to hear the endless detail that some are famous for. Just give the salient points and leave the rest for another time.
A single sheet of 8½ x 11 inches is about the right size for a good testimony. Write, or type, it out then read it aloud at home to get the timing right. If you do this your testimony will be bright, and a blessing to listeners.
PAUL’S TESTIMONY
The conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus is one of the great events in New Testament history. If there ever was a character unlikely to be transformed by God’s grace it was the one who became the Apostle Paul.
His amazing encounter with the Lord is fully recorded in the Bible [Acts 9]. From there he went on to become the great apostle to the Gentiles. And he testified of his conversion to the people on at least two occasions.
First, he spoke in Jerusalem, under the protection of the Roman chief captain, to the assembled mob who were crying for his blood. [Acts 21:39 & chapter 22].
The next time his testimony is recorded was in Caesarea in front of King Agrippa II and Festus, the Roman procurator of Israel. So powerful was his testimony that Festus thought him “mad” [Acts 26:24] but King Agrippa cried out, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” [Acts 26:28].
While none of us has a conversion to match Paul’s, the experience believers have is just the same in its effect. Paul was happy to share a personal word of testimony with others, and so should we.
THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU
“For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people”
[I Samuel 12:22]
God’s choice of His people is the reason for His abiding by them and not forsaking them…..Can He forsake those for whom He shed His blood? Because He has hitherto taken pleasure in choosing and saving us, it will still be His pleasure to bless us. He loves His own to the end. [C.H. Spurgeon]
