Nicholas Paul Franks

And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

— Numbers 15:39-40

2 days ago | [YT] | 8

Nicholas Paul Franks

Fear not if you know this trial:

That was one of the things that was causing them grief, They were in heaviness because of this, and it is something the Christian has had to endure throughout the centuries. Nothing is more trying than this misunderstanding on the part of other people, and it becomes still more difficult if it happens to be someone who is near and dear to you. How trying it is when a Christian finds himself, perhaps, the only Christian in a family.

This kind of trial does happen, and for a Christian never to meet it in some shape or form suggests that there is something radically wrong with his Christianity.

The Apostle Paul experienced this constantly. You remember how he says, 'Demas hath forsaken me'. That was not a light thing to Paul; he was troubled by it. He had to stand his trial absolutely alone; people on whom he thought he could rely suddenly ran away from him, and there he was, alone. 'No man stood with me.' That is the kind of thing that grieves a Christian, and you have but to read the lives of the saints to find this kind of thing constantly.

Read the journals of John Wesley and you will find he was frequently in this condition because of misunderstandings. This, on a big scale, is to be found in the life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in connection with the famous 'Down grade' controversy. Men whom he had regarded as friends, and some of whom he had trained in his own college at his own expense, suddenly fell away from him. You have but to read his account of it to see how he was hurt and grieved. He was in heaviness because men whom he thought he could rely on suddenly failed him. It undoubtedly shortened his life.

I was reading in the journals of George Whiteheld recently, an account of this very thing, Whitefield had had a season of exceptional nearness to Christ and he was rejoicing in it, but he makes a note in his journal to remind himself of the fact that in going us tale, wad, no doubt, he as shall be subiled by
again'. He knew it, it was his experience, it is almost an inevitable law in the life of the man of God in a world of sin.

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones

3 days ago | [YT] | 8

Nicholas Paul Franks

A word for the discouraged and downcast:

“Do not get the impression that I am teaching that this state of trial is the perpetual condition of the Christian. It is not. These things come and go as God deems fit. We shall never be tried and tested except it be for our good, and as we respond to the teaching, God will withdraw the test. He does not keep us permanently under trial. As Whitefield said, these things alternate, and God knows exactly how to send them and when. And we can be sure with the Apostle Paul, that: 'There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it' (1 Corinthians 10. 13). He is your loving Father, He knows how much you can take and stand. He will never send too much for you. He knows the right amount, and He will give the right amount, and when you have responded He will withdraw it. It is only 'for a season'. Do these words come to some downcast, heavy-laden Christian? Does all seem blackness and darkness? Are you not having the liberty you once had in prayer? Have you almost lost the faith you once had? Do not be troubled. You are in the hand of your Father. There may be a glorious period coming for you, He may have some unusual blessing for you, He may have some great work for you to do. Do not be downcast, it is only 'for a season'. You are in the hands of your loving Father, so trust Him and go on. Keep on and say: 'I am content only to be in Thy hands. "Only to do Thy will, my will shall be".”

— Martyn Lloyd-Jones

5 days ago | [YT] | 10

Nicholas Paul Franks

We do not issue this confession in despair, but rather in hope because the One who disciplines also heals. The only wise God who exposes iniquity does so to heal, restore and to preserve His own glory. Therefore, if the Church will repent, humble herself, and surrender everything she holds most dear, the LORD God is faithful to hear from heaven, to forgive, and to respond with mercy, cleansing, and renewal: firebrandnotes.com/2026/02/04/confession/

5 days ago | [YT] | 2

Nicholas Paul Franks

Leviticus 10:3 😭

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.

6 days ago | [YT] | 5

Nicholas Paul Franks

Leviticus 5:1

“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity;

1 week ago | [YT] | 10

Nicholas Paul Franks

“Pray for me, and for grace to be faithful, and for gifts to be able, with tongue and pen, to glorify God.”

— Samuel Rutherford

1 week ago | [YT] | 6

Nicholas Paul Franks

What is left unchallenged becomes normalised. What is normalised becomes defended. What is defended eventually becomes orthodox in practice. Root-level exposure of false doctrine is not an unfortunate byproduct of faithfulness. It is one of its defining expressions. The idea that naming falsehood is intrinsically suspect is not biblical. It is a modern therapeutic instinct.

👇

firebrandnotes.com/2026/02/04/confession/

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 10

Nicholas Paul Franks

youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_...

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Nicholas Paul Franks

Psalm 12:7-8

You, O LORD, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 10