the 40 forty club

Well Ben, I just heard
last night, that you turned
that four zero word.
Congratulaturns!
......................................


Ol' Ben's not "for sale",
he's already owned.
And though he might wail,
& like Jesus groan ...

he's learned from that bloke
a truth & a grace,
& seems to betok-
en love for that face!

They say Ben's "for owe"
(that's For t y ears-old).
No doubt that he's grown,
no doubt that he's bold!

Boldly stepped forward-
& married Coleen,
helped bring those four kids
to grow till they're weaned.

Boldly stepped up for
the leadership task
at Swan Hill (& more),
to help build a "flask",

a wineskin that holds
the new wine God brings
to this world, like gold,
- the song that Ben sings!

May you be in the
"forty forty club" *
as were folk who, be-
fore you, listened up!


*"forty (days &) forty (nights)... " - Noah, Moses, Elijah, Jesus.


But which of them (those false prophets) has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? ... ... But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

Jer 23:18‭, ‬22 NIVUK (bracketted bit added by me - from context)

http://bible.com/113/jer.23.18-22.NIVUK