Stranger in a Strange Land

Now This is "Political Rhetoric" That I Like

2012-02-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

If you are like me , and you ARE (at least, in some ways), you are probably fed up with what you are hearing these days from politicians hoping to garner your votes. It seems to me that most, if not all, of the rhetoric, in their commercials or debates, consists of words and phrases that are carefully crafted with the designed intent of psychologically and emotionally manipulating us into casting our vote for them or their pet programs. Equally disgusting is the way those who are running for office, or promoting a new government regulation, unabashedly slander others, whose opinions on public policy differ from their own.

Assaulted on a daily basis by all of the election year rhetoric, it does my heart good to read this selection from an official document written during the formative years of our nation. No it isn't from a government document. It is a prayer for our elected representatives in congress, as they are in session to deliberate and make important decisions regarding the laws that will affect the lives of the people.

In 1789, the Convention of the newly formed (and Reformed) Protestant Episcopal Church In The United States of America, adopted a Book of Common Prayer that includes this:

A Prayer for Congress.

To be used during their Session.

MOST gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for the people of these United States in general, so especially for their Senate and Representatives in Congress assembled; that thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations, to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy church, the safety, honour, and welfare of thy people; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours, upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other nesessaries, for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the Name and mediation of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

"The Bible is Full of Lies and Contradictions." __(An atheist's observation)

2012-01-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

An atheist (Blogger name: Caveman 73) commenting on Ray Comfort's blog, said:

"[T]he bible ... is a very tough read... So many contradictions and lies. "

My response:

Yep. Starts right about here:

"And the serpent said unto the woman, 'Ye shall not surely die':" [1]

...is expanded upon right about here:

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." [2]

...and ends right about here:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." [3]

After that, a new era begins:

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." [4]

[1] Gen. 3:4; [2] John 8:44-45; [3] Rev. 21:8; [4] Rev. 21:27

The Believer's High Esteem of Jesus Christ

2012-01-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

"Christ is never rightly conceived of, nor commended, but where other things come down, vanish and disappear, when compared with him; 'Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none on earth beside thee,' saith the Psalmist, Psalm 70:25, as having full satisfaction, and all that can be wished for in Him."
___James Durham

The Epiphany, or The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles

2012-01-07T05:48:00.000-08:00

_________________________

"We have seen his star in the east,
and have come to worship him."

The Collect

O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious God-head; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle

Ephesians iii. 1.
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
   ²If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
   ³How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
   ⁴Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
   ⁵Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
   ⁶That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
   ⁷Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
   ⁸Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
   ⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
   ¹⁰To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
   ¹¹According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
   ¹²In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

The Gospel

St. Matthew ii. 1.   ¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
   ²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
   ³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
   ⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
   ⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
   ⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
   ⁷Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
   ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
   ⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
   ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
   ¹¹And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
   ¹²And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The Circumcision of Christ

2012-01-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

The Collect

ALMIGHTY God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle

Rom iv. 8.
   Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
   ⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
   ¹⁰How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
   ¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
   ¹²And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
   ¹³For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
   ¹⁴For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

The Gospel

St. Luke ii. 15
   And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
   ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
   ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
   ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
   ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
   ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
   ²¹And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The Sunday after Christmas-day

2012-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

_________

The Collect

ALMIGHTY God,who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle

Gal. iv. 1.
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
   ²But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
   ³Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
   ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
   ⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
   ⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
   ⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Gospel

St. Matt. i. 18.
NOW the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
   ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
   ²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
   ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
   ²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
   ²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
   ²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
   ²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (2)

2011-12-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birthday of Christ, commonly called Christmas-day.

The Collect

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle   Hebrews i. 1.

GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
   ²Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
   ³Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
   ⁴Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
   ⁵For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
   ⁶And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
   ⁷And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
   ⁸But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
   ⁹Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
   ¹⁰And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
   ¹¹They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
   ¹²And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
The Gospel         St. John i. 1.

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   ²The same was in the beginning with God.
   ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
   ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
   ⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
   ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
   ⁷The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
   ⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
   ⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
   ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
   ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
   ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
   ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
   ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1)

2011-12-25T00:09:00.000-08:00

O GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly rememberance of the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen (The Collect for Christmas Day)

The Epistle
Titus 2:11-15
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

The Gospel

Luke 2:1-14

Shepherds in the Bethlehem Fields

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men!"

Reformed Anglicanism: Saturday after the Fourth Sunday in Advent, Christ...

2011-12-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

Reformed Anglicanism: Saturday after the Fourth Sunday in Advent, Christ...: http://lifeinthescriptures.blogspot.com/2011/12/saturday-after-fourth-sunday-in-advent.html Lectionary Morning - Ps. 50, Lk. 1:67-80 Eve...

OLD CHRISTMAS

2011-12-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

~ ~ ~
An English Christmas as Observed by Washington Irving

Of all the old festivals, however, that of Christmas awakens the strongest and most heartfelt associations. There is a tone of solemn and sacred feeling that blends with our conviviality, and lifts the spirit to a state of hallowed and elevated enjoyment. The services of the church about this season are extremely tender and inspiring. They dwell on the beautiful story of the origin of our faith, and the pastoral scenes that accompany its announcement. they gradually increase in fervor and pathos during the season of Advent, until they break forth in full jubilee on the morning that brought peace and good-will to men. I do not know a grander effect of music on the moral feelings than to hear the full choir and the pealing organ performing a Christmas anthem in a cathedral, and filling every part of the vast pile with triumphant harmony.

Quoted from the book, Old Christmas, by Washington Irving

Christmas as Confessed in the Three Forms of Unity:

2011-12-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

Compiled using the words of the Canons of Dort, Belgic Confession, and Heidelberg Catechism, with the Scripture texts referenced in these documents.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
   Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
   For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
   For the wages of sin is death;....(Rom. 3:10, 19-20, 23, 6:23)

But in this the love of God was manifested, that He "sent His only begotten Son into the world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (1 Jn 4:9; Jn 3:16). _(Canons - Art. 1&2)

We confess ... that God has fulfilled the promise that He made to the fathers by the mouth of His holy prophets, when He sent into the world, at the time appointed by Him, His only-begotten and eternal Son, who took upon Him the form of a servant and became like unto man, really assuming the true human nature with all its infirmities, sin excepted; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit without the means of a man ...
[W]e confess ... that Christ partook of the flesh and blood of the children; that He is a fruit of the loins of David after the flesh; a fruit of the womb of Mary; born of a woman; a branch of David; a shoot of the root of Jesse; sprung from the tribe of Judah; descended from the Jews according to the flesh; of the seed of Abraham, since he took on him the seed of Abraham and was made like unto his brethren in all things, sin excepted; so that in truth He is our IMMANUEL, that is to say, God with us. _(Belgic, Art. 18)

Why is the Son of God called "Jesus," that is, Savior?
Because He saves us from all our sins, and because salvation is not to be sought or found in any other.

What is the meaning of "conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary?"
That the eternal Son of God, who is and continues true and eternal God, took upon Himself the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Spirit; so that He might also be the true seed of David, like unto His brethren in all things, except for sin.

What benefit do you receive from the holy conception and birth of Christ?
That He is our Mediator, and with His innocence and perfect holiness covers, in the sight of God, my sin, wherein I was conceived.
(Heidelberg, Q. 29,35, 36)

________________________________

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, He shuns not the Virgin's womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;

(Refrain)

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,
We would embrace The, with love and awe;
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?

(Refrain)

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

(Refrain)

WORTHY IS THE LAMB

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Scripture Reading for Friday of the Fourth Week in Advent

Revelation 5:1-14 (KJV)

¹And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
   ²And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
   ³And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
   ⁴And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
   ⁵And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
   ⁶And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
   ⁷And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
   ⁸And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
   ⁹And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
   ¹⁰And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
   ¹¹And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
   ¹²Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
   ¹³And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
   ¹⁴And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

THE PRE-EMINENT CHRIST

2011-12-22T05:50:00.000-08:00

Thursday's Scripture Reading - Fourth Week of Advent

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
(Colossians 1:15-23 ESV)

Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Advent

2011-12-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
  according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
  and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
(Luke 2:22-38 ESV)

Fourth Week of Advent: Tuesday

2011-12-20T03:05:00.000-08:00

The Birth of Jesus

Image from: Christmas Carols Old And New

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
   ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
   ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
   ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
   ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
   ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
   ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
   ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
   ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
   ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
   ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
   ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
   ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
   ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
   ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
   ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
   ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
   ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
   ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
   ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Monday of the Fourth Week in Advent

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

MAGNIFICAT

Meeting of Mary and Elisabeth

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said,
"My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

(Luke 1:39-56)

Click here to listen to Stanford's beautiful rendition of MAGNIFICAT

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

2011-12-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

The Collect

O LORD, Raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle

Philippians 4:4-7:
   ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
   ⁵Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
   ⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
   ⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Gospel

(John 1:19-28)
This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
(NASB)

Saturday in the Third Week of Advent

2011-12-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)

"We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
(The Collect from the Book of Common Prayer)

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. God with us.

Friday in the Third Week of Advent

2011-12-16T03:31:00.000-08:00

THE BIRTH OF JOHN IS FORETOLD

Luke 1:1-25

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

8So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

18And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

19And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."

21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25"Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

(NKJV)

The Collect for Saint John Baptist's Day

ALMIGHTY God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfuly born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour by preaching repentance; Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Epistle: Isaiah 40:1-11

¹Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

²Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

⁴Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

⁵And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

⁶The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

⁷The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

⁸The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

⁹O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

¹⁰Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

¹¹He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Third Week in Advent - Thursday's Scripture Reading

2011-12-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

THE MESSENGER IS SENT

Malachi 3:1: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Scripture Reading for Wednesday, the Third Week of Advent

2011-12-14T04:35:00.000-08:00

YOUR KING IS COMING

Zechariah 9:9-10:
⁹Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
¹⁰And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

Tuesday- The Third Week in Advent

2011-12-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

____________________________

A RULER OVER ISRAEL

Micah 5:2:

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Scripture Reading for Monday in the Third Week of ADVENT

2011-12-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

A RIGHTEOUS BRANCH

Jeremiah 23:5-6:

⁵Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
⁶In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Third Sunday in Advent (2)

2011-12-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHEPHERDS IN BETHLEHEM'S FIELDS

Luke 2:8-20

8 And there were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone
away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which
is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph,
and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad
the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things
which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things,
and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all the things that they had heard and seen,
as it was told unto them.
_______________________________

THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT

2011-12-11T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Collect

O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirie ever, one God, world without end. Amen (The Collect, Book of Common Prayer)

The Epistle

1 Cor 4:1-5
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

The Gospel

Matt 11:2-10
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
(KJV)
(From the Book of Common Prayer)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scripture Reading for Saturday - Second Week of Advent

2011-12-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

________________________________________

GOD'S SPIRIT IS UPON HIM

Isaiah 61:1-3

¹ The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
² To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
³ To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

(NASB)

^{Luke 4:17-22}

¹⁷ And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
¹⁹ TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

²⁰ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

(NASB)

A CHRISTMAS STORY (The Real One)

2011-12-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

Friday's Scripture Reading for the Second Week of Advent

A Christmas Story
(The real one)

The Exalted Servant

13 Behold, My servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people,
So His appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons of men.
15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations,
Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him;
For what had not been told them they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.

The Suffering Servant

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

10 But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
(NASB)

Thank you Lord Jesus

Thursday's Scripture Reading - 2nd Week of Advent

2011-12-08T04:01:00.000-08:00

.
A SERVANT BRINGS SALVATION

¹Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

He conquers through Preaching and His Words are Effective

²And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
   ³And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

The Lord Rejected - But Vindicated After His Death and Resurrection

⁴Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

He was Formed in the Womb to Reconcile the Jews With God

⁵And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

And Bring the Gospel to the Nations (Through the Church)

⁶And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
   ⁷Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
(Isaiah 49:1-7)

(Headings [in red] from the new Geneva Study Bible, notes)

Wednesday's Scripture Reading - 2nd Week of Advent

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

___________________
Behold My Chosen One

¹Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
   ²He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
   ³A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
   ⁴He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
(Isaiah 42:1-4)

_____________________________

¹⁴Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
   ¹⁵But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
   ¹⁶And charged them that they should not make him known:
   ¹⁷That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
   ¹⁸Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
   ¹⁹He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
   ²⁰A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
   ²¹And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
(Matthew 12:14-21)

Tuesday's Scripture Reading - 2nd Week of Advent

2011-12-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

__________________________
The Sovereign Lord Comes

⁹O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
¹⁰Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
¹¹He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
(Isaiah 40:9-11)

__________________________

¹¹For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
   ¹²How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
   ¹³And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
   ¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
(Matthew 18:11-14)

Monday in the Second Week of Advent

2011-12-05T05:01:00.000-08:00

Repent ye; for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. __ Matthew 3:2

Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. __ Isaiah 11:3

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. __ Luke 2:10-11

____________________________

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen. (The collect from the Book of Common Prayer)

Isaiah 9:2-6
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned...

For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NIV)

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT II

2011-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25 NIV)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:1-7 NIV)

2nd Sunday in Advent

2011-12-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

"Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ." Amen (The Collect, from the Book of Common Prayer)

The Epistle

Rom 15:4-13

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
8Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
12And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

The Gospel

Luke 21:25-33

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
29And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (KJV)

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT

2011-11-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

The Epistle

Rom 13:8-14

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (KJV)

The Gospel

Matt 21:1-13

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (KJV)

Gratitude

2011-11-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

O MOST merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and scarcity into plenty; We give thee humble thanks for this thy special bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness unto us, that our land may yield us her fruits of increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The images are from Our Daily Bread. The prayer of thanksgiving is from The Book of Common Prayer.

Jimmy in California

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is the second week of our daughter Becky's, and grandson Jimmy's visit with us. They will return to Pennsylvania on Saturday. It has been quite a while since there was a baby in the house. It has been a long time since I changed a diaper, but Becky gave me a "refresher" course. It has been a wonderful experience for Sheila and me to meet this little fellow and spend quality time with him. Now that I think about it, this is the longest period of time we have spent with Becky in the last seven years.

2 1/2 month old James

Rebekah and Jimmy in the living room

Relaxing with Uncle Joseph on the front porch

Our Father Who Art In Heaven

2011-11-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

__________________________________________________________

The creation of a family, with children, is the reason for all of God’s activity. This is how he intends to show his glory.

"[In Ephesians 1:3-6]…Christian experience is traced from its origin in the eternal purpose of God to its goal in the praise of the glory and grace of God – ‘He chose us in him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight … to the praise of his glorious grace.’ But what is God’s purpose in all this? ‘In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.’ The creation of a family, with children, is the reason for all of God’s activity. This is how he intends to show his glory."

Sinclair Ferguson, Children of the Living God – pg. 4 – Banner of Truth Trust

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

Craig Boyd
U.S. Navy from 1966-1970
Petty officer 2nd class - Radarman

USS Goldsborough (DDG 20)
Home port: Pearl Harbor

Tanks of the 6th Armored -
Near Bastogne - Battle of the Bulge

My father:
Bernard Boyd _ U.S. Army
from 1942-1945
Technical Sergeant -
Radio operator
6th Armored Division - Europe

Tachikawa Air Base - Japan

My brother:
Keith Boyd
U.S. Air Force from 1967-1971
Sergeant-

AFSC - aircraft refueling
6100 Support Wing
Supply Squadron

My son:
Craig Robert Boyd

U.S. Navy '87-'91
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)

Veteran of Gulf War

Shepherd Boy

2011-11-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our grand-son Jimmy was a Shepherd Boy for Halloween last night

Hey! What Happened to This Family's Photo?!

2011-10-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

_____________________________________________
Our church has a bulletin board with photographs of our member families. What happened here? Did someone "have it in" for Eric and Flora's family picture?

Actually, the board was accidentally damaged when some things were being moved around. The photo was moved to another spot on the board. (see below)

Flora and Eric Krook with their three sons, Ethan, Jacob and Elijah.

_________________________________________

Top photo by Courtney Osburn. Bottom photo is from Flora's Facebook wall, and a printed copy of it is on the church bulletin board.

Calvinistic Cartoons: Good Question

2011-10-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Calvinistic Cartoons: Good Question

Pilgrims and Strangers in This Life

2011-10-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

______

‎"Blessed are they who feel like pilgrims and strangers in this life, and whose best things are all to come!" ~ J.C. Ryle

Let down your nets for a draught

2011-10-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

C.H. Spurgeon's Daily Devotional

"Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught."-Luke 5:4

We learn from this narrative, the necessity of human agency. The draught of fishes was miraculous, yet neither the fisherman nor his boat, nor his fishing tackle were ignored; but all were used to take the fishes. So in the saving of souls, God worketh by means; and while the present economy of grace shall stand, God will be pleased by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

When God worketh without instruments, doubtless He is glorified; but He hath Himself selected the plan of instrumentality as being that by which He is most magnified in the earth. Means of themselves are utterly unavailing. "Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing." What was the reason of this? Were they not fishermen plying their special calling? Verily, they were no raw hands; they understood the work. Had they gone about the toil unskillfully? No. Had they lacked industry? No, they had toiled. Had they lacked perseverance? No, they had toiled all the night. Was there a deficiency of fish in the sea? Certainly not, for as soon as the Master came, they swam to the net in shoals. What, then, is the reason? Is it because there is no power in the means of themselves apart from the presence of Jesus? "Without Him we can do nothing." But with Christ we can do all things. Christ's presence confers success. Jesus sat in Peter's boat, and His will, by a mysterious influence, drew the fish to the net.

When Jesus is lifted up in His Church, His presence is the Church's power-the shout of a king is in the midst of her. "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." Let us go out this morning on our work of soul fishing, looking up in faith, and around us in solemn anxiety. Let us toil till night comes, and we shall not labour in vain, for He who bids us let down the net, will fill it with fishes.

CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening daily devotional

Jimmy Tours the Neighborhood

2011-09-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Jimmy goes on his first stroller ride to see the neighborhood. Maybe he will be awake for his second stroller ride

"Pepper" the cat - guarding Jimmy. Becky says that the cats are very protective of him. Good cats.

Jimmy gets dried off after a bath. Now for lunch and a nap.

Photographs by Donald "Daddy" Fusina

James Anthony Fusina

2011-08-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

James was born last night at 9:20 pm. He is 9lbs 2oz, 21 1/2 inches tall; he has black curly hair and a powerful set of lungs. Rebekah is sore and exhausted after over 11 hours of difficult labor.

Jimmy

Sleepy boy, and happy Mommy

Becky's Due Date was Monday, the 22nd. Now, we wait.

2011-08-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here is our daughter Becky about two weeks ago. Now, we all are waiting for Jimmy to make his appearance.

Security

2011-08-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

This was in an email that originated with Linda Dickson.

This is the 300th post on Stranger in a Strange Land

THE CATS ARE LOVING THIS

2011-08-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

The cats are thrilled with all the new stuff that is coming into the house. What will they think when the baby arrives in just a few days?

Artemis loves her new bed

ONE MONTH

2011-08-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today is August 18th. Just one month ago, July 18th was when I had my accident breaking my hip and splitting my ear. It was just about the same time of day that I am typing this, between 1 and 2 p.m. I am getting around using a walker, and sometimes a cane in the house. I do my daily physical therapy exercises for building up the muscles around my hip. It is just isometric exercises now, plus taking walks with the walker. As my leg becomes stronger, I will start using a stationary bicycle.

One burden that is weighing heavily on us is income. I am unable to do physical work right now, and have had to turn down carpet cleaning jobs when customers call. I have, however, been able to complete two jobs so far, having a helper to the actual work while I directed. I am thankful for that. I also have a couple of cleanings scheduled for the next two Saturdays with Ryan's help. I really need for something dramatic to happen really soon as far as earning a living is concerned. Business has been dropping off the last few years because of the economy, and our financial situation is in critical condition. I really need a good-paying job right now.

Becky in May (six months along)

On the bright side, our daughter Becky is due to have a baby any day now. Her due-date is August 22nd, less than a week away. They know that it is a boy and have decided to name him James Anthony Fusina. We have been calling him Jimmy. Becky and Don have been married for two years, and live in Pittsburgh, PA. I am not sure when we will get to see little Jimmy, but Sheila and I can hardly wait.

This ends my personal and family update. I have a book review and a detailed account of the accident (with pictures) planned for upcoming posts.

Bye for now,

Craig

What Drives the Sinner to Christ Alone for Salvation?

2011-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

When the eyes of men are opened to see their sin, their danger by it, and the insufficiency of their own works to justify and save them, no object is so desirable to them as the Lord Jesus Christ. _____John Fawcett

Still Ridiculing Hitler, After All These Years

2011-08-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

"You must be at least this tall, without standing on your tippy-toes, to go on this ride."

Reposted from: The Olive Press (Humor) A Division of Error On Page Publishing

INTERCESSORS: PRAYING FOR A PERSON'S SALVATION

2011-08-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

I don't advertise it, but it is true that I love to pray for people. The kind of prayer request that particularly captures my attention and compels me to approach my Father's throne is when I am asked to pray for some one's salvation. If I am standing on a street corner, and Providence brings a friend up to me asking to pray for so-and-so's salvation, we go to prayer NOW, Matthew 6:5-6 notwithstanding. There is no experience quite like that of asking God to convict a certain one of their sins, and to grant them repentance unto life and faith in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

That brings me to something that happened on face book last night. First, there was a notification that someone (whom I did not know) "liked" a comment I had made in reference to a quote from Tabletalk Magazine. (The subject was: not compromising the presentation of the Gospel in order to make it more acceptable to sinners.) But there was also a friend request from this same person. As a rule, I quietly ignore friend requests from people whom I do not know. I didn't know why I did it, maybe it was the fact that she was also a fan of Tabletalk Magazine, or perhaps it was the picture of a cute cat that she used as her fb profile picture (I am a sucker for cat photos), but I clicked "accept" without investigating any info about this person.

Within seconds, she responded with a message thanking me for accepting her friend request. We chatted for a few minutes; it was a pleasant conversation about church, being "strong in the Lord" etc. Then signed off.

About an hour later, I decided to look at the posts on my new friend's wall from earlier in the day, and there it was. A request to her "face book buddies" to pray for the salvation of her husband. I immediately did just that, and will continue to do so. So, there was my answer. It wasn't the Tabletalk connection; I've ignored plenty of those. Nor was it the cat photo. Many "face book" users have pics of cats. God was presenting me with an opportunity to pray for the salvation of a precious soul. I am humbled and overwhelmed by the way He plans out these things in our daily lives.

Praise the Lord.

Perils of Door to Door Witnessing

2011-08-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

There are some neighborhoods where door to door witnessing is really tough.

Illustration from Calvinistic Cartoons. The caption is mine.

Eucalyptus forest, Mt. Sutro (San Francisco Bay Area)

2011-08-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Re posted from Photography by Joseph

FIFTEEN THEOLOGIANS "PULL THE PIN" ON THE ROMANS 9 GRENADE

2011-07-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

Few doctrines of the Christian Faith have received more attention or sparked more debate than that of the Sovereignty of God in the Salvation of Men. Now, all Christians agree that God is Sovereign. No question about that. No believer denies that God is sovereign in his power or in his authority. The question that has given rise to much controversy is this: Is God Sovereign in His Grace? Is a person's salvation entirely of God from beginning to end, or does it ultimately depend on something that we do, e.g. "making a decision" or our "persevering to the end of our lives?" This is arguably the issue that ignited the Reformation and gave birth to the Protestant churches. Later, it would be the issue that divided Protestantism into Calvinistic and Arminian factions.

In the ensuing war of words, that continues to this day, each side has it's "weapons," in the form of Scripture passages, in it's armory and employs them in defence of their respective positions. The ninth chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans has long been a favorite of the Calvinist, or Reformed camp, and they have found it to be especially effective when cited in conjunction with the words of Jesus in John 6.

"Corky"

Cartoonist Eddie Eddings ( Calvinistic Cartoons ) calls this "weapon" the Romans 9 Grenade, and has created a character named Corky, who wears a grenade costume, to represent this polemical tactic employed by Calvinistic apologists when engaged in friendly dialogue with their Arminian opponents. Corky is often featured on the Calvinistic Cartoons blog.

The following is a list of 26 quotes from 15 different theologians, both ancient and modern, giving their insights on what Romans 9 teaches about the Sovereignty of God in our salvation.

Romans Chapter Nine

Paul’s Sorrow Over Unbelieving Israel (Romans 9:1-5)

Augustine: "Hence, as far as concerns us, who are not able to distinguish those who are predestinated from those who are not, we ought on this very account to will all men to be saved ... It belongs to God, however, to make that rebuke useful to them whom He Himself has foreknown and predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son" (On Rebuke & Grace, ch. 49).

Calvin on Romans 9:2: "... the obedience we render to God’s providence does not prevent us from grieving at the destruction of lost men, though we know that they are thus doomed by the just judgment of God; for the same mind is capable of being influenced by these two feelings: that when it looks to God it can willingly bear the ruin of those whom he has decreed to destroy; and that when it turns its thoughts to men, it condoles with their evils. They are then much deceived, who say that godly men ought to have apathy and insensibility, lest they should resist the decree of God."

Herman Hoeksema on Romans 9:3: "What the apostle means is: were I placed before the alternative that my brethren according to the flesh be saved, or I; were I permitted to choose between their salvation and my own, could I effect their salvation by my being accursed, I could indeed wish to be accursed from Christ in their behalf ... Without wishing to place ourselves on a par with the apostle, we may safely say that, in a degree, we can often repeat these words after him. Just imagine a parent who experiences the grief of seeing one or more of his children walk the way of sin and destruction. Just imagine a pastor, who, in the course of years becomes attached to his flock and earnestly desires their salvation, but who beholds many of them that are not the objects of God’s electing love. And what is true of our own flesh and blood in the narrowest sense of the word and of the Church of Christ in the world in general can be applied to mankind as a whole. Out of one blood God has made the whole of the human race, and they are, according to the flesh, all our brethren. And we can understand a little, at least, of the attitude of the apostle when he speaks of the great heaviness that burdens his soul and says that he could wish to be accursed from Christ for his kinsmen according to the flesh. And in as far as we could wish in our present flesh and blood, we could indeed desire all men to be saved."

They are Not All Israel Which are of Israel (Romans 9:6-9)

Calvin on the organic idea of the Church: "We must at the same time bear in mind what I have reminded you of elsewhere - that the Prophet directs his discourse one while to the faithful only, who were then few in number, and that at another time he addresses the multitude indiscriminately; and so when our Prophet threatens, he regards the whole body of the people; but when he proclaims the favour of God, it is the same as though he turned his eyes towards the faithful only, and gathered them into a place by themselves. As for instance, when a few among a people are really wise, and the whole multitude unite in hastening their own ruin, he who has an address to make will make a distinction between the vast multitude and the few; he will severely reprove those who are thus foolish, and live for their own misery; and he will afterwards shape his discourse so as to suit those with whom he has not so much fault to find. Thus also the Lord changes his discourse; for at one time he addresses the ungodly, and at another he turns to the elect, who were but a remnant. So the Prophet has hitherto spoken by reproofs and threatenings, for he addressed the whole body of the people; but now he collects, as I have said, the remnant as it were by themselves, and sets before them the hope of pardon and of salvation" (Comm. on Zephaniah 3:9).

Calvin on the organic idea of the Church: "If one objects and says, that this statement militates against many others which we have observed, the answer is easy, and the solution has already been adduced in another place, and I shall now only touch on it briefly. When God distinctly denounces ruin on the people, the body of the people is had in view; and in this body there was then no integrity. Inasmuch, then, as all the Israelites had become corrupt, had departed from the worship and fear of God, and from all piety and righteousness, and had abandoned themselves to all kinds of wickedness, the Prophet declares that they were to perish without any exception. But when he confines the vengeance of God, or moderates it, he has respect to a very small number; for, as it has been already stated, corruption had never so prevailed among the people, but that some seed remained. Hence, when the Prophet has in view the elect of God, he applies then these consolations, by which he mitigates their terror, that they might understand that God, even in his extreme rigour, would be propitious to them. Such is the way to account for this passage" (Comm. on Hosea 11:8-9).

Elect Jacob & Reprobate Esau (Romans 9:10-13)

John Murray: "... the differentiation which belongs to Israel as a whole in virtue of the theocratic election does not meet the question the apostle encounters in this whole passage, namely, the unbelief of the mass of ethnic Israel. There must be another factor at work which will obviate the inference that the word of God has come to nought. This factor is found in the particularity of election, that is, in a more specific and determinative election than is exemplified in the generic election of Israel as a people."

D. M. Lloyd-Jones on "that the purpose of God according to election might stand" (Rom. 9:11): "That is it! It is the purpose of God; He is carrying it out Himself, nothing can frustrate it. And God, he says here, does it in this way through this process of election and selection, in order that it may stand, that it may never fall" (Romans 9, p. 130).

God’s Hatred of Esau (Romans 9:13)

Augustine: "He who said, ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,’ loved Jacob of His undeserved grace, and hated Esau of His deserved judgment" (Enchiridion, xcviii).

Martin Luther: "the love and hate of God towards men is immutable and eternal, existing, not merely before there was any merit or work of ‘free-will,’ but before the world was made; [so] all things take place in us of necessity, according as He has from eternity loved or not loved ... faith and unbelief come to us by no work of our own, but through the love and hatred of God" (The Bondage of the Will, pp. 226, 228-229).

Calvin "the reprobate are hateful to God, and with very good reason. For, deprived of his Spirit, they can bring forth nothing but reason for cursing" (Institutes 3.24.17).

Jerome Zanchius: "When hatred is ascribed to God, it implies (1) a negation of benevolence, or a resolution not to have mercy on such and such men, nor to endue them with any of those graces which stand connected with eternal life. So, ‘Esau have I hated’ (Rom. 9), i.e., ‘I did, from all eternity, determine within Myself not to have mercy on him.’ The sole cause of which awful negation is not merely the unworthiness of the persons hated, but the sovereignty and freedom of the Divine will. (2) It denotes displeasure and dislike, for sinners who are not interested in Christ cannot but be infinitely displeasing to and loathsome in the sight of eternal purity. (3) It signifies a positive will to punish and destroy the reprobate for their sins, of which will, the infliction of misery upon them hereafter, is but the necessary effect and actual execution" (Absolute Predestination, p. 44).

Francis Turretin: "For as he who loves a person or thing wishes well and, if he can, does well to it, so true hatred and abhorrence cannot exist without drawing after them the removal and destruction of the contrary" (Elenctic Theology, vol. 2, pp. 237-238).

Robert Haldane: "Nothing can more clearly manifest the strong opposition of the human mind to the doctrine of the Divine sovereignty, than the violence which human ingenuity has employed to wrest the _expression, ‘Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.’ By many this has been explained, ‘Esau have I loved less.’ But Esau was not the object of any degree of the Divine love ... If God’s love to Jacob was real literal love, God’s hatred to Esau must be real literal hatred. It might as well be said that the phrase, ‘Jacob have I loved,’ does not signify that God really loved Jacob, but that to love here signifies only to hate less, and that all that is meant by the _expression, is that God hated Jacob less than he hated Esau. If every man’s own mind is a sufficient security against concluding the meaning to be, ‘Jacob have I hated less,’ his judgment ought to be a security against the equally unwarrantable meaning, ‘Esau have I loved less’ ... hardening [is] a proof of hatred" (Romans, pp. 456, 457).

A. W. Pink: "‘Thou hatest all workers of iniquity’—not merely the works of iniquity. Here, then, is a flat repudiation of present teaching that, God hates sin but loves the sinner; Scripture says, ‘Thou hatest all workers of iniquity’ (Ps. 5:5)! ‘God is angry with the wicked every day.’ ‘He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God’—not ‘shall abide,’ but even now—‘abideth on him’ (Ps. 5:5; 8:11; John 3:36). Can God ‘love’ the one on whom His ‘wrath’ abides? Again; is it not evident that the words ‘The love of God which is in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 8:39) mark a limitation, both in the sphere and objects of His love? Again; is it not plain from the words ‘Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated’ (Rom. 9:13) that God does not love everybody? ... Is it conceivable that God will love the damned in the Lake of Fire? Yet, if He loves them now He will do so then, seeing that His love knows no change—He is ‘without variableness or shadow of turning!’" (The Sovereignty of God, p. 248).

John Murray: "[Divine hatred can] scarcely be reduced to that of not loving or loving less ... the evidence would require, to say the least, the thought of disfavour, disapprobation, displeasure. There is also a vehement quality that may not be discounted ... We are compelled, therefore, to find in this word a declaration of the sovereign counsel of God as it is concerned with the ultimate destinies of men" (Romans, vol. 2, pp. 22, 24).

Homer C. Hoeksema: "All history, in which vessels unto honor or unto dishonor are formed, is the revelation and realization of the counsel of God according to which He loved Jacob and all His elect people, but hated Esau and all the reprobate."

James Montgomery Boice: "although hatred in God is of a different character than hatred in sinful human beings—his is a holy hatred—hate in God nevertheless does imply disapproval ... [Esau] was the object of [God’s] displeasure ... Since the selection involved in the words love and hate was made before either of the children was born, the words must involve a double predestination in which, on the one hand, Jacob was destined to salvation and, on the other hand, Esau was destined to be passed over and thus to perish" (Romans, vol. 3, p. 1062).

John MacArthur, Jr.: "In a very real sense, God hated Esau himself. It was not a petty, spiteful, childish kind of hatred, but something far more dreadful. It was divine antipathy—a holy loathing directed at Esau personally. God abominated him as well as what he stood for" (The Love of God, pp. 86-87).

D. A. Carson: "Fourteen times in the first fifty psalms alone, we are told that God hates the sinner, his wrath is on the liar, and so forth" (The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, p. 79).

Is God’s Election Unrighteous? (Romans 9:14-16)

Herman Hoeksema: "A man wills because God shows him mercy. God does not show mercy because a man wills. But when God shows mercy to a man, the result is that he wills, he runs. His willing is not the cause, but the effect. God’s mercy is first. And although it is true that one cannot enter into the kingdom of God unless he wills, the cause of this willing is not in man, but in God. God’s mercy is sovereign." (Righteous By Faith Alone, p. 401).

Is God’s Reprobation Unrighteous? (Romans 9:17-18)

John Calvin on hardening: "But the word hardens, when applied to God in Scripture, means not only permission, (as some washy moderators would have it,) but also the operation of the wrath of God: for all those external things, which lead to the blinding of the reprobate, are the instruments of his wrath; and Satan himself, who works inwardly with great power, is so far his minister, that he acts not, but by his command ... Paul teaches us, that the ruin of the wicked is not only foreseen by the Lord, but also ordained by his counsel and his will; and Solomon teaches us the same thing,—that not only the destruction of the wicked is foreknown, but that the wicked themselves have been created for this very end—that they may perish. (Prov. 16:4.)"

A.W. Pink on Pharoah: "It is clear that God raised up Pharaoh for this very end—to ‘cut him off,’ which in the language of the New Testament means ‘destroyed.’ God never does anything without a previous design. In giving him being, in preserving him through infancy and childhood, in raising him to the throne of Egypt, God had one end in view" (Sovereignty of God, p. 107).

John Piper on Romans 9: "There is a correspondence between ‘Jacob I loved and Esau I hated’ (9:13), on the one hand, and ‘He has mercy on whom he wills and he hardens whom he wills’ (9:18), on the other hand ... the implication that must then follow is that God’s act of hardening is just as unconditional as the loving and hating of 9:13, which God determined ‘before they were born or had done anything good or evil.’"

The Ultimate Theodicy (Romans 9:19-24)

Herman Hoeksema: "The vessels of wrath are so constituted that their entire make-up and design and institution serves the purpose of reaching that end of destruction. If we abandon the figure of the vessel, the meaning is that there are men so instituted as to their personality, their power and talents, their position in the world and their place in the whole of the works of God, that everything tends to their destruction, serves the purpose of leading them, not to temporal destruction, but to eternal desolation. Unto this they are fitted" (God’s Eternal Good Pleasure, p. 93).

D. M. Lloyd-Jones: "’What if God, willing to shew his wrath ...’ Now this word ‘willing’... really means ‘wishing’, and it is even stronger than that; it could be translated ‘What if God inclined to ...’ And then even that is not strong enough because it means ‘a deep and a strong desire’ ... ‘His holy will disposes Him not to leave unmanifested His wrath and His power.’ That is a very good way of putting it. It is a paraphrase but it does bring out the meaning: ‘Notwithstanding that His holy will disposes Him.’ And it disposes Him very strongly. God, with this whole disposition of His nature, [wills to show his wrath upon the reprobate] ..." (Romans 9, p. 211).

J. M. Boice: "Every person who has ever lived or will ever live must glorify God, either actively or passively, either willingly or unwillingly, either in heaven or in hell. You will glorify God. Either you will glorify him as the object of his mercy and glory, which will be seen in you. Or you will glorify him in your rebellion and unbelief by being made the object of his wrath and power at the final judgment" (Romans, vol 3, p. 1108).

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These quotes are from the website of Covenant Protestant Reformed Church , Ballymenda, Northern Ireland.

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And someScriptures:

Romans 9:14-18
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
   ¹⁵For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
   ¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
   ¹⁷For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
   ¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

John 6:35-37
   ³⁵And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
   ³⁶But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
   ³⁷All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:65
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

THE REAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL

2011-07-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

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For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. I Thessalonians 2:13

Christ Speaking Through Preaching

Chrysostom on I Thessalonians 2:13: "For in hearing us, you gave such heed, as if not hearing men, but as if God Himself were exhorting you."

Augustine: "Yes it is I who admonish, I who order, I who command, it is the bishop who teaches. But it is Christ who commands through me." "The preacher explains the text; if he says what is true, it is Christ speaking."

Luther: "Flesh and blood are an impediment. They merely behold the person of the pastor and brother ... They refuse to regard the oral Word and the ministry as a treasure costlier and better than heaven and earth. People generally think: ‘If I had an opportunity to hear God speak in person, I would run my feet bloody’ ... But you now have the Word of God in church ... and this is God’s Word as surely as if God Himself were speaking to you."

Calvin: "When the Prophet says, by the breath of his lips, this must not be limited to the person of Christ; for it refers to the Word which is preached by his ministers. Christ acts by them in such a manner that He wishes their mouth to be reckoned as his mouth, and their lips as his lips; that is, when they speak from his mouth, and faithfully declare his Word (Luke 10:16)" (Comm. on Isa. 11:4).

Second Helvetic Confession (1566): "Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is preached, and received of the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be feigned, nor to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; who, although he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God abides true and good."

Archbishop Sandys (c.1516-1588): "... when thou hearest the minister preaching the truth, thou hearest not him, but the Son of God, the teacher of all truth, Christ Jesus" (Theology of the English Reformers, p. 125).

William Perkins (1558-1602): "Thus every [preacher’s] task is to speak partly as the voice of God (in preaching), and partly as the voice of the people (in praying): ‘If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth’ (Jer. 15:19)" (The Art of Prophesying, p. 7).

Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. & A. 160: "What is required of those that hear the word preached? It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the word of God ..."

Jeremiah Burroughs (a member of the Westminster Assembly): "First, when you come to hear the Word, if you would sanctify God’s name, you must possess your souls with what it is you are going to hear, that what you are going to hear is the Word of God. It is not the speaking of a man you are going to attend, but you are now going to attend upon God and to hear the Word of the Eternal God ... Therefore you find that the Apostle, writing to the Thessalonians, gives them the reason why the Word did them as much good as it did. It was because they heard it as the Word of God, I Thess. 2:13 ... Mark, so it came effectually to work because they received it as the Word of God. Many times you will say, ‘Come, let us go hear a man preach.’ Oh no, let us go hear Christ preach, for as it concerns the ministers of God that they preach not themselves, but that Christ should preach in them, so it concerns you that hear not to come to hear this man or that man, but to come to hear Jesus Christ" (Gospel Worship, p. 200).

Wilhelmus á Brakel (1635-1711): The minister must "remind himself in a lively manner that God has sent him, that he ascends the pulpit as an ambassador of God, speaks in the name of God, and is as the mouth of the Lord unto the congregation" (The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 2, p. 138).

W. Sanday & A. C. Headlam (critical scholars) on Romans 10:14: "‘how can they believe on Him whom they have not heard preaching?’ ... must be so translated, and what follows must be interpreted by assuming that the preaching of Christ’s messengers is identical with the preaching of Christ Himself."

D. M. Lloyd-Jones: "It is not only man preaching, as he says to the Thessalonians in I Thessalonians 2:13: You listened, he says to them, and you realized it was not merely the word of man but it was indeed what it actually is, the Word of God. This is his preaching, and this should be true of our preaching" (Knowing the Times, p. 276).

John Murray on Romans 10:14: "... Christ is represented as being heard in the gospel when proclaimed by the sent messengers. The implication is that Christ speaks in the gospel proclamation."

Herman Hoeksema: "Through the preaching it pleases God through Christ, the exalted Lord, the chief prophet of God, who alone gathers his church, to speak to his people unto salvation. This is evident from Romans 10:14, which, according to the original, asks, 'How shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?' Through the preaching, therefore, you do not hear about Christ, but you hear him. The difference is easily understood. When you hear about or of someone, he is not present. You do not hear his own voice, but the voice of someone else who tells you something about him. But when you hear someone, you hear his own voice. He is present with you. He is addressing you personally. This is the sense of Romans 10:14, which teaches that you cannot believe in Christ unless you have heard him speak to you, unless you have heard his word addressed to you. This is exactly the meaning of the words, 'How shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?'" (Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2, p. 289).

Leon Morris: "... Christ is present in the preachers; to hear them is to hear him."

James Montgomery Boice: "‘He who listens to you listens to me [Christ]’ and ‘he who rejects you reject me’ (Luke 10:16). It is the same today. When I (or any other minister) stand up to teach the Bible, if I do it rightly, it is not my word you are hearing. It is the Word of God, and the voice you hear in your heart is the voice of Christ. So, if you do not like what I am saying, do not get angry with me. I am only the postman. My job is just to deliver the letters. And when you respond, do not think that you are responding to me. You are responding to Jesus, who is calling you through the appointed channel of sound preaching" (Romans, vol. 3, p. 1241).

J. I. Packer: "A true sermon is an act of God, and not a mere performance by man. In real preaching the speaker is the servant of the Word & God speaks & works by the Word through his servant’s lips ... The sermon ... is God’s ordained means of speaking and working."

Klaas Runia: "The Pauline Epistles frequently use such expressions as ‘the word of God’ or ‘the word of the Lord’ or, in an even shorter formula, ‘the word’ (cf. 1 Thess. 1:6, 8; 3:1; Col. 4:33; II Tim. 2:9; 4:1; etc.). In all these passages the terms refer to the preached word. This is also the reason why the word preached by Paul and the others is effective. This efficacy is not due to the talents of the preacher, but the secret lies in the genitive: it is the word of God or of the Lord. In the apostolic message (the emphasis being always on the content) the voice of the living God is being heard. This emphasis was shared by the Reformers. Both Luther and Calvin were convinced that, when the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed, God himself is heard by the listeners" (New Dictionary of Theology, p. 529).

Edmund Clowney: "As [ministers] are obliged to preach, so others are obliged to hear. Their message must be received as the word of God (I Thess. 2:13)" (Called to the Ministry, p. 50).

Hughes Oliphant Old: "Fides ex auditu [faith comes by hearing] is a corollary to a strong Augustinian theology which believes that it is essentially God himself who reaches out to his people in the preaching of the word, and therefore it is what God does in and through these means of grace which makes them effective. That faith comes by hearing follows naturally from the doctrine of grace ... when the word of Christ is truly preached, then Christ is present" (The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures, vol. 1, pp. 183, 186).

J. Mark Beach: "... according to the classical Reformed tradition, the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. Or to state it more accurately, preaching, when accompanied by the Spirit’s presence and power, is Christ’s living voice to the church and world today. Christ is really present in the preaching of the gospel" ("The Real Presence of Christ in the Preaching of the Gospel," Mid America Journal of Theology, 1999, p. 77).

Robert Spinney (American Baptist): "Good preaching is not merely correct proclamation of the truth; it is God himself proclaiming his Truth ..." ("Looking for Grace in All the Wrong Places: The Marginalization of Preaching," Modern Reformation, Nov./Dec. 2000, p. 38).

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This list of quotes is from the web site of Covenant Protestant Reformed Church, Northern Ireland.

Related Article: from Luther and Calvin on the Nature of Preaching. Please take the time to read this excellent article by J. Mark Beach.

"There is no such thing as a wise atheist"

2011-07-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

Atheist:
"I need proof. Are you telling me that I am unwise in refusing to believe in something that I can not see?"

Eddie Eddings:
"...you can't believe in everything you SEE either. Photoshop, TV and movies can attest to that.

Love is something you can't see but I'm pretty sure you believe in it.

The "unwise" part in the life of an atheist is his or her neglecting so great a salvation.

You can't SEE your future but, you definitely have an eternal one.

I have no way to "prove" this to you. But, proof will come eventually.

Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment. I would consider gambling with your soul an unwise practice."

Calvinistic Cartoons

Happy 502nd Birthday John Calvin

2011-07-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509. He was one of the most significant figures in the Reformation. His scholarly writing, and preaching were instrumental in returning the church to the true gospel.

GOSPEL WEEKEND: "JUSTIFICATION"

2011-07-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

I am slowly making my way through Derek Thomas' book, How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home. It is not a long book, only about 140 pages. One could easily complete it in a day. It is not difficult reading. The subject matter does not extend beyond the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith. But I find myself needing to pause frequently to meditate on what I have just read, even after a paragtaph or two. As the author of Hebrews says, "...we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."[1] Today, the Gospel is being diluted in many nominal Christian churches and "ministries." Besides that, there is the temptation in all of us to lose the appreciation of how great the Gospel is, and need to be reminded of how our Father loves us, and how through the Holy Spirit, is transforming us into the image of Christ.

The following quote is from the chapter I read this morning. It covers Romans 8:28-30, the beloved passage known to many as "The Golden Chain of Salvation."

"...[J]ustified. We are called into union with Jesus Christ, and thereby we find ourselves in a right relationship with God. God judicially credits our sins to Jesus Christ, and credits Christ's righteousness to us. By faith, we receive all that Christ has done for us, propitiating God's wrath against sin by His sufferings on the cross on our behalf. Through an act of substitution, Jesus is reckoned sin and judged accordingly, and we are reckoned "the righteousness of God" in union with Christ and accepted into fellowship with God (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20-21).

Being "justified by faith we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1)"

[1] Heb. 2:1

"Romans 8 is a description of the Christian life...from justification to glorification, from trial and suffering to the peace and tranquility of the new heavens and new earth." __ DEREK W. H. THOMAS

100

2011-07-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

Today, July 6th, is my father, Bernard B. Boyd's birthday. He would have been 100 years old.

Dad was born in Washington, D.C. to Edgar and Nellie (Pritchard) Boyd. They lived in the John Jay apartments on East Capitol Street, three blocks from the capitol building. He had one brother, Rheymond, and two sisters, Eleanor and Marye. When he was a boy, his best friend was Henry Camper. Henry was to one day become my father's brother-in-law, when he married Marye.

My father would spend summers at Aunt Louie's farm near Linden, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He loved that region, and the nearby Shenandoah Valley. He would also spend time with family in Front Royal. As fond as he was of the Blue Ridge area, he had developed "wanderlust," and was always curious to discover what was over that ridge on the horizon. In a few years he would head west, but at the age of 18 his desire to travel would first lead him to hitch-hike to New York, where he joined the Merchant Marine. He sent a telegram to his father with the message: "PLEASE WIRE ME TWENTY DOLLARS. I AM GOING TO EUROPE." His father responded: "HERE IS A HUNDRED DOLLARS. GO AROUND THE WORLD."

During the Great Depression, Dad set off across the country, finding odd jobs along the way. The journey took him to Montana, where he worked on a ranch, then to Oregon, and finally down the Pacific coast to Los Angeles, California. His Aunt Edda owned an apartment building on 37th Place, across from the University of Southern California. He lived there and found work doing roofing and siding.

When the United States entered World War 2, Dad was drafted into the Army. He was assigned to the 6th Armored Division at Fort Knox, Ky. Soon, the division was sent to Louisiana for training, and that is where Bernard Boyd met Effie Droddy (my mother). After the 6th went to California for more training, he sent for her. She took a train to Los Angeles, and they were married in January of 1943.

The next day after returning from their honeymoon in Oakland, (Yes, Oakland) the 6th Armored shipped out for England. His bride got a job as a teller at Security First National Bank. On July 18 and 19th, 1944, the 6th Armored Division landed on Utah beach in Normandy, six weeks after the D-Day invasion of Europe. Among the notable operations that they participated in was the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp .

After Dad returned from the war, he bought a fishing boat, the Bonnie Margaret, and became a commercial fisherman. He operated out of San Pedro. Eventually, he saw the need to be closer to his family (by then, my brother Keith and I had been born). He sold the boat, got his contractors license, and established his own roofing business (like his father before him). In 1955 our family (which now included my sister Carol) moved to Anaheim. There was a construction boom in Orange County and we needed to live closer to where Dad's work was.

After many years in construction, Dad decided to go into the R.V. business. He bought Bush Buggy Center, a dune buggy shop in Garden Grove, and re-named it Boyd's Buggy Center. The shop was very popular with off-road enthusiasts. After my mother's death, and then his having heart surgery, Dad closed the Buggy shop and retired at the age of 76. His quintuple bypass, and later surgery for an aortic aneurysm , only slowed him down temporarily. He remained strong and active, even flying back to North Carolina to visit his sister Eleanor, until just before he died at the age of 83.

This has only been a brief snapshot of some of the events of my Father's life. Later, I may write something about my personal memories of him and times we shared.

Bernard Blair Boyd was baptised on Palm Sunday, 1921, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Washington D.C.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2011-07-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Blue Angels, United States Navy flight Demonstration Squadron

USAF Thunderbirds
Courtesy creativecommons

The Mind Set On The Spirit

2011-07-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

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"A Beethoven piano sonata, a painting by Rembrandt, a poem by Wordsworth - these are among the most sublime artifacts of human creation and have the capacity to reach beyond the authors' grasp. But none of these works can sit alongside the simplicity of the words in the prologue of John's Gospel: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' (John 1:1) Here we are on another level, a dimension to which the natural man has no access." _____Derek W. H. Thomas

This quote is from the book I am currently reading, How The Gospel Brings Us All The Way Home, by Derek Thomas. (Reformation Trust Publishing) It is about Romans 8, which the author calls, "THE BEST CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE," and, "the heart of the Epistle to the Romans."

I have made one of the aims in my life to know the Gospel as well as I am able to (by the grace of God, even beyond my own ability). When I first saw Derek Thomas' latest book advertised on line, along with a sneak preview of the entire first chapter to tempt me, I decided to make How The Gospel Brings Us All The Way Home part of my summer reading. This volume has exceeded my expectations by shedding light on some facets of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ that should illuminate the Christian's heart and mind.

TELL THE GOSPEL,

AND TELL IT WELL.

Morning Devotionals

2011-06-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

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Many Christians who include Charles Spurgeon's daily devotionals in their morning routine have already read this today. For you, here it is again for your enjoyment. For those who have not, let these words be an encouragement when you contemplate that day when you will finally see the Lord Jesus Christ with your own eyes and be with Him.

"Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him."-1 Thessalonians 4:14

Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They "sleep in Jesus," but their souls are before the throne of God, praising Him day and night in His temple, singing hallelujahs to Him who washed them from their sins in His blood.

The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass. But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is "rest," and that is the thought which the Spirit of God would convey to us. Sleep makes each night a Sabbath for the day. Sleep shuts fast the door of the soul, and bids all intruders tarry for a while, that the life within may enter its summer garden of ease. The toil-worn believer quietly sleeps, as does the weary child when it slumbers on its mother's breast.

Oh! happy they who die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. Their quiet repose shall never be broken until God shall rouse them to give them their full reward. Guarded by angel watchers, curtained by eternal mysteries, they sleep on, the heritors of glory, till the fulness of time shall bring the fulness of redemption. What an awaking shall be theirs! They were laid in their last resting place, weary and worn, but such they shall not rise. They went to their rest with the furrowed brow, and the wasted features, but they wake up in beauty and glory. The shrivelled seed, so destitute of form and comeliness, rises from the dust a beauteous flower. The winter of the grave gives way to the spring of redemption and the summer of glory. Blessed is death, since it, through the divine power, disrobes us of this work-day garment, to clothe us with the wedding garment of incorruption. Blessed are those who "sleep in Jesus."

Praying the Scriptures

2011-06-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

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Plead with God the Merit and Righteousness of Jesus Christ

The merit and righteousness of my Lord Jesus Christ, which I rely upon as my main plea in my petition for the pardon of sin.

I know that as You are gracious and merciful, so You are the righteous God who loves righteousness, (Psalm 11:7) and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. (Exodus 34:7) I cannot say, “Have patience with me and I will repay You everything,” (Matthew 18:26) for I have become like one who is unclean, and all my righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. (Isaiah 64:6) But Jesus Christ has become to me righteousness from God; (1 Corinthians 1:30) being made sin on my behalf, though He knew no sin, so that I might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I have sinned, but I have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for my sins; and not for mine only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

God is the one who justifies, who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is even now at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for me, (Romans 8:33-34) and whose blood speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)

I desire to count everything as loss for the sake of Christ, and as rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having any righteousness of my own, but that which is through faith in Christ. (Philippians 3:7-9)

This is the name by which I, with Your people, will call Him: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:6) In Him, Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief. (Mark 9:24)

Remember, O LORD, on David’s behalf, all His affliction; (Psalm 132:1) the Son of David, remember all His offerings and accept His burnt offerings; (Psalm 20:3) and do not turn away the face of Your Anointed, (2 Chronicles 6:42) who by His own blood has entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for me. (Hebrews 9:24)

Have not You Yourself displayed Your Son, Christ Jesus, as a propitiation in His blood through faith, for the demonstration of Your righteousness at the present time, so that You would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus? (Romans 3:25-26) And I now receive the reconciliation. (Romans 5:11).

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This prayer is from the daily email sent from Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. I have selected the New American Standard Bible scripture text, and have chosen to have the prayer written in first person. To subscribe to this daily email click here.

They Loved Not Their Lives Unto The Death

2011-06-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

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Tony Miano wrote a blog post with a link to an article in World Magazine about a man in Afghanistan who was beheaded because he converted to Christianity. Fabio, an Italian student living in London, gave this response:

"Christians worldwide - both in the west and in the rest of the world - are merely reaping what they've been sowing for the past two millennia. Don't get me wrong, I do not condone violence, particularly when religiously motivated. Nor do I consider Islam as any worthier of respect.

However, looking at the history of Christianity, you can't deny that whatever is happening to Christians worldwide has a clearly Karmic ring to it. And I don't even believe in Karma. One can only hope Christians of all denominations will take the hint."

Here is my response to his comment that "Christians are merely reaping what they have been sowing for the past two millenia":

"Christ's church, at the direction of her risen Lord, has been sowing the seed of the word of God for the past two millennia. This seed has been bearing fruit, as those who have received it are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into Christ's kingdom. This puts Satan into a rage, as he wages war against the church, those whom Christ has redeemed out of his dark kingdom."

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev. 12:11)

To Prepare Us_

2011-06-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

Re-posted from Facets of Grace

Dynamations

2011-06-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

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click here

These are two (my favorite) of many multi-media presentations created by Kids 4 Truth. Turn on your speakers, and click to view them. At the end of the presentation there will appear a menu where you can select other Dynamation themes and/or check out their other offers (like a screen saver). I discovered these programs three or four years ago, linked on Ron Osburn's web site "Holy, Holy, Holy" and I just got the idea of sharing them with my readers. I know you will enjoy them. - And check out Ron's site too.

Craig

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

2011-06-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

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The Lord's Herald: "Escape from the wrath to come. Repent and trust in Christ crucified for forgiveness and everlasting life."

The deceiver: "Relax. There is no 'wrath to come.' "

Spurgeon on How To Win Souls For Christ

2011-06-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

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I command men in the name of Jesus to repent and believe the gospel, though I know they can do nothing of the kind apart from the grace of God.

We are sent to say to blind eyes, "See," to deaf ears, "Hear," to dead hearts, "Live," and even to Lazarus rotting in that grave, wherein, by this time, he stinketh, - "Lazarus, come forth."
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Interesting Album Cover

2011-06-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Inspired by "Eddie" Eddings' Calvinistic Cartoons, I decided to browse the web for old and unusual record album covers and found this. As near as I could figure out, Rev. J.C. Crabtree was a Nazarene Revivalist Preacher and singer. He died in 2004 at the age of 83. I like the story line "Blueprint for Chaos." I guess chaos can be organized after all.

Here is another of Rev. Crabtree's albums. I can't help but wonder what the songs are like on this one. The expression on his face doesn't give me much reason to be hopeful.

PENTECOST SUNDAY

2011-06-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
   ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
   ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
   ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
   ⁵And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
   ⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
   ⁷And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
   ⁸And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
   ⁹Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
   ¹⁰Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
   ¹¹Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
(Acts 2:1-11)

The Collect for Whitsunday - Book of Common Prayer

"O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."

The Universal Proclamation of the Gospel

The promise of the gospel is that whosoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have eternal life.[1] This promise, together with the command to repent and believe,[2] ought to be declared and published to all nations,[3] and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of His good pleasure sends the gospel.

[1] Jn 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:23; [2] Acts 2:38, 16:31; [3] Matt. 28:19

(Canons of Dort, Second Head of Doctrine: The Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby, Article 5)

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"The church was not the fruit of the organizational genius of a group of zealots who came to believe that Jesus had risen in their hearts as they tried to cope with the disappointment they felt once Jesus was put to death by the Romans and His glorious kingdom did not manifest itself as promised. Instead, the biblical record tells us that the church was founded by a risen Savior who appeared to His chosen witnesses the first Easter, confirming that His death on Good Friday was the ultimate triumph over human sin. The church was not organized by Jesus’ disappointed followers trying to cover-up their embarrassment. The church was founded by Jesus Christ Himself.

"This becomes clear when we consider that the post-resurrection appearances of our Lord to His disciples do not take place in a vacuum. Our Lord’s resurrection appearances take place against the backdrop of His three-year messianic ministry during which Jesus demonstrated that He was the One promised throughout the Old Testament and that He had come to establish His kingdom and found His church. Pentecost (Acts 2), which is often considered the official birthday of the church, is the culmination of all of our Lord’s promises and only makes sense against the backdrop of our Lord’s messianic ministry." ____Kim Riddlebarger

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Carl the Coatimundi of Colossal Cave

2011-06-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

Joseph visited Colossal Cave, just north of Tucson, yesterday and met Carl.

MY CHURCH

2011-06-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~

High Desert United Reformed Church

We started in 2000 as a home bible study in Oak Hills . Pastor Adam Kaloostian, from the Ontario (CA) URC, taught from the book of Hebrews, then through the Gospel of John on Tuesday nights. In 2002 we started meeting on Sunday evenings at the Korean Presbyterian Church in Victorville. We had guest preachers from URC churches in Southern Calif. as well as faculty and student/alumni from Westminster Seminary, CA. Later that year, Rev. Tom Morrison was called to assume minsterial duties.

On October 12, 2002, Rev. Morrison was oficially installed as pastor of the congregation, which was still a "church plant" under the auspices of the Ontario URC. By then we were meeting in the auditorium of the Lewis Center for Educational Research in Apple Valley. On a snowy November evening in 2004, we were officially established as a "particular" church in the federation of United Reformed Churches in North America.

The Ultimate Question Regarding Christ

2011-06-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

____________________

"Everyone who believes on the Son of God, and trusts their soul to Him, is at once pardoned, forgiven, justified, counted righteous, reckoned innocent, and freed from all liability to condemnation. Their sins, however many, are at once cleansed away by Christ’s precious blood. Their soul, however guilty, is at once clothed with Christ’s perfect righteousness. It matters not what they may have been in time past. Their sins may have been of the worst kind. Their former character may be of the blackest description. But do they believe on the Son of God? This is the one question. If they do believe, they are justified from all things in the sight of God.

"It matters not, that they can bring to Christ nothing to recommend them—no good works, no long-proved amendments, no unmistakable repentance and change of life. But do they this day believe in Jesus Christ? This is the grand question. If they do, they are at once accepted. They are accounted righteous for Christ’s sake."
~ J.C. Ryle

Ryle's statement carries little weight for those whose consciences have not been affected by the knowledge that they have grievously sinned against their most Holy and Just Creator-God. But to the one who is thus affected, those words are precious as pure water to one dying of thirst.

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)

2011-06-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

Blessent mon coeur d'une longueur monotone

"[The violins of autumn] wound my heart with monotonous languor"
________

I AM BORN - AGAIN

2011-06-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

_______________________________
Thirty-seven years ago "today," at 9:00 p.m., I was born again and began to trust Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. The calendar date was actually June 7th, but I have always thought of the first Friday of June as the day.

A co-worker, who was a Christian, and I had had a few conversations about Jesus. She brought a couple of books for me to read (The Late-Great Planet Earth, and In His Steps), and even loaned me her New American Standard Bible, with the provision that I return it to her on Friday so that she would have it for church that Sunday.

I thank the Lord for Dave and Margie Dalmas, and for the members of the womens' prayer group at a Presbyterian church in the city of Orange, California.

I don't know where Dave and Margie are now. Apparently, they have moved since I last contacted them. At that time, they lived in Anaheim. I never met anyone from the womens' prayer group, but unbeknown to me, they had been praying for me for some time, Margie giving them weekly reports on how things were going.

God bless every one who prays for the salvation of people and who share the Gospel.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.
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DEATHBED MUSINGS

2011-05-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

________________

Christian Triumphant

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NASB)

Atheist Triumphant

"I am about to depart this life. I have fought the good fight. I have successfully resisted every opportunity to be saved. I have never conceded one point to any Christian that I have dialogued with. I have never once succumbed to any suggestion that I will have to give an account of myself before a just and holy god at the end of my life. What now?"

Thirsty?

2011-05-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

_________________
¹ As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 42:1 & 2 (NASB)
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Textbooks Used in Seminary Evangelism Course

2011-05-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

_______________________

These books are required reading for Introduction to Evangelism* at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson Mississippi.

Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People
by Will Metzger

A Faith Worth Sharing
by C. John "Jack" Miller

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
by J.I. Packer

Creation Regained : Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview
by Albert Wolters

Selections from the following books are also required reading:

The Heart of Evangelism. by Jerram Barrs

Becoming a Contagious Christian. by Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg

The Reason for God : Belief in an age of Skepticism. by Timothy Keller

Evangelism Explosion (4th Edition) by D. James Kennedy

* (This information is from the course syllabus for the Fall, 2009 semester.)

Students were also strongly encouraged to include one chapter each day from the book of Acts in their devotional reading. A thorough familiarity with The Westminster Confession of Faith was also stressed. I noticed that the recommended reading for R.T.S.'s Atlanta campus included, God Centred Evangelism by R.B. Kuiper and Ray Comfort's Hell's Best Kept Secret.

In addition to the books, a number of articles are included in the required reading. Two titles especially caught my eye. One was "Why Evangelicals Don't Read Pilgrim's Progress (and Why they Should)"; the other was "The Unconverted Calvin."

Craig

Prayers Answered

2011-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, I posted a prayer request for Joseph, who had just been informed by his academic advisor that funding had stopped for the program in which he was working. This would have meant, 1. finding a new job immediately, and, 2. completing what he had been working on within one week.

Joseph found out yesterday that there is now funding that will allow him to work in the lab through the summer, while he is searching for employment in the biochemistry field. There is still a crucial time constraint for completing the paper he is writing, but he at least has some breathing room.

Thanks to Joel, Eddie, Persis, JT and all the others (God knows who you are) for praying for our son.

Craig

Just What We Might Have Expected From Ray Comfort

2011-05-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

I was prepared to do a satirical "repost" today from the Olive Press on the non-rapture of the church, but seeing these 2 Facebook postings from Ray made me change my mind.

"The bad side (rapture coming 2day) is the mockery it'll bring tomorrow, but the good side is that it can open conversations with the lost." (Saturday Morning)

"We are still here. No rapture or Judgment day, as yet. This is great news, because it means that we still have time 2 reach out to the lost." (Saturday night)

The End of the World

2011-05-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up in the morning and I wondered,
Why everything's the same as it was.
I can't understand. No, I can't understand,
How life goes on the way it does.

Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
Or did the prophecy fail, just like before.

Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
The math all seemed to work, sort of.

Lyrics loosely based on End Of The World, sung by Skeeter Davis.
Dedicated to Harold "The Seer" Camping.

.

Urgent (But Not "Anxious") Prayer Request

2011-05-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 (NASB)

Joseph (see previous post) just found out that the funding for the program he is working on is unexpectedly ending. He had been told by his advisor that he would be able to work in the lab until the end of summer.

Let's pray that the Lord will provide a job for him REALLY SOON, and that he will be enabled to complete the paper he is writing in ONE WEEK.

Thank you in advance to all pray-ers who read this blog.

Craig

A Great Weekend in Tucson

2011-05-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

Joseph Boyd, Ph.D.

It has been a great weekend for our family. It will be five years ago this coming August since I drove Joseph to Tucson to check in at the University of Arizona, where he began working on his doctorate in bio-chemistry and molecular biophysics, (as the department was then called). A month ago, Joseph passed the oral final examination for his doctorate. After 4.7 years of hard work and study, a lot frustration followed by success, he graduated this past Friday. Sheila and I arrived on Thursday afternoon, while our daughter, Becky, flew in from Pennsylvania later that night. We were treated to a celebration brunch on Friday morning, followed by the commencement celebration that began at noon. For the rest of the weekend we enjoyed visiting with Joseph and a few of his friends.

Drawn by Rebekah Fusina

Becky, Sheila, Joseph and me
at the brunch celebration extravaganza.

What would a visit to Tucson be without a Saturday morning breakfast at Waffle House?

Me, Joseph, Sheila and Rebekah

Gettin' Out of Town

2011-05-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

Leaving for Arizona in half an hour. Joseph's graduation & "hooding ceremony is tomorrow. We will worship at Desert Springs Presbyterian Church on Sunday, and return to California later that day.

Two New Widgets Added

2011-05-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

HEIDELBERG CATECHISM &

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM

This morning I added widgets for the Heidelberg Catechism & Westminster Shorter Catechism. They are at the bottom of the left sidebar. The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the Three Forms Of Unity, which along with the Ecumenical Creeds comprise the doctrinal standards that the Reformed Church confesses. This is our church's "statement of faith" and is a summary of the basic beliefs of the Bible as taught in the Reformed Church.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is part of the "Westminster Standards" which states what the Presbyterian Churches hold to and believe.

Although there are a few minor differences, the Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg provide an excellent basis for learning and studying the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith. The complete text of the Heidelberg with Scripture references can be found by clicking (here). You can read the Westminster Shorter Catechism, with the accompanying scriptures written out (here).

As I mentioned, we believe these statements of faith summarize the Bible's basic teachings and they are subordinate to the Scriptures. As with all church creeds and confessions, you should check what they teach against the Bible itself.

A daily Bible reading plan (like the one at the top of the left sidebar), plus a daily review of a catechism question and answer, is a great way to understand the Christian Faith and to know God.

Craig

Obituary - 'Body Snatchers' star Dana Wynter dies at 79

2011-05-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

* Reposted from The Olive Press ~ humor

Dana Wynter, who starred with Kevin McCarthy in the 1956 science-fiction classic "Invasion of the Body-Snatchers," has died in Southern California.

Still considered one of the most frightening movies ever made, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was adapted from a novel by Jack Finney. 'Body Snatchers' is a sci-fi story of a small Southern California town overtaken by alien seedpods that mutate into emotionless doppelgangers of the human inhabitants. The scenario bears an uncanny resemblance to what has been happening to U.S. Supreme Court justices over the past two decades.

*The Olive Press is a division of Error On Page Publishers

Happy Mothers Day, Fur Elise

2011-05-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Fur Elise: mother of five. You can almost see J.L. getting a licking from Mom. Others are: Pierre, Sprinkles, Scout, and Paula (top-right)

THE STORY

2011-05-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

~~~

The Gospel Story as told by R. Scott Clark

The article, "This Christian Life," originally appeared in Valiant for Truth, Westminster Seminary California's blog, on January 25, 2011.

"...At the beginning, God walked in the garden with Adam and told him a story. He told him how He had created everything from nothing by His powerful Word. He told Adam how He had created him from the earth and how Adam had it within his power to experience more than his present life in the garden; that there was before him a consummate, glorious existence of intimate, perfect, and endless fellowship with God and man; if only he would pass one test..."

Read, enjoy, and appreciate the article here. http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/this-christian-life

AND THE WINNER IS............

2011-05-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

"Bye Bye!"

Bin Laden in Paradise: The prize is 71 black-eyed virgins AND a voucher for a FREE CAR WASH.

(winner must show up in person to claim his prize)

Latest News from The Olive Press : Category: SUDDEN DEPARTURES

THE ROYAL WEDDING

2011-04-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

_______________________________________________

⁶And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
   ⁷Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
   ⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
   ⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Revelation:19:6-9

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant. Enter into the Joy of the Lord

2011-04-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

THE WRONG DAY

2011-04-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jay: "Man! I can't BELIEVE we showed up for church on the WRONG DAY."
Emilio: "It's funny when you think about it."

With not even a choir to preach to, the two pastors of Sovereign Joy Community Church in Keller Texas, sit in an empty church on Monday morning and try to figure out how both of their calendars got so mixed up. It is not known whether this incident is related to a previous story where an entire congregation showed up for church and no pastors were there.
~~
The Olive Press - humor

I Declare Unto You The Gospel

2011-04-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

   ¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
   ²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
   ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
   ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures

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²⁰But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
²¹For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 20-22

EARTH DAY

2011-04-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Luke 23:44-47:

   ⁴⁴And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
   ⁴⁵And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
   ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
   ⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH

2011-04-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

______________

HE SUFFERED

All the time He lived on earth, but especially at the end of His life, He bore, in body and soul, the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race; in order that by His suffering, as the only atoning sacrifice, He might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the grace of God, righteousness, and eternal life. (John 3:16; Romans 3:24-26)

SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE AS JUDGE

He, being innocent, was condemned by a temporal judge, and thereby delivered us from the severe judgment of God, to which we were exposed. (Acts 4:27-28)

HE WAS CRUCIFIED

Thereby I am assured that He took upon Himself the curse which lay upon me, because the death of the cross was cursed of God. (Galatians 3:13-14)

IT WAS NECESSARY FOR CHRIST TO SUFFER DEATH

It was necessary for Christ to suffer death because the justice and truth of God required that satisfaction for our sins could be made in no other way than by the death of the Son of God. (Gen. 2:17; Heb. 2:14-15)

HE WAS BURIED

He was buried to show thereby that He was really dead. (Acts 13:29)

HE DESCENDED INTO HELL

In my greatest temptations I may be assured that Christ my Lord, by His inexpressible anguish, pains, and terrors, which He suffered in His soul on the cross and before, has redeemed me from the anguish and torment of hell. (Psalms 116:3; Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 27:45-46)

(Adapted from the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 15 & 16)

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"Congratulations, Doctor Boyd"

2011-04-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

Readers of this blog know my son Joseph by his photographs of the natural beauty of Arizona, but he has been busy doing other things, as well. Joseph has been enrolled in the Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology for the last 4.7 years at the University of Arizona. My wife Sheila and I drove to Tucson last weekend to attend Joseph's defense of his doctoral dissertation. His subject was "Eyespot Assembly and Positioning in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii." The room was packed out, with Joseph's friends, members of his church, and people from the department in attendance. After the public presentation, the audience left the room and Joseph remained with the professors for the Doctoral Final Oral Examination. When the questioning was completed, Joseph was excused from the room as the committee deliberated. Shortly afterward, he was called back in and his advisor, Dr. Carol Dieckmann, shook Joseph's hand and said, "Congratulations, Doctor Boyd." Then we all went upstairs and had a party.

Joseph giving his public presentation.

Photos by Philip Alderink

PASSION WEEK

2011-04-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

__________
ISAIAH 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

(ESV)

PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTION

2011-04-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

________________________________

Our Daughter Rebekah, and her husband, Don visited the doctor's office last week and had this picture taken of our grandson, who is due to arrive in August. Cute little guy, isn't he?

The Ultimate Question Regarding Christ

2011-04-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone who believes on the Son of God, and trusts their soul to Him, is at once pardoned, forgiven, justified, counted righteous, reckoned innocent, and freed from all liability to condemnation. Their sins, however many, are at once cleansed away by Christ’s precious blood. Their soul, however guilty, is at once clothed with Christ’s perfect righteousness. It matters not what they may have been in time past. Their sins may have been of the worst kind. Their former character may be of the blackest description.

But do they believe on the Son of God? This is the one question. If they do believe, they are justified from all things in the sight of God. It matters not, that they can bring to Christ nothing to recommend them—no good works, no long-proved amendments, no unmistakable repentance and change of life.

But do they this day believe in Jesus Christ? This is the grand question. If they do, they are at once accepted. They are accounted righteous for Christ’s sake.

~ J.C. Ryle