Monthly Archives: April 2013

A HYMN FOR TODAY – My God, I Thank You, Who Have Made

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A HYMN FOR TODAY

My God, I thank You, who have made

The earth so bright

So full of splendor and of joy,

Beauty and light,

So many glorious things are here,

Noble and right.

I thank You more that all our joy

Is touched with pain,

That shadows fall on brightest hours,

That thorns remain;

So that earth’s bliss may be our guide

And not our chain.

I thank You, Lord, that you have kept

The best in store;

We have enough, yet not too much

To long for more:

A yearning for a deeper peace

Not known before.

I thank You, Lord, that here our souls,

Though Amply blessed,

Can never find, although they seek,

A perfect rest;

Nor ever shall, until they lean

On Jesus’ breast.

8.4.8.4.8.4 – Adelaide Anne Proctor, 1884

Tune: EULOGIA – Matthew Harber, 2011

#415 in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, 2012

Do You WANT To Be Lost?

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Do You WANT To Be Lost?

Being Lost Takes Persistence, Too – Gary Henry (WordPoints.com)

“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:40).

IN THE END, THOSE WHO WILL BE LOST WILL BE THOSE WHO HAVE INSISTED ON BEING LOST. God has gone to great lengths to provide for our redemption from sin, and He waits for a long time for us to turn around and come back to Him. He pleads with us, imploring us to accept the reconciliation that He has made possible (2 Corinthians 5:20). If we end up refusing to let Him save us, it will be despite everything He could do to win our hearts. The truth is, it takes a lot of “persistence” to keep saying no to God.

C. S. Lewis once observed that the unbeliever is always in danger of having his faith overthrown. As long as he lives in this world, the unbeliever is surrounded by the tokens of God’s grace and many other powerful evidences of His reality. And so an atheistic parent who wanted his children to follow in his footsteps would always need to be worried about the “corrupting” influences they would be encountering every day. Given the many ways that God tries to get our attention, it would take an extraordinarily DETERMINED child to resist all of that and stay an unbeliever.

But sometimes, determined is exactly what we are in the matter of disobedience. Isaiah spoke with more than a little irony when he condemned those who were “mighty” and “valiant” in the pursuit of dissipation: “Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink” (Isaiah 5:22).

In the Book of Proverbs, one of the leading characteristics of the fool is that he INSISTS on doing evil, despite many opportunities to change his mind. “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3). Sadly, it’s the fool’s “steadfastness” that keeps him in trouble.

God’s plea is for us to turn around and come back in His direction. If we’ll do that, we’ll live, but if we won’t, then we’ll die (Ezekiel 18:27-28). So in a sense, there’s only one sin that will kill us, and that’s the sin we refuse to repent of and seek God’s forgiveness for. If we end up being lost eternally, it won’t be because we made mistakes — it’ll be because we PERSISTED in our mistakes.

“No man is condemned for anything he has done: he is condemned for continuing to do wrong. He is condemned for not coming out of the darkness, for not coming to the light” (George MacDonald).

Gary Henry – WordPoints.com

Is Your Soul Prospering?

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Is Your Soul Prospering?

A Frightening Prayer – Dene Ward

In his third epistle, John prays what has to be the most frightening prayer in the Bible.  Beloved I pray that in all things you may prosper and be in health,even as your soul prospers, v2.

Have you ever wondered what might happen if God suddenly answered that prayer—that your body and your economic life may be as healthy as your soul?  Those of us who prosper financially, might suddenly be living a hand to mouth existence, while others who can barely make ends meet might find their bank accounts overflowing.  Are we more concerned with our IRAs, annuities, and money market accounts than with the <em “mso-bidi-font-style:=”” normal”=””>unfathomable riches of Christ, Eph 3:8?  What was it Jesus called the rich man who was more concerned with his physical wealth than his spiritual wealth?  You fool!  This<em “mso-bidi-font-style:=”” normal”=””> night is your soul required of you, and all the things you have prepared, whose will they be then?  So is he who lays up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God. Luke 12:20,21

But what about the physical health angle of that prayer?  Some of us who are fat and sassy might instantly become pale and emaciated.  Some of us might even fall over dead!  But there might be others, frail and chronically ill, who suddenly become as hale and hearty as the great athletes of the world.

If we want to be able to pray John’s prayer, we need to get our souls in shape.  Do they get the proper nourishment or do they fast several days a week?  Do our souls have to be force-fed?  Do we “exercise our senses” every day, “discerning between good and evil,” or do we sit like couch potatoes, taking in with a glazed look everything the world has to offer?  Are we willing to take our medicine when we need it, or do we deny our faults and blame everyone else as if that will make them go away?

If a righteous man stands up Sunday morning and prays this prayer fervently—that everyone there will suddenly be as prosperous in wealth and healthy in body as they are in soul–will we jump up and beg him to stop because we know the results of the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, James 5:16?

Think about it; it might change your life.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father from whom every family in heaven and in earth is named, that he should grant you according to the riches of his glory that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.  Eph 3:14-19

Dene Ward

The Burnt House destroyed in A.D. 70

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From Ferrell Jenkins’ Travel Blog

Ferrell Jenkins's avatarFerrell's Travel Blog

Our tour group visited several places in and near Jerusalem today. We began Jaffa Gate and the Tower of David (actually built by Herod the Great). We moved on through the Jewish Quarter to the Wohl Archaeological Museum. For general information about the Jewish Quarter see the informative web site dedicated to the area, here. Information about the Museum, where you may see the ruins of six houses built on the slope between the Upper City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, is available here. These houses indicate that some of the wealthiest residents of Jerusalem lived in them – perhaps the priestly class. These houses were destroyed in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Photos are not allowed in the Museum.

Then we went to the Burnt House – a house belonging to the Katros Family, a priestly family that made incense for the temple…

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A HYMN FOR TODAY – O LORD, Whose Law Is My Delight

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A HYMN FOR TODAY

O LORD, whose law is my delight,
My meditation day and night,
I have found peace through years of strife
By holding fast the word of life.

Though frail my soul and faint my song,
“When I am weak, then I am strong.”
If struggles now or sorrows new,
I have no strength but strength from You.

I need not see the pathway bright;
“We walk by faith and not by sight”:
No cloud by day, no fire by night,
But You, my God, my inward light.

Should I depart or long remain,
“To live is Christ, to die is gain.”
So help me, God, with every breath
To honor Christ by life or death.

LM – C.A. Roberts, 2009

Tune: WARRINGTON – Ralph Harrison, 1784, alt.

#276 in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, 2012

 

Why is this Orthodox Jew flying in a plastic bag?

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Fascinating blog from “down under” — Bryan Patterson’s Faithworks

bryanpattersonfaithworks's avatarBryan Patterson's Faithworks

jewsdd

This photo is of an Orthodox Jew encased in a giant plastic bag on a flight, according to one report because women are also passengers on the aircraft.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews adhere to a strict set of guidelines that include gender segregation in public.

Israeli news source Haaretz reports that Israeli airline El Al has noticed an increase in the number of ultra-Orthodox men asking to switch seats to avoid sitting next to women. (One woman even sued the airlines for allegedly moving her to the back of a plane after ultra-Orthodox men refused to sit next to her.)

However, other news agencies say that the “flying with women” explanation may not be entirely accurate.

They says the Jewish male passenger is a descendant from the high holy priests of the temple and they are not allowed to walk into or fly over a cemetery, which would render them impure.”

In…

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Digital Public Library of America

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Digital Public Library of America

Digital Public Library of America

Run for Boston Recap

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Run For Boston – by my favorite Hood-to-Coast runner

Twisted Running's avatartwisted running

I am, for the most part, a lone runner. Due to my husband’s work schedule, I squeeze my runs in before breakfast, and don’t get out a lot for group runs. Plus, most of the time I use that time to do important work in my head.

But, like so many people in the last week, I have felt the desire to be out with other runners in the aftermath of Boston.
So last night I dropped the kids with my husband at work and joined a large group of runners at the Big Peach Running location in midtown Atlanta. This group was just one of hundreds that met up at places worldwide to mark the passing of a week since the bombings. I went solo, with the plan of finding Jesica of runladylike at some point before or after the run. Jesica and I have corresponded on Twitter for…

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A HYMN FOR TODAY – And Can It Be That I Should Gain?

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A HYMN FOR TODAY

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain,
For me who scorned His perfect love?

You left Your Father’s throne above –
So free and infinite Your grace –
Emptied Yourself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race.

Boldly I come before Your throne,
To claim Your mercy immense and free.
No greater love will e’er be known,
For, O my God, it found out me.

[Chorus]
Amazing love! How can it be
That You, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That You, my God, should die for me?

Irr. – Charles Wesley, 1738 (arr. Bob Kauflin)

Tune: Bob Kauflin, 1988 (arr. Mathew L. Harber)

#451 in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, 2012

Professed Beliefs vs. Practical Beliefs

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Professed Beliefs vs. Practical Beliefs

From Gary Henry’s WordPoints:

Professed Beliefs vs. Practical Beliefs (April 23)

“They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him” (Titus 1:16).

WHAT WE REALLY BELIEVE ABOUT GOD IS OFTEN SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT WE PROFESS TO BELIEVE. We may say we believe He exists, for example, but if our actions are inconsistent with that belief, time after time, it would be fair to question whether we really believe what we say. Even in the affairs of this life, our real “master” is the one whom we actually “serve,” and when it comes to God, Paul asked the obvious question: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

But please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that we deliberately lie about our faith, claiming to believe one thing when we know that our real belief is something else. I’m simply suggesting that our words usually reflect what we know is RIGHT to believe, what we WANT to believe, and so forth, while our actions may indicate that — FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES — our REAL beliefs run in another direction. We don’t always have the thing Paul said we should be aiming for: a “faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5 KJV).

If there is a discrepancy between what we profess and what we practice, how should we go about removing it? We could, of course, get rid of the gap by lowering our profession to the level of our practice, but that would amount to giving up and selling out to the devil. But there are better things that we can do, surely.

First, we can be more honest about the gap between our profession and our practice. We can pray more frankly and openly to God about that. Second, we can elevate our practice to the level of our profession, always seeking God’s help in doing so. He wants us to obey what we say we believe, and He will help us to do so if we let Him. But third, we can accept the fact that we are going to be judged on the basis of our practice, not our profession. In the end, it’s our DEEDS that God will judge (2 Corinthians 5:10) — not what we said we believed, not what we wanted to believe, and not what we were planning to believe someday. Whether we admit it or not, it’s a fact: WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO IS WHAT WE REALLY BELIEVE.

“Can a faith that does nothing be called sincere?” (Jean Racine).

Gary Henry – WordPoints.com