He has come! the Christ of God...

He has come! the Christ of God;—

Left for us His glad abode;

Stooping from His throne of bliss,

To this darksome wilderness.

 

He has come! the Prince of Peace;—

Come to bid our sorrows cease;

Come to scatter, with His light,

All the darkness of our night.

 

He, the Mighty King, has come!

Making this poor world His home;

Come to bear our sin’s sad load,—

Son of David, Son of God.

 

He has come whose name of grace

Speaks deliverance to our race;

Left for us His glad abode,—

Son of Mary, Son of God!

 

Unto us a Child is born!

Ne’er has earth beheld a morn

Among all the morns of time,

Half so glorious in its prime.

 

Unto us a Son is given!

He has come from God’s own heaven;

Bringing with Him, from above,

Holy peace and holy love.

...Horatius Bonar

Sermon on the mount: Matthew 5:27-30

 

Pastor Rob Burns: Matthew 5:27-30 

 December 10, 2023

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 

-Matthew 5:27-30

If He could grow weary of me...

If He could grow weary of me, He would have been tired of me long before now. If He had not loved me with a love as deep as hell, and as strong as death, He would have turned from me long ago. Oh, joy above all joys, to know that I am His everlasting and inalienable inheritance, given to Him by His Father e'er the earth was! Everlasting love shall be the pillow for my head this night. -CH Spurgeon

Sermon on the mount: Dealing with anger...

 

Pastor Rob Burns: Matthew 5:21-26 

 December 3, 2023 

 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. -Matthew 5:21-26

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law...

 

Pastor Rob Burns: Matthew 5:17-20 

 November 26, 2023 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:17-20

Goodness of God...

 

 Goodness of God/Don Moen

I love You Lord

Oh Your mercy never fails me

All my days

I've been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

I will sing of the goodness of God

Chorus

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In darkest night

You are close like no other

I've known You as a father

I've known You as a friend

I have lived in the goodness of God

Your goodness is running after

It’s running after me

Your goodness is running after

It’s running after me

With my life laid down

I’m surrendered now

I give You everything

Your goodness is running after

It's running after me

The Thrill of Hope- Advent Hymn

 

Christy Nockels -The Thrill of Hope- Advent Hymn

Christ whose glory fills the skies

Christ the Everlasting Light

Son of Righteousness arise

And triumph o'er these shades of night

Come Thou long awaited One

In the fullness of Your love

Loose this heart bound up by shame

And I will never be the same

So here I wait in hope of You

My soul's longing through and through

Dayspring from on high be near

Daystar in my heart appear

Dark and cheerless is the morn

'Till Your love in me is born

Joyless is the evening sun

'Till Emmanuel has come

So here I wait in hope of You

My soul's longing through and through

Dayspring from on high be near

Daystar in my heart appear

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

 

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Keith & Kristyn Getty, JJ Heller

Let all mortal flesh keep silence

And with fear and trembling stand

Ponder nothing earthly-minded

For, with blessing in His hand

Christ our God to earth descendeth

Our full homage to demand

King of kings, yet born of Mary

As of old on earth He stood

Lord of lords, in human vesture

In the body and the blood

He will give to all the faithful

His own self for heav'nly food

Rank on rank the host of heaven

Spreads its vanguard on the way

As the Light of light descendeth

From the realms of endless day

That the pow'rs of hell may vanish

As the darkness clears away

At His feet the six-winged seraph

Cherubim with sleepless eye

Veil their faces to the Presence

As with ceaseless voice they cry

“Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Alleluia, Lord Most High!”

Good Shepherds...

by Peter J. Leithart

First Things

11/24/23

Excerpt:

When the shepherds hear the angels’ message, they praise God, honor the infant king, and announce his arrival throughout the region. The shepherds of Bethlehem are a pledge that Jesus’s birth will usher in a new era for the people of God, when sheep will no longer be terrified by their own shepherds.

As Mary sings in the Magnificat, Jesus comes to scatter the proud, bring down rulers from their thrones, and send the rich away empty. Mary’s song isn’t metaphorical, and we shouldn’t spiritualize it, any more than we should spiritualize the similar song Hannah sings at the birth of her son, Samuel. Like Samuel, Jesus revives his people, and to do that he needs to topple bloodthirsty kings like Herod and cast down scribes who, like Pharaoh, weigh down the people with unbearable burdens. When Jesus is finished with Israel, she has a new elite. Humble fishermen are exalted to the chief seats, the poor and hungry are filled. Peter, James, and John replace Herod’s court, and the converted Pharisee, Paul, displaces greedy, glory-seeking Pharisees as chief teacher. 

It’s been happening ever since... 

Read it all...