Love came down at Christmas...

 Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and Angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,

Love Incarnate, Love Divine;

Worship we our Jesus:

But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,

Love be yours and love be mine,

Love to God and all men,

Love for plea and gift and sign.

...Christina Rossetti image

Merry Christmas to all the readers of this blog!
Raymond and Pat Dague

Fear not because your prayer is stammering...

Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you. Just as a mother understands the first lispings of her infant, so does the blessed Saviour understand sinners. He can read a sigh, and see a meaning in a groan. -JC Ryle

Christ, whose glory fills the skies!

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

Christ the true, the only Light,

Sun of Righteousness, arise!

Triumph o'er the shades of night:

Dayspring from on high, be near;

Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn

Unaccompanied by thee;

Joyless is the day's return,

Till thy mercy's beams I see,

Till they inward light impart,

Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine!

Pierce the gloom of sin and grief!

Fill me, Radiancy Divine;

Scatter all my unbelief;

More and more thyself display,

Shining to the perfect day.

-Charles Wesley

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

     Serve the Lord with gladness!

    Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

    his steadfast love endures forever,

    and his faithfulness to all generations.

-Psalm 100

A blessed Thanksgiving to all!

Hail to the Lord’s anointed...

Hail to the Lord’s anointed, great David’s greater Son!

Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!

He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;

To take away transgression and rule in equity.

He comes in succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;

To help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;

To give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,

Whose souls, condemned and dying, were precious in His sight.

He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;

Love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in His path to birth.

Before Him, on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go,

And righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.

Kings shall fall down before Him, and gold and incense bring;

All nations shall adore Him, His praise all people sing;

For He shall have dominion o’er river, sea and shore,

Far as the eagle’s pinion or dove’s light wing can soar.

For Him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;

His kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end:

The mountain dews shall nourish a seed in weakness sown,

Whose fruit shall spread and flourish and shake like Lebanon.

O’er every foe victorious, He on His throne shall rest;

From age to age more glorious, all blessing and all blest.

The tide of time shall never His covenant remove;

His Name shall stand forever, His Name to us is Love.

...James Montgomery image

O for a closer walk with God...

O for a closer walk with God,

A calm and heavenly frame 

A light to shine upon the road

That leads me to the Lamb!

 

Return, O holy Dove, return,

Sweet messenger of rest:

I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,

And drove Thee from my breast.

 

The dearest idol I have known,

Whate’er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from Thy throne,

And worship only Thee.

 

So shall my walk be close with God,

Calm and serene my frame;

So purer light shall mark the road

That leads me to the Lamb.

-William Cowper

From morning to night keep Jesus in thy heart...

“From morning to night keep Jesus in thy heart, 

long for nothing, desire nothing, hope for nothing 

but to have all that is within thee changed 

into the spirit and temper of the holy Jesus.” 

-William Law

Within Thy circling power I stand...

Within Thy circling power I stand;

On every side I find Thy hand:

Awake, asleep, at home, abroad,

Thy power surrounds me still, O Lord!

-Isaac Watts

Pray and vote!

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide and direct, we humbly pray, the minds of all those who are called to elect fit persons to serve our country. Grant that in the exercise of our choice we may promote your glory, and the welfare of this nation. This we ask for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (ACNA BCP 2019)

A mighty fortress is our God...

 A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper he, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

Does seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God's own choosing.

You ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth his name,

From age to age the same;

And he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God has willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure;

One little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers

No thanks to them abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Through him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go,

This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God's truth abideth still;

His kingdom is forever!

-Martin Luther image

Church is to develop a Christian counter-culture with its own distinctive goals, values, standards, and lifestyle...

Instead of always being one of the chief bastions of the social status quo, the Church is to develop a Christian counter-culture with its own distinctive goals, values, standards, and lifestyle, a realistic alternative to the contemporary technocracy which is marked by bondage, materialism, self-centredness, and greed. Christ’s call to obedience is a call to be different, not conformist. Such a Church—joyful, obedient, loving, and free—will do more than please God: it will attract the world. It is when the Church evidently is the Church, and is living a supernatural life of love by the power of the Holy Spirit, that the world will believe.  -John R. W. Stott

We should all endeavor and labor for a calmer spirit...

We should all endeavor and labor for a calmer spirit, that we may the better serve God in praying to Him and praising Him; and serve one another in love, that we may be fitted to do and receive good; that we may make our passage to heaven more easy and cheerful, without drooping and hanging the wing. So much as we are quiet and cheerful upon good ground, so much we live, and are, as it were, in heaven. -R. Sibbes

“Hear what the Lord has done for me.”

Have you no words? ah! think again,

Words flow apace when you complain;

And fill your fellow-creature’s ear

With the sad tale of all your care.

 

Were half the breath thus vainly spent,

To Heav’n in supplication sent;

Your cheerful song would oft’ner be,

“Hear what the Lord has done for me.”

-William Cowper

If thou but suffer God to guide thee...

If thou but suffer God to guide thee,

And hope in Him thro' all thy ways,

He'll give thee strength, what-e'er betide thee,

And bear thee thro the evil days;

Who trust in God's unchanging love

Builds on the rock that naught can move.

Obey, thou restless heart, be still

And wait in cheerful hope, content;

To take what-e'er His gracious will,

His all discerning love, hath sent;

Nor doubt our inmost wants are known

To Him who chose us for His own.

Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways;

But do thine own part faithfully.

Trust His rich promises of grace,

So shall they be fulfilled in thee.

God never yet forsook in need

The soul that trusted Him indeed.

-Georg Neumark

There is a stream, whose gentle flow...

There is a stream, whose gentle flow 

Supplies the city of our God; 

Life, love, and joy still gliding through, 

And watering our divine abode: 

That sacred stream, thine holy word, 

That all our raging fear controls; 

Sweet peace thy promises afford, 

And give new strength to fainting souls. 

-Isaac Watts

The fretting friction of our daily life...

The fretting friction of our daily life, 

Heart-weariness with loving patience borne, 

The meek endurance of the inward strife, 

The painful crown of thorn, 

Prepare the heart for God’s own dwelling place, 

Adorn with sacred loveliness His shrine, 

And brighten every inconspicuous grace, 

For God alone to shine. 

-Mary E. Atkinson

“Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow...

“Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,

Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,

What matters beating wind and tossing billow

If only we are in the boat with Thee?

Hold us quiet through the age-long minute

While Thou art silent and the wind is shrill :

Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, are in it;

Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?

-Amy Carmichael

Almighty God, by your Word you laid the foundations of the earth...more

Almighty God, by your Word you laid the foundations of the

earth, set the bounds of the sea, and still the wind and waves.

Surround us with your grace and peace, and preserve us through Hurricane Ian. By your Spirit, lift up those who have fallen, strengthen those who work to rescue or rebuild, and fill us with the hope of your new creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP 2019)  image

Prayer frees us to be controlled by God...

Prayer frees us to be controlled by God. To pray is to change. There is no greater liberating force in the Christian life than prayer. To enter the gaze of the Holy is never to be the same. To bathe in the Light in quiet wonder and glad surrender is to be slowly, permanently transformed. There is a richer inward orientation, a deep hunger for communion. We feel as if we are being taken over by a new control Center, and so we are. -Richard J. Foster

I Heard the voice of Jesus say...

I Heard the voice of Jesus say,

Come unto me and rest;

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down

Thy head upon my breast.

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary, and worn, and sad,

I found in Him a resting-place,

And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

Behold, I freely give

The living water,—thirsty one,

Stoop down, and drink, and live.

I came to Jesus and I drank

Of that life-giving stream,

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

And now I live in Him.

 

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

I am this dark world’s light,

Look unto me, thy morn shall rise

And all thy day be bright.

I looked to Jesus and I found

In Him, my Star, my Sun;

And in that light of life I’ll walk

Till travelling days are done.

-Horatius Bonar

You are leaving port under sealed orders and in a troubled period...

You are leaving port under sealed orders 

and in a troubled period. 

You cannot know whither you are going or what you are to do. 

But why not take the Pilot on board who knows the nature

 of your sealed orders from the outset, 

and who will shape your entire voyage accordingly? 

He knows the shoals and the sandbanks, 

the rocks and the reefs, 

He will steer you safely into that celestial harbor 

where your anchor will be cast for eternity. 

Let His mighty nail-pierced hands hold the wheel, 

and you will be safe. -Peter Marshall

Of all the evidences of the real work of the Spirit...

Of all the evidences of the real work of the Spirit, a habit of hearty private prayer is one of the most satisfactory that can be named. A man may preach from false motives. A man may write books and make fine speeches and seem diligent in good works, and yet be a Judas Iscariot. But a man seldom goes into his closet, and pours out his soul before God in secret, unless he is in earnest. The Lord himself has set his stamp on prayer as the best proof of true conversion. -JC Ryle

If we are really convinced of the truth of our message...

If we are really convinced of the truth of our message, then we can proclaim it before a world of enemies, then the very difficulty of our task, the very scarcity of our allies becomes an inspiration, then we can even rejoice that God did not place us in an easy age, but in a time of doubt and perplexity and battle. Then, too, we shall not be afraid to call forth other soldiers into the conflict.  -J. Gresham Machen

Fear not the storm...

Fear not the storm, it brings healing in its wings, and when Jesus is with you in the vessel, the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven. -CH Spurgeon image

"LORD, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU....

"LORD, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, 

BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU." -2 Chronicles 20:12

This helpless cry of despair came from King Jehoshaphat, who was known to have a "heart that was courageous in the ways of the Lord."

But not this time.  

He and his people, even the little ones, had gathered to seek the Lord, after learning that a great horde of three nations was coming armed to fight against them.   

Even though Jehoshaphat was characteristically known to be courageous, he was understandably afraid as he was about to face this powerful enemy. And it is at this point, that Jehoshaphat admits his powerlessness and perplexity, but also chooses to look to God. 

Have you ever been in a situation where your world is shaken, and you no longer feel courageous in  the ways of God? Your faith in Him is thrown off balance, as the ground shifts under you? It's a scary thing to feel powerless and confused, as you face things beyond your control, and feel unable to keep your feet and faith steady underneath you. 

Just as dancers fix their eyes on just one point in order to maintain their balance while they spin and twirl; so Jehoshaphat fixed his eyes on the Lord, when he did not know what to do. 

When he set His eyes on the Lord, after acknowledging who God was and remembering what He had done for his people in the past; and confessing his own powerlessness; God revealed Himself, in such a wonderful way. 

He told Jehoshaphat, not to "be afraid or dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours, but" Mine.

All that Jehoshaphat and the people had to do was to go out and meet that army. They had to position themselves to see what the Lord would do and STAND FIRM. 

God was not asking them to be passive or to avoid this battle. They still had to go out to seek and face their enemy, but it was so that they could see God fight for them.  

They were told that they didn't need to be afraid as they went out, because the Lord had promised to be with them.

Equipped with this encouraging truth, Jehoshaphat led his people to meet the enemy, all the while, singing praises of thanksgiving to God. 

And because they kept their eyes fixed on the Lord, they were able to keep their balance, while they stood firm and saw the salvation of the Lord on their behalf. 

As you face unsettling trials, and shifting circumstances that throw you off balance, remember to fix your eyes on your Savior, with this simple, honest plea for help: "Lord, I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you."  

Fix your eyes on Jesus, who has already fought your biggest battle by reconciling you to your Father by taking the punishment you deserve. In the knowledge of what he has accomplished, sing joyfully to your God, as you go out to face the trials that have shaken you. Position yourself and stand firm in the belief that God is GOOD and in control of all things, so that you can expectantly look for what He will do on your behalf.  -Reushann Cox image

Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

 the author and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, 

scorning its shame, and sat down 

at the right hand of the throne of God.

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son...

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen  -BCP 2019

We must not conceal from ourselves that true Christianity brings with it a daily cross...

We must not conceal from ourselves that true Christianity brings with it a daily cross in this life, while it offers us a crown of glory in the life to come. The flesh must be daily crucified. The devil must be daily resisted. The world must be daily overcome. There is a warfare to be waged, and a battle to be fought. All this is the inseparable accompaniment of true religion. Heaven is not to be won without it. Never was there a truer word than the old saying, “No cross, no crown!” If we never found this out by experience, our souls are in a poor condition. -JC Ryle image

In Praise of the Boring, Uncool Church...

The life of Christian faith should be altogether different: a long obedience, a slow burn, a quiet diligence to pursue Jesus faithfully, with others in community

Excerpt:

In a world of dizzyingly disposable trends, so much seems to collapse as quickly as it arrives: brands, celebrities, movements, institutions, ideas. When we misconstrue faith as just another thing in the consumerist stew, it too becomes a flash-in-the-pan fashion, as fragile and fickle as the latest viral trend on TikTok.

The life of Christian faith should be altogether different: a long obedience, a slow burn, a quiet diligence to pursue Jesus faithfully, with others in community, in good times and bad, for better or for worse. Will this form of plodding, old-fashioned Christianity go viral on Instagram or get featured in GQ? Probably not. But it will actually grow Christians to maturity and help them run a long, steady, and fruitful race, as it has for countless saints over two millennia. I pray that I—and you, too—will be counted among them.

Read it all...

Easter Sunday: "He is not here, for he has risen, as he said."

But the angel said to the women, 

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. -Matthew 28:5-6

Holy Saturday: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

     O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

    O Lord, who could stand?

 But with you there is forgiveness,

    that you may be feared.

 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

    and in his word I hope;

 my soul waits for the Lord

    more than watchmen for the morning,

    more than watchmen for the morning.

 O Israel, hope in the Lord!

    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

    and with him is plentiful redemption.

 And he will redeem Israel

    from all his iniquities.

-Psalm 130 

Good Friday: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly...

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.   -Romans 5:6-10

Holy Thursday: When he had washed their feet...

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. -John 13:12-17 

(image public domain)

God's Footprints....

God's Footprints:

Science makes faith plausible, not impossible.

By Stephen C. Meyer

Here: https://americanmind.org/features/the-secret-knowledge/gods-footprints/

Hosanna, loud hosanna!

Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang,
Through pillared court and temple
The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them
Close folded to his breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.

From Olivet they followed
Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving,
And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
Rode on in lowly state,
Nor scorned that little children
Should on his bidding wait.

Hosanna in the highest!"
That ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him
With heart and life and voice,
And in his blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
...Jeanette Threlfall

The God whom earth and sea and sky adore...

The God whom earth and sea and sky
Adore and laud and magnify,
Whose might they own, Whose praise they tell,
In Mary's womb vouchsafed to dwell.

How blessed that Mother, in whose shrine
The world's Creator, Lord divine,
Whose hand contains the earth and sky,
Once deigned, as in His ark, to lie.

Blessed in the message Gabriel brought,
Blessed by the work the Spirit wrought;
From whom the great Desire of earth
Took human flesh and human birth.

O Lord, the Virgin-born, to Thee
Eternal praise and glory be,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Ghost for evermore.
... For­tu­na­tus image

Prodigal Church, Prodigal Nation...

Prodigal Church, Prodigal Nation...

The Christian church in America “must come to its senses” before we can expect the nation itself to return to be the light of liberty.

 Read here-Excellent! image

We never reach a place in the Christian life...

We never reach a place in the Christian life where it is no longer necessary to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. A constant coming back in spirit to our Center which is Christ the Lord, is our only safeguard.  -Frederick Huegel

God keep me from saying anything that would be unloving...

God keep me from saying anything that would be unloving; God shut my mouth if I am not to speak in tender love. But what I am saying is a fact. How often there is found among Christians who are banded together in work, sharp criticism, sharp judgment, hasty opinion, unloving words, secret contempt of each other, secret condemnation of each other. Oh, just as a mother’s love covers her children and delights in them and has the tenderest compassion with their foibles or failures, so there ought to be in the heart of every believer a motherly love toward every brother and sister in Christ. Have you aimed at that? Have you sought it? Have you ever pleaded for it?  -Andrew Murray

Holiness comes not of blood...

Holiness comes not of blood—parents cannot give it to their children: nor yet of the will of the flesh—man cannot produce it in himself: nor yet of the will of man—ministers cannot give it you by baptism. Holiness comes from Christ. It is the result of vital union with Him. It is the fruit of being a living branch of the True Vine.  -J.C. Ryle