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