Month: December 2011

Into the New Year 2012

Happy New Year to one and all. Here’s C H Spurgeon’s Morning devotional for January 1st:

“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” –Joshua 5:12 

Israel’s weary wanderings were all over, and the promised rest was attained. No more moving tents, fiery serpents, fierce Amalekites, and howling wildernesses: they came to the land which flowed with milk and honey, and they ate the old corn of the land. Perhaps this year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus in the rest which remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss. Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between us and the goodly land, but let us rest assured that we have already experienced more ills than death at its worst can cause us. Let us banish every fearful thought, and rejoice with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this year we shall begin to be “for ever with the Lord.”

A part of the host will this year tarry on earth, to do service for their Lord. If this should fall to our lot, there is no reason why the New Year’s text should not still be true. “We who have believed do enter into rest.” The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; He gives us “glory begun below.” In heaven they are secure, and so are we preserve in Christ Jesus; there they triumph over their enemies, and we have victories too. Celestial spirits enjoy communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us; they rest in His love, and we have perfect peace in Him: they hymn His praise, and it is our privilege to bless Him too. We will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly ground, where faith and hope have made the desert like the garden of the Lord. Man did eat angels’ food of old, and why not now ? O for grace to feed on Jesus, and so to eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan this year!

Happy New Year 2012

Happy New Year to everyone.

Many thanks for visiting & commenting and some of you actually liked it. May God richly bless you in the New Year.

Here’s the text of C H Spurgeon’s Evening devotional for December 31st:

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” –Jeremiah 8:20
 
Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the Bible, you hear it from the pulpit, it is explained to you by friends, and yet you neglect it, and therefore you are not saved. You will be without excuse when the Lord shall judge the quick and dead. The Holy Spirit has given more or less of blessing upon the word which has been preached in your hearing, and times of refreshing have come from the divine presence, and yet you are without Christ. All these hopeful seasons have come and gone–your summer and your harvest have past–and yet you are not saved. Years have followed one another into eternity, and your last year will soon be here: youth has gone, manhood is going, and yet you are not saved. Let me ask you–will you ever be saved? Is there any likelihood of it? Already the most propitious seasons have left you unsaved; will other occasions alter your condition? Means have failed with you–the best of means, used perseveringly and with the utmost affection–what more can be done for you? Affliction and prosperity have alike failed to impress you; tears and prayers and sermons have been wasted on your barren heart. Are not the probabilities dead against your ever being saved? Is it not more than likely that you will abide as you are till death for ever bars the door of hope? Do you recoil from the supposition? Yet it is a most reasonable one: he who is not washed in so many waters will in all probability go filthy to his end. The convenient time never has come, why should it ever come? It is logical to fear that it never will arrive, and that Felix like, you will find no convenient season till you are in hell. O bethink you of what that hell is, and of the dread probability that you will soon be cast into it!Reader, suppose you should die unsaved, your doom no words can picture. Write out your dread estate in tears and blood, talk of it with groans and gnashing of teeth: you will be punished with everlasting destruction from the glory of the Lord, and from the glory of His power. A brother’s voice would fain startle you into earnestness. O be wise, be wise in time, and ere another year begins, believe in Jesus, who is able to save to the uttermost. Consecrate these last hours to lonely thought, and if deep repentance be bred in you, it will be well; and if it lead to a humble faith in Jesus, it will be best of all. O see to it that this year pass not away, and you an unforgiven spirit. Let not the new year’s midnight peals sound upon a joyless spirit! Now, NOW,NOW believe, and live.

“ESCAPE FOR THY LIFE;
LOOK NOT BEHIND THEE,
NEITHER STAY THOU
IN ALL THE PLAIN;
ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAIN,
LEST THOU BE CONSUMED.”

Kindle Surprise!

You’ve seen those Kindle things – all over the place they are. I’ve kind of looked at them. Well, now I have one. My kids clubbed together to buy one for Christmas. Not ever really thinking about buying one, it was s bit of a surprise and the thought ran through my mind – will I really use this. Having played with it for a while and downloaded a few books – the answer is, yes I will.

But what a way they set me up for it. I felt the wrapping and knew it was a book. And from the size of it I hoped it was the  volume of Systematic Theology by Michael Horton – I had dropped a few hints. When I opened the wrapping, it was a book alright! A Gardening Book! I tried to be appreciative, knowing they had my best interests at heart. Gardening is not my thing at all. But! When I opened up the book there inside was a Kindle. Wahoo. They had cut out the inside of the book (The idea of my daughter Lydia)  to fit a Kindle – absolutely brilliant. A real surprise, I had no idea at all.

I have downloaded the sample of Michael Horton’s Systematic Theology, The ESV Bible (print price £22.38 Kindle price £0.00) and put a PDF file on it. If I spot any FREE Kindle books that may be of interest I’ll put up a post about them.

The plan now is to try to modify it. If the modifications happen, and I have some ideas, I’ll post about them here.

Related articles

The Queen’s Christmas Speech 2011

Last evening at church our Pastor mentioned in his sermon the Queen’s speech (Elizabeth II) and how she had very strongly mentioned The Lord Jesus Christ. Wanting to check it out for myself I can confirm The Queen, contrary to many a spineless politician, spoke of Christ as a unique person. And in the context it’s not possible to interpret unique in the sense that we are all unique but clearly that Jesus is the Saviour and is Christ The Lord. There can only be one Lord – and It’s Jesus. You will find the full text of her speech HERE. But I’ve taken the liberty of posting the last few paragraphs below. To be honest I’m not really a Monarchist (I like the history though) but from the speech below we perhaps do have a Monarch whose faith truly is in Christ. Here’s a high-profile figure not afraid, or bound by ridiculous political correctness, diversity or intolerant tolerance to speak of faith in Christ and her own need of a Saviour and of forgiveness. God bless you.

Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

‘For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’

Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed.

God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love.

In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us we pray.

Cast out our sin

And enter in.

Be born in us today.

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.”

Goodbye old faithful

'Old Faithful'

Christmas is a time for new things – and sometimes out with the old. Today I put into the bin our old Filter Coffee Maker . This was bought as a wedding present for us just over 28 years ago by my Best Man (Thanks Mike) and wife. My default is to try to fix things. The machine was leaking from somewhere in the water container and so after each brew a pool of water gathered underneath. The only thing I could think of was ‘Rad-weld’ but on reflection decided that wasn’t a very good idea – so it had to go in the bin. It’s my wife that uses it most as I’m really a confirmed Tea Drinker; So her Christmas present was a shiny new one – but I’m guessing it won’t last as long as our old Phillips one. ‘They don’t make em like they used to’ and ‘all things come to an end’. I’ve attached a picture of the old faithful, then it was to the bin.

Hark! the herald angels sing

Here’s one of THE great Christmas Hymns – ‘Hark! the herald angels sing’ and so should we!. Or if you prefer one of THE great Incarnational Hymns by Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788). I’ve included below each stanza the verses from the Bible so we can see just how full of Scripture and theology this Hymn is. It’s no wonder they are great teaching aids. I’m using the King James version of the Bible for its poetic beauty. The actual text of the hymn has many variations so I apologise if the one below is a little different from the particular version you are most familiar with. As we sing this Hymn I trust we will not just admire the skill of the composer, or be lost in familiarity, but be amazed at the incredible condescension of the Lord of Glory as He comes to redeem lost sinners. Late in time behold Him come!

1 Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King:
Peace on earth, and mercy mild;
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.”

Stanza. 1 = Luke 2:14, 2 Cor. 5:19

Luke 2:14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’

2 Corinthians 5:19 ‘To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’

2 Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.”

Stanza. 2 = Gal. 4:4, John 1:14

Galatians 4:4 ‘But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,’

John 1:14  ‘And 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.’

3 Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.”

Stanza. 3 = Isa. 9:6, Mal. 4:2, Phil. 2:7-8, 1 Pet. 1:3

Isaiah 9:6 ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’

Malachi 4:2 ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.’

Philippians 2:7 ‘But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:’
Philippians 2:8 ‘And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’

1 Peter 1:3 ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,’

(Thanks to the Hymnary.org web-site for information on the hymn. Specifically HERE.)

And Thy Years Shall not Fail – a Christmas Reflection – Mail Online – Peter Hitchens blog

And Thy Years Shall not Fail – a Christmas Reflection – Mail Online – Peter Hitchens blog.

It’s from a few days ago but still worth a read.

Presuppositionalism Link: Lord of Non-Contradictions and argument for God « The Domain for Truth

Presuppositionalism Link: Lord of Non-Contradictions and argument for God « The Domain for Truth.

Thanks to Jim at The Domain for Truth.

“Britons” streaming into Somalia to train for jihad – Jihad Watch

“Britons” streaming into Somalia to train for jihad – Jihad Watch.

Do you see a Rose?

image

Couldn’t resist trying to upload a picture from a cafe in Lymington, Hampshire, UK.