Advent Song

EARTH was waiting, spent and restless,

 with a mingled hope and fear;

 and the faithful few were sighing,

 ‘Surely, Lord, the day is near;

 the Desire of all the nations,

 it is time He should appear.’

2 In the sacred courts of Zion,

 where the Lord had His abode,

 there the money-changers trafficked,

 and the sheep and oxen trod;

 and the world, because of wisdom,

 knew not either Lord or God.

3 Then the Spirit of the Highest

 on a virgin meek came down,

 and He burdened her with blessing,

 and He pained her with renown;

 for she bore the Lord’s Anointed,

 for His cross and for His crown.

4 Earth for Him had groaned and travailed

 since the ages first began;

 for in Him was hid the secret

 that through all the ages ran –

 Son of Mary, Son of David,

 Son of God, and Son of Man.

                                        -Walter Chalmers Smith, 1824-1908

Tune # 203

Abide with Me - full lyrics

Henry Francis Lyte (1793–1847)

 

 

ABIDE with me! fast falls the eventide, 

The darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide! 

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, 

Help of the helpless, O, abide with me! 

 

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; 

Change and decay in all around I see: 

O thou who changest not, abide with me! 

 

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word; 

But, as thou dwell’st with thy disciples, Lord, 

Familiar, condescending, patient, free, 

Come, not to sojourn, but abide with me! 

 

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings; 

But kind and good, with healing in thy wings; 

Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea; 

Come, Friend of sinners, and thus ’bide with me! 

 

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile; 

And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile, 

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left thee; 

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me! 

 

I need thy presence every passing hour: 

What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? 

Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? 

Through cloud and sunshine, O, abide with me! 

 

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness: 

Where is death’s sting? where, grave, thy victory? 

I triumph still if thou abide with me. 

 

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes, 

Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies. 

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee: 

In life and death, O Lord, abide with me! 

The Law of God is Good

The law of God is good and wise
And sets his will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.

Its light of holiness imparts
The knowledge of our sinful hearts
That we may see our lost estate
And seek deliv'rance ere too late.

To those who help in Christ have found
And would in works of love abound
It shows what deeds are his delight
And should be done as good and right.

When men the offered help disdain
And wilfully in sin remain,
Its terror in their ear resounds
And keeps their wickedness in bounds.

The law is good; but since the fall
Its holiness condemns us all;
It dooms us for our sin to die
And has no pow'r to justify.

To Jesus we for refuge flee,
Who from the curse has set us free,
And humbly worship at his throne,
Saved by his grace through faith alone.

Tune: Erhalt uns,Herr

Faith in times of Plagues

Martin Luther says that he will “help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.”

https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/faith-in-times-of-plague-luther/

The USA needs More People, Lots More

Secular Reasons the USA needs Population Growth

From the Motley Fool Podcast:

Here  *    Starting around 18 minutes.

* 

http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/d/6/f/d6f339a93fc64e46/MFM_podcast_10.02.2020_mixdown.mp3?c_id=85005038&cs_id=85005038&destination_id=13197&expiration=1602098074&hwt=9d48fa02c85cc361ffa1b4dff6bd2856

Rules, Jordan Peterson's or Jesus' ?

"Life needs order rather than chaos; this is what attracted the millions who embraced Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life. The rules Peterson presents do not, of course, arise from Scripture, grace in Christ and love to God. But their popularity revealed a widespread acknowledgement that life needs direction and structure; even a degree of self-denial"....

The rest of the article here

King Alfred on Translation

Here King Alfred wrote on translating Scripture and other books into English.

"I remembered how the law was first known in Hebrew, and again, when the Greeks had learnt it, they translated the whole of it into their own language, and all other books besides. And again the Romans..."

Full Quote

Where is the Aurora Borealis visible today

Tap Here

https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/images/animations/ovation-north/latest.jpg

Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned by SamuelStennett(1727-1795)

Ma-jes-tic sweet-ness sits en-throned up-on the Sav-ior's brow;

   His head with rad-iant glo-ries crowned, His lips with grace o'er-flow.

No mor-tal can with Him com-pare, a-mong the sons of men;

   Fair-er is He than all the fair that fill the heaven-ly train.

He saw me plunged in deep dis-tress, He flew to my re-lief;

   For me He bore the shame-ful cross, and car-ried all my grief.

To Him I owe my life and breath, and all the joys I have;

   He makes me tri-umph o-ver death, and saves me from the grave.

To heaven, the place of His a-bode, He brings my wea-ry feet;

   Shows me the glo-ries of my God, and makes my joys com-plete.

Since from His boun-ty I re-ceive such proofs of love di-vine,

   Had I a thou-sand hearts to give, Lord, they should all be Thine.

.......

Proposed Change to revel (by repetition) in His humanity:

Fair-er is He than all the fair that fill the heaven-ly train;

No mor-tal can with Him com-pare, a-mong the sons of men, a-mong the sons of men.

King Alfred's Book

...Pastoral Care, King Alfred’s late ninth-century translation of a sixth-century work by Pope Gregory:

“Se se ðe unwærlice ðone wuda hiewð, & sua his freond ofsliehð” (“He who carelessly hews the wood, and so slays his friend”).

Sounds like he's dealing with the judicial law.

Jesus Washing Feet

"A bowl of water and a towel

became a sign of grace

when Christ, the Lord, the Teacher, took

the lowest servant's place.... 

Beautifully Sung.

https://www.jubilate.co.uk/music_lyrics/lyric/a_bowl_of_water_and_a_towel

This is in copyright, so I won't post it directly.

Old Testament Gospel

Title and Poem by William Cowper. (Hebrews iv.2)

Israel in ancient days

Not only had a view

Of Sinai in a blaze,

But learn'd the Gospel too;

The types and figures were a glass,

In which they saw a Saviour's face.

The paschal sacrifice

And blood-besprinkled door,

Seen with enlighten'd eyes,

And once applied with power,

Would teach the need of other blood,

To reconcile an angry God.

The Lamb, the Dove, set forth

His perfect innocence,

Whose blood of matchless worth

Would be the soul's defence;

For he who can for sin atone,

Must have no failings of His own.

The scape-goat on his head

The people's trespass bore,

And to the desert led,

Was to be seen no more:

In him our surety seem'd to say,

"Behold, I bear your sins away."

Dipt in his fellow's blood,

The living bird went free;

The type, well understood,

Express'd the sinner's plea;

Described a guilty soul enlarged,

And by a Saviour's death discharged.

Jesus, I love to trace,

Throughout the sacred page,

The footsteps of Thy grace,

The same in every age!

Oh, grant that I may faithful be

To clearer light vouchsafed to me!

Male and Female made HE them

As I look at Arabic it occurs to me that it is a language like French and Spanish. Embedded in it is Male and Female. Gender is in every adjective, every name,  every noun.

Too Many Babies?

We're  "just one generation away from a disastrous people-shortage. We’re not on the brink of a population bomb. In fact, we may be on the brink of a population bust. "

Video and text

Your Fatherly Love, Oh LORD

1. The tender love a father has

For all his children dear,

Such love you, LORD, bestow on them

Who worship you in fear.

2. You, LORD, remember we are dust,

And all our frailty know;

Our days are like the tender grass,

And as the flower we grow.

3. The flower is withered by the wind

That smites with blighting breath;

So man is quickly swept away

Before the blast of death.

4. Unchanging is your love, Oh GOD,

From age to age the same,

Displayed to all who do your will

And reverence your Name.

5. Those who your gracious covenant keep

Oh LORD you'll ever bless;

Their children's children shall rejoice

To see your righteousness.

Adapted into a prayer from the 1912 Psalter paraphrase of Psalm 103:13-18 

Tune: Avalon CM

Many tunes can be found here: 

https://opc.org/hymn.html?list_type=tunes

Joy to the World

One of Isaac Watts Paraphrases on Psalm 98.

It's Optimistic.

It's Expecting.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Fecund meaning Fruitful

Break Point last week discussing the sadly destructive Supreme Court decision referenced this article. This is about the way forward. Not primarily political action; but get married. Have babies. Here's a snippet of Kevin Deyoung's article:

The future belongs to the fecund. It’s time for happy warriors who seek to “renew the city” and “win the culture war” by investing in their local church, focusing on the family, and bringing the kingdom to bear on the world, one baby at a time.

Click for all the article.

Who was the Slave and who was the Free?

From Chrysostom, an early Greek Pastor:

"And consider both these points. Joseph was a slave but not a slave to men: wherefore even in slavery he was freer than all that are free. For instance, he yielded not to his mistress; yielded not to the purposes which she who possessed him desired. Again she was free; yet none ever so like a slave, courting and beseeching her own servant. But she prevailed not on him, who was free, to do what he would not. This then was not slavery; but it was liberty of the most exalted kind. For what impediment to virtue had he from his slavery? Let men hear, both slaves and free. Which was the slave? He that was entreated or she that did entreat? She that besought or he that despised her supplication?

"In fact, there are limits set to slaves by God Himself; and up to what point one ought to keep them, has also been determined, and to transgress them is wrong. Namely, when your master commands nothing which is unpleasing to God, it is right to follow and to obey; but no farther. For thus the slave becomes free. But if you go further, even though you are free you are become a slave. At least he intimates this, saying, 'Be not ye the servants of men'.”

Agile Decision Making

1. Observe

 What is going on around us? What’s the situation?

2.Orient

 What do we need to orient to, or adapt to, to figure out what’s going on and how we need to change in light of that current reality?

3. Decide

 We decide what to do. What have we identified? What opportunity or need is there for change? What can we decide on that will actually move us forward?

4 Act

 How can you see this through to make sure it’s completed? What will you do to observe then the results?

The full article

Singing One's Mealtime Grace

I was looking for a poetic prayer for meal times. Here is what I found in a number of hymnals:

1. Be present at our table, Lord;

Be here and everywhere adored;

Thy creatures bless, and grant that we

May feast in paradise with Thee.

2. We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food,

For life and health and every good;

By Thine own hand may we be fed;

Give us each day our daily bread.

3. We thank Thee, Lord, for this our good,

But more because of Jesus’ blood;

Let manna to our souls be giv’n,

The Bread of Life sent down from Heav’n.

It's Long Meter (LM) so can be sung to the Doxology for examine.

Here is my one verse version directed to Jesus:

Be present at our table, Lord;

Be here and everywhere adored;

By your own hand may we be fed;

Give us this day our daily bread.

The Apostle Paul Considered Himself a Faithful Jew

Speaking of his people to the Roman Governor Felix he said, "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets...."
Here

Jesus of the Scars

“Jesus of the Scars” by Edward Shillito

 If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.  

 The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.

If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.