Wounded Soldiers

"In love’s service, only the wounded soldiers can serve."

- James Stewart

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