Category Archives: Daily Living

December 25, 2021 · 11:25 AM

CHRISTMAS DAY: “The Joy That Christmas Brings”

Joy Has Dawned[1]

Following a night of confrontation with the spirits in Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge experienced a joyous Christmas morning.

“Running to the window, he opened it and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; golden sunlight; heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!
‘What’s today?’ cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.
‘Eh?’ returned the boy with all his might and wonder.
‘What’s today, my fine fellow?’ said Scrooge.
‘Today!’ replied the boy. ‘Why, Christmas Day.’”[2]

Scrooge was a changed man after his night of struggle. He felt he had a new lease on life. His outlook on life was changed. He experienced joy.

Joy is found throughout the Christmas story. It was promised to Zechariah that the birth of his son John the Baptist, the one who would introduce Jesus to the world, would bring “. . . joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth . . .” (Luke 1:13 NRSV). His wife Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, felt that the child in her womb “leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44) when Mary came to visit her. The angelic messenger told the shepherds that he was bringing them “. . . good news of great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10 NRSV), and after they had found and worshiped the infant Jesus, the shepherds returned to their flocks “. . . glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen . . .” (Luke 2:20 NRSV). Even the Magi who came later to visit the newborn King were “overwhelmed with joy” when the star led them to find Jesus (Matthew 2:10).

The apostle John wrote that the message of the coming of Jesus to the world was a message that brings joy in the telling.

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us – we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4 NRSV)

What is it about the message of Jesus – the message of Christmas – that brings us joy? Timothy Keller writes that “. . . the joy that Christmas brings, the assurance of God’s love and care, is like a subterranean river of joy, a fountain of mirth, that will always reinvigorate you no matter the circumstances of your life.”[3] You and I can know a deep and lasting joy when we come to know Jesus and receive the new life He came to bring.

Keith and Kristyn Getty are modern hymn writers who are giving the church many new songs that are musically beautiful and theologically faithful to Scripture. Their song, “Joy Has Dawned,” is a wonderful retelling of the Christmas story, and affirmation of the joy we know when the message of Christmas truly fills our hearts.

Joy has dawned upon the world, promised from creation –
God’s salvation now unfurled, hope for every nation.
Not with fanfares from above, not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love – Jesus born of Mary.

Sounds of wonder fill the sky with the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of life shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place, shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother’s breast, vulnerable and helpless.

Shepherds bow before the Lamb, gazing at the glory;
Gifts of men from distant lands prophesy the story.
Gold – a King is born today, incense – God is with us,
Myrrh – His death will make a way, and by His blood He’ll win us.

Son of Adam, Son of heaven, given as a ransom;
Reconciling God and man, Christ, our mighty champion!
What a Savior! What a Friend! What a glorious mystery!
Once a babe in Bethlehem, now the Lord of history.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 12:6 NRSV). Jesus was born. He lived and died in our place for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead and is reigning as King in heaven today. By his Holy Spirit He is present in the world today and within everyone who receives Him as Savior and Lord. May the message of Christ and the presence of Christ give you great joy this Christmas day and every day.

Follow this link to hear the Gettys and their band present this wonderful new Christmas hymn.

[1] WORDS AND MUSIC: Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend. ©2005 Thankyou Music. https://youtu.be/ibe5zRch8bU

[2] Charles Dickens, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, (Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family Publishing, 1997), p. 88.

[3] Timothy Keller, HIDDEN CHRISTMAS (New York: Viking / Penguin Random House, 2016), pp. 137-138.

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December 25, 2021 · 11:17 AM

CHRISTMAS EVE: “All We Really Need”

On Christmas Night All Christians Sing[1]

In his book Hidden Christmas, Timothy Keller draws a comparison between receiving advice and receiving news. “Advice is counsel about what you must do. News is a report about what has already been done. Advice urges you to make something happen. News urges you to recognize something that has already happened and to respond to it.”[2] Keller then applies this distinction to the biblical narratives of Christmas. “There is no ‘moral of the story’ to the nativity. The shepherds, the parents of Jesus, the wise men are not being held up primarily as examples for us. These Gospel narratives are telling you not what you should do but what God has done.”[3]

One evening some two-thousand years ago, a celestial news broadcast gave a few select men on a Judean hillside a message about the greatest event in human history. It was an up-to-the-minute report about a birth that had just happened that night. The news was delivered by angelic messengers who had come directly from “the Source” to report about the event.

I bring you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:10-12 NRSV)

All that remained was for the shepherds to respond to the news, find the Child, and worship the newborn Savior. The traditional Sussex Carol calls on all Christians to likewise join in the response of adoration and praise.

On Christmas night, all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring.
On Christmas night, all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring:
News of great joy, news of great mirth, news of our merciful King’s birth.

When we respond to news we receive, the nature of our response usually matches the message we received. To a tragic occurrence the response is sadness or sorrow. But to “good news of great joy” – the news that our bondage to sin has been broken – there can be only one response – gladness and joy! There is a Puritan prayer which calls on God to hear the intercession that Jesus makes in heaven today for us and to “. . . whisper to my heart, ‘Thy sins are forgiven, be of good cheer; lie down in peace.”[4] The forgiveness of our sins is the true gladness that replaces our deep sadness. On this Christmas Eve, we respond with joy to the news of the arrival of the One who delivers us from our bondage – redeems us from our slavery – to sin.

Then why should men on earth be sad, since our Redeemer made us glad.
Then why should men on earth be sad, since our Redeemer made us glad:
When from our sin he set us free, all for to gain our liberty.

When sin departs before Your grace, then life and health come in its place.
When sin departs before Your grace, then life and health come in its place:
Angels and men with joy may sing, all for to see the newborn King.

The same Puritan prayer continues, “Unsought, Thou hast given me the greatest gift, the person of Thy Son, and in Him Thou wilt give me all I need.”[5] Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, understood that the coming Messiah would address every human need, and offered his praise to the One whom his son would “prepare the way” for.

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79 NRSV)

Why is this night so special? We have been given spiritual life and health to heal the disease of sin in our lives – light to dispel darkness as a “tender mercy” from God – deliverance from a life characterized by death and into a life of peace. Why on Christmas night should all Christians sing? Because God has done this by giving us a great gift – the greatest gift – the gift of Himself – our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ – and He is all we really need. May praise fill our hearts and minds and flow out of our voices because of this “good news.”

All out of darkness we have light which made the angels sing this night.
All out of darkness we have light, which made the angels sing this night:
“Glory to God and peace to men, now and forevermore. Amen.”

Enjoy this rendition of Sussex Carol by the King’s College Cambridge choir.

[1] WORDS: Traditional English Carol. MUSIC: SUSSEX CAROL, traditional English carol arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1919). https://youtu.be/oqsnfgVQuyk

[2] Timothy Keller, HIDDEN CHRISTMAS, (New York: Viking/Penguin Random House, 2016), p. 21.

[3] Timothy Keller, HIDDEN CHRISTMAS, p. 22.

[4] The Valley of Vision, “The Prayer of Love,” p. 149.

[5] The Valley of Vision, “The Prayer of Love,” p. 149.

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November 15, 2021 · 9:28 PM

Faithfully Following Our King

Lead On, O King Eternal[1]

Dislike for authority is in the nature of every person. Ever since humanity’s fall in the Garden of Eden, people have not wanted to be told what to do. A 1965 television commercial for a headache remedy called Anacin featured a younger woman (with a headache) saying irritably, “Mother, I’d rather do it myself.”  Sounds like the words – or at least the thoughts – we direct toward God. No advice needed. I know better than you what is best for me. The conclusion about ancient Israel that resounds through the Old Testament book of Judges is telling both as to the root problem and the crying need of people and societies then and now. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25 ESV).

Thankfully, God has not rejected mankind even though mankind rejects him. “Does their [our] faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!” (Romans 3:3-4 ESV). “. . . If we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13 ESV). Instead of rejecting us, he chooses to help us love and reverence and obey him. “I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7 ESV). What God promised through Jeremiah is the lived-out experience of every person who has turned from their rebellious ways and yielded control of their lives to THE King of kings.

Lead on, O King eternal, the day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest thy tents shall be our home;
Through days of preparation thy grace has made us strong,
And now, O King eternal, we lift our battle song.

The hymn Lead On, O King Eternal speaks to the omnipotence and eternality of God. It also pictures the Christian life as the spiritual battle that it indeed is. In living faithfully for God in this fallen world, our home becomes where God and his people are. Our ability and strength to live for him and serve him comes from his grace given freely to us. But the hymn also pictures the Christian’s “warfare” – and the way in which the Kingdom of God comes, grows, and expands – with language that does not sound like warfare.

Lead on, O King eternal, till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper the sweet amen of peace;
For not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums,
By deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes.

“By deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes.”  One who vibrantly lived out the truth of those words was Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She lifted people out of garbage dumps and sewer drains, affirming the inherent dignity of every human being because they were image bearers of God. By her humble service, she called the world’s attention to the poor and abandoned. She made significant personal sacrifices to follow her calling to the “poorest of the poor.” One of those sacrifices was her family. When she left her home in Albania to become a nun, she never saw her sister or mother again. According to David Aikman in his profile of Mother Teresa, her brother Lazar had been stunned by her decision to become a nun and wondered whether she was throwing her life away. He wrote to her, suggesting that his life as a military officer in the court of a European king was more exciting and rewarding than her life as a nun. Her reply? “To you it seems something very important to be an officer in the service of a king with two million subjects. Well, I’m an officer too, but I serve the King of the whole world. Which of us is in the better position?”[2]

Lead on, O King eternal, we follow not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning where’re thy face appears;
Thy cross is lifted o’er us; we journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest; lead on, O God of might.

Mother Teresa had no struggle with God’s authority in her life. When asked “Who is Jesus to you?” she replied, “Jesus is my God; Jesus is my spouse; Jesus is my Life; Jesus is my only Love; Jesus is my All in All; Jesus is my Everything.”[3]  Who is Jesus to you? To me? Who is the “king” that we serve each day? What “kingdom” does our life and labor help to advance? The “kingdom” of this world, or the “. . . Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ?” (Revelation 11:15 ESV). May today – and everyday – find us following as loyal subjects of the King of kings, serving loving and tirelessly as ambassadors of the Kingdom and the King who “. . . shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15 ESV).

[1] TEXT: Ernest W. Shurtleff (1888). TUNE: LANCASHIRE, Henry Smart (1836).

[2] Lush Gjergji, Mother Teresa: Her Life, Her Works (New Rochelle, NY: New City Press, 1991). Quoted in David Aikman, GREAT SOULS: Six Who Changed the Century (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2003), p. 209.

[3] Aikman, GREAT SOULS, p. 248.

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November 9, 2021 · 2:48 PM

His Kingdom Comes

A Mighty Fortress is Our God[1]

“The kingdom of God is the supreme and sovereign rule and reign of God over all.”[2] (Burk Parsons)

In giving us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray that God the Father’s kingdom would come, and his will would be done, “on earth as it is in heaven.”  There are times when our circumstances and emotions lead us to think and feel that God is truly in control of everything around us. Then there are other times – times when chaos is all around us – when we wonder where God is now.

Martin Luther was a priest and teacher in the Catholic church who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He struggled intensely in his relationship with God. His mind and emotions were often painfully stirred with doubts and fears about whether he was truly God’s child – whether his life was pleasing to God – whether he was genuinely loved and accepted by God. His fears were assuaged when he came to understand the truth of justification by faith – that our relationship with God is based on trusting the death of Christ for us on the cross, and not trying to please God by our actions. While studying Paul’s letter to the Romans, he was drawn to Romans 1:17: “The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (NKJV). The apostle Paul expanded on this truth in Romans 5:1: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (NKJV). He added further in Galatians 2:16 that “. . . we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (NKJV).

Because God is the supreme and sovereign ruler over all, and because Jesus died on the cross to bring us into a relationship with God, we can live with confidence, no matter the chaotic condition of the world or the fierce struggles we face in our own hearts and minds. It may not appear that God’s kingdom is coming “on earth as it is in heaven,” but God is at work no matter what is going on around us – as Martin Luther learned and expressed in his great hymn, 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.

God is a defense that never fails. No matter the obstacles we face, our God who is with us prevails. Still, we dare not let our guard down because our “ancient foe” never lets up seeking to “work us woe.” Satan’s power and evil intent cannot be matched by human effort, so we dare not ever trust our ability to overcome him.

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.

The “right Man” is our Lord Jesus Christ, the “. . . image of the invisible God,” the Creator of “. . . all things in heaven and on earth,” the One in whom “. . . all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17 NRSV). It is through Him that we are “. . . made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power” (Colossians 1:11 NRSV). Therefore, we have no need to fear whatever our “ancient foe” sends our way.

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.

God’s truth will triumph “through us.” God does not promise to keep us from the onslaughts of sin in this world, but He does promise to go with us through them. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff – they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 NRSV). And we are given the means to fight our spiritual battles – specifically God’s Word and God’s Spirit.

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 truth abideth still;
His Kingdom is forever!

Burk Parsons writes, “In His first coming [Jesus] established and inaugurated God’s kingdom . . . through the Holy Spirit, He is now expanding and increasing God’s kingdom . . . one day, He will return to judge all people. When He does return, He will bring the full and final consummation of God’s kingdom; established the new heaven and new earth; conquer all His and our enemies; save all who are true Israel and united to Him by faith; dry every tear from our eyes; and fully and finally eradicate sin and death.”[3]

What a glorious day that will be! Even so, Lord Jesus come!

[1] TEXT: Martin Luther (1529); translated by Frederick H. Hedge (1852). TUNE: EIN FESTE BURG

[2] Dr. Burk Parsons, TABLETALK, November 2021, p. 2.

[3] Dr. Burk Parsons, TABLETALK, November 2021, p. 2.

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October 19, 2021 · 10:47 PM

Security for Life

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25 ESV)

A building is only as sturdy as its foundation. The same can be said for a life.

Those who design buildings give careful attention to the foundation required for any project they undertake. They study the ground on which the building will be built, and meticulously plan for the composition of materials needed to lay an adequate foundation that will make the building stable and secure. There will be stresses exerted on the building that can only be withstood with a proper foundation.

This is also true of a human life. We can only withstand the stresses we endure when the foundation we are building our life on is designed and built with the right materials. A building’s foundation is constructed using brick and mortar and steel and cement to fashion a foundation that will support thousands of tons of weight. A life, on the other hand, is built with choices, values, and beliefs that are made and embraced from a person’s earliest years. And what material is used in making and embracing those choices, values, and beliefs? Jesus told us in Matthew 7, and the writer of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” made it clear as well.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 ESV). All the material needed to build a strong and vibrant life is found in the Word of God. But just like a builder must put his knowledge of construction into action, so a person must put his knowledge of God’s Word into action. It is not enough just to know. As James writes, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only . . .” (James 1:22 ESV). When we put what we know from God’s Word into practice, we can then be assured of God’s strength in our daily lives.

“Fear not; I am with thee. O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid.
I will strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.”

A proper foundation gives a building the strength to bear the weight of all that is built on top of it. We, too, have internal stresses – “deep waters” as the hymn writer puts it – sorrows, trials, and distresses – that we must bear, and for which we need the solid foundation of God’s infallible Word.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy trials to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.”

In Matthew 7, Jesus talked about a house facing rain and floods and wind. Buildings are built to withstand pressures in the atmosphere and from the shifting of the ground. So, it is in our daily living. Forces come to bear on us that would cause us to crumble were it not for the “grace all-sufficient” that is our foundation.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”

My friend Bruce Van Patter, in his column 8:18, wrote recently about finding an old church building that had been built in the mid-1800s.  While no longer in use, it is still standing, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When we see a building that has stood the “test of time,” we know that it was built well. When we see a person in their later years whose life has been lived well, we know that such a person has known the “sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love” of the God whose Word they have lived by.

“Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when silver hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.”

Jesus said that the house of the wise man felt the brunt of rain and floods and wind. They “. . . beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25 ESV). You and I at times feel like “all hell” has been unleashed upon us, but our confidence need not be shaken. If we have built the foundation of our lives on knowing God and His Word, and obeying God and His Word, then we have his promise that He will “never, no, never, no, never forsake” us.

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake.”

Follow this link to a recording of “How Firm a Foundation” that you can sing along with.

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October 12, 2021 · 12:22 PM

Delighting in the Greatness of God

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness . . . (1 Chronicles 16:29 ESV)

In his book “Providence,” John Piper tackles the question of why it is good that God desires to receive praise from his creation, while the same desire in human beings would be considered egotistical.

He first answers the question qualitatively. He writes that God’s “. . . glory is of infinite value. It is infinitely beautiful. Therefore, God, in all his glory, will prove to be more satisfying than anything or anyone else.”[1] Then to illustrate, Piper tells how C. S. Lewis discovered that “. . . all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise . . . we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”[2]  So, the call to “ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” (1 Chronicles 16:29) is a call to enjoy the perfections of God and to freely express that enjoyment.

Walter Chalmers Smith has given us a beautiful means of expressing our enjoyment and praise of God with his hymn Immortal, Invisible. This hymn guides us to particularly praise God for four attributes which belong to God alone – or as the theologians describe them, God’s incommunicable attributes. First is God’s attribute of being eternal.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise;
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes;
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days;
Almighty, victorious – Thy great name we praise.

“God has no beginning or end and is in no way bound by time, although he sees events and acts in his world in time . . . Those who trust the God of eternity can know peace, rest, and comfort in the busyness of life and despite impending death, for God keeps them in safety and joy forever.”[3]  Therefore, the psalmist writes:

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2 ESV)

The second stanza of Smith’s hymn speaks of God as being independent.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light;
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might.
Thy justice, like mountains high soaring above;
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

“God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy. God never experiences need, so serving God should never be motivated by the thought that he needs us. He is the provider in everything.”[4] As the apostle Paul noted when addressing the people of Athens:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:24-25 ESV)

Paul’s words lead us to the third stanza of the hymn, which gives praise to God as the unchangeable giver of life to all.

To all, life Thou givest – to both great and small.
In all life, Thou livest – the true Life of all.
Thy wisdom so boundless, Thy mercy so free;
Eternal Thy goodness, for naught changeth Thee.

God is immutable. “He is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises . . . God can always be trusted because he always keeps his word and is never capricious or moody.”[5]  He says through the prophet Malachi:

For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6 ESV)

And this eternal, independent, and immutable God is omnipresent. He is everywhere at once, receiving the adoration of angelic beings and the praise of his people on earth, which is celebrated in the hymn’s final stanza.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight.
All praise we would render – O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

“God is present everywhere with his whole being. God can be sought anywhere regardless of place. Believers should never feel lonely, and the wicked should never feel safe.”[6] As God says through Jeremiah:

Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him, declares the LORD? Do I not fill heaven and earth? (Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV)

Immortal. Invisible. Eternal. Independent. Immutable. Omnipresent. Just. Good. Loving. The Essence and Giver of life. The list could go on and on. Hymns like this one from Walter Chalmers Smith, and the words that fill holy Scripture, keep us mindful of how God’s glory is of infinite value and beauty. May our enjoyment of the beauties of God lead us to daily – moment by moment – “ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.”

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To subscribe and receive A SONG TO THE LORD in your email, just follow this link: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community. A SONG TO THE LORD is just one of several audio resources that are available free at the website of The Fellowship of Ailbe – www.ailbe.org. There you will find many printed, audio, and video resources for individual and group study available free of charge.

T. M. Moore, the Principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, and Rusty Rabon host THE AILBE PODCAST which you can find on The Fellowship of Ailbe website here.

Rusty Rabon also hosts a Zoom book reading program called READING GREAT BOOKS five nights each week (Thursdays through Mondays). The Zoom link and current book information are available here on The Fellowship of Ailbe website. And if you are interested in other devotional writings by Rusty Rabon, click here  You can follow Rusty Rabon at www.rustyrabon.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rusty.raabon.9/, and on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/RustyRabon.

Join the Ailbe Community!

As a member of The Fellowship of Ailbe Community you join a movement of men working for revival, renewal, and awakening, built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification. The Ailbe Community is devoted to practicing the Kingship of Jesus in every area of our lives. Go to ailbe.org to learn more.

[1] Piper, John. Providence. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Publishers, 2020, p. 53.
[2] Piper, Ibid., p. 54.
[3] ESV Study Bible
[4] ESV Study Bible
[5] ESV Study Bible
[6] ESV Study Bible

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September 21, 2021 · 6:52 PM

Food for Life

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 NKJV)

In chapter 6 of the Gospel of John we find the account of Jesus feeding over five thousand people.  John records how this miracle impacted the twelve: “Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world’” (John 6:14 NKJV).  John says that Jesus then went away by himself because the people wanted to “. . . come and take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15 NKJV).  John then adds an application to this event later in chapter 6.  Sometime later that evening, Jesus and the apostles went across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum.  The next morning, people who had been in the crowd got into boats to find Jesus.  When they found Him, He gave this critique of their motives: “You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you . . .” (John 6:26-27 NKJV).  Jesus was saying that the people were guilty of seeking the “blessing” more than the “Blesser.”  They wanted to find Jesus not because the miracle had opened their eyes to who He was, but because they were pleased with the benefit that being with Him brought to them.

We are often guilty of the same thing.  Our prayers are often filled with lists of things we desire rather than with words of praise for our Sovereign King or words of conversation with our Faithful Friend.  Instead of allowing the Bible to be the “Gospel food” that whets our appetite for more time in God’s presence, we are satisfied to find an answer to a question or a boost for our emotions.  As John quoted Jesus, we are looking just to be filled but not seeking the One who alone can fully fill forever.

This is the point that Mary Lathbury made in her Gospel hymn, Break Thou the Bread of Life.

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, as Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord; my spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word.

Jesus, the Living Word – the Bread of Life – makes Himself known to us and feeds our souls through the written word – the Bible.  But knowing Bible facts or truths alone is not what we need.  I heard someone pray recently that the Lord would deliver us from “dead orthodoxy – being right in the head but wrong in the heart.”  We can have a lot of Bible knowledge without that knowledge leading us to the Source.  The written word was given so that we might know and love the Living Word.

Break Thou the bread of life, O Lord, to me, that hid within my heart Thy Word may be.
Mold Thou each inward thought, from self set free, and let my steps be all controlled by Thee.

This is the point that is made in Psalm 119: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV).  The purpose of the written word is that we hear from the Spirit of the Living Word and open ourselves up to being changed from the inside out.

Open Thy Word of Truth that I may see Thy message written clear and plain for me.
Then in sweet fellowship, walking with Thee, Thine image on my life engraved will be.

This is also the point that the apostle Paul made when writing to the Corinthians.  God is not interested in us just knowing about Him, but in our transformation as we spend time with Him. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV).

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me, that He may touch my eyes and make me see.
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word; and in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.

May the Spirit of God do such a work in us that we will “. . . pant for Thee, O Living Word;” that all our steps will be “. . . controlled by Thee;” that His “image on [our lives] engraved will be;” and that in Him we will truly find our “. . . peace, [our] all in all.”

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me, as Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee.
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall, and I shall find my peace, my All in All.

=============================

To subscribe and receive A SONG TO THE LORD in your email, just follow this link: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community. A SONG TO THE LORD is just one of several audio resources that are available free at the website of The Fellowship of Ailbe – www.ailbe.org.  There you will find many printed, audio, and video resources for individual and group study available free of charge.

T. M. Moore, the Principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, and Rusty Rabon host THE AILBE PODCAST which you can find on The Fellowship of Ailbe website here.

Rusty Rabon also hosts a Zoom book reading program called READING GREAT BOOKS five nights each week (Thursdays through Mondays).  The Zoom link and current book information are available here on The Fellowship of Ailbe website.  And if you are interested in other devotional writings by Rusty Rabon, click here  You can follow Rusty Rabon at www.rustyrabon.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rusty.raabon.9/, and on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/RustyRabon.

Join the Ailbe Community!
As a member of The Fellowship of Ailbe Community you join a movement of men working for revival, renewal, and awakening, built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification. The Ailbe Community is devoted to practicing the Kingship of Jesus in every area of our lives. Go to ailbe.org to learn more.

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September 17, 2021 · 9:19 AM

All His Good Promise

There has not failed one word of all His good promise . . . (1 Kings 8:56 NKJV)

I was blessed with two grandmothers who were women of prayer and the Word.  My maternal grandmother taught a Bible class in her church right up to her death in 1970, and her class is still identified with her name in that church over 50 years later. 

My paternal grandmother was always admonishing her family, “Don’t forget the read (the Bible) and pray!”  She particularly emphasized “claiming the promises” found in Scripture.  On my desk I keep a little book titled “Personal Promises from God’s Word” that belonged to her. The pages of this book are filled with Bible promises concerning many different emotions and life situations.  There are promises to claim when you feel afraid, discouraged, hopeless, lonely, or angry.  There are promises listed for when you need comfort, forgiveness, patience, or peace. The cover is tattered.  Within the book are handwritten notes and many Scripture verses are highlighted and underlined.  Before passing it on to me, my grandmother kept this little book of Bible promises with her at all times, referring to it frequently. Daily.

God is a promise-making, promise-keeping God.  In 1 Kings 8, King Solomon affirmed this attribute of God in his prayer dedicating the Temple he had built for the worship of God in Jerusalem.  The fact that Solomon had been able to build the Temple was evidence that God kept His promise to King David (8:24).  It was also evidence of God keeping His promise to Moses that the Ark of the Covenant – and the nation of Israel – now had a permanent home in the land.  In fact, Solomon declares, “There has not failed one word of all His good promise” (8:56).  God was faithful to the promises He made to the people of Israel, just as He is faithful to the promises He has made in His Word to us.

This is a truth that Kelso Carter wrote about in a Gospel hymn that he set to a robust, enthusiastic tune for singing.

Standing on the promises of Christ my King!
Through eternal ages let His praises ring.
“Glory in the highest!” I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

“Standing on the Promises” can be a motto for Christian living.  When the apostle Paul writes that “. . . the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God . . .” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV), he is saying that his daily living is grounded in his confidence in the faithfulness of God to His promises, the ultimate example of which is seen in death of Christ on the cross in fulfillment of many Old Testament promises and prophesies.

Therefore, when trouble comes, we can confidently stand on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail!
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God, I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

When the Enemy of your soul wages war against you with strong temptations, you can put your faith in the promises of God.

Standing on the promises, I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me.
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

When doubts or fears fill your thoughts, you can stand securely on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s Sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

As you live in the assurance that God is faithful to all His promises, you can patiently and confidently wait for the leading of the Spirit as you discern His will for you.

Standing on the promises, I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

The promises of God are one piece of the armor God gives us to wage spiritual warfare in this life – the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.  So, we take up this armor to “. . . be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13 NKJV).  So, stand.  Stand on the promises of God – this moment, this day, and every day.

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior
Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.

Enjoy this beautiful performance of Standing on the Promises by the One Voice Choir from Ghana, West Africa.

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August 30, 2021 · 11:27 AM

Our Highest Goal

“. . . that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10 NKJV)

It is always good to get started “on the right foot.”  Whether it is a project, a job, or a relationship, it is good when things begin well.  The prospects for a successful venture seem good when they get started in the right way.  But it is also important to finish well.  No matter the way something begins in our lives, the goal is that when we reach the end, we can know that it was “well done.”

King Solomon started well.  We read in 1 Kings 3 that as Solomon began his reign as king of Israel, succeeding his father David, Solomon “. . . loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David . . . Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings . . .” (3:3-4 NKJV).  When God asked him what he desired from the Lord, he did not ask for things that would make him look good in the eyes of the kings of the surrounding nations (like wealth and riches), but rather he asked God for “. . . an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9 NKJV).  A good beginning to his reign as king.  Had he lived and reigned during the New Testament era, he might have prayed in words like those written by Thomas Chisholm in his Gospel hymn, I Want to Be Like Jesus.

I have one deep, supreme desire – that I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire – that I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be, so that a watching world may see
His likeness shining forth in me.  I want to be like Jesus.

We don’t know a lot about Jesus’ earthly life except for the approximately thirty-six months of his ministry.  The Scriptures record just thirty-six months – a short three years – during which Jesus declared by word and example that “the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15 NKJV).

He spent His life in doing good; I want to be like Jesus.
In lowly paths of service trod; I want to be like Jesus.
He sympathized with hearts distress, He spoke the words that cheered and blessed,
He welcomed sinners to His breast.  I want to be like Jesus.

“He spent His life in doing good.”  That sounds like something I would like written on my tombstone.  Think of all that Jesus did in those three years of ministry.  He healed the sick.  He raised the dead.  As Thomas Chisholm wrote, “He sympathized with hearts distressed; He spoke the words that cheered and blessed.”  But most of all, “He welcomed sinners to His breast.”  Jesus came to “. . . seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NKJV).  He lived to do the will of his heavenly Father, which ultimately led Him to the cross.

A holy, harmless life He led; I want to be like Jesus.
The Father’s will – His drink and bread; I want to be like Jesus.
And when at last He comes to die, “Forgive them, Father,” was His cry
For those who taunt and crucify.  I want to be like Jesus.

What are your goals in life?  What do you want your “life message” to be?  Have you gotten off to a good start, or is your life a story of brokenness and strife?  Of sin and failure?  No matter how you have begun, you can finish well.  Solomon started strong, but over the course of his life he drifted from his love for the Lord and finished his life a broken and compromised man.  You and I do not have to finish that way. As you day by day – moment by moment – yield the control of your life to the Lord, His Spirit will fill you and empower you “. . . that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10 NKJV)

O perfect life of Christ, my Lord!  I want to be like Jesus.
My recompense and my reward – that I may be like Jesus.
His Spirit fill my hungering soul, His power all my life control.
My deepest prayer, my highest goal – that I may be like Jesus.

Enjoy an arrangement of this hymn by David and Steven Au at this link:

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To subscribe and receive A SONG TO THE LORD in your email, just follow this link: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community   And if you are interested in other devotional writings by Rusty Rabon, click here. T. M. Moore and Rusty Rabon host THE AILBE PODCAST which you can find on The Fellowship of Ailbe website here. Rusty also hosts a Zoom book reading program called READING GREAT BOOKS five nights each week (Thursdays through Mondays).  The Zoom link and current book information are available here on The Fellowship of Ailbe website.

You can follow Rusty at his website – www.rustyrabon.com – and you can contact him at rustyrabon@gmail.com

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May 4, 2019 · 10:35 PM

Lord’s Day Praise and Supplication

Almighty Father,

Your children are here before you this morning.

Some of us are rejoicing. We’re coming off of weeks that have seen good success in our work, or blessing in our finances, or happiness in our relationships.

But some of us are hurting. We haven’t had success in our work, our finances are near collapse, and our relationships with our children or spouse is a mess.

Father, as well, some of us are grieving. Our hearts still hurt so badly over the loss of a loved one that we don’t know how we’re going to make it into the next hour.

But we’re here Lord – here before you – here crying out to you in our joy or in our pain – because you are the only source of blessing, and you are the only source of help and hope.

Father, thank you for Jesus.  He revealed you to us.  He died to ransom us from bondage and slavery to sin.  His resurrection from the grave gives us our hope of salvation – both now and for eternity – and hope that the pain of today will one day give way to eternal and endless joy.

We thank you, too, for the gift of your Holy Spirit to teach us all that we need to know about you – to equip us to love and worship and serve you – and to sustain and strengthen us when our faith grows weak and almost fails.

Father, the heavens above and the earth below shout the glory of your wonderful works.
There is no place on earth where the language of creation does not give you praise, so that only those who have hardened their hearts will refuse to believe this evidence and turn their hearts away from you.

Thank you for the wonderful rain and the glory of the thunder that you sent to us yesterday.

Thank you for the gift of music – this great and mysterious means by which we express our hearts to you, and which also inspires and encourages us to know and love and serve you more.

Thank you for the songs of the birds this spring – reminding us that as you provide for them, you will also provide for our every need.

Thank you for the beauty of leaves and flowers – of fruit on trees and vegetables coming up from the ground – reminding us that resurrection life is a reality – that you raise what is dead and dormant to life and abundance.

Thank you for a night of restful sleep, renewing the strength in our bodies to wake up this morning, and to go about our tasks each day.

Thank you for the provision you have made for food and clothing and shelter.
You have blessed us abundantly, and in our abundance, we pray for our brothers and sisters around us – and around the world – who have needs that have yet to be met.
Open our hearts, Father, and let us be your hands and feet in serving and providing for our brothers and sisters.

We thank you as well, loving Lord, for minds that can think and choose and worship and pray.  We thank you for the gift of conscience that is used by the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and lead us into righteous living.

We ask that you keep our fears and trials and worldly concerns from distracting us from our calling to be your witnesses – your ambassadors – your “missionaries” in our personal mission fields.

Help us to represent you well – to be faithful witnesses to your grace and mercy and love and power – to faithfully reflect the image of your glory that you have placed within us by your Spirit.

And may we represent you well.  May others get a true picture of who you are and what you are like by the love and unity that they see among us.

Open our hearts to love and worship and receive you afresh this day.  Shine the light of your presence on us and illumine our minds.  Strengthen and empower us through our worship together today so that we might lift high the name of Jesus Christ in all we do and say.

And it is for his glory that we offer this prayer.

Amen!

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