Words for the New Year

“Part of saving faith is the assurance that you will have faith tomorrow. Trusting Christ today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow’s trust when tomorrow comes. Often we feel like our reservoir of strength is not going to last for another day. The fact is, it won’t. Today’s resources are for today, and part of those resources is the confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow.’

John Piper in A Godward Life

Christmas Eve

Looking forward to the 6th Annual Lessons & Carols Service tonight. “Welcome to earth, thou noble guest, through whom the sinful world is blest, Martin Luther, 1535.

For the Lord's Day

'It was not suddenly and unannounced that Jesus came into the world. He came into a world that had been prepared for him. The whole Old Testament is the story of a special preparation … Only when all was ready, only in the fullness of his time, did Jesus come." - - Phillips Brooks, (author, O Little Town of Bethlehem) The Consolations of God

Persecuted Christian

China Aid is reporting the continued imprisonment and torture of Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng. Gao was last seen on February 4, 2009.

"ChinaAid recently received another report from inside sources in China that Gao Zhisheng has been severely beaten by authorities. The report stated his current living condition is worse than death and that Gao is crying daily in pain and desperation.

The Chinese government has responded to the increased worldwide pressure for Gao Zhisheng's release by cutting off communication with two of Gao's siblings living in China and placing them under police surveillance.

In a November 26th interview with Radio Free Asia, Gao's brother, Gao Zhiyi, stated, "For every question, there are three unknowns. No one knows anything. They won't talk to us and they won't meet with us... Even if Gao Zhisheng had committed a terrible crime, his family would still have the right to know what had happened to him!"

On Saturday, December 5th, Gao's older brother (Zhiyi) and sister lost all communication contact when their phone lines were disabled, following the release of the RFA interview."

For more information please go to Free Gao dot com.

For The Lord's Day

“Welcome to earth, thou noble guest, through whom the sinful world is blest! In my distress thou com’st to me; what thanks shall I return to thee?” -- Martin Luther, 1535