For The Lord's Day

“Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us.” Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Jerry Bridges in Trusting God

For The Lord's Day

“…when we say ordinary means of grace-based ministry, we mean a radical commitment to following the direction of God’s Word as to both the message and the means of gathering and perfecting the saints. Ordinary means ministry has a high view of the Bible, preaching, the church, the ordinances or sacraments, and prayer. Ordinary means ministry believes that the key things that the church can do in order to help their people know God and grow in their knowledge of God are: First, emphasize the public reading and preaching of the Word; second, emphasize the confirming, sanctifying and assuring efficacy of the sacraments, publicly administered; and, third, emphasize a life of prayer, especially expressed corporately in the church. These things are central and vital but sadly often under-emphasized, underappreciated, and undermined.”

- - Dr. Ligon Duncan in Tabletalk, October 2007

Chancellor, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS

For The Lord's Day

How to avoid a wasted life: “God created me – and you – to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion – namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. Enjoying and displaying are both crucial. If we try to display the excellence of God without joy in it, we will display a shell of hypocrisy and create scorn or legalism. But if we claim to enjoy his excellence and do not display it for others to see and admire, we deceive ourselves, because the mark of God-enthralled joy is to overflow and expand by extending itself into the hearts of others. The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.               -- Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper

For The Lord's Day

“All the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why we utter the Amen through Him, to the glory of God”

2 Corinthians 1:20 (RSV)

“Amen” means, “Yes, Lord, you can do it.”

It means, “Yes, Lord, you are powerful.

Yes, Lord, you are wise.

Yes, Lord, you are merciful.

Yes, Lord, all future grace comes from you

and has been confirmed in Christ.”

“Amen” is an exclamation point of hope after a prayer for help.

 -- John Piper in Future Grace

For The Lord's Day: The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth;
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

-- James Montgomery

Advent – We use the Advent Wreath as a reminder of the promise of the one who said “I am the Light of the world,” and whose return we anticipate. Today’s candle is the Angels’ candle. “Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God…” Luke 2:13. Today, as all four candles blaze, we remember the light of heaven’s glory and the celestial choir God sent to herald the birth of His Son, “…glory to the newborn King!”

Book Review

Joy: Poet, Seeker, and the Woman Who Captivated C. S. Lewis by Abigail Santamaria
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abigail Santamaria has done C.S. Lewis fans a great service in this wonderful biography of Joy Davidman (Gresham) Lewis. She fills in many of the blanks in our knowledge of Joy. Joy Davidman was a brilliant individual, a one time Communist, Scientologist and an excellent writer. She was obsessed with C.S. Lewis and her pursuit of him is chronicled here in full.
I read this along with Joy's son Douglas' "Lenten Lands," about his childhood with Joy and "Jack."
Give yourself a treat and read this book.

View all my reviews

For The Lord's Day, Second Sunday in Advent

“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