Sometimes A Light Surprises…

Sometimes a light surprises the christian while he sings; It is the LORD who rises with healing in his wings: When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again A season of clear shining to cheer it after rain. In holy contemplation, we sweetly then pursue The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new: Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say, E’en let th’ unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may. It can bring with it nothing but he will bear us through; Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe his people too: Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed; And he who feeds the ravens will give his children bread. The vine, nor fig–tree neither, their wonted fruit should hear, Though all the fields should wither, nor flocks, nor herds, be there: Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice; For while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice. William Cowper 7,6,7,6 Joy and peace in believing.

A Passion Week Meditation

Oh, the sharp pangs of smarting pain

My dear Redeemer bore;

When knotty whips, and ragged thorns

His sacred body tore!

‘Twere you, my sins, my cruel sins,

His chief tormentors were;

Each of my crimes became a nail,

And unbelief the spear.

‘Twere you that pull’d the vengeance down

Upon his guiltless head;

Break, break, my heart, oh, burst mine eyes,

And let my sorrows bleed.

Strike, mighty grace, my stubborn soul,

Till melting waters flow,

And deep repentance drown mine eyes,

In undissembled woe.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

There is a Line

Preaching through the book of Hebrews recently has reminded me of this sobering poem by Joseph Addison Alexander, a godly giant of Princeton in the 19th century.
 

There is a time, we know not when,
A place, we know not where;
Which marks the destiny of men
To glory or despair.

There is a line, by us unseen;
Which crosses every path,
Which marks the boundary between
God’s mercy and His wrath.

To pass that limit is to die,
To die as if by stealth;
It does not dim the beaming eye,
Not pale the glow of health.

The conscience may be still at ease,
The spirit light and gay
And that which pleases still may please,
And care be thrust away.

But on that forehead God hath set
Indelibly a mark;
Unseen by man, for man as yet,
Is blind and in the dark.

He feel perchance that all is well
And every fear is calmed;
He lives, he dies, he wakes in hell,
Not only doomed, but damned!

O, where is that mysterious line
That may by men be crossed,
Beyond which God Himself hath sworn,
That he who goes is lost.

An answer from the skies repeats,
“Ye who from God depart,”
TODAY, O hear His voice! Repent
And harden not your heart.

--Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860)
 

On my digital playback unit

First, there is a problem with what to call it. I almost titled this, “What’s on my iPod,” but it’s not an iPod. It’s a Blackberry smartphone. And I really like it, by the way. Its one of the “Curve” 8300 series, with the smallest QWERTY keyboard RIM makes. Among its many features is that it can take a micro SD card, on which you can load up your digital music files, pictures, even short videos, I guess ( though I’ve never done it)—so it is a fully functional media player.

But the techno stuff aside, I thought some readers might find useful to know what I put on my music player to listen to when I am driving , etc.

Actually, mostly sermons, most of which have been downloaded from sermonaudio.com. Some titles:

• “Five Steps to Revival” (Dr. Ian Paisley)
• “From Greater Words to Greater Works” (2007 Holiness Revival message) by John Van Gelderen
• John Bunyan in First Person (Dr. Edward Panosian)
• John Calvin in first person (Panosian)
• A series on Malachi (Dr. John C. Whitcomb, Jr.)
• Romans 14 (Dr. Gary Reimers)
• Romans 14 series (Dr. Dave Doran)
• Jonathan Edwards discussion (Sam Storms)

I’m presently preaching through Hebrews and Malachi, so listening to others handle the texts and preach is helpful. Also I’m taking the challenge Dan Miller at SharperIron has extended to listen to several different expositions of Rom. 14 for analysis and discussion.

Have you heard any of these for yourself and have a take? Or other recommendations on the topics? I’d like to hear about them.

Turn the Bible into Prayer

Is your Bible reading a bit dry? Are you entering the new year with your Bible reading chart directing you to Genesis and Matthew with a bit of dread? Perhaps prayer is the missing element. Consider Robert Murray McCheyne’s advice to a young man about Bible reading:

“You read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try and understand it, and still more to feel it. Read more parts than one at a time. For example, if you are reading Genesis, read a Psalm also; or if you are reading Matthew, read a small bit of an Epistle also. Turn the Bible into prayer. Thus, if you were reading the First Psalm, spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel, and pray, ‘O Lord, give me the blessedness of the man;’ ‘let me not stand in the counsel of the ungodly.’ This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible, and of learning to pray.”