How do followers of Jesus respond when we or those whom we love experience great grief and loss? We grieve and lament. It is important that we allow ourselves to grieve. Jesus wept before the tomb of his friend Lazarus. Isaiah called him the suffering servant of the Lord who was well-acquainted with grief. Our … Continue reading For Those Experiencing Great Grief and Loss
God
The Remedy for Perplexity and a Dulled Conscience
Both for perplexity and for dulled conscience the remedy is the same; sincere and spiritual worship. For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart … Continue reading The Remedy for Perplexity and a Dulled Conscience
A Prayer of Preparation for Worship
Gracious Father, may all who come within the walls of your house of worship today experience a fresh encounter with You, the living God, so that deep gladness and profound joy overtake them and sorrow and sighing flee away. May all who come dwell in your presence beholding your beauty. For Your presence ultimately transforms … Continue reading A Prayer of Preparation for Worship
The Fundamental Reason of a Ruinous Revolution & the Need for Prayer
When he received the Templeton Prize in Religion in 1981, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn explained concisely the demise of Russia and the extermination of 60 million of her citizens: “Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that … Continue reading The Fundamental Reason of a Ruinous Revolution & the Need for Prayer
When Weakness Appeals to Strength
A dear friend of mine, who was quite a lover of the chase, told me the following story: Rising early one morning, he said, I heard the baying of a score of deerhounds in pursuit of their quarry. Looking away to a broad, open field in front of me, I saw a young fawn making … Continue reading When Weakness Appeals to Strength
A Worship Guide for Good Friday
Grieving on Good Friday REFLECTIONS O all ye who pass by, behold and see; man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree; The tree of life to all, but only me: Was ever grief like mine? — From the poem “The Sacrifice” by George Herbert Is it nothing to you, all you who … Continue reading A Worship Guide for Good Friday
Family Discipleship – Commending What We Cherish
Here's a brief outline with a few questions that I put together as a resource for our young parents. Click on the link below that contains a pdf file on: Commending What We Cherish - Psalm 145
Family Discipleship – Passing the Baton of Faith
The most perilous moment in a relay race centers on the exchange of the baton from one runner to the next. This fitting metaphor perfectly describes parenting our children. For a Christian parent, there is nothing more important than passing the baton of faith and teaching our children the praiseworthy works and powerful word of … Continue reading Family Discipleship – Passing the Baton of Faith
A Simple Prayer Learned from Grandmother Rose
I had the privilege of growing up in a town in eastern North Carolina sort of like Mayberry of Andy Griffith renown. My family lived in a big house on Main Street owned by my maternal grandmother. In fact, we not only lived in that house, we lived with her. Obviously, she had a huge … Continue reading A Simple Prayer Learned from Grandmother Rose
Give to the Winds Your Fears
In the seventeenth century Paul Gerhardt and his family had to flee Berlin because of his convictions. As they fled, they stopped at an inn and tried to understand why God was allowing this to happen to them. Gerhardt's wife was especially concerned about what might lie ahead for their young children. Gerhardt read Psalm … Continue reading Give to the Winds Your Fears
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