Happy Hogmanay

Happy Hogmanay to all our friends. We wish all of God's blessings upon you in the coming year!

Thomas Case on Suffering, Sorrow and the Rod

On suffering Thomas Case intsructs us that God...

1. Teaches us to feel compassion towards others who are suffering.
2. Teaches us to prize our outward comforts and mercies.
3. Teaches us submission and self-denial. We learn to take up our cross.
4. Willl teach us by enduring little, we learn to endure much.
5. Will allow trouble so that we know our own heart. We will develop meekness through affliction and He will then save us from it.

(From Selected Works, A Treatise on Afflictions pages 5-27.)

Preparation for a King

Our exposition of 1 Samuel contiues this week from chapter 12.

1 John Week 10

Our final lesson on 1 John from chapter five.

Merry Christmas!!!

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son...Isaiah 7:14. 

The Promised Child

Our text for this Christmas sermon comes from Isaiah 9:6-7.

Saul Tested

Our sermon series on 1 Samuel continues this week with a study of chapter 11.

The Glory of the Incarnation

A slip of a girl, a virgin, bears a child; he is born in a stable; he grows up in a minor town in a land of little importance, and that under foreign occupation; as an adult, he lives a life which, outwardly, has all the appearance of an itinerant of no fixed address; he eschews military force; and finally, betrayed by a close friend, he is beaten and crucified; and, even then, he depends upon the generosity of another for his tomb. Every step of the way, salvation is wrought by God, in contradiction of the expectations and standards of this world. - Carl Trueman

This never ceases to amaze or effect me. God always works the opposite way we think He should. Praise Him for His wondrous works and Providence!

Thank you Carl Trueman for reminding us of what is truly important at this time of year.

New issue of Themelios

The new issue of Themelios, volume 35, issue 3 for Nov. 2010  has been published with the usual array of fasciinating and insightful articles. Find it here.

Dry Prayers?

The prayers and supplications that Christ offered up were, joined with strong cries and tears, herein setting us an example not only to pray, but to be fervent and importunate in prayer. How may dry prayers, how few wet ones, do we offer up to God! - Matthew Henry

Do not forget prayer...

Do not forget prayer. Every time you pray, if you're prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh courage. - Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Atonement of Christ

An excellent sermon from Elder Ray Gilliland on the Atonement...

Saul Inaugurated

We continue....



Redemption:

1. God prepares the nation
2. God provides a king
3. God partitions a people

Prayer for Others

To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them.- John Calvin

We are not our own...

We are not our own: let not reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to our flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefor forget ourselves and all that is ours.

Conversely, we are God's: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God's: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God's: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal. ( Taken from the Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book III, Chapter VII.)

As we enter the Christmas season, we are so often prone to indulge ourselves. Hence, let us meditate on Calvin's words above and consider not ourselves but rather deny ourselves and focus on the glory of Christ in every thought, word and deed this holiday season.