Words with Which to Begin the New Year

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 

2 Corinthians 5:7

Andy McCarthy on Free Speech and It's Enemies in the State and in the Culture

"Free speech cannot work if the government it is designed to restrain does not respect it. A lawful American government — one that takes seriously its sworn obligation to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution — would not only enforce the First Amendment; it would refrain from engaging in unconstitutional schemes in the first place."

McCarthy always writes a good article. This is one of his best.

Read more ...

Started a New Book on the Last Day of the Year

My Christmas presents started to arrive yesterday and among the first to be delivered was this one, Dr. Lloyd-Jones's sermons on the twelfth chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Romans 12 deals with "Christian men and women living out the new life given to them in Christ in relationship with their fellows in the church, exercising the gifts they have received, wrestling with problems and opposition, but finally triumphing over all difficulties through the faith, hope and love that underlie all truly Christian conduct."

I don't have the full set yet. Still lacking the volumes on chapters 13 and 14, but I will get these in due time. I need to read the volumes I already have. I've read a great deal in them, but I haven't read them all the way through. I need to do that.

True, there are sixteen chapters in Romans, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones passed away before he was able to finish the series. In fact, I believe he only got as far as verse 17 of chapter 14 before being overtaken by illness. These sermons from chapter 12 were preached during the 1960s.

New Books for Christmas

You'd think that with all the books I already have, I wouldn't be purchasing any more. But if you really thought that way it would only prove that you do not yet understand books, or reading, or me. My family and close acquaintances have long since quit getting me anything for my birthdays or for Christmas except for gift cards at bookstores, like Barnes and Noble's. This year they even got me one of those pre-paid Visa cards so I could shop at my favorite online, second-hand bookstore, Abe Books. So I'm anxiously awaiting the mailman's delivery of this year's haul; and, as you can see, I've opted for something besides military history.

Gleanings from Paul, by Arthur Pink.

Commentary on Matthew: The Gospel of the Kingdom, by C. H. Spurgeon.

Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 12 Christian Conduct, by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Glorious Freedom: The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law, by Richard Sibbes.

Facing Grief: Counsel for Mourners, by John Flavel.

Jonathan Edwards on Knowing Christ, by, of course, Jonathan Edwards.

George Muller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and Faith.

Andrew Bonar: Diary and Life, by Andrew Bonar.

Josiah's Reformation, by Richard Sibbes.

The Glory of Christ, by John Owen.

I'm sure it won't surprise anyone that one of my favorite quotes is from the Reverend Samuel Davies, (1723-1761) ...

"The venerable dead are waiting in my library to entertain me and relieve me from the nonsense of surviving mortals." 

Guess What My New Year's Resolution Is?

It's to read more books!

Spurgeon on Facebook

C. H. Spurgeon

I follow, and greatly enjoy, a couple of sites on Facebook which post quotes from the famous 19th Century London preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The following, from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, is an example.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even, unto the end of the world. Amen. . 

- Matthew 28:20

"The Lord Jesus is in the midst of his church; he walketh among the golden candlesticks; his promise is, "Lo, I am with you alway." He is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread. Not carnally, but still in real truth, Jesus is with us. And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of him so overcomes us, that we are ready to say, "Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia, which drop from his perfumed garments, causes the sick and the faint to grow strong. Let there be but a moment's leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom, and a reception of his divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labour, and capable of every suffering. If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord's service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things. His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ's desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favoured with his company. Remember his presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people."

The USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum 2013

One of my favorite verses ...

“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”   Romans 5:17

-- From the King James Bible Online.

The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center at Christmas

The parade of leftist intolerance at this time of year, especially this year, it seems, is astonishing. It would almost be humorous if it weren't so serious. The latest in the continuing saga is brought to us by the good folks that run the Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. They're having such a merry Christmas, they couldn't stand for a group of high school students to sing traditional Christmas hymns to the vets.

Read the story ...

Handel's Messiah in King James English (Thank God!)

Perhaps you've never considered it, but the lyrics of Georg Friedrich Handel's Messiah are taken entirely from the King James Version of the Bible. Also known as the Authorized Version, the KJV dates to AD 1611. Handel composed his Messiah in 1741. Can you imagine what a travesty it would be if someone attempted to re-create this, Handel's masterpiece substituting the words and phraseology of one of the modern versions? Can you imagine the Messiah set to the New International Version?

Neither can I.

Enjoy!

And Merry Christmas!

My Father's House -- Evangelist Dan Meaders

Based on the story of Joseph in Genesis, chapter 43.

The Great Question at Christmas

"... In his gospel Luke tells us who Jesus was .... Was he a man like every other man? Luke's answer is that he was not. Luke tells how the angel Gabriel went to Mary and told her that she was supremely blessed among women; that she was going to bear the Son of the Highest, and that he would be great. He would occupy the throne of his father David and of his kingdom there would be no end. Read it all in the first chapter of Luke's gospel. Mary was perplexed and asked how this could be since she was a virgin.

"Gabriel said: 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' (Luke 1:35).

"That is what Luke tells us and this means that Jesus came into the world. He was not just born like everybody else. He came out of eternity into time; he came from heaven to earth. This is Christianity. Whatever may be your moral and political views, the question confronting you is this: How are you related to the fact that the babe of Bethlehem is the eternal Son of God?"

-- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Authentic Christianity, Vol. 1 

(Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1999), 8-9.

Ohio Democrat Proposes Draconian Homeschooling Legislation

"But the Home School Legal Defense Association has a different take, calling it the “worst-ever home school law” and saying Senate Bill 248 “is breathtakingly onerous in its scope.”

“It requires all parents who home school to undergo a social services investigation which would ultimately determine if homeschooling would be permitted. Social workers would have to interview parents and children separately, conduct background checks and determine whether homeschooling is recommended or not. If it is not recommended, parents would have to submit to an ‘intervention’ before further consideration of their request to home school.”

"That intervention would include individual and/or group behavioral counseling and classes on parenting, decision-making, personal or household finance and homeschooling – plus anything else the agency might decide is needed. Agency social workers would decide whether the intervention was successful, or not – and whether the parents will be permitted to homeschool their children."

Read more ... 

Army Cyber Command to Move to Fort Gordon

"The Army Cyber Command announced today that it will consolidate its network operations into a 179,000-square-foot facility on Fort Gordon and bring 1,500 active-duty military, government civilian and contract personnel jobs to the Augusta area."

Read more ...

Astonishing?

Phil Robertson

The Media Research Center, on their Facebook page, calls the response, over the past 24 hours, to Duck Dynasty's outspoken star, Phil Robertson's firing, "astonishing."

I can understand why they would say something like that. But what should be truly astonishing is the extent to which the bigoted, narrow-minded, holier-than-thou attitude of the religious left, most recently exemplified in the A&E Network's firing of Mr. Robertson, is taken as normal thinking.

Robertson's views are much closer to normal, and thankfully much more prevalent, than the views of those freaks at GLAAD. Just saying.

"Silent Night" is Offensive to the Religious Left

Well, I've got to start somewhere. So, there's this ...

School officials at Kings Park high school on the northern Long Island coast in New York have demonstrated their commitment to academic freedom by forcing their religious beliefs on their students. In the view of these hypocrites, the old Christmas hymn, Silent Night is offensive. Consequently, they have disallowed the hymn to be sung as originally written (John F. Young translated Joseph Mohr's "Stille Nacht" into English).

Offensive phrases include: "Holy Infant" and "Christ the Savior."

Kings Park high school has existed since at least 2007, but only now, as its students prepare for their annual Christmas concert, has its pharisaical leaders felt brave enough to declare--A&E Network-like--that the words to Silent Night must be banned.

"Welcome to the Kings Park Central School District," the district's website proclaims. 

"The Kings Park School District will provide an excellent education for all children. Students will be given the opportunity to develop academically, physically, socially, and emotionally, while learning the necessary skills to communicate effectively. This will be accomplished in a stimulating and challenging environment that maximizes every resource available."

Yeah, right. This will actually be accomplished by the school's censoring of historical texts.

In demonstration of the high school's official's higher learning, we are informed that their "intent was to avoid offending non-Christians." So they end up offending practically the whole audience.

No, their intent was to demonstrate to their students, to their students' parents, and to their community how enlightened they are, how superior they are to mere citizens. Their intent was to shove their own religious views down the throats of their aforementioned audience.

The article concludes by telling us that the school's principal later apologized and that officials promise that something like this "won't happen again."

Don't hold your breath.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones Interview (circa 1970)

This interview occurred after Dr. Lloyd-Jones' retirement from pastoring at Westminster Chapel, in London, for nearly 30 years. It is a remarkable interview, the like of which is seldom seen on live television these days. Ms Joan Bakewell, the interviewer, gave the doctor a pretty fair hearing ... and he took great advantage of it!