Mon, Jan 30th - 9:11PM

Behold the Man! Behold Your King!

Geranium Bud

Behold the man! John 19:5
Behold your King! John 19:14


Twice in one hour, Pilate, the pagan Roman Governor, quoted Old Testament Scriptures (Zech 6:12; 9:9). Not that he knew it, but he was in the hands of a sovereignty greater than that of Rome or Caesar.

Pilate never, ever, would have had a man before him like this Man, and he certainly never would have had on trial at his judgment seat a man who was king, as this Man.

But this Man was unique.

Whether he spoke in sincerity or in irony, Pilate spoke truth when he called, “Behold the Man … Behold your King.”
—Jim Flanigan

Crown Him with Many Crowns
(Click to hear music)

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns;
and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Revelation 19:12

 
 
Author:  Matthew Bridges, 1800-1894, and
Godfrey Thring, 1823-1903
Musician:  George J. Elvey, 1816-1893


 


Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heav'nly anthem drowns All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King Thro' all eternity.


Crown Him the Son of God Before the worlds began:
And ye, who tread where He hath trod, Crown Him the Son of man;
Who ev'ry grief hath known That wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own, That all in Him may rest.


Crown Him the Lord of love! Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his wond'ring eye At mysteries so bright.


Crown Him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing Who died, and rose on high,
Who died, eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.


Crown Him the Lord of years, The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres Ineffably sublime!
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise shall never, never fail Thro'out eternity.

 

Fri, Jan 27th - 12:37AM

The Habit of Holy Thought

At Sunset Through the Cedars at the Gorge

Take Time to Be Holy
(Click to hear music)

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy:
for I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:7
 
 
 
Author:  William D. Longstaff, 1822-1894
Musician:  George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945


Take time to be holy,
Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always,
And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children;
Help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing
His blessing to seek.


Take time to be holy,
The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret
With Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus,
Like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct
His likeness shall see.


Take time to be holy,
Let Him be thy Guide,
And run not before Him,
Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow,
Still follow thy Lord,
And, looking to Jesus,
Still trust in His Word.


Take time to be holy,
Be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each motive
Beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit
To fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted
For service above.

Wed, Jan 25th - 8:29PM

He Touched Me

Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and He strengthened me.
Daniel 10:18

What a comfort to know that there is a Man at God's right hand who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities.

A Man who has traversed the sands of time, and who knew what it was to be a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

He is able to succor them that are tempted, because His sympathy is born from His direct experience of our human condition, apart from sin.
--W. H. Burnett

HE TOUCHED ME
(Click to hear music)

Gloria Gaither
 


He touched me, O he touched me,
And O the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.


Shackled By a Heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame,
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.


He touched me, O he touched me,
And O the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.


Since I met this Blessed Savior,
Since he cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to Praise him;
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.


He touched me, O he touched me,
And O the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.

Tue, Jan 24th - 12:54AM

God is in That!

On the Hiking Trail

Somewhere in mid-Wales

Personal Life:
God Is in That!

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. 
--Acts 4:29-30

Some are concerned because there are not more miracles and wonders wrought in our midst through faith.  In our day, everything is commercialized. And I must say that I do not believe in commercialized miracles.

"Miracles, Incorporated"--you can have it!

"Healing, Incorporated"--you can have that, too! And the same with
"Evangelism, Incorporated" and "Without a Vision the People Perish,
Incorporated." I have my doubts about signs and wonders that have to be organized, that demand a letterhead and a president and a big
trailer with lights and cameras. God is not in that!

But the person of faith who can go alone into the wilderness and get
on his or her knees and command heaven--God is in that. The preacher who will dare to stand and let his preaching cost him something--God is in that. The Christian who is willing to put herself in a place where she must get the answer from God and God alone--the Lord is in that! 
Dr. Tozer in Faith Beyond Reason, 33-34.

"Lord, forgive me for so often trying to box up my plans and organize Your work so it can all be controlled and explained. Take over, Lord, and do Your thing, not mine, today. Amen."

Nearer, Still Nearer
(Click to hear music)


My soul followeth hard after thee:
thy right hand upholdeth me.
Psalm 63:8

 
Author:  Lelia N. Morris, 1862-1929
Musician:  Lelia N. Morris, 1862-1929



Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart,
Draw me, my Savior—so precious Thou art!
Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast.
Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest”;
Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest.”


Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,
Naught as an offr’ing to Jesus, my King;
Only my sinful, now contrite heart.
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.


Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine!
Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign,
All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride,
Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified.
Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified.


Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last.
Till safe in glory my anchor is cast;
Through endless ages ever to be
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee;
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee!

 

Mon, Jan 23rd - 12:41AM

The Need for Solitude

Personal Life:
The Need for Solitude

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 
--Matthew 14:23

Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life alll but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again.

"The thoughtful soul to solitude retires," said the poet of othe and quieter times; but where is the solitude to which we can retire today? Science, which has provided men with certain material comforts, has robbed them of their souls by surrounding them with a world hostile to their existence.

"Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still" is a wise and healing counsel, but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and the television? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to
devour us all. What was intended to be a blessing has become a positive curse. No spot is now safe from the world's intrusion. 
Dr. Tozer in Of God and Men, 125.


"If Tozer wrestled with this in his day, how much more are we bombarded today! We have all the influences of which he speaks, and much more alll-pervasive, plus the internet and a host of other 'playthings' seeking to devour us. Lord, help us somehow to escape today and retire to solitude, even if only for a brief time. Amen."



.

Day By Day
(Click to hear music)

Words by Lina Berg
Music by Oscar Ahnfelt


Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best
Lovingly, it's part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and with rest.


Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He hath made.


Help me then in ev'ry tribulation
So to trust thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy Holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
'Til I reach the blessed, promised land.

 
 

Sat, Jan 21st - 5:33PM

Wed, Jan 18th - 12:00AM

Icy Hiking Trail

ICY HIKING TRAIL

Hi Everyone...

Not sure if I've told you all that I haven't been able to drive lately due to a crazy groin problem and my car being gear shift, I can't change gears without screaming!  Not nice to be beside another car and have the guy in that car look at you in dismay after you let out a scream in agony so best stay in!  LOL
 
Anyway, on Sunday afternoon, I did go out for awhile.  First time driving the car since Christmas.
 
As usual, I had my camera and the sun decided to come out for the first time in about 20 days so I thought maybe a photo of the river or something might be nice.  Off I went up the road about 3/4 mile and parked it, managed to get out with the help of Jack's walking stick.  I crossed the road with the cane in one hand and my camera in the other and then stepped on what I thought was rough gravel and immediately took off!  Must have been a sight!  I can see it now as the headlines... "Old lady with walking cane flies in the air!"
 
I managed to get up after landing on my back and my pride was so hurt that at that moment I didn't mind that a few cars drove by without stopping but today I'm thinking about those guys.
 
I took my photo and then managed to get back to the car with the help of the retrieved walking stick and now today, I'm finding it sore to sit!  Wonder why!  It's wonderful how our Heavenly Father looks after us.  So many bones could have been broken or ligaments pulled, etc. but I only hurt my pride and got several bruises.
 
Anyway, here's the photo I took:
 
http://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-1710  It's above but you can see it larger at this link.
 
If you click on the photo, you'll see it larger. 
 
Just thought I'd give you a laugh. 

Mon, Jan 9th - 9:37PM

The Weeping Woman

WALKING IN THE OLD PATHS Jeremiah 6:16 By the late Jack Scott 15.  The Weeping Woman

They kept me in hospital overnight. This is surely never a pleasant experience, so when the doctor told me I could go, I quickly arrayed myself in yesterday's clothing and walked to the front lobby. Then I looked at the clock. It would be at least two hours before Pat could pick me up. I walked around for awhile, read an out of date magazine, and then spent time watching people come and go. In time I noticed that one of the doors leading off the lobby was different from all the other points of egress for on it was inscribed one word: "Chapel". "Perhaps I can sit quietly inside to pray and read my New Testament", I thought.

I quietly made my entrance into the comfortable looking little auditorium. In the rather dim light I thought I was alone until my eyes became accustomed to this surrounding. I am not sure if I saw or heard her first. Perhaps auditory and optical sense came into operation at the same instant.

The elderly woman sat huddled on a chapel seat at the end of a row, next to the wall. She was poorly clad in a thin, worn coat which would be no match for the cold November wind outside. I had just stepped outside a few minutes earlier in my down-filled jacket and felt the damp chilly weather sweeping in from Lake Ontario and the cold penetrated to my bones. My heart went out to the poor soul weeping alone in the corner. My first instinct was to offer her help but somehow I could not bring myself to enter her world of sobbing solitude. Perhaps I should have offered words of Biblical comfort or at least asked the cause of her lament? These are questions I shall ask of my own heart for a long time to come.

During most of the long drive home I mused on the plight of the poor pathetic old woman who had shared space and time with me. In the days that followed she often came to mind and most of all I thought on the possible causes of her anguish. Had she been diagnosed with some terrible terminal disease? Had a loved one died? Maybe the husband with whom she had shared the vicissitudes of life's journey had passed from time into eternity. The joys and sorrows of the partnership now merely a heartbreaking memory. Or could it be the loss of a son or daughter that caused such heartache? Possibly it was the memory of some dark unforgiven sin or even a totally wasted life? Probably I shall never know what moved my momentary companion to such a display of tears.

This tired old world of ours has many weeping women and many moaning men. Heartbroken and lonely they pass their days in morbid bitterness often unnoticed and forsaken by family and friends. You will find them in our cities and towns, villages and hamlets. Uncounted numbers are parked by insensitive relatives in homes for the aged, senior citizens complexes and the like. But all the weeping, heartbroken people in our communities are not old; they come in every age, and in every shape, height and colour.

Those who are believers in the saving work of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ can, in the face of all this heartache, rejoice in the words of Isaiah 61:1-2, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Yes, we can rejoice because the Saviour of sinners applied this Old Testament prophecy to Himself. With reference to the verses quoted above He said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:21). Paul says in II Corinthians 1:3, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort."

Truly the Son of God is all that God is, made flesh, and all comfort is found in Him. Whatever the cause of the broken heart He can bind up the wounds. If it is a guilty conscience then truly "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) and all He requires is repentance and faith in Him.

There is no heartbreak that He cannot heal, no sin that He cannot forgive. There is indeed "balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul." Is your soul in need of healing?  Then to you He would say, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Yes, this tired old world of ours has many weeping women and many moaning men. The poor, materially and spiritually, will always be with us, and despite the fact that the Saviour has come to bind up the brokenhearted, many remain who know not of His love and grace.

James the half brother of our Lord defines "true religion" for us thus: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27) Did James give us these words as a test for the reality of our faith? Can we sit in comfort and unconcern while the elderly sit alone in sorrow and while the young flounder in fear and doubts Christians have a message which meets the needs of all who "labor and are heavy laden". A visit to a senior's home, the sharing of a park bench, a quiet friendly conversation over a cup of coffee may give you the right and the opportunity to declare the message of God's love to some one who feels unloved and helpless. Could you be a friend to a young person in your neighbourhood? There are many who have not found the "Way" and are headed in the wrong direction. Such need to be introduced to the Lord Jesus who said of Himself "I am the way, the truth and the Life" (John 14:6). You must first earn the right by your pure and kindly conduct. Many conversations may be required so that the one in need understands your love and sees reality and sincerity in your actions and words. You must show that you're a friend of the Saviour before you can introduce Him with confidence.

Take an hour a week and spend it in this quiet and perhaps unnoticed service. The Master will notice and on "That Day" will say: "Well done thou good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21). Look to the Holy Spirit to guide you, be wise in your approach and He will bring blessing upon your gentle work.

This was written after a hospital stay of November 21, 2000 and it was found by me (Pat) the day after his funeral service on January 14, 2001.  It is a very timely message indeed for the whole family.

Jack Scott loved his Lord! He passed away on January 10, 2001 after a lengthy illness.
He is missed greatly by his family.

Sun, Jan 1st - 1:23AM

The God of peace be with you all.
Romans 15:33


Already in this chapter, Paul has spoken of God as, the God of hope, and the God of patience, and now he says, the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

It is as if he has kept the best until last fresh, sparkling and satisfying.  Regardless of what awaited him in Rome, Paul knew the supremacy, the support and the serenity of His peace which would outlast all the storms of life.

What a deep sense of calm, composure and confidence with such a legacy (Jn. 14:27).

Do you have His peace?
Les Rainey

Give of Your Best to the Master
(Click to hear music)


Author:  Howard B. Grose, 1851-1939
Musician:  Charlotte A. Barnard, 1830-1869

Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every
heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof,
even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
Numbers 18:29

 


Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth.
Throw your soul's fresh, glowing ardor
Into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example,
Dauntless was He, young and brave.
Give Him your loyal devotion;
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain

Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth.
Clad in salvation's full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart.
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave.
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain


Naught else is worthy His love.
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.
Laid down His life without murmur,
You from sin's ruin to save.
Give Him your heart's adoration;
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain