This psalm contains one of the great Old Testament portrayals of the Gospel. Along with Isaiah 53, we learn here that the death of Christ for the sins of the world was no afterthought. The Lamb of God was indeed slain from before the foundations of the world. “My God, my God, why hast thou …
Never Alone
Our Father and God, You are never alone, never lonely, never solitary. Your dwelling place is no distant wilderness retreat; You have no hermitage, no mountain fortress. Before the heavens and earth were made, there was no lack of fullness in You. All creation is the surplus of a glorious infinitude, a surplus of gratuitous …
The Miserables
Once there was a little boy who caught the miserables. It started at dinner, when his food was too hot and burned his mouth. So then he wouldn’t eat for a time, because he had the sulks, and when he finally got back to it, his food was too cold. He was so mopey after …
For All the Saints
The Lord’s Supper was instituted by the Lord Jesus Himself the night He was betrayed. The next example of it being observed was over a month later, on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples broke bread together. In the first, Jesus was alive and physically present with His disciples. In the second, He had …
History for Everyman
The other evening we had my parents to dinner, and we had a delightful time at the table with them telling stories to our boarders. Most of these were stories I have heard my entire life, and some of them I had told on numerous occasions. As I listened, I was delighted to hear new …
Peace
When God is at work, let the arm of flesh rest. When God speaks, let all the creatures of the earth be silent. But this is not something we can do in our own strength. Jesus Christ quieted the winds and the waves with a word. If you have come here this morning with a …
Public Control of the Truth?
Dear visionaries, Janice wrote:”Public newspaper does not equal public education.Faulty logic! Shame on you.” I did not say that they were equal. But they are analogous. What argument can be brought against tax-supported newspapers that cannot also be brought against tax-supported schools? And such arguments would not work if applied to tax-supported street lights. …
Opting Out of Government Schools?
Dear visionaries, In talking about government schools, whether we should have to pay for asphalt that covers streets we never drive on is not a good counterexample. Of course we agree that collective societal action cannot be one vast time-share arrangement. The question is actually what criteria should we use to determine what kind of …
Souls Into Barns
Our Father in heaven, we thank You for weekly Pentecost, the ancient Jewish festival of harvest, and our festival of the evangelistic harvest — the time when You began bringing into your barns the countless souls that have been saved since that first Pentecost Sunday. We thank You for establishing Your new covenant Church on …
One Confused Puppy
A few days ago, I reviewed a volume of poetry by Rowan Williams, the current Archbishop of Canterbury. I knew a little bit about him before writing this, but a kind UK reader of that post sent me a couple links. One was the text of an address that Williams gave to a gay/lesbian organization. …