“The morning is the gate of the day and should be well-guarded with prayer.”
“If we felt the majesty of life more, we would be more careful of its mornings. He who rushes from his bed to his business and does not wait to worship is as foolish as if he had not put on his clothes or washed his face. He is as unwise as one who dashes into battle without being armed.”
On how to end it:
“It is dangerous to fall asleep till the head is leaned on Jesus’ bosom.”
“He surely never prays at all who does not end the day as all men wished to end their lives—in prayer. . . . To breakfast with Jesus and to sup with him also is to enjoy the days of heaven upon the earth.”
When we think about defining the “kingdom of God,” do we spend too much time thinking about “kingdom” and not enough about God?
“Kingdom” suggests castles and soldiers, ruffles and flourishes—but those impressive things are drops in the ocean of time. Jesus taught often that the last shall be first and the least shall be greatest. He made that teaching graphic by washing Peter’s feet. In many kingdoms, only the fittest survive. For His kingdom, God chooses the weak and despised, not the great.
Mary the mother of Jesus sang of God, “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he sent away empty.”
In the kingdoms we create, we are like reception attendees scanning the crowd so as to snag moments with those who can aid our ascent. In the kingdom of GOD, we go to talk with the person showing his unfitness by staring at a wall. In our kingdoms we yearn to meet the powerful. In God’s kingdom we look for teenage mums surprised by pregnancy.
Emphasizing the most important part of the phrase—kingdom of GOD—provides one more indication of why evolution is a dogma utterly opposed to Christianity. All of us who hope in Christ are unworthy, but while we were yet sinners He saved us by grace. The story of evolution, though, is graceless: It is a prosperity-gospel survival of the fittest, with the strong winning out.
Below
is one of answers given in the 1549 Prayer Book of the Church of England. After
reading it, you'll see why officials (cowardly/unwisely) decided to remove it in later editions of the PB.
First, being assured
that “Almighty God is the Lord of life and death, and of all things to them
pertaining,” such as “youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and sickness,”
the sick person is urged to know “certainly” that “whatsoever your sickness
be…it is God’s visitation.” There are, moreover, at least two possible reasons
for which God has sent this sickness. It is either a trial of the sick person’s
patience, both for the example of others and that the individual’s faith “may
be found, in the day of the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the
increase of glory and endless felicity.” Or it is sent “to correct and amend in
you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father.” If, therefore,
the sick person truly repents of his sins, bears the sickness patiently
(“trusting in God’s mercy”), renders to God “humble thanks for his fatherly
visitation,” and submits himself wholly to God’s will, then his sickness shall
turn to his profit, and help him forward in “the right way that leadeth unto
everlasting life.”
It's things like that, which make clear why ministers must be *men*.
Today is Kenya's independence day. On this day in 1963, the Brits said au revoir and we in turn became a self-governed nation. Lots about that has been good; quite a bit has been bad. However, we've been at it for only 51 years so, not bad considering. Come and see us in 2 or 3 centuries and God willing, it will be mostly good stuff to report, and, everyone will want to come and live there J We're therefore getting ahead of the crowd, and planning our big move back (after being away nearly 20 years) for sometime next year. To get our hearts stirred and the love for Kenya rekindled, we present the National Anthem and a well-known local ditty (translations below both videos)
Kiswahili
English
1
1
Ee Mungu nguvu yetu
O
God of all creation
Ilete baraka kwetu
Bless
this our land and nation
Haki iwe ngao na mlinzi
Justice be our
shield and defender
Natukae na undugu
May
we dwell in unity
Amani na uhuru
Peace
and liberty
Raha tupate na ustawi.
Plenty be
found within our borders.
2 2
Amkeni ndugu zetu
Let
one and all arise
Tufanye sote bidii
With
hearts both strong and true
Nasi tujitoe kwa nguvu
Service be
our earnest endeavour
Nchi yetu ya Kenya
And
our homeland of Kenya
Tunayoipenda
Heritage
of splendour
Tuwe tayari kuilinda
Firm
may we stand to defend.
3
3
Natujenge taifa letu
Let
all with one accord
Ee, ndio wajibu wetu
In
common bond united
Kenya istahili heshima
Build this
our nation together
Tuungane mikono
And
the glory of Kenya
Pamoja kazini
The fruit of our labour
Kila siku tuwe na shukrani
Fill every heart with thanksgiving.
It is a dreadful truth that the state of having to depend
solely on God is what we all dread most… it
is good to Him to force us; but dear me, how hard to feel that it is good at
the time.
– C.S. Lewis, Letters
to an American Lady (16th December 1955), p. 49
While the 4th century pastor who inspired the tradition of Santa Claus did not live in the North Pole or travel by reindeer, he certainly was a model of graciousness, gentleness and Christian charity. Though little is known of Nicholas' childhood, his love and concern for children is recounted in various myths, which have gained him great renown. One legend tells how a citizen of Patara (a region in the Diocese where Nicholas was Bishop) lost his fortune because he could not raise dowries for his 3 young daughters and was going to give them up to prostitution. After hearing this, Nicholas took a small bag of gold and threw it through the window of the man's house. He apparently performed the same gracious deed for the other 2 girls on the succeeding nights. Interestingly, the 3 purses of gold which are sometimes portrayed in paintings of Nicholas are thought to be the origin of the pawnbroker's symbol of 3 gold balls.
In yet another legend, Nicholas saved several youngsters from certain death when he pulled them from a deep vat of vinegar brine and afterwards, Christians remembered the day by giving one another large crisp pickles.
Whilst the actual truthfulness of such tales has clearly been distorted over the centuries, it is evident from reading about Saint Nicholas that he was a particular champion of the downtrodden, bestowing upon them gifts as token of the grace and mercy of the gospel. One such evidence is Nicholas comment that:
The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace, through faith, and this not of ourselves.
It is such a view and the inspiring stories associated with such godly men that have been the inspiration for Christians to act as they do not least in their habit of gift giving during the season of Christmas. To all you Christians, raise a glass to Saint Nicholas. To everyone else, enjoy the blessings of Christmas gift-giving on us!
