Creation, Conscience, and Instruction in the Word

Human beings may know about God through the external witness of creation and through the internal witness of consciousness.

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Romans 2:15 which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Beyond this, people should be instructed by believers in the way of truth (Cf. Acts 8:31; Matthew 28:18-20). External instruction in the word is accompanied by the internal instruction of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:13).

Proverbs 22:20-21 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?  “The scholar is to be instructed not for his own profit alone, but in order that he may be able to teach others also. (Charles John Ellicott)

1 Peter 3:15  but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

In other words, beastly and feastly

• almondine, adjective. Of, resembling, or reminiscent of the almond tree or its fruit.
• almuten, noun (rare, Astrology). The prevailing or ruling planet in a horoscope.
• anacoluthic, adjective. Of or related to syntactic inconsistencies of the sort known as anacoluthons.
• anacoluthon, noun. Syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence.
• arabesque, noun. (ballet) A posture in which the body is supported on one leg, with the other leg extended horizontally backward. (music) A passage or composition with fanciful ornamentation of the melody.
• beastly, adjective. Of or like a beast; bestial. (Informal) Nasty; unpleasant; disagreeable.
• durative, adjective. Denoting or relating to continuing action.
• eleemosynary, adjective. Of, relating to, or supported by charity.
• entertainment, noun. The act of entertaining; agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement, especially a performance of some kind; hospitable provision for the needs and wants of guests.
• excrescence, noun.  A projection or outgrowth, especially when abnormal; a disfiguring, extraneous, or unwanted mark or part; a blot.
• feastly, adjective. (Originally) fond of feasting (obsolete). Later: of or relating to a feast; characterized by feasting; befitting a feast; festive, jolly.
• irritainment, noun. Broadcast material which is irritating yet still entertaining; irritating entertainment.
• pacable, adjective. Capable of being pacified or appeased; placable.
• paddling pool, noun (UK). A shallow artificial pool for children to paddle or wade in.
• rout, noun. A defeat attended with disorderly flight; dispersal of a defeated force in complete disorder.
• rout, verb (used with object). To disperse in defeat and disorderly flight; to defeat decisively.
• slurry, noun. A thin mixture of an insoluble substance, as cement, clay, or coal, with a liquid, as water or oil.

National Coffee Day

Try These Creative Coffee Shops -- National Coffee Day is September 29, 2021.

Also, there is a new coffee shop in Mt. Enterprise, Texas, 103 W. Rusk Street. May May’s, you’ll see it at the southwest corner of US 259 and US 84.

Breaking down barriers

Ephesians 2:11-13 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

 

The blood of Jesus Christ breaks down the barriers that separate us from God and one another.

• Flesh: Gentiles; Uncircumcision and Circumcision
• Religion: strangers from the covenants of promise
• Distance: far off; made nigh
• Time: in time past; but now

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

8 Rules for Recording, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 8 Rules for Properly Recording Names in Genealogy -- “This list gives the most common and basic rules for how to record names in genealogy. By following these simple rules, you can ensure that your genealogical data is clear and complete enough that it will not be misinterpreted by others.”
• From the Studio to the Cemetery: Visiting Sculptor/Stone Carver Walter S. Arnold -- “Holly Parker approached Walter about creating a monument for her and her husband, Stephen, who died unexpectedly in 2015 at age 59.”
• GPS 1: Understanding the Genealogical Proof Standard -- “Seasoned genealogists know that direct evidence records only last so long. At some point, all researchers face a situation where bits and pieces of indirect evidence is available, and when this happens, progress can hit a massive speed bump and careen to a halt.”
• GPS 2: 3 Ways to Ensure Your Research Meets the Genealogical Proof Standard -- “Obituaries. Marriage certificates. Death certificates. Probate records. Census reports. Each of these sources (and dozens of others) could contain information on the ancestor you’re seeking. Make a list of each of the sources you need to check, and then cross them off as you go through your research.”
• GPS 3: How to Successfully Apply the Genealogical Proof Standard -- “We’ve all found mismatching evidence at some point in our research, haven’t we? When this happens, it can be convenient to simply discount the bits of information that don’t seem to align with your gut feeling—but that wouldn’t be in line with the GPS.”
• Gravestone Cleaning Tips -- “While some of this damage cannot be reversed, in other cases, preservation and prevention can make all the difference.”
• Liberty Hill Methodist Church building is a rural jewel in Wilcox County -- “The new church building was a great source of pride to its members. It was a magnificent structure, rather large for the time, and it was well known as one of the most beautiful country churches in the area.”
• Plan a Trip to more than 300 historic churches -- “Our team has created an interactive map so that you can plan a day trip (or even a weekend!) to visit some of Georgia’s most interesting historic sites.”
• Powelton Baptist, Hancock County, Georgia, Org. 1786 -- “Powelton’s the oldest existing Baptist church building in the state, and it speaks to the importance ofis the village of Powelton at the end of the 18th century.”
• Supreme Court Makes Massive Roe v. Wade Announcement -- “The Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for Dec. 1 regarding a Mississippi case that seeks to overturn the long-standing Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States.”
• The Root Cause of the Continuous Defection from Biblical Infallibility and Consequent Objective Authority, Wilbur N. Pickering -- “That part of the academic world that deals with the biblical Text, including those who call themselves ‘evangelical’, is dominated by the notion that the original wording is lost, in the sense that no one knows for sure what it is, or was (if indeed it ever existed as an Autograph).”
• ‘The View’ co-hosts test positive for COVID-19, yanked off stage before interview with VP Harris -- “They tested positive despite being “vaccinated up the wazoo,” as co-host Joy Behar later explained.”

Worldliness is...

“Modernity presents an interlocking system of values that has invaded and settled within the psyche of every person. Modernity is simply unprecedented in its power to remake human appetites, thinking processes, and values. It is, to put it in biblical terms, the worldliness of Our Time. For worldliness is that system of values and beliefs, behaviors and expectations, in any given culture that have at their center the fallen human being and that relegate to their periphery any thought about God. Worldliness is what makes sin look normal in any age and righteousness seem odd. Modernity is worldliness, and it has concealed its values so adroitly in the abundance, the comfort, and the wizardry of our age that even those who call themselves the people of God seldom recognize them for what they are.”

David F. Wells, God in the Wasteland: the Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1994, p. 29)

Take my life and let it be

“Take my life and let it be,” a hymn in 7s. meter, was written by Frances Ridley Havergal in 1874. See Frances Havergal Wrote “Take My Life and Let it Be” at Christianity.com for a story of the hymn and its writer. It often is paired with Henri Malan’s tune Hendon.

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own,
It shall be thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee.

Ways to handle contradicting genealogical evidence

Here are three simple ways to handle contradicting evidence:

Ask Questions. As you come across conflicting fragments of information in your research that you’re unsure how to handle, take a step back and consider the following questions:

• When and where was the record created?
• What information is missing or incomplete from the record?
• How was the information recorded?
• Who created the record?
• How reliable is the information in the record?

By asking these questions, you’ll begin to piece bits of information together while discovering what other research still needs to be done...

And then you make a research plan, and you keep a research log so you know where you’ve been and what you’ve found.

From How to Successfully Apply the Genealogical Proof Standard

What is the Genealogical Proof Standard?

What is the Genealogical Proof Standard?

The Genealogical Proof Standard is a process used by genealogists to demonstrate what the minimums are that genealogists must do for their work to be credible. Based off a book written by Christine Rose entitled Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case, this standard lays out five essential steps for accurate research:

1. Reasonably exhaustive research has been completed.
2. Each statement of fact has a complete and accurate source citation.
3. The evidence is reliable and has been skillfully correlated and interpreted.
4. Any contradictory evidence has been resolved.
5. The conclusion has been soundly reasoned and coherently written.

“The Genealogical Proof Standard isn’t a device per se,” says Ison, “but it’s a process that will help us to determine what we know, helps us decide what we want to learn, helps us explain our work to others, gives us confidence about the direction we’re going, is the basis for approaching difficult research problems using indirect evidence, and lastly, it helps us to feel secure and safe in our conclusions.”

Multiplying Ancestors

Starting with my two parents, I have:

• 4 grandparents
• 8 great grandparents
• 16 second great grandparents
• 32 third great grandparents
• 64 fourth great grandparents
• 128 fifth great grandparents
• 256 sixth great grandparents
• 512 seventh great grandparents
• 1024 eight great grandparents
• 2048 ninth great grandparents
• 4096 tenth great grandparents
• 8192 eleventh great grandparents

(Copied from Find-A-Grave member Mona Hura)

Intriguingly, the multiplication will somewhere stop and funnel back to two first parents, Adam and Eve.

Americans spent more, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Americans spent more money on taxes last year than on food, healthcare, and clothing combined -- “American ‘consumer units,’ as BLS calls them, spent a net total of $17,211.12 on taxes last year while spending only $16,839.89 on food, clothing, healthcare and entertainment combined, according to Table R-1 of the BLS Consumer Expenditures Survey.”
• Disney World workers to march against company vaccine mandate -- “Caturano says Disney employees are resisting the forced vaccinations for a variety of reasons including health concerns, religious beliefs, natural immunity, and a principled commitment to maintaining control over their own health care.”
• FDA panel approves Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots only for people 65 and older or at high risk -- “After hours of discussion and a request to revise the question they were being asked, a key federal advisory committee on Friday agreed to a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after full vaccination for people aged 65 and older and those at high risk of severe COVID-19.”
• Gospel Renewal in Corporate Worship -- “The goal of the gospel is to enable us to draw near to the presence of God, in his house, in his temple, where we are then able to fellowship with him. That’s the nature of what we’re doing when we gather as the church for corporate worship.”
• Inflation Has Turned $15 an Hour Wages Into a Setback -- “Wages have risen this year, but inflation has made that money worth less than before, preventing any meaningful improvement in living standards.”
• Is Culture the Same as Ethnicity -- “Very simply, culture is the shared behavior of a particular group of people. The question for Christians, then, should be this: what in Scripture best parallels this concept of ‘culture’?”
• John Rice, Lester Roloff Preached Repentance From Sin -- “In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jack Hyles and Curtis Hutson changed the historic, biblical definition of repentance, and I am convinced this was for the purpose of justifying the Quick Prayerism methodology and the theology of Bigness.”
• Reality and Truth: Celebrity Conservatives Versus True Bible Believers -- “When I write, celebrity conservatives, I’m especially saying, Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, the late Rush Limbaugh, Dennis Prager, and Candace Owens.”
• San Francisco mayor dances maskless at nightclub in defiance of own health order -- “When photos of the mayor appeared on social media they sparked an outcry from critics of Ms Breed. There were accusations of hypocrisy, and that, with the recent failure to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom, Democrats in the state now think they are ‘untouchable’.”
• Tennessee Mayor Says County ‘Will Not Comply’ with Biden Vaccine Mandate -- “In a September 16 letter to Biden, Jacobs, a former WWE star, informed the president that Knox County ‘will not comply’ with the executive order mandate requiring private sector businesses with more than 100 employees to require coronavirus vaccines or implement weekly testing.”
• The World Is Catechizing Us Whether We Realize It or Not -- “What NBC presented as heroic and wonderful was considered wrong and troublesome by almost everyone in the Christian West for 2,000 years.”
• There’s Something Up With CNN’s Articles About Kids and COVID -- “During the Delta spike, there was another category of fear the elite media decided to exaggerate: cases regarding children.”
• Your Spouse Doesn’t Have to Be Your Best Friend -- “Perhaps you’ve noticed the popular recasting of marriage as primarily a very close friendship.”
• 9 huge government conspiracies that actually happened -- “As the years pass, however, secrets surface. Government documents become declassified. We now have evidence of certain elaborate government schemes right here in the US of A.”
• 7 ways men live without working in America -- “Almost one-third of all working-age men in America aren’t doing diddly-squat. They don’t have a job, and they aren’t looking for one either.”

Vaccines and your conscience

Both Robert Jeffress and Pope Francis want you to get vaccinated, says Mark Wingfield in the liberal Baptist News Global. Wingfield quotes Jeffress – pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas – as saying, “There is no credible religious argument against the vaccines,” and “There is no legitimate faith-based reason for refusing to take the vaccine.” What Pope Francis says may create difficultly for Catholics with conscientious objections. Because of local church autonomy, what Robert Jeffress says should carry little weight beyond his local congregation.

Apparently, Jeffress is referring to the concerns of some about the ties to fetal cell lines derived from aborted babies. Various religious leaders have expressed concerns about this, though it seems the view of the most hi-profile leaders is that the time line is so far removed from the actual abortions (1970s-1980s) that there is no moral issue – or some express it that the good of the vaccine outweighs the evil of the abortions.

Some have expressed objections in terms that make it sound like baby parts have been taken from current abortions to use in these vaccines. That is not correct. Here are some facts.

• Janssen Research/Johnson & Johnson used abortion-derived fetal cell lines in the development, confirmation, and production of its vaccine.
• Moderna, Inc./National Institutes of Health and Pfizer/BioNTech performed confirmation tests using abortion-derived fetal cell lines, but did not use them in production.
• AstraZeneca/University of Oxford used abortion-derived fetal cell lines in confirmation tests, design & development, and production.

The difference between fetal cell lines and fetal tissue. Fetal cell lines are cells that grow in a laboratory. They descend from cells taken from elective abortions in the 1970s and 1980s. Those individual cells from the 1970s and 1980s have since been grown in the lab for 30 to 40 years, creating fetal cell lines.

Consider the position of Robert Jeffress and others. If you find it compelling, make it part of your conscience. However, if you conscientiously object to the vaccine, do not feel compelled to kowtow to the views of some hi-profile religious leader (or some combination of them). Each Christian believer needs to decide whether he or she feels OK with the way these vaccines were produced. Follow your own conscience!

(Information source, the Charlotte Lozier Institute)

Mankind adores its betrayers, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

“Mankind adores its betrayers, and murders its saviors.” -- Taylor Caldwell

“Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; Eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.” -- Thomas Watson

“An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is doomed.” -- Taylor Caldwell

“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence.” --  Louis Pasteur

“A wise man distrusts his neighbor. A wiser man distrusts both his neighbor and himself. The wisest man of all distrusts his government.” -- Taylor Caldwell

“Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.” -- Augustine of Hippo

“Don’t let the past steal your present.” -- Taylor Caldwell

“I was a lost church member...I was sincere – just sincerely wrong. I was not out to fool anyone. I was the one being fooled.” -- Josh Buice

“Corrupt citizens breed corrupt rulers, and it is the mob who finally decides when virtue shall die.” -- Taylor Caldwell

“Worldliness is what makes sin look normal in any age and righteousness seem odd.” -- David F. Wells

Dr. Law and Dr. Grace

Dr. Law and Dr. Grace are the most unusual doctors the world has ever known. They are unusual because they never ask the patient for his advice or about any of the signs or symptoms of his case. They have never lost a patient or charged a fee. They speak with authority and have an incredible 100% success rate with patients, yet many people refuse to go to them for help.

The greatest message of the Bible and the theme of the whole Bible is grace. Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God, and there is an unbreakable relationship between law and grace...

I can now recommend these two great doctors. Dr. Law will show you where you are wrong, and Dr. Grace will make you right. Commit your case to Dr. Law and Dr. Grace (Romans 10:9-10).

Lester Leo Roloff

For the Poor

“For the Poor” was written by William Cowper (1731-1800). It was published the Olney Hymns (1779, Book 3, Hymn 57). It contains 5 stanzas of 4 lines in Common Meter. In The Primitive Baptist Hymnal: a Choice Collection of Hymns and Tunes of Early and Late Composition, Sears and Ausmus printed it under W. R. Havergal’s Evan.
 
1. When Hagar found the bottle spent,
And wept o’er Ishmael;
A message from the Lord was sent
To guide her to a well.
 
2. Should not Elijah’s cake and cruse
Convince us at this day,
A gracious God will not refuse
Provisions by the way?
 
3. His saints and servants shall be fed,
The promise is secure;
“Bread shall be giv’n them,” he has said,
“Their water shall be sure.”
 
4. Repasts far richer they shall prove
Than all earth’s dainties are;
’Tis sweet to taste a Saviour’s love,
Tho’ in the meanest fare.
 
5. To Jesus then your trouble bring,
Nor murmur at your lot;
While you art poor, and he is king,
You shall not be forgot.

Heroes and Pariahs

The same “front line” health care workers hailed as heroes by the media for treating COVID patients before vaccines were available, including the Plaintiffs herein, are now vilified by the same media as pariahs who must be excluded from society until they are vaccinated against their will.

From a lawsuit by health care workers against the state of New York

Because They Are Evil, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Because They Are Evil -- “When one analyzes these separate issues, it is obvious that it goes well beyond normal political difference. It is not just a difference of opinion, not just a different worldview. It is not just a political power play.”
• Does the AMA Really Care About Human Life? -- “It is impossible to overstate the evil involved in this conscious decision to betray our humanity and ignore our ethical duty as our profession willingly performs, promotes, and defends abortion.”
• FDA Pfizer authorization (Comirnaty): Key points to consider and discuss. -- “The decision is premature. Regarding the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis. Per CDC, those risks are still being assessed and may be at least 2.5 times higher than previously known.”
• Jason Lee’s ‘Galveston’ Photography Release Celebrates GHF’S Sesquecentennial -- “As our world struggled through the tragic pandemic in 2020, GHF conceived of a project to capture the historic barrier island where we live....We invite each of you to find your place in our history through Jason’s beautiful landscape of images.”
• New Data on COVID-19 Transmission by Vaccinated Individuals -- “It’s expected that symptomatic breakthroughs in the vaccinated are more contagious than asymptomatic breakthroughs.”
• New Study Shatters Narrative Surrounding COVID Hospitalizations -- “Roughly half of all the hospitalized patients showing up on COVID-data dashboards in 2021 may have been admitted for another reason entirely, or had only a mild presentation of disease.”
• New York Health Workers Ask Federal Court for Relief from Compulsory Covid Vaccines -- “The United States District Court for the Northern District of New York granted a Temporary Restraining Order against the governor of New York and her administration...”
• Regarding “Scattering Cockroaches” -- “...this loss of information content and monitoring capability is yet another unintended consequence of a very blunt/crude form of reactionary authoritarianism managed by incompetent bureaucrats.”
• Special prosecutor John Durham charges ex-attorney for Clinton campaign with lying to FBI -- “Prosecutors allege Sussmann lied by denying that he was representing any client as he told the FBI about digital evidence allegedly linking computers in Trump Tower to Russia’s Alfa Bank.”
• The Logic of the Pro-Choice Position -- “...if you want to argue that the different views people have creates uncertainty, then you should actually oppose abortion. If you do not know whether or not the unborn is a human being, you should not kill it...”
• The Unsung Death of ‘My Body, My Choice’ -- “Scarier still, Biden was not talking in euphemism. He was actually talking to women about ‘their’ bodies. Not surprisingly, NARAL remains stone silent, and Harris is not ‘speaking here.’ It is hard to defend a con, even a venerable one like‘ My Body, My Choice.’”
• Was General Mark Milley Undermining His Own Country? -- “The most shocking revelation in Bob Woodward’s new book, Peril, is that General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJSC) went rogue and contacted his counterpart in the Chinese Communist military and told him, if the United States planned any military action against China, that Milley would give him advance notice.”

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

The quote “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” comes from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. In the film, when those looking for him find the Wizard, they hear a loud voice booming all around them. The voice tells them to come back another time. It is all mysterious and marvelous.

However, Toto, the main character’s little dog, discovers the “real” Wizard. He is just an average looking middle-aged man operating a bunch of controls behind a green curtain. When the Wizard of Oz realizes he has been discovered, he shouts over his loudspeaker, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

A. N. Whitten and the United Association

I have previously posted a good bit about Archibald Newton Whitten, and compiled a booklet of some of his life history. But it has been a while. Recently, Jesse P. Karlsberg, Sacred Harp singer, composer & vice president of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company, found a connection of Whitten to the United Sacred Harp Musical Association – at least for 1921. That year the association met in the Auditorium-Armory in Atlanta, Georgia, September 9-11, 1921. Whitten is listed as an “Assistant” on the Executive Board of Council of the United Association. So 100 years ago (and a few days) A. N. Whitten was one of four Texans on this Council.[i]

 

 Minutes of the United Sacred Harp Musical Association, Atlanta, Georgia, September 9-11, 1921, page 2
(Picture furnished by Jesse P. Karlsberg)

---

[i] Perusal of the minutes suggested Whitten was not in attendance of the Association in Atlanta. Jesse also said that Whitten’s name does not appear in the Executive Council members in 1925, the next oldest minute that he has.

Shall suffer persecution

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

As Christians, perhaps most especially preachers, we can sometimes suffer from a “disease” which creates its own “self-fulfilling prophecy.” One may act like an arrogant jerk, insufferable know-it-all, or total idiot – then claim to be persecuted because of being a Christian when others react negatively and coarsely. It is a glory to suffer as a Christian. There is nothing commendatory in suffering for own sinful and stupid acts and omissions.

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (1 Peter 4:15-17).

Holy and reverend is his name

[Psalm 111] Verse 9. He sent redemption unto his people. When they were in Egypt he sent not only a deliverer, but an actual deliverance; not only a redeemer, but complete redemption. He has done the like spiritually for all his people, having first by blood purchased them out of the hand of the enemy, and then by power rescued them from the bondage of their sins. Redemption we can sing of as an accomplished act: it has been wrought for us, sent to us, and enjoyed by us, and we are in very deed the Lord’s redeemed. He hath commanded his covenant for ever. His divine decree has made the covenant of his grace a settled and eternal institution: redemption by blood proves that the covenant cannot be altered, for it ratifies and establishes it beyond all recall. This, too, is reason for the loudest praise. Redemption is a fit theme for the heartiest music, and when it is seen to be connected with gracious engagements from which the Lord’s truth cannot swerve, it becomes a subject fitted to arouse the soul to an ecstasy of gratitude. Redemption and the covenant are enough to make the tongue of the dumb sing. Holy and reverend is his name. Well may he say this. The whole name or character of God is worthy of profoundest awe, for it is perfect and complete, whole or holy. It ought not to be spoken without solemn thought, and never heard without profound homage. His name is to be trembled at, it is something terrible; even those who know him best rejoice with trembling before him. How good men can endure to be called “reverend” we know not. Being unable to discover any reason why our fellow men should reverence us, we half suspect that in other men there is not very much which can entitle them to be called reverend, very reverend, right reverend, and so on. It may seem a trifling matter, but for that very reason we would urge that the foolish custom should be allowed to fall into disuse.

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5a, Psalm 107-119

My Soul Thirsteth for God

“Thirsting for God” or “My Soul Thirsteth for God” was written by William Cowper (1731-1800). It was published the Olney Hymns (1779, Book 3, Hymn 61). It contains 5 stanzas of 4 lines in Long Meter. There may not be one tune that is particularly associated with this hymn. In the Hymn and Tune Book for Use in Old School or Primitive Baptist Churches, Durand and Lester printed it under Lowell Mason’s Rockingham.
 
1. I thirst, but not as once I did,
The vain delights of earth to share:
Thy wounds, Emmanuel, all forbid
That I should seek my pleasure there.
 
2. It was the sight of thy dear cross
First wean’d my soul from earthly things;
And taught me to esteem as dross
The mirth of fools and pomp of kings.
 
3. I want that grace that springs from thee,
That quickens all things where it flows,
And makes a wretched thorn, like me,
Bloom as the myrtle, or the rose.
 
4. Dear fountain of delight unknown!
No longer sink below the brim;
But overflow, and pour me down
A living, and life-giving stream!
 
5. For sure, of all the plants that share
The notice of thy Father’s eye,
None proves less grateful to his care,
Or yields him meaner fruit than I.

The world out there, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

“The world out there is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity; it’s waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity.” -- Leonard Ravenhill

“When you look this way and that way to see who is watching (Exodus 2:12), don’t forget to look up!”

“Knowing who you are comes down to knowing Whose you are.” -- Amy Boucher Pye

“The secret to success is not to do as everyone. Success is often measured by what others haven’t done.” -- Charles Ghigna

“The evil that men do lives after them: The good is oft interred with their bones.” -- Mark Anthony, from Shakespeare

“The same water that softens the potato, hardens the egg.” -- Proverb

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” -- G. K. Chesterton

“Every child should have an occasional pat on the back as long as it is applied low enough and hard enough.” -- Fulton J. Sheen

“Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” -- John Stark, American Revolutionary War General

Are Christian Ministers, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• American Airlines pilots’ union to strike over fatigue, overscheduling -- “The labor union representing American Airlines pilots said it will begin informational picketing in coming weeks at the carrier’s major hubs to protest their work schedule, fatigue, and lack of adequate accommodation over the summer.”
• Are Christian Ministers “Reverend”? -- “In the good sense, it is true for the one God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, alone–He alone is holy and reverend.”
• Biden administration extends vaccine mandate to large U.S. companies -- “Sweeping new mandates apply to businesses with more than 100 employees, whose workers would have to be inoculated or face weekly testing. The White House estimates new policies will impact about 80 million workers, or two-thirds of the country’s workforce.”
• Chicago police superintendent pleas for the “safety of our babies” after 66 shot, including children, over Labor Day weekend -- “‘We need people in the community to come forward,’ Brown said. ‘This is beyond trusting police. This is about the safety of our babies.’”
• Christian college continues fight to keep single-sex dorms, showers protected from Biden’s LGBT policy -- “The directive, argues the college, ‘requires private religious colleges to place biological males into female dormitories and to assign them as females’ roommates.’”
• ESPN reporter won’t work football games in 2021 after choosing to not get vaccinated -- “While my work is incredibly important to me, the most important role I have is as a mother. Throughout our family planning with our doctor, as well as a fertility specialist, I have decided not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this time while my husband and I try for a second child.”
• Evangelical families in Mexico lose access to water, services for refusing to deny their faith -- “Two evangelical families in central Mexico have been threatened with being cut off from essential services or expelled from the community if they continue to refuse to deny their faith and pay a fine illegally levied against them, according to a report.”
• Ex-Muslim Hedieh Mirahmadi reveals journey to Christ, her take on Afghanistan crisis -- “Hedieh Mirahmadi is an ex-Muslim-turned-Christian. An expert on Islam and extremism, she has a plethora of experience working in Afghanistan and in Middle Eastern affairs.”
• Hitman in Hasidic garb guns down reformed murderer in caught-on-camera execution -- “As Dixon, 47, approached his Ford Edge SUV, the suspect runs over and shoots him in the back of the head, video shows.”
• Joe Biden’s “Path Out of the Pandemic” -- “The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing a rule that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work.”
• Man protecting his wife is beaten unconscious at MN State Fair, charges say -- “Witnesses...said Morgan picked the husband up and slammed him onto the ground and that Brown kicked or stomped on his head, the complaint states.”
• New Details Emerge About Coronavirus Research at Chinese Lab -- “The Intercept has obtained more than 900 pages of documents detailing the work of EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S.-based health organization that used federal money to fund bat coronavirus research at the Chinese laboratory.”
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill stopping tech companies deplatforming people based on users’ political ‘viewpoint’ -- “The bill, called HB20, bans social-media companies with more than 50 million monthly active users from censoring people because of ‘the viewpoint of the user or another person.’”
• United employees receiving COVID-19 vaccine religious exemption face unpaid leave -- “The U.S. carrier is taking a tough line on employees who decline to get vaccinated and became the first U.S. carrier in early August to announce it would mandate vaccines for employees.”
• What is the Nipah virus and why is it more deadly than COVID-19? A virus expert explains. -- “Officials in India are racing to contain a virus outbreak that has claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy and is deadlier than COVID-19 — the Nipah virus.”

The Singers and the Songs

Ephesians 5:19 speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

In the text we have five remarkable[i] parts, namely:

1. The singers. “Speaking to themselves.” Christians, especially those who dwelt in the city of Ephesus. Christians understand how to rejoice in God; their hearts can so set the tune that God shall hear the music. Zanchius well observes that the apostle does here make the comparison between the mirth which is made “from the abundance of wine,” and that which is made “from the abundance of the Spirit.” The drunkard’s song, how toyish! But the saint’s singing, how triumphal! How confused the one! How sweet the other! How empty the one, even to the very companions of their cups and mirth! But how melodious the other, even to the Lord Himself! And he gravely takes notice that, “saints rejoice, but intemperate persons drivel in their chat.”

2. The song itself. And here the apostle runs division, diversifying songs into three species, which according to the descants of learned men, may be thus understood:

(1) And here Jerome gives us a dexterous interpretation.

(i) “Psalms,” says he, “may belong to moral things, what we ought to put in use and practice.”

(ii) “Hymns may belong to sacred things, what we ought to meditate on and to contemplate, as the power, wisdom, goodness, and majesty of God.”

(iii) “Odes, or spiritual songs, may belong to natural things, what we ought to debate, discuss; namely, the race, order, harmony, and continuance of the world, and God’s infinite wisdom manifested in it!”

(2) Some distinguish these according to the authors of them.

(i) Psalms. They are the composures of holy David.

(ii) Hymns. They are the songs of some other excellent men recorded in scripture, as Moses, Heman, Asaph, etc.

(iii) Spiritual songs. They are odes of some other holy and good men not mentioned in Scripture, as the song of Ambrose, Nepos, and others.

(3) Some aver that these several speeches mentioned in the text, answer the Hebrew distinction of psalms. Among them were:

(i) Mizmorim, which treated of various and different subjects.

(ii) Tehillim, which only mentioned the praises of the Most High.

(iii) Shirim, which were songs more artificially and musically composed, and, some divines observe, were sung with the help of a musical instrument.

But I may add: Are not all these several species mentioned to prefigure the plenty and the joy which is reserved for the saints within the veil, when they shall join in concert with the glorious angels in singing their perpetual hallelujahs to their glorious Creator?

3. The manner of singing. Our text says, “making melody” with inward joy and trepidation of soul: if the tongue make the pause, the heart must make the elevation. The apostle says to the Colossians: “We must sing with grace” (Col. 3:16) which is, as some expound it:

(1) With giving of thanks. And, indeed, thankfulness is the very Selah of this duty, that which puts an accent upon the music and sweetness of the voice; and then we sing melodiously when we warble out the praises of the Lord.

(2) With gracefulness. With a becoming and graceful dexterity. And this “brings both profit and pleasure” to the hearers as Davenant observes. Psalms are not the comedies of Venus, or the jocular celebrations of a wanton Adonis; but they are the spiritual ebullitions of a composed soul to the incomprehensible Jehovah, with real grace. God’s Spirit must breathe in this service; here we must act our joy, our confidence, our delight. Singing is the triumph of a gracious soul, the child joying in the praises of his Father. In singing of psalms, the gracious heart takes wings, and mounts up to God, to join with the celestial choir. It is grace which fits the heart for, and sweetens the heart in, this duty. And where this qualification is wanting, this service is rather a hurry than a duty; it is rather a disturbance than any obedience.

4. The master of the choir, the preceptor. That is: the “heart.” We must look to the heart in singing, that it be purged by the Spirit and that it be replete with spiritual affection. He plays the hypocrite who brings not the heart to this duty. One observes, “There is no tune without the heart.” Singing takes its proper rise from the heart; the voice is only the further progress. And, indeed, God is the Creator of the whole man; and therefore He will be praised not only with our tongues, but with our hearts. The apostle tells us, he “will sing with the spirit.” (1 Cor. 14:15) And David informs us, his heart was ready to “sing and give praise.” (Ps. 57:7,8; 108:1) Augustine admonishes us, “It is not a musical string, but a working heart, [that] is harmonious.” The virgin Mary sings her Magnificat with her heart. (Lk. 1:46-47) And Bernard tells us in a tract of his, that “when we sing psalms, let us take heed that we have the same thing in our mind that we warble forth in our tongue, and that our song and our heart do not run several ways.” If we in singing only offer the calves of our lips, it will too much resemble a carnal and a Jewish service.

5. The end of the duty. “To the Lord” So says the text; namely, to Jesus Christ, who is here principally meant. Our singing must not serve our gain, or our luxury, or our fancy; but our Christ, our Lord, and dear Redeemer. In this duty it is his praises we must mainly and chiefly celebrate. And most deservedly we magnify the true God by psalms and singing, when the heathens celebrate their false and dunghill gods, Jupiter, Neptune, and Apollo, with songs and hymns. One well observes: “Singing of psalms is part of divine worship, and of our homage and service due to the great Jehovah.” Bodius takes notice that, “God is the true and only scope of all our singing.” And truly if the Spirit of God be in us. He will be steadily aimed at by us. Thus Deborah and Barak sang their triumphal song “to the Lord.” (Judg. 5:3)

John Wells, in How We May Make Melody in our Hearts to God in Singing of Psalms, 1689

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[i] Though these thoughts are remarkable, it appears here that the author means he is making remarks on five parts of the verse.

A fixed heart, a fixed duty

Psalm 108:1. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 

Meditation is a fixed duty. It is not a cursory work. Man’s thoughts naturally labour with a great inconsistency; but meditation chains them, and fastens them upon some spiritual object. The soul when it meditates lays a command on itself, that the thoughts which are otherwise flitting and feathery should fix upon its object; and so this duty is very advantageous. As we know a garden which is watered with sudden showers is more uncertain in its fruit than when it is refreshed with a constant stream; so when our thoughts are sometimes on good things, and then run off; when they only take a glance of a holy object, and then flit away, there is not so much fruit brought into the soul. In meditation, then, there must be a fixing of the heart upon the object, a steeping the thoughts, as holy David: “O God, my heart is fixed.” We must view the holy object presented by meditation, as a limner who views some curious piece, and carefully heeds every shade, every line and colour; as the virgin Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Indeed; meditation is not only the busying of the thoughts, but the centring of them; not only the employing of them, but the staking them down upon some spiritual affair. When the soul, meditating upon something divine, saith as the disciples in the transfiguration (Mt 17:4), “It is good to be here.”

John Wells, in The Practical Sabbatarian, 1668

The nation’s two-party system

The nation’s (United States) two-party system illustrated by Stephan Pastis in Pearls Before Swine.

Boats and The Boat

It is a very good thing to feel safe. However, it is much better to be safe. April 15, 1912, everyone on the “unsinkable” Titanic felt safe, and were living life as if there was no tomorrow. Tragically, for over 1500 poor souls, there would be no tomorrow. In contrast, the disciples were on a rickety wooden boat crossing the sea of Galilee when suddenly there were in a “great tempest”. Fearing they were about to die, they cried out to the Lord who was asleep in the boat. “Lord, save us: we perish”. After rebuking them for their fear and lack of faith, He immediately calmed the seas and straightforward they were safe on the other side. On one boat people felt safe but were not. On the other boat men did not feel safe but were. What made the difference? Who made the difference? If the Lord Jesus Christ is in our boat we are safe, even when the seas are turbulent. Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Pr. 29:25b. The oceans of this world are full of stately vessels filled with careless souls oblivious to the destruction that is just below the surface of their shallow religion. Their porters assure the passengers that once you pay your fare, you are guaranteed safe passage to the other side. The truly safe boats are usually small unimpressive vessels of just a few “fellows on the ship”. On these little boats the Lord is resting because He has finished His work to pay in full the fare for all on board.

Greg Elmquist

I want a principle

Hymn (C.M.D.) by Charles Wesley (1707-1788):

1. I want a principle within
of watchful, godly fear,
a sensibility of sin,
a pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel
of pride or wrong desire,
to catch the wandering of my will,
and quench the kindling fire.

2. From thee that I no more may stray,
no more thy goodness grieve,
grant me the filial awe, I pray,
the tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye,
O God, my conscience make;
awake my soul when sin is nigh,
and keep it still awake.

3. Almighty God of truth and love,
to me thy power impart;
the mountain from my soul remove,
the hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain
my reawakened soul,
and drive me to that blood again,
which makes the wounded whole.

A Covid Apology to America, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Covid Apology to America, on Behalf of the Evangelical Church -- “America, we’re sorry. We had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show you how different Christianity is from the world. And we failed.”
• Clinton Methodist - a very historic church in Jones County -- “When Clinton Methodist was founded, it was on the very edge of the Georgia frontier. Its parishioners were Revolutionary War soldiers and rugged individuals willing to carve out a life for themselves and their families out of the Georgia wilderness.”
• Daniel Merck of Chicopee Baptist Church Imprisoned for Sexual Abuse -- “Assistant District Attorney Harold Buckler talked about how [Merck] was ‘incredibly well thought of’ in the community, including having a street sign named for him outside of the school.”
• Dem Congresswoman Blocks Names of 13 Dead Service Members from Being Read on House Floor -- “The GOP contingent of Republican veterans said House leadership refused to recognize their attempt to read the names of the 12 Marines and one Navy corpsman who lost their lives in an ISIS-K suicide bomb attack outside an entrance to the Kabul airport on Thursday in the final days of the chaotic evacuation.”
• Judge Asks Mom a Surprise Vaccine Question, She Gets It ‘Wrong’ So He Strips Her of Custody -- “Following a virtual custody and child support hearing...The mother lost her custody rights on Aug. 10, the day the court found her unfit to raise the child due to her vaccination status.”
• Michigan Judge Who Stripped Mother’s Custody Over Her Vaccine Status Just Issued a New Order -- “"Judge Shapiro just issued an order vacating portions of his prior order of August 11th so Rebecca Firlit can see her son again," Fernholz told FOX 32 Chicago.”
• Ohio University requiring students, staff get COVID vaccine by mid-November -- “University president Hugh Sherman sent a message to students and employees Tuesday stating that everyone at all Ohio University locations will need to get vaccinated by Nov. 15. The mandate will include people working remotely for the university, according to the message.”
• Texas’s near-total abortion ban takes effect after Supreme Court inaction -- “...the U.S. Supreme Court did not act on a request by abortion rights groups to block the law, which would prohibit the vast majority of abortions in the state.”
• The father of a Marine killed in the Kabul attack says Biden bristled when he told the president to learn the victims’ stories -- “Mark Schmitz’s son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, was one of 13 US service members helping to evacuate US citizens and Afghans killed on August 27 in what the Pentagon has said was a suicide bombing by an ISIS affiliate.”
• Those dying post-vaccine: Where are the autopsies? -- “In this age of supposed scientific medicine and a pandemic, we are relying on death certificates for statistics on the cause of death, even though they are known to be extremely unreliable.”
• Updated Seventh-Day Adventist evangelistic pamphlet -- “includes Ellen White’s statement: ‘those who claim that their faith alone will save them are trusting to a rope of sand.’”

Bishoprick

“For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.”

Old English bisceoprice “diocese, province of a bishop,” from bishop + rice “realm, dominion, province,” from Proto-Germanic *rikja “rule” (from PIE root *reg- “move in a straight line,” with derivatives meaning “to direct in a straight line,” thus “to lead, rule”).

bisceop-ríce, biscop-ríce, es; n. [bisceop, a bishop; ríce a region]
A Bishopric, diocese, province of a bishop; episcopi provincia, diœcesis = διoίκησιs

ἐπισκοπὴν
TR Acts 1:20 γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτοῦ ἔρημος καὶ μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτῇ καί τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λάβοι ἕτερος

LXX Psalm 108:8 (KJV 109:8) γενηθήτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὀλίγαι, καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λάβοι ἕτερος

In 1828, Webster gives two meanings.
1. A diocese; the district over which the jurisdiction of bishop extends.
2. The charge of instructing and governing in spiritual concerns; office. Acts 1:20.

The word bishoprick has a semantic range that covers (at least) from “office” to “bishop/overseer of a realm.” Some complain about this word choice in the King James translation of Acts 1:20, as if it were chosen to simply support the Church of England’s use of their kind of bishops. Yet it was used in English Bibles such as Wycliffe (1382) and Tyndale (1526) before there was a “Church of England” (1531). The Pulpit Commentary says of this translation, “Bishop being the English transliteration of ἐπίσκοπος [i.e., the word used by Luke, rlv], bishopric is, of course, the literal rendering of ἐπισκοπή...”