God is love

1 John 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The Birth and Early Days of Jesus

The Birth and Early Days of Jesus: a Chronological and Logical Harmonization of Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, John 1, and Galatians 4:4-5.

John 1:^{1-3, 14} The Word Made Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

Matthew 1:¹⁸ The Virgin Birth Summary

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Luke 1:^26-38 Annunciation (Angelic Birth Announcement to Mary)

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, 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. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:^39-56 Mary Lodges with Elisabeth (2 songs and 3 months)

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Matthew 1:^19-25 Annunciation (Angelic Birth Announcement to Joseph)

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Luke 2:^1-7 The Nativity of Jesus

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:^8-20 Announcement (A Host of Angels and Shepherds Making Haste)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:^21-38 Circumcision and a Visit to the Temple (Simeon and Anna)

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:^1-12 The Visit of the Wise Men

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Matthew 2:^13-18 The Flight to Egypt and Bloodshed in Bethlehem

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Matthew 2:^19-23 Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Journey to Nazareth

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Luke 2:^39-40  The Growth of the Nazarene

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Galatians 4:^4-5 Fulfillment and Redemption

but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,to redeem them that were under the law...

This day

Halloween is the United States is a mostly secular holiday, which has mixed pagan and other religious roots. The Celts of Ireland, Britain and France held a pagan harvest festival called Samhain beginning at sunset of October 31st. The mixed roots show up in Roman Catholicism and other denominations who mark the Roman Catholic holidays. October 31 is Hallowe’en (Hallow evening), the beginning of Allhallowtide – a three-day Catholic tradition dedicated to remembering the dead, Halloween (October 31), followed by All Saints or All Hallows Day (November 1), and All Souls Day (November 2).[i]

For many Protestants, October 31 is Reformation Day – a religious holiday or commemoration of the beginning of the Reformation. According to Philip Melanchthon, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg, Germany Catholic Church on October 31, 1517.

For some churches, like the Catholics before them, this has become a day or time to repurpose or rebaptize Halloween, and still celebrate it as a “Fall Festival” or “Harvest Festival” or “Hallelujah Night.”

For Bible-believing Baptists, let it be “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” This is a bold banner that may be highly hung over each day to which the Lord leads us on.[ii] And in its context, Psalm 118:24 is a reminder that the stone Jesus, which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”

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[i] Probably Greek Orthodoxy as well, but I do not know as much about them, and did not take the time to look it up.
[ii] Thus far the Lord hath led me on. Thus far his power prolongs my days. And every evening shall make known, some fresh memorial of his grace. (Isaac Watts)

X-mas or Christmas or both?

There are Christians who spend a great deal of time saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas” or “Put Christ back into Christmas.” (Other Christians would say he was never part of it!) For the first group, “put Christ back into Christmas” is a retort against the use of “X-mas” in the place of “Christmas.”[i] I have heard this most of my life. However...

Chi (Χ or χ) is the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet. Used in X-mas, it is not leaving out the name of Christ, but substituting or abbreviating it by using the first letter in the Greek name Christ (χριστός) for Christ. Abbreviations can make communication easier – if you understand the abbreviation. We use them in most aspects of life, especially in writing. In this abbreviation or substitution, X = Christ. X-mas = Christmas.

Some secularists say or use X-mas thinking they deliberately leave Christ out. Some scrupulous Christians substitute the X instead of using “Christ,” thinking they avoid combining the title of Jesus “Christ” with the Roman Catholic “Mass.”[ii] Nevertheless, there is longstanding documented sacred history of Christians using Chi (Χ or χ) to mean, stand for, or symbolize Christ. X-mas does not avoid putting Christ in Christmas, no matter how you slice it.

Here endeth the history lesson.[iii]

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[i] This objection may have originated in the periodical News and Views, published by the Church League of America. An article in December of 1957 titled “X=The Unknown Quantity” criticized the use of X-mas instead of Christmas. However, it is possible that this has earlier criticisms, and was only widely popularized at this time.
[ii] The etymology of the English word Christmas is Middle English Christemasse, from Old English Cristes mæsse, literally, Christ’s mass (combing the words Christ + Mass, the eucharistic service). Nevertheless, to most Westerners it just means the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus, usually celebrated on December 25. Notice however, for example, Wednesday is “Woden’s Day,” Thursday is “Thor’s Day,” and “Friday is “Frigga’s Day.” We would lose our ability to communicate effectively in our native language if we made up words to replace all words that have offensive root associations.
[iii] This is a history lesson, not an advocacy article. I do not care that much what you choose call it. Nevertheless, I would suggest that using the full “Christmas” is less likely to be misunderstood in our culture, without having to explain which one of at least three ways you might be using “X” (as a non-Christian trying to avoid Christ, as a Christian trying to avoid placing Christ next to Mass, or as a Christian using X to stand for and represent Christ).

The Nativity

Henry Beer, an elder of the Apostolic Christian Church, wrote the following Christmas hymn. It was first printed in his book My Garden of Verse. Titled “The Nativity,” it is No. 35 in Hymns of Faith, a Sunday School song book which Beer helped compile. The music is ascribed simply to “H.G.”

Beer began to minister at the church in Milford, Indiana circa 1931. Prior to this, about 1921, he translated some hymns from the Zion’s Harp hymn book from German into English. Afterward, he received the approval of the church to translate all the remaining hymns into English, which – with the help of several others – he accomplished.

1. God’s plan fulfilled as he had willed,
Then came the Christ on earth;
The star so bright in deepest night
Foretold his blessed birth.
The angel’s throng with joyous song
Appeared to shepherd’s meek;
The angel’s word the shepherds heard
Then went they forth to seek.

2. The blessed Child so meek and mild
At Bethlehem they found;
In manger low, the cattle low
And sheep did gather round.
In swaddling clothes there to repose
And lying on the hay,
What glorious sight in that dark night
Where Christ the Saviour lay!

3. From lands afar led by the star
The wise men came to see
The Saviour King, rich gifts they bring
For Christ’s nativity.
This story sweet I would repeat
And praise him with my voice;
For he who finds Christ’s peace of mind
He cannot but rejoice.

Born in 1900 in Richland County, Ohio, Henry Beer was the son of Simon Beer and Kathryn Meister. He married Alice Getz in 1924. Beer died in 1983. He and his wife are buried at the Milford Cemetery in Milford, Kosciusko County, Indiana.

The Silver Lining, July 1983, Volume 33, No. 7, page 1

Beer wrote his last poem, “Farewell Thoughts,” about two weeks before his death.

Whene’er I think of joys and tears
And blessings of the by-gone years
The Spirit prompts me then to tell
The meaning of this last farewell.

My ship is nearing Jordan’s port
Where I shall cross the rivers,
There I shall leave this behind
And dwell in Canaan’s land forever.

Looking for a King

They all were looking for a king
To slay their foes, and lift them high:
Thou cam’st a little baby thing
That made a woman cry.

From “That Holy Thing” by George MacDonald

1623 Thanksgiving Proclamation

1623 Thanksgiving Proclamation -- “To all ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us...”

I am bound by the Scriptures

God’s Word Endures Forever: Martin Luther & the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation -- “Five hundred [and six] years ago, in 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and university professor, posted 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.”

Martin Luther got it right when he left the Roman Catholic Church, though unfortunately he never went so far as to find the genius of full biblical New Testament Christianity. Below are some quotes of Luther from the above-linked article.

“A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or cardinal without it.” (Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, Nashville. TN: Abingdon Press, 1978, p. 182)

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in the councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.” (Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, Nashville. TN: Abingdon Press, 1978, p. 182)

“The neglect of Scripture, even by spiritual leaders, is one of the greatest evils in the world.  Everything else, arts or literature, is pursued and practiced day and night, and there is no end of labor and effort; but Holy Scripture is neglected as though there were no need of it…But its words are not, as some think, mere literature; they are words of life, intended not for speculation and fancy but for life and action…May Christ our Lord help us by His Spirit to love and honor His holy Word with all our hearts.  Amen. (Luther’s Works, eds. Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmut Lehmann, eds. Luther’s Works. (American edition)  Minneapolis: Fortress, 1960, Vol. 14, p. 46)

“I greatly fear that the universities, unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates of hell.” (Martin Luther, “To the Christian Nobility,” Luther’s Works, Vol. 44, p. 206)

Thanksgiving

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: Psalm 50:14

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. Psalm 95:2

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. Psalm 140:13

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah 2:9

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Colossians 1:3

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 1 Timothy 4:4

saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 7:12

God Gave Only One Reformation

Excerpt from “God Gave Only One Reformation” by Charles Blair

When we hear the word “Reformation,” our minds naturally turn to the great events of 16th Century Europe and such great men as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and their partners. We owe much to the religious thinkers of that dramatic turn in history. Yet it may surprise some to find that the word “reformation” is  also used in Scripture, for a much more important event  in Hebrews 9:10, for the time God himself reformed his system of dealing with us. We read:

​Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

This reformation God gave brought about not only a change in a framework, but a change of God’s holy law (Heb. 7:12)... The “Protestant Reformation” was an attempt to move back to the standard of “sola Scriptura,”  only Scripture, a commendable goal. Surely God allowed that breeze of fresh air to blow through the musty halls of religion to open a new world...And all were better off for it.

But, as has often been noted, Luther’s famed “Here I stand” was a stand “squarely on the fence.”  For Protestant doctrine, claiming “only Scripture,” actually attempted to keep the framework of a state religion, and persecuted those who sought to keep the simple New Testament pattern in local self-governing congregations.  A common “nickname” given such people at that time was “Anabaptist,” a title they largely rejected. Menno Simons said: “We do not ‘rebaptize.’ only properly baptize those who have received a false act.”

In short, the famed Protestant Reformation came only half-way back to the sources, retaining infant “baptism” and a state religion. God allowed it, in part to open the way to the “new world” as explorers newly freed from the medieval yoke broke forth into new horizons. And in the new atmosphere allowing for more individual liberty, true New Testament churches came out of hiding to boldly proclaim the one unchanging gospel, “how that Christ died, and that He was buried, and that He was raised.” Such churches are always in need of renewal and revival, but God gave only one Reformation, and that in the First Century A.D.

R. Charles Blair, of Clinton, Kentucky, September, 2018

America — my country

Samuel Francis Smith wrote “My country, ’tis of thee” circa 1831. Smith was born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 21, 1808. He died November 16, 1895 at age 87 years, and is buried at the Newton Cemetery in the city of Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

In The Psalmist: a New Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Baptist Churches, the hymn appears as No. 1000 on pages 524-25 under the title “National Hymn.” Smith wrote that he wrote this patriotic hymn in the same measure (meter 6s. & 4s.) as “God Save the King” and gave it, along with other pieces, to Lowell Mason. Mason paired it with Thesaurus Musicus / Harmonia Anglicana – which we know here as America – and it was first sung in public on July 4, 1831 or 1832 (sources differ) at a children’s Independence Day celebration at the Park Street Church in Boston (where Mason served as choirmaster and organist).

Smith authored numerous hymns, including “Down to the sacred wave” and “The morning light is breaking.” In addition to The Psalmist (with Baron Stowe), he also published Lyric Gems: a Collection of Original and Select Sacred Poetry (1844), Rock of Ages: Original and Selected Poems (1866/1870), Missionary Sketches: a Concise History of the Work of the American Baptist Missionary Union (1879), and many others. Smith was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

S. F. Smith

1. My country, ’tis of thee, 
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing; 
Land, where my fathers died.
Land of the pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside,
Let freedom ring.

2. My native country, thee—
Land of the noble free—
Thy name — I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills; 
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.
 
3. Let music swell the breeze, 
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song: 
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake; 
Let rocks their silence break,—
The sound prolong.
 
4. Our fathers’ God, to thee,
Author of liberty,
To thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom’s holy light; 
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our King!

Samuel Francis Smith attended Harvard University 1825-1829, and was a classmate of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Afterward Smith enrolled in and studied at Andover Theological Seminary 1829/30-1832. Smith was ordained to the Baptist ministry at Waterville, Maine in 1834. He pastored churches in Massachusetts and taught at Waterville College. He served as secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union fifteen years.

In Oliver Wendell Holmes (New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 1963, p. 75, United States authors series; Vol. 29), Miriam Rossiter Small reported that in 1893 Harvard classmate Holmes recommended Samuel Francis Smith as a candidate for a Doctor of Letters degree from Harvard University. Harvard declined. Holmes retorted, “His song will be sung centuries from now, when most of us and our pipings are forgotten.”

Lowell Mason

A Father’s Day Reflection

In introducing an article titled A Father’s Day Reflection: Bring Back the Father and the Shooting Will Stop, Gary J. Isbell (a member of the Board of Directors of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property and Webmaster for TFP.org, an organization of lay Catholic Americans) wrote:

This Father’s Day, the true father is missing. We need more than ever the revival of the Christian father. We need a father that serves as a monitor, provider and protector. A father that makes the world return to order and God. Only with this father will the shooting stop.

In “Fatherlessness is everybody’s problem,” Presbyterian Robert J. Pacienza (President and CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries) writes:

Leftist social policies have helped encourage fatherlessness and broken families, which has been a major factor in parental indifference in the rearing and education of children.

The crucial importance of a father in a child’s life is “something our culture minimizes and even ignores to our peril.”

Do modern Baptists agree with the importance of the Christian father in the home?

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

9 Things You May Not Know About Memorial Day

9 Things You May Not Know About Memorial Day, from History.com.

In May 1868, General John A. Logan, the commander-in-chief of the Union veterans’ group known as the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a decree that May 30 should become a nationwide day of commemoration for the more than 620,000 soldiers killed in the recently ended Civil War. On Decoration Day, as Logan dubbed it, Americans should lay flowers and decorate the graves of the war dead “whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

And since 2000, when the U.S. Congress passed legislation, all Americans are encouraged to pause for a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time.

I am afraid of you

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Galatians 4:10-11

Over the Easter season – seeing how Baptists have added “days, and months, and times” to their once very simple “form” of worship – the above verses came to mind. During his second journey Paul, with Silas and Timothy, visited the region of Galatia (Acts 16:6; Galatians 4:13). He returned on his third journey, strengthening the disciples (Acts 18:23).[i] He preached a simple and straightforward gospel of Christ crucified (Galatians 3:1-3). This letter to the Galatians is occasioned by false brethren who perverted the gospel, adding law, works, “days, and months, and times, and years.” The Galatians had received the word by faith, moving from Gentile idolatry to Christianity. Through false teaching, they moved then toward Judaism. Now Paul was afraid; afraid they had fallen away from the grace of God to a teaching of salvation by works (Galatians 1:6-9).

Baptist friends, I am afraid of some of you. No, you probably will not admit to teaching works instead of grace. Yes, you add to the simple faith of Baptists, looking here and there to see what others have to offer – what days, months, and times they keep.[ii]

A Southern Baptist pastor recently called the week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday “the holiest week of the Christian calendar.” An independent Baptist pastor recently related that in his lifetime he had “celebrated” all of the following during “Passion Week.”[iii]

Palm Sunday, Daily Devotional (adult) or Coloring page (children), Maundy Thursday Communion, Foot Washing/Anointing, Tenebrae Candles, Sit alone in Darkness, Thursday Night Prayer Vigil, Seven Sayings on the Cross, Good Friday, Stations of the Cross, Jewish Pesach Supper, Fast/Pray Saturday, Sunrise Service, Easter Worship, Church breakfast, Easter Egg Hunt, Walk thru Jerusalem (Vignettes of passion story).

Oh, my! I’ve been around awhile, and still had to look up some of this stuff.[iv] Other parts of the whole “season” include Clean Monday (Greek Orthodox), Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Easter Vigil, and who knows what else.

Let’s look to the Bible as our rule of faith and practice. That is what we claim to believe. If we want days, and months, and times, and years, what do we find in the Bible? Our “church calendar” is based on the Lord’s week – six days of labour and one day of rest (i.e. gathering to celebrate the Lord’s day, sing, worship, fellowship, and study the word). Every Lord’s day, by its very nature, is a celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. We do not recognize one Sunday out of 52 as more holy than the other 51 Sundays.

If we want ritual or ceremony, what do we find in the Bible? How about baptism, a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s supper, a memorial of his body and blood given for us. Want more things to do? If so, check the Bible. You might find something that is not a fabricated ritual. How about washing one anothers’ feet? I have found that some of the most aggressive opponents of old-time Baptist feet washing nevertheless taken hook, line, and sinker for feet washing when included in a Maundy Thursday service. Maybe if it looks like a theatrical production, it suits!?

May the Lord help us who are true Baptists, who wish to be true Baptists, to find the Old Paths and walk therein.

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

 “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.”

“Help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.”

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[i] Galatia is also mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:10 and 1 Peter 1:1.
[ii] Such as Lent, which I have addressed HERE, HERE, and HERE.
[iii] He wrote, “I have personally either done these or witnessed them done in Baptist Churches.”
[iv] The only observances I grew up with was a recognition of Easter Sunday, and the Easter egg hunt. In church itself, Easter usually elicited a sermon on or related to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hunting Easter eggs was not a church sponsored event, but the church people did not oppose children doing it, that I recall, and many were involved in organizing it for family or community. Incidentally, we never bought into the “Good Friday” timing of the crucifixion.

Days, and Months, and Times: Some of the Easter Week observances

A brief list that might be helpful in conjunction with the next post, I am afraid of you.

• Palm Sunday – receive palm branches or palm crosses signifying Jesus’ ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem.
• Daily Devotional – 8-Day Devotional and Coloring booklet for Passion Week.
• Holy Monday – represents the day of the cleansing of the Temple.
• Holy Tuesday – represents Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives.
• Holy Wednesday – into the darkness; service of Tenebrae (where candles are gradually extinguished, creating a sense of darkness), signifying Jesus abandoned by his disciples. 
• Maundy Thursday – the Last Supper instituted, Jesus’s betrayal by Judas Iscariot, and his arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane, often including a representation of foot washing; might in some instances include a Jewish Pesach Supper.
• Good Friday – recognized as the day of crucifixion, and may include fasting, with meditation and veneration of the cross.
• Holy Saturday – burial of Jesus, a late-night Easter Vigil service represents women watching the tomb.
• Easter Sunday – commemorates the resurrection, often with sunrise services, Easter breakfast, Easter egg hunts, in addition to regular worship services. Churches averse to the word “Easter” may call it “Resurrection Sunday” instead.

Perhaps looking here (see link) will provide better understanding of some of this stuff (often, I do not really get it): Journey through Lent with Jesus.

Let Lent Alone

• What is Lent?
• Why Not Lent?

Last summer I happened upon the article On Common Objections to the Observation of Lent by Phillip Powers. Powers is a Southern Baptist preacher and member of South Caraway Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In the essay he attempts to obliterate three common objections to Lent, concluding that “In the final analysis, we must conclude that the decision to observe the season of Lent, whether that observance is personal or corporate, it must remain at the level of Christian freedom. The three objections he considers most common are that Lent is too Catholic,[i] too works-oriented,[ii] and that it “is nowhere explicitly commanded in Holy Scripture.”[iii] Those, all true, might seem sufficient to most Baptists, but Pastor Powers tries to work around them.

Clearly, both its origins and purpose is based on the practice of the Roman Catholic Church. In responding to these two objections, Powers boosts a baseless historical boondoggle – that “the Roman Catholic Church was the only church for the first 1500 years of Christian history.” If the church of grace died, only to be replaced by the church of works alone, we run afoul of the promises of the head of the church. The “holy season of Lent” is theirs in a works-based religion and tainted by that association. Let those who glory in works have it.

Answering the third objection, Powers rejects the Regulative Principle for Worship. Since churches do many things “that are not directly commanded in Scripture” and “no one follows the RPW absolutely,” the writer thinks we should jettison the RPW and embrace Lent. Why not instead jettison the things we do that are not commanded in Scripture and more fully and faithfully embrace the word of God as the regulator of our faith and practice?

In Why I Encourage People Not to Observe Lent, Bart Barber answers this argument well, writing, “Movement toward Lent is movement away from the idea that the New Testament should give us the pattern for ecclesiastical celebrations or individual spiritual formation…I argue that having taken some steps in a bad direction is no good reason to continue further along the path.”

In making his argument, Pastor Powers reveals its weakness when he cannot base it on the Scriptures, but must fit it in at the level of Christian freedom. If he will settle it there, I urge him (and others like him) to apply the Christian charity of 1 Corinthians 8-10, and not let this liberty or freedom become a stumblingblock to others. Concerning Lent, Jon Shaff, a Free Will Baptist preacher from Oklahoma, said “there are many brothers and sisters like myself that have been ‘taken out of Rome’ by the Grace of God and it makes us cringe to hear the words like ‘Lent’...Show your brothers and sisters kindness and gentleness...do not entice them to go back to things from which the Lord has delivered them.”

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[i] “One of the primary objections that is most often given against the practice of Lent, as well as any other practice that might remotely be considered liturgical, is that it comes to us from the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.” Lent is intrinsic in the Roman church calendar and holy week observances. Lent is not a biblical observance, and the long tradition of its observance by Catholics does not make it so.
[ii] “In some traditions, Lent is presented as a way of ‘earning’ God’s forgiveness, as a meritorious act by which we might deserve God’s grace, even as a kind of penance.” Lent restricts certain matters of separation and holiness to a certain time of year. “Self-reflection, examination, confession, and repentance” should be daily rather than seasonal Christian practice (cf. Luke 9:23).
[iii] “A final objection that is often raised in this conversation is that the practice of Lent is nowhere explicitly commanded in Holy Scripture.” There is no positive command in the New Testament to observe any season of the year as holy. Bible believers should not be seeking religious traditions to borrow from others, but rather search the scriptures daily to see whether such things are so.

12 Days of Christmas

For many years, all I knew about the “Twelve Days of Christmas” was:

“Twelve Drummers Drumming...and A Partridge in a Pear Tree.”

If you regularly read this weblog, you probably know that I am not a “church calendar” guy. Any number of American religious denominations follow a liturgical year of feast days, holidays, or whatever one might want to call them. Much of this has encroached into Baptist churches in recent years.

For several years, I had a vague notion that the twelve days had something to do with the difference between when Roman Catholics celebrate Christmas by the Gregorian calendar, and the Greek Orthodox celebrate Christmas by the Julian calendar. Close, but no cigar. Not knowing much about this, but interested in all sorts of facts, I decided to look up and find just what the “Twelve Days of Christmas” are.

Beyond the popular Christmas song, the phrase “Twelve Days of Christmas” refers to the days from December 25/Christmas (celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ) to the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6. (These days are also called Twelvetide and Christmastide.) Having heard the word Epiphany but not really understanding it, I had to look it up. Looks like it isn’t the same for everybody.

To Roman Catholics and those influenced by them, Epiphany refers to and celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the coming of the wise men (Matthew 2:1-12). Apparently. some Pope or council established this date, since it is not confirmed by the Bible. To the Greek Orthodox and those influenced by them, Epiphany refers to and commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and the divine revelation of the Trinity (Matthew 3:13-17). Not sure how they arrived at this date.[i] Biblically, however, the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River more directly manifested to the world Jesus as the Son of God.

So there are the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Now you know. Well, now I know. You probably knew already.

It is obvious that the setting up of these days does not derive from the apostles or scripture. One apostle sincerely and truthfully wrote by inspiration, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” These “holy days” of the liturgical churches are not made “holy” or “more holy” just because they say so.

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[i] I am assuming this is all done by the Orthodox according to the Julian calendar, so that it appears as December 25 to January 6, but simply occurs later than for those who celebrate December 25 to January 6 according to the Gregorian calendar.

Happy Thanksgiving!

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

• Thanksgiving 2021 -- “Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2021 occurs on Thursday, November 25.”
• Pilgrim-Wampanoag Treaty Established, March 29, 1621 -- “These Independents believed God should only be worshipped according to the commands of the Bible, a belief held by other Separatists and Presbyterians, a doctrine known as “the regulative principle of worship”. The congregation left England for the Netherlands, where such dissenters found a warm welcome. In 1620 a portion of Pastor John Robinson’s congregation pioneered another move, this time to the New World.”

We thank thee, heavenly Father, 

For every earthly good;

For life and health and clothing,

And for our daily food.

O give us hearts to thank thee,

For every blessing sent;

And whatsoe’er thou sendest,

Make us therewith content.

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

1 Timothy 6:8

No. 189, p.183 in The Children’s Hymnal with Tunes (John Ireland Tucker, editor. New York, NY: F. J. Huntington & Co., 1877)

Here is a standing reason for thanksgiving. Although we may not always be healthy, nor always prosperous, yet God is always good, and, therefore, there is always a sufficient argument for giving thanks unto Jehovah. That he is a good God essentially, that he cannot be otherwise than good, should be a fountain out of which the richest praises should perpetually flow.

...

The constant tenor and spirit of our lives should be adoring gratitude, love, reverence, and thanksgiving to the Most High.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Reformation Day, a little late

While revelers, secularists, Catholics, and others celebrate All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween), some staunch Protestants and a few Protestant-leaning Baptists celebrate Reformation Day as a religious holiday on October 31st. 9-Marks seems to have posted several articles in recognition of the day. I do not agree with all in them, but I recommend the 3 following as worth reading.

• Four Ways the Reformation Changed Church History -- “Despite what the Catholic Church said, paedobaptism cannot confer grace and is not salvific. No one, by mere happenstance of his or her birth, is wrought in spiritual privilege.”
• Should Pastors Today Care about the Reformation? -- “...a growing knowledge of historical theology accomplishes wonders in destroying the illusion that insightful and rigorous exegesis began in the nineteenth or twentieth century.”
• Wise Men are Men, and Truth is Truth -- “We must sheepishly admit that none of our heroes is perfect, and that “warts and all” is the only sane way to embrace another human being.”

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.