Just sharing.

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“Ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit.”

Romans 8:23

Present possession is declared. At this present moment we have the first fruits of the Spirit. We have repentance, that gem of the first water; faith, that priceless pearl; hope, the heavenly emerald; and love, the glorious ruby. We are already made “new creatures in Christ Jesus,” by the effectual working of God the Holy Ghost. This is called the first fruit because it comes first. As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life, and all the graces which adorn that life, are the first operations of the Spirit of God in our souls.

The first fruits were the pledge of the harvest. As soon as the Israelite had plucked the first handful of ripe ears, he looked forward with glad anticipation to the time when the wain should creak beneath the sheaves. So, brethren, when God gives us things which are pure, lovely, and of good report, as the work of the Holy Spirit, these are to us the prognostics of the coming glory. The first fruits were always holy to the Lord, and our new nature, with all its powers, is a consecrated thing. The new life is not ours that we should ascribe its excellence to our own merit; it is Christ's image and creation, and is ordained for his glory.

But the first fruits were not the harvest, and the works of the Spirit in us at this moment are not the consummation—the perfection is yet to come. We must not boast that we have attained, and so reckon the wave-sheaf to be all the produce of the year: we must hunger and thirst after righteousness, and pant for the day of full redemption. Dear reader, this evening open your mouth wide, and God will fill it. Let the boon in present possession excite in you a sacred avarice for more grace. Groan within yourself for higher degrees of consecration, and your Lord will grant them to you, for he is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or even think.

 

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Do Colors Have Special Meaning In The Bible?



Do colors have special meaning in the Bible? In some cases, they do.
Red as Atonement
Almost every time I see a rainbow, I’m reminded of God’s promise that “the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Gen 9:15), but colors in the Bible sometime portray an attribute of God or signify a purpose. One example is the color red. After the fall in the Garden, and the loss of fellowship with God, “the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Gen 3:21), so this was the very first blood sacrifice to be shed over sin, so atonement for sin comes at a great cost. Scripture has taught that “under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22).

Even in relation to human sin, one man’s blood is required for the life of another (Gen 9:4-6), but red often foreshadowed Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice (Ex 12:5)…the Lamb of God’s blood…a lamb without blemish or spot (1 Pet 2:19). This scarlet thread is interwoven throughout Scripture, like with Rahab who lived in the wall of Jericho. She was saved because she hid the Israelite spies. Before Israel attacked Jericho, she let down a red cord so that she and her family would be safe. The Israelites were spared because they “sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them” (Heb 11:28). At Calvary, they took Jesus and “stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him” (Matt 27:28), mocking Him.

White as Righteousness
White clearly represents the righteousness of God. Isaiah’s plea to Judah was, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). All of the faithful martyrs who had died for their faith were “given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been” (Rev 6:11), and John “saw them standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes. And one of the elders said unto me, Who are these clothed in white robes? and where did they come from? And I said unto him, My lord, you know.

And he said unto me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the lamb” (Rev 7:13-4). And white represents the righteousness of Christ (2nd Cor 5:21). The Book of Revelation has 15 references to the color white…more than any other book in the New Testament (i.e. Rev 1:14), representing purity, holiness, or righteousness. Only the Old Testament Book of Leviticus has more references to the color white (16), but that’s because this book was intended for the priesthood, which foreshadowed the coming High Priest Who now abides forever, and in perhaps the greatest prayer of repentance in Scripture, David prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

Purple as Royalty
Purple is representative of royalty and honor (Judges 8:26). This is found in Scripture, but also in the secular world where most kings wore purple. When Daniel was placed as third in the kingdom of Babylon, “Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom” (Dan 5:29). When Mordecai revealed a plot to assassinate the king, the king rewarded him “with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced” (Esther 8:15b). The color purple was a very expensive process as they extract it from a certain sea shell, so this color was not for the commoner. And the Tabernacle’s “gate of the court” was made of “blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen” (Ex 27:16).

Gold: The Refiners Fire
Fire is primarily yellow in color, so sometimes yellow and gold are used simultaneously, but gold is one of the most precious of metals, and processing gold is also very laborious and expensive. Gold can refer to a fire, trial, or a refining process (or all 3). Jesus told the lukewarm church of Laodicea “to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see” (Rev 3:18). That meant they had never really suffered much persecution, maybe because they lived more like the world, and the world doesn’t persecute people living like the world, but refined gold is also symbolic of the work that God does in a believer’s life. That’s why Peter wrote “that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:7). Of course God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, but fire also represents God’s judgment.

Blue: Symbolic of the Kingdom
In Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of the Lamb of God, he wrote “And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance” (Ezk 1:26), and sapphire is mostly blue in color. Blue will also be one of the dominant colors in the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven.

Green as Prosperity
The color green speaks about spiritually thriving as a plant does near a stream. David wrote, “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God” (Psalm 52:8). God says of the righteous, “They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green” (Psalm 92:13-14). If you’re frequently found in the presence of God (worship, prayer, fellowship), your sap will be full and you’ll thrive, so being green and full of sap means you’ll bear fruit, even into you old age.

Black as Catastrophe
The color of black is associated with death and darkness (Lam 4:8), and since we know that God is light and goodness (John 1), then the absence of light is darkness and evil. The prophet Micah describes it, “Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them” (Micah 3:6). In the Book of Revelatin, the 3rd seal was a black horse, which spelled bad news for the earth’s inhabitants (Rev 6:5-8), and there was 3 hours of darkness at Calvary, as Jesus hung on the cross.

Conclusion
As you have read, colors have meaning in the Bible. For example, red represents atonement, and Jesus’ shed blood. White comes from the righteous and purity of Christ, which explains the saints wearing robes of white. All of these colors are visual reminders of God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ Who came to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), but do the “many” include you? If not, why not? Trust in Him today and you can receive the very same righteousness that Jesus Christ has (2 Cor 5:21), and that’s the only way into the Father (John 6:44; Acts 4:12).

 

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Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness "And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." Acts 10:42,43 NASB _________________ He said, "You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations--starting from here, from Jerusalem! You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses. Luke 24:46-48 MSG _________________ Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the "stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12 NKJV _________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“This sickness is not unto death.”

John 11:4

From our Lord's words we learn that there is a limit to sickness. Here is an “unto” within which its ultimate end is restrained, and beyond which it cannot go. Lazarus might pass through death, but death was not to be the ultimatum of his sickness. In all sickness, the Lord saith to the waves of pain, “Hitherto shall ye go, but no further.” His fixed purpose is not the destruction, but the instruction of his people. Wisdom hangs up the thermometer at the furnace mouth, and regulates the heat.

1. The limit is encouragingly comprehensive. The God of providence has limited the time, manner, intensity, repetition, and effects of all our sicknesses; each throb is decreed, each sleepless hour predestinated, each relapse ordained, each depression of spirit foreknown, and each sanctifying result eternally purposed. Nothing great or small escapes the ordaining hand of him who numbers the hairs of our head.

2. This limit is wisely adjusted to our strength, to the end designed, and to the grace apportioned. Affliction comes not at haphazard—the weight of every stroke of the rod is accurately measured. He who made no mistakes in balancing the clouds and meting out the heavens, commits no errors in measuring out the ingredients which compose the medicine of souls. We cannot suffer too much nor be relieved too late.

3. The limit is tenderly appointed. The knife of the heavenly Surgeon never cuts deeper than is absolutely necessary. “He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” A mother's heart cries, “Spare my child”; but no mother is more compassionate than our gracious God. When we consider how hard-mouthed we are, it is a wonder that we are not driven with a sharper bit. The thought is full of consolation, that he who has fixed the bounds of our habitation, has also fixed the bounds of our tribulation.

 

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Just a Little Scared



We recently went to the doctor for a yearly check up and found out my cholesterol is pretty high. This is cause for concern because I have a family history of heart disease. We talk a lot on the blog about perseverance and perspective. But I have to confess, the news scared me a little.
Fear has a way of feeding on itself. It becomes a sort of cannibal. You think giving it attention would deteriorate it, but it seems to make it worse.


I think all of us are a little scared. Sometimes circumstances just give us an excuse. Sometimes things like a bad performance review or cholesterol or a fight with our spouse allows us to thumbtack a circumstance to the general feeling of uncertainty that hovers over us.

Fear as a Teacher
The spiral of what-happens-if-I-have-a-heart-attack became a significant part of my day. I just needed to freak out for a couple hours, you know. But in the midst of it, a few things came to mind about the value (believe it or not) of fear.

I’m not sure any of us will ever feel completely content about dying, but there is a sense in which fear invites us to take inventory. Am I living a vision I truly believe in? Have I upheld the values I claim to uphold? There could always be more time. If we’re living a victorious life, we’d always want more time to live it. But if it had to end, could I be thankful for what I’ve done? For who I am?

We waste so much time in this life. And fear has a way of testing us. Some will let the fear feed on itself until it derails us from our vision. Some will have their fear lead to an epiphany they need to do better. And some may be reminded of what they have to be thankful for, the life they are living.

Welcome to Reality
Bad news has a way of snapping us back to reality. The brevity of life. The changes we need to make. The things we have to be thankful for. The opportunities in front of us.
We’re all searching for life to be easy. What we really need is for life to be real. Meaning, we need a true perspective about who we are, what is going on, and how those two things can interact most effectively.

It is ok to be a little afraid. That is the only way we can be bold. The only way to be brave. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is acting truly in the face of it. Perfect love “casts off” fear; it doesn’t avoid it. Love sees fear for what it is and moves along toward the vision established. I hope to do the same and invite you to as well.

 

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He will save His people "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us." Matthew 1:21-23 NASB _________________ For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5,6 NIV _________________ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:29, 32-34 NKJV _________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.”

Mark 15:23

A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put the myrrhed wine-cup from his lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood of old, and as he looked down upon our globe he measured the long descent to the utmost depths of human misery; he cast up the sum total of all the agonies which expiation would require, and abated not a jot. He solemnly determined that to offer a sufficient atoning sacrifice he must go the whole way, from the highest to the lowest, from the throne of highest glory to the cross of deepest woe. This myrrhed cup, with its soporific influence, would have stayed him within a little of the utmost limit of misery, therefore he refused it. He would not stop short of all he had undertaken to suffer for his people.

Ah, how many of us have pined after reliefs to our grief which would have been injurious to us! Reader, did you never pray for a discharge from hard service or suffering with a petulant and wilful eagerness? Providence has taken from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke. Say, Christian, if it had been said, “If you so desire it, that loved one of yours shall live, but God will be dishonoured,” could you have put away the temptation, and said, “Thy will be done”?

Oh, it is sweet to be able to say, “My Lord, if for other reasons I need not suffer, yet if I can honour thee more by suffering, and if the loss of my earthly all will bring thee glory, then so let it be. I refuse the comfort, if it comes in the way of thine honour.” O that we thus walked more in the footsteps of our Lord, cheerfully enduring trial for his sake, promptly and willingly putting away the thought of self and comfort when it would interfere with our finishing the work which he has given us to do. Great grace is needed, but great grace is provided.

 

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Isaiah 53 And The Prophecy About Jesus Christ



Isaiah the Prophet wrote a stunningly accurate portrait of Jesus’ all-encompassing work before, at, and after the cross.
Before the Cross
Isaiah the Prophet wrote Isaiah 53 with the Messiah in mind. He starts out by a statement that could have been made during Jesus’ earthly ministry: “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed” (Isaiah 53:1). Not many did follow Jesus after some of His hard teachings (John 6:66). Not many believed it in the end. At the cross they all fled. The crowds liked the fish and loaves of bread, but they were not willing to follow Him. Even Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46). Scriptures seem to indicate that Jesus was like many of the other Jews. They referred to Him as a carpenter (Mark 6:3), and so He probably looked just like any other Jew of the day, so Isaiah tell us that Jesus “had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). The religious crowed despised Jesus as claiming to be Who He really was. They asked, “are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things” (Matt 13:56), so “they took offense at him” (Matt 13:57a), so clearly Jesus “was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).

During the Passion
After Jesus entered the Passion, He took upon Himself the sins of the world, motivated by the love of God (John 3:16), so Isaiah wrote that Jesus Christ “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). He “was pierced for our transgressions [and] he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5a), so it “was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5b). Physical healing is one thing, but to be ransomed by Jesus Christ’s own life (Mark 10:45) brings the ultimate healing. Whoever is healed will die again anyway, but whoever believes in Jesus Christ shall never die (John 11:25-26). Calvary was the only way that we could have been saved, since “All we like sheep have gone astray,” for “we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6a). Sheep, if left to themselves, will turn to their own way, and their own way probably won’t be the right way. Jesus is the right way. In fact, He is the only way into the kingdom (John 14:6). Isaiah 53 is about how “the Lord has laid on [Jesus] the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6b).

At the Cross
When Jesus was falsely accused, arrested, illegally tried and convicted, “he opened not his mouth,” so even though “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,” “he opened not his mouth,” but rather “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth”. Twice it said that Jesus “opened not his mouth,” meaning He did not try to defend Himself from this travesty of justice. He could have called down legions of angels if He desired (Matt 26:53), but “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet 2:23). Jesus’ physical body was “was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people” (Isaiah 53:8), not stricken for His own sins. Jesus Christ was the sinless Lamb of God, and His supreme sacrifice was the only thing that would make us acceptable to God (2 Cor 5:21). This was not set of circumstances that spun out of Jesus’ control, but rather, “it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt” (Isaiah 53:10). If not for Jesus’ sinless life, suffering, death, and resurrection, we would all be without hope (1 Cor 15).

After the Cross
After Jesus’ death, He was buried, and so it was prophesied that He would make “his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). Joseph of Arimathea was the rich man who gave Jesus’ his own grave (Matt 27:60), so Jesus was buried in a rich man’s grave, which is what Isaiah referred to in Jesus’ being in the “grave…with a rich man in his death.” Today, Jesus is interceding for the saints in prayer; running His church from the right hand of the Father; and still drawing men and women to Himself (John 12:32). When Jesus Christ comes again and judges the world, God “will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12a), and so Jesus alone is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

Conclusion
Today, Jesus is still using others as a means to bring people into the kingdom, as He forgives “the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12b), so “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25). Notice in these verses (Isaiah 53:12, Heb 7:25) that Jesus prays not for “these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their world” (John 17:20). That means Jesus prays for you if you’ve repented and trusted in Him (Mark 1:14-15). You are on Jesus’ prayer list. Imagine that! You don’t have to because it’s true! Isaiah 53 gives us such a graphic view of Christ’s ministry that sometimes it’s hard to imagine how badly Jesus must have looked…beaten almost to the point where you couldn’t even recognize Him (Isaiah 52:14).

That will sound barbaric to some, but it was the only way that we might be saved. Does that offend you? To someone without the Spirit of God, it will. It can’t be helped. That’s because the gospel is “to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things” (2 Cor 2:16)? Many have received this life…eternal life in Jesus Christ. Jesus has paid for your sins if you have trusted in Him. If not, you will have to die in your sins and pay for them yourself. May it never be so my friend! I plead with you; trust in Him today while there is still yet time (2 Cor 6:2). Tomorrow may be too late (Heb 9:27).

 

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The Surprising Gift of Solitude



For me, one scene captures the manifold tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic. A friend named Dan was already suffering from Lewy body dementia, a brain disorder that affects thinking and reasoning as well as muscle control. Once a college football hero, now Dan could no longer negotiate steps or even figure out how to sit in a chair. After several years of loving care, his wife reluctantly had to move him into a memory care facility, which she visited every day.

Then the coronavirus crisis hit, and the facility closed its doors to all visitors in order to protect the vulnerable residents inside. Dan’s wife still visits faithfully. She stands outside his sealed window and talks to him on a cell phone, trying to explain to her uncomprehending husband why she can no longer be with him.
We see the daily statistics of illness, hospitalizations, and deaths caused by the pandemic, but we can’t foresee the long-term effects of isolation. A 2017 study cited by the Surgeon General concluded that “Loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and the problem is particularly acute among seniors.” Yet as stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders have been imposed, loosened, and then in many places reimposed, millions of us have undergone long periods of enforced isolation.

As a young journalist, I once accompanied a group of federal prisoners whose good behavior qualified them for an experimental program modeled after Outward Bound. They loved the interlude of two weeks of freedom in the wilds of northern Wisconsin, and happily accepted the challenge of grueling hikes, rappelling, rock climbing, and even a marathon run. The program was designed to end with a “solo,” assigning each prisoner a small island on which to spend three days meditating, writing in a journal, and living off the land. Normally a highlight for Outward Bound participants, this assignment sparked a mutiny by the prisoners. They knew solitary confinement as the worst form of punishment and could not bear the thought of solitude.

“It’s one thing when you choose to be alone,” one of the prisoners told me, “but I ain’t gonna let anybody force me to do that.” Their seasoned wilderness guide proved no match for ten angry prisoners and had to cancel the planned three-day solo.
Apart from essential workers, nearly all of us have experienced a form of solitude exacted by the coronavirus. In this strange new world, grandparents show their love by avoiding contact with their grandchildren, and hospitalized family members die alone in quarantine. We have learned that although the Internet may allow a virtual connection through FaceTime, Zoom, and other platforms, it makes a poor substitute for physical presence.

As a writer who works at home, I am well acquainted with solitude. Early in the crisis, feeling disconnected from the rapidly changing world outside, I filled every moment with news reports and podcasts, as if sending out feelers to remind myself I was still part of humanity and shared its plight. Eventually, I felt burdened by the constant reminders of events over which I had no control and decided instead to unplug. I took long hikes in the Rocky Mountains where I live. I started reading poetry, mostly W. H. Auden and Mary Oliver and adjusted to the slower, quieter pace that poetry demands. And I looked to others who had mastered the art of solitude. Can anything good come from an involuntary state of isolation?

I turned first to Daniel Defoe, who lived through London’s great bubonic plague of 1665 and wrote about it in A Journal of a Plague Year. I also reread Defoe’s classic novel Robinson Crusoe, about a wealthy Englishman on a sea voyage who experiences a shipwreck, and somehow emerges as the sole survivor. A castaway, he has to carve out a life for himself on a tropical island.

The new circumstances force Crusoe to change his values. Luxury goods and gold, which he once sought like a drug, are useless on the island. With no one else to rely on, he must use his own resourcefulness to fashion what he needs to live. In the process, Crusoe undergoes a spiritual crisis. He reads the Bible, one of the few books he managed to retrieve from the wreck. Burdened with guilt, he reexamines his life of selfishness and oppression—he had, after all, gone to sea in order to secure slaves for Brazilian plantations.

Gradually Crusoe develops a sense of gratitude for the simple things of life, such as a good day’s work, his faithful dog, or birds singing in the stately trees all around him. When finally rescued, Crusoe is a changed man. He reflects, “I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted; and this gave me sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot express them…” He has learned a profound lesson, that “all our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.”

Some three centuries later, COVID-19 has taught us a similar lesson. It’s possible to get along without professional sports and entertainment, and all but the most necessary shopping. Good health ranks as the highest value, with the love of family and friends running a close second.

During the coronavirus pandemic, National Geographic magazine featured a modern-day Robinson Crusoe, an Italian named Mauro Morandi, whose crippled catamaran washed up on the shores of Budelli Island, an uninhabited speck in the Mediterranean. He volunteered to become caretaker of the island, where he has now lived for 31 years. Morandi spends his time reading, studying botany and biology, and showing the occasional tourist around. He learned photography and currently boasts more than 30,000 followers on Instagram. When the government ordered him to leave the island, ordinary Italians rose up in protest and helped to overturn the order.
We have other examples of individuals who sought a counter-cultural way of life through voluntary solitude. Henry David Thoreau perfected a peculiarly American blend of asceticism, love of nature, and self-reliance. He reflected, “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” One of his friends remarked that Thoreau could get more out of ten minutes with a chickadee than most men could get out of a night with Cleopatra.

A thirst for voluntary solitude seems to awaken when society is going through turmoil. Jewish Essenes retreated into caves in Jesus’ day; the Buddha withdrew in order to purge himself of social illusions; the Hindu Gandhi observed a regimen of withdrawal and strict silence on Mondays, a practice he would not interrupt even for meetings with the King of England. Elijah, Moses, and Jacob met God alone. The Apostle Paul, John the Baptist, and Jesus himself escaped to the wilderness for spiritual nourishment.

The book Hermits, by Peter France, profiles people both secular and religious who retreat to caves, hermitages, and the desert to live in intentional solitude. France ultimately abandoned his successful career with the BBC in order to lead a contemplative life on the Greek island of Patmos, where the apostle John had been exiled two millennia before. Living apart from the press of popular opinion, “confers insights not available to society,” France concluded.
Reading France’s accounts, I thought back to the summer I joined the federal prisoners in Wisconsin. It struck me that many of the monks and hermits profiled by France chose to live in conditions—bad food, cramped cells, solitary confinement—that the prisoners viewed as harsh punishment. One person’s prison can be another’s spiritual liberation. What makes the difference?


At the time of our wilderness experiment, a prisoner named Nelson Mandela was halfway through his prison sentence. He proved that even enforced solitude need not break a person, and may provide a time of preparation for a future calling. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of incarceration on Robben Island in a solitary cell measuring eight feet by seven feet, barely large enough for him to stretch out. He did pushups, shadow-boxed, and paced the cell to keep in shape. He also studied law and insisted that wardens treat him and other prisoners with dignity and respect. In the process, he developed the inner strength necessary to lead his nation through a tumultuous era.
The Trappist monk Thomas Merton was perhaps the best apologist for the life of solitude in recent times. He felt crowded living among other monks, even with a vow of silence, and made constant appeals for the privilege of solitude. Merton longed to join those “men on this miserable, noisy, cruel earth who tasted the marvelous joy of silence and solitude, who dwelt in forgotten mountain cells, in secluded monasteries, where the news and desires and appetites and conflicts of the world no longer reached them.” After 24 years, he finally got his wish, a hermitage of his own in the Kentucky woods.

Ironically, during his years of solitude, Merton became even more engaged with issues like civil rights, nuclear disarmament, and the Vietnam war. His 50 books demonstrate that a life of solitude need not lead to isolation or irrelevance. Has the modern era known a more acute observer of politics, culture, and religion than this monk who rarely spoke and rarely left the grounds of his monastery?
Merton insisted that “the only justification for a life of deliberate solitude is the conviction that it will help you to love not only God but also other.” On one trip to nearby Louisville, he had an epiphany:

In the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers.
I have the immense joy of being a man, a member of a race in which God himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.

Perhaps the highest goal of solitude would be to emerge from it, like Merton, with a renewed awareness of all we missed while shut inside our homes. An invisible virus has exposed us as fragile, dependent creatures whose differences pale in comparison to all that we have in common. Sometime in the future, we’ll look back on this year and shake our heads in wonder. I can think of no more appropriate response on that day than humble gratitude—the very quality that solitude may help us cultivate in advance.

 

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We Know We Have Eternal Life! And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13 NIV _________________ But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come--an eternity of life! You can count on this. Titus 3:4-8 MSG _________________ For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 2 Timothy 1:12-14 NKJV _________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.”

Psalm 31:4

Our spiritual foes are of the serpent's brood, and seek to ensnare us by subtlety. The prayer before us supposes the possibility of the believer being caught like a bird. So deftly does the fowler do his work, that simple ones are soon surrounded by the net. The text asks that even out of Satan's meshes the captive one may be delivered; this is a proper petition, and one which can be granted: from between the jaws of the lion, and out of the belly of hell, can eternal love rescue the saint.

It may need a sharp pull to save a soul from the net of temptations, and a mighty pull to extricate a man from the snares of malicious cunning, but the Lord is equal to every emergency, and the most skilfully placed nets of the hunter shall never be able to hold his chosen ones. Woe unto those who are so clever at net laying; they who tempt others shall be destroyed themselves.

“For thou art my strength.” What an inexpressible sweetness is to be found in these few words! How joyfully may we encounter toils, and how cheerfully may we endure sufferings, when we can lay hold upon celestial strength. Divine power will rend asunder all the toils of our enemies, confound their politics, and frustrate their knavish tricks; he is a happy man who has such matchless might engaged upon his side.

Our own strength would be of little service when embarrassed in the nets of base cunning, but the Lord's strength is ever available; we have but to invoke it, and we shall find it near at hand. If by faith we are depending alone upon the strength of the mighty God of Israel, we may use our holy reliance as a plea in supplication.

“Lord, evermore thy face we seek:
Tempted we are, and poor, and weak;
Keep us with lowly hearts, and meek.
Let us not fall. Let us not fall.”

 

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10 New Year’s Resolutions That Are Keepers in 2021

It’s no surprise that most people abandon New Year’s resolutions fairly soon after making them. In fact, studies showthat there are many obstacles that prevent people from keeping them such as being unrealistic or making resolutions that are too vague. If you find yourself recycling a goal from last year, consider crafting a new one. For instance, Karen, 42, found herself making the same goal every year of losing ten pounds but never achieved it. But when she combined her goal with her value of eating healthy, organic foods, it was more attainable. Karen put it like this: “After reflecting on past defeat, my New Year’s resolution in 2021 became: ‘I’m going to eat more fruits, vegetables, and natural foods, and not buy packaged and frozen foods so I won’t be tempted to eat them.”

When contemplating New Year’s resolutions, it’s important to be specific. Most people set goals that are too vague and so not easily reached. According to Tara Parker Pope: “Resolutions tend to be too big without any thought about whether they are practical or even possible,” For example, making a resolution such as “I will do yoga every morning” is vague, but setting a goal of doing 10 minutes of yoga 5 days a week is more attainable.

Further, making a resolution that is realistic will help you succeed. Consider your schedule, lifestyle, and personality when setting a goal or making a resolution. For example, Karen loves exercise but wasn’t able to find time to do a 60-minute class in person or on You Tube until she found out that 30-minute classes were an option. In fact, she discovered a 30-minute kick boxing class and liked it so much, she was able to find time to fit it into her schedule three or four days a week.

10 New Year’s resolutions that are keepers: 1. Workout to feel good, not to lose weight: Find a form of exercise that fits your personality and lifestyle and stick with it. For instance, if you love to walk, build in 30 minutes each day to walking two miles before or after work. Even if others would find this boring, find your passion and the pounds will disappear. If you need to miss walking a couple of days a week due to work or family commitments, pat yourself on the back for the days you accomplished your goal! 2. Unplug electronic devices one hour before bedtime: Research shows that this practice will help you sleep better and restore your memory and concentration. Grab a book instead and make it your goal to read at least one chapter a night. Make it a habit to charge your phone in a nearby room! 3. Declutter: Clutter can cause your stress to rise. A 2010 study showed that women who had a lot of clutter have higher cortisol levels in their brain (the primary stress hormone) —and their depressed mood increased over the course of the day. Those who had less clutter were less depressed and happier throughput their day in this study. 4. Practice more self-care: make an effort to practice 60 minutes a day: This includes exercising, reading, talking to a friend, or taking a soothing bath. In order to do this, you’ll need to focus a little less on others and more on your own needs. 5. Read more: Research shows that reading is good for your brain and increases your memory and concentration. Leave a book on your living room coffee table and on your night stand for reminders. 6. Pay off credit card charges monthly: Focus on lowering your debt to reduce stress. If an item is too expensive to pay off that month, say no! 7. Start a Gratitude Journal: Write down three things you’re grateful for each day before you go to bed and this will improve your sleep and attitude the next day. Review your list at the end of each week. 8. Use more positive self-talk: What you say to yourself can affect your mood, according to Shad Helmstetter, PH.D, author of Negative Self-Talk and How to Change it. Negative self-talk such as “Nothing ever goes right for me” is everywhere and to change it, you need to write down and say positive things to yourself such as “I’m going to find a job that is more rewarding.” 9. Let go of grudges: Wouldn’t it be nice to start 2021 with a clean slate? Leave hate and resentment behind. If you can’t bring yourself to forgive someone in a genuine way, at least work on accepting them. This doesn’t mean you condone their actions, but you simply give them less power over you! 10. Stop your inner critic: Most of us self-sabotage by being hard on ourselves. Instead, be kinder to yourself in 2021 and you’ll feel happier and less anxious or depressed. If you have a friend who is negative, limit your contact with them. Finally, inviting your partner or a friend to engage in your New Year’s resolution will help you maintain it. You will find that having someone to support you can push you to stick with a plan. It’s much more likely that you’ll accomplish your resolution if you have company and support. For instance, Alicia, 34, didn’t often break away from her home office to accomplish her resolution of walking 30-minutes four days a week until her younger sister agreed to stop by her condo a few times a week after work. Likewise, if you make a New Year’s resolution to let go of grudges, check in with your partner or a friend and ask them how you are doing with this valuable plan. Being vulnerable and asking for help, can strengthen your resolve to succeed and also bring others into your life in a positive way!

 

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All have sinned There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 NIV _________________ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 1 John 3:4-6 NKJV _________________ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 NLT _________________ My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, 23but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. Romans 7:20-23 MSG _________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“And they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.”

Nehemiah 3:8

Cities well fortified have broad walls, and so had Jerusalem in her glory. The New Jerusalem must, in like manner, be surrounded and preserved by a broad wall of nonconformity to the world, and separation from its customs and spirit. The tendency of these days break down the holy barrier, and make the distinction between the church and the world merely nominal. Professors are no longer strict and Puritanical, questionable literature is read on all hands, frivolous pastimes are currently indulged, and a general laxity threatens to deprive the Lord's peculiar people of those sacred singularities which separate them from sinners.

It will be an ill day for the church and the world when the proposed amalgamation shall be complete, and the sons of God and the daughters of men shall be as one: then shall another deluge of wrath be ushered in. Beloved reader, be it your aim in heart, in word, in dress, in action to maintain the broad wall, remembering that the friendship of this world is enmity against God.

The broad wall afforded a pleasant place of resort for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from which they could command prospects of the surrounding country. This reminds us of the Lord's exceeding broad commandments, in which we walk at liberty in communion with Jesus, overlooking the scenes of earth, and looking out towards the glories of heaven. Separated from the world, and denying ourselves all ungodliness and fleshly lusts, we are nevertheless not in prison, nor restricted within narrow bounds; nay, we walk at liberty, because we keep his precepts.

Come, reader, this evening walk with God in his statutes. As friend met friend upon the city wall, so meet thou thy God in the way of holy prayer and meditation. The bulwarks of salvation thou hast a right to traverse, for thou art a freeman of the royal burgh, a citizen of the metropolis of the universe.

 

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Jesus: The Captain of our salvation But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 NIV _________________ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:9,10 NKJV _________________ "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." Acts 5:30-32 NASB _________________ Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. Hebrews 12:2 MSG _________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.”

Isaiah 45:19

We may gain much solace by considering what God has not said. What he has said is inexpressibly full of comfort and delight; what he has not said is scarcely less rich in consolation. It was one of these “said nots” which preserved the kingdom of Israel in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, for “the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven.” 2 Kings 14:27. In our text we have an assurance that God will answer prayer, because he hath “not said unto the seed of Israel, Seek ye me in vain.”

You who write bitter things against yourselves should remember that, let your doubts and fears say what they will, if God has not cut you off from mercy, there is no room for despair: even the voice of conscience is of little weight if it be not seconded by the voice of God. What God has said, tremble at! But suffer not your vain imaginings to overwhelm you with despondency and sinful despair. Many timid persons have been vexed by the suspicion that there may be something in God's decree which shuts them out from hope, but here is a complete refutation to that troublesome fear, for no true seeker can be decreed to wrath. “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I have not said,” even in the secret of my unsearchable decree, “Seek ye me in vain.”

God has clearly revealed that he will hear the prayer of those who call upon him, and that declaration cannot be contravened. He has so firmly, so truthfully, so righteously spoken, that there can be no room for doubt. He does not reveal his mind in unintelligible words, but he speaks plainly and positively, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Believe, O trembler, this sure truth — that prayer must and shall be heard, and that never, even in the secrets of eternity, has the Lord said unto any living soul, “Seek ye me in vain.”

 

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Is There Really a Bible Verse for Every Situation?



John Crist mocks the stereotypical “Bible quoter” lady in his video “Lady who has a Bible verse for every situation”:

However, this lighthearted piece does bring up a more serious question: Does the Bible really have a verse for “every situation”?
A close look reveals both the reality and the limits of this approach.
The Reality
First, the Bible is a huge book. It includes 1,189 chapters and 66 books, making it an anthology of writing from the history of Judaism and early Christianity. Simply its sheer size allows it to touch on many areas of life.
Second, Scripture does teach it is useful for teaching and training (2 Timothy 3:16-17). There are principles for every major area of life, whether marriage, finances, education, career, or health.
The Limits
The reality of Scripture addressing every area of life does have its limits. For example, a church nursery near my home has the following Scripture on the wall:

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” -1 Corinthians 15:51

Someone thought it would be funny to equate the transformation of believers with Jesus forever with changing diapers. Nice try, but this is far beyond the context of the verse.
On a more serious note, many parents have been frustrated over a prodigal or rebellious child. They had been taught Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Unfortunately, this verse is not a recipe for a godly child. It is a proverb, an observation on life that is generally true. Yes, it is often true that parents who raise their child to know right from wrong will have a son or daughter turn out well.
But this is not automatic. There are many examples of godly parents raising their children to do what is right only to discover a son or daughter who completely rejects the faith and values of his or her parents.

The Balance
I encourage people to find the balance between the Bible’s teachings and daily life. There may not be a verse for every situation, but there is a principle for every situation.
Don’t know where to eat for lunch? There is no verse for this, but I’m guessing the verses about taking care of our body and being responsible with our time and money still apply.

Not sure where to attend (or whether to attend) church Sunday? Hebrews 10:25 is clear about the importance of Christian community, but less specific about the details of how this is accomplished. However, there are some guidelines about what the first church considered important (Acts 2:42). It’s also clear God wants his people to show love to one another while speaking truth on life’s issues (Ephesians 4:15).
When we look at the balance Scripture offers, there is much more freedom than we often find in churches (or Christian books and media on the topic). Enjoy God’s Word, enjoy life, while honoring the Creator throughout your day (Ecclesiastes 121).

 

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How to Deal With Past Hurts and Resentments in Marriage




When my husband and I got married shortly after I graduated college, I waged a personal vendetta against him which dated back to high school.
Sounds crazy, right? Why would I marry someone I harbored resentment against? I was hurt by something that had happened in the past, and I refused to let it go.

It should’ve been settled long ago, and it was…for him. Long before he’d asked me to marry him, he’d put the incident in a box and stuck it way back in the corner of his mind.
Not me.

It was such a tiny thing, but it burrowed down into my heart and took root where I nursed and cared for it. And like anything that’s well cared for, it grew.
I put the incident in a prominent place in our lives. I wielded that thing like an ancient torture device against my husband. If we had a problem, I’d pull it out. My attitude was killing my marriage before it got started.
The problem with holding onto old hurts is you accumulate new ones. Little hurts become bigger ones when we nurse them and pile new ones on top.
We say we want a harmonious relationship, but when we let hurts get in the way, it becomes difficult. There’s nothing more dangerous to a marriage than unhealed hurts.
We all have a default setting called “human.” When we default to human, our selfish, retaliatory nature comes out like a roaring lion. We think the other person deserves to hurt like they hurt us. We justify our feelings as “righteous.” But, God doesn’t.

I had to make a decision to let it go. I still have to decide to let go of things that hurt me, if I want a healthy marriage.
Maybe you’re holding on to something that has happened in your past. Maybe it’s not a hurt your husband caused. Maybe it’s a wound inflicted by someone else in your life.
Letting go of past hurts isn’t easy, but it is necessary.
Here are steps I use when working through hurts or resentments in my marriage:

1. Pray
Tell God how you feel. He’ll understand. Tell Him you’re angry or hurt or lonely. He’ll comfort and reassure you. He may even give you a new attitude towards the situation. He might even make you aware of your contribution to the situation.

2. Forgive yourself
This is harder than it sounds because many times when we’re hurt, we blame ourselves to a certain degree. Maybe we’ve done something to contribute to the situation. I partly blamed myself for the high-school hurt. So, the madder I got at myself, the madder I got at him. Begin with forgiving yourself.

3. Separate yourself
This can be as simple as going into a room alone to pray and think about the situation or taking a walk. Try to look at the situation from an objective point of view. Pretend you’re talking to a friend. How would you advise her? Tell her how you would’ve handled the situation differently.

4. Write about it
Writing is a healthy outlet because you can get your point across without someone interrupting you. Be real. Write about how you feel, why you’re hurt. What you’d like to see happen. Write all the things you’d like to say to your husband—yeah, even the ugly things. After you’ve exhausted your feelings on paper, tear it up. Then write another letter telling him how you feel.
Use language that expresses how you feel, not what he did. It’s a good idea to start by telling him things you appreciate about him. Tell him you know he didn’t mean to hurt you (and chances are he really didn’t). Then close by acknowledging your contribution to the situation or how you could’ve handled it differently.
If he did intend to hurt you, tell him you are working through forgiving him. Remember you love him. The disagreement or hurt isn’t bigger than your relationship.

5. Hold hands
When I was newly married, someone advised me to always hold hands with my husband, even when I’m unhappy with him. Holding hands was difficult for me. It wasn’t modeled for me growing up. But, there’s something about physical touch that softens the heart.
When we say “I do,” we relinquish all rights to hold on to stuff. If we’ve made a commitment to God, part of that commitment includes making our marriages the best they can be. Go to the source of all forgiveness: Jesus Christ. It is crucial to the ability to let go.

 

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Working with Him I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:4,5 NKJV _________________ But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 1 Thessalonians 4:11,12 ESV _________________ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23,24 NIV _________________ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Ephesians 4:28 NKJV _________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“The unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Ephesians 3:8

My Master has riches beyond the count of arithmetic, the measurement of reason, the dream of imagination, or the eloquence of words. They are unsearchable! You may look, and study, and weigh, but Jesus is a greater Savior than you think him to be when your thoughts are at the greatest. My Lord is more ready to pardon than you to sin, more able to forgive than you to transgress. My Master is more willing to supply your wants than you are to confess them. Never tolerate low thoughts of my Lord Jesus.

When you put the crown on his head, you will only crown him with silver when he deserves gold. My Master has riches of happiness to bestow upon you now. He can make you to lie down in green pastures, and lead you beside still waters. There is no music like the music of his pipe, when he is the Shepherd and you are the sheep, and you lie down at his feet. There is no love like his, neither earth nor heaven can match it. To know Christ and to be found in him — oh! this is life, this is joy, this is marrow and fatness, wine on the lees well refined.

My Master does not treat his servants churlishly; he gives to them as a king giveth to a king; he gives them two heavens — a heaven below in serving him here, and a heaven above in delighting in him for ever. His unsearchable riches will be best known in eternity. He will give you on the way to heaven all you need; your place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks, your bread shall be given you, and your waters shall be sure; but it is there, there, where you shall hear the song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast, and shall have a face-to-face view of the glorious and beloved One. The unsearchable riches of Christ! This is the tune for the minstrels of earth, and the song for the harpers of heaven. Lord, teach us more and more of Jesus, and we will tell out the good news to others.