Tried With Fire

For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  Matthew 6:13 "For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory." What encouragement is here! Two things especially inspire confidence towards God in prayer: the realization that He is willing and that He is able . Both are here intimated. That God bids us, through Christ His Son, to address Him as our Father is an indication of His love and an assurance of His care for us. But God is also the King of kings, possessing infinite power. This truth assures us of His sufficiency and guarantees His ability. As the Father , He provides for His children; as the King , He will defend His subjects. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him" (Ps. 103:13). "Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob" (Ps. 44:4). It is for God’s own honor and glory that He manifests His power and shows Himself strong on behalf of His own. "Now unto Him...

Jane Austen is my Homegirl (Downton Abbey Rap)

Source I'm thankful for: - A return to cooler weather after a week in the upper 80's. I think autumn is here to stay. - Rainy days and safety while driving. - Daily strength and concentration for daily duties even when I would rather be doing something else. -  Podcasts  that encourage me in the gospel -  an interview with Barbara Duguid, author of  Extravagant Grace . - The grace God has extended to me. How I can extend that same grace to others? - A very full Sunday. We will be celebrating the Lord's table during the service followed by a congregational meeting and lunch, and then another opportunity to "bond" with the ladies in the church in the evening. It is very good to dwell with the brothers and sisters in unity.

I'm sharing a few thoughts on the place of sound preaching in worship at Out of the Ordinary . Here is a quote from John MacArthur that sparked my post: "Many people see preaching and worship as two distinct aspects of the church service, as if preaching has nothing to do with worship and vice versa. But that is an erroneous concept. The ministry of the Word is the platform on which all genuine worship is built. " Read more here .

Broken Vows: Divorce and the Goodness of God  by John Greco, Cruciform Press , August 2013, 108 pages. The subtitle of Broken Vows is Divorce and the Goodness of God.  Does that sound like a contradiction? Is it possible to discover the goodness of God in the tragedy of divorce? Author John Greco's answer would be "Yes." In Broken Vows , he shares the story of his wife's adultery and the subsequent failure of their marriage. A promising ministry opportunity to serve as an associate pastor came crashing down as well. Yet through this heartbreak, Greco found comfort in the sovereignty of God and discovered that Christ is able to heal the painful wounds of divorce. In addition, he gives thoughtful counsel regarding the prejudice that a divorced Christian may face, the issue of forgiveness, and how to move forward in a gospel identity. As a divorce survivor, I appreciate the courage it took to write this book. It couldn't have been easy. I'm also glad ...

But deliver us from evil -  Matthew 6:13 This is a prayer, first, for Divine illumination, so that we may be able to detect Satan’s devices (2 Cor. 2:11). He who can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) is far too subtle for human wisdom to cope with. Only as the Spirit graciously enlightens can we discern his snares. Second, this is a prayer for strength to resist Satan’s attacks, for he is much too powerful for us to withstand in our own might. Only as we are energized by the Spirit shall we be kept from willfully yielding to temptation or from taking pleasure in the sins we commit. Third, it is a prayer for grace to mortify our lusts, for only to the degree that we put to death our own internal corruptions shall we be enabled to refuse external solicitations to sin. We cannot justly throw the blame on Satan while we give license to the evil of our hearts. Salvation from the love of sin always precedes deliverance from its dominion . Fourth, this is a pray...

Dean Martin and Victor Borge:. And for an encore....