!Russell Watson News!

“The Voice” as he is called…I do love his voice. If you have not heard his voice, cds, videos or seen his DVD performances, you are missing a beautiful voice. Today, when I visited his website, what a shock to read this:

29.09.06STATEMENT ISSUED ON BEHALF OF RUSSELL WATSONRussell Watson has been rushed back from Los Angeles to London this week for emergency surgery to remove a tumour from his brain. The singer, known as ’The Voice’, was recording his new album in the famous Capitol Studios when he developed excruciating headaches and impaired vision. . .more

Russell had some “throat problems a few years back and he had just come back and were so so blessed to see his new albums and appearances:

Here he is with President & Mrs. Bush:

This is a live performance in the UK of “You Raise Me Up” and has special meaning in light of his current situation. Remember him in prayer.

Sword&Shield.com to blogging…

Friends, my DH’s site, swordandshield.com has closed its doors effective today. It is a bit sad since it has been online since 1999 and a great resource of Reformed literature, articles and material. DH’s schedule has just not allowed him in the last 3 years to be interactive and with the huge expense of our “state-of-the-art” servers, etc., we decided to close it for now until his schedule can allow him more time to keep the site current. We will maintain the name swordandshield.com for the future site. We are also setting up the swordandshield2.blogspot.com address to keep his friends and viewers up-to-date and for access to his articles, etc. Since I am the “keeper of the files” and webmaster and web designer, I get the “privilege” of setting it up, which I enjoy. So then, if you have the old .com link, it will not work for now. More coming on this in later posts.

“Flowing from His Heavenly Throne. . .”

“In the year that King Uzziah died I then saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphs; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts; the whole earth full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:1-3

“This vision — in which God revealed His glory, majesty, holiness and grace — changed Isaiah’s entire life and ministry. The prophet was taken up into heaven, where everything conveys a sense of God’s transcendence. Heaven is the place where God is most highly exalted. There His robe fills the temple, and there He is surrounded by seraphim — literally “the burning ones” — who, despite their own glory, modestly avert their grace and cover their feet so as to shield themselves from the greater glory of God. These angels offer a crescendo of praise, worshiping God in the beauty of His holiness. Their voices thunder, shaking the doorposts of the heavenly temple. To add to the sense of transcendence, the whole place is filled with smoke, shrouding glory with mystery.What is perhaps most significant is what God is doing. God is seated on His kingly throne, reigning from the place of supreme royal authority over heaven and earth. As a further demonstration of His divine authority, the throne itself is exalted — it is high and lifted up. What Isaiah saw, therefore, was a vision of God’s sovereignty. The God enthroned in heaven is the God who rules. From His throne He issues His royal decrees, including His sovereign decree of election, and also executes His plan of salvation, drawing sinners to Himself by His efficacious, persevering grace. It is not without reason that God’s throne is styled “the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16), for all the grace defined by the doctrines of grace flows from His heavenly throne.”

__”What is a True Calvinist” [Philip Graham Ryken]

!!FINALLY!! Go to it George!

Bush Goes On Offensive Against ‘Cut and Run’ Democrats

WASHINGTON — President Bush fired a shot across the bow of the Democratic Party Thursday, saying “the party of FDR… has become the party of cut and run.” In his most direct attack this election season, Bush flatly charged that Democrats are incapable of effectively fighting the War on Terror.

“The stakes in this war are high and so are the stakes this November. Americans face a choice between two parties with different attitudes on this War on Terror,” he told an audience in Birmingham at a Republican fundraiser for Alabama Gov. Bob Riley.

“Five years after 9/11, the worst attack on the American homeland in history, the Democrats offer nothing but criticism and obstruction and endless second-guessing. The party of FDR, the party of Harry Truman has become the party of cut and run,” Bush said.

With less than six weeks to go until a November election that polls suggest could result in lost seats for Republicans in both the U.S. House and Senate, Bush chided Democrats, saying they don’t understand the enemy nor do they grasp that succeeding in the War on Terror means not retreating from Iraq.

…and rest of the story

“Parents & Children in Training”

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
—Prov. XXII. 6.

Train them to a habit of obedience. This is an object which it is worth any labour to attain. No habit, I suspect, has such an influence over our lives as this. Parents, determine to make your children obey you, though it may cost you much trouble, and cost them many tears. Let there be no questioning, and reasoning, and disputing, and delaying, and answering again. When you give them a command, let them see plainly that you will have it done.

Obedience is the only reality. It is faith visible, faith acting, and faith incarnate. It is the test of real discipleship among the Lord’s people. “Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John xv. 14). It ought to be the mark of well-trained children, that they do whatsoever their parents command them. Where, in deed, is the honour which the fifth commandment enjoins, if fathers and mothers are not obeyed cheerfully, willingly, and at once?

Early obedience has all Scripture on its side. It is in Abraham’s praise, not merely he will train his family, but “he will command his children, and his household after him” (Gen. xviii. 19). It is said of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that when “He was young He was subject to Mary and Joseph” (Luke ii. 51). Observe how implicitly Joseph obeyed the order of his father Jacob (Gen. xxxvii. 13). See how Isaiah speaks of it as an evil thing, when “the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient” (Isa. iii. 5). Mark how the Apostle Paul names disobedience to parents as one of the bad signs of the latter days (2 Tim. iii. 2). Mark how he singles out this grace of requiring obedience as one that should adorn a Christian minister: “a bishop must be one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.” And again, “Let the deacons rule their children and their own houses well ” (1 Tim. iii. 4, 12). And again, an elder must be one “having faithful children, children not accused of riot, or unruly” (Tit. 1. 6).

Parents, do you wish to see your children happy? Take care, then, that you train them to obey when they are spoken to,—to do as they are bid. Believe me, we are not made for entire independence,—we are not fit for it. Even Christ’s freemen have a yoke to wear, they “serve the Lord Christ” (Col. iii. 24). Children cannot learn too soon that this is a world in which we are not all intended to rule, and that we are never in our right place until we know how to obey our betters. Teach them to obey while young, or else they will be fretting against God all their lives long, and wear themselves out with the vain idea of being independent of His control.

Reader, this hint is only too much needed. You will see many in this day who allow their children to choose and think for themselves long before they are able, and even make excuses for their disobedience, as if it were a thing not to be blamed. To my eyes, a parent always yielding, and a child always having its own way, are a most painful sight ; — painful, because I see God’s appointed order of things inverted and turned upside down;—painful, because I feel sure the consequence to that child’s character in the end will be self-will, pride, and self-conceit. You must not wonder that men refuse to obey their Father which is in heaven, if you allow them, when children, to disobey their father who is upon earth.

Parents, if you love your children, let obedience be a motto and a watchword continually before their eyes.

The Duties of Parents, Chapter IX.
John Charles Ryle of Liverpool 1816-1900
Read “Duties of Parents“

“A Holy, Called Out People”

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ; according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He has made us accepted in the One having been loved.” (Eph 1:3-6)

“God is gathering a people to worship Him and to celebrate His majesty, a “called out” group, chosen out of the world. The point we need to see in all of this is that it is a Person who is electing people, not an impersonal force. And the decision is not arbitrary but is caused by the love and mercy of a kind Creator who has gone to incredible lengths in order to save so many people. Thus we are “predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” (Eph. 1:11).Christ said, “I know my sheep” (John 10:14). Our salvation is in the hands of a loving Savior who not only chose us, but offered His body as a human sacrifice for our sins! That is why it is so important to frame any discussion of election within the scope of Christ’s person and His work. Throughout Ephesians 1, prepositional phrases such as “in Christ,” “In Him,” and “in the One He loves,” occur frequently. God did not just choose us; He chose us in Christ. Christ, then, is the center of our election. That means we do not discovery our election by looking anywhere but to Christ. Do we trust in Him? Is He alone our Savior” Are we in Him through faith in His finished work? This is the only infallible test we have of whether “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4). We must not look to our works or to our success or failure, or to anything or anyone outside of Christ for confirmation of our election. Any discussion that places anything at the center of the discussion — even good and holy things — is bound to be distorted and unbiblical.”1/

As He also says in Hosea, “I will call those not My people, My people; and those not beloved, Beloved.” And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them. “You are not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.” (Rom 9:25-26)

1/ Excerpts from Michael Horton’s “Putting Amazing Back Into Grace”: pp.64-65

 

“Firing Up the Base — Preaching Christ Alone”

There is power in preaching Christ alone that fires up the base — God’s true children. This morning I was charged up by the powerful and profound message of Galatians 1 as expounded by Pastor Biggs. What a glorious message to the believer…Christ alone by faith alone and that faith is the gift of God! What then can man boast in? Nothing! Not our faith, not our believing, not our works, not our sanctification, not our perseverance in the faith, absolutely nothing! Salvation is all of grace, beautiful, lovely and glorious grace. Oh how we need a daily reminder of this so that we do not return to the beggarly elements of a gospel that is no gospel at all. As I recounted the sermon over and over again in my mind, I was reminded of past sermons, books and articles I had read over the years and the message of true grace is just as refreshing and awesome today as the first time I had spiritual ears to hear it. Grace, grace and more grace! This evening as I researched and read for my Heavenly Notes article for October, I re-read Michael Horton’s good article “Preaching Christ Alone” and I have included a couple of excellent excerpts to encourage you to read this article and when it is available, hear the Galatians 1 message by Pastor Biggs at Sermon Audio. Oh that men in the pulpits today would preach faithfully to the sheep the message of Christ and true grace. Thanks be to God I was the benefactor of a blessed Lord’s Day sermon. God’s people are hungry and thirsty for the truth. We have a feast in the Word of God and grace fills our cup!* * *

“Therefore, it is our duty to preach “the whole counsel of God,” which includes everything in the category of law (the divine commandments and threats of punishment; the call to repentance and conversion, sanctification and service to God and our neighbor) and in the category of Gospel (God’s promise of rest, from Genesis to Revelation; its fulfillment in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, ascension, intercession, second coming; the gift of faith, through which the believer is justified and entered into a vital union with Christ; the gift of persevering faith, which enables us to pursue godliness in spite of suffering). But any type of preaching that fails to underscore the role of the law in condemning the sinner and the role of the Gospel in justifying the sinner or confuses these two is a serious violation of the distinction which Paul himself makes in Galatians 3:15-25.Much of the evangelical preaching with which I am familiar neither inspires a terror of God’s righteousness nor praise for the depths of God’s grace in his gift of righteousness. Rather, it is often a confusion of these two, so that the bad news isn’t quite that bad and the good news isn’t all that good. We actually can do something to get closer to God; we aren’t so far from God that we cannot make use of the examples of the biblical characters and attain righteousness by following the “Seven Steps to the Spirit-Filled Life.” But in the biblical view, the biblical characters are not examples of their victory, but of God’s! The life of David is not a testimony to David’s faithfulness, surely, but to God’s and for us to read any part of that story as though we could attain the Gospel (righteousness) by the law (obedience) is the age-old error of Cain, the Pharisees, the Galatian Judaizers, the Pelagians, Semi-Pelagians, Arminians, and Higher Life proponents.

The “Christ And…” Syndrome In C. S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, the devil’s strategy is not to remove Christ altogether from the scene, but to propagate a “Christ And…” religion: What we want, if men become Christians at all, is to keep them in the state of “Christianity And.” You know–Christianity and the Crisis, Christianity and the New Psychology, Christianity and the New Order, Christianity and Faith Healing, Christianity and Psychic Research, Christianity and Vegetarianism, Christianity and Spelling Reform. If they must be Christians, let them at least be Christians with a difference. Substitute for the faith itself some Fashion with a Christian colouring. Work on their horror of the Same Old Thing (Letter XXV).

Today, we see this in terms of Christ and America; Christ and Self-Esteem; Christ and Prosperity; Christ and the Republican or Democratic Party; Christ and End-Time Predictions; Christ and Healing; Christ and Marketing and Church Growth; Christ and Traditional Values, and on we could go, until Christ himself becomes little more than an appendage to a religion that can, after all, get on quite well without him. That is not, of course, to say that the evangelical enterprise could do this without some difficulty. After all, every movement needs a mascot. We say we are Christ-centered, but what was the sermon about last Sunday?

In fact, it is not even enough to preach the centrality of Christ. It is particularly Christ as He is our sacrifice for sin and guarantor of new life because of his resurrection that the Bible makes central in its revelation.”

Preaching Christ Alone by Michael Horton
© 1993, Modern Reformation Magazine,
(Mar / Apr 1993 Issue, Vol. 2.2).
All Rights Reserved.

To read the entire article:
http://www.modernreformation.org/mh93preaching.htm

* * *
Living Coram Deo, joan
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“For in Him we live, move and have our being.”

“Consecration and Worship”

My God,
I feel it is heaven to please thee,
and to be what thou wouldst have me be.
O that I were holy as thou art holy,
pure as Christ is pure,
perfect as thy Spirit is perfect!
These, I feel, are the best commands in thy Book,
and shall I break them? must I break them?
am I under such a necessity as long as I live here?
Woe, woe is me that I am a sinner,
that I grieve this blessed God,
who is infinite in goodness and grace!
O, if he would punish me for my sins,
it would not wound my heart so deep
to offend him;
But though I sin continually,
he continually repeats his kindness to me.
At times I feel I could bear any suffering,
but how can I dishonour this glorious God?
What shall I do to glorify and worship
this best of beings?
O that I could consecrate my soul and body
to his service,
without restraint, for ever!
O that I could give myself up to him,
so as never more to attempt to be my own!
or have any will or affections
that are not perfectly conformed to his will
and his love!
But, alas, I cannot live and not sin.
O may angels glorify him incessantly,
and, if possible, prostrate themselves lower
before the blessed King of heaven!
I long to bear a part with them in ceaseless praise;
But when I have done all I can to eternity
I shall not be able to offer more than
a small fraction of the homage
that the glorious God deserves.
Give me a heart full of divine, heavenly love.

Arthur Bennett, “The Valley of Vision”

“UN — There is a Voice Heard Above the Rest”

There is a voice heard above the rest…it is God’s voice speaking through His Word. The noise of the world is overwhelming and deafening these last few days with the terrorists and true anti-christs standing in a supposed “place of honor” before men with voices of evil and hatred, spewing out their false doctrine of self and looking for the admiration of men and unfortunately the approval of their false gods. But our God, the Only One True and Living God, is sitting upon His Throne in the heavens doing what pleases Him and overruling their evil. Yes, a judgment day is surely coming at His appointed time but let’s be clear about it, it is not coming in the way the deceived believe it to be. Jesus Christ said, “The Kingdom of God has come upon you” and the “Kingdom of God lives within you” and His children, those true children, born of His election, appointment and providential design and filled with His Spirit will be steadfast, immovable, humbled by His greatness and looking heavenward for His return. The “evil” empires, the unbelievers, Satan himself, and those who wish harm upon those whom God has raised up by His righteous and mighty hand, will meet their Maker, not as they suppose with glory but with His righteous judgment. We live in a time of voices screaming everywhere across the world but the truth is as ancient as time itself, Christ is the only Savior, the only True and Living God, and the only hope for all of mankind. To believe anything else is folly indeed. May it be that God would open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the dumb, put to the dust those that oppose Him and open the gates of heaven and poor out a blessing upon His people. “He who testifies these things says, Yes, I am coming quickly, Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus.” Rev 20:22

Pray for our President and pray for our leaders. Pray they will be faithful men and women.As I read the following by Kempis, I was reminded that our voice is the voice of righteousness and humility. The humble man “protects, liberates, loves and consoles” — I think this is just what our President did in his speech before the UN and I believe that is what we do as Americans. We are the servants, helpers and food basket of the world. God has raised us and this country up for this purpose — to glorify Himself and that we truly might be a “light of truth and liberation” for a fallen world. Remember that President Bush is God’s servant for our good and just like us, neither the world, the devil nor his cohorts will shake that strong foundation that we stand upon, Christ, the Solid Rock, our Sovereign God and Liberator.

* * *

“BE NOT troubled about those who are with you or against you, but take care that God be with you in everything you do. Keep your conscience clear and God will protect you, for the malice of man cannot harm one whom God wishes to help. If you know how to suffer in silence, you will undoubtedly experience God’s help. He knows when and how to deliver you; therefore, place yourself in His hands, for it is a divine prerogative to help men and free them from all distress.

It is often good for us to have others know our faults and rebuke them, for it gives us greater humility. When a man humbles himself because of his faults, he easily placates those about him and readily appeases those who are angry with him.

It is the humble man whom God protects and liberates; it is the humble that He loves and consoles. To the humble He turns and upon them bestows great grace, that after their humiliation He may raise them up to glory. He reveals His secrets to the humble, and with kind invitation bids them come to Him. Thus, the humble man enjoys peace in the midst of many vexations, because his trust is in God, not in the world. Hence, you must not think that you have made any progress until you look upon yourself as inferior to all others. “
___Humility, Thomas A. Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

Take heed and take heart dear ones, it is God who holds it all together and His will WILL be done in heaven and earth!

Soli Deo Gloria, joan
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“God is sovereign Lord and King, and exerciseth a dominion over the whole world, both heaven and earth. This is so clear, that nothing is more spoken of in Scripture.The very name, “LORD,” imports it.”
__Stephen Charnock

Looking At His Face

Weep not for me my loved ones, but for your pain and loss
For I would never wish to return to bear my cross
My burdens I’ve abandoned and my pain I feel no more
I am gazing at the beauty of the One that I adore.

I have not even noticed the splendor of this place
For I am still enthralled by the beauty of His face
My eyes are fixed on Jesus and the wounds He bore for me
Oh, the wonder of the price that it took to set me free!

I am not looking down on you, for here there is no pain;
No time to count the moments until we meet again.
And when you get to Glory you will not look for me
For your eyes will see just Jesus_what a wonder that will be.

How long until you join me, the Father only knows
You may be caught up in the clouds, or watch the shadows close.
The one thing I would tell you could I whisper to you there
Is, “live for Him my loved ones, He is far beyond compare.”

Weep not for me my loved ones, I am finally complete
I am gazing at my Savior, contented at His feet
Eternity will be too short to comprehend His grace
Not long enough to tire of the radiance of His face.
by Avril Fries