The Dark Guest (11/22/08 - 9 Comments)
Here is another prayer from The Valley of Vision. I think this one has somehow struck me deeper than any other in the book. This confession both shames and encourages me: "I am not yet weaned from all created glory, honour, wisdom, and esteem of others, for I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do." Here it is, a prayer that God would remove the dark guest who haunts me....
The Trinity (11/16/08 - 5 Comments)
I have the privilege of preaching tonight on the topic of the Trinity. It seemed appropriate, then, that I would combine this topic with the prayers I often post on Sundays--prayers drawn from The Valley of Vision. This prayer is the first in the book and is known simply as "The Trinity." What a great prayer it is. Three in One, One in Three, God of my salvation, Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit, I...
My Heart Was Too Full (10/19/08 - 3 Comments)
In his sermon this morning our pastor quoted John Paton's Autobiography (still in print almost 120 years after it was first published). It's a quote I've heard often and one that has stirred me every time. It describes Paton leaving his home in Torthorwald to attend missionary school in Glasgow (just to get to the train he had to walk some forty miles). His godly father accompanied him for the first portion of the journey....
A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving (10/12/08 - 0 Comments)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving up here in Canada and we'll be gathering with family to celebrate the day. I thought it would be appropriate to offer this prayer, drawn once more from The Valley of Vision. O My God, You fairest, greatest, first of all objects, My heart admires, adores, loves You, For my little vessel is as full as it can be, And I would pour out all that fullness before You in ceaseless flow....
The Dream is Over. The Endless Day Has Begun. (10/05/08 - 13 Comments)
I've met Terry Stauffer a few times--at Together for the Gospel and at least one or two other conferences. He has been a regular commenter at this blog and maintains a blog of his own. He serves as pastor of Edson Baptist Church in Edson, Alberta. Earlier this week I was shocked to receive an email from my pastor pointing to this entry on Terry's blog. "Last night at about 4:45 our precious 14 year-old...
A Prayer of Penitence (09/28/08 - 1 Comments)
Here is another prayer drawn from The Valley of Vision. It is a prayer of penitence. What particularly appealed to me in this prayer was the first section which sets much of a days' sin in the neglect of private prayers. "My first sin of the day leads into others..." I think every Christian can identify with this and pray with this old Puritan, "O quicken my conscience to feel this folly, to bewail this...
A Prayer for After Prayer (09/21/08 - 4 Comments)
Today is going to be a busy day. Our church is having a members' meeting in the mid-afternoon, which means that we'll have only a couple of hours after morning worship before heading back to church first for the meeting and then for evening worship. And then, after it all, we have a small group of sorts to attend. Put it all together and it is going to be a busy day, though a blessed...
Regeneration: A Prayer (09/14/08 - 5 Comments)
Continuing this theme of Sunday prayers, here is a wonderful prayer drawn once more from The Valley of Vision. This prayer is titled "Regeneration" and you may recognize it as the foundation of the Sovereign Grace song "O Great God." I read this one yesterday and was just drawn to the amazing descriptions the beautiful language and the deep spiritual truths. O God of the highest heaven, occupy the throne of my heart, take full...
A Prayer of Confidence (09/07/08 - 9 Comments)
Here is a prayer from that collection of Puritan prayers known as The Valley of Vision. This is a prayer of confidence--confidence in the greatness and the grace of God. It is a bold prayer made through a right apprehension of the character of God. ***** O God, Thou art very great, My lot is to approach thee with godly fear and humble confidence, for thy condescension equals thy grandeur, and thy goodness is thy...
A Prayer for Grace in Trials (08/24/08 - 6 Comments)
I had a bit of a rough week--or at least a rough end to the week. I was struggling with a strange infection through the week and by Friday and Saturday was pretty well laid out, unable even to stand up a lot of the time (since the pain was far worse standing than lying flat on my back). Thankfully it seems that I'm on the mend. While I was lying around I thought of...
What Next? (08/16/08 - 5 Comments)
Recently I’ve been reading Media Unlimited, a book I stumbled upon while searching Amazon one day. It is written by Todd Gitlin, a professor of sociology and journalism at Columbia University. The book deals with the sticky subject of “how the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives.” Through a couple of [long!] chapters, I’ve already been given much to think about. This brief excerpt of the book caught my attention. It deals with...
The Family (08/10/08 - 1 Comments)
As you know, I often post favorite Puritan prayers on Sundays. Here is one entitled "The Family." It is drawn from The Valley of Vision. I think any Christian family member can pray this prayer with sincerity! O Sovereign Lord, Thou art the Creator-Father of all men, for thou hast made and dost support them; Thou art the special Father of those who know, love and honour thee, who find thy yoke easy, and thy...
The Cost of Entertainment (08/05/08 - 8 Comments)
Why we watch so much television today is a question that will have many and multi-faceted answers. But in his book Media Unlimited, Todd Giltin offers solid statistical evidence for at least one of the answers. Here is a small table outlining the cost for a general laborer to enjoy the entertainment of that day, given as a proportion of his daily wage. 18th century (theater)More than a full day’s wage Early 19th century (theater)1/3...
Quote - Glorious Submission (07/05/08 - 6 Comments)
Here is yet another little quote drawn from that great big book I’ve been reading. In his Old Testament Theology, Bruce Waltke is careful to prove that gender roles and differences are rooted not in society and culture but in creation. He shows that, though men and women have been created equal, man was to take the leadership role in family and in the church. This is not a result of the fall into sin...
Quote - Inexcusable Hubris (07/02/08 - 19 Comments)
I have recently been reading Bruce Waltke’s (rather large!) Old Testament Theology and came across this quote. It seemed appropriate in light of all of the attention being give to The Shack and its distinctly feminine portrayal of God. Waltke argues here that it really does matter how we think of God and how we address Him. God, who is over all, represents himself by masculine names and titles, not feminine ones. He identifies himself...
Oppositional-defiant Disorder (06/02/08 - 18 Comments)
What follows are three quotes from Leonard Sax’s book Boys Adrift. I am going to post a full review of the book soon, but for now suffice it to say that if you have boys or you are a boy (or a young man), you need to read this book! “Forty years ago, even thirty years ago, there was no shame in a young man choosing a career in the trades. Beginning in the early...
A Prayer for Scriptural Convictions (05/25/08 - 3 Comments)
Continuing my new habit of posting prayers on Sunday, here is a prayer for Scriptural convictions. It is once more drawn from The Valley of Vision. It seemed appropriate in a week I've been considering how I tend not to regard Scripture as the treasure it is. This is a prayer praising God for the gift of the Bible and asking forgiveness for regarding it so little and so lightly. O God of love, I...
Hasty Reading and Serious Meditating (05/20/08 - 9 Comments)
Here is a quote sent to me by a reader of this site. It is drawn from Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks. It is well worth pondering (and, in a case of good timing, was something I was pondering this morning as I opened the Bible to Psalm 19). Remember, it is not hasty reading, but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the...
Books and Beefsteaks (05/05/08 - 18 Comments)
Here is a quote from Mortimer Adler, author of the classic How to Read a Book. In this piece he explains the importance of making a book your own. There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is the property right you establish by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. But this act of purchase is only the prelude to possession. Full ownership comes only...
Honoring the Semicolon (04/30/08 - 19 Comments)
I guess it is about time the semicolon got its due. Here’s a little excerpt of a book I ran across recently. It is written by Lewis Thomas (whoever that is or was…): I have grown fond of semicolons in recent years. The semicolon tells you that there is still some question about the preceding full sentence; something needs to be added; it reminds you sometimes of the Greek usage. It is almost always a...
