Reveille - Winston Churchill

 

Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). 

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after he dies (John 11).

One man who believed this was Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England during World War II. He died in January, 1965. He carefully planned his own funeral, paying close attention to every detail and leaving his instructions with his family.

He wanted to make certain that everyone understood that he believed in the truth of Christ's words about the glorious resurrection of believers.

(About 6,000 people attended Winston Churchill's funeral service. And it is estimated that one million people lined the streets as the funeral procession passed by and that 350 million watched it globally!)

He was particularly interested in the concluding moments of the service.

Here is how he planned it:

He directed that two buglers were to be positioned in the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. At the conclusion of his funeral service, the first bugler would play "Taps," the recognized signal that proclaimed "Day is Done." This call told soldiers to lower the flag, turn off the lights, and end their day. And the second bugler was to then to play "Reveille," which told soldiers to "Wake up! Raise the flag and go to roll call!"

-- a new day had begun!

Churchill wanted everyone to consider these two ideas: that death is not the final chapter of our life story! It opens the first chapter of our eternal life story!

He also loved these words from Isaiah: "Your dead will live, LORD, their bodies will rise  -- let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy!" (Isaiah 25)

Don't you wish you could have been there for his funeral?

He wanted to go with Jesus

 

                                                      He Wanted to go with Jesus!

"The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." 

(Luke 8:38).

Think about it --! Simple, immediate joyful obedience from an overflowing grateful heart!

Isn't that what Jesus wants from us?

Are you too easily pleased? C S Lewis

 

                                                Are You Too Easily Pleased?

"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing...I submit that this notion is no-part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of rewards and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

We are far too easily pleased."

     -- C S Lewis, "The Weight of Glory"

(He wants to do so much more for us!)

The Art of Being Wise - Abraham Lincoln

 "A man's wisdom gives him patience. It is his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:2).

I read once that the art of being wise is the the art of knowing what to overlook -- part of what this verse teaches us!

To overlook someone's offenses allows us to drop our pretentions and defenses (in my case usually pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness) and just humbly drop the burden and move on.

And we can choose to do that!

Abraham Lincoln chose to overlook an important offense -- he was wise.  Once his secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, called him "a damned fool." Lincoln didn't retaliate in any way. He didn't relieve Stanton of duty, didn't come back with an angry retort, didn't replace him, argue in any way. Didn't try to make Stanton look bad.

Lincoln simply responded, "Mr. Stanton is very smart. He is usually right, and I usually agree with him. And he usually means what he says. So I must be a damned fool."

By being neither offensive or defensive, Lincoln killed the story! If he had responded others would have gotten involved, the press would hear about it and promote it and the fight would continue ad nauseum. (It certainly would have made the history books! Sort of like what would happen today!). Think about it -- have you ever heard this story before? No, I just dug it out of an old journal...by responding as he did, Lincoln killed the story forever! He was wise....

By the way, their friendship survived this challenge and apparently when Lincoln was fatally shot, Stanton was the one who announced, "Now he belongs to the ages," indicating he understood Lincoln's greatness.

Overlooking offenses give us joyous freedom!

Remember, "Love covers a multitude of sins." And "love is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs..." And we are told repeatedly that God Himself keeps no records of our wrongs!

We should always keep the big picture in mind -- petty offenses have no effect on God's big picture. They are meaningless.

Prayer for today: "As You have been to me, loving Father, help me to be to others today."

A well is not a stream.....

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

"Sir," the woman said, "You have nothing to draw and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
                                            ----John 4:9-14


Jesus offered the woman "living water."

What did that mean? In Jewish speech the phrase "living water" meant water that was flowing, not water that was stagnant, as in a cistern or a well.

Fresh, flowing water would always be preferred over
well water.

So the woman He was speaking to naturally thought of a stream.

She seems skeptical. Here was a man who thought he could produce better, finer water than did her ancestor Jacob.

After all, had Jacob known of a stream he certainly would not have taken the trouble to dig a well, probably a hundred feet deep.

He goes on to talk about living water that cures thirst forever. Not only that, it becomes a spring inside us that wells up continually.

No one as ever seen a well of water spring up. Only the water in a spring springs up.

The water in a well just lies there.

So Jesus is not talking about a well at all.

The woman had come to a well. Jesus has invited her to a spring.

Now He adds that if she allows Him to place this spring in her, the spring will never cease but will continue to bubble and bubble on forever.

Perhaps you want to build a house on a piece of property on which there is a well. But you don't want the well -- you will have city water.

You will just ask the bulldozers to push some dirt into the well and the well will be gone forever.

This won't work with a spring on your property. (Of course, you probably wouldn't want to stop up a lovely spring of fresh water, but if you did you would find it a much more difficult task.)

You could push a large pile of dirt over the spring and it might appear to have stopped the flow. But by morning, the stream will be there again, simply by pushing its way through the ground.

A well can be covered. A spring seeps through anything you may place over it.

That's what Jesus is talking about. He is promising to place a spring within the life of anyone who will come to Him.

His spring will be eternal, free, joyous, and self-dependent.

But He is also warning us that we will never be able to stop it - we can't bulldoze anything over it to stop its flow!

We might try -- I know I have.

Sometimes His Presence in my life has seemed inconvenient and maybe intrusive - certainly He seemed to interfere with my plans.

So I tried to "put a plug on it" and go my own way.

But, like the stream the builder tried to cover up with dirt, my life became muddy water.

Obviously, muddy water did not come from the stream itself -- the stream water was clean and pure -- it was because I pushed dirt into the water source that it produced filthy, not fresh and clean, water!

So I came back to the Source of the Living Water, to Jesus, and asked Him to clean me up again - to remove the dirt and grime and let His lovely sparkling water flow freely again!

It took some work, but He did it!

And if I mess up again, He'll certainly clean me up again. I'm confident of that.

Being confident of this, that He who began

a good work in you will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus.  

Philippians 1:6

Thoughts of an old Monk

I'm reading a great book: "On Loving God" by Bernard of Clairvaux, written about 900 years ago.

We often think of these ancient saints as rigid and austere.
And we are often wrong. He is loving and joyous in his writing
and displays those attitudes in simple, yet dignified, language.

He also wrote a favorite hymn: "Jesus, the Very Thought of  Thee."

Here are some of the lines:

   "Jesus, the very thought of Thee, with sweetness fills my breast.
   But sweeter, still, Thy face to see and in Thy presence rest.

   O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek
   To those who fall how kind Thou art, how good to all who seek!

    But what of those who find? Ah, this no pen or tongue can show
   -the love of Jesus, what it is, none but His loved ones know!"

Sort of reminds me of a more modern hymn, "And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own....and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known!"

These words are from "In the Garden,"  a favorite of my father's, written about 100 years ago by Charles Austin Miles.

My Dad's favorite line was: "He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet, the bird hush their singing!"  (My favorite line, too!)

So wouldn't it be glorious to meet these two men someday and
"Jesus talk" with them!  Maybe we will!

What I Missed at Christmas

                                                         What I Missed at Christmas

It feels so strange. Christmas only a few weeks away, but it feels like it was months ago!

Now I remember what I missed this year!

I never heard the Hallelujah Chorus! I never heard any of The Messiah!

Feels like I missed the best part of the season!

Our ancestors were right to celebrate both comings of Christ at Christmas -- not only His appearance in disguise as a baby born at Bethlehem,  but also His victorious return in the future to reign in power and glory as King of Kings!

I am focusing on the Hallelujah Chorus right now - I have the words playing on my phone and also Alexa to give a sort of stereo affect -- Sing with me --

"Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ!

And He shall reign forever and ever!

King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

And He shall reign forever and ever!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"

Now I feel like we've truly celebrated Christmas....but nothing like we will in the future when we see it all happen with our own blessed eyes! 

Hallelujah!

Living with eyes wide open.....

Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things in your law.

(Psalm 119:18)

This was one of those mornings when I just don't seem to get it.

Like I am reading a scriptural passage I know is important but I can't get my brain to focus on what that message is. The ideas are blurry and indistinct. I know there is something more....something that adds to my picture of God's character and would direct me toward more holiness and obedience....but I can't seem to shake off the feeling that I am hopelessly distracted from what He is wanting to tell me.

So I pray: "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." I am asking, not just for assistance at this moment, I am asking for a miracle.

The word open used in this verse is the same word used in the story in Numbers 22 when the Lord opened Balaam's eyes so he could see the angel of the Lord standing on the road in front of him with his sword drawn.

And when Hagar was fleeing with Ishmael and was in the desert, thirsty, desperate for water -- Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.


And in Luke 24 we read about the two grief-stricken disciples on their way to Emmaus, who didn't realize they were walking and talking with the risen Savior --
then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.

When I ask God to "open my eyes" to more of His truth, I am asking Him to reveal Himself to me, not in an ordinary physical way, but in a supernatural way.

When Hagar saw the well, when Balaam saw the angel, and when the disciples saw Jesus, they were not seeing things that had not been there before.

God wasn't miraculously causing the well and the angel to appear -- they were already there.
The miracle was not in the appearance of the well and the angel and Christ, but the miracle was the Holy Spirit's work so they could see what was already there.

Were they so distraught by grief, by unbelief, by desperation that they couldn't see?


I think I am sometimes that way. The words and phrases are there, but because of my distractions, my disobedience, or my unbelief I just can't really get His message.

The word has to do with removing a veil, or a covering from our eyes. And I can't do that for myself.

It is a good time to remember that everything we have is a gift from God: our faith, our joy and peace, and even our repentance -- He is the source of all. And that includes our understanding of His Word --

Another Miracle When God Opened Someone's Eyes....

William Tyndale translated much of the Bible into early modern (contemporary) English in the early 1500's. He was the first to draw directly from the Hebrew and the Greek texts. (He was a well-known linguist -- fluent in at least 8 languages.)
He was also the first to take advantage of the new printing press and so copies could be distributed fairly quickly.

The Catholic Church and the English monarchy arrested Tyndale and he was burned at the stake in 1536.(Some records say he was strangled by one of the King's men before being tied to the stake, and some say a dear friend pierced him with his sword so he wouldn't feel the fiery pain -- I hope one of those is true.)

His last words, though, expressed his final prayer: "God, Open thou the King of England's eyes."

Was this prayer answered? Well, within 4 years of Tyndale's death, there were already 4 English translations being circulated in England. These included the Miles Coverdale version, Thomas Matthews', Richard Taverner's, and the Great Bible.

And then in the early 1600's the England's King James was gathering an assembly of the great linguists and theologians of the day to publish a brand new translation which would be called The Authorized King James Bible. It was completed in 1611.

So Tyndale's last prayer was answered in ways he could not even imagine.


(And we think things change fast these days!)

King James' scholars owed a great deal to Tyndale-- 83% of the King James New Testament and 75% of the Old Testament came directly from Tyndale's translation.


So really most of the credit for the "Authorized Version" should not go to all those scholars, it rightly belongs to William Tyndale!

Tyndale was the first one to substitute "love" for "charity." And he was the first to use the word "Jehovah" for the transliterated sacred Hebrew tetragrammaton, YHWH.

Living With Eyes Wide Open...

But back to David, the writer of Psalm 119. He doesn't just pray that God will open his eyes. He tells us why. He wants to live by God's law. And if he is to live by it, God will have to teach him from it (verse 26), give him understanding (verse 27)and keep him from false ways (verse 29).

And David was acknowledging that he would do his part: he would cherish and long for God's law (verse 20), he would meditate on God's decrees (verse 25) and delight in God's statues (verse 24), and let God's statues be his counselor (verse 24) and that he would obey God's law (verse 21).

Asking God to open our eyes is not something to be taken lightly. There are obligations and responsibilities for me when I am being instructed by the Holy Spirit. It makes me more accountable!

I should not pray this prayer without serious intent to live out what He is teaching me within.

 A Personal God? Or a Life Force? Which do you want?

From C S Lewis, Mere Christianity

One reason why many people find Creative Evolution so attractive is that it gives one much of the emotional comfort in God and none of the less pleasant consequences.

When you are feeling fit and the sun is shining and you do not want to believe that the whole universe is a mere mechanical dance of atoms, it is nice to be able to think of this great mysterious force rolling on through the centuries and carrying you on its crest.

If, on the other hand,  you want to do something rather shabby, the Life Force, being only a blind force, with no morals and no mind, will never interfere with you like that troublesome God we learned about when we were children. The One who speaks to us and holds us accountable.

The Life Force is a sort of tame God. You can switch it on when you want but it will never bother you. All the thrills of religion, and none of the cost.

Is the Life Force the greatest achievement of wishful thinking the world has yet seen?

(As for me, give me a personal God. Point me to the cross and tell me about Jesus. That's the God I want to believe in. A Rescuer, a Redeemer, a Savior God! I'll cast my life on Him!)

More Reasons to Say Thanks!

 

                                                        More Reasons to Say Thanks!

Reading Romans 1 --

Here are God's thoughts on the history of mankind:

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images...therefore God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts."

So they didn't glorify Him as God, nor did they give Him thanks. Thanking God Isn't trivial or optional; It is critical! Not thanking Him leads to destruction.

And as we look at Jesus we also see the importance of giving thanks. When He fed the multitudes the record says, "When He took the loaves He gave thanks" and the 5 small fishes fed thousands!

And standing outside the tomb of Lazarus, He gave thanks! And then the dead man came out -- alive -- and into the arms of his family!

See the pattern? First "thanks" and then the miracle! It is repeated through the gospels.

Are we missing something important these days?

First Thoughts -- First Words - Eric Metaxas - From The Moon

From Eric Metaxas...


It's interesting to think that some of the first words ever spoken on the surface of the moon were those of Jesus.


"I am the vine, you are the branches. [Whoever] abides in Me...will bring forth much fruit...(John 15:5)



Astronaut Buzz Aldrin said that he'd intended to read this communion passage in his transmission back to earth, but at the same time, NASA was embroiled in a legal battle with Madalyn O'Hair, the outspoken atheist who was suing NASA becase the Apollo 8 crew had read a few scriptures from Genesis when they orbited the moon on Christmas of 1968.



Aldrin had been asked not to read the scriptures over the radio, and he reluctantly complied, reading them quietly as he gave thanks to God.



"It was interesting for me think," he said some years later, "the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements."




And interesting for us to think that the first symbolic act on the moon was a remembrance of a self-sacrificial act of grace made 2000 years earlier by the One who made the moon and the Earth and the stars.

What is God Longing For?

From Isaiah:

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

     'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,  but you would have none of it....

     'Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore, He will rise up to show you compassion. 

For the LORD is a God of justice, Blessed are all who wait for Him.'"

                                                                      --Isaiah 30:15-18

What an amazing God we have! He 'longs to be gracious to us'! He even rises up to greet us when we approach His throne to show us His mercy.

The prophet Micah says this: 'You delight to show mercy'!

(Micah 7:9)

Who could ever imagine a God like that?

The Last Time On Earth John saw Jesus...W A Criswell

From W. A. Criswell.....

"When I saw him I fell at his feet as though dead" (Revelation 1:17)

That response of John is most strange. It would seem that he would have looked upon the face of his Master with ecstatic bliss and joy beyond words to describe....He was a beloved disciple in that inner circle who lived next to the very heart and ministry of our Savior.

He laid his head on Jesus' bosom at the Last Supper. He stood at the cross. He saw the blood and the water flow out like a fountain from his heart.

It was this beloved disciple, John, who in obedience to the loving, tender, shepherdly word of the Savior took Mary, the Lord's mother, to his home and cared for her.

Yet when he sees the Master on this Isle of Patmos, he falls at His feet as dead. I repeat, it would seem that he would have looked upon the Lord with joy unspeakable, with a bliss and a gladness that would be indescribable. Instead, great fear fell upon him.

Dr. Criswell goes on to talk about why John reacted the way he did:

The beloved disciple is looking upon unveiled deity. In the days of His flesh, in the days of the Lord's ministry in the earth, His godhead was covered over, it was shrouded, it was curtained in the flesh.

There's a second reason why John fell over as a dead man in the presence of the great God and Savior Jesus Christ and it's this: he immediately was conscious of the burden of his own nothingness, the burden of his own folly, the burden of his own insignificance, his on shortcoming, his own humanity, his own sin and iniquity. No insect would have expected to live in the furnace of the Son.

Remember Isaiah? When he describes his own experience seeing God?

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5).

Is there something wrong with the way we (I) view and approach God?

How do people see God?

 

You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,  or like any creature...and when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon, the stars -- all the heavenly array -- do not be enticed to bowing down to them and worshipping them....."  Deuteronomy 4:15-19

God always makes His instructions perfectly clear.....in this case He illustrated it with a profound example -- God has no form --You saw no form of any kind -- There was nothing His people could see -- so always remember, My people, your God can't be seen -- so don't try to make up a god you can see ..... because I have no form and I alone am God!

How could He have made it any clearer -- I AM GOD AND I CAN'T BE SEEN! - Don't try to make Me into something you can see! Don't try to make Me less than what I am!

What we used to call "object lessons" - with a profound Object and a profound lesson - don't try to take a picture of Me - put away your camera! I am bigger than all that - You will have to see Me with your "other" eyes -

Maybe is this because the Holy God is to live in us? People who want to see what God is like should be able to observe us?

Memo from God

 

My child,

Don't worry so much about the world. 

Just love everyone.

I'll sort it all out later.

I promise.

Your Father

The 12th Day of Christmas

This is the 12th Day of Christmas!

One of the traditional prayers for this last day of the Christmas season is this:

"We pray that You would saturate us with Your peace from the inside out. That we would be beacons of light and hope in the world, and that as this season closes, we would recommit ourselves to be the peacemakers, purveyors of hope, love, joy and justice in this world."

This day, January 6, is also called "Twelfth Night," the night before the Feast of the Epiphany -- and it closes the Christmas season by commemorating the arrival of the Wise Men to see Jesus, the King of the Jews, in Bethlehem.

"Epiphany" comes from a Greek word that means "appearance" or "manifestation" and refers to the manifestation of Jesus to the world, witnessed by the Wise Men from the East.

We know the Wise Men did not arrive on the 12th night after our Lord's birth (and we don't even know what day He was born).

Scripture is clear -- Jesus was not a baby, and they were living in a house by the time the Magi arrived. But celebrating it at this time makes the Christmas story complete.

And King Herod's reaction to the Wise Men's claim that they wanted to find the "King of the Jews" reminds us that there is always only room for one King --  and any other so-called called "King" would have to be eliminated! 

And so Herod was determined to do that -- because there is only room for one King!

A reminder to us  - there is only room for one King in our lives!  We must choose which one we will worship and serve and reject the others!

No one can have more than one King!

 --

 --

Fortunatus and his friends

I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived because they supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.
1 Corinthians 16:17-18 (NIV)

.

I am so glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus have come here. They have been making up for the help you weren't here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you, too. You must give proper honor to all those who serve so well. 1 Corinthians 16:17-18 (NLT)



Paul writes these words to the Christians in Corinth. He was in Ephesus, and the three men, Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, brought him a message from the struggling Corinthian church.


Paul mentions a written letter from the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 7:1. Probably this is the message they brought with them, and they could further explain and give detail through their verbal comments when seeing Paul face-to-face.

It was not a simple "Hello, how are you? We are praying for you" message. It was apparently long and detailed about the problems and ungodliness that had infected the church at Corinth.

We can tell from 1 Corinthians some of the problems they reported. The three men must have been greatly burdened to travel all the way to Ephesus to counsel with Paul.

We know very little about these men. In verse 15 (chapter 16) Paul writes, "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achai, and they devoted themselves to the service of the saints."

So we know Stephanas and his family (Achai is in southern Greece - its major cities are Athens and Corinth) were the first gospel followers in the area and they were diligent leaders of the small congregation.

We know from 1 Corinthians 1:16 that Paul himself baptized the Stephanas household.

But even if we don't know much, we know that Paul applauds them: such men deserve recognition. They are to be honored for their dedication and faithfulness. They are serving well.

They were Christians who stepped up and filled in the gap - who filled an empty place for ministry - they deserve honor. They would minister to Paul as representatives of the entire body of believers in Corinth. What the whole congregation could not do, because of distance, they could do.

And because of their faithfulness and love for Paul, we have today
in our New Testament the book of 1 Corinthians, the letter from Paul they delivered back to their church in Corinth.

I want to be like those early Christians -- refreshing those around us who are ministering -- encouraging them -- holding up their arms as Aaron and Hur held Moses' -- and as we do that we are serving well.....

In Times of Trouble

"Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish"
    .....From King Hezekiah's prayer in Isaiah 38:17.

My prayer in my times of trouble....

Father, the circumstance I am in right now is difficult and painful.

I would not have chosen it.

If You had given me a pile of problems to choose from, this would probably have been the very last one I would have chosen.

But You, in Your love and wisdom, have chosen it for me.

And I know You intend it for my good, and so, by faith, I thank You for the good You are going to do in my life through it.

Help me to genuinely believe this and be able to thank You with all my heart.

Amen.

(US/TX) My Father is Here

Background: The Battle of Galveston Bay, January, 1863

In January, 1863, the island of Galveston was re-captured from Union control by the Confederate forces. It was an important win.

The Union general, two years later, said that Galveston, as a military position was second in importance only to New Orleans and Mobile. General Banks wrote to the Secretary of War in April, 1865, that the loss of Galveston was "the most unfortunate affair that occurred in [the Department of the Gulf] during my command."

Soon after the Battle, Confederate General Magruder told his soldiers:

Soldiers of the Army of Galveston:

The New Year dawned upon an achievement whose glory is unsurpassed. That glory is yours. You have recaptured an island 2 miles from the mainland. You have repossessed yourselves of your beautiful "Island City," and made its hostile garrison, entrenched behind inaccessible barricades, surrender to you at discretion....Your general is proud to command you; your State and country will honor you as long as patriotism and heroism are cherished among men.

General John Bankhead Magruder, Address to the Army of Galveston, January 14, 1863.

An Inside Story:  Father and Son - On Opposite Sides!

The Union troops entered Galveston Bay on the Harriet Lane. One of its young officers was Edward Lea, a valiant Tennessean.

His father, Colonel Albert Miller Lea, a classmate of Magruder at West Point, joined the Confederate Army, and was assigned to General Magruder's staff at Galveston.

In Colonel Lea's last letter to his son he had prophetically warned him,"if you decide to fight for the Old Flag [the Union army], it is not likely we will meet again except face to face on the battlefield."

And so it happened. Like other families, they were divided in their loyalties, and met their last time on the battlefield of opposing armies.

After the fighting had stopped at the Battle of Galveston, Albert Lea revealed to General Magruder for the first time that his son had been serving on one of the enemy's Union vessels involved in the battle.

Magruder immediately gave his friend permission to go look for his son.

As he had predicted before the war, Albert Lea arrived on the deck of the captured Harriet Lane to discover his son lying on the deck dying of multiple wounds.

The boy recognized his father and said, "Father, I wish I could have given the order to move the ship sooner."

Some soldiers nearby, who realized the boy was dying, asked, "Is there anything you need?"

And the boy, in love and trust, said, "No, my father is here."

Two days later, Albert Lea read the funeral service over his son's quickly dug grave in a burial plot in the Episcopal Cemetery on Galveston Island.

Today, if you visit the old cemetery in Galveston, walk among the grave markers and recall that valiant souls on both sides 'gave their last measure of devotion.'

And, if you look carefully, chances are you will come across one particular marker that is inscribed with an anchor and a spyglass, and the words:

Edward Lea
1840-1863
My Father is Here

My earthly father died in 1999. But through the work of Jesus Christ at the cross, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, I can confidently say every morning when I rise and every evening when I lie down to rest, "My Father is here."

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God. I John 3:1

What manner of love....what a vast supply has been poured out on us...so that we can be called
God's children!

My Father is here. With me. All the time. Immanuel!

DOXOLOGY!

He Longs to be Gracious

                              

                              Our Father God Longs to be Gracious to Us!

From Isaiah:  "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, 

'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it....yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore, He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of Justice, blessed are all who wait for Him.'" Isaiah 30:15-18.

What an amazing God we have! He 'longs to be gracious to us!' He even rises up to greet us and show us mercy when we approach His throne.

The prophet Micah says this: "You delight to show mercy!" (Micah 7:9).

Who would ever even imagine a God like this?

P.S. And notice where our strength lies? "In quietness and trust..."

"Be still and know that I am God" He tell us.

Prayer for the New Year

                                   O LOVE BEYOND COMPARE


Thou art good when thou givest,
     when thou takest away
     when the sun shines upon me,
     when night gathers over me.

Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world,
     and in love did redeem my soul;


Thou dost love me still,
     in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.

Thy goodness has been with me during another year,
    leading me through a twisting wilderness,
         in retreat helping me to advance,
         when beaten back making sure headway.

Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,


With thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.

I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.

If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation,
     thou will be with me in them;


If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
     I shall not drown.

If I am to die,
     I shall see thy face the sooner;

If a painful end is to be my lot,
     grant me grace that my faith fail not;


Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
     as a chosen vessel ready always for thy use.


--From Valley of Vision - Collection of Puritan Prayers