Truth For The Heart
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15 KJV – The words of the “Hallelujah” chorus in Handel’s Messiah are from Revelation 19:6, 16; […]
Read MoreI first heard of Coventry Carol in a novel by Helen MacInnes when she used it at a critical moment in her story. It’s a song that’s probably unfamiliar to many Americans. I know I’ve never heard it sung in church or in concert here in the United States. The carol is both lullaby and lament, sung […]
Read MoreChristmas and the holiday season are not always times that are cheery and bright. Loneliness and loss have a sharper edge then because they contrast with our longings to have Christmas be a time of warmth and love and joy. Suffering and grief can also inflict a terrible sense of alienation on our hearts. We […]
Read More– “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 – There are songs in which the music, the lyrics, and the story behind its writing sing with one voice […]
Read MoreMany people know that Handel wrote the music for Messiah, however, the man who chose the Bible passages for its libretto and gave them to Handel is hardly known at all. His name was Charles Jennens, and Messiah was born out of a tragic event in his life. Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern […]
Read MoreTwo years ago I read a mystery by George Bellairs that opens on Christmas Eve 1940 as Detective-Inspector Littlejohn is traveling to meet his wife who has evacuated to Yorkshire after their London flat was destroyed in the Blitz. On Christmas night they visit the Methodist church in a small village to hear the choir […]
Read MoreFor some of you giving thanks to God is easy because of the abundance of His blessings you’ve known this past year, but for many 2020 has been a tough year and gratitude that is a real expression of your heart is difficult. Giving thanks frequently receives short shrift when we talk about it, because […]
Read More‘For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well…. ‘You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from […]
Read MoreO sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown; O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine. What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain; Mine, mine was […]
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Kindling for Candles 