Finally made it

Well, the semester is finally over, and I made it by God's grace. Single parenting, school, and work is a tough combination, but God is faithful. I managed to get through with a 4.0 this semester, which is a big boost to my cummulative gpa. I should know the results of the NLN pre-nursing exam by the end of the week. For anyone reading this post, prayers would be much appreciated.

I'm really struggling this year with this whole idea of the Christmas holiday. To be honest, my heart just isn't in it. Over the last two years, I've become increasingly skeptical about the whole idea of a December 25th holiday celebrating the incarnation of our Savior. Not that we shouldn't celebrate and meditate on all that means, I just think that it's something we shouldn't need a special day on which to do it. Especially when the majority of people celebrating the holiday haven't the least concern for Christ and His taking on the form of sinful man in order to redeem a people who will love and follow Him. Most of the people who celebrate the day are so stressed out by the time it arrives from all the running and rushing from here to there to prepare for it, that thoughts of what the day is supposed to be about, is completely forgotten. Then on Christmas morning, after all the booty has been divided up and greed has been satisfied, the scene seems anti-climactic. There's a feeling of let down--all the time and preparation--the expense, seems for naught. The only thing left, is to spend the next six months paying the bills off from all the gifts, and waiting till next year to start the process over again. Something to ponder. Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

Something to meditate on

This is an introduction to a sermon by C.H. Spurgeon, delivered at the tender age of 20. May his tribe increase. Enjoy.

The Immutability of God

A Sermon
(No. 1)
Delivered on Sabbath Morning, January 7th, 1855, by the
REV. C. H. Spurgeon
At New Park Street Chapel, Southwark.

---

"I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."—Malachi 3:6

t has been said by some one that "the proper study of mankind is man." I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God's elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, "Behold I am wise." But when we come to this master-science, finding that our plumb-line cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought, that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass's colt; and with the solemn exclamation, "I am but of yesterday, and know nothing." No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God. We shall be obliged to feel—

"Great God, how infinite art thou,
What worthless worms are we!"
But while the subject humbles the mind it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe. He may be a naturalist, boasting of his ability to dissect a beetle, anatomize a fly, or arrange insects and animals in classes with well nigh unutterable names; he may be a geologist, able to discourse of the megatherium and the plesiosaurus, and all kinds of extinct animals; he may imagine that his science, whatever it is, ennobles and enlarges his mind. I dare say it does, but after all, the most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity. And, whilst humbling and expanding, this subject is eminently consolatary. Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your sorrows? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead. It is to that subject that I invite you this morning.

Church Christmas closings

On the Founders Ministries blog, Tom Ascol points out some of the reasons churches are giving for closing on Christmas day. It amazes and saddens me that many of those who seem to claim some kind of superiority when it comes to missions and evangelism, have chosen to shut the doors of their churches on Christmas day. I guess the thing that gets to me...other than the obvious reasons....is that many of these who have chosen to forsake worship services on that day, are no doubt among those who cry the loudest over "under God" being removed from the pledge of allegiance, Christ being removed from Christmas by many of the popular retailers, and a host of other "de-Christianizing" actions taken by businesses and government agencies. Yet, it's ok to skip assembling together for the sake of expediency, cost-effectiveness, etc. etc.

I'm just a layman...and my intent isn't to chastise so much as it is to plead....pastors...heed Christ's command to "feed my sheep".....preach the Word...."in season, and out of season".

Is church a place where we assemble to worship God and be fed His word...or is it an entertainment venue for sinners? The true gospel is an offense.....it always has been. It is the rock upon which I and all who have ever been converted were broken. Let's worry more about keeping Christ and His gospel in His church, than keeping His name associated with a holiday.

Time to start blogging

Well, it's time to start blogging. I'm in the last two weeks of this my third semester of school, getting my prereqs in for nursing school. Soooo much stress. It amazes me, or rather I amaze myself sometimes, at how stressed out I get over these things. I'm a firm believer in God's sovereign control over my life, yet I still at times wring my hands and spend many a sleepless night worrying over things I have absolutely no control over. When I should be taking comfort in the fact that God has all these things in His hands, my own hands still struggle to find their way back to the steering wheel of my life. Mortifying the flesh is a constant, moment by moment struggle. My only solace, is that He will finish what He began. Thank you Lord.