THE SECOND ADVENT

In the hush of the silent midnight Shall the cry of His coming be? When the day of the Lord’s appearing Shall flash over earth and sea? Shall it be at the morning’s awaking And the beams of the golden sun Grow pale and be quenched forever When his journey is just begun? We know … Continue reading THE SECOND ADVENT

A family heirloom

A little said, and truly said, Can greater joy impart, Than hosts of words that reach the head, But never touch the heart. Autograph books originated hundreds of years ago among university students in Europe.  Fellow students, and later on professional colleagues, would sign each others books, adding  well wishes or short poems. For a … Continue reading A family heirloom

Where did those words come from?

A friend and I had spent the night in the bar and it was around midnight when we arrived back in the little town where I lived.  We weren’t ready to call it a day yet, so when we saw a light in a friend’s house we went and banged on the door.  They let … Continue reading Where did those words come from?

What Colour is Your Bushel?

Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may … Continue reading What Colour is Your Bushel?

Respect of Persons

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” James  2:1. The hardest thing for a person to conceal is his opinion of himself,  including his concept of where others rank in relation to him. The world has developed a corresponding expertise in detecting hypocrisy … Continue reading Respect of Persons

Suspicions of Suppression

Some years ago, a backyard mechanic on the Canadian prairies designed and built a carburetor that got fantastic gas mileage with no sacrifice of performance.  He drove a car equipped with this carburetor from Winnipeg to Vancouver, averaging 130 miles per gallon for the trip (or 107 miles per US gallon). Or did he drive … Continue reading Suspicions of Suppression

What kind of people do we think we are?

An encounter between Jesus and a group of Pharisees is recorded in the 18th chapter of the gospel of Luke.  The Pharisees are described as “certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.”  Jesus then told a parable of a pharisee and a publican (usually considered by the Jews to be … Continue reading What kind of people do we think we are?

This is war

“Must I be carried to the skies on flow’ry beds of ease?” asked Isaac Watts many years ago.  Well, nowadays that seems to be exactly what we expect Christian life to be like.  Is it any wonder that so many folks find Christian life to be boring and unfulfilling? Jesus didn’t promise “flow’ry beds of … Continue reading This is war

“They feared the LORD and served their own gods”

The title comes from 2 Kings 17:33 and describes the people of Samaria during the time of their subjection to the king of Assyria.  We shake our heads in disbelief, wondering how those long ago people could have been so blind.  What were they thinking? Let’s take a closer look; who was the LORD and … Continue reading “They feared the LORD and served their own gods”

Thomas Jefferson’s Miscalculation

When the War of 1812 began, the US government assumed that the Canadian colonies to the north would quickly grasp the opportunity to throw off British colonial rule and become part of the USA.  Thomas Jefferson declared that Canada could be acquired simply by marching North. It probably seemed a logical assumption.  The colonies of … Continue reading Thomas Jefferson’s Miscalculation