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James 1:16-20
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
No shadow of turning. Our God is unchanging and unchangable. It is we who can change, and do. The fact that He is the Rock on which we are supported is of such amazing comfort and reassurance.
With the death of our Queen, it is easy to feel cast adrift, particularly as she reigned for a full three score years and ten. She has always been there for us. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I felt a deep sense of loss, when I heard the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. I was born less than a month after her coronation, have never met her, and seen her only twice from a distance. Yet like so many, the shock of her death was palpable, as of the passing of someone in our own family circle.
One small detail made an impression on me. Apparently, the royal standard on Buckingham Palace is never lowered to half mast on the death of the Sovereign. Why? Because there is always a monarch. Charles became our King in the very instant his mother died. There is always a monarch, so the Royal banner is always there atop the seat of the monarchy. It is there as a sign of the perpetual nature of earthly kingship in this nation, just as our Lord Jesus Christ reigns forever in the spiritual realm. Such symbols were put in place in the days when we were more a Christian nation than seems the case today.
Our Queen was a great example of a woman and monarch of deep faith, and — it is ever thus — we perhaps only appreciate that fact now that she is no longer with us. King Charles has vowed to be ‘defender of the faith’. In these days we are witnessing man’s small attempts to display the immensely greater eternal weight of glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
No man or woman has the capacity in themselves to live up to the blesséd actuality of Christ, so Lord we pray this day, that You anoint our new King, that he may have a hearing ear and a seeing eye, to live up to that promise; that his faithfulness to God be great, without any shadow of turning.
And lest we forget, each one of us are not just called to be, but made to be kings and priests in His service’, so that the call to unwavering steadfast faith rests upon us also. A heavy burden that may seem, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Look to Him; He will do it.
With the death of our Queen, it is easy to feel cast adrift, particularly as she reigned for a full three score years and ten. She has always been there for us. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I felt a deep sense of loss, when I heard the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. I was born less than a month after her coronation, have never met her, and seen her only twice from a distance. Yet like so many, the shock of her death was palpable, as of the passing of someone in our own family circle.
One small detail made an impression on me. Apparently, the royal standard on Buckingham Palace is never lowered to half mast on the death of the Sovereign. Why? Because there is always a monarch. Charles became our King in the very instant his mother died. There is always a monarch, so the Royal banner is always there atop the seat of the monarchy. It is there as a sign of the perpetual nature of earthly kingship in this nation, just as our Lord Jesus Christ reigns forever in the spiritual realm. Such symbols were put in place in the days when we were more a Christian nation than seems the case today.
Our Queen was a great example of a woman and monarch of deep faith, and — it is ever thus — we perhaps only appreciate that fact now that she is no longer with us. King Charles has vowed to be ‘defender of the faith’. In these days we are witnessing man’s small attempts to display the immensely greater eternal weight of glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
No man or woman has the capacity in themselves to live up to the blesséd actuality of Christ, so Lord we pray this day, that You anoint our new King, that he may have a hearing ear and a seeing eye, to live up to that promise; that his faithfulness to God be great, without any shadow of turning.
And lest we forget, each one of us are not just called to be, but made to be kings and priests in His service’, so that the call to unwavering steadfast faith rests upon us also. A heavy burden that may seem, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Look to Him; He will do it.
Meditate On These Things
REVELATION 1:4-6
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS — Chris Rice
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— LOVE with all your HEART --
THE SUREST SIGN that God has done a work of grace in my heart is that I love Jesus Christ best, not weakly and faintly, not intellectually, but passionately, personally and devotedly, overwhelming every other love of my life.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below…
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