Jesus, Lover of My Soul - Aberystwyth

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.
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This is one of my favorite hymns. I love this Ralph Vaughan Williams setting.

Of the Father's Love Begotten

The above song celebrates, among other things, the "eternal generation of the Son." In other words the relationship of God the Father to God the Son is an eternal one. A human father can engender a son in a moment of time, and from that point on, he is the father of that child. Since God the Father is eternal, His Son is also eternal. Hence the term "eternal generation of the Son." The Son of God did take on human flesh, born of the Virgin Mary, but that was not the beginning of the existence of the Son of God. He is eternal, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit - God in three persons.

The early church in the 4th century needed to clarify Biblical teaching about the person of Jesus Christ, since there were some who were teaching that the Son of God was not eternal. That is, He did not exist until He was born on the earth. However, the Bible teaches that the Son of God left Heaven in order to be our Savior. Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the clearest texts supporting the fact of Christ's pre-existence - that is, He was already God and Lord before He took on bodily form, even before time began.


So, Christians have from time to time needed to clarify the relationship that exists between the Father and the Son, as well as the Holy Spirit - the Triune God. There is only one God, existing eternally in three persons.


From the 4th century we have the Nicene creed.:

The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.


More recent theologians have also addressed this issue of the "eternal generation of the Son." Here is what A.A. Hodge had to say as quoted in a Wikkipedia entry.:

"The eternal generation of the Son is defined as 'an eternal personal act of the Father, wherein, by necessity of nature, not by choice of will, He generates the person (not the essence) of the Son, by communicating to Him the whole indivisible substance of the Godhead, without division, alienation, or change, so that the Son is the express image of His Father's person, and eternally continues, not from the Father, but in the Father, and the Father in the Son.'"

- A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, p. 182

Then, way back in the 4th century about the same time the Nicene Creed was being forged, the hymn Of the Father's Love Begotten was written. It expresses eloquently this concept of the eternal generation of the Son. He was begotten - speaking of relationship and representation - not made. Yes, the Son took on bodily form and showed us the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, but He has always been and always will be the eternal Son of God.

The melody of this song is also called Divinum Mysterium - Divine Mystery. There is a mystery about the eternal generation of the Son that some would like to ignore. However, the One who was in the bosom of the Father has been revealed - Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.

John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The only God has been made known.


John 1:18 (English Standard Version)
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Notice that in the Greek NT, the words translated "only begotten Son" in the KJV and "the only God" in the ESV are "μονογενης θεος" - "only begotten God." Begotten, not made, very God of very God. The Nicene Creed got it right. Our English, IMO, does not properly express the nuance that the ancient Greek and Latin fathers understood, and I think we are poorer for it, myself - especially when some modern day theologians, I have noticed, argue from the English! Weird...

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:18 (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament)
18θεον ουδεις εωρακεν πωποτε μονογενης θεος ο ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος εκεινος εξηγησατο

The Father Sent the Son

1 John 4:14
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Matthew Henry:

"The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world."

John 3:16,17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Dr. Bruce Ware:

"Clearly, the Father both consecrated the Son for the very mission he planned for him, and then he sent the Son into the world to fulfill what he had designed. For this to be meaningful, we must understand both the consecration and sending of the Son as happening prior to the incarnation and thus in the design and purpose of God in eternity past."

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It is important to understand that the Father sent the Son into the world before the Son was born in Bethlehem, even before He was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The sending happened in eternity past. In fact, one could say that eternity does not really have a past, present, or future, since eternity speaks of the kind of existence that God has outside of the constraints of time. Time is part of His created order. He is in no way bound by the limits of time.

Therefore, it has always been the will of the Father, - throughout all of time and eternity - with the full agreement of the Son, and the of the Holy Spirit to send the Son as our Savior. The effects of this sending would carry through to all eternity. His coming was at a specific point in time, but the effects of His coming are eternal. In fact, as Matthew Henry points out in his quote above, "He [the Father] willed His [the Son's] coming into the world." The "willing" had to happen before the "coming."

What does it matter? The Son is eternal, as is the Father. They have always had an eternal Father with His eternal Son relationship. The Son did not begin His life when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is the eternal Son of God, just as the Father is our Eternal Father, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God. It has always been this way, and it always will be, for God in His essence does not and cannot change.


Since the Father is eternal, the Son is also eternal. How can there be an eternal Father if there is no eternal Son?

Of course, there is only One eternal God who has always existed and will always exist in what are called three hypostases - IOW, three persons who are one in essence and will.

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before youand said, Destroy.


Romans 16:26
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

Come Ye Thankful People Come

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Words: Henry Alford, Psalms and Hymns, 1844.

Music: St. George’s Wind­sor, George J. El­vey, 1858

Presbyterian College music department performs "Come Ye Thankful People Come" at the annual Christmas concert in 2008.

Thanksgiving

Psalm 54:6
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.


I have one huge answer to prayer to give thanks for. It looks like H1N1 has finally given up on me. It took about 3 weeks. From others I have talked to, that is pretty much normal for those who are infected with this nasty bug. I'm over the bronchitis, too, and finished the antibiotic for pneumonia. My lungs hurt a little, but that is clearing up nicely, too.


The very good news in all this is that I have only had to use my asthma inhaler 4 times the whole time I've been sick - since Halloween. My Bible study friends have been praying that I won't have asthma problems this year. That prayer has been abundantly answered. Usually when I catch a virus, it greatly complicates my asthma, but not this time.

Then, I am grateful to God for the body of Christ and for many who have communicated with me that they are praying for me. This includes my own family, my church family, my pastor and his wife, the ladies at Bible study, my Good News Club partner and the kids there, members of the Christian orchestra we play in, and then friends as far away as Colombia, Chile, Cuba, India, Canada, and even Texas. My good friend Ligia in the Yucatan, MX, even called me to make sure I was still alive!


Now that the fever is gone, maybe I can get my H1N1 vaccine! I'm in a high risk group because of my asthma. Hmmm. I'm going to choose gratitude - and laughter - on that one. As they say, laughter is the best medicine, right after antibiotics.

Jesus, Priceless Treasure

Here is a lovely setting from a choir in Quezon City, PI. It is sad that the sound is not so great, but the performance is very nice. I would have loved to have heard it in person.


Here is another rendition of the new hymn tune for Jesus Priceless Treasure from a church somewhere in the US, I assume. The words have been adapted a bit, but it is still the same old Lutheran hymn, but with a beautiful new melody. Jesus is our treasure hid in a field. He is our Pearl of Great Price. He is the One we long for.




Here is the more familiar German Lutheran hymn.

Words: Jo­hann Franck, in Prax­is Pi­e­ta­tis Mel­i­ca, by Jo­hann Crüger, 1653 (Je­su, meine Freude); trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­ther­ine Wink­worth, 1863.

Cyberhymnal

This rendition of the Bach Motet based on the German hymn is deeply moving.



Jesus, priceless Treasure,
Source of purest pleasure,
Truest Friend to me.
Ah, how long in anguish
Shall my spirit languish,
Yearning, Lord, for Thee?
Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!
I will suffer naught to hide Thee,
Naught I ask beside Thee.

In Thine arms I rest me;
Foes who would molest me
Cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
Every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear.
Lightnings flash and thunders crash;
Yet, though sin and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.

Satan, I defy thee;
Death, I now decry thee;
Fear, I bid thee cease.
World, thou shalt not harm me
Nor thy threats alarm me
While I sing of peace.
God’s great power guards every hour;
Earth and all its depths adore Him,
Silent bow before Him.

Evil world, I leave thee;
Thou canst not deceive me,
Thine appeal is vain.
Sin that once did bind me,
Get thee far behind me,
Come not forth again.
Past thy hour, O pride and power;
Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
Leave thee now forever.

Hence, all thought of sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in.
Those who love the Father,
Though the storms may gather,
Still have peace within;
Yea, whatever we here must bear,
Still in Thee lies purest pleasure,
Jesus, priceless Treasure!

Then there's Buxtehude.




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Now Thank We All Our God arr. Virgil Fox

John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

Dr. Piper's words are powerful. The prosperity Gospel is not the Gospel. In fact, Biblical teaching about wealth, health, and prosperity is very different from what the prosperity people teach. Yes, God cares for His own, but that is very different from saying that those who send some seed money to a television charlatan will get it back. I remember what a Jamaican pastor's wife who told us about the poor people in her country who make deposits into the bank accounts of television preachers. Our friend worked in a bank and it broke her heart to see people who had so little to begin with filling the greedy pockets of these false teachers.

We need a Scriptural understanding of health, wealth, and prosperity. For example, it is interesting to look at the Scriptures that use the word "treasure" in the English Standard Version of the Bible. One could also look up the words "health", "wealth", and "prosperity" in the Bible and get similar results. Very few of Scripture references have anything to do with material treasures in a positive way. That should tell us something about what God wants us to understand true treasure to be. Things like children, wisdom, God's commands, God's Kingdon, and the Gospel itself are called "treasure." These are the things that we should value above all else. Yes, God does provide for His own, knowing what our material needs are, but He doesn't make everyone rich in this world's goods.


Those who have earthly treasures are to use them generously to help the poor and to ensure that the Gospel is preached. Yes, we are all thankful for the material blessings God has given us. We need to use them wisely, laying up treasure in heaven. Otherwise, we may be surprised to find out that what we have been trusting in was not the Gospel at all, but rather a God and a Gospel of our own invention - one that has not saved us when we stand before God on that Day.



1.Genesis 43:23
He replied, "Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

2.2 Kings 20:13
And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.

3.1 Chronicles 29:3
Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

4.Psalm 17:14
from men by your hand, O LORD,from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children,and they leave their abundance to their infants.

5.Proverbs 2:1
[ The Value of Wisdom ] My son, if you receive my wordsand treasure up my commandments with you,

6.Proverbs 7:1
[ Warning Against the Adulteress ] My son, keep my wordsand treasure up my commandments with you;

7.Proverbs 15:6
In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

8.Proverbs 15:16
Better is a little with the fear of the LORDthan great treasure and trouble with it.

9.Proverbs 21:20
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,but a foolish man devours it.

10.Ecclesiastes 2:8
I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man.

11.Isaiah 33:6
and he will be the stability of your times,abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.

12.Isaiah 39:2
And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.

13.Ezekiel 22:25
The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.

14.Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

15.Matthew 12:35
The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

16.Matthew 13:44
[ The Parable of the Hidden Treasure ] "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

17.Matthew 13:52
And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

18.Matthew 19:21
Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

19.Mark 10:21
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

20.Luke 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

21.Luke 12:21
So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

22.Luke 12:33
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

23.Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

24.Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

25.Acts 8:27
And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship

26.2 Corinthians 4:7
[ Treasure in Jars of Clay ] But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

27.1 Timothy 6:19
thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

28.James 5:3
Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama on Abortion

Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations

This afternoon I spent some enjoyable time reading several of our US presidents' Thanksgiving Proclamations, as well as the one by Governor Bradford of the Plymouth Colony. For me it was thrilling to read how several of our leaders viewed this American holiday.


There is a Christian website that gives information for children about our holidays. The section on US Thanksgiving is where I got the selection of presidential proclamations that I have put up here on my blog.


It is good to go back and remember why we are doing what we are doing. Yes, Thanksgiving is a good time to get together with family and friends and share a special meal together. In our celebrating, we shouldn't forget to give thanks to God for all His bounty and goodness to us. We should not forget, either, those who do not have enough and share with them on this special day.

Take a little time to study the history of this holiday, and take even more time to offer thanks to God for all His benefits and blessings that we enjoy in our land.

Psalm 105
Tell of All His Wonderful Works

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!