Spurgeon on Prayer & the New Year
For the past 10 years or so I have been reading Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening. This is one of my favorite entries and one of my favorite New Years reminders:
“Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour of a Christian. If thou be a child of God, thou wilt seek thy Father’s face, and live in thy Father’s love. Pray that this year thou mayst be holy, humble, zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and enter oftener into the banqueting-house of his love. Pray that thou mayst be an example and a blessing unto others, and that thou mayst live more to the glory of thy Master. The motto for this year must be, “Continue in prayer.”
~ Spurgeon, Morning and Evening - Jan 2
There are worlds of money wasted, at this time of year, in getting things that nobody wants, and nobody cares for after they are got.
— Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote that back in 1850.
I can’t believe it is Christmas already. I am convinced this year has flown by faster than any other. It has been a year full of blessings. Shawnda and I travelled to Uganda twice, brought home Jeremiah. S & K started gymnastics. K did dance and hasn’t taken her tutu off for the last 2 months. M does his own gymnastics on our living room furniture. It has been a great joy and privilege beyond what I can describe to see our children growing up and loving the Lord.
This year the Lord has been breaking our heart over the nations and the poor around the world and our own backyard. Much of our individual devotional time and family worship time has been spent thinking about ways we can extend the kingdom of God to the lost and the least of these. We have been so encouraged by what God has been doing in the city of Austin, TX through friends and various churches there and began praying about moving.
I have been blessed to serve on staff with an amazing ministry helping families adopt and helping churches develop a culture of adoption. In October we had our second Together for Adoption conference and over 650 folks attended. This is one of numerous evidences that God is on the move in His church when it comes to the orphan. This past month the Lord opened another door for me to serve as a pastor on the team at the Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, TX. I am humbled and very excited about this opportunity to serve Christ and His people in the context of the local church. We are moving in January and will continue our journey there, learning to love and be loved by our Father. I will also continue to serve in my role at the ABBA Fund and open an office in Austin. I’m also excited to do this from the context of a local church that is passionate about this cause!
Please, if you are ever in Austin, come and visit.
If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.
— Augustine
First and foremost, clearly, please remember the poor, so that what you withhold from yourselves by living more sparingly, you may deposit in the treasury of heaven. Let the hungry Christ receive what the fasting Christian receives less of. Let the self-denial of one who undertakes it willingly become the support of the one who has nothing. Let the voluntary want of the person who has plenty become the needed plenty of the person in want.
— St. Augustine, Sermon 210
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Karis Singing “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.”
My new screen saver. Can’t get enough of this kid!
