A Hymn for Inauguration Day

Turn the volume way, way up and give thanks to the Lord of Lords, who has given our country yet another chance–He doesn’t have to do that, you know! Anyway, this hymn, Gloria in Excelsis Deo (“Glory to God in the Highest”) by Saint-Saens, sung by Libera, seems to me greatly suitable to the occasion.

May the irresistible power and grace of God free us from the delusions that have led us so far astray for so long–free us, and lead us back to sanity.

And may God give us the courage and the wit to do our part: because, boys and girls, our country will not survive another Obama.

 

Inauguration Day: Fire or Fizzle?

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All sorts of threats against our new president, Donald Trump, are pouring out of the Left. As just one example out of many, CNN has recently teased its viewers by reporting that, should some “disaster” kill Trump and Vice President Mike Pence tomorrow, before they can be sworn in, an Obama appointee, some “undersecretary for political affairs,” would then become president ( http://www.infowars.com/cnn-if-trump-is-killed-during-inauguration-obama-appointee-would-be-president/ ).

Again, that’s just one of many threats, too numerous to list here. The Left is frantic over the prospect of losing power, and, unrestrained by anything that we would recognize as morality, they’re making like they’ll do absolutely anything to keep it.

But we’ve seen a lot of this lately. First they were going to disrupt the Republican National Convention. Fizzle. Then there was the Great Recount. Fizzle. Then the flood of threats against the Electoral College. Fizzle. Then some really disgusting “news” about Trump that turned out to be a hoax. Fizzle. So, if past history is anything to go by, the mayhem and chaos threatened for Inauguration Day will turn out to be the final fizzle. I pray I’m right about this.

This succession of threats is in itself symptomatic of a deep spiritual sickness in our country. And although the Lord blessed us in sparing us a Hillary Clinton presidency, it’ll take more than winning an election to cure us.

Let us pray.

O Lord Our God, move us as a nation to repent our sins, to humble ourselves, and to turn back to you, so that you can heal us–as you have said, in the Bible, that you will. Turn us so that we know our sin and turn away from it, turn us back to sanity, turn us back to you, O God: and we shall be saved. We are in very deep trouble, Lord, and only you can pull us out of it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

An Answered Prayer

For those of you who have prayed, and been praying, for my friend and neighbor, Harlem, I have good news. He told me today that he went to the hospital Tuesday for his report, and he has been pronounced free of cancer–all gone!

This cancer was a very bad number, and he had some other medical problems to go with it. But the cancer is gone now, and he’s been walking around town to get his strength back. Judging by the grip of his hand today, his full strength would be really something to see!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you–you really are able to do all things.

Prayer Request: Lisa

Please join me in prayer for Lisa, whose daughter is in the hospital to have a baby, but faced with a medical complication in the pregnancy. (It was Lisa who suggested the hymn, “Jesus,” earlier today.)

O Father in Heaven, please bring safely through this danger Lisa’s daughter and her baby: we ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Still Freezing

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Ah, how quickly are our desires cut down to size!

The boiler installation crew has knocked off for the day without finishing the job, so that’s another full day and night without heat. Please pray for my wife: this has not been good for her.

Never mind fame and fortune. I’ll settle for a reasonably warm toilet seat.

‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ (Plus a Prayer)

This is the song that was in my head this morning. And this is Jars of Clay performing it.

Please join together in prayer.

O Lord Our God! Now let this Christmas work, every day throughout the year. Let it draw our hearts to Jesus Christ our King, and bind us to Him with unbreakable cords of love. In our hearts, O God, let us hear the angels sing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘To Us a Child of Hope is Born’ (Plus a Prayer Request)

Susan asked for this: they sang it at her church this morning–To Us a Child of Hope is Born, here sung by the congregation at the First Presbyterian OPC Church in Perkasie, Pennsylvania.

If I may, I ask for your prayers for Susan’s parents’ cat, The Judge. He’s the last of a household, Susan’s mother and father having died recently–so it would be hard for her to lose the cat, too.Father in Heaven, in Jesus’ name, please spare your servant grief. Amen.

[Oops, the video I originally selected didn’t take–don’t ask me why. So here’s another one, this one with lyrics.]

My Back is Back

Twenty-four hours ago I could hardly raise an eyebrow without pain shooting through my lower back. But now I’m pretty much back to normal.

I thank all of you who prayed for me yesterday. I don’t think my prayer request was up an hour before I started to feel better.

Well, we who belong to God know Our Father answers prayers. Not always in the way that we expect–sometimes He gives us much better than what we’ve asked for. We all know this from experience, don’t we?

To God be the glory, to God be the praise!

Prayer Request: Me

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My back is just murdering me today: no bike ride, no visit to the nursing home. Not safe to drive when you don’t know which little tiny movement is going to suddenly freeze you with pain.

I’m sure it will go away eventually, but I would much appreciate your prayers today, everybody.

Prayer Request for Christmas 2016

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O Lord our God, bless this coming Christmas and make it glorious and mighty to dispel the darkness of this age, to hearten your people, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind:

To proclaim Jesus Christ the Son of God, our salvation and our hope, who by the sovereign power of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;

By whose stripes we are healed;

By whose death and resurrection we live!

O Lord our God, make us tireless and courageous in the service of Jesus Christ Our King–Amen.