A Variety of Posts for you to Read

Instead of writing a blog post today, I'm going to encourage you to visit other posts. Let's share the joy!

Apparently, today marks 83 years since the remaining islanders of St Kilda were evacuated from the remote archipelago to build a life on the Scottish mainland.

A Visit to St Kilda is the first of three blog posts from last year, in which our friend, Calum, wrote of his trip to this remote island.

When you've read that, take a look at St Kilda - Some History, and then pop over to the third post, St Kilda - Wildlife.

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Losing your spouse is one of the greatest losses imaginable. Tim Challies has some wonderful thoughts as well as two unmissable videos in Oh Sweet Lorraine and Missing Hope. You really do want to read this, and watch these two clips. Oh, just one thing: have the tissues at the ready.

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Dr David Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and has written a wonderful poem to teach us some of the meaning of the books of the Old Testament. 

The title of the post, My attempt to Mimic John Piper, does not really give an indication of what's ahead in this blog post. Head on over, read the poem and then listen to his Scottish accent speaking it to a group of gathered children.

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Some western nations (the US in particular, but the UK too) have made - it seems to me - an idol of democracy. Despite what they ought to have learned from Iraq and despite what they are now seeing in Egypt, our leaders refuse to admit that there is a whole lot more to having a peaceful nation than an occasional trip to a voting booth. 

Making an Idol of Democracy states the case - and states it well.

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A Sermon for Tomorrow

Our peats are all home, and our vegetable plot is coming on a treat. I feel truly blessed by God's goodness in these temporal provisions.


And now we come to a needed and looked-forward-to day of rest.

I haven't heard this actual sermon - it's called Christ, the Great King Priest - but the retired minister preaching it is who we'll be hearing tomorrow. Our own minister is on holiday.

I hope y'all have a blessed Lord's Day. If you aren't able to get out to church, feel free to have a listen to this sermon ... or another of the thousands on the Sermon Audio site.

G'night all :)

A Sermon Recommendation - Belonging to the Best Family

Having posted about the love we have as believers for each other, in yesterday's post, I thought I'd make this my recommendation for this weekend's listening.

Enjoy. And be blessed :)

Just another Saturday...

Big Brother was separating the sheep from their lambs today. This always makes me sad - more for the sheep than for the lambs - although tomorrow morning we'll be woken to a cacophony of bleating from poor, motherless lambs.

My momma heart bleeds. Thankfully, I'm not the one making these decisions. Big Brother knows what he's doing.

This is Louis. He's one of the not-nice-but-dim dogs. No, I think I need to re-word that: He is nice, but he's not dim. He's Jackson's cousin. He's gorgeous.

And this is Ben - another cousin of Jackson's. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.... watching the sheep with interest, but not getting anywhere near them.

See, the dogs in Lewis are all related too - just like we are. Of course, the dogs are related by blood, but by adoption. That's okay though - they're still cousins. 

Not that I've ever broken this news to Jackson. As far as he's concerned, I'm his Mama, so I'd appreciate none of you bringing up the subject of where he came from in his presence. 

I'll show more of today's photos on Monday (when I ask BB some questions regarding ... you know... er, stuff he was doing), but for now, have a look at this. 

Oi! Look this way! Thank you, that's just perfect for this photo. All of you, just stay still a minute and look at the camera.

Thank you. You've been a smashing audience.

Yes, yes, I got your good side.

Inside the house, there was some food on the go. Katie made her Victoria Sponge. (I'll post the recipe she uses soon.)

Here is a photo of Reason #275 for having daughters.

It is also a photo of Reason #186 that I am not shedding a certain 8-unwelcome-lbs.

There were more cauliflower and broccoli ready for harvesting. Some of it will be eaten tomorrow, some of it went into soup, and some was blanched, bagged and frozen.

 Unlike those of you living in the baking heat, we don't tend to have bags of ice handy. Fortunately, I found this one in the freezer - just what I needed for the job at hand.

The photo doesn't show the colour properly, but the broccoli is so green after being blanched. 

All being well, this will be used when there's no fresh broccoli or cauli on the go.

I hope y'all have a blessed Lord's Day. If you are looking for something to listen to, here's a recommendation from me: Hannah Prepared for Blessing.

I was blessed listening to it, and it spoke specifically to some needs of my own soul right at the time I needed that. I hope it may be blessed to others too.

God's Answer to Suffering

This week on our island, a 34 year old mother of two young girls passed away. Her daughters are two and four.

Many people ask the question, "How, if God is loving, can He allow such things to happen?"

Maybe this sermon, God's Answer to Suffering, will help answer that question.

Meanwhile, we remember these dear girls, now motherless,  and their father, now a widower. My heart aches when I think of situations like these: what they're going through is simply unimaginable, and yet, there is One who is able to comfort. We take the family to Him, and pray that God would sustain them, comfort them, and give them the peace that passes all understanding.

Busy, busy day in the plot today, but I think I'll leave that post for Monday.

We are only a couple of weeks away from the longest day and shortest night. That means that, as I write this at 9.30pm, it is broad daylight outside. 

Here are some photos from last night's sunset.

This last photo was taken at midnight last night. See, we don't have a lot of light in mid-December; and we also don't have a lot of darkness at this time of year.

Hence no fireworks on the 4th of July.

We had no storms this week, but I am recommending this sermon for your weekend. Silencing the Storms of Life. Enjoy! And have a wonderful weekend!

 

Brassicas Planted. Yipee!

The brassicas were planted today. There are Calabrese, Broccoli Romanesco and Cauliflower.

 

It felt so, so good getting them into the ground.

If the rows aren't straight, please don't tell the Builder. Catherine and I were working here, whilst the Builder and Big Brother sorted some fencing, so not a word if you reckon the spaces aren't exactly 700mm, and the rows aren't exactly 750mm.

Not a word, ya hear.

Here are some potatoes we planted in tubs a few weeks ago. Don't they look good?

 

I haven't given a sermon recommendation for some time, so here's one for now.

I haven't actually listened to this sermon, though I have heard this preacher a few times, so I'm not sure I can call it a recommendation. I thought the title was interesting, so Sinners Sent to the School of the Ant is this week's recommendation. The accent is from Northern Ireland - a good Ulster accent!

Have a blessed weekend, y'all!

Sermon for the Lord's Day

This sermon is by Rev B Elshout. I reckon he's Dutch, although he is a pastor in BC, Canada.

I've never met the man, but every time I listen to his sermons, they speak to my soul. He just gets. right. in. to my soul.

This sermon is part of a series of sermons he preached on Ruth, the Moabitess. If you're able, have a listen.

Here's the link again.

Hope y'all have a blessed Lord's Day. 

 

Sermon Recommendation and Some Memories

This morning, at worship, we read Genesis 25. The chapter ends with the account of Esau coming in from the fields and give to his brother, Jacob - in exchange for a plate of stew - his birthright. In giving this birthright, we are told that "thus Esau despised his birthright". (Gen 25:34)


We began talking of a sermon we heard two years ago in Grand Rapids, on this text. We were coming to the end of our amazing 4-week holiday in the US, and were blessed (I don't use that term lightly here) with hearing this sermon on the Sunday evening. Only eternity may reveal the true and lasting effects this sermon had on our children.


The sermon was preached by Dr Joel Beeke and can be found on Sermon Audio's site. Have a listen.

Christ in Creation

If you want to read Genesis 1 like you've never read it before, have a listen to Christ in Creation, preached by Dr David Murray.


This was one person's comment:


“ Thought Provoking and Powerful ”
I love it when the preacher makes a beeline straight for Christ from the opening of the message and continues on that theme throughout. Dr. Murray beautifully illustrates that every single aspect of the created world was planned by Christ and executed to bring glory to Christ in the outworking of our redemption. You won't look at the natural world in the same way after hearing this powerful message.

The Beauty of Christ

The PRTS conference has just come to an end in Grand Rapids, Michigan.


We weren't there.


That was worth mentioning, because our hearts were there.


Anyway, here is the first lecture I'll link to. It's Dr Joel Beeke speaking on Thomas Goodwin on Christ's Beautiful Heart.


Have a listen. You will not regret it.


He ends his lecture, in which has spoken - obviously - on the loveliness of the heart of our Saviour, with this true story.

          When William Montague Dyke was ten years old, he was blinded in an accident. Despite his disability, William graduated from a university in England with high honors. While he was in school, he fell in love with the daughter of a high-ranking British naval officer, and they became engaged.

          Not long before the wedding, William had eye surgery in the hope that the operation would restore his sight. If it failed, he would remain blind for the rest of his life. William insisted on keeping the bandages on his face until his wedding day. If the surgery was successful, he wanted the first person he saw to be his new bride.

          The wedding day arrived. The many guests—including royalty, cabinet members, and distinguished men and women of society—assembled together to witness the exchange of vows. William's father, Sir William Hart Dyke, and the doctor who performed the surgery stood next to the groom, whose eyes were still covered with bandages. The organ trumpeted the wedding march, and the bride slowly walked down the aisle to the front of the church.

As soon as she arrived at the altar, the surgeon took a pair of scissors out of his pocket and cut the bandages from William's eyes.

          Tension filled the room. The congregation of witnesses held their breath as they waited to find out if William could see the woman standing before him. As he stood face-to-face with his bride-to-be, William’s words echoed throughout the cathedral, "You are more beautiful than I ever imagined!"

          One day the bandages that cover our eyes will be removed. When we stand face-to-face with Jesus Christ and see His face for the very first time, His glory will be far more splendid than anything we have ever imagined in this life. (Kent Crockett, Making Today Count for Eternity, Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001, pp. 101-102)


If we are Christ's, we have been given glimpses of the unspeakable loveliness of our Saviour. But no matter how much of a revelation we have been blessed with here, one day, when we stand before Him in all His majesty, and we see Him 'face to face', we too will be able to sing out that He is more beautiful than ever, ever we imagined.

Worth a Listen

Ephesians 1 is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible.


A few years ago - I was actually in bed recovering from a flu - I put Ephesians 1 into the search on the Sermon Audio site. This was one of the recordings that came up, and I heard this man for the first time. It is the testimony of Dr Richard Bennett and is worth a listen.


Dr Bennet was born and brought up in the Republic of Ireland. He became a priest in his young adult life. His testimony is such an eye-opener. It made me so thankful for the upbringing and the spiritual heritage with which I grew up. And yet, it shows so clearly that God will find His own regardless of where they are - physically or spiritually. 



3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
 ⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
 ⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
 ⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;



Precious.

My Latest Recommendation

This is my sermon recommendation for this week.

Rev Gavin Beers 

I am recommending it because it really is worth hearing, but the subject of 'accents' has come up a number of times over the past few weeks. The preacher here is from Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, and is separate from the Republic of Ireland. You may often hear it being referred to as Ulster. This accent and the 'Southern drawl', are my two favourite accents in the world!

Anyway, accent aside, this sermon, which was preached at an all-age conference in the USA, is worth a listen.

God bless you all.......or should that be, "y'all"....as you listen.

A Recommended Listen

This is my recommended listen for this week.

You may have heard of Paul Washer: he has preached some powerful sermons. This one was preached in Ireland, it would seem.

Listen out for this quote in the powerful passage on Christ's curse on the cross.

'If you can call yourself blessed; it is only because He (Christ) was cursed. If you can call yourself unspeakably blessed; it is only because He was unspeakably cursed.'

Have a listen. And have a wonderful Lord's Day.

A Belated Recommended Listen

Having been away for a couple of weeks, I haven't given my 'Recommended Listens'.

This sermon is a 'must listen' for anyone - anyone who has a home, is head of the home, will be head of a home one day.... for husbands or fathers - present or future; for mothers or wives - present or future; for children; for grandparents.

I would love to hear from people how they 'do' family worship, or maybe how they saw it being done in the past. There aren't many of us who are content that all that should be done, has been done, or is being done. Comments are not for criticism, but it would be interesting to hear of others' experiences.

A Greater than Solomon...

Here is my recommendation for today. I do hope you enjoy this sermon, speaking of the wonder that the Queen of Sheba experienced whilst visiting King Solomon.

And a greater than Solomon is here. He is our Lord. He is our King. He is our all and in all. Jesus Christ, our Saviour. We run out of names for Him. We run out of descriptions for Him. Little wonder that in the end, all we can say is, 'He is altogether lovely'.

The sermon was preached by Rev Dr David Murray, a Scot (therefore, good!) who is now lecturing in the PRTS in Michigan. When he left our island, it was your gain in the US, but it was definitely our loss over here. We still feel such sadness, and yet we know that God has placed him in that seminary for a reason.

Happy listening! And God bless

Another sermon to listen to

Another recommendation....

Resurrection Benefits for Paul

I have listened to this sermon many times, and I never tire of it. If any of you feel inclined, please drop in to the comments section and write down something from the sermon that really spoke to you, or touched you. I'd love to hear what others appreciate in the sermon. And when we have a few comments, I'll add my own.

Every blessing whilst you listen....

A Recommended Listen

I will 'recommend' a favourite sermon of mine, or a sermon that has been especially blessed to my soul, each week. This is the first of these: The Love of God in Heaven

I listened to this a number of weeks ago, when my soul was heavy, heavy, heavy. How unspeakably gracious God is, to bless our souls when we deserve nothing but His wrath and curse. I had been so convicted of my sin for days before I listenened to this. I felt like crawling into a corner and never having to see or to speak to anyone again. In providence, God gave me an afternoon on my own in the house, and I listened to this sermon. I want to say this though: I was not in the 'mood' to listen to a sermon, nor to read, nor to pray. My soul felt like it was being crushed, and yet I was not wanting comfort. What strange creatures we can be. As I said, all I wanted was to hide away somewhere and not have to face God or the world. But God is good. He is gracious. He is kind. He gently leads us into green pastures where we find rest for our souls. What a Saviour we have! Would that we would love Him more.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" And what rest we find, when we are resting in Him.

I hope this sermon is blessed to you too.