Deus Misereatur

Facing Down la Santa Muerte (Recently I met with a young man in his mid-20s and we talked about this subject. That got my wheels turning. And so, taking my cue from the religious cult in Mexico, "Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte" “Our Lady of Holy Death,” I would like to talk about facing down death.) La Santa Muerte lingers around in the shimmering shadows of my periphery at every doctor’s appointment; at every exploratory medical procedure; at every birthday; with every new ache and pain in my body. And she would pirouette around Paul, as can be seen in how often he addresses his own death in Philippians, 2 Corinthians and 2 Timothy; and yet Paul would respond: “ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain ” (Philippians 1.20-21). Before we co any further, let me ask you: What ...

O Lord God, our refuge, our hiding place in the storm, our mighty Savior triumphant over your and our foes; we give thanks to you and declare that your steadfast love endures forever! Mighty Ruler and only real Potentate; king of kings and Lord of lords (1Timothy 6.15); who elevates nations and empires to employ them for your own purposes, and topples them when they have soured and sunk into sin: we pray for our country and our leaders to include our State Representatives such as Scooter Park; David Perryman; John Pfeiffer; and Eric Proctor . Preserve us but not in our sin. Preserve us as a nation of justice and righteousness, even if it’s only a civil righteousness! Grant us to see our self-destructive ways with honesty and clarity, and to turn from them, just as Nineveh turned from its ruin at the preaching of Jonah. Hear our prayer, O LORD. Kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations (Psalm 22.28)! Rule over, and where necessary, overrule the actions and...

Blessed are you, O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to your great mercy, you have caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us, who by your power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Bring us to rejoice in this imperishable inheritance, even though now for a little while, if necessary, we may be, at times, grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of our faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1.3-7). O God most high, we acknowledge that you are right and just, even when your wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who often suppress your truth in unrighteousness. We love and pray for this ...

Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles: A Case for Gender Roles in Ministry by Kathy  Keller My rating: 4 of 5 stars This short little work, 48 pages, covers the issue of men's and women's roles in the church. It is not an exhaustive, in-depth study but written on a serious yet popular level; therefore it's very readable. The author, Kathy Keller, is the wife of Tim Keller, co-founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and co-author with her husband of "The Meaning of Marriage". The book is autobiographical, exegetical, theological and anthropological. In the autobiographical she tells of her own conversion, her journey as she sought ordination, and the epiphany she came to with regard to the authority of Sacred Scripture. Once she came to submit to Scripture she removed herself from seeking ordination. Since then she has worked with women who want clarification on their role in Christ's church. Exegetically Keller takes on 1 Corinthians 14.33-38 an...

Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everything Is Vulnerable, and What We Can Do About It by Marc Goodman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Paranoia will quickly set in, and if it doesn't it probably ought to! That's the immediate effect of reading "Future Crimes: Inside the Digital Underground and the Battle for Our Connected World". This 608 page paperback reprint, and light expansion, of the 2015 hardback, was penned by Marc Goodman. Goodman is the founder of Future Crimes Institute and holds the chair of Policy, Law, Ethics at Singularity University, and has been a Law Enforcement Officer, Futurist with the FBI, and Senior Adviser to Interpol. As readability goes, the book is very accessible. My 19 year old son gulped it down in a week. As for content, it is overwhelming and inundating with details and designs. "Future Crimes" is a dossier compiling gigabytes of factual exemplifications showing the interconnections of our cyber-world's "Internet of...

(I initially presented a version of this at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Edmond Oklahoma on 3 March 2017; and then presented this version to the Capitol Bible Forum at the Oklahoma State Capitol on 26 April 2017) My Shepherd Psalm 23 With regard to Psalm 23 you could definitely dissect Psalm into several parts, nevertheless it easily and effortlessly falls open into three petals ( Want , Way and Wellbeing ) with the pistil being the middle of v.4 (“ with me ”). Hopefully by the end of this sermon you will be reminded of many old reasons, and gain several new reasons for trusting our Shepherd . Want (23.1-3): The primary point out of which flows the remainder of 1-3 is this first line: “ The LORD is my shepherd ”.  In a day and an age when police protection was non-existent, to say “ The LORD is my Shepherd ” is a claim of utmost trust. When wide prairies, pathways, wildernesses and wastelands were spaces and places wide open for animal attacks – both t...

Lord, you once asked this question, and then replied to it: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49.15-16) . To think that you have inscribed us onto your hands with the ink of indelible grace, never to forget us or lose us! Amazing pity, grace unknown and love beyond degree! “ When all your mercies, O my God, my rising soul surveys, transported with the view I’m lost, in wonder, love, and praise ” (TH #56.1). Give ear, O Lord, as we implore your mercy and care for your one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, this congregation, and Real Life Fellowship; Redeemed Missionary Baptist Church; Redeemer Church of OKC; Regency Park Baptist Church; and Resurrection Lutheran Church . Take notice of where your church has been bloodied; give relief where she is depleted; provide ...