Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;perseverance, character; and character, hope.And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. - Romans 5
Friday, December 15, 2017
You carried our cross and You took the shame You buried our death when You rose again
So let every tribe and tongue Come and worship You alone Let all heaven and earth and the Universe bring praise
May the Lamb of God receive The reward of His suffering He is worthy He is worthy Worthy to receive The Reward of His suffering
You promised the day of Your praise would come A chorus of nations around Your throne
So let our ambitions die As we lift our savior High As we carry the cross and the Gospel to the world
Bridge: All glory honor and praise All glory honor and praise All glory honor and praise To the Lamb that was slain
Now send us and usher the bride You love We know though we suffer, You have won
So we're running to this world Fearing nothing but Your Word Our victorious King He shall have His reward!
“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is
not a good children's story in the slightest.” - C.S. Lewis
“When I was ten, I
read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found
doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put
away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be
very grown up.”- C.S. Lewis
1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a
child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Now having heard The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (twice) coming
back to Chicago from Pittsburgh, here are the places that resonated with me.
It
would be nice, and fairly true, to say that "from that time forth Eustace
was a different boy". To be strictly accurate, he began to be a different
boy. He had relapses. There were still many days when he could be very
tiresome. But most of those I shall not notice. The cure had begun.
"That's
all right," said Edmund. "Between ourselves, you haven't been as bad
as I was on my first trip to Narnia. You were only an ass, but I was a
traitor."
On
the next page she came to a spell "for the refreshment of the spirit'. The
pictures were fewer here but very beautiful. And what Lucy found herself
reading was more like a story than a spel
“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is
not a good children's story in the slightest.”
l. It went on for three pages and
before she had read to the bottom of the page she had forgotten that she was
reading at all. She was living in the story as if it were real, and all the
pictures were real too. When she had got to the third page and come to the end,
she said, "That is the loveliest story I've ever read or ever shall read
in my whole life. Oh, I wish I could have gone on reading it for ten years. At
least I'll read it over again…How can I have forgotten? It was about a cup and
a sword and a tree and a green hill, I know that much. But I can't remember and
what shall I do?"
"Shall I ever be able to, read that story again; the one I
couldn't remember? Will you tell it to me, Aslan? Oh do, do, do."
"Indeed,
yes, I will tell it to you for years and years. But now, come. We must meet the
master of this house."
"Oh,
Aslan," said Lucy. "Will you tell us how to get into your country
from our world?" "I shall be telling you all the time," said
Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only
that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge
Builder. And now come; I will open the door in the sky and send you to your own
land."
"You are too old, children," said Aslan, "and you
must begin to come close to your own world now."
"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's
you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?” "But
you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan. "Are are you there too,
Sir?" said Edmund. "I am," said Aslan. "But there I have
another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason
why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may
know me better there."
“Do not look sad. We
shall meet soon again." "Please, Aslan", said Lucy, "what do
you call soon?"
"I call all times
soon" said Aslan; and instantly he was vanished away.”
One of the things that left me wondering was the
actions of Reepicheep. His recklessness and courage, are these things to be
desired as a Christian? Was it the right decision to go to the Island of
Nightmares? Wasn’t his desire to ride over the Edge of the World one we need to
have for God’s kingdom? How important is our honor? This was another question I
had at the end of Prince Caspian, during his dialogue with Aslan about regrowing
his tail. Maybe this only apply to Christian mice.
Lastly,
Lucy looked along the
beam and presently saw something in it. At first it looked like a cross, then
it looked like an aeroplane, then it looked like a kite, and at last with a
whirring of wings it was right overhead and was an albatross. It circled three
times round the mast and then perched for an instant on the crest of the gilded
dragon at the prow. It called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be
words though no one understood them. After that it spread its wings, rose, and
began to fly slowly ahead, bearing a little to starboard. Drinian steered after
it not doubting that it offered good guidance. But no one except Lucy knew that
as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, "Courage, dear
heart," and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan's, and with the voice a
delicious smell breathed in her face.