It is difficult to define Hiraeth, but to me it means the consciousness of man being out of his home area and that which is dear to him. That is why it can be felt even among a host of peoples amidst nature's beauty. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
. . like a Christian yearning for Heaven. . .
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 02:08PM I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.
Martin Luther
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 09:01AM Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that my favorite artist is Albrecht Dürer. But did you know that Dürer could be considered the "Artist of the Reformation?"
In 1516, Dürer, along with friends Willibald Pirckheimer and Lazarus Spengler, (both of whom were excommunicated along with Luther in 1521) attended a series of Advent sermons given by Johannes Staupitz, theVicar General of the Augustinians and Martin Luther's mentor. Staupitz preached on the subject of True Repentence. Dürer and his friends were so impressed with Staupitz's presentation of the Gospel that they formed a society called the "Staupitz Fellowship" and met to discuss what they were learning.
By 1517, when Staupitz returned to Nuremberg to preach a series of Lenten sermons, the Staupitz Fellowship not only attended, they began meeting with Staupitz himself. Thus began the artist's connection with the Protestant Reformation.
When Luther posted the 95 Theses, the Fellowship received a copy. Dürer was entralled with Luther's writing--so much so that he sent Luther a gift of some of his prints and received some books from Luther in return.
By 1520, Dürer was truly rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the Protestant Reformation. In a letter to the secretary to Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, he wrote:
"I pray your honor to convey my humble gratitude to His Electoral Grace, and beg him humbly that he will protect the praiseworthy Dr. Martin Luther for the sake of Christian truth. It matters more that all the riches and power of this world, for with time everything passes away; only the truth is eternal. And if God helps me to come and visit Dr. Luther, then I will carefully draw his portrait and engrave it in copper for lasting remembrance of this Christian man who has helped me out of great distress. And I beg you to buy on my account anything new that Dr. Luther may write in German."
In the years between the posting of the 95 Theses and Luther's excommunication in 1521, Dürer collected the writings of Luther and other Reformers and supported the Reformation. He produced portraits of many of the principle players of the Reformation period but to my knowledge he never met Luther, nor painted his likeness.
When news came to Dürer heard Luther had been kidnapped and perhaps murdered, he was devastated. He prayed:
". . .if we have lost this man, who has written more clearly than any that has lived for 140 years, and to whom Thou has given such a spirit of the Gospel, we pray Thee O Heavenly Father, that Thou wouldst again give Thy Holy Spirit to another, that he may gather Thy church anew everywhere together. . .God!, if Luther is dead, who will henceforth deliver the Holy Gospel to us with such clearness? Ach, God, what might he not still have written for us in ten or twenty years?"
As it turned out, Luther had been "kidnapped" for his own protection by his protector, Fredrick of Saxony, and lived until 1548. Sadly, Dürer died in 1528, so there was a twenty year span of Luther's writing that he never had the privilege of reading.
You can find more blog posts on the 2007 Reformation Day Symposium hosted at Challies.com.
If you'd like to see some of Dürer's paintings, you can find them at my Dürer round up post.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 05:24AM 
October 31
Immortal Till Work Done
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord - Psalm 118:17
A fair assurance this! It was no doubt based upon a promise, inwardly whispered in the psalmist's heart, which he seized upon and enjoyed. Is my case like that of David? Am I depressed because the enemy affronts me? Are there multitudes against me and few on my side? Does unbelief bid me lie down and die in despair-a defeated, dishonored man? Do my enemies begin to dig my grave?
What then? Shall I yield to the whisper of fear, and give up the battle, and with it give up all hope? Far from it. There is life in me yet: "I shall not die." Vigor will return and remove my weakness: "I shall live." The Lord lives, and I shall live also. My mouth shall again be opened: "I shall declare the works of Jehovah." Yes, and I shall speak of the present trouble as another instance of the wonder-working faithfulness and love of the Lord my God. Those who would gladly measure me for my coffin had better wait a bit, for "the Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death." Glory be to His name forever! I am immortal till my work is done. Till the Lord wills it, no vault can close upon me.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 06:22AM October 30
Thorough Cleansing
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you - Ezekiel 36:25
What an exceeding joy is this! He who has purified us with the blood of Jesus will also cleanse us by the water of the Holy Spirit. God hath said it, and so it must be, "Ye shall be clean." Lord, we feel and mourn our uncleanness, and it is cheering to be assured by Thine own mouth that we shall be clean. Oh, that Thou wouldst make a speedy work of it!
He will deliver us from our worst sins. The uprisings of unbelief and the deceitful lusts which war against the soul, the vile thoughts of pride, and the suggestions of Satan to blaspheme the sacred name-all these shall be so purged away as never to return.
He will also cleanse us from all our idols, whether of gold or of clay: our impure loves and our excessive love of that which in itself is pure. That which we have idolized shall either be broken from us or we shall be broken off from it.
It is God who speaks of what He Himself will do. Therefore is this word established and sure, and we may boldly look for that which it guarantees to us. Cleansing is a covenant blessing, and the covenant is ordered in all things and sure.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Monday, October 29, 2007 at 08:06AM 
Shannon is again hosting a Blog Giveaway and I'm offering this bookmark (without the watermark, of course). Just leave me a comment in this post, and I will randomly choose from the valid comments using an random number generator. I'll need a valid email address to contact the winner! My drawing will be held on Saturday, November 3.
Kim from Hiraeth
Thank you for entering my giveaway! The winner has been chosen and contacted! Comments are now closed!
Monday, October 29, 2007 at 05:19AM October 29
Maintain The Difference
And I will put a division between My people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be - Exodus 8:23
Pharaoh has a people, and the Lord has a people. These may dwell together and seem to fare alike, but there is a division between them, and the Lord will make it apparent. Not forever shall one event happen alike to all, but there shall be great difference between the men of the world and the people of Jehovah's choice.
This may happen in the time of judgments, when the Lord becomes the sanctuary of His saints. It is very conspicuous in the conversion of believers when their sin is put away, while unbelievers remain under condemnation. From that moment they become a distinct race, come under a new discipline, and enjoy new blessings. Their homes, henceforth, are free from the grievous swarms of evils which defile and torment the Egyptians. They are kept from the pollution of lust, the bite of care, the corruption of falsehood, and the cruel torment of hatred, which devour many families.
Rest assured, tried believer, that though you have your troubles you are saved from swarms of worse ones, which infest the homes and hearts of the servants of the world's prince. The Lord has put a division; see to it that you keep up the division in Spirit, aim, character, and company.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 07:06AM Hymn of Confession
Out of the Deep I Call
Out of the deep I call
To thee, O Lord, to thee.
Before thy throne of grace I fall;
Be merciful to me.
Out of the deep I cry,
The woeful deep of sin,
Of evil done in days gone by,
Of evil now within;
Out of the deep of fear
And dread of coming shame;
All night till morning watch is near
I plead the precious Name.
Lord, there is mercy now,
As ever was, with thee.
Before thy throne of grace I bow;
Be merciful to me.
Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 06:13AM October 28
Sins Of Ignorance
And it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance - Numbers 15:25
Because of our ignorance we are not fully aware of our sins of ignorance. Yet we may be sure they are many, in the form both of commission and omission. We may be doing in all sincerity, as a service to God, that which He has never commanded and can never accept.
The Lord knows these sins of ignorance every one. This may well alarm us, since in justice He will require these trespasses at our hand; but on the other hand, faith spies comfort in this fact, for the Lord will see to it that stains unseen by us shall yet be washed away. He sees the sin that He may cease to see it by casting it behind His back.
Our great comfort is that Jesus, the true priest, has made atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel. That atonement secures the pardon of unknown sins. His precious blood cleanses us from all sin. Whether our eyes have seen it and wept over it or not, God has seen it, Christ has atoned for it, the Spirit bears witness to the pardon of it, and so we have a threefold peace.
O my Father, I praise Thy divine knowledge, which not only perceives my iniquities but provides an atonement which delivers me from the guilt of them, even before I know that I am guilty.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 10:39PM I got online to check my email before going to bed and a severe weather alert popped up:
When did a frost/freeze warning at the end of October become severe weather?
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 08:13AM Have you read Sinclair Ferguson's "A Christian Life" yet? If you haven't, now is the time! Westminster Bookstore has it on sale for 50% off its regular price. That's just $5!! Don't pass up this chance to have your very own copy of this classic introduction to doctrine.
If you take a minute to follow the link, you'll find more great books at great prices.
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 05:09AM October 27
His Service, Face, Name
His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their forehead - Revelation 22:3-4
Three choice blessings will be ours in the gloryland.
"His servants shall serve him." No other lords shall oppress us, no other service shall distress us. We shall serve Jesus always, perfectly, without weariness, and without error. This is heaven to a saint: in all things to serve the Lord Christ and to be owned by Him as His servant is our soul's high ambition for eternity.
"And they shall see his face." This makes the service delightful: indeed, it is the present reward of service. We shall know our Lord, for we shall see Him as He is. To see the face of Jesus is the utmost favor that the most faithful servant of the Lord can ask. What more could Moses ask than-"Let me see thy face?"
"And his name shall be in their foreheads." They gaze upon their Lord till His name is photographed upon their brows. They are acknowledged by Him, and they acknowledge Him. The secret mark of inward grace develops into the public sign-manual of confessed relationship.
O Lord, give us these three things in their beginnings here that we may possess them in their fullness in Thine own abode of bliss!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Friday, October 26, 2007 at 07:43AM 
An Evening Sky in October
Look upon the twilight clouds
Eastward they are marching;
Blue is breaking through the rifts
In the overarching.
Changing forms work silently
As by nature's magic,
For these Autumn breezes know
Nothing wild or tragic.
Banners show their artistry,
While the legion passes;
Showing, too, how nature's work
Human work outclasses.
Wisps and fragments still remain
As the sky is clearing,
Just to signal to the stars
For their next appearing.
Reverend Laurence Keister
The Shining Pathway
Poetry Friday is hosted today at Literary Safari.
Friday, October 26, 2007 at 05:15AM October 26
Because Of Us
For the elect's sale those days be shortened - Matthew 24:22
For the sake of His elect the Lord withholds many judgments and shortens others. In great tribulations the fire would devour all were it not that out of regard to His elect the Lord damps the flame. Thus, while He saves His elect for the sake of Jesus, He also preserves the race for the sake of His chosen.
What an honor is thus put upon saints! How diligently they ought to use their influence with their Lord! He will hear their prayers for sinners and bless their efforts for their salvation. He blesses believers that they may be a blessing to those who are in unbelief. Many a sinner lives because of the prayers of a mother, or wife, or daughter to whom the Lord has respect.
Have we used aright the singular power with which the Lord entrusts us? Do we pray for our country, for other lands, and for the age? Do we, in times of war, famine, pestilence, stand out as intercessors, pleading that the days may be shortened? Do we lament before God the outbursts of infidelity, error, and licentiousness? Do we beseech our Lord Jesus to shorten the reign of sin by hastening His own glorious appearing? Let us get to our knees and never rest till Christ appeareth.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 07:27AM 
Unhurried
day by day
leaf by leaf
fall gives way
to winter
In 15 Words or Less Poems is hosted every Thursday at Lara Salas .
Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 05:41AM October 25
God First, Then Extras
But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you - Matthew 6:33
See how the Bible opens: "In the beginning God." Let your life open in the same way. Seek with your whole soul, first and foremost, the kingdom of God, as the place of your citizenship, and His righteousness as the character of your life. As for the rest, it will come from the Lord Himself without your being anxious concerning it. All that is needful for this life and godliness "shall be added unto you."
What a promise this is! Food, raiment, home, and so forth, God undertakes to add to you while you seek Him. You mind His business, and He will mind yours. If you want paper and string, you get them given in when you buy more important goods; and just so all that we need of earthly things we shall have thrown in with the kingdom. He who is an heir of salvation shall not die of starvation; and he who clothes his soul with the righteousness of God cannot be left of the Lord with a naked body. Away with carping care. Set all your mind upon seeking the Lord. Covetousness is poverty, and anxiety is misery: trust in God is an estate, and likeness of God is a heavenly inheritance. Lord, I seek Thee; be found of me.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 06:00AM October 24
Godly Stability
And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord - Jeremiah 15:20
Stability in the fear and faith of God will make a man like a wall of brass, which no one can batter down or break. Only the Lord can make such; but we need such men in the church, and in the world, but specially in the pulpit.
Against uncompromising men of truth this age of shams will fight tooth and nail. Nothing seems to offend Satan and his seed like decision. They attack holy firmness even as the Assyrians besieged fenced cities. The joy is that they cannot prevail against those whom God has made strong in His strength. Carried about with every wind of doctrine, others only need to be blown upon and away they go; but those who love the doctrines of grace, because they possess the grace of the doctrines, stand like rocks in the midst of raging seas.
Whence this stability? "I am with thee, saith the Lord": that is the true answer. Jehovah will save and deliver faithful souls from all the assaults of the adversary. Hosts are against us, but the Lord of hosts is with us. We dare not budge an inch; for the Lord Himself holds us in our place, and there we will abide forever.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 05:25AM October 23
Harvest Of Light, Gladness
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart - Psalm 97:11
Righteousness is often costly to the man who keeps to it at all hazards, but in the end it will bear its own expenses and return an infinite profit. A holy life is like sowing seed: much is going out, and apparently it is buried in the soil, never to be gathered up again. We are mistaken when we look for an immediate harvest; but the error is very natural, for it seems impossible to bury light. Yet light is "sown," says the text. It lies latent: none can see it; it is sown. We are quite sure that it must one day manifest itself.
Full sure are we that the Lord has set a harvest for the sower of light, and they shall reap it, each man for himself. Then shall come their gladness. Sheaves of joy for seeds of light. Their heart was upright before the Lord, though men gave them no credit for it, but even censured them: they were righteous, though those about them denounced them as censorious. They had to wait, as husbandmen wait for the precious fruits of the earth: but the light was sown for them, and gladness was being prepared on their behalf by the Lord of the harvest.
Courage, brothers! We need not he in a hurry. Let us in patience possess our souls, for soon shall our souls possess light and gladness.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Monday, October 22, 2007 at 05:33AM October 22Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Sunday, October 21, 2007 at 11:35PM I guess I CAN'T rationalize everything after all.
sniff.
