Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
By NC Stewart | April 21, 2008
Psalm 45
For the choir director; according to the Shoshannim. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love. My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
In worship, the Psalmist’s heart overflows through His mouth. For better or for worse, of course, this is always the way. What fills the mouth has already filled the heart (Matt. 12:34-35). Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Devotional | No Comments »
When Yesterday Was Better
By NC Stewart | April 17, 2008
Psalm 44
Life does not always get better. For many Christians, the brightness of yesterday serves only to deepen today’s darkness. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Devotional | No Comments »
The Alphabet of Godliness (1)
By NC Stewart | April 10, 2008
This is the longest chapter in the Bible and it is one of my favorites. Many times, my weary soul has found relief in praying through these words before the face of God. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Sermon | 1 Comment »
Post Tenebras Lux (After darkness light)
By NC Stewart | April 10, 2008
Psalm 43
Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Christians should not be surprised when they find themselves opposed by ungodly men. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Devotional | No Comments »
I doubt it
By NC Stewart | April 8, 2008
We come this morning in our sermon to consider the second weapon in Satan’s arsenal of temptation. Last week we saw how he exploits weakness. This week we shall see how he spreads doubt. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Sermon | No Comments »
A Bothered Conscience
By NC Stewart | April 8, 2008
In modern day America, we are used to powerful political families. We have the Bush’s, the Clintons and the Kennedy’s. These are the great power brokers of America; the movers and the shakers who hold sway and influence in the hallowed halls of Washington.Things weren’t really much different in Christ’s day. They had the Herodian Dynasty, which held power for about 100 years around the time of Christ. The Bible mentions several Herods; none of them are good. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Sermon | No Comments »
Divine Absence Hurts
By NC Stewart | April 8, 2008
Psalm 42 marks the beginning of a new section in the Psalter, commonly called “Book 2″.
Verse 1-2: As the deer pants for the brooks of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My Soul thirst for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before the face of God.
As any hunter will tell you, when he is injured, a deer will head straight for water. So it is with the Christian, pained by life in a fallen world, injured by godlessness within and without, he finds himself longing for the face of God. This is what separates the theologian who merely knows about God from the one who actually knows Him personally. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Devotional | No Comments »
The Holy Spirit and Prayer
By NC Stewart | January 24, 2008
Here is another quote from Bejamin Morgan Palmer. It concerns the office of the Holy Spirit in prayer and, particularly, His activity in assuring the Christian of the truth of God’s promise:
What a firm support is here given to the office of prayer! The believer is no longer uncertain and wavering, as one who beats the air. His petitions are guided by the truth, infallibly conveyed to him through the double intervention of the Revealer and the Interpreter. In the truth thus possessed he not only treads firmly the way of access to the throne of the King, but his petitions are burdened with the words which the King himself has spoken. The matter of the prayer itself is furnished, and he simply hands in the cheques which draw upon the deposit already in the bank, and which cannot fail as long as the bank itself is solvent
Topics: Prayer | No Comments »
The Intercessor
By NC Stewart | January 23, 2008
I came across this quote in Benjamin Morgan Palmer’s Theology of Prayer. As I am sure you know, he was a 19th century Presbyterian pastor in New Orleans (For a brief biography, see: http://www.pcahistory.org/biography/palmerbm.html).
This quote is a poetic meditation on the heavenly intercession of Christ. This is the nitty-gritty of verses like Hebrews 7:25 (Therefore, (Christ) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.)
The Intercessor
Father, I bring this worthless child to thee, to claim thy pardon once, yet once again. Receive him at my hands, for he is mine. He is a worthelss child; he owns his guilt. Look not on him; he cannot bear thy glance. Look thou on me; his vileness I will hide. He pleads not for himself, he dares not plead. His cause is mine, I am his Intercessor. By each pure drop of blood I lost for him, by all the sorrows graven on my soul, by every wound I bear, I claim it due.
Father divine! I cannot have him lost. He is a worthless soul, but he is mine. Sin hath destroyed him; sin hath died in me. Death hath pursued him; I have conquered death. Satan hath bound him; Satan is my slave. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Prayer | 1 Comment »
Hello!
By NC Stewart | December 27, 2007
Welcome to the new blog for Kirk O’ the Isles. We’re just getting things started and plan to launch this site after the first of the year. If you’ve stumbled upon it, thank you for stopping by. We hope you return in January when we’ll start posting on a more regular basis.
Topics: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »