"It is indeed natural to us to wish and to plan, and it is merciful in the Lord to disappoint our plans, and to cross our wishes.  For we cannot be safe, much less happy, but in proportion as we are weaned from our own wills, and made simply desirous of being directed by His guidance."          - John Newton, August 17,1767

You've also heard about John Piper's recent fight with cancer.  Well, here's another one of my moder-day heroes that we need to pray for.  Life is a vapor... even for godly men.  I can guarantee that the pain sets their sights only more sweetly upon the reality of their nearness to death and their nearness to their Master's glorious presence.  I can guarantee it.  This news update comes from R. Albert Mohler's website.

Please pray for Dr. Mohler

Posted: Friday, January 05, 2007 at 4:12 pm ET

Dr. Mohler's health has sustained a setback. Over the past 36 hours Dr. Mohler has suffered from unrelenting pain. This unusual degree of pain signaled concern for the attending physicians and prompted additional tests this afternoon. In the past hour these tests have revealed that Dr. Mohler is suffering from pulmonary emboli in both lungs. His condition is quite serious and he has been moved to the intensive care unit of Baptist East Hospital in Louisville, KY for immediate treatment.

Please make this a matter of urgent prayer. Thank you once again for your concern and support during these days.

Currently Reading When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God--and Joy By John Piper see related

The year before our eyes

(J. C. Philpot)

"As your days--so shall your strength be."
    Deuteronomy 33:25

The year before our eyes may hold in its bosom
events which may deeply concern and affect us.
We do not know what is to come. What personal
trials, what family trials, what providential trials
may await us--we do not know.

Sickness may attack our bodies,
death enter our families,
difficulties beset our circumstances,
trials and temptations exercise our minds,
snares entangle our feet, and
many dark and gloomy clouds, make our path
one of heaviness and sorrow. Every year hitherto
has brought its trials in its train; and how can we
expect the coming year to be exempt?

If, indeed, we are His, whatever our trials
may be, His grace will be sufficient for us.

He who has delivered, can and will deliver.

And He who has brought us thus far on the road,
who has so borne with our crooked manners in the
wilderness and never yet forsaken us--though we
have so often forsaken Him--will still lead us along;
will still guide and guard us, and be our God, our
Father and our Friend--not only to the end of the
next year, if spared to see it, but the end of our life.

Blessed with His presence, we need fear no evil;
favored with His smile, we need dread no foe;
upheld by His power, we need shrink from no trial;
strengthened by His grace, we need panic at no suffering.

Knowing what we are and have been when left to
ourselves--the slips that we have made, the snares
that we have been entangled in, the shame and sorrow
that we have procured to ourselves--well may we dread
to go forth in the coming year alone. Well may we say,
"If Your Presence does not go with us--do not send us
up from here!" Exodus 33:15

From Grace Gems daily email.

Currently Reading Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot (Lives of Faith) By Elisabeth Elliot see related

Men of Old (Nearly Now Forgotten)...

F.W. Boreham

("the man whose name is on all our lips, whose books are on all our shelves and whose illustrations are in all our sermons." -- an introduction at a 1936 pastor's conference)

After Leon Morris, he is probably the second-most prolific Christian writers to have come from Australia.  "He authored 55 books, wrote 3,000 editorials in major papers and was a premiere preacher. Epworth Press, which published and reprinted most of the Boreham books said his book sales went into the millions," according to John Mark Ministries, and "Boreham's books are now collectors' items. Billy and Ruth Graham are reputed to have a nearly-complete set of his books. (I sent half a dozen titles to Ruth last year). I know only four or five Australians who have 45 or more. Two other North Americans who regularly acknowledge their indebtedness to Boreham are Drs. Ravi Zacharias and Warren Wiersbe."  He pastored the Armadale Baptist Church in Melbourne.  Find a list of his books here.  A friend at church is loaning me a copy of Boreham's A Bunch of Everlastings.  Although I am often a slow reader... especially when it comes to recreational reads... I have found His book astounding.  Since I am not good with names and am weak on my understanding of history and am horrible remembering dates, this book attracted me when Mr. Thompson offered it to me.  It is a collection of short stories of Christian men of days-gone-by.  The point of the book is to describe the Scripture text which they either point to as instrumental in their conversion, or the text that characterized and marked their lives and ministries.  Boreham's goal was certainly not to merely tell a few stories, but to present the gospel and uplift these texts which marked these men.  The lives and conversions of these men stand a mere picture frames for Boreham as he describes for us the gospel in all its splendor.  I highly recommend reading a book by F.W. Boreham if you are interested in some excellent devotional reading.  In addition, I recommend you not pass up an opportunity to read Boreham's writings if you ever come across anything, seeing how rare these books have become over the years.  I believe a resurgence of published Boreham's works is in the making as we speak.