William Cowper was born in 1731 and became a well-known English poet. He is best known today as a hymn writer.

He struggled with debilitating depression all of his life and spent some time in an asylum for the insane. Through the providence of God, he moved to Olney, where he met and developed a close friendship with John Newton, a former slave ship captain who had devoted his life to Christ and the gospel ministry. Newton ministered greatly to Cowper in some of his darkest days of depression. He also invited him to contribute to a hymnbook he was compiling. Newton's hymnbook would include many of the hymns that continue to bless the church today, such as his hymn, Amazing Grace, and Cowper's hymn, There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.

The hymn that most moves me is "God Works in a Mysterious Way." The lyrics of this hymn are so powerful to me because, in no small part, I know they were penned by a man who desperately struggled with depression yet tenaciously clung to the promises of the gospel. He believed God's word and trusted in God's promises alone. Emotions will lead you astray. Feelings will tell you a lie. However, the truth of God stands forever and will bless you for eternity.

God is a God of truth. Do not be ruled by fickle feelings and fleeting emotions; be ruled by the eternal truth of God. Seek to understand the truth of God in all things. Seek to understand the purpose and calling of your life according to the truth of God. Seek to understand the movements of God according to the truth of God. Seek to understand the difficulties of this world according to the truth of God. Wherever there is a lack of understanding, ask God to light up your eyes with His eternal truth.

The hope of the gospel is that God has brought salvation to sinners. So when sickness comes, rejoice because God has promised salvation and glorified bodies. When you are frustrated with the struggle over sin, rejoice that God will one day totally defeat sin and death. When the brokenness of this world seems overwhelming, rejoice that God is overcoming this world and establishing His eternal kingdom. God has provided salvation, God is providing salvation, and God will save the elect. Rejoice in the salvation of God.

God is a God of truth. Do not be ruled by fickle feelings and fleeting emotions; be ruled by the eternal truth of God. Seek to understand the truth of God in all things. Seek to understand the purpose and calling of your life according to the truth of God. Seek to understand the movements of God according to the truth of God. Seek to understand the difficulties of this world according to the truth of God. Wherever there is a lack of understanding, ask God to light up your eyes with His eternal truth.

During the Christmas season, there is much gift-giving. You may receive heartfelt gifts that speak to the sweetness and goodness of a friendship. You may also receive impersonal obligatory gifts that feel more transactional than relational. The greatest gift ever given or received is the gift and offering of Jesus for the redemption of sinners. It is a gift given to the undeserving. It is a gift that cannot be repaid. It is a gift that flows from the will of God, who loved you before the foundation of the world.

The battle at the Alamo and the cry “Remember the Alamo” coalesced a people for a political cause.

But Christians have a greater cry.

“Remember Jesus Christ” is not a political statement; it is not a defiant cry against a tyrant, nor a celebration of a historical event. “Remember Jesus Christ” is the heart cry of a people living in a sin-corrupted world rejoicing that Jesus has already won the victory over sin and death. “Remember Jesus Christ” is the heart cry of a people who have counted the cost and are giving everything they have to make Christ known. “Remember Jesus Christ” is the heart cry of those who may be tempted with discouragement but have placed their hope in the promises of the gospel and the faithfulness of God.

What is holding you back from Jesus? What do you fear? What of the world do you love? What temporary pursuits are you chasing after? What worthless pride are you holding on to? What is it that you love more than the gospel of Jesus?

I know this - whatever keeps you from Jesus today is not worth it.

The image of a train leaving the station has long been a helpful image for a present opportunity. When the train arrives, you have the opportunity to get on. However, this opportunity will not last. The train will leave, and when it does, you will lose the opportunity to travel.

How many will miss the opportunity to get on board because they are too tied to the luggage on the loading dock? Weighed down by concerns and worldly affection other than the departing train, they will miss the opportunity. Likewise, how many will miss the opportunity of salvation? Clinging tight to the affections and concerns of this world, many will miss the gift of salvation.

Now is the day of salvation.

In late December 2004, over a quarter of a million people went about their routine without the slightest concern that a massive destructive wave of water was moving toward them. They surely would have hastily evacuated to higher ground if they had known that a wall of water was rushing toward them that would destroy whole cities and kill all in its path. But without warning, they went about their day's activities without concern for the approaching danger.

The gospel is the good word that wicked sinners can be reconciled to God through the redemption of Jesus. God's judgment is coming. His wrath is great and terrible. Yet as an act of grace, God has commissioned the saints to be His ambassadors to proclaim to the world – salvation is in Jesus who, for our sake, God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

An ambassador does more than live in a foreign country – they actively represent and promote the will of their sending country. If you are in Christ, you are not called to just dwell in the world while waiting for the glory to come. You are not called to be isolated and insulated from the lost world around you. You are called to be an ambassador for Christ, engaging the world - actively representing and promoting the work and will of God.

The wrath of God is a terrible thing. It is the total separation from God. It is the unmitigated fury of God. It is the righteous punishment of God.

Everyone was born under the wrath of God. To be under the wrath of God is, by definition, not to be at peace with God. Only through the redemptive work of Jesus is God’s wrath satisfied. Either you are right with God through the saving blood of Jesus, or you are under the wrath of God because of your sin. Peace with God only comes through the cross of Jesus.

Perspective changes everything. Perspective, vision, and site give understanding to reality. A young man discovered this truth when he awoke to find an invading army had surrounded his town. Unconcerned, his boss prayed that God would open his eyes. When the young man's eyes were opened to see what God was doing, his fear was gone because his perspective had changed.

For those in Christ, there is coming a day when death will be no more, grief will be forgotten, the names of diseases will no longer be spoken, disabilities will be unknown, wickedness will be defeated, sin will have no victory, and suffering will be no more. For those in Christ, the sufferings of this world are preparing you for an eternal weight of glory that has no comparison. Knowing what is to come makes the difficulties of the present seem light and momentary.

God’s purpose in using the frailty of flesh to contain the glory of the gospel is to testify to Himself, not to man. Jars of clay testify that salvation comes by the power of God, not the power of man, by the work of God, not the work of man, by the will of God, not the will of man, by the purpose of God not the purpose of man, for the glory of God not the glory of man, because of the truth of God not because of the intellect of man.

Salvation comes not through the work or might of men. Salvation comes through the power of God alone. I am just a jar of clay!

Once you have seen the light of truth, you can never again believe the lie.

A few years ago, I was in my hometown visiting family. During my visit, the subject of people driving the wrong way through a well-known one-way alleyway. As we discussed this common vexation, it became apparent that there was disagreement on the correct direction for the alley. So the next day, we went to see for ourselves which way was the right way. To my great dismay, the direction I had believed was the right direction was the wrong way.

The right and wrong way had not changed. What changed was that I had come to know the truth. I could no longer arrogantly go the wrong way, confident that I was right and indignant at others going the other direction. I had seen the light and knew the truth; from that day forward, I have only driven the right way.

Jesus is the light of truth. He gives understanding to what is right and wrong, true and false, and life and death.

It is not that a Christian no longer struggles with sin and temptation, but those who are in Christ no longer welcome, make plans for, invite, or love sin. It is impossible to love Jesus, be transformed by grace, and willfully remain in sin.

We live in a day of self-promotion and public relations. Branding used to be something that only large corporations were concerned with, but today, individuals seek to develop personal brands. In this world of self-promotion, many are seeking to draw attention to themselves and build their own realm of influence. Unfortunately, many in the church have also given unhelpful attention to promoting a brand for themselves, their ministries, or church that is more about promoting themselves than promoting Jesus.

Salvation does not come through effective branding or self-promotion. Salvation comes when the grace of God allows you to see Jesus as the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world. Those who have known this grace become servants of Christ, pointing others to Jesus.

Over twenty years ago, I purchased a Maglite flashlight. At the time, I was impressed with its ability to put out 45 lumens. However, the 45 lumens of the incandescent bulb of my Maglite loses all its charm compared to the brilliance of modern flashlights. It is not that the Maglite lost its glory; rather, something better and more powerful has overshadowed and outshined its glory.

Such it is with the law of God. When the law was given to Moses, it was glorious, but compared to the glory of Christ and the salvation He brings, it cannot compare. The glory of Christ never dims, never fades, and never ends. The glory of Christ is brighter and more glorious than anything else.

If you have been saved by the blood of Jesus, you are the aroma of Christ Jesus in this world. And being the aroma of Christ, you will bring joy to those who know Him and condemnation to those who have rejected Him.

From the sermon, Delight in God's word, Psalm 119:9-16

There was recent news coverage of the promised lottery jackpot of $1.28 billion. Thinking about how you would spend a large amount of money is easy to contemplate because money is such a dominant force in our lives. We often delight in riches and the things that riches bring. And yet, the riches of this world are fading. The gold and silver of this world will one day lose their value, but the word of God will never return void.

Discover the truth of God’s word. Find your delight in knowing God’s word. And be forever transformed by God’s word.