Podcast appearances and mentions of king george ii

In this Easter sermon by Pastor Chris Romig, the central theme is the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ and the deep sense of joy and hope it brings to believers. Chris highlights the important role of music—especially Handel's “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah—in proclaiming and celebrating Christ's triumph. He shares the story behind the Messiah's composition, noting Handel's inspiration from Scripture and the tradition of standing during the chorus, which stems from King George II's moved response at its premiere. Chris draws a strong connection between the Hallelujah Chorus and passages from the Book of Revelation (19:6, 11:15, 19:16), emphasizing that the chorus declares the reign, power, and ultimate victory of Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. By detailing the context of Revelation, he reassures the congregation that—even amid worldly chaos—God remains sovereign and Jesus' victory is certain. The sermon pivots on the repeated message “Jesus wins,” encouraging listeners not to be fearful of judgment or uncertain times, but instead to find hope, commit their lives to Christ, and worship Him as Lord. As the choir sings the Hallelujah Chorus, Chris invites all to stand—not just out of tradition, but in true reverence for the risen and reigning Savior who secures ultimate victory for all who trust in Him.

Epigrams and Epitaphs By Alexander Pope Edited by W. C. Armstrong Read by Denis Daly Pope's mastery of the heroic couplet and his perceptive wit are apparent in the many epigrams and epitaphs that he composed. The subjects of these snippets of verse are widely varied, ranging from encomiums to great celebrities like Sir Isaac Newton to witty soupçons, like that attached to the collar of a dog that the poet gave to Prince George (later King George II). This recording also includes an extensive commentary on Pope's Epitaphs by Samuel Johnson.

Author Debra Yates shares the details of her book, "Woman of Many Names", about an important woman in Native American history, her seventh-great-grandmother, Nancy Ward. Hear how Ward's life marked the fulfillment of a long-foretold prophecy, and about her connections to King George II, Daniel Boone, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, the Mayflower, and the Salem Witch Trials.

It's picnic season, and if you thought ants were the most annoying uninvited guest you could face, have we got a story for you. On this episode: we learn why Georgia and Australia are basically the same thing; we'll learn why American freight and commuter trains make so many unscheduled stops; and we'll describe a situation where stop, drop and roll loses all meaning.Also, if you had been listening to this as a Patreon supporter, you would enjoy an additional 10 minutes where we discussed two other related disasters, including the deadliest case of mass curiosity in United States history; you would learn why we run like molasses in our nightmares; and you'd hear the tale of one man who has to be bound and drugged to keep him from jumping out of windows. This came as a request from a listener that I was happy to oblige. It's a terrible story, but one that reminds us that the shared experience of fear, loss, and uncertainty breaks down barriers that might have previously divided us. Trauma can bond and unite us in ways that ordinary life rarely does. Ironically, it's the thing that brings us all together on this show. On topic, almost half the bridges in the continental US have been treated worse than residents of seniors homes, so be careful out there. Celebrity guests include silk worm Utopiast, James Oglethorpe; colonial fairy godfather, King George II of England; political opinionist, Kanye West, and a very brief cameo from Jesus Christ.If the idea of getting episodes a little early and ad-free with ridiculously interesting extra material strikes you as a good thing, you can find out more at:www.patreon.com/funeralkazoo All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for moreFacebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast If you like the idea of your podcast hosts wearing more than duct tape and bits of old Halloween costumes for clothes and can spare a buck or two, you can now buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsday or join the patreon at www.funeralkazoo.com/doomsday

Iain Dale talks to former cabinet minister Sir Robert Buckland about the life and reign of King George II.

In this episode, we give some context about the England to which John Wesley returns after his stint in Georgia, with a look at the life and reign of King George II. You can find us online at www.historyofmethodism.com.You can support us online at patreon.com/historyofmethodism. 

SynopsisOne of Handel's “greatest hits” had its premiere on today's date in 1749 at London's Covent Garden Theatre, as part of his new biblical oratorio, Solomon.The text of Handel's oratorio praises the legendary Hebrew king's piety in Part 1, his wisdom in Part 2 and the splendor of his royal court in Part 3.As the instrumental introduction to the third part of Solomon, Handel composed a jaunty sinfonia he titled “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.” In the Book of Kings, the Queen of Sheba travels from afar to visit the splendid court of King Solomon, arriving, as the Bible puts it, “with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones.”Handel's music admirably captures the excitement of a lavish state visit of an exotic foreign queen, and first-night London audiences would have had no problem reading into Handel's depiction of an elaborate compliment of their reigning monarch, King George II.Speaking of reigning monarchs, at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, Handel's Sinfonia was used to accompany a video of James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) arriving at Buckingham Palace, where 007 was received by Queen Elizabeth II.Music Played in Today's ProgramGeorge Frederic Handel (1685-1757): excerpt from ‘Solomon'; English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Philips 412 612

TreasurIn the year 1750, England is rife with crime and highway robbers. To stop the wave of chaos, King George II sets up the first professional police force named the Bow Street Runners, under the command of the bellowing Sir Roger Daley, and seconded by Captain Desmond Fancey and Sergeant Jock Strapp. The Runners are apparently successful in wiping out crime and lawlessness – using all manner of traps and tricks to round the criminals up. However their main target is the notorious Richard "Big Dick" Turpin, a highwayman who has evaded capture and succeeded in even robbing Sir Roger and his prim wife of their money and clothing. After this humiliation, Turpin becomes the Bow Street Runners' most wanted man, and thus Captain Fancey is assigned to go undercover and catch the famous Dick Turpin and bring him to justice. The Bow Street Runners nearly succeed in apprehending Turpin and his two partners in crime, Harriet and Tom, one evening as they hold up a coach carrying faux-French show-woman, Madame Desiree, and her unladylike daughters, "The Birds of Paradise." However, Turpin manages to outsmart the Runners, sending them away in Madam Desiree's coach. Outraged by Strapp's incompetence, Captain Fancey travels with the sergeant to the village of Upper Dencher near to where the majority of Turpin's hold-ups are carried out. There they encounter the mild-mannered Reverend Flasher, who is really Turpin in disguise, with Tom as his church assistant and Harriet as his maidservant. They confide in the rector their true identities and their scheme to apprehend Turpin. They agree to meet at the seedy Old Cock Inn, a notorious hang-out for criminals and sleazy types, and where Desiree and her showgirls are performing. Fancey and Strapp pose as two on-the-run crooks – and Strapp dubs his superior "Dandy Desmond" – and they hear from the greasy old hag, Maggie, a midwife who removed buckshot from Turpin's buttock, that Turpin has a curious birthmark on his manhood. Strapp wastes no time in carrying out an inspection in the public convenience of the Old Cock Inn. When the rector arrives, he discovers their knowledge of the birthmark, and sweet talks Desiree into assisting him with the capture of "Turpin", whom the rector has told Desiree is actually Fancey, who is sitting downstairs in the bar. She lures him to her room and attempts to undress him, with the help of her wild daughters. The girls pull down his breeches but fail to find an incriminating birthmark, and Desmond staggers half-undressed into the bar. Strapp is also dumped into a horse trough for peeping at the men in the toilets. Strapp and Fancey send a message to Sir Roger about the birthmark, and are accosted by Harriet in disguise who tells them to meet Turpin that night at ten o'clock. Meanwhile, Tom tells the local constable that he knows where Turpin will be that night – at the location Harriet told Strapp and Fancey to wait. Thus, they are imprisoned as Turpin and his mate, and Sir Roger is yet again robbed on his way to see the prisoners. However things fall apart when the rector's housekeeper, Martha Hoggett begins to put two and two together when Mrs Giles, apparently sick and used for a cover-up story for Dick's raids, is seen fit and well at the church jumble sale. Later that day, Harriet is caught at the Old Cock Inn where Fancey, Strapp and Daley are meeting and Fancey recognises her as the "man" who conned them into being caught. She is chased into Desiree's room and is told to undress to show the infamous birthmark. However, they soon realise she is a woman and are prepared to let her go, but lock her up after Lady Daley recognises a bracelet that Harriet is wearing as one Turpin stole from her. With the net tightening, the Reverend Flasher gives an elongated sermon before outwitting his would-be captors and making a speedy getaway, with Harriett and Tom, across the border.e-Island-Chapter-26

The East coast of the United States is littered with places named in honor of European royals. But the monarchical monikers don't stop there, 2 major midwestern cities bare the names of French Kings, Texas once bore the epithet of a Spanish monarch, and even California was named for a mythic black warrior Queen. Let's take a tour of the US and learn when and how these states and major cities were named and a bit about the person whose moniker they bare. Virginia named for Queen Elizabeth I Jamestown, VA named for James I of England & VI of Scotland Maryland named for Queen Henrietta Maria North & South Carolina named for King Charles I of England Charleston, SC named for Charles II of England New York named for James, Duke of York Albany, NY named for James, Duke of Albany Queens, NY named for Queen Catherine of Braganza Williamsburg, VA named for William III of Great Britain Georgia named for King George II of Great Britain Charlotte, NC named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Louisiana named for King Louis XIV of France St. Louis, MO named for Louis IX of France Louisville, KY named for Louis XVI of France California named for Queen Calafia of California Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091781568503 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyteatimelindsayholiday/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyteatime Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes! Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell Music: Butterflies in love by Sir CubworthJoin me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! #ushistory #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Liz Covart joins Tim to discuss the events and circumstances that led to the American Revolutionary War, and the stories behind the actual drafting of the most revolutionary document ever written, The Declaration of Independence. Liz, who is also the host of the popular Ben Franklin's World podcast, talks about the Declaration of Independence as a living, breathing document that is as relevant today as ever. This episode was originally released on June 25, 2018. https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/shapingopinion/Encore_-_Writing_the_Declaration_of_Independence.mp3 Declaration adopted by Continental Congress July 4, 1776, but work started on it early June of that year. Many may think the declaration preceded the fighting of the Revolutionary War, but the fighting actually had already begun in Massachusetts (April 1775 with local militia skirmishes with the British army in Lexington and Concord over rights as British subjects.) October 1775, King George II became very outspoken against the rebellious colonies and ordered expansion of the royal army and navy. The colonies got word of this and it only caused colonies to lose hope for reconciliation. Late 1775, Benjamin Franklin communicated with the French that the colonies were leaning towards independence and could use some help.  France wouldn't provide any support unless the colonies made it official. Continental Congress met that winter and realized reconciliation with Britain was unlikely. It looked to them like independence was their only option. December 22, 1775, British Parliament banned trade with the colonies. Tried to crush the resistance.  Continental Congress deliberated and planned. June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee made a motion for Independence. The group could not get full consensus at that time. The colonies were not ready, but they did form a Committee of Five to draft the Declaration, which Thomas Jefferson (Virginia) Virginia to chair. Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania), John Adams (Massachusetts.), Roger Sherman (Connecticut), and Robert Livingston (New York). They needed a southern colony representative, particularly a Virginian. The drafting of the Declaration took roughly three weeks.  Thomas Jefferson wrote it with input from John Adams and the others. We talk about resources that may have served as source material, along with David McCullough's description of Thomas Jefferson's approach to the writing of the Declaration. John Dunlap, official printer, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and print roughly 200 copies. These were known as the Dunlap Broadsides sent to committees, assemblies, commanders in the Continental Army. One copy made it to King George II months later. The introduction said independence was necessary for the colonies, the body listed grievances with the British crown, the preamble includes the most famous passage: “In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its...

Hello Fellow Patriots! Today I talk about the First Continental Congress. Who attended? What did they talk about? Why was this so important to the colonies and eventual independence? What happened after they left? What was the response from King George II and England? Learn the answers to these questions and so much more, in this descriptive episode. I had a difficult goal set for this podcast, that is, making a 6-week meeting of 56 delegates not only interesting, but engaging and exciting. Did I succeed? This episode is the longest one I've done to date, and also the first show of 2023! Episode 20 • The First Continental Congress, Philadelphia, PA., 1774 This Episode Show Notes https://www.patriotpowerpodcast.com/20 All Episodes Show Notes https://www.patriotpowerpodcast.com/show-notes Do you have a question, comment or suggestion? I'd love to hear from you, so get in touch! • Email Me patriotpowerpodcast@gmail.com • Gab https://gab.com/PatriotPowerPodcast • Website https://www.PatriotPowerPodcast.com _______________________________________ You can support this podcast and get some cool gear at our online Patriot Power Store! https://www.patriotpowerpodcast.com/shop Support it further by being a sponsor! https://anchor.fm/patriotpowerpodcast/support --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/patriotpowerpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/patriotpowerpodcast/support

Carl Trueman, in his response to David French's recent call for compromise with the Left on The Respect for Marriage Act, and his subsequent further explanation of why his position on gay marriage has evolved like Barrack Obama's, shares an especially astute observation: "It is now clear that orthodox Protestants, specifically evangelicals, do not own the country. Whether they ever did is a matter for debate; that they thought they did is indisputable." Yet setting aside, for the moment, what is or is not debatable or disputed, on Thanksgiving Day, in the year of our Lord, 2022, I watched Last of the Mohicans with my wife and kids for the first time. And, by the way, according to respondents among my family and friends on Facebook, Last of the Mohicans is indeed a Thanksgiving movie. And I think the reason for that has a lot to do with the period in which the story is set, 1757, one generation prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the founding of the United States of America. In a story of the French and Indian War, we see the War for Independence coming down the pike. As American colonials grow once-and-for-all tired of being treated as disposable pawns in the wars of Old World monarchs and their empires, what is most important to the American colonists is a very simple thing: the ability to protect and provide for their own wives and children. British Colonel George Munro, as a stand-in for King George II, is loathe to release the militiamen, even when reports come back to their fort that farms and cabins are being attacked, and families are being murdered by the indigenous allies of France. The most important thing to Munro is protecting the interests of the British crown in America. He can't spare the men, he says. But then the fort falls anyway. So what was the point? Some contemporaries will say the point was all just sinful man killing and being killed, and there's no sense to any of it. I beg to differ. So also, I dissent with an establishment figure like French who, well connected and established as a commentator the way he is, concludes the fears of what would come from Obergefell v. Hodges have proven unfounded. Religious liberty has won several victories at the Supreme Court. Therefore, we should content ourselves to only that, and no more, and leave behind forever talk of disrupting gay marriages and homosexual families. To do otherwise would upset our non-Christian neighbors, and they might further encroach on our religious liberty, and not like us very much. Yet French seems to me as detached and distant from the practical realities of frontier life as many of the aristocrats in mid-18th century Europe were to what was being unleashed on American colonists. This or that course may eat into the crown's holdings, or what income is gotten from indentured servants on rental properties in the New World. French's concern is far from existential for him or his friends in a timely peace which preserves the suitably profitable status quo. An ongoing struggle, though? Anything might happen. Trueman is right, then, that orthodox Protestants clearly do not own America. Yet one can't help but feel, when reading the likes of David French, as though his kind of Protestant does lay claim to America in a way they also don't believe men like me ever should. But if that is the case, it's just as well, I suppose. Turnabout is fair play, and the feeling is mutual. Men like me don't think men like French should hold our forts in the New World. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/support

Synopsis On today's date in 1928, the Danish composer Carl Nielsen conducted the first public performance of his new Clarinet Concerto in Copenhagen. “The clarinet,” said Nielsen, “can, at one and the same time seem utterly hysterical, gentle as balsam, or as screechy as a streetcar on badly greased rails.” Nielsen set himself the task of covering that whole range of the instrument's conflicting emotions and colors. He wrote it for a Danish clarinetist he admired named Aage Oxenvad, who played both the public premiere on today's date and a private reading a few weeks earlier. After the private performance Oxenvad is supposed to have muttered: “Nielsen must be able to play the clarinet himself — otherwise he would hardly have been able to find all the instrument's WORST notes.” The concerto's wild mood-swings puzzled audiences in 1928, but today it's regarded as one of Nielsen's most original works. In October of 1996, another Clarinet Concerto received its premiere when American composer John Adams conducted the first performance of his work Gnarly Buttons with soloist Michael Collins. This concerto contains a bittersweet tribute to Adams' father, a clarinetist who fell victim to Alzheimer's disease. In Adams' concerto, the swing tunes slide into dementia, but the concerto ends with a kind of benediction. Music Played in Today's Program Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57 Kjell-Inge Stevennson, clarinet; Danish Radio Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, cond. EMI 69758 John Adams (b. 1947) Gnarly Buttons Michael Collins, clarinet; London Sinfonietta; John Adams, cond. Nonesuch 79453 On This Day Births 1882 - Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, in Drummondsville, Ontario; Deaths 1896 - Austrian composer Anton Bruckner, age 72, in Vienna; Premieres 1727 - Handel: "Coronation Anthems," in London at Westminster Abbey during the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline (Gregorian date: Oct. 22); 1830 - Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, in Warsaw, composer as soloist; 1928 - Nielsen: Clarient Concerto, at a public concert in Copenhagen, with the composer conducting and Aage Ozenvad the soloist; This concert had been given a private performance in Humlebaek on September 14, 1928); 1947 - Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6, by Leningrad Philharmonic, Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting; 1952 - Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7, by Moscow Philharmonic, Samuil Samosud conducting; 1953 - Messiaen: "Réveil des oiseaux," in Donaueschingen, Germany; 1955 - B.A. Zimmermann: "Nobody Knows de Trouble I See" for Trumpet and Orchestra, in Hamburg, by the North German Radio Orchestra conducted by Ernest Bour, with Adolf Scherbaum the soloist; 1962 - Carlisle Floyd: opera "The Passion on Jonathan Wader," by the New York City Opera; 1977 - Bernstein: "Songfest," "Three Mediations from 'Mass,'" and "Slava!" by the National Symphony, conducted by the composer ("Songfest" and "Meditations"‚ and Mstislav Rostropovich ("Slava!"); Rostropovich was also the cello soloist in the "'Meditations"; 1980 - Bernstein: "A Musical Toast ( A Fanfare in Memory of André Kostelanetz)" by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta; 1980 - Zemlinksy: opera "Der Traumgörge" (Goerge the Dreamer), posthumously, in Nuremberg at the Opernhaus (This opera was written in 1906); 1985 - John Harbison: String Quartet No. 1, at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., by the Cleveland Quartet. 1985 - Michael Torke: “Vanada” for brass, keyboards and percussion, at the Concertgebouw Chamber Hall in Amsterdam, by the Asko Ensemble, Lukas Vis conducting. Links and Resources On Carl Nielsen On John Adams

One of the best-known choral works in the western world is Handel’s Messiah. Early in its history, a curious custom developed. The audience would stand for the “Hallelujah Chorus,” sung at the end of the second movement. Popular tradition holds that this practice originated during the London premier when King George II stood during this song, requiring everyone else to do so as well. Psalms 146–150 begin and end with the Hebrew phrase “Hallelujah,” translated as “Praise the LORD.” You might say that these last five psalms are the “Hallelujah Chorus” of the Psalter. In today’s reading, verses 2–3 demonstrate an important truth. After declaring to “praise the LORD all of my life,” the Psalmist then warns Israel to “not put your trust in princes.” There is a big contrast here between trusting in God, the King of kings, and trusting in earthly rulers. When we praise God, it helps to center us and remind us where our true hope lies. Our allegiance is not primarily to things of this world. We are people “whose hope is in the LORD their God” (v. 5). In the second half of the psalm, the Psalmist recounts several attributes of God as reasons to praise Him. He reminds us that God cares deeply about the oppressed, the poor, prisoners, the blind, orphans, and widows (vv. 7–9). Not only does this remind us of how compassionate God is, but it also serves as a model for us to follow. If God cares for these vulnerable people, we should as well. Praising God should inspire us to acts of compassion and mercy. >> We have been given a model of compassion and mercy in Jesus! The Son of God and Messiah of Israel spent much of His life preaching good news to the poor, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and showing compassion on the lowly (Luke 4:16–21). How can we follow in His footsteps?

Actor Anne Marie Duff talks to Emma Barnett playing a working class matriarch in a new play that spans five decades of the lives, and deaths, of the Webster family. Last September 19, 2021, Sophia Huang Xueqin, the Chinese journalist who kick-started China's #MeToo movement, disappeared. We find out what has happened to her from BBC Eye journalist Jessie Lau who's been investigating her disappearance,. Plus writer and journalist Lijia Zhang explains what it's like to be a feminist in China. Plus Anna Eavis the Curatorial director at English Heritage tells us the the story of Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, and mistress of King George II, as Marble Hill, a Palladian villa built in the 1720s for her, prepares to open to the public following its restoration Presenter Emma Barnett Producer Beverley Purcell Photo credit; Helen Murray

Rabbits?  Yes, rabbits!  Plural!  As in “Mary Toft gave birth to more than one rabbit.”  Believable?  Not these days.  But in 1726, it was plausible to many, and Mary Toft, 24, of the village of Godalming, England, was convincing to many in her claim that she had just given birth to rabbits.      Oh, and just as astonishing, those births took place after she had already given birth to Mary, Anne, and James, all human children fathered by Joshua Toft, a clothier by trade and a non-rabbit by birth.      Here, from Volume 3 of Stories from History's Dust Bin, comes the “rabbit tale,” if we may use that phrase, of a woman who insisted she had given birth to a “fluffle” of bunnies – a claim that made its way – all the way to the court of King George II of England before the matter could be put to rest.      Stories from History's Dust Bin is a 3-volume set of historical short stories. These are the nuggets of gold that had fallen by the wayside… the little known and unusual. Many of these gems were destined to be forever lost until they were collected, dusted off and brought back to life by author Wayne Winterton.   Each podcast episode features one of the over 450 stories featured in Winterton's Award-Winning* series, narrated by either the author, his son, William Winterton, or his daughter, Jana.   If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us 5 stars and a glowing review on iTunes! And if you don't want to wait a whole week to hear another story from the Dust Bin, consider picking up the books on Amazon (either downloadable or good ol' fashioned ink and paper).   The Entire History's Dust Bin Collection Is Available On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bDrip4

In the early 1700s, decades of rising tensions between Spain and Britain culminated in a war that was fought all over the world. And it all started with a scene that sounds like it belongs in Reservoir Dogs: In 1731, a Spanish guarda costa abused its right to stop and search British merchant ships in the West Indies for contraband, and a Spanish privateer named Juan de León Fandiño cut off British captain Robert Jenkins's ear during a search of his trading brig Rebecca.Jenkins returned to England with his severed and then presented it to King George II. The incident helped spark arguably the first global war.Today's guest, Robert Gaudi, is author of the new book “The War of Jenkins' Ear.” We discuss the three-year war that laid the groundwork for the French and Indian War and, eventually, the War of the American Revolution. It was a world war in the truest sense, engaging the major European powers on battlefields ranging from Europe to the Americas to the Asian subcontinent.Yet the conflict barely known to us today, even though it resulted in the invasion of Georgia and even involved members of George Washington's own family. It would cost fifty-thousand lives, millions in treasure, and over six hundred ships. Overall, this was turly an American war; a hard-fought, costly struggle that determined the fate of the Americas, and in which, for the first time, American armies participated.

Episode 92 - Chapter 39 – As Patrick Henry's law career grows in prominence, troubling news arrives from England: King George II has died. His heir, George III gains the throne, but is this a gain for the American colonies as well? Or a heavy loss? The Order of the Seven animal team helps birth one nation under God by entering the lives of a unique generation of children chosen to become the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Each episode is hosted by Max, Liz and Nigel – and includes a selection from the audiobook, “The Voice, the Revolution, & the Key!” For your very own copy of the audiobook, written by Jenny L. Cote, read by our own “Announcer Lad” Denny Brownlee – go to Audible.com. Just click here:  http://bitly.ws/cik6 (http://bitly.ws/cik6) And if you'd like to help ensure this podcast can continue to bless future listeners – please consider supporting Playful World Ministries and this podcast through: https://actintl.givingfuel.com/brownlee (https://actintl.givingfuel.com/brownlee) And we'd love to hear from you, too! Email: Jenny@epicorderoftheseven.com This episode features: 1:19 – As Announcer Lad previews the show – a very confusing conversation evolves regarding the British throne.  4:47 - The Voice, the Revolution, & the Key – Chapter 39 – “The Power Behind the Throne.” 23:40 – Nigel's News Nuggets brings us interesting nuggets of the history of British royalty. 26:12 – We share exciting news from Denny – Jenny – and Audible.com – A new audiobook!! 27:35 – We head to Jenny's Corner to see how she measures “success.” 31:11 – Our hosts deal personally with this “conundrum of success.” Support this podcast

An 8 year war involving Vienna, Berlin & Prague, which leaves the Jews no option other than a face-to-face meeting with King George II of England.

The date is Winter 1759. George is having a good year. British forces have captured Quebec and French invasion plans for Britain and Hanover have been thwarted. Buoyed by this, George wonders how much his memorabilia is now worth.  The Lost Tapes of History was created and written by Kerrie Fuller. George II: Leslie Davidoff - www.spotlight.com/3573-1272-6255 Collector: Dani Johns – T: @itsdanijohns Narrator: Fraser Fraser - www.mandy.com/uk/actor/fraser-fraser-1 – T: @fraserfraser123 Intro/Outro: Becky Reader Sound effects from Freesound.org: Opening Theme Music: TheTunk; Closing Theme Music: Nuria1512; Other effects: werra; AldebaranCW. Fact Check here: www.losttapesofhistory.co.uk/george-ii-and-the-memorabilia-collector Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/since79p ©2021 Since79 Productions Sound Disclaimer: The Lost Tapes of History was recorded remotely during lockdown in late 2020. As such, the actors used what equipment they had available and were limited by their location. This has resulted in variable audio quality although hopefully, it won't stop your enjoyment of the podcast.

One of Handel’s “greatest hits” had its premiere on today’s date in 1749 at London’s Covent Garden Theatre, as part of his new Biblical oratorio, “Solomon.” The text of Handel’s oratorio praises the legendary Hebrew King’s piety in Part 1, his wisdom in Part 2, and the splendor of his royal court in Part 3. As the instrumental introduction to the third part of “Solomon,” Handel composed a jaunty sinfonia he titled “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.” In the Book of Kings, the Queen of Sheba travels from afar to visit the splendid court of King Solomon, arriving, as the Bible puts it, "with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones." Handel’s music admirably captures the excitement of a lavish state visit of an exotic foreign Queen, and first-night London audiences would have had no problem reading into Handel’s depiction of an elaborate compliment of their reigning monarch, King George II. Speaking of reigning monarchs, at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, Handel’s Sinfonia was used to accompany a video of James Bond (aka actor Daniel Craig) arriving at Buckingham Palace, where 007 was received by Elizabeth II.

One of Handel’s “greatest hits” had its premiere on today’s date in 1749 at London’s Covent Garden Theatre, as part of his new Biblical oratorio, “Solomon.” The text of Handel’s oratorio praises the legendary Hebrew King’s piety in Part 1, his wisdom in Part 2, and the splendor of his royal court in Part 3. As the instrumental introduction to the third part of “Solomon,” Handel composed a jaunty sinfonia he titled “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.” In the Book of Kings, the Queen of Sheba travels from afar to visit the splendid court of King Solomon, arriving, as the Bible puts it, "with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones." Handel’s music admirably captures the excitement of a lavish state visit of an exotic foreign Queen, and first-night London audiences would have had no problem reading into Handel’s depiction of an elaborate compliment of their reigning monarch, King George II. Speaking of reigning monarchs, at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, Handel’s Sinfonia was used to accompany a video of James Bond (aka actor Daniel Craig) arriving at Buckingham Palace, where 007 was received by Elizabeth II.

HANDEL'S MESSIAH VIDEOS Note: PLEASE PLEASE watch these clips in their entirety after watching this video of 1 Thess 4. You will be crying by the end of both of them. When you see everybody stand at the beginning of the "Hallelujah" Chorus that is a tradition started by King George II when this was first played in 1743. When asked afterwards why he, the King, stood for the song he responded "when I enter the room as King, you stand; so must I, when I enter the presence of the King of Kings, stand." Ever since then at every performance of Handel's Messiah, people stand for that song only. I also love the introduction that Andre Rieu gives before they play the Hallelujah Chorus. As for the 'I know that My Redeemer liveth", I think this is one of the most exquisite renditions I've ever heard from start to finish. Amazing! https://youtu.be/7ECzcsNGegI "Hallelujah" Chorus - Andre Rieu Concert NY Radio City Hall. https://youtu.be/hqa8rn-hBSk "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth." - Amanda Powell 7 The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra. #bible #thessalonians #biblestudy #howtostudythebible https://www.facebook.com/anthonyprich... @anthonyprichards https://www.youtube.com/anthonyprichards https://www.instagram.com/aprichards @aprichards S.O.A.P. is all about how to study the Bible. It's about reading Scripture, Observing what it says, working out how you Apply it to your life and then Praying about it. In this video, we look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Resources/References/Sources Matthew Henry Commentary, NKJV Thomas Nelson Study Bible, William Robert Hawkins, Evan Roberts, Charles Spurgeon, Oswald Chambers, Smith Wigglesworth, David Guzik, James Montgomery Boice, Alexander MacLaren, Thomas Horne, Thomas Leblanc, Frederick “F.B.” Meyer, Adam Clarke, Derek Kidner, Curtis Vaughan, FF Bruce, George Horne, G. Campbell Morgan, Leon Morris. D. Edmond Hiebert.

In this episode of the podcast. Bill Giovannetti continues sharing new book, CHAOS:As Goes the Church, So Goes the World. Chapter 3 - The Song That Never Ends If you wish to rant about the state of affairs in the contemporary church, worship music is low-hanging fruit, I know. God help us.  The burden of this book is that God’s people have welcomed chaos into the church and our lives. Sometimes, our worship music is both a symptom and a contributing factor.  And let me say right away it’s not just the repetition that’s to blame.  In the worship song commonly called “Psalm 136,” you will find the words “his mercy endures forever” 26 times in 26 verses. I’d call that repetitious. Repetition per se is not the problem.  Arguably the greatest extra-biblical worship song of all time – one that the church has stood up for ever since King George II launched the tradition at its 1742 debut – is Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. This chorus repeats the word Hallelujah at least 36 times, King of kings 8 times, Lord of lords 8 times, and for ever and ever 12 times. And I’m not even counting the echoes. The finale is nothing but repetition:  King of Kings And Lord of Lords King of Kings And Lord of Lords And He shall reign for ever and ever King of Kings And Lord of Lords Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Repetition is not the core problem in contemporary worship music.  The core problem is that worship music is written all too often by worship leaders who can strum a guitar and sing decently and have never swum to the deep end of theology’s pool. They don’t even know it’s there. The deepest thing they can say about God is, “He’s a good, good, good, good God,” like a good, good dog, so we can demand he fetch us a blessing.  Yes, God is good. In theology, this is called the Benevolence of God, and is a doctrine rich in meaning. Yet I suspect not one worship leader in a hundred has bothered to crack open the theology books and launch a voyage into the wonders of this theology before they pen their ditties. They cannot deliver the depths of divine benevolence because they haven’t even heard the word, much less studied it out.  We get the impression that the primary method of writing a contemporary worship hit is to first run the lyrics through the Random Phrase Generator, to produce a collection of Twitter-sized fragments assembled into a series of non-sequiturs, colored by mixed-metaphors to be sung at gradually swelling volume with maximum pathos. Little concern logos, or for cadence, and even less for the poetry’s beauty.  So the church hums along in the theological shallows. There is little content to make our hearts skip a beat. All too many songwriters are incapable of painting a picture of a God so grand he takes our breath away, because they have rarely gone there themselves. So the church stands and watches while song leaders do their thing and the people on stage have their own little worship moment, eyes closed, bodies swaying, congregation forgotten.  The hymns I learned as a boy in church, I still sing today when I walk my dog in the early morning hours. I doubt that anybody will be singing many of today’s praise songs thirty years from now as they walk along. There’s no “there” there.  As all the church grandparents are nodding their heads in self-righteous disapproval, let me say that the fat, old hymnal has had the benefit of centuries of culling. There were plenty of horrible hymns composed back in the day. The large majority of them, no doubt. They just didn’t stand the test of time, so the church spit them out. Don’t be so smug, fellow Curmudgeons.  And please don’t complain it’s too loud. If you don’t like the music, any volume is too loud. I’ve been to churches where the pipe organ rumbles your chest at about 110 decibels, and all the old folks love it because it’s Holy, Holy, Holy. Every generation needs to be evangelized on their own terms.

In this episode of the podcast. Bill Giovannetti continues sharing new book, CHAOS:As Goes the Church, So Goes the World. Chapter 3 - The Song That Never Ends If you wish to rant about the state of affairs in the contemporary church, worship music is low-hanging fruit, I know. God help us.  The burden of this book is that God's people have welcomed chaos into the church and our lives. Sometimes, our worship music is both a symptom and a contributing factor.  And let me say right away it's not just the repetition that's to blame.  In the worship song commonly called “Psalm 136,” you will find the words “his mercy endures forever” 26 times in 26 verses. I'd call that repetitious. Repetition per se is not the problem.  Arguably the greatest extra-biblical worship song of all time – one that the church has stood up for ever since King George II launched the tradition at its 1742 debut – is Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. This chorus repeats the word Hallelujah at least 36 times, King of kings 8 times, Lord of lords 8 times, and for ever and ever 12 times. And I'm not even counting the echoes. The finale is nothing but repetition:  King of Kings And Lord of Lords King of Kings And Lord of Lords And He shall reign for ever and ever King of Kings And Lord of Lords Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Repetition is not the core problem in contemporary worship music.  The core problem is that worship music is written all too often by worship leaders who can strum a guitar and sing decently and have never swum to the deep end of theology's pool. They don't even know it's there. The deepest thing they can say about God is, “He's a good, good, good, good God,” like a good, good dog, so we can demand he fetch us a blessing.  Yes, God is good. In theology, this is called the Benevolence of God, and is a doctrine rich in meaning. Yet I suspect not one worship leader in a hundred has bothered to crack open the theology books and launch a voyage into the wonders of this theology before they pen their ditties. They cannot deliver the depths of divine benevolence because they haven't even heard the word, much less studied it out.  We get the impression that the primary method of writing a contemporary worship hit is to first run the lyrics through the Random Phrase Generator, to produce a collection of Twitter-sized fragments assembled into a series of non-sequiturs, colored by mixed-metaphors to be sung at gradually swelling volume with maximum pathos. Little concern logos, or for cadence, and even less for the poetry's beauty.  So the church hums along in the theological shallows. There is little content to make our hearts skip a beat. All too many songwriters are incapable of painting a picture of a God so grand he takes our breath away, because they have rarely gone there themselves. So the church stands and watches while song leaders do their thing and the people on stage have their own little worship moment, eyes closed, bodies swaying, congregation forgotten.  The hymns I learned as a boy in church, I still sing today when I walk my dog in the early morning hours. I doubt that anybody will be singing many of today's praise songs thirty years from now as they walk along. There's no “there” there.  As all the church grandparents are nodding their heads in self-righteous disapproval, let me say that the fat, old hymnal has had the benefit of centuries of culling. There were plenty of horrible hymns composed back in the day. The large majority of them, no doubt. They just didn't stand the test of time, so the church spit them out. Don't be so smug, fellow Curmudgeons.  And please don't complain it's too loud.

On this episode of Expanded Perspectives the guys talk abut whether or not Kyle survived COVID-19 or not and the recent Live Stream the boys did over the weekend. Then, on Saturday March 28, 2020, the eyewitness, along with his mother and a friend, were at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. They were hiking in the area of the Elk & Bison Prairie when they saw some strange paw prints. Then, they saw a dogman like creature! Next, a person from Banff, Scotland writes that they believe they saw the Glimmer Man, but in this case it was a Glimmer Woman! Then, a man out working in the backyard heard some strange grunts coming from the nearby woods. After a little while he actually saw two large, hairy creatures lumbering through the forest. Then, a listener from Toronto, Canada tells their account of a possible Time Slip! During the main segment, Cam brings up some very strange creatures lurking in the wild woods of Georgia. Georgia, named after King George II of England, is one of the original thirteen colonies. Of the 37 million acres of land in Georgia, 24.8 million acres of that is forestland. The Peach State is the fourth largest state east of the Mississippi River, and is home to mountains, rivers, and monsters. All of this and more on this installment of Expanded Perspectives! Show Notes: 7 Ft Upright Canine Recently Observed at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky 8 Ft Bigfoot Aggressively Reacts to McClellanville, South Carolina Resident

On this episode of Expanded Perspectives the guys talk abut whether or not Kyle survived COVID-19 and the recent Live Stream the boys did over the weekend. Then, on Saturday March 28, 2020, the eyewitness, along with his mother and a friend, were at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. They were hiking in the area of the Elk & Bison Prairie when they saw some strange paw prints. Then, they saw a dogman like creature! Next, a person from Banff, Scotland writes that they believe they saw the Glimmer Man, but in this case it was a Glimmer Woman! Then, a man out working in the backyard heard some strange grunts coming from the nearby woods. After a little while he actually saw two large, hairy creatures lumbering through the forest. Then, a listener from Toronto, Canada tells their account of a possible Time Slip! During the main segment, Cam brings up some very strange creatures lurking in the wild woods of Georgia. Georgia, named after King George II of England, is one of the original thirteen colonies. Of the 37 million acres of land in Georgia, 24.8 million acres of that is forestland. The Peach State is the fourth largest state east of the Mississippi River, and is home to mountains, rivers, and monsters. All of this and more on this installment of Expanded Perspectives! Show Notes: 7 Ft Upright Canine Recently Observed at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky 8 Ft Bigfoot Aggressively Reacts to McClellanville, South Carolina Resident

Episode: 3031 Mary Beale As Told By Ellen Clayton.  Today, a ray of light.

SURVIVAL OF THE BLOOD by Beth Bristow Charles Stuart came to Scotland seeking support to dethrone England’s King George II and replace him with his father, James Stuart. If the Highlanders will join his uprising, his promise to them is freedom from English tyranny, as well as guns, artillery and provisions for the battle. However, when the Battle of Culloden began, weary Highlanders had no weapons or food. They faced the King’s British Army who were trained, armed and ready for battle. Those Highlanders who were not killed were taken prisoner. Janet Cameron’s husband Ewan, captured by British soldiers has died. Janet, unaware of his death, desperately searches for him. Barely escaping capture themselves, Janet and her six-year old nephew, Daniel Cameron, must return to the ruins of their Highland home where the family’s inheritance is hidden. Janet fears Daniel is the last surviving male of the Highland Cameron Clan. Their trip will be a perilous one as the King’s son, The Duke of Cumberland, called “The Butcher” has given orders to find and kill all Highlanders. Thousands of the King’s soldiers, determined to find and capture Charles Edward Stuart, are searching the Highlands. Janet must return home to uncover what is rightfully hers in order to survive and protect the dying Cameron Highlander line. Beth was born in south west Missouri where she graduated High school and attended Missouri State College. After moving to Seattle Washington, Beth worked for that state as a Social Worker. She returned to West Plains and served as City Clerk for five years, finally returning to Social Work for the State of Missouri, specializing in Adoption until she retired. Beth and her husband owned and operated three Sylvan Learning Centers during the first few years of the 21st Century, finally retiring again in 2009. Now she and husband Ken lead small groups on tours to Scotland and Ireland. During her travels in Scotland she became aware of a kindred spirit and found out she had Scottish heritage on both parents’ sides. She is an avid reader and started studying Scottish history which she came to love and which led to her writing her first historic novel “Survival of the Blood”, a story about the last Jacobite uprising and its’ fateful end. A sequel, “Tragedy of the Blood” came into being and was published in December 2019. Right now she is researching a third novel about life during the early years of settlement in Australia. During her free time, she delights her 7,000 followers with short stories on her Facebook blog “Scotland, Beloved Country”. Readers can also follow Beth’s journeys on her website, www.bethbristowauthor.com https://www.pageturner.us/bookstore/survival-of-the-blood/ http://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/bbristow.mp3

On the morning of November 1, 1755, a devastating earthquake struck the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The quake leveled buildings, triggered fires, and caused a tsunami that laid waste to the urban landscape. When it was all over, thousands were dead.  The Lisbon earthquake was a disaster of epic proportions, so much so that it became the subject of the first major international disaster relief effort. People from around the Atlantic world contributed funds to Lisbon and its inhabitants, including a £100,000 donation from King George II of Great Britain.  The quake also marked a change in how people around the Atlantic world responded to disasters. Surely, many who awoke that morning to celebrate All Saints Day attributed the devastation to God's wrath, but in the era of the Enlightenment, many more still looked to reason and science as modes of explanation, and to alleviate the suffering. On today's episode, Dr. Cindy Kierner of George Mason University joins us to discuss the origins of our modern attitudes toward disasters. She is the author of the new book, Inventing Disaster: The Culture of Calamity from the Jamestown Colony to the Johnstown Flood. And as you might have divined from the book's subtitle, how we now respond to disasters like the coronavirus, California wildfires, or Hurricane Katrina is the product of a long history that dates back to the 17th century. About Our Guest: Cindy Kierner received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1986. A specialist in the fields of early America, women and gender, and early southern history, she is the author or editor of eight books and many articles. Kierner is an OAH Distinguished Lecturer and past president of the Southern Association for Women Historians (SAWH), and she has served on several editorial boards. Her research has received support from the American Historical Association, the Virginia Historical Society, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Antiquarian Society, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. About Our Host: Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. leads the Center for Digital History at the Washington Library. A historian of the American Revolution, Scotland, and the British Atlantic World, Ambuske graduated from the University of Virginia in 2016. He is a former Farmer Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Humanities at the University of Virginia Law Library. At UVA Law, Ambuske co-directed the 1828 Catalogue Project and the Scottish Court of Session Project.  He is currently at work on a book about emigration from Scotland in the era of the American Revolution as well as a chapter on Scottish loyalism during the American Revolution for a volume to be published by the University of Edinburgh Press.

On the morning of November 1, 1755, a devastating earthquake struck the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The quake leveled buildings, triggered fires, and caused a tsunami that laid waste to the urban landscape. When it was all over, thousands were dead. The Lisbon earthquake was a disaster of epic proportions, so much so that it became the subject of the first major international disaster relief effort. People from around the Atlantic world contributed funds to Lisbon and its inhabitants, including a £100,000 donation from King George II of Great Britain. The quake also marked a change in how people around the Atlantic world responded to disasters. Surely, many who awoke that morning to celebrate All Saints Day attributed the devastation to God’s wrath, but in the era of the Enlightenment, many more still looked to reason and science as modes of explanation, and to alleviate the suffering. On today’s episode, Dr. Cindy Kierner of George Mason University joins us to discuss the origins of our modern attitudes toward disasters. She is the author of the new book, Inventing Disaster: The Culture of Calamity from the Jamestown Colony to the Johnstown Flood. And as you might have divined from the book’s subtitle, how we now respond to disasters like the coronavirus, California wildfires, or Hurricane Katrina is the product of a long history that dates back to the 17th century. About Our Guest: Cindy Kierner received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1986. A specialist in the fields of early America, women and gender, and early southern history, she is the author or editor of eight books and many articles. Kierner is an OAH Distinguished Lecturer and past president of the Southern Association for Women Historians (SAWH), and she has served on several editorial boards. Her research has received support from the American Historical Association, the Virginia Historical Society, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Antiquarian Society, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. About Our Host: Jim Ambuske leads the Center for Digital History at the Washington Library. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia in 2016 with a focus on Scotland and America in an Age of War and Revolution. He is a former Farmer Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Humanities at the University of Virginia Law Library. At UVA, Ambuske co-directed the 1828 Catalogue Project and the Scottish Court of Session Project. He is the co-author with Randall Flaherty of "Reading Law in the Early Republic: Legal Education in the Age of Jefferson," in The Founding of Thomas Jefferson's University ed. by John A. Rogasta, Peter S. Onuf, and Andrew O'Shaughnessy (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2019). Ambuske is currently at work on a book entitled Emigration and Empire: America and Scotland in the Revolutionary Era, as well as a chapter on Scottish loyalism during the American Revolution for a volume to be published by the University of Edinburgh Press. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mountvernon/message

James Madison survived longer than any other member of the most remarkable generation of political leaders in American history. Born in the middle of the eighteenth century as a subject of King George II, the Father of the United States Constitution lived until 1836, when he died a citizen of Andrew Jackson's republic. For over forty years he played a pivotal role in the creation and defense of a new political order. He lived long enough to see even that Revolutionary world transformed, and the system of government he had nurtured threatened by the disruptive forces of a new era that would ultimately lead to civil war. In recounting the experience of Madison and several of his legatees who witnessed the violent test of whether his republic could endure, McCoy dramatizes the actual working out in human lives of critical cultural and political issues. The Last of the Fathers: James Madison & The Republican Legacy was the winner of two major awards: the Dunning Prize by the American Historical Association and the New England Historical Association Book Prize.Dr. Drew R. McCoy received an A.B. from Cornell University in 1971, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1973 and 1976, respectively. He has been at Clark since 1990. A specialist in American political and intellectual history, Professor McCoy teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in early American history, with emphasis on the period from the Revolution through the Civil War. Before coming to Clark he taught at the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University. His current project, which is biographical, focusing on the early life of Abraham Lincoln in relation to the transformative developments of the early nineteenth century. He is the author of The Elusive Republic: Political Economy in Jeffersonian America and The Last of the Fathers: James Madison & The Republican Legacy.-Dr. Aaron N. Coleman is Associate Professor of History and the History Department Chair at the University of the Cumberlands. He is interested in Anglo-American constitutional and ideological development of the 17th and 18th Centuries, especially the era of the American Founding. Dr. Coleman also specializes in contemporary leadership theory and application. He has published two books both dealing with the conception and political debates over federalism. He is currently working on two projects, one a short biography of Thomas Burke and another on the competing languages of Nationalism and State Sovereignty in 18th and 19th Century United States. Dr. Coleman is a die-hard Elvis fan and spends his free time listening to Elvis or reading Lord of the Rings. He is the author of The American Revolution, State Sovereignty, and the American Constitutional Settlement, 1765–1800 and the co-editor of Debating Federalism: From the Founding to Today with Christopher S. Leskiw. You can follow him on Twitter, @Big_Liberty.---Support for the Age of Jackson Podcast was provided by Isabelle Laskari, Jared Riddick, John Muller, Julianne Johnson, Laura Lochner, Mark Etherton, Marshall Steinbaum, Martha S. Jones, Michael Gorodiloff, Mitchell Oxford, Richard D. Brown, Rod, Rosa, Stephen Campbell, and Victoria Johnson, as well as Andrew Jackson's Hermitage​ in Nashville, TN.

Faint memories of adventures abroad, the streets lined with buildings of the past, and the Disneyland rides long replaced. All memories of others, but preserved for us through the magic of 8 and 16mm celluloid. In this special episode, Peter travels inside the land of Home Movie Day is the show's first "experiential" podcast, recording the sounds and voices of this special event. Hear archivists, projectionists, and others who drudged up canisters from their attics discover the magic of this unique event in which no one knew what was going to be shown. From "Keystone Nuns" from Hungary to the Los Angeles Dodgers and King George II, learn about how home movies provide both historical and emotional experiences that these truly personal films could provide. 0:00-3:06  Opening3:06-27:57 Home Movie Day Part 128:54-32:55  Sponsorship Section33:23-59:53 Home Movie Day Part 259:58-1:01:55 Close 

In 1746 a young woman, Flora MacDonald, sailed over the sea to Skye with her Irish "maid", Betty Burke. The "maid" was actually Prince Charles Edward Stuart, a fugitive from the forces of King George II who were hunting him following his escape after the disastrous Battle of Culloden. The grandson of James II of England, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, or Bonnie Prince Charlie as he was known in Scotland, had led the second Jacobite Uprising of 1745 to overthrow King George, where his army of Jacobites was slaughtered and he was forced to flee for his life. This was where Flora came into the picture. Like Outlander? Maybe you'll like this. The version of "The Skye Boat Song" we use in the show is by The Corries, and Ronnie Brown kindly gave us permission to use it. Thank you Ronnie! Opening music by Stefan Kartenburg, featuring Dimitri Artmenko on strings, and it's from dig.ccMixter.  All other music used in the show is from copyright free music sites. See our gallusgirlsandwaywardwomen.weebly.com site for show notes and sources.

Actually, this episode hits a slippery slope as it slowly devolves into a bit of schoolyard name calling. Yet, up until that point we attempt to keep on point while discussing minute 81 of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Join us as we celebrate the return of Captain Jack Sparrow’s swashbuckler personality, give a shout out to supportive listeners and the Northern California Pirate Festival, talk Dead Man’s Chest music track #1 – Jack Sparrow by Hans Zimmer, discover the traditional pirate welcome of giving goats to new crew members, the role reversal between former Commodore James Norrington and Pintel, define justice thanks to a conversation between Mercer and Governor Swann, and check out the artwork in Lord Cutler Beckett’s office, including the Portrait of King George II by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Thank you for listening to this episode of The Black Pearl Show (Pirates of the Caribbean Minute)! If you enjoyed it, please like and share on Twitter and Facebook. We’d also be VERY grateful if you could rate, review, and subscribe to Pirates of the Caribbean Minute (Black Pearl Show) on iTunes. You can also listen and review via Stitcher, Tune In, and Google Play. For questions or comments, you can call the show at 86-37-PIRATE or send an email to podcast@blackpearlminute.com. We just might feature your questions on future episodes. Your support helps a lot in ranking this show and would be greatly appreciated. If you’re looking for a podcast that discusses Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise (in a movies by minutes format), integrates historical pirate and the golden age of piracy facts, analyzes and entertains, then Pirates of the Caribbean Minute is for you. Website: http://blackpearlminute.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/PiratesoftheCaribbeanMinute Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackpearlmin Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackpearlshow Cursed Listeners’ Crew (A Pirates of the Caribbean Minute Facebook Group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/272990339778981/

Hannah French delves into the battle between the two opera companies in London in the 1730s - King George II's Royal Academy of Music with its musical director Handel - and the Prince of Wales' Opera of the Nobility under the guidance of Nicola Porpora. After four seasons of in-fighting and warring between the two factions, expensive set and costume designs and overpaid starry performers, both companies went bankrupt in 1737.

Introduction Recently, I was in England ministering to some of our International Mission Board missionaries. I had a day in London before I left to visit places I have always wanted to see, including the British Library. It houses one of the oldest bound Bibles in the world, called the Codex Sinaiticus (because it was found on Mount Sinai) — the whole Bible in Greek. I also saw an original first edition King James Bible, and even older, a Tyndale Bible, one of six left in the world. I also saw an original autograph manuscript of Handel’s Messiah, specifically the Hallelujah Chorus. I was in awe. I love that piece. Some of you share a love for classical music, others not so much, but you may know the incredible story of how Handel composed this piece over 24 days. A friend recounted that he would not open the door, would not eat — he was swimming in a sea of paper, surrounded by notes, tears streaming down his face. He said, “Whether I was in the body or out of the body as I wrote it, I know not. God knows. But I think I did see all Heaven opened before me and the Great God Himself.” The most famous part of Messiah is the Hallelujah Chorus. Most people do not know about is that the entire text of Messiah is Scripture. Charles Jennens, who wrote the text for Messiah, used Scriptures that testified prophetically to the coming, the person and the work of Christ. The Hallelujah Chorus quotes three verses from the book of Revelation. We will discuss two in the future, if the Lord wills: one from Revelation 19:6, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’”; one from Revelation 19:16, speaking of Christ, “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” The third is the text we will discuss today, Revelation 11:15: “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’” For 276 years, music lovers have thrilled to hear these three texts set to this incredible music. In 1743, when King George II heard it for the first time at the Hallelujah Chorus, he rose and stood for its duration. It is now tradition to rise for the Hallelujah Chorus, out of respect for the greatness of the theme. My desire is that you would have heavenly meditations of the greatness of Christ, that you would be recaptured back into a fervent love for Christ from whatever has been pulling on your soul this week. The world, the flesh, the devil pull on us all the time; we are prone to wander all the time, prone to drift away from Christ. The ministry of the Word of God is primarily what draws us back, recapturing us again in the grips of Christ and grace. That is what I pray will happen as you listen. Let us set context for the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The Apostle John was in exile on the island of Patmos, a small rocky island of the coast of modern-day Turkey, for preaching the Word of God, the testimony of Jesus. He had a vision of the resurrected glorified Christ moving through seven golden lamp stands. Later, a voice invited him to rise from the surface of the earth to enter through a doorway into the heavenly realms. He was enabled to do that by the power of the Holy Spirit. When he went through the doorway, he saw the central reality of the universe, a throne with Almighty God seated on it. In that vision, Almighty God had in his right hand a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals. Jesus Christ alone was worthy to take the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne, to break open its seven seals. As Christ opens the seals, successive judgments pour out on the earth. As the seventh seal is opened, there is silence in Heaven for half an hour, followed by seven angels with seven trumpets emerging from the seventh seal. These seven trumpets unleash a series of horrific judgments on planet earth, such as has never been seen ever in human history. They are depicted as the direct answer to cries from suffering, martyred saints, the people of God, for vengeance and justice. Their prayers are incense, the smoke of which rises before the heavenly altar. An angel fill a golden censer with coals from the incense and hurls it to the earth in answer to the cries for justice and vengeance. The first trumpet sends fires to rage on the surface of the earth, burning up a third of all of the trees and vegetation and all the green grass. The second trumpet turns a third of the sea to blood, kills a third of the sea creatures, and sinks a third of the ships. The third trumpet poisons a third of the fresh water on planet earth, rendering it bitter. The fourth trumpet reduces a third of the celestial beings — the sun, the moon and the stars — in their heavenly luminosity. When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet, he releases from the Abyss billowing smoke and a demonic invasion, producing an unimaginable level of torment, pain, and agony. It was like a locust swarm but with power to sting like scorpions. Those who reject God are tormented for five months. The sixth angel unleashes with his trumpet a terrifying demonic army, 200 million strong, to rampage over the surface of the earth to kill a third of the human race, perhaps two or three billion people. Despite all of these incredible judgments being poured out on planet earth, we have this incredibly sad statement at the end of Revelation 9:20: “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent” of their wickedness. Despite that level of agony and judgment, the people are still hardened in their sins. Just as an interlude happened between the sixth and seventh seals, there is also break in the action between the sixth and seventh trumpets. Revelation 10 shows a mighty, massive, powerful, radiant angel standing with one foot on the dry land and one foot in the sea, his head in the clouds. In his right hand is a scroll lying open with writing on it. John is commanded to take the scroll and eat it. It is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. Then he is commanded, or rather recommissioned, to prophesy to many nations and languages and peoples and tribes. He is sent as a prophetic messenger to the world through the writing that he will do. Thus, the scroll represents the written Scripture. In the first half of Revelation 11, two flesh and blood witnesses take their place in this moment in redemptive history to explain God’s purpose for these plagues of judgment and to provide a final warning to urge people to repent and flee to Christ. The witnesses’ testimonies combine with John’s writings to make it clear to all. After the witnesses are killed and resurrected, the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. Just as the seventh seal seems to unfold or unleash the seven trumpets, so the seventh trumpet is will unfold or unleash the seven bowls. The description of those appear later, in Revelation 16. With those seven bowls come the final judgments at the very end of human history. It is telescoping action, like those little Russian dolls which are opened to reveal increasingly smaller dolls. The judgments cover similar but not identical ground, so they are clearly not simultaneous but subsequent. Before we get to the seven bowls, we will go behind the scenes in Revelation 12 and 13 to see Satan the red dragon, his demons, and then the Antichrist and his world system. We will look into “this present darkness” [Ephesians 6:12] that will escalate to a degree we can scarcely imagine. We will seek to understand the career of Satan and that of the Beast from the Sea the Beast from the Earth, as well as the evil world system that Satan has set up in which we already live but which will reach its worst level, which God calls Babylon, the Great Whore in this end time. We will examine the world and the devil and the powers that are assaulting the people of God right to the end, which will lead us to Revelation 19, the Second Coming of Christ. Heaven Celebrates: God’s Eternal Kingdom Has Come! The Seventh Angel Sounds His Trumpet Let us begin with Revelation 11:15, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’” The seventh angel sounds his trumpet. Much of this awesome book involves waiting for God’s timing. As we read, it seems to be happening all at once, but in reality there is an unfolding over time. God has conceived meticulous timing for everything he does. The unfolding sequences as John sees them correspond in a complex way to a timetable of judgments that God has already worked out in his mind to come later. For John these are visionary, not actually happening before him. He recorded what he saw, and we, by faith, can also see it happening even though it has not happened yet. The account of numbering the seals and the trumpets in order gives a sense of wise sequencing by God, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. His order is perfect and right. The seventh trumpet and the consummation of the coming Kingdom of Christ are decisive. Now that all this judgment has occurred, at last the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. With that blast it is as though heaven is saying it is finished; it is as good as accomplished, even though there are many chapters left in the book of Revelation. Imagine watching a game in which something so decisive happens on the field that you realize the game is over; there is no way the other team can recover. That is the feel here: the declaration of the seventh trumpet is so decisive that there is no way the powers of evil will recover. “Loud Voices” Immediately John hears loud voices, in contrast to the seventh seal which results in silence for half an hour in Heaven. Powerful angels and elders and the redeemed celebrate with all their might. Elsewhere, the sound of their voices is compared to a mighty waterfall, like Niagara Falls, an overpowering, cascading sound. They are not shy or holding back; they are excited. What Heaven Celebrates What do they celebrate? Verse 15 says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” The kingdom of the world represents the force that is in obvious control of the earth. It is singular — not the “kingdoms” of the world, but the kingdom of the world. The human race is a single unit. We all descend from one man, Adam. Through him, the whole human race was given planet earth as a stewardship, one kingdom of this world. But Satan usurped Adam’s place and took over the kingdom of the world. Adam surrendered the keys of that kingdom to Satan, so Satan is in some dark ways the god of this age or the king of this present kingdom. He rules in devious ways as the power, the puppet master, behind all the thrones of dictators and tyrants. When he takes Christ up a mountain to tempt him in Luke 4:5-8, he shows him in an instant all the kingdoms (plural) of the world, with their glory and riches. “And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.’” The kingdoms become one entity in Satan’s hands. He offers it to Jesus, who refuses, answering heroically, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Satan has been ruling in secret behind various thrones, over the various large and small kingdoms and fiefdoms and countries of the world all along, pitting one against the other, causing one to rise and another to fall. He does that for his own wicked and evil purposes. We will learn more about that in Revelation 12. Christ refused Satan’s offer of all the kingdoms of the world on his wicked terms, that Christ would bow down and worship him instead of God. Instead, Christ submitted to his Father, doing His will, and his Father has given him the world. This is what the angels and elders and all the redeemed are celebrating in Revelation 11, that the Father is giving the world to the Son in his own time and in his own way. The Kingdom Has Become... It says, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” indicating that it is a finished work even though it has not happened yet. These words were written twenty centuries ago, but there is a sense of certainty in the prophetic past tense. The prophets often speak about future events as though they have already happened. For example, Isaiah 53:5-6 says, “But he [Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah wrote those words seven centuries before Jesus was born, yet he uses the past tense. For us, it has happened in the past, but for Isaiah the prophet, it was a future event that he described as past. The Lord’s Prayer Now Fulfilled This statement proclaims the fulfillment of the very thing we, as disciples of Christ, have been praying for throughout our Christian lives in the Lord’s prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How many hundreds of millions of times have those words been said to God? Here at last, God has answered all those prayers; the time has come. A “kingdom” is the place where a ruler openly, evidently rules. This verse refers to the time when God is clearly ruling on earth. Currently He is already the king of the world. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…” [Psalm 24:1] It is His and He rules it now, though not openly. He is secretly maneuvering free-will beings to do His will, whether they acknowledge Him or not. Thus Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” His will is not presently done on earth as it is in Heaven, but after the Second Coming, all will see. The seventh trumpet will quickly set in motion the final judgments that will culminate in the destruction of Satan’s wicked kingdom and of the Antichrist. God the Father’s Pledge to Christ the Son Here at last we also see a fulfillment of the pledge that the Father made to the Son to give him the world. Psalm 110 shows powerfully how God makes it plain that He will give all the world to the Kingdom of His Son. Psalm 110:1-2 says, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.” After Christ died, rose again and ascended, Hebrews tells us he went through the Heavenly realms to the right hand of God. He is seated there and has been for twenty centuries. During that time, God has been extending Christ’s scepter to the ends of the earth. He is ruling in the midst of his enemies in secret permeation. It is not evident and obvious. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in kruptós — Greek meaning encrypted — in a large amount of flour until it permeated the whole dough. That has been happening for twenty centuries. But God intends a more open obvious glory for his Son because he was willing to leave Heavenly glory and make himself nothing to be found as a servant and to be obedient even to the point of death on a cross. God said He would give Christ “the name that is above every name” and guarantee “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Philippians 2:9-11] The Eternity of God’s Kingdom Revelation 11:15 shows the eternality of God’s reign: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” All human kingdoms terminate in death. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a statue with a head of gold and chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, feet partly iron, partly clay. He did not know what it meant, so Daniel interpreted it for him. These various precious and other metals represented a span of history from the Babylonian empire through the Medo-Persian Empire, through the Greeks and the Romans — they represent human kingdoms. But then the focus comes in on the feet of clay. Having feet of clay refers to a weakness in a great man or leader, like an Achilles heel. The coming kingdom of Christ strikes the statue on its feet of clay, smashing them and collapsing the entire statue as a result. Daniel 2:34-35 says, “While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.” The chaff is particles of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay — a pile of nothing, like sawdust. All the human kingdoms of the world, all evidence of their glory, are like dust, which is blown away in a whirlwind. There is nothing left; the threshing floor is clean. The rock that strikes the statue and the feet of clay becomes a huge mountain that filled the whole earth. The rock represents the kingdom of Christ; unlike all of those human kingdoms, it will last forever. Daniel 2:44 says, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” The feet of clay is the mortality of the leaders. God said to Adam, “You will sink back down into the dust from which you came for dust you are and to dust you will return.” We will die, but Jesus has triumphed over death. He cannot die again, so He will reign forever and ever. Human kingdoms are dust in the wind, just as Isaiah said in Isaiah 40:22-24, “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.” Every morning, I read a biography to my kids of Adoniram Judson. He was a missionary in the 1820s to Burma. He sailed up the Irrawaddy River, along the jungles of Burma, to see the king, or to “prostrate himself at the golden feet” as it was called. Along the river, he saw many former ancient royal cities of previous Burmese kings. In Burma, when a son took the throne, he would build his own royal city rather than ruling in his father’s royal city. Within 10-20 years or less the jungle would capture former royal cities and turn them back to nothing. This represented a cautionary tale to each ruler of Burma: someday you will die and your royal city will be reduced to jungle again. The Kingdom of God and of Christ, however, will last for all eternity. The final conquest of this royal Kingdom will be achieved only by the immeasurable greatness of God’s sovereign power. The 24 elders join the praise. Verses 16-17 say, “And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.’” They are prostrating themselves before God in joyful worship, thanking Him for the open display of His sovereign power, which is essential to seizing back the kingdom of the world from Satan and from the Antichrist — the wicked human rulers. The elders celebrate the awesome power of God to finally establish Christ’s reign on earth. My understanding of history is that God raises up monsters, such as Pharaoh who enslaved the Jews, allows them to have a wide range of power, and then crushes them as a display of His power. Romans 9:17 says, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’” This is true of all tyrants in history who have had massive power, but the greatest monster, the beast, is yet to come. Verse 17 says, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.” This is a great display of His power. Satan, Antichrist, and all the human opposition will not hand it to Him; He must take it from them. Most people read this verse without pause, but we need to realize that this is about omnipotence — infinite power. If we asked God “Was that particularly difficult for you to do?” What would He say? It would be like asking Jesus, “Of all your healings, which was the hardest ?” It is a ridiculous question. They were equally easy for him; he can do anything. Or if we asked the raging inferno that is the sun, “Which is hardest for you to ignite, a matchstick, a twig, a branch, a tree or a forest?” what would it say? None would be difficult. That is a picture of God’s omnipotence. But from our perspective, as created beings, this is a huge accomplishment. The power of Satan, of the Red Dragon, and of the demons, and of the beast, and of the world-conquering empire that he will set up will be the most powerful the world has ever seen, directly attacking the people of God and slaughtering them. From our perspective, it will take immense power to set this kingdom up, and God will do it. The elders fall on their faces to worship and give Him thanks for it. They have yearned for that in their hearts, that God would use Him omnipotence of yours to clean this world up. At last He does it. Earth Enraged: God’s Eternal Kingdom Has Come! The Coming of the Kingdom of God ENRAGES the People of the Earth But the joy of heaven is not shared by the inhabitants of the earth. Verse 18 says, “The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” The coming of God’s kingdom enrages the people of the earth. They have not been praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom of God and of Christ is repulsive to them, to every fiber of their being. It is the very thing they do not want. They do not find Jesus’ yoke easy and his burden light. They are not excited that a thrice holy God actively reigns over every aspect of His kingdom, not thrilled that God is light and in Him, there is no darkness at all. They are not attracted to the person and work of Jesus Christ. They hate this work of God and are filled with rage. Rage Characterizes Twenty Centuries of Opposition to Christ and His Kingdom This rage is clearly depicted in Psalm 2. Here we see twenty centuries of human opposition to Christ and his Kingdom. Psalm 2:1-3 says, “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’” They do not consider his yoke easy; they want to throw it off. The kings of the earth, who have always been enemies of Christ, have taken their power and authority at every stage of history and fought against the Lord and against His Christ. Psalm 2:4 gives God's reaction, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” He laughs in judgment and derision. If you all of you banded together to combine your power, I would still laugh. If all of the demons, every one were together against me, if every created being took their stand against me, I would still laugh. Omnipotence. This is God’s decree and action after that laughter: “He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy mountain.’ I will proclaim the LORD’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’” Then the psalmist gives some advice: “Therefore, you kings be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” The End of the Rage-Filled Opposition This rage-filled opposition to Christ and His kingdom will reach its final act in those last chapters in the book of Revelation. We will see it in the coming of the Antichrist and his blasphemous reign and in the great escalation of persecution. The overwhelming majority of Christian martyrs that will have lived have not yet been murdered. There is a huge number of martyrs yet to come. We will see it in the way that the world and its leaders, its sub-kings under the Antichrist, will gather for one last battle against the people of God at Armageddon. One last time they will fight. Their rage is a replica of the dragon, Satan’s, rage, that we will see in the next chapter. Revelation 12:12. He, Satan, “is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Judgment Day: Eternal Rewards and Endless Wrath Judgment Day Imminent Finally, verse 18 gives us Judgment Day, eternal rewards and endless wrath. “The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Judgment Day is coming. The seventh trumpet heralds the events that will lead rapidly to the Day of the Lord and judgment on the wicked forces of evil. Many verses talk about the day of the Lord or Judgment Day. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Jesus said that on the Day of Judgment we must give an account for every careless word that we have spoken. The time will have come at last for that judgment. God Waits Patiently for That Day and its Rewards for His Servants God has been waiting patiently for that day to come and predicting again and again that it will come. Later in the book, we will have Judgment Day clearly depicted. Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” All of us who are genuine believers in Christ will be rewarded by God for any good deed you did, done by faith, done for the glory of God, done with a loving demeanor. He will reward anything, no matter how great or small. He will reward great courage shown in going to an unreached people group and taking your life in your hands, maybe dying that that group might come to faith in Christ; or small things like giving a cup of cold water to somebody in need. God does not forget anything. Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him…” He will reward the saints and prophets and all those who have served him faithfully. Destroying those who Destroy the Earth He will also destroy those who destroy the earth. This shows the special anger that God has reserved for the wicked of the earth whose sins have resulted in the destruction of His beautiful planet. After God made this beautiful world and everything was arranged just how he wanted it to be, it was so beautiful. The oceans and the rivers and the lakes and the mountains and all of the sea creatures and all of the air breathing animals, and insects, and birds — everything was beautiful. God saw all that He had made and behold, it was very good. Who are those who destroy the earth? The entire human race, for one, because in Adam we sinned, we fell, and God cursed the earth as a result. Romans 8:20-21 says, “…the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” But this verse — “The time has come … for destroying those who destroy the earth.” — might also zero in on people who have, in a specific way, destroyed aspects of the earth with ecological disasters through industrial greed or policies that have ravaged some aspect of the planet, polluting the sky, the earth, the water. God will judge people who destroy the earth and He will make in its place a beautiful new world. Heaven’s Temple Unveiled The Heavenly Realities Behind Moses’ Sacrificial System In verse 19, we see Heaven’s temple unveiled: “Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.” In the language of the Old Covenant, Moses’ tabernacle and the Ark, the golden box that he made of acacia wood inlaid and overlaid with gold, were a type and a shadow and a symbol of a heavenly temple. So also was Solomon’s temple. Hebrews 8 tells us that the Levitical priesthood in the sanctuary is a copy, a replica of the heavenly reality. This is not like in Steven Spielberg’s movie in which the ark was found at Tannis and stored in a shipping crate in a warehouse in Washington D.C. I believe that God is in the habit and process of destroying his physical replicas of heavenly realities, such as the ark and the bronze serpent. God’s temple in heaven is the genuine reality of what the ark symbolizes: the place where one hears God’s voice and has communion with Him, where the glory cloud was over the mercy seat, where He spoke to Moses and to the high priest, where the blood was poured out by the high priest once a year, where the actual stone tablets of the law of Moses and the jar of manna were. All of those items and actions represent communion — intimate, close fellowship — of God with atoned-for sinners. This is what is seen in heaven in verse 19, bringing the sense of fear and judgment that comes with flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, earthquakes and a great hailstorm. Applications Christ’s Kingdom and Judgment are Coming Week after week I preach astonishing things from this book, and for me, the most important thing you can do is delight in the coming king and kingdom. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you [that means let me be your king, stop fighting my kingly rule. Bow your neck, let me put my yoke on your neck] and learn from me for I am gentle and humble at heart and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Do not fight my kingdom; delight in my kingdom. Submit to Christ. If you have never trusted in Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, do it right now. Christ is the Son of God; He died on the cross in your place as an atoning sacrifice. Trust in Him and come to Christ. Yearn for the Coming Kingdom! For believers, our job is to delight in that kingdom ever more, to celebrate it, yearn for it, look forward to it. One of the big differences between Christians and non-Christians is we are looking forward to and cannot wait for this kingdom to come. Non-Christians are enraged at the coming Kingdom. We need to pray, as never before: Oh God, may your name be held in honor, may it be hallowed all over the world, and may your kingdom come, and may your will at last be done on earth in the same way that it is being done right now in heaven. And then we need to live like this. “So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” [Matthew 6:31-33] What does it mean to seek first His kingdom? It means to pray for it to come, to evangelize and embrace missions to talk to lost people about this, and to look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. I am looking forward to the international picnic tomorrow because I never get an easier chance to share the gospel to people from all over the world. I do not have to get on a plane. People from all over the world come to a picnic that we host, eating our food, so they will have to listen to at least some of us talking to them about Jesus. It never gets easier. This is worldwide evangelism in one picnic place. If you do not come to the picnic, pray tomorrow around noon when we will be sharing the gospel with people from all over the world. And if you cannot come, find somebody this week whom you think is lost and share the Gospel with them. Delight in the Eternal Nature of Christ’s Coming Kingdom Finally, feed the delight that you have in the coming kingdom — get excited, look forward to it, celebrate it. Think about the Hallelujah Chorus: “The kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, hallelujah, and he will reign forever and ever.” Make those your prayer this afternoon. Closing Prayer Father, thank you for the time we have had to celebrate, to rejoice, to delight in the coming Kingdom. I pray that you would give us a zeal and an energy and a delight such as we have never had before, based on the Scripture, that we would be so evidently, clearly filled with joy and hope, and that we would allow that to move us to share the Gospel with people as we have opportunity. Father, we thank you for these things, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This podcast focuses on Cumberland Gap as a special place of passing for thousands of years--a place with a long relationship to the affairs of man. It relates the important role the gap played in opening the West to settlement. The passage created by Cumberland Gap was well-traveled by Native Americans long before the arrival of European-American settlers. The earliest written account of Cumberland Gap dates to the 1670s, by Abraham Wood of Virginia. The gap was named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II of Great Britain, who had many places named for him in the American colonies after the Battle of Culloden. The explorer Thomas Walker gave the name to the Cumberland River in 1750, and the name soon spread to many other features in the region, such as the Cumberland Gap. In 1769 Joseph Martin built a fort nearby at present-day Rose Hill, Virginia, on behalf of Dr. Walker's land claimants. But Martin and his men were chased out of the area by Native Americans, and Martin himself did not return until 1775. In 1775 Daniel Boone, hired by the Transylvania Company, arrived in the region leading a company of men to widen the path through the gap to make settlement of Kentucky and Tennessee easier. On his arrival Boone discovered that Martin had beaten him to Powell Valley, where Martin and his men were clearing land for their own settlement – the westernmost settlement in English colonial America at the time. By the 1790s the trail that Boone and his men built was widened to accommodate wagon traffic and sometimes became known as the Wilderness Road. Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap (George Caleb Bingham, oil on canvas, 1851–52) Several American Civil War engagements occurred in and around the Cumberland Gap and are sometimes called Battle of the Cumberland Gap. In June 1862, Union Army General George W. Morgan captured the gap for the Union. In September of that year, Confederate States Army forces under Edmund Kirby Smith occupied the gap during General Braxton Bragg's Kentucky Invasion. The following year, in a bloodless engagement in September 1863, Union Army troops under General Ambrose Burnside forced the surrender of 2,300 Confederates defending the gap, gaining Union control of the gap for the remainder of the war. It is estimated that between 200,000 and 300,000 migrants passed through the gap on their way into Kentucky and the Ohio Valley before 1810. Today 18,000 cars pass beneath the site daily, and 1,200,000 people visit the park on the site annually. U.S. Route 25E passed overland through the gap before the completion of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel in 1996. The original trail was source link https://archive.org/details/gov.ntis.ava15022vnb1 copyright link https://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ information link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Gap

Choosing songs to teach from in the music room can be tricky business. For one thing, there are an infinite number of songs from which to choose. You can easily put your head down to think of one song to use in a lesson only to look up hours later with stacks of books and binders next to you, not to mention tabs on tabs of teaching websites on your laptop. (I know, because I've done it.) $9.00 Add To Cart With that in mind, I thought I'd share with you my favorite collection of songs to teach rhythm vs beat. This particular collection works very well for me and I think you'll enjoy it too! I'll also share other great ideas for these songs and rhymes beyond rhythm and beat. Let's jump in! kodaly.hnu.edu Kodaly.hnu.edu Choksy, L., & Brummitt, D. (1987). 120 Singing games and dances for elementary schools. Prentice-Hall. https://teachingwithorff.com/ 1. Burnie Bee Fun fact about this song: a Burnie Bee is actually another name for a ladybug! 2. Engine Engine Have students walk around in a circle with you, imitating train motions and walking in a steady beat. Each time you speak the rhyme increase the tempo to make the train go faster. The last time through, speak the rhyme slowly as the train pulls into the station. This keeps students engaged as they prepare rhythm and beat - they don't even realize they're repeating the song over and over and over (and over and over. . . . .).Another popular version of the song isEngine, engine number nine, going down Chicago lineSee it sparkle, see it shine,Engine, engine, number nine.Other Musical Uses:Sol and MiMelodic Composition4 Voices (singing, speaking, whispering, shouting)More Ways to Use Engine Engine: 3. Bell Horses This song is great to use for keeping a steady beat with jingle bells. If you have a class set, pass them out and let the students play while they sing.If not, have the students sit in a circle and choose a few students at a time to be the "bell horses". They can prance around the circle and then choose new horses to take their place. So fun!Other Musical Uses:Quarter RestSol MiLaMovement in free spaceRead More Uses for Bell Horses Here: 4. Queen Queen Caroline Queen Caroline was the wife of King George II. This is a funny rhyme about hygiene - washing hair with oil certainly is an odd thing to do and kids like to hear about how different life was back in the 1700's. Other Musical Uses:Quarter and eighth notesComposition 5. Button You Must Wander For this game, have students sit in a circle. One student sits in the middle with his or her eyes closed while the teacher hands a small button to someone in the circle. As the class sings the song, the button gets passed around in a steady beat. When the song is over, all students put their hands in their laps and the student in the middle tries to guess who has the button. Other Musical Uses: Do Re MiQuarter Notes, Eighth NotesQuarter Rest Why I Like this Collection: This group of songs makes a nice collection for teaching the difference between rhythm and beat. Rhythmic Variety: Each of the opening lines of these songs uses a different grouping of ta and ta-di. Since the opening phrases are all unique it makes it simple to play an aural discrimination game during the preparation or practice phase of teaching. (The teacher can clap the rhythm and students guess the "mystery song".)Mix of song types: This particular collection has a nice mix of singing, spoken rhymes, action songs, games, and even a lullaby. It makes for a nice range of options when lesson planning.Double Dip: These songs can be used for teaching more than one concept, such as speaking voice vs singing voice. You can also pull them out when you teach your students quarter and eighth notes. $9.00 Add To Cart If you're looking for more tracking printables for rhythm vs beat, check out these! There are 112 pages of rhythm vs beat printables for you to use in your classroom. Happy printing. Happy teaching.

Choosing songs to teach from in the music room can be tricky business. For one thing, there are an infinite number of songs from which to choose. You can easily put your head down to think of one song to use in a lesson only to look up hours later with stacks of books and binders next to you, not to mention tabs on tabs of teaching websites on your laptop. (I know, because I've done it.) 9.00 Add To Cart With that in mind, I thought I'd share with you my favorite collection of songs to teach rhythm vs beat. This particular collection works very well for me and I think you'll enjoy it too! I'll also share other great ideas for these songs and rhymes beyond rhythm and beat. The Tracking Printables for Rhythm vs Beat are available to purchase, or you can grab your own free version at the bottom of the post! Let's jump in! 1. Burnie Bee Fun fact about this song: a Burnie Bee is actually another name for a ladybug! 2. Engine Engine Have students walk around in a circle with you, imitating train motions and walking in a steady beat. Each time you speak the rhyme increase the tempo to make the train go faster. The last time through, speak the rhyme slowly as the train pulls into the station. This keeps students engaged as they prepare rhythm and beat - they don't even realize they're repeating the song over and over and over (and over and over. . . . .).Another popular version of the song isEngine, engine number nine, going down Chicago lineSee it sparkle, see it shine,Engine, engine, number nine.Other Musical Uses:Sol and MiMelodic Composition4 Voices (singing, speaking, whispering, shouting)More Ways to Use Engine Engine: 3. Bell Horses This song is great to use for keeping a steady beat with jingle bells. If you have a class set, pass them out and let the students play while they sing.If not, have the students sit in a circle and choose a few students at a time to be the "bell horses". They can prance around the circle and then choose new horses to take their place. So fun!Other Musical Uses:Quarter RestSol MiLaMovement in free spaceRead More Uses for Bell Horses Here: 4. Queen Queen Caroline Queen Caroline was the wife of King George II. This is a funny rhyme about hygiene - washing hair with oil certainly is an odd thing to do and kids like to hear about how different life was back in the 1700's. Other Musical Uses:Quarter and eighth notesComposition5. Button You Must Wander For this game, have students sit in a circle. One student sits in the middle with his or her eyes closed while the teacher hands a small button to someone in the circle. As the class sings the song, the button gets passed around in a steady beat. When the song is over, all students put their hands in their laps and the student in the middle tries to guess who has the button. Other Musical Uses: Do Re MiQuarter Notes, Eighth NotesQuarter RestWhy I Like this Collection: This group of songs makes a nice collection for teaching the difference between rhythm and beat. Rhythmic Variety: Each of the opening lines of these songs uses a different grouping of ta and ta-di. Since the opening phrases are all unique it makes it simple to play an aural discrimination game during the preparation or practice phase of teaching. (The teacher can clap the rhythm and students guess the "mystery song".)Mix of song types: This particular collection has a nice mix of singing, spoken rhymes, action songs, games, and even a lullaby. It makes for a nice range of options when lesson planning.Double Dip: These songs can be used for teaching more than one concept, such as speaking voice vs singing voice. You can also pull them out when you teach your students quarter and eighth notes. Download the Free PrintablesI've whipped up some rhythm vs. beat printables for you to use with these songs.You can find them in the Music Teacher Resource Library. It's completely free - you won't pay a dime and you can print off as many copies as you need. Resource Library 9.00 Add To Cart If you're looking for more tracking printables for rhythm vs beat, check out these! There are 112 pages of rhythm vs beat printables for you to use in your classroom. Happy printing. Happy teaching.

In this episode we follow the trials and tribulations of General Edward Braddock. After George Washington's debacle at Fort Necessity, King George II and his cabinet sent two regiments of British soldiers to North America to boot the French out of their fort. Unfortunately, General Braddock met his match just short of his objective - the forks of the Ohio and it cost him his life. Join us in our continuing exploration of American Military History. For more information, visit the podcast website at Americaatwar.com. Thanks for listening!    

When the Nazis' occupation of Greece ended and a gradual withdrawal turned into a desperate retreat from the Red Army, a civil war in Greece began. The British occupied Athens in a bid to restore King George II and prevent a communist takeover, but it proved to be one of Churchill's most controversial initiatives of the war and the beginning of a conflict that would last until 1949. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory.

When the Nazis' occupation of Greece ended and a gradual withdrawal turned into a desperate retreat from the Red Army, a civil war in Greece began. The British occupied Athens in a bid to restore King George II and prevent a communist takeover, but it proved to be one of Churchill's most controversial initiatives of the war and the beginning of a conflict that would last until 1949. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sunday December 1stJob 1:1-22Two men saw an older churchgoing woman walking down the street. One of the men pointed to her and said to his friend, “I'll bet you can't mention anybody to old Miss Thompson without her finding something good to say about him.” The other fellow said, “I'll take that bet.” “Excuse me, Miss Thompson” he said, “Do you mind telling us; what do you think of the devil?” Miss Thompson thought about it for a minute and replied, “Well” she said, “there is one good thing I can say about him, he never takes a day off!”You might have found that to be true in your life as well, that the devil never seems to take a day off from harassing you! As we continue studying chapter one of the book of Job we will see Satan working overtime to try and destroy Job's life. Starting in verse 6:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”The “Sons of God” who are presenting themselves before the Lord refers to angels, and Satan, who was created to serve God as an angel, shows up. God asks Satan a question even though He already knows the answer. And so do we. We know based on 1 Peter 5:8, where the devil spends his time:“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Satan admits to God that he has been “roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” And I'm sure that Satan has seen the results mankind's sin. He's probably even arrogant about it, waiting to point out humanity's flaws, because Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “the accuser of our brethren… he who accuses them before our God day and night.But before Satan can start accusing anyone of being unrighteous, God beats him to the punch by bringing up Job as an example of someone who HASN'T given in to Satan's temptations:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”Isn't it incredible that God can use Job as a testimony of what a life looks like when a man chooses to walk uprightly?It makes me think of what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” That's what Jesus could say, “Satan has nothing in Me. He has no part of Me. There is nothing about him that has gained access into my life!”Job could say that too. The question is; can WE say that?Satan is apparently upset with Job's faithfulness, but he tries to excuse it away by arguing that it's been EASY for Job to walk in righteousness because everything has gone his way:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.I want to stop here for a moment and address what I consider to be a common misunderstanding of these verses.Sometimes I hear people say, based upon verse 12, that “Satan has to ask God for permission before he can mess with me!”Well, yes and no. What we know clearly from these verses is that Satan had to ask God's permission to torment JOB! We know that for sure because that's what the verses say. We also know that God is sovereign, and that NOTHING happens that is beyond His power to make it turn out differently if He chose to.But what these verses DON'T say is that every time Satan wants to mess with ANY human being he has to stand in the presence of God and ask permission.Think about it this way – with all of the billions of people on the earth and only one Satan…seriously?Satan is not omnipresent. Only God is. Satan wanted to BE God but he's not, so he can only be at one place at one time, and he can't possibly be personally responsible for all of the misery in this world!What is more likely the case is that he has help from 2 sources:1.    Demons or other fallen angels2.    US!That's right! WE contribute a whole lot of help to Satan's desire to kill, steal and destroy when we walk in selfishness and cause suffering to those around us so that we can get what we want.The motto of the Satanic Bible is “Death to the weakling, wealth to the strong!”When we live our lives in a manner that seeks to increase our own wealth, fame, or social standing at the expense of those weaker and less fortunate than us, we are carrying out Satan's plan for the destruction of mankind, whether we realize it or not.Does God allow us to do that? Yes, He gave us free will to use for good or for evil. Does Satan have to ask God to make us act that way? No, we do it all on our own!But, back to the story of Job. Here Satan DID ask for God's permission to “touch all that Job has”, and we see the results of this in verses 13-1913 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”Don't ever tell yourself you're having a REALLY bad day if it doesn't come close to THAT!People say that bad things happen in threes; for Job it was four. Four messengers, one after the other came with devastating news.• Some of your animals were stolen• The rest of your animals were destroyed by a freak firestorm falling from the sky• All of your workers were either kidnapped or killed• All ten of your children are dead.And Job had to face this news without two things that we all have:First, He didn't know how the story would end. Fortunately for us, we do!Second, he didn't have Jesus to turn to. We all know this important truth from John 16:33:“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”But even without knowing where all of this was headed or why it had happened, Job kept his faith and his integrity:20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,“Naked I came from my mother's womb,And naked I shall return there.The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.Blessed be the name of the Lord.”22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.Tearing your clothes and shaving your head were traditional ways to express grief and sorrow. People sometimes did those things at funerals. Job now had 10 funerals to face at once!But even in his deepest grief he WORSHIPPED!Job said, “I had nothing when I came into this world and I will take nothing with me when I die. Whatever I had was given to me by God. And if God chooses to take away some of what He gave me, that is His right! Blessed be the name of God, whether He is giving or whether He is taking!”What a righteous stand to take – the exact opposite of what Satan was hoping for!We are all going to experience various trials throughout our lives; hopefully not to the same degree that Job did.But no matter what we are facing the questions will always be the same:How do I respond? How do I view God in the midst of my adversity? Will I continue to worship Him when I don't understand Him, or don't understand why He's allowing these things to happen?As you think about those questions, listen to this true story. It's very appropriate for the season we're about to celebrate.In 1741 an elderly man wandered, stooped over, through the streets of London. Bystanders recognized this bum on his regular route through the city. His angry mind raced back to the memories of the wonderful years he once lived. . . For forty years he had written opera music that was adored by in both England and Europe. He was honored and in-demand everywhere.Then things changed quickly and drastically. Fellow musicians became jealous of his success and a rival soon overtook his spot as the top composer.If that were not enough, a brain hemorrhage paralyzed his right side. He could no longer write music. Doctors gave little hope for his recovery.The old composer traveled to France and began to soak in waters rumored to have miraculous powers. Doctors warned him about staying in the scalding water for such long periods of time but he ignored their advice and gradually his weakened muscles began to receive new life. His health improved and he once again began to write. Soon, to his amazement, his works were being received with euphoric applause, and the honors again began to flow.But then he found himself in the pits once more after the death of Queen Caroline, who had been his loyal supporter. On top of this, all of England fell on hard economic times. Things were so bad they wouldn't even spend money to warm the theaters, so his shows were canceled. He found himself once again wandering aimlessly through the streets. And once again asking, where is God in all of this?As he wondered home one day, he was shocked to find a wealthy gentleman waiting in his living room. The man's name was Charles Gibbon.Charles explained that he had just finished writing words for a musical that covered the entire Old and New Testaments. He believed that the gifted composer was the right man to set it to music. He gave the lyrics to the composer and challenged him to write the music. As he walked out the door, Charles Gibbon turned around and said, “The Lord gave me those words.”The great maestro scoffed to himself at the audacity of the young man. Yet as he began to read the manuscript he was humbled and inspired by it. He read: “He was despised, rejected of men…he looked for someone to have pity on him, but there was no man; neither found he any to comfort him.”His eyes raced ahead: “He trusted in God…He will give you rest…I know that my redeemer lives… rejoice…hallelujah.”He picked up his pen and began to write. Music seemed to flow as though it had been penned up for years. At age 57, George Frederick Handel completed the entire Messiah in only 24 days. When the work was first performed in London, and the Hallelujah Chorus was reached, King George II stood up because he was so moved. To God be the Glory!

George Frideric HANDEL 1685-1759Our version ofAllemande in Am (HWV 478)George Frideric HANDEL 1685-1759© 2012 Shiloh Worship Music COPY FREELY;This Recording is copyrighted to prevent misuse, however,permission is granted for non-commercial copying-Radio play permitted. Www.ShilohWorshipMusic.com Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)George Frideric Handel(from Wikipedia) George Frideric Handel, born in the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. By Thomas Hudson (1749)George Frideric Handel SignatureGeorge Frideric Handel (German: Georg Friedrich Händel; pronounced [ˈhɛndəl]) (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music. He received critical musical training in Halle, Hamburg and Italy before settling in London (1712) and becoming a naturalised British subject in 1727.[1] By then he was strongly influenced by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition.Within fifteen years, Handel, a dramatic genius, started three commercial opera companies to supply the English nobility with Italian opera, but the public came to hear the vocal bravura of the soloists rather than the music. In 1737 he had a physical breakdown, changed direction creatively and addressed the middle class. As Alexander's Feast (1736) was well received, Handel made a transition to English choral works. After his success with Messiah (1742) he never performed an Italian opera again. Handel was only partly successful with his performances of English Oratorio on mythical and biblical themes, but when he arranged a performance of Messiah to benefit the Foundling Hospital (1750) the critique ended. The pathos of Handel's oratorios is an ethical one. They are hallowed not by liturgical dignity but by the moral ideals of humanity.[2] Almost blind, and having lived in England for almost fifty years, he died a respected and rich man.Handel is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, with works such as Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks and Messiah remaining popular. Handel composed more than forty operas in over thirty years, and since the late 1960s, with the revival of baroque music and original instrumentation, interest in Handel's operas has grown. His operas contain remarkable human characterisation—especially for a composer not known for his love affairs.Early yearsHandel's baptismal registration (Marienbibliothek in Halle)Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg, to Georg Händel and Dorothea Taust.[3] His father, 63 when his son was born, was an eminent barber-surgeon who served to the court of Saxe-Weissenfels and the Margraviate of Brandenburg.[4] According to Handel's first biographer, John Mainwaring, he "had discovered such a strong propensity to Music, that his father who always intended him for the study of the Civil Law, had reason to be alarmed. He strictly forbade him to meddle with any musical instrument but Handel found means to get a little clavichord privately convey'd to a room at the top of the house. To this room he constantly stole when the family was asleep".[5] At an early age Handel became a skillful performer on the harpsichord and pipe organ.[6]Händel-Haus (2009) – birthplace of George Frideric HandelEntrance of Teatro del Cocomero in FlorenceHandel and his father travelled to Weissenfels to visit either Handel's half-brother, Carl, or nephew, Georg Christian,[7] who was serving as valet to Duke Johann Adolf I.[8] Handel and the duke convinced his father to allow him to take lessons in musical composition and keyboard technique from Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, the organist of the Lutheran Marienkirche. He learned about harmony and contemporary styles, analysed sheet music scores, learned to work fugue subjects, and to copy music. In 1698 Handel played for Frederick I of Prussia and met Giovanni Battista Bononcini in Berlin.From Halle to ItalyThe Hamburg Opera am Gänsemarkt in 1726In 1702, following his father's wishes, Handel started studying law under Christian Thomasius at the University of Halle;[9] and also earned an appointment for one year as the organist in the former cathedral, by then an evangelical reformed church. Handel seems to have been unsatisfied and in 1703, he accepted a position as violinist and harpsichordist in the orchestra of the Hamburg Oper am Gänsemarkt.[10] There he met the composers Johann Mattheson, Christoph Graupner and Reinhard Keiser. His first two operas, Almira and Nero, were produced in 1705.[11] He produced two other operas, Daphne and Florindo, in 1708. It is unclear whether Handel directed these performances.According to Mainwaring, in 1706 Handel travelled to Italy at the invitation of Ferdinando de' Medici, but Mainwaring must have been confused. It was Gian Gastone de' Medici, whom Handel had met in 1703–1704 in Hamburg.[12] Ferdinando tried to make Florence Italy's musical capital, attracting the leading talents of his day. He had a keen interest in opera. In Italy Handel met librettist Antonio Salvi, with whom he later collaborated. Handel left for Rome and, since opera was (temporarily) banned in the Papal States, composed sacred music for the Roman clergy. His famous Dixit Dominus (1707) is from this era. He also composed cantatas in pastoral style for musical gatherings in the palaces of cardinals Pietro Ottoboni, Benedetto Pamphili and Carlo Colonna. Two oratorios, La Resurrezione and Il Trionfo del Tempo, were produced in a private setting for Ruspoli and Ottoboni in 1709 and 1710, respectively. Rodrigo, his first all-Italian opera, was produced in the Cocomero theatre in Florence in 1707.[13] Agrippina was first produced in 1709 at Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, the prettiest theatre at Venice, owned by the Grimanis. The opera, with a libretto by cardinal Vincenzo Grimani, and according to Mainwaring it ran for 27 nights successively. The audience, thunderstruck with the grandeur and sublimity of his style,[14] applauded for Il caro Sassone.Move to LondonGeorge Frideric Handel (left) and King George I on the River Thames, 17 July 1717, by Edouard Jean Conrad Hamman (1819–88).In 1710, Handel became Kapellmeister to German prince George, Elector of Hanover, who in 1714 would become King George I of Great Britain.[15] He visited Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici and her husband in Düsseldorf on his way to London in 1710. With his opera Rinaldo, based on La Gerusalemme Liberata by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso, Handel enjoyed great success, although it was composed quickly, with many borrowings from his older Italian works.[16] This work contains one of Handel's favourite arias, Cara sposa, amante cara, and the famous Lascia ch'io pianga.In 1712, Handel decided to settle permanently in England. He received a yearly income of £200 from Queen Anne after composing for her the Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate, first performed in 1713.[17][18]One of his most important patrons was the young and wealthy Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington.[19] For him Handel wrote Amadigi di Gaula, a magical opera, about a damsel in distress, based on the tragedy by Antoine Houdar de la Motte.The conception of an opera as a coherent structure was slow to capture Handel's imagination[20] and he renounced it for five years. In July 1717 Handel's Water Music was performed more than three times on the Thames for the King and his guests. It is said the compositions spurred reconciliation between the King and Handel.[21]Cannons (1717–18)Main article: Handel at CannonsThe Chandos portrait. The 1st Duke of Chandos was an important patron for Handel.In 1717 Handel became house composer at Cannons in Middlesex, where he laid the cornerstone for his future choral compositions in the twelve Chandos Anthems.[22] Romain Rolland stated that these anthems were as important for his oratorios as the cantatas were for his operas.[23] Another work he wrote for the Duke of Chandos, the owner of Cannons, was Acis and Galatea: during Handel's lifetime it was his most performed work. Winton Dean wrote, "the music catches breath and disturbs the memory".[24]In 1719 the Duke of Chandos became one of the main subscribers to Handel's new opera company, the Royal Academy of Music, but his patronage of music declined after he lost money in the South Sea bubble, which burst in 1720 in one of history's greatest financial cataclysms. Handel himself invested in South Sea stock in 1716, when prices were low[25] and sold before 1720.[26]Royal Academy of Music (1719–34)Main article: Royal Academy of Music (company)Handel House at 25 Brook Street, Mayfair, LondonIn May 1719 Lord Chamberlain Thomas Holles, the Duke of Newcastle ordered Handel to look for new singers.[27] Handel travelled to Dresden to attend the newly built opera. He saw Teofane by Antonio Lotti, and engaged the cast for the Royal Academy of Music, founded by a group of aristocrats to assure themselves a constant supply of baroque opera or opera seria. Handel may have invited John Smith, his fellow student in Halle, and his son Johann Christoph Schmidt, to become his secretary and amanuensis.[28] By 1723 he had moved into a Georgian house at 25 Brook Street, which he rented for the rest of his life.[29] This house, where he rehearsed, copied music and sold tickets, is now the Handel House Museum.[30] During twelve months between 1724 and 1725, Handel wrote three outstanding and successful operas, Giulio Cesare, Tamerlano and Rodelinda. Handel's operas are filled with da capo arias, such as Svegliatevi nel core. After composing Silete venti, he concentrated on opera and stopped writing cantatas. Scipio, from which the regimental slow march of the British Grenadier Guards is derived,[31] was performed as a stopgap, waiting for the arrival of Faustina Bordoni.In 1727 Handel was commissioned to write four anthems for the coronation ceremony of King George II. One of these, Zadok the Priest, has been played at every British coronation ceremony since.[32] In 1728 John Gay's The Beggar's Opera premiered at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre and ran for 62 consecutive performances, the longest run in theatre history up to that time.[citation needed] After nine years Handel's contract was ended but he soon started a new company.The Queen's Theatre at the Haymarket (now Her Majesty's Theatre), established in 1705 by architect and playwright John Vanbrugh, quickly became an opera house.[33] Between 1711 and 1739, more than 25 of Handel's operas premièred there.[34] In 1729 Handel became joint manager of the Theatre with John James Heidegger.A musical portrait of Frederick, Prince of Wales and his sisters by Philip Mercier, dated 1733, using Kew Palace as its plein-air backdropThe Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket in London by William CaponHandel travelled to Italy to engage seven new singers. He composed seven more operas, but the public came to hear the singers rather than the music.[35] After two commercially successful English oratorios Esther and Deborah, he was able to invest again in the South Sea Company. Handel reworked his Acis and Galatea which then became his most successful work ever. Handel failed to compete with the Opera of the Nobility, who engaged musicians such as Johann Adolf Hasse, Nicolo Porpora and the famous castrato Farinelli. The strong support by Frederick, Prince of Wales caused conflicts in the royal family. In March 1734 Handel directed a wedding anthem This is the day which the Lord hath made, and a serenata Parnasso in Festa for Anne of Hanover.[36]Opera at Covent Garden (1734–41)In 1733 the Earl of Essex received a letter with the following sentence: "Handel became so arbitrary a prince, that the Town murmurs". The board of chief investors expected Handel to retire when his contract ended, but Handel immediately looked for another theatre. In cooperation with John Rich he started his third company at Covent Garden Theatre. Rich was renowned for his spectacular productions. He suggested Handel use his small chorus and introduce the dancing of Marie Sallé, for whom Handel composed Terpsichore. In 1735 he introduced organ concertos between the acts. For the first time Handel allowed Gioacchino Conti, who had no time to learn his part, to substitute arias.[37] Financially, Ariodante was a failure, although he introduced ballet suites at the end of each act.[38] Alcina, his last opera with a magic content, and Alexander's Feast or the Power of Music based on John Dryden's Alexander's Feast starred Anna Maria Strada del Pò and John Beard.In April 1737, at age 52, Handel apparently suffered a stroke which disabled the use of four fingers on his right hand, preventing him from performing.[39] In summer the disorder seemed at times to affect his understanding. Nobody expected that Handel would ever be able to perform again. But whether the affliction was rheumatism, a stroke or a nervous breakdown, he recovered remarkably quickly .[40] To aid his recovery, Handel had travelled to Aachen, a spa in Germany. During six weeks he took long hot baths, and ended up playing the organ for a surprised audience.[41]Deidamia, his last and only baroque opera without an accompagnato, was performed three times in 1741. Handel gave up the opera business, while he enjoyed more success with his English oratorios.[citation needed]OratorioFurther information: List of Handel's OratoriosHandel by Philip MercierIl Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, an allegory, Handel's first oratorio[42] was composed in Italy in 1707, followed by La Resurrezione in 1708 which uses material from the Bible. The circumstances of Esther and its first performance, possibly in 1718, are obscure.[43] Another 12 years had passed when an act of piracy caused him to take up Esther once again.[44] Three earlier performances aroused such interest that they naturally prompted the idea of introducing it to a larger public. Next came Deborah, strongly coloured by the Anthems[45] and Athaliah, his first English Oratorio.[46] In these three oratorios Handel laid foundation for the traditional use of the chorus which marks his later oratorios.[47] Handel became sure of himself, broader in his presentation, and more diverse in his composition.[48]It is evident how much he learnt from Arcangelo Corelli about writing for instruments, and from Alessandro Scarlatti about writing for the solo voice; but there is no single composer who taught him how to write for chorus.[49] Handel tended more and more to replace Italian soloists by English ones. The most significant reason for this change was the dwindling financial returns from his operas.[50] Thus a tradition was created for oratorios which was to govern their future performance. The performances were given without costumes and action; the performers appeared in a black suit.[51]Caricature of Handel by Joseph Goupy (1754)In 1736 Handel produced Alexander's Feast. John Beard appeared for the first time as one of Handel's principal singers and became Handel's permanent tenor soloist for the rest of Handel's life.[52] The piece was a great success and it encouraged Handel to make the transition from writing Italian operas to English choral works. In Saul, Handel was collaborating with Charles Jennens and experimenting with three trombones, a carillon and extra-large military kettledrums (from the Tower of London), to be sure "...it will be most excessive noisy".[53] Saul and Israel in Egypt both from 1739 head the list of great, mature oratorios, in which the da capo and dal segno aria became the exception and not the rule.[54] Israel in Egypt consists of little else but choruses, borrowing from the Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline. In his next works Handel changed his course. In these works he laid greater stress on the effects of orchestra and soloists; the chorus retired into the background.[55] L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato has a rather diverting character; the work is light and fresh.During the summer of 1741, the 3rd Duke of Devonshire invited Handel to Dublin to give concerts for the benefit of local hospitals.[56] His Messiah was first performed at the New Music Hall in Fishamble Street, on 13 April 1742, with 26 boys and five men from the combined choirs of St Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals participating.[57] Handel secured a balance between soloists and chorus which he never surpassed.The use of English soloists reached its height at the first performance of Samson. The work is highly theatrical. The role of the chorus became increasingly import in his later oratorios. Jephtha was first performed on 26 February 1752; even though it was his last oratorio, it was no less a masterpiece than his earlier works.[58]Later yearsGeorge Frideric Handel in 1733, by Balthasar Denner (1685–1749)In 1749 Handel composed Music for the Royal Fireworks; 12,000 people attended the first performance.[59] In 1750 he arranged a performance of Messiah to benefit the Foundling Hospital. The performance was considered a great success and was followed by annual concerts that continued throughout his life. In recognition of his patronage, Handel was made a governor of the Hospital the day after his initial concert. He bequeathed a copy of Messiah to the institution upon his death.[60] His involvement with the Foundling Hospital is today commemorated with a permanent exhibition in London's Foundling Museum, which also holds the Gerald Coke Handel Collection. In addition to the Foundling Hospital, Handel also gave to a charity that assisted impoverished musicians and their families.In August 1750, on a journey back from Germany to London, Handel was seriously injured in a carriage accident between The Hague and Haarlem in the Netherlands.[61] In 1751 one eye started to fail. The cause was a cataract which was operated on by the great charlatan Chevalier Taylor. This led to uveitis and subsequent loss of vision. He died eight years later in 1759 at home in Brook Street, at age 74. The last performance he attended was of Messiah. Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey.[62] More than three thousand mourners attended his funeral, which was given full state honours.Handel never married, and kept his personal life private. His initial will bequeathed the bulk of his estate to his niece Johanna. However four codicils distributed much of his estate to other relations, servants, friends and charities.[63]Handel owned an art collection that was auctioned posthumously in 1760.[64] The auction catalogue listed approximately seventy paintings and ten prints (other paintings were bequeathed).[64]WorksSenesino, the famous castrato from SienaMain articles: List of compositions by George Frideric Handel and List of operas by Handel.Handel's compositions include 42 operas, 29 oratorios, more than 120 cantatas, trios and duets, numerous arias, chamber music, a large number of ecumenical pieces, odes and serenatas, and 16 organ concerti. His most famous work, the oratorio Messiah with its "Hallelujah" chorus, is among the most popular works in choral music and has become the centrepiece of the Christmas season. Among the works with opus numbers published and popularised in his lifetime are the Organ Concertos Op.4 and Op.7, together with the Opus 3 and Opus 6 concerti grossi; the latter incorporate an earlier organ concerto The Cuckoo and the Nightingale in which birdsong is imitated in the upper registers of the organ. Also notable are his sixteen keyboard suites, especially The Harmonious Blacksmith.Handel introduced previously uncommon musical instruments in his works: the viola d'amore and violetta marina (Orlando), the lute (Ode for St. Cecilia's Day), three trombones (Saul), clarinets or small high cornetts (Tamerlano), theorbo, horn (Water Music), lyrichord, double bassoon, viola da gamba, bell chimes, positive organ, and harp (Giulio Cesare, Alexander's Feast).[65]Handel's works have been catalogued in the Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis and are commonly referred to by an HWV number. For example, Messiah is catalogued as HWV 56.LegacyA Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket (c. 1724)Handel's works were collected and preserved by two men in particular: Sir Samuel Hellier, a country squire whose musical acquisitions form the nucleus of the Shaw-Hellier Collection,[66] and abolitionist Granville Sharp. The catalogue accompanying the National Portrait Gallery exhibition marking the tercentenary of the composer's birth calls them two men of the late eighteenth century "who have left us solid evidence of the means by which they indulged their enthusiasm".[67]After his death, Handel's Italian operas fell into obscurity, except for selections such as the aria from Serse, "Ombra mai fù". The oratorios continued to be performed but not long after Handel's death they were thought to need some modernisation, and Mozart orchestrated a German version of Messiah and other works. Throughout the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, particularly in the Anglophone countries, his reputation rested primarily on his English oratorios, which were customarily performed by enormous choruses of amateur singers on solemn occasions.Since the Early Music Revival many of the forty-two operas he wrote have been performed in opera houses and concert halls.Handel's music was studied by composers such as Haydn, Mozart and BeethovenRecent decades have revived his secular cantatas and what one might call 'secular oratorios' or 'concert operas'. Of the former, Ode for St. Cecilia's Day (1739) (set to texts by John Dryden) and Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (1713) are noteworthy. For his secular oratorios, Handel turned to classical mythology for subjects, producing such works as Acis and Galatea (1719), Hercules (1745) and Semele (1744). These works have a close kinship with the sacred oratorios, particularly in the vocal writing for the English-language texts. They also share the lyrical and dramatic qualities of Handel's Italian operas. As such, they are sometimes performed onstage by small chamber ensembles. With the rediscovery of his theatrical works, Handel, in addition to his renown as instrumentalist, orchestral writer, and melodist, is now perceived as being one of opera's great musical dramatists.A carved marble statue of Handel, created for the Vauxhall Gardens in 1738 by Louis-François Roubiliac, and now preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museum.Handel's work was edited by Samuel Arnold (40 vols., London, 1787–1797), and by Friedrich Chrysander, for the German Händel-Gesellschaft (105 vols., Leipzig, 1858–1902).Handel adopted the spelling "George Frideric Handel" on his naturalisation as a British subject, and this spelling is generally used in English-speaking countries. The original form of his name, Georg Friedrich Händel, is generally used in Germany and elsewhere, but he is known as "Haendel" in France. Another composer with a similar name, Handl or Händl, was an Austrian from Carniola and is more commonly known as Jacobus Gallus.Musician's musicianHandel has generally been accorded high esteem by fellow composers, both in his own time and since.[68] Bach attempted, unsuccessfully, to meet with Handel while he was visiting Halle.[69] Mozart is reputed to have said of him, "Handel understands affect better than any of us. When he chooses, he strikes like a thunder bolt."[70] To Beethoven he was "the master of us all... the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb".[70] Beethoven emphasised above all the simplicity and popular appeal of Handel's music when he said, "Go to him to learn how to achieve great effects, by such simple means".HomagesHandel Commemoration in Westminster Abbey, 1784After Handel's death, many composers wrote works based on or inspired by his music. The first movement from Louis Spohr's Symphony No. 6, Op. 116, "The Age of Bach and Handel", resembles two melodies from Handel's Messiah. In 1797 Ludwig van Beethoven published the 12 Variations in G major on ‘See the conqu’ring hero comes’ from Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, for cello and piano. Guitar virtuoso Mauro Giuliani composed his Variations on a Theme by Handel, Op. 107 for guitar, based on Handel's Suite No. 5 in E major, HWV 430, for harpsichord. In 1861, using a theme from the second of Handel's harpsichord suites, Johannes Brahms wrote the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, one of his most successful works (praised by Richard Wagner). Several works by the French composer Félix-Alexandre Guilmant use Handel's themes, for example his March on a Theme by Handel uses a theme from Messiah. French composer and flautist Philippe Gaubert wrote his Petite marche for flute and piano based on the fourth movement of Handel's Trio Sonata, Op. 5, No. 2, HWV 397. Argentine composer Luis Gianneo composed his Variations on a Theme by Handel for piano. In 1911, Australian-born composer and pianist Percy Grainger based one of his most famous works on the final movement of Handel's Suite No. 5 in E major (just like Giuliani). He first wrote some variations on the theme, which he titled Variations on Handel's ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith’ . Then he used the first sixteen bars of his set of variations to create Handel in the Strand, one of his most beloved pieces, of which he made several versions (for example, the piano solo version from 1930). Arnold Schoenberg's Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra in B flat major (1933) was composed after Handel's Concerto Grosso, Op. 6/7.VenerationHandel is honored together with Johann Sebastian Bach and Henry Purcell with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA) on 28 July.He is commemorated as a musician in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 28 July, with Johann Sebastian Bach and Heinrich Schütz.He is commemorated as a musician along with Johann Sebastian Bach on 28 July by The Order of Saint Luke in their calendar of saints prepared for the use of The United Methodist Church.EditionsBetween 1787 and 1797 Samuel Arnold compiled a 180-volume collection of Handel's works—however it was far from complete.[72] Also incomplete was the collection produced between 1843 and 1858 by the English Handel Society (found by Sir George Macfarren).[73]The 105-volume Händel-Gesellschaft edition was published in the mid 19th century and was mainly edited by Friedrich Chrysander (often working alone in his home). For modern performance, the realisation of the basso continuo reflects 19th century practice. Vocal scores drawn from the edition were published by Novello in London, but some scores, such as the vocal score to Samson are incomplete.The still-incomplete Hallische Händel-Ausgabe started to appear in 1956 (named for Halle in Saxony-Anhalt Eastern Germany, not the Netherlands). It did not start as a critical edition, but after heavy criticism of the first volumes, which were performing editions without a critical apparatus (for example, the opera Serse was published with the title character recast as a tenor reflecting pre-war German practice), it repositioned itself as a critical edition. Influenced in part by cold-war realities, editorial work was inconsistent: misprints are found in abundance and editors failed to consult important sources. In 1985 a committee was formed to establish better standards for the edition.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the moment that you've been waiting for, the golden episode, episode 50. Those elite listeners in attendance got to not only experience P.I.T live, but a milestone episode.Recorded live at Megacon 2012, you can hear various tales from legendary authorHans von Hozel.Play Episode 50Intro: Music for the Coronation of King George II, by HandelSend your emails to thepitpodcast@gmail.com You can subscribe to this show on iTunes, and check out our other great episodes. You can also like this show on facebook, and follow us on twitter.

sermon transcript The Cross: Ongoing Power for “Us Who are Being Saved” Every time that Charles Spurgeon ascended the pulpit, as he went up the stairs, he said, “I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe in the Holy Ghost,” again and again, as he went up the stairs. This man may have been the most talented, naturally talented, public speaker that the church has ever seen. Incredible genius. It was said that he was able to carry seven different thoughts going on in his mind at the same time while preaching. I cannot do that. I'll start to make grammatical errors if I try to do anything like that. But he came up, despite all of his talents, his incredible linguistic ability, his knowledge of the Word of God, despite all of that, he said again and again, “I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe in the Holy Ghost,” because he wanted to focus on the power of God the Spirit in him and not in his own abilities because he knew that apart from Christ, he could do nothing of lasting consequence. I would say there's not a Sunday that goes by that I don't look up at the wooden cross over my head there in the latticework up there and ask the Lord to overcome my own weaknesses and my sin, and enable me to preach to you. I've been here almost 10 years, I'm still not used to it. I don't think I'll ever get used to it. I'm not used to speaking to 400 people, 400 of my closest friends, about the things of God. And the devil is active, and he just hurls fiery darts at me while I sit in the pew and say, “What right do you have?” What's the answer to that question? I have no right. I have no right to get up week after week and unfold the scripture to you. My sufficiency comes from Christ, or it comes from no one at all. I have no right to preach the Word of God apart from the work of Christ on the cross, and I remember that, some weeks much more acutely and emotionally than others. I look to the cross of Jesus Christ again and again, and that's my message to you this morning, is that the moment that you are saved, that you look to the cross, Jesus Christ and him crucified, that was just the first time you did so. For the rest of your life, you need to look to the cross again and again and again. And the cross of Christ will never lose its power to continue that saving work it began in you from the start. But you and I both need to be conscious of it. We need to be aware of our dependence on Jesus Christ. We need to know that we need the cross. And we're not just repentant believers the first moment we walk the aisle, or at a crusade, or when someone led us to Christ, that that was it, and from then on, we were done. We need to come back again and again, and we will find the inexhaustible power of God for the salvation of people like you and me in the cross of Christ. So we're looking at 1 Corinthians 1:18 this morning just as a starting point. I'm not going to give a thorough verse-by-verse exposition of it, though I'd love to do that. But what I wanna do is I wanna take us on themes of the cross, and what the cross does for us as believers, and how we continue to be dependent on the cross of Jesus Christ in some certain specific ways for the rest of our Christian lives. Our Salvation is a Journey It says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Our salvation, as we have emphasized here in this church, is a journey. It's an infinite journey. And I think this verse strengthens that. The Greek participle here is best translated in this way: “To us who are being saved, the cross of Christ is the power of God, to us who are in the process of salvation.” Parallel construction in the same verse: “To those who are perishing, to those who are in the process of perishing for their sins.” And so therefore, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Reminds me of those two roads that Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7, he said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” That's journey language. Those are two different roads, they lead to two different destinations, and they come down to us here in this verse. To those who are on the road to hell, those who are in the process of perishing, the message of the cross is just foolishness. It makes no sense. Why would some dead Jewish carpenter 2,000 years ago have any relevance to my life today? It's foolishness. To the urbane philosopher back in Paul's day, those that lived in Athens and debated all the latest ideas in human philosophy. The message of the cross was just foolishness. It made no sense why the only God, the Creator God, would save the world in this way. It made no sense. But for us who are being saved now, for we who are in the process of salvation, it is the power of God. It continues to be the power of God for your salvation, and you must come to it again and again. Now, we've seen the constituent parts, the component parts of salvation: Justification, sanctification, glorification. We've learned these. Justification, the beginning of the Christian life, when by faith, you see yourself to be a sinner, you know that you have no hope, that you're most certainly going to go to hell when you die. If it weren't for the saving work of Christ on the cross, you would. And you look to Christ, to his death on the cross, to his bloodshed on the cross for your forgiveness. And you believe it's ample forgiveness, it's more than enough grace for all of your sins. And you trust in him, and you call on him and say, “Lord, save me,” in whatever way you did. And at that moment, you were justified, you were forgiven of all of your sins. You're given a gift of perfect righteousness that will stand up on Judgment Day. You were adopted into the family of God. You were given the indwelling Holy Spirit. You were given an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, and no one can take it from you. All of these things were once for all, and nothing can change it. So when I say that salvation is a process, a journey, I haven't forgotten all of that. But that's not all there is. The Lord left us here on earth that we might be progressively gradually sanctified, that we might grow in grace in the knowledge of Christ, becoming more and more like Jesus in our thoughts and our actions, to act like him in the world, to be the light of the world. And that's sanctification. Salvation Journey Needs Power And my central message to you today is you need to go back to the cross again and again for sanctification. That's where the power for this journey comes from, this infinite journey, the cross of Jesus Christ. The fact that God has determined to save you in Jesus. Philippians 1:6, “That he who began this good work in you will most certainly carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” But he does it through the cross, not apart from it. That is the power of God for our salvation. And you need that power. Don't you ever feel yourself weak in your salvation journey? Don't you ever feel like you can't take another step? Like sin is gonna master you the rest of your life? It's a lie. You're not a slave to sin, but that's the kind of lie, and only the cross of Christ can give you the power to keep going in the Christian life. And so it is for you the power of God for salvation right to the end. Ongoing Cleansing from Sin and Guilt Sanctification: A Journey into our Own “Heart of Darkness” Now, I wanna look at seven aspects of the cross of Christ and how we need to go back to the cross for each of these. My feeling is the more you think about these seven that I give you, you're gonna find others as well, that's fine. Whatever reason caused you to go back again and again to the cross, may it be. But start with these. Let's begin with ongoing cleansing from sin and guilt. For a long time, I struggled with the book of 1 John, especially in chapter 3, there's a specific verse that says, “In him, there is no sin. Anyone in him does not sin,” this kind of thing. I'm thinking, “Oh, no! I'm in trouble.” Because I continue to sin. And it's so perfect. But then as I noticed that there were no sinless Christians around me, I thought either I have to have a new way of understanding that verse, or there's this secret enclave of Christians hidden in some hills somewhere, and those 179 people are the only ones Jesus is saving because none of the Christians I've met have ever been perfect. So there must be a different way of understanding, but I still struggled with that verse. 1 John 3 seems so perfectionistic. “In him, there is no sin. No one in him sins,” and all this kind of absolute language. Until I understood 1 John 1:7. 1 John 1:7 was a release, a gate opened, and I understood better the whole message of 1 John. And 1 John 1:7 says this, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from every sin.” Wow! The blood of Jesus, in an ongoing sense, purifies you from every sin as you walk in the light. So that means it's possible to walk in the light as he is in the light and need an ongoing work of purification in your life. And you know you need it. I've likened it before to standing in a hot cleansing shower of grace. And the water of grace just running over your body as sin comes out of its pores, and you are immediately cleansed from all sin. Walking in the light as he is in the light.It seems to me that sanctification is somewhat a guided tour through my own heart of darkness, as the Holy Spirit shows me just how much I needed a savior, how much sin there is still in me. And I believe that the most godly men and women have an acute sense of their own sinfulness, an increasing sense of it, and how much they hated and how much they wanted out. But it's not like they have this sense of perfectionism coming over them as they grow in their Christian life. Look in the Bible, the godliest people in the Bible always had an acute sense of sinfulness. Like Job, after his encounter with God, he said, “I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes,” Job 42:6. David said, “I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me,” Psalm 51:3. Daniel said, “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled. We have turned away from your commands and laws,” Daniel 9:5. Ezra said, “Oh, my God! I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens,” Ezra 9:6. And then the Apostle Paul at the end of Romans 7, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” See, these folks, they were all godly, and they had an acute sense of their own sinfulness. Satan The Accuser: Seeks To Keep Us Out Of Action Now, what Satan the accuser seeks to do is to use that sense of guilt to disqualify you from doing the very good works that God has ordained that you should walk in them. That you should not share the Gospel with a coworker, that you should not grow in your prayer life, that you should not disciple your family, or that you should not do various good works that God has ordained because you're not worthy. No, you're not worthy. Never have been, and you never will be. That's exactly what Moses said. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” And God's answer? A beautiful non sequitur, “I will be with you.” “Who am I that I should go?” “I will be with you.” The question is irrelevant. “I will be with you. I will overcome your inadequacy. I'll overcome your weakness. I will overcome your guilt and your sin.” Where are we gonna get that cleansing? We're gonna get it from the cross of Christ. Do you feel guilty today of sin? Is Satan the accuser accusing you today of sin? And notice his wickedness in this, the very one who enticed you to it, suddenly becomes righteous and accuses you of it. One Simple Answer: Come To The Cross Again The cross of Jesus Christ is the only answer. Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Do you need a conscience cleansed from acts that lead death and come again to the cross of Christ? Confess your sin. And if you confess your sin, he is faithful and just, and will forgive you your sin, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Just a few moments ago, we sang that beautiful hymn by William Cowper, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” William Cowper is a fascinating man, 18th century believer, lived in the same time as John Newton and Wesley and the others. Struggled all his life with deep feelings of guilt and unworthiness and with mental instability as a result, even insanity. He struggled with the temptation of suicide. Some time, he resolved to do it, but God providentially kept him from it. And he struggled so much with feelings of guilt, a guilty conscience, that it was only when he came to Romans 3, and he understood the death of Jesus Christ, propitiation, the atoning sacrifice of Christ, Romans 3:25 and 26, that he realized that he, a sinner, could be clean before God. And so he wrote this incredible hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.” Second verse, “The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away. Dear dying Lamb, Thy flowing wounds will never lose its power, 'til all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.” Do you not see how these verses are written for Christians as they continue in their own journey, feeling guilty for their sins? “'Til all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more,” that's heaven. There, at last, we will be perfect. Until then, come to the flowing wounds and to the grace that the cross of Jesus Christ supplies. Ongoing Welcome in Prayer Prayerlessness is a Great Danger We also find at the cross an ongoing welcome in prayer. One of the corollaries of feeling guilty is that we stop praying. The very thing that Satan wants us to do is to stop praying. John Bunyan put it very plainly. He said, “Prayer drives out sin, or sin drives out prayer.” Well, if sin has been driving out prayer in your life, come back to the cross. Come back to the blood of Christ. Realize this: If you feel fit for prayer when you've done well in your Christian life, been obedient, done a bunch of good works, now you can pray. But you feel unworthy to pray when you haven't done good works, when you've sinned, etcetera, you don't understand your standing before God. You don't know that it was never based on your good works, never based on your righteousness, but only on the cross of Christ. God’s Holiness Daunting Psalm 24 says, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” These things we do not naturally have. We don't naturally have clean hands and a pure heart. These are the ones that may stand before God in prayer. And therefore, if you want an ongoing welcome in the presence of almighty God in prayer, you're gonna get it only through the cross of Christ. Christ’s Cross… Not Our Works It says in Hebrews 10, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God.” “Let us draw near,” it says in Hebrews 4, “To the throne of grace.” Let us draw near on the basis of the cross of Christ, draw near to find mercy and obtain grace to help us in our time of need. The welcome, the ongoing welcome in prayer comes from the cross of Christ. Ongoing Protection from Pride and Worldliness Paul Dealt Constantly with Pride We also get ongoing protection from pride and worldliness. In Galatians 6:14, it says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” You see, the cross isn't just available to cleanse us of existing sin patterns. It's to keep us safe from sin itself, to give us the power to stand in the day of temptation and to say no. But the cross is especially fitted to fight specific sins like pride and worldliness. That's why it says, “May I never boast except in the cross of Christ.” Oh, how we struggle with pride! Isn't it a bit ironic? When you look at yourself, really, in the mirror of God's perfect Word and in the light of his perfect holiness, that we should ever boast about anything at all. We are sinners; God is holy. Why would we ever boast about anything? But yet, we're proud. And Paul renounces all human boasting in Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I think the Apostle Paul struggled with boasting. He was one of those Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees, one of these ladder-climbing Jews who was seeking to ascend into the heavenlies by his own good works, by his Judaism, by his law-keeping. And so I think he always struggled with boasting. He mentions the theme of boasting again and again in his letters. I think it was an ongoing issue in his life, but he's come down to this: The cross of Jesus Christ destroys any ground for boasting in our lives. I sometimes hear the boasting of people in our age, drunk with the mindset of our present age, and I shudder. We're in the midst of a political campaign. Isn't it nauseating, from a spiritual perspective, to see any candidate get up and trumpet their achievements and their qualities and their character traits? Now you say it's intrinsic to the election, if you don't do it, you won't get elected. Well, the scripture says, “Let another mouth praise you, not your own.” Wouldn't that be something? The candidates never open their mouth, but they just get somebody to come and advocate on their behalf. Well, we get plenty of that. I wouldn't mind some of the candidates never opening their mouths again, but we have a lot of boasting, all of our achievements, the great works that we've achieved. You see it, especially I think in the athletic realm. Athletes will get up and say things like this, “I'm the greatest of all time.” I'm thinking, “My goodness.” And then the announcers, the sports announcer’s gonna do the same thing. I was watching one compilation of an athlete's achievements and the announcer in one important, so to speak, playoff game, said, “You're watching what true greatness is all about.” I'm thinking, “No. True greatness is about the cross of Jesus Christ.” So this athlete scores 20 points in the fourth quarter, who cares? Centuries later, no one will remember his name if the Lord tarries. You wanna know what true greatness is all about? The cross of Jesus Christ. Worldliness Dies at the Cross Too “May I never boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ,” but it says more than that, “Through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Now, that's a battle against worldliness. The world seems empty, it seems meaningless compared to the achievements of Christ on the cross. In one afternoon, in three hours, he atoned for all of my sins, and not just mine, but a countless multitude from every tribe and language and people and nation. That's greatness. And May I never boast except in that. So what does the world have to offer to me? Satan is always trying to sell the world, just like he did to Jesus when he was being tempted. He took him up on a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All of this I will give you,” he said, “If you'll just bow down and worship me.” And Jesus said, “Away from me, Satan, for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” But there's no allure, there was no allure to the world as Jesus looked out on it, but to us, we struggle with it, with its power and with its possessions, and with its prestige and all of the things that it entices us with. John Wesley in his journal, on December 23rd, 1755, he was in the dressing room with the king as he prepared to address parliament. He was in the robe chamber as aged King George II was getting ready to go address parliament. And this is what he wrote in his journal. “I was in the robe-chamber, adjoining the House of Lords when the King put on his robes. His brow was much furrowed with age and quite clouded with care. And is this all the world can give even to a king? All the grandeur it can afford? A blanket of ermine around his shoulders, so heavy and cumbersome he can scarcely move under it. A huge heap of borrowed hair, with a few plates of gold and glittering stones upon his head. Alas, what a bauble is human greatness! And even this will not endure.” Now, last week, I said that the cross of Christ is like a prism. It takes the white light of the character of God and breaks it out into a rainbow of attributes. Well, in a similar way, the cross of Christ is like a magnifying lens. Though, if you look through it one way, it magnifies the greatness of Christ, but if you get on the other side and look the other way, it minimizes the greatness, so to speak, of every human being. It makes us small. May I never boast about myself or anything in this world, except the achievements of Jesus Christ. Ongoing Pattern for Daily Service Christ’s Sacrifice a Pattern for Our Daily Sacrifices We also see in the cross of Christ when we come again and again to the cross for an ongoing pattern of daily service. How are we to serve him? God has left us in this world, how are we to serve him in this world? Come to the cross of Christ again and again to learn. 1 John 3:16-18, it says this, “This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Christ's sacrifice of himself on the cross is a pattern for how we should be toward God and toward each other in our service. One of the most influential missionary leaders in Protestant history was Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf. He was born in 1700 in an influential German family of nobility, his father died, his mother remarried, so he was raised by a grandmother and an aunt in a godly pietistic home. And he learned German Pietism from them and was enticed and interested in the gospel, but still struggling as a young man with what his path would be in life. Struggled with his future calling. He went to Wittenberg to study law in preparation for a successful life as a government leader, but there was a pull, an attraction on him, in reference to the gospel. Well, he went on a tour of Europe in 1719 and he was arrested, just stopped dead in his tracks by a painting of Christ in his sufferings. The painting was by the Italian artist, Domenico Feti, was entitled “Ecce Homo,” that's Pilate's statement, “Behold the man.” Look at him in his sufferings. And at the bottom of the painting was an inscription. “All this I have done for you. What are you doing for me?” Now, I think there's a bit of a danger in considering that. John Piper pointed out, “Grace doesn't create debt, it pays it.” But let's look more faithfully, I think a little more closely at 1 John 3. “This is how we know what love is,” verse 16, “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” That word “ought” is obligation. There's a sense of responsibility in the Christian life. “All of this I have done for you. You ought to live a certain kind of life.” We are debtors, brothers, and sisters, but not to the flesh, to live according to it. We ought to lay down our lives for Jesus and for one another. This is the pattern of service, and this has been a powerful pull again and again in the Christian life. C.T. Studd, who was a successful athlete in his day, he was a cricketer, one of the most popular sports in his time and very, very powerful and successful at cricket, but he gave all of that up, all of his wealth, his influence to go overseas as a missionary in China, in India, and Africa. And this is what he said, “If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.” There's a sacrificial aspect of our daily life, the cross of Jesus Christ is the pattern of it. VI. Ongoing Focus of Worship Last Week: Prism As we mentioned last time, the cross of Jesus Christ is also the ongoing focus of our worship. I don't need to belabor this, but I'm just urging you. Did you do it last week? Did you go back to the cross and look at the attributes? Did you find some others too? Did you see his holiness at the cross? Did you see his power? Did you see his righteousness and his justice there? Did you see his wrath? Did you see all of the attributes of God beautifully balanced and mixed and poured out at the cross of Jesus Christ? Heavenly Worship is Throne-centered and Cross-centered Now, Heaven, if you were to go there, if you were to have that opportunity that Apostle John did, of a door standing open in Heaven, and you could go up in the spirit, and at once he was in the Spirit, he went through that door, and there immediately he saw a throne and someone seated on it. The throne is the center of heavenly worship, and around that throne are 24 elders and four living creatures. There’s a very concentric field to heavenly worship. They're all around the throne all the time. The throne of God, of Almighty God, is the center of true spiritual worship. But in Revelation chapter 5, at the center of the throne is the crucified lamb. John saw a Lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, and they're all encircling him and giving him praise. So it says in Revelation 5, verse 11-12, “Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.’” Worthy is the lamb who was slain. The cross of Jesus Christ is the focus of true spiritual worship, and it will be to the rest of our lives. Ongoing Training in Hope-Filled Suffering How Will You Face Suffering? It is also ongoing training for hope-filled suffering. Jesus made many promises to us. In the Christian life, there are many promises. The promise book God, that's the scripture. How is this for a promise? “In this world, you will have trouble.” I don't see people embroidering that one and putting it up on the wall, you know? “Ah, the precious promises of God.” “In this world, you will have trouble.” Well, you will. How will you handle it? How will you carry yourself through your difficulties? The early church, it was said by Tertullian, “The blood of martyrs is seed for the church.” You know why it was seed? It's because of how the martyrs died. Justin Martyr, 2nd-century believer, became a Christian by watching Christian martyrs die. This is what he wrote, “I watched them stand fearless in the face of death and of every other thing that was considered dreadful.” Where did that courage come from? I think it came from the exact example of Jesus Christ on the cross. Suffering Inevitable in Life Suffering is inevitable in this life. It's inevitable for Christians, it's inevitable for non-Christians. Nobody can escape. You can't escape physical suffering, you can't escape disease, you can't escape little bumps and bruises and scratch and nicks, you can't escape the flu and similar other minor illnesses, neither can you escape dying. The question I wanna ask is this, are you ready to die? Are you ready not just to die, but I mean to die well, to the glory of God, to die well? I've seen people die well. I've also seen people not die well. I've seen people who were church members for decades, die, it seems, with no assurance whatsoever of salvation. I saw one woman in particular who was sedated and thrashing around in great anguish, and I talked to the nurse and they said, “This is non-physical pain. It's impossible, the amount of sedative given.” There's some kind of psychological thing going on. Well, right before she had gone into a coma, she basically told me that she had no assurance of her salvation. I had shared the gospel with her, I talked to her very plainly from John's gospel, she had no assurance. And it was a scary thing for me to watch her thrashing around there in that coma, and I thought, “Lord, give me the grace to die well. Give me the grace to put my faith on display. This is too much for me. It's too hard for me to do it.” But I know this, and I believe this with all my heart, that little trials we go through throughout life prepare us for that dying day. And how you face economic adversity, how you face difficulties relationally in your family or with others, how you face these things, the courage you show, the ability you have to go back to the cross again and again to get from Jesus what you need, enables you, prepares you for the day when you will leave this world to the glory of God. Jesus showed us how to do it. It says in Hebrews chapter 12 that “Jesus, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Fix your thoughts on Jesus. Do you realize how other-centered he was on the cross? “Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing,” he says. He sets up a relationship between John and his mother so that his mother is well cared for after he departs. He says to the thief, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” He's very others-centered on the cross. How are you when you suffer? Are you others-centered when you suffer? When you get sick, when you're hurt, who do you think of? Fix your eyes on Jesus and learn how to be others-centered, learn how to be glory-of-God-centered from the cross of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote this, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.” Light, momentary troubles, just like a mist, and they're gone. For the joy set before you, endure them well. Go like Jesus did at the cross to beyond what God has in store for you. For the day when you will see him face-to-face and know that your trials are achieving for you a glory that far outweighs them all. Ongoing Center of Evangelism The “External Journey” is Essential to Our Internal Journey And finally, I want you to go to the cross again and again when you share the gospel. It troubles me when I look at modern evangelism and how non-cross-centered it is. We have all kinds of new theories on evangelism, all kinds of new approaches. And some of them, I think are helpful for getting us into relationships with people like servant evangelism and things like that, where you go into certain areas that are needy and do physical things to help people, but I think it's just old liberalism to do that and not share the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified. We need to put the cross at the center of any good work we do for anybody. The cross should be at the center of evangelism. Now, our internal journey of sanctification, I have argued, and I still believe is indivisibly linked with the external journey of missions and evangelism. You will make no progress in your Christian life if you're not witnessing, if you're not sharing the gospel. So just a simple step, that little card that you have on the pew, grab it, take it and give it to somebody. Give it to a non-Christian this week, invite them to church. And as you do, you know you're gonna find yourself having to overcome yourself. You're gonna have to overcome, you're gonna have to kind of crucify yourself, but for the joy set before you, you're gonna do it. You're gonna overcome and you're actually gonna give that card to somebody, and you may get into a conversation with somebody about Easter. “So do you ever think about Easter, about the resurrection?” I think something. “What do you think about the empty tomb? Isn't it exciting that Jesus destroyed death? That we don't need to fear death anymore.” When you say these things, put a smile on your face and say, “The cross of Jesus Christ has made me free from sin and guilt. I'm not a guilty man anymore. I'm not a guilty woman anymore. I'm free.” And they'll catch something in the way of your disposition and they'll say, “I want some of that.” And the center of it's gonna be the cross of Jesus Christ. You can't save yourself, come to the cross. Trust in Jesus who shed his blood on the cross. And you'll be forgiven. The cross should be the center of all of your efforts at evangelism. Now listen, we've just looked at a handful of reasons why we as Christians need to come back to the cross again and again. Think of 30 more this week. Or don't, just come to the cross. We don't need an icon, we don't need the physical cross up there, we don't have to have a physical thing in front of us. Just know that Jesus Christ and him crucified is the power of God for your salvation and mine. And rely on it day by day, until the day he takes you out of this world and you are saved to sin no more. Close with me in prayer.

sermon transcript The Heritage of Christmas Let me ask you a question. Are you looking forward to tomorrow morning? Come on, tell me the truth. What are you looking forward to? Already we have some gifts under the tree. There’s one in particular that has piqued my interest. I’m looking forward to opening it. I’ll admit it, it’s true. I think we enjoy Christmas gifts, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. Of course, to a point. I think any good gifts of God can become an idol, and we have to watch that all the time. Our hearts are so idolatrous. We’re always moving toward that, and we have to fight it every day. But it says in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavily lights.” He’s the one who’s shown us how to give, and lavishly too. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? Lesser blessings. It says in 1 Timothy 6 that God has given us all things richly to enjoy. So that’s fine. The question is, are we idolatrous? That’s something we have to watch all the time. This morning I want to try to beguile you away from considering what might be in some of those mysterious packages that are under the tree right now, to consider the infinitely greater gifts that Christ came to give. And I’m going to begin by considering just a time that I spent overseas a few years ago. In the summer of 2003, I had the privilege of going to the Czech Republic. I was there with Mike Waters who’s listening to me. We had a wonderful time, and what he said, and it was true, although I gave a little trouble at the time, “The most beautiful city we had ever seen.” Now it’s true, I think, that Prague, at this point, is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. I know in the end, it won’t be. I think the new Jerusalem will top it. I’m looking forward to that. But Prague was a beautiful city. We went into the old town, and we were near the magnificent castle. It’s just a huge castle. And there, in the square outside the castle, was a bronze statue of a warrior on a horse, and it was King Wenceslas, whom they considered the patron saint of Bohemia. Now, every Christmas we sing a song that was written in 1853 by John Mason Neale, Good King Wenceslas. As I looked into the lyrics of the song and the truth behind it and the story behind it, I became more intrigued and drawn in. You see, Christmas is a time for giving gifts, but for the most part, throughout history, Christmas at its best has been a time for those who are rich and powerful and able, to bless those who are poor and needy and without and not able. That’s its heritage. That’s the heritage of Christmas. Now, all along, it’s had to battle that pagan Bacchanalia mid-winter thing that’s always been there too. It’s so for us as well. But at its best Christmas was a time for those who were able and those who were wealthy in positions of power to give and to bless those who weren’t. The ultimate pattern, of course, is Jesus Christ. Good King Wenceslas Who is this King Wenceslas? He was born (we think) in 907 AD. He lived just 22 years. Isn’t it amazing how God in his providence cut short the lives of so many of his choice servants, men and women, and takes them home? This man was assassinated by his own brother Boleslav, who wanted to be king of Bohemia in his place. But in his brief life, he used his influence and his power to spread Christianity through that part of Europe, where it hadn’t really taken root up to that point. Now, John Mason Neale found a story about Wenceslas. We don’t know whether it’s true or not, but it was consistent with his character, and he wrote about it in the hymn that we sing, Good King Wenceslas. He looked out on the feast of Stephen. It’s a story in which he’s standing—you envision him—on a cold bitter winter night looking out from his castle and down on the snow below, he sees a peasant scrambling around for firewood. He asks one of his pages, a servant, to come and says, “Who is this?” And he knows who he is, and he knows precisely where he lives. This King leaves the warmth and comfort and security and luxury, probably, of his castle and goes down with his servant into the snow and follows this man a good distance, a long way away from the castle, to bring him food and wine and firewood, and just to bless his home. I thought this was a tremendous picture of Christmas. I mean, there is Jesus in the ultimate place of security and pleasure and comfort, his heavenly castle. He looks down and what does he see? He sees us, the poor and needy, scrambling around and scrubbing around for firewood, in effect. In the song it’s a stormy bitter cold night and he enters into the howling storm of our sinful world, and he comes to bless us. He comes to bless us with infinite gifts. I want to talk about those gifts. You look at verse 14, it says, “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only begotten, from the Father full of grace and truth.” And then in verse 16, which is going to be basically our meditation this morning, “From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another,” or literally “grace in the place of grace.” Christ came to give us Christmas presents. What I want to do is I want to just kind of, like I said, beguile your minds away from whatever it is that you might be wondering about under your tree to think about the far greater gifts that Christ came to give us in Himself. I think it’s easy for us to lose sight given the deluge of material prosperity and of comfort that God has given us. It’s easy for us to become idolatrous. Lavish Christmas Gifts Statistics show that, based on a study recently, somewhere between 38 and 40 billion dollars were spent over the last month on children between the ages of 4 and 12. Well, I don’t know how much it is for everybody, I guess multiply that by three. We might be heading toward $100 billion spent on Christmas. That’s pretty lavish, isn’t it? But some of us, at least, are old enough to know that a vanishingly small percentage of those things that are waiting for you under the tree will even be part of your lives in five years. You know what I’m talking about? It could be a Christmas sweater that might still be there in five years, but there may be some other things. The fruit cake is definitely… Well, that might be here too as well. [Laughter] But anyway, the toys and many other things will be gone. For all men are like grass and all their glory is like the flower of the field. And the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the God stands forever. So also do the gifts that Christ has come to give us. So, we’re going to focus on what those gifts are. The Supernatural Fullness of Christ Christ’s Supernatural Fullness I want to begin with the supernatural fullness of Christ. I want to talk about the fullness that’s in this verse. “From the fullness of his grace,” it says, “we have all received one blessing after another.” Christ was and is fully God. Colossians 1:19 says, “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.” God is a full being. In him there is no lack at all. He is full of joy, full of wisdom, full of power, full of love, full of mercy, full of everything that He is. He’s full of, all of those things. We, on the other hand, are so used to lack and emptiness that we can’t know really what ultimate fullness is. Christ before the foundation of the world was fully God, with as in our language, a capital G. Fully God. In the beginning, verse 1, was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And thus, Christ fully participated in all the deity of God the father. He was fully joyful, fully powerful, fully holy, fully wise, fully loving and fully as righteous as the father. He is a full being. Nothing was lacking in the person of Christ. God the Father, and God the Son equally shared deity from the beginning, and they shared glory together equally as well. Then, God became man. Jesus took on a human body, the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Fullness Became Flesh Look what it says, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the only begotten, who came from the Father,” and here’s this word, “Full of grace and truth.” Jesus, in taking on a human body, didn’t lose any of his fullness. I know it says in Philippians 2, “He emptied himself and made himself nothing.” I think we have a sense of that. He didn’t lose any of his deity in doing that, fully God still. It says in Colossians 2:9, “For in Christ, all the fullness of the deity dwells in bodily form.” So when taking on a body, he didn’t lose any of his fullness. Thus, Christ was the perfect display of God’s fullness in bodily form. “Full of grace and truth,” says John. Full of grace. Now, I don’t mean gracefulness. That’s not what I’m talking about. That’s not something most males aspire to, okay. We’re not looking necessarily to be graceful and it’s hopeless anyway, isn’t it guys? For the most part even if we wanted it, but we don’t. We don’t, okay. We’re not looking for it, you know, like Anna Pavlova up on point, like some ethereal angel floating across the stage. That is better for the women and that’s wonderful. Or like a figure skater, that’s fine. Delightful. That’s not what we mean, full of grace. Really, what we mean there is theologically, that God is lavishly generous to people who deserve his wrath. That’s what grace is about, and Jesus was full of grace. You see it in his bodily life, you see it in the things that happen to him, and the things He did in his reactions. He’s just full of grace in dealing. You just see the way he dealt with children, the way that children felt comfortable to come and sit on his lap and just wanted to be with him. You can’t fool a child and they knew he was full of grace. They wanted to be with him. You can see it in his kind and gentle manner to a leper from whom most people would run screaming, who is ceremonially unclean because of his disease. He said, “Lord, if you’re willing, you can make me clean.” “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” There’s just such a fullness of grace there. Or in his kind and gentle demeanor toward the parents of a dead girl, Jairus and his wife, and they were mourning over their dead 12-year-old daughter. Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, only believe. And she is not dead, she’s just sleeping.” And he has the power to wake her up, and then gentle with her when he says talitha cumi, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” You see the fullness of grace there in Jesus, in his tenderness. Filled with compassion over hungry people, 5,000 and more of them, and said, “They don’t need to go away, you give them something to eat.” You just see Jesus as an open conduit of God’s grace to a needy world. Then full of grace as he’s nailed to the cross and says, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” You see, Jesus filled with grace, full of grace. And it also says, full of truth as well. Jesus was truth embodied. But he always spoke the truth, even if I got him into great trouble. “I charge you under oath by the living God,” said the high priest, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “I am,” he said, “And in the future, you’ll see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tears his robes and condemns him to death, as if Jesus didn’t know what would happen. Of course, he knew, he was just telling the truth. And he would also give the good confession in front of Pilate as well: “For this reason, I was born and for this, I came into the world to testify to the truth. All on the side of truth. Listen to me.” Jesus is full of grace and full of truth. He told his disciples the truth. Like Peter, “Get behind me, Satan. You’re a stumbling block to me.” Oh, that’s a sharp word of rebuke to a good friend. Satan is using you right now—stop it. He always told the truth, whatever it is we needed to hear. In all of these ways, we see Christ full of grace, full of truth. Christ Did Not Come to Receive but to Give He’s a full being in the flesh, and thus Christ had not come to receive but to give. He didn’t need anything. He wasn’t coming to receive. Now, I know the magi offered him gifts, gold, incense, and myrrh. I know that Mary anointed his feet with perfume worth over a year’s wages. I know they wanted to come and take him by force and make him king and give them all the lavish honor that they could. I know that. I know people gave him gifts and tried to give him gifts but let me tell you something. The gold in the new Jerusalem is infinitely superior to anything that magi brought. The worship that the hundred million angels give him, surrounding is thrown all the time, it’s better than even what Mary poured out on his feet. Purer, more perfect. The kingdom that he will reign over forever and ever, it’s infinitely superior to what those people who are just eating their fill of bread wanted to give him that day. Jesus didn’t come to receive these things. We weren’t in a position to give. Those gifts really, in an absolute sense, are pathetic. He only receives them because of the faith that’s behind them, or he doesn’t receive them if there’s no faith behind them. Jesus didn’t come to receive gifts rather he came to give them. He came to give gifts of grace. He was rich, infinitely richer than good King Wenceslas. Infinitely richer than any man that has ever lived, than any king that’s ever lived. We can’t imagine how wealthy he was. And so, it says in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor. So that you, through his poverty, might become rich.” Jesus didn’t come into the world to get richer. He didn’t come in the world to receive any gifts from us; rather he came to give. Again, Mark 10:45. It says, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The giving, the giving. He came to give. To give his life. Jesus, as well, served in Heaven. He doesn’t need us, as we learned from Psalm 50, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you.” I have all my needs met. Even if I wanted to meet them, I wouldn’t meet them your way. Just like he said to Simon Peter, “Put your sword away. If I wanted to fight, I’d ask the angels.” They’d do it just fine. He doesn’t need us to serve him. He didn’t come to receive. He was full and he came to give. The Natural Emptiness of Humanity “We Are All Beggars” Now we, on the other hand, we are naturally empty. That’s what we are. We’re naturally empty. Martin Luther on his deathbed said in German, “We are all beggars.” Wir sind alle Bettler. That’s what we’re all, beggars. Then he said in Latin, “This is true.” Now, that’s the end of his theology. He knows he’s about to face his judge and maker, but he’s doing it unafraid, and why? Because he’s justified by faith alone apart from works. But we’re beggars. I think for this reason, Jesus began the greatest sermon that has ever been preached, the Sermon on the Mount, with this statement: “Blessed are the spiritual beggars, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” We’re beggars. We’re naturally empty. We don’t have anything to give. Universal Emptiness We’re universally empty. From the fullness of his grace, we have all received. Find yourself in that word all. We’re in the receiver place. We’re in the place to receive, not to give to Jesus. Even the wealthiest, most powerful, most envied people in the world, the lifestyles of the rich and famous people, even those who have nothing to give, naturally empty. John Wesley in a journal entry, December 23rd, two days before Christmas, 1755, he wrote this: “I was in the robe chamber, adjoining to the House of Lords, when the king put on his robes. His brow was much furrowed with age and quite clouded with care. Is this all the world can give even to a king? All the grandeur it can afford, a blanket of ermine around his shoulders so heavy and cumbersome he can scarcely move under it, a huge heap of borrowed hair and a few plates of gold and glittering stones upon his head. Alas! What a babble, is human greatness, and even this will not endure.” Is that the best the 18th century could have given to Jesus if we wanted to give our best to him. That’s the best the nation of England could give to King George II, who was a man at the height of his power and who probably wanted to be done with all of it, and two years later, he was. His aorta ruptured while he was using the toilet. What a disgusting way for even a king to die. We’re all beggars. We don’t have anything to offer naturally. That’s what I’m saying. Is this all the world can give even to a king? Jesus isn’t looking for that from us. We’re naturally empty. This is a universal emptiness, and I mean that from the poorest to the richest. The poorest beggar living in Kolkata (Calcutta) who’s barely scraping by and doesn’t even know if he’s going to be alive a year from then, six months from then, who doesn’t know Jesus, is empty before God. It’s not like God naturally loves the poor. If they don’t have Christ, they’re empty. And so, also the wealthiest captain of industry who’s making billions of dollars in the stock market or in the petroleum industry or in high tech, empty if they don’t have Christ. Emptiness Proven by the Law of Moses This emptiness is proven by the law of Moses. If you look at verse 17, “The law came through Moses, and grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” But what does the law tell us? It tells us of our emptiness. That’s what it says. In Romans 3:20, it says, “Therefore, no one will be justified or declared righteous in his sight by observing the law, rather through the law we become conscious of sins.” The law uncovers our emptiness. It uncovers our empty hearts and our empty lives. The emptiness is especially proven in comparison with Christ. Here is this perfectly full being, full of grace and truth, and here we are just side by side. How do you do? How have you done the last year? Take your best day, how’s it doing? You line it up next to Jesus, you see your emptiness there. Martin Lloyd Jones was dealing with this question of “blessed are the spiritual beggars” and he was dealing with the question, “What if I don’t feel like a spiritual beggar?” You know what he said to do? Look at Jesus and keep looking. And keep looking. After a while, you will see. Here is this being filled with grace and truth, filled with love, filled with holiness, filled with power, filled with God through the Holy Spirit and here we are by contrast. Soon, you’ll realize that we are spiritual beggars. Emptiness Especially Proven by Comparison with Christ One of the bitterest aspects of our emptiness is we don’t know how empty we are. As a matter of fact, the impurer you are the less empty you think you are. Jesus said to the church at Laodicea, “You say, ‘I am rich. I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” “You do not realize,” is the essence of our problem, although the word of God tells us the truth. We are all beggars, apart from Christ. But it doesn’t end there. Thanks be to God we don’t end up as spiritual beggars. Look at the verse again, verse 16, “From the fullness of His grace,” we have all what? “Received grace upon grace.” That’s what we were. What are we now? We are wealthy in Christ, with gifts of grace. The Lavish Generosity of Christ’s Gifts Generous in Quality: From His Fullness Now we see the lavish generosity of Christ’s gifts, generous in quality. It’s like when you pick up that gift and you’re holding it, and it’s just weighty and you’re excited, you think, “What could it be?” It’s not likely to be a granite boulder that someone got out of their backyard and wrapped up as a gift. It’s like, “What could it be?” There’s a weightiness to it. It’s even better if the weightiness is in a really small box. That’s really exciting when it’s really weighty in a small box, especially for ladies. There’s something really dense in here, something exciting. There’s a weightiness to the quality. Feel then the weight of the quality of Jesus’s gifts. From the fullness of his grace, he gives them. There are wonderful gifts, better than anything we could buy at Macy’s or JCPenney’s or Hecks, or at South Point, or North Square or what… I don’t know all of them. I always mess up. North Gate, I guess it is. Nothing you buy there can compare with the gifts that Jesus has come to give to you. They are lavish and generous in scope from the fullness of his grace, we have all received. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It doesn’t matter to me if this is your first time in church in the last year. Well, in one sense it matters, but for this, it doesn’t matter. Because Christ is willing to be very generous to you right now. Just call on his name. Trust in him for the salvation of your soul. Receive the first gift from him, and that’s full forgiveness of sins. Bring your sinfulness and your sin to the cross and receive from him the gift of grace. Generous in Scope: We Have All Received Ask him to be your savior, and he will. Call on the name of the Lord. It’s a universal thing. From the fullness of his grace, we have all received. And by this, I don’t mean every single human being on the face of the Earth, he already covered that in John 1:12. But to those who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Children born, not of natural descent or a human decision or the will of a husband but born of God. That’s it. Generous in Cost: At the Price of His Body and Blood By simply trusting in Christ, you have full forgiveness, generous in scope and generous in cost too. I don’t think we should… I know the word grace means a free gift. Well, it is free to us. He doesn’t want your price. He doesn’t want you paying for it. But don’t imagine for a moment that it didn’t have a price. It did. It was infinitely costly to bring to you the gifts I’m about to describe to you. Infinitely expensive, these gifts. They came at the blood, the precious blood. 1 Peter 1:18 and 19, the precious blood of a lamb without blemish or defect, Jesus Christ. He shed his blood to purchase your Christmas gifts. There’s no one here who has sacrificed that much for Christmas. It was Jesus who did it. Generous in Quantity: Grace Instead of Grace Generous also in quantity. I know Jesus Himself is the central gift, and that’s enough. But I think it’s good to kind of unfold his gifts and just look at them. Suppose, for example, you woke up and some person or a group of people had put 54 gifts with your name on it under the tree. 54. I’d be embarrassed for myself, especially if everyone else got five or six. I’d feel like, “Oh boy.” If everybody in my family had 54 gifts, that would be the 360… I don’t know. Some huge number. We have a lot of people in our family. Christy would not be able to get into the den, I think. 54 gifts. I think we’d have ought to open each one and look at it. Generous in quality. Look what the verse says. I know it doesn’t come across necessarily, but literally in the Greek, it says, “From the fullness of His grace, we have all received, grace instead of grace.” In other words, it’s grace, then another grace than another grace than another grace. I imagine a train. I remember reading on a Christmas morning, “The Little Engine that Could.” I never thought I’d use that in a sermon. It teaches human works and effort, and I can get to Heaven, that’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to imagine a train laden with gifts. Think like a child. I’m thinking, the gifts looked really good back then, now they look like… Not so good. But at that time, they looked really good. And I thought, “Wow, wouldn’t that be great?” And of course, because it’s just a little engine that they could there are only so many cars. The longest train in history is 682 cars. It was a coal car. I don’t want that much coal. But it was four and a half miles long and it moved very slowly, so imagine coming to the intersection and you see the first of the 682 cars going by. But imagine if you would, let’s get out and let’s just stand by the railway track and watch one gift of grace after another, come. Because that’s what it is. It’s just generous, generous. Grace instead of Grace, instead of Grace, instead of grace, day after day after day, on into eternity, friends. We are incredibly rich, and whatever you have under that tree tomorrow, it doesn’t even compare with the good things that God has already given you, is giving you now, and will give you up into the future. Or like what? Grace upon Grace The Past Blessings of Grace 0:25:40.9 S1: Well, let’s start way back. Let’s not start at the birth of Christ. Let’s start before the foundation of the world. When God worked out his salvation plan. He worked it out with you in mind. And the next gift of grace, he chose you. If you’re a Christian, he chose you by name before the foundation of the world. And the next gift of grace, he created a beautiful world for you and others like you to live in. He created the heavens and the earth and made them beautiful and lush and lavish. And he put Adam and Eve, created in the image of God, in that garden. The next gift of grace, after Adam’s fall, he didn’t kill the human race as we deserved, but he allowed history to continue, and he even promised a redeemer who would crush the serpent’s head. The next gift of grace, at the time of the flood, he didn’t kill the human race as we deserved then, but he preserved a remnant in Noah’s Ark, so that we would be able to survive. Then the next gift of grace, he called Abraham, so that salvation would come from the Jews. And the next gift of grace, the Exodus under Moses, in which He took the two million perhaps Jews out of Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land, a beautiful picture of our salvation. And the next gift of grace, the Law of Moses, to expose our emptiness, as I’ve already said. But also, to point ahead to the future through animal sacrifice, when we would understand the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross, so we would know how we would be saved. The next gift of grace, the kingship of David, a perfect picture of Jesus, our ruler, our savior. And Jesus is the son of David. And the next gift of grace, the words of the prophets. The servants and messengers of the covenant, who came with a lawsuit against the people of God and showed them how they had violated the Law of Moses, but they also spoke of redemption, of renewal, of restoration, and ultimately, of the Christ. The next gift of grace, the birth of Christ Himself. Born of a virgin, born under the law, born in the fullness of time. At just the right time, Jesus was born. And Mary wrapped him and swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn. The next gift of grace, Christ’s perfect sinless life that he made it through 30 plus years of life and temptation and never once yielded. And his righteousness will be and is your righteousness. The next gift of grace, powerful miracles. Healing a man born blind, healing any disease and sickness brought to him, healing Lazarus, dead in the tomb for four days, pictures of his resurrecting power. The next gift of grace, his perfect teaching ministry, parables, and teachings. No one ever talked like this man, no one ever taught like this man, perfect teachings, and we have a record of some of them, not all of them, but some of them. The next gift of grace, His redemptive death on the cross, His blood shed on the cross before you were even born. His blood shed for all of your sins, if you’re a Christian. And the next gift of grace, God didn’t leave him in the tomb, but raised him from the dead on the third day and gave him a resurrection body that will be like your body or yours like his forever and ever. He will be the first fruit from the dead, and there will be a huge harvest. The next gift of grace, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit of God on Pentecost. And the Holy Spirit has come to inspire the writing of the New Testament, the next gift of grace. And to convict the world of sin and judgment and righteousness. And the next gift of Grace, the steady, irresistible advance of the gospel for 2,000 years. Satan has been trying to stop it, but he can’t, and the gospel has spread from the Upper Room, 120 believers to a multitude greater than we are able to number from every tribe and language, almost every tribe, and language, and people and nation. The spread of the gospel. The next gift of grace, the way that God has sovereignly ruled over the nations to accomplish his historical purposes. To watch over the rise of this empire and the fall of that one, and to watch over the inventions and medical discoveries and the discovery of the New World with Columbus, and to watch over all of history to accomplish his ends. Part of which is saving your soul. Isn’t that beautiful? And the next gift of grace, a bunch of brothers and sisters, most of them who we have not met, who were martyrs and witnesses, and missionaries and pastors, and godly women and men who are your brothers and sisters. A royal heritage for 2,000 years. And the next gift of grace, your personal family lineage, your great-great-grandparents and your great-grandparents and grandparents and parents. And how each of them met and what kind of people they were, and what their strengths and weaknesses were, what their sins were, and what their godliness was, if there was any. All of that. Before you were born. What about since you’ve been born? Well, God watched over you and cared for you. He gave you parents to care for you, to look after you. He gave you a series of people to tell you about Christ, to teach you the Bible. The Present Blessings of Grace Long before you ever trusted in Christ, you’d heard of him many, many times, and God sent different people, whether parents, brothers and sisters, college roommates, pastors, Sunday school teachers, missionaries, who knows? But he sent them to you. And he’s given you beauty. You’ve seen beautiful things in the world, mountains and oceans, and different things. And each one of us has a different set of postcards in our minds of the beauty of the Earth, and it’s nothing compared to the future beauty of the new Earth. But it’s there, and you’ve seen it. From the fullness of his grace, we have all received. One gift of a blessing, one grace after another. And then at the right time, the Holy Spirit opened your eyes to your own emptiness. And he showed you what you’ve been unable, unwilling to face, up to that moment. You needed a savior, you needed Jesus, you needed him to shed his blood on the cross in your place or you would deserve to go to hell. At some point, you came to realize that, and you were regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. You were given the gift of faith. At that moment, God justified you of all of your sins, forgave you of all of your sins, past, present and future, and he gave you the indwelling Spirit, and He adopted you into his own family from which you will never depart. He gave you spiritual gifts in a ministry and opportunities one after the other, day after day to live a life worthy of his calling and of his name, and he’s kept a careful record of everything you’ve done by faith, and he’ll reward you for it someday. And he’s going to give you continued opportunities to serve him, and he’s going to watch over you the rest of your life, in the future. He’s going to protect you, and he’s going to keep you safe and there will be no combination of temptations that will separate you from Christ, because he will sovereignly not allow it to happen. He will protect you until the day you die. And then that day, he’ll give you grace to die well and to his glory. You may die at 93 years old in a hospital, you may die in a car wreck, you may die of a heart attack, you may die of a disease. If the Lord doesn’t return in our generation, you will die. And he will give you grace to get through it. And then on the other side, is he done being gracious to you? No. He will take that soul that has been separated from your body, which cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven anyway. The Future Blessings of Grace So good riddance, I think at that point. I want to see what he does with my body. But I’ll be separated at that point, and he will also separate me from all wickedness and all sin in my soul, and I will love only righteousness. And I will hate all wickedness, and I will be made perfect and holy. From the fullness of his grace, we have all received grace upon grace, upon grace, upon grace. And then judgment day, he will give me grace. He will give me grace to survive the day of wrath, and I will get through it, and so will any who call on his name. We will survive that day. And we will even thrive on that day, because on the other side of it, we will be in resurrection bodies, and we will live in a perfect kingdom, a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness and we qualify. How did that happen? But Jesus’s righteousness was given to us. And then will it end? No. There are your 54 gifts. He intends far more than 54, friends. And a good thing too, you kind of like to get to Christmas tomorrow, wouldn’t you? I’ll stop here, but I think you could meditate far more than I have over the past and present and future gifts of his grace. And so, you will do forever, and of the increase of his government, there’ll be no end, because you will continually see more and more of his grace. He has more to show you. If you came to that intersection of the 682-car train, and you’re looking at your watch and wondering, “When is this ever going to be done?” This train, you are not going to want to end. You want to just see a gift of grace after gift to grace to keep on going past you for eternity. And you will be filled with a sense of gratitude, you can’t even imagine. Application What application do we take from this? Well, I think it’s good to open the gifts that somebody else took the time to wrap. I think you ought to do it. I think you ought to. But let your heart be already filled with light and glory of the things we’ve talked about today. Meditate on the generosity of God through Christ. If you haven’t come to Christ yet, don’t miss it, because none of these gifts of grace are yours, if you’re not a Christian. None of them. Just a fiery expectation of judgment, of raging fire that’ll consume the enemies of God. I would rather have this than that, wouldn’t you? Why will you die? Turn and repent and believe and trust in him. Don’t leave this room without receiving that first as far as you’re concerned gift, forgiveness of sins. But for those of you that have already made that commitment, then meditate on God’s goodness. Let me say one more thing. As I’ve studied Christmas, I had a whole bunch of stuff about Christmas and decided to get rid of it. If you want to know more about the history of Christmas and how it has had a rich heritage of the rich blessing the poor, find out more. The History Channel had a history thing on Christmas, look it up. There’s a lot of stuff on Christmas. Consistently, the wealthy and the positioned folks used it to bless the poor. I have talked to so many people this Christmas, saying, “They are weary of the treadmill. The Christmas treadmill.” As a matter of fact, I haven’t talked to anybody who’s not. The thing is, why don’t we change it? How do we change it? How do we get off? If you feel it’s become to idolatrous, how do you stop it? And so, I would urge that you enjoy whatever you have planned to enjoy tomorrow. Enjoy it with a free heart, but make plans to make 2007, a year from now different than any Christmas you’ve ever enjoyed. Our small group, what we did was we gave to the Persecution Project in Samaritan’s Purse. They have different ways. You can buy little chicks. You can buy a well dug in a village. You can buy all kinds of stuff for people who are barely making it, barely surviving. Maybe instead of giving gifts to people who don’t need what you’re going to give them anyway, that’s why you’re having such a hard time finding what to give them, because they don’t need anything. And if they need something, they bought it already. So, what do you give? I would urge think differently, a year from now. No, no, think differently seven or eight months from now. Make plans. Make plans. Close with me in prayer.