Carl Giordano's poems "The Church of God - alive or dead?" and "America...you let the devil in"

The two poems by Carl Giordano, "The Church of God - alive or dead?" and "America...you let the devil in" are worth reading and prayerfully reflecting on.  They are posted on Walking In Truth by his wife Connie at http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Church---America.html?soid=1102251333016&aid=0muGQ5pewHk&goback=%2Egde_2924394_member_182901861 [accessed 8 NOV 2012].

Soli Deo Gloria,

John T. "Jack" Jeffery
Pastor, Wayside Gospel Chapel
Greentown, PA

The 2012 Election and the Voting Issue for Christians

(chronological order)

Judd Birdsall, "Is the President America's Pastor in Chief?: Why Mitt Romney's Mormonism does matter." (13 AUG 2012); on Christianity Today at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/august-web-only/is-the-president-americas-pastor-in-chief.html [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

Owen Strachan, "Our American President: The 'Almost Pastor' of an 'Almost Chosen' Land: How Christians might think about the type of leader they vote into the presidency" (13 AUG 2012); on Christianity Today at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/august-web-only/our-american-president-almost-pastor-of-almost-chosen-land.html?paging=off [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

 

Denny Burk, "Should Mormonism Be a Factor in Evaluating Romney?" (14 AUG 2012); on Denny Burk at http://www.dennyburk.com/is-the-president-our-pastor-in-chief/ [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

Sean Perron, "No Valor" (1 OCT 2012), on unspoken at http://unspokenblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/no-valor/ [accessed 5 NOV 2012].

Dan Phillips, "This election's choice: Romney, third-party (=Obama), or don't vote (=Obama)?" (3 OCT 2012), on Biblical Christianity at
http://bibchr.blogspot.com/2012/10/this-elections-choice-romney-third.html?spref=bl [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

"Is it a Sin to Vote for a Mormon or Roman Catholic?", posted by Nathan W. Bingham (9 OCT 2012); on Ligonier at http://www.ligonier.org/blog/it-sin-vote-mormon-or-roman-catholic/ [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

"In this excerpt from a Questions & Answers session at our 2012 National Conference, Albert Mohler, Robert Godfrey, and Sinclair Ferguson discuss the question, “Is it a sin for a Christian to vote for a Mormon or a Roman Catholic for President of the United States?”"

Michael Farris "The Importance of Voting" (HSLDA, 18 OCT 2012); on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyJMtmyGC6Q&feature=youtu.be  [accessed 26 OCT 2012].

Randy Alcorn,  "Election 2012 Part 5: Is it Wrong to Vote for the Lesser of Evils? Shouldn’t We Instead Vote for a Third Party Candidate?" (25 OCT 2012); on Eternal Perspective Ministries at http://www.epm.org/blog/2012/Oct/25/election-2012-part-5 [accessed 25 OCT 2012].

Joel Beeke, "Why My Conscience Won’t Let Me Not Vote for Romney" (2 NOV 2012); on Joel Beeke: doctrine for life..." at http://www.joelbeeke.org/2012/11/why-my-conscience-wont-let-me-not-vote-for-romney/ [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

Daniel B. Wallace, "Why We Should Vote" (2 NOV 2012); on Daniel B. Wallace at http://danielbwallace.com/2012/11/02/why-we-should-vote/ [accessed 2 NOV 2012].

Denny Burk, "Can Evangelicals Vote for a Mormon?" (4 NOV 2012), on Denny Burk at http://www.dennyburk.com/glenn-becks-bridge-to-evangelicals/ [accessed 4 NOV 2012].

Finally - 

"My Politics", from the Letters of John Newton, on Grace Gems at http://gracegems.org/2012/11/politics.html [accessed 5 NOV 2012]:

"The whole system of my politics is summed up in this one verse, "The Lord reigns! Let the nations tremble!" Psalm 99:1

The times look awfully dark indeed; and as the clouds grow thicker the stupidity of the nation seems proportionally to increase. If the Lord had not a remnant here, I would have very formidable apprehensions. But He loves His children; some are sighing and mourning before Him, and I am sure He hears their sighs, and sees their tears. I trust there is mercy in store for us at the bottom; but I expect a shaking time before things get into a right channel before we are humbled, and are taught to give Him the glory.

The state of the nation, the state of the churches, both are deplorable! Those who should be praying are disputing and fighting among themselves! Alas! How many professors are more concerned for the mistakes of government than for their own sins!"

Fall Family Festival (rescheduled)

Wayside Gospel Chapel is hosting its Fourth Annual "Fall Family Festival" on Sunday, November 4, 2012 from 4:00-7:00 PM at the church. Wayside Gospel Chapel is located in Greene Township on the corner of Roemerville Road and PA Route 390 about 4 miles south of Promised Land State Park in Pike County. The activities at the Fall Family Festival will include turkey bowling, leaf jumping, pumpkin carving, hay bale throwing and more. There will be food and a bonfire. All ages are welcome, and there is no charge. Activities will take place inside and outside, so please wear warm clothes that you don't mind getting a little dirty! For more information contact Pastor Jack Jeffery at waysidegospelchapel at yahoo dot com.

Descend From Heaven Celestial Dove, by Joseph Hart

Descend from heaven, celestial Dove,

With flames of pure seraphic love

Our ravished breasts inspire;

Fountain of joy, blest Paraclete,

Warm our cold hearts with heavenly heat,

And set our souls on fire.

Breathe on these bones, so dry and dead;

Thy sweetest, softest influence shed

In all our hearts abroad;

Point out the place where grace abounds;

Direct us to the bleeding wounds

Of our incarnate God.

Conduct, blest Guide, thy sinner-train

To Calvary, where the Lamb was slain,

And with us there abide;

Let us our loved Redeemer meet,

Weep o’er his piercèd hands and feet,

And view his wounded side.

From which pure fountain if thou draw

Water to quench the fiery law,

And blood to purge our sin;

We’ll tell the Father in that day,

(And thou shalt witness what we say),

“We’re clean, just God, we’re clean.”

Teach us for what to pray, and how;

And since, kind God, ’tis only thou

The throne of grace canst move,

Pray thou for us, that we, through faith,

May feel the effects of Jesus’ death,

Through faith, that works by love.

Thou, with the Father and the Son,

Art that mysterious Three-in-One,

God blest for evermore!

Whom though we cannot comprehend,

Feeling thou art the sinner’s Friend,

We love thee and adore.

Joseph Hart, in A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship, by William Gadsby (London: Gospel Standard Publications, 1987; also, n.p.: Gospel Standard Trust Publications, 2000), pp. 38-39, Hymn #29.  Meter: 8.8.6.  Ezek. 37:5, 9; Jn. 16:14.