“ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood [...]

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER (1940 Hymnal #142), a Devotion on a Hymn for Veteran’s Day, 7 November 2017 Anno Domini (St. Andrews Parish Church) Since Veteran’s Day is fast approaching (November 11) I have decided to write, for the first time, a devotion on our National Anthem. Most Americans whose heads are graced with at [...]

“And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.  And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a [...]

The land of Ancient Persia (modern day Iran) is rich in literary works of great writers such as Ferdowsi (The Shanameh), Kayyam’s Rubaiyat, Hafez, Attar of Nishapur, and Saadi Shirazi, just to name a few.   Below is a Persian Parable by Saadi Shirazi (around 1000 A.D.) that has strong application to our own day: [...]

This powerful hymn may be the greatest of all to come out of the Reformation. Written by the leading Reformer, Martin Luther, in 1529, this hymn became the rallying anthem of the Reformation. Very like the French La Marseillaise whose rousing strains aided Napoleon to win many victories, or the British Anthem, God Save the [...]

THE WHITE HORSE (First Seal)   “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a [...]

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?  And no man in heaven, [...]

“And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers [...]

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne [...]

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and [...]