John Stott's Daily Prayer

   Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence and please you more and more.
   Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
   Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life -- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
   Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God, have mercy upon me.
   Almighty God, Creator and sustainer of the universe, I worship you.
   Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord of the World, I worship you.
   Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the people of God, I worship you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever.  Amen.

The True Measure of A Man

Have been reading a great book by Richard Simmons, a new friend from Birmingham, AL entitled The True Measure of a Man.  Here are a few quotes...

Human beings are wired so that they need some great authority outside themselves to tell him or her who they really are.  But for many people that voice is not there, because their lives are not oriented towards God.  When that is the case, the very first thing that will happen in their lives will be to question their worth and their value.  Does my life really matter?  And this is what causes us to beging to hide ourselves from others.  --- from a Harvard lecture by Donald Miller

Armand Nicholi, Jr. a pychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, wrote on C.S. Lewis in his book The Question of God...   As Lewis began to read the Old and New Testaments seriously, he noted a new method of establishing his identity, of coming to terms with his "real personality."  This process, Lewis writes, involves losing yourself in your relationship to the Creator.  "Until you have given yourself up to Him," Lewis writes, "you will not have a real self."


We have indeed, it seems, become a nation of conspicuos consumers.  We purchase cars, homes, and all types of items, not for their functionality but rather to make a statement on our status to an audience that we hope will watching us.  How we appear to others has become the driving force behind most of our major purchases.


Fear can produce a complexity of emotions.  It can be a powerful force for taking positive action in our lives or it can produce potentially crippling emotions.

A Word from Richard Halverson

Richard Halverson, a former Chaplain of the United States Senate, said that his goal in the Senate was to "be with folks at their convenience, with no agenda."  When asked if Jesus was his agenda, his reply was, "Oh no, Jesus is my life; friendship is my agenda."  May we be so centered on Jesus as our life, and so secure in His Love, that we can reflect Him in all we are through significant friendships.

Resurrection, Lilburn

This past Sunday after our regular services at Holy Cross, I went to visit Resurrection, Lilburn.  They currently meet at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoons.  We had a good day of worship with baptisms, teaching, communion, and fellowship.  

Fr. Ugo and his family

Fr. Ugo and Fr. Allen

Sir Clement and Ony leading worship

Hamilton Anglican Fellowship

Regis Nicoll leading Bible Study

 Last night I was able to visit with folks in Chattanooga at Hamilton Anglican Fellowship.  They have moved into their new location and exhibited a wonderful spirit of fellowship.  After enjoying dinner together, we participated in an enlightening and Spirit-filled Bible Study led by Lay Catechist, Regis Nicoll.  A great night with a great group of believers in Jesus.

Let's eat!!

The Presence of the Holy Spirit

          This is my October Newspaper Column....

 Did you know that it is impossible to live the Christian Life without the Holy Spirit?  Did you know that the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) cannot manifest in your life without the Holy Spirit?   Did you know that you cannot “forgive as you have been forgiven” without the Holy Spirit?  Did you know that you cannot “love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength” without the Holy Spirit?

            The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.  Jesus spoke much about Him in his teachings to his followers.  He said that the Spirit would come as a “counselor” to those who know Him (John 14:15).  Jesus said that when he left the earth that He and the Father would come to the believer and make their home within the believer (John 14:23).   He says the Spirit will come to the believer and convict of sin, lead her or him to truth, speak the Father’s word, and bring glory to Jesus (John 16:7f).

            The Apostle Paul elaborates even further on the role of the Spirit saying that He adopts believers as actual children of God (Romans 8:15), and that He even helps us when we don’t know how to pray (Romans 8:26).  He teaches that believers receive spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit to help them minister and serve God (Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:11).  Paul adds that the believer should manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

            With so much teaching about the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testament, it is amazing that so many followers of Jesus lack the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Jesus taught Nicodemus that one must be “born of the Spirit” to see the Kingdom of God” (John 3), and that his followers would receive “power” from the Holy Spirit to tell the world about Him (Acts 1:8). 

Yet…. Why do so many modern day followers of Jesus not have the Holy Spirit in their lives?  Maybe, it could be as simple as they have never asked God for the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ words:  “If you then, even though it is in your very nature to practice evil,  know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13).

Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP).

Another New Bishop

The Anglican Church in North America has another bishop.  Kevin Allen was consecrated the first bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cascadia in Seattle, Washington.  Members of the College of Bishops concluded our meetings on Friday and drove to Seattle to participate in the Ordination and Consecration of Kevin Allen.  It was a joyous occasion and the Presence of the Lord was strong.

New Bishop Kevin Allen

The new Bishop being Vested

Bishops Neil Lebhar and Charlie Masters

Bishop Royal Grote

Some of the bishops gathered before the service

Bishop John Guernsey delivering probably the best sermon I have ever heard on Evangelism

It is truly exciting to be a part of this Anglican movement in the United States and Canada -- so many people coming to the Lord; so many people discovering the Ancient Faith in our modern world; so many new congregations being formed; and so many lives being touched by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.