Husbands love your wives - thank you Francis.

With horror and sadness over the past week we have witnessed the sinking of the mighty Costa Concordia. While it would be easy to focus on the cowardice of the captain who somehow "fell" into a life boat another man caught my eye and is worthy of praise, 71 year old Francis Servel. While he and his wife prepared to jump he gave his lifejacket to his wife. She survived and he was drowned. She said no doubt with tears, "I owe my life to him." I don't know of the late Francis knew anything of Ephesians 5 but he certainly lived it. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. I guess most of us husbands would like to think that we would do likewise for our darling wives even if we knew that death awaited.

How amazing to think then of the love of Jesus Christ for His bride. His bride wasn't very lovely, very undeserving, but so willingly He gave His life knowing that he would face not the horrors of the salty water but the horrific drowning in the waves of the Holy wrath of God. And He did it because He loved us.

The words hardly seem adequate, I owe my life to Him.

When will my life not suck, Ramon Presson

This is a 2011 production from the New Growth Press stable. The book consists of thirteen chapters of well written comment on how many sadly approach life. The author does a good job in bringing some answers to the malady of our messy world by directing the readers thoughts to portions of Scripture from the life of Paul. The writer's style will either excite and draw you to read and read or annoy the life out of you. This is a helpful book for those who are dealing with people whose lives are broken with disappointment and crises. There is much here also by way of practical help as the writer is counsellor of some experience. Useful book for illustrations for the preacher. Useful book to read with someone who is in the depths. The chapter on contentment is particularly helpful.

Ministers are dying men

Came across this cracker of a quote in Matthew Henry when doing some reading for preaching on Zechariah.

"Ministers are dying men and live not forever in this world. They are to look upon themselves as such and to preach accordingly, as those that must be silenced shortly, and know not which sermon may be the last. People are to look upon them as such, and to hear accordingly, as those that yet a little while have the light with them, that they may walk and work while they have the light. Oh that this weighty consideration had its due weight given it, that we are dying ministers dealing with dying people about the concerns of immortal souls and an awful eternity, which both they and we are standing upon the brink of."

Matthew Henry, Volume 4 p1402, MacDonald