OF
THE FATHER'S LOVE BEGOTTEN
by Reverend Mike Heath
June 14, 2015
NewsWithViews.com
I
am proud of my wife, Paulie. She started young loving Jesus. She gave
her heart to Him when she was seven years old. Her mother guided her
to the foot of the cross. And there she has remained.
Paulie's
most recent song is titled Of
the Father's Love Begotten. It is an  ancient
hymn that she discovered. She appreciated the words, and worked with
Peter Vantine
to create an original arrangement.
The
hymn is a christmas carol that is based on a poem written by the roman
poet Aurelius Prudentius. He lived in the latter half of the third century
AD. After practicing law he retired to an ascetic life.
According
to wikipedia his poetry is "influenced by early Christian authors,
such as Tertullian and St. Ambrose, as well as the Bible and the acts
of the martyrs."
While
all the verses of the hymn are worthy of thought and meditation, this
stanza tickled my fancy this morning.
Righteous judge
of souls departed, righteous King of them that live,
On the Father’s
throne exalted none in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in
vengeance coming
Sinners from
Thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!
It
is comforting to realize that Christians have a King. He is our loving
heavenly Father. And He has a son. His name is Jesus Christ. And these
sent the third person of the trinity to dwell within us. He is the Holy
Spirit who empowers us.
We
don't elect this King. He existed before elections, republics and nations.
As Prudentius observes, "On the Father's throne exalted none in
might with Thee may strive."
In
a couple weeks Paulie and I will fall on our faces and pray in front
of America's Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. We won't
be there appealing to the nine judges who make up the court. We are
going to pray to the righteous judge of souls departed. The righteous
King of them that live.
America
imagines that, in her might, she can prevail over this King, over God.
But our power is nothing. It is not a matter of winning or losing. It
isn't even possible to strive with this King. This fight with God, this
attempt to redefine marriage, is a figment of our imagination. God isn't
even fighting.
None
in might with Thee may strive.
And
the answer to the oft-repeated question by all people of good will who
ponder the trajectory of "gay" rights -- "What's next?"
-- is:
Who at last in
vengeance coming
Sinners from
Thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!
Michael
Heath has represented Christians in the public square for nearly three
decades. As executive director of the historic Christian Civic League
of Maine, Heath has been an outspoken advocate for moral values. Working
alongside Dr. Dobson, Heath led a statewide family policy council for
sixteen years.
Heath received
the Family Research Council’s Family Faith and Freedom Award in
1998. He led multiple statewide campaigns -- including a memorable People’s
Veto, which sent two hundred thousand Mainers to the polls in the dead
of winter, just after a devastating ice storm which crippled all of Central
Maine.
Heath served
on the Governor’s Gambling Task Force, as well as on a Legislative
Commission on Fatherhood. Just after college, Heath spent four years leading
a ministry helping people struggling with substance abuse and/or mental
illness.
Heath is married
to Paulie, an inspirational singer, songwriter and speaker. They have
three grown sons.
In recent years
the Heaths have traveled to East Africa multiple times, working alongside
missionaries in Tanzania to promote solar cooking in remote villages.
Mike served as State Director for the Ron Paul Presidential Campaign in
Iowa in 2011.
Website: MikeHeath.net
E-Mail: mike@mikeheath.net
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