Here's how I did:

Total Time: 1 hour
Distance: 14.53 miles
Average Speed: 14.4 mph

It's the first time I've been on the bike in three or four months and it shows.

“All that Christ did and suffered, from the manger to the tomb, forms one glorious whole, no part of which shall ever become needless or obsolete; no part of which one can ever leave without forsaking the whole.

I am always at the manger, and yet I know that mere incarnation cannot save; always at Gethsemane, and yet I believe that its agony was not the finished work; always at the cross, with my face toward it, and my eye on the crucified One, and yet I am persuaded that the sacrifice there was completed once for all; always looking into the grave, though I rejoice that it is empty, and that ‘He is not here, but is risen’; always resting (with the angel) on the stone that was rolled away, and handling the grave-clothes, and realizing a risen Christ, nay, an ascended and interceding Lord, yet on no pretext whatever leaving any part of my Lord’s life or death behind me, but unceasingly keeping up my connection with Him, as born, living, dying, buried, and rising again, and drawing out from each part some new blessing every day and hour.” Horatius Bonar, from the blog 'Of First Importance'

Merry Christmas to all of our readers.

I have become a fan of Sojourn Music. Sojourn Music is an extension of Sojourn Community Church. I frequent the Sojourn Music site often and included in one of the blog posts was a list of Advent related sections from different historical statements of faith. Since I have a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith, I went and read the sections they listed. What I found in Chapter 8, entitled Of Christ the Mediator were 8 creeds, with Scripture references for each. What I thought I would do is list 2 creeds for each week of Advent, for my benefit more than yours. Nonetheless, I hope you benefit.

1. It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Saviour of His Church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom He did from all eternity give a people, to be His seed, and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

2. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fulness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.