I thought that East Tennessee had very little climbing. I still know that it has less than Western North Carolina, but I keep getting pointed to another crag here and there. It was looking ify that the day we had picked would be dry and reasonable temperature, but as the week progressed, the forecast kept improving. Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park is quite the wilderness. It was so good to learn that it had a good amount of climbing, too. It is also encouraging that many state parks are accommodating this non-traditional use of public lands. There are two climbing areas in this park, and all other cliffs are off limits to climbers. It is a good compromise. I think it needs a guidebook now. Mountain Project records what people provide, but that is inadequate for me to find many of the climbs when there are more in front of me not listed. I am too easily confused. It is always good to get a local, frequent flier to show the climbs. To see the beautiful day of climbing that we did, click on “Climbing Sequences.”
Archive for December, 2025
A Rocky Fork First
Posted in Climbing, Climbing Access, Exploring, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Climbing, Rock Climbing, Rocky Fork State Park on December 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Sorrow and Joy
Posted in Advent, Faith, General, Gospel, Person of Jesus, Poem, Song, tagged Advent, Christmas Carol, Massacre of the Innocents on December 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »
I was listening to the Salisbury Organists recently as I do almost weekly. His video was titled “COVENTRY CAROL ~ England’s most HAUNTING Christmas Song“. I highly recommend it for quality of communication and context. Understanding that context of a sad lullaby concerning the “Massacre of the Innocents”, I see why such a sad song was written and performed, but I wanted another take that communicates more of the Gospel through this haunting tune. So, I wrote my own words. Click on the music to sing the words, if you like (“Coventry Carol Instrumental”):
When Jesus came to earth that day
Mixture of joy and pain
Birthed in a stable where they stay
Rough in a manger lain
Oh, but the joy of shepherds then
Fresh from the angels’ song
Worship the child who came to win
Sinners from all their wrong
Then came the magi with their gifts
Praise for the Infant King
Gifts symbolize and child uplifts
All of His glory sing
Next sorrow came with Herod’s rage
Children killed cruel and cold
Then Rachel’s weeping came of age
Mothers were not consoled
So were the sorrow and the joy
When Jesus crucified
He suffered our sin to destroy
Rose to be glorified
Being Made Right
Posted in General, tagged bible, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus on December 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Concerning salvation, justification is made right, sanctification is being made right, and glorification is, will be made right. The first is judicial, removing the penalty of sin; the second is progressive, removing the power of sin; and third is completion, removing the presence of sin.
Sanctification is less exciting and joy-inducing than justification and glorification, but I think that may be because we still think on some level that we have to do it. Truth be told, we cannot.
Sanctification is a gift from God like all other parts of salvation. Hear what Paul says about about three parts of sanctification in our lives: “in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:21-24) The three parts of sanctification in these verses are “lay aside”, “be renewed”, and “put on”.
Now you may say, these are things we do, not things God has gifted to us. Hear Paul again: “Consider yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) You don’t make yourself alive to God, you consider that what God has done is true. You are, no doubt, active in the process, but the Spirit within you enables you. How can you “lay aside the old self”? Romans 8:2-17 shows the way by explaining how one walks according to the Spirit. He is the one empowers and enables. This walking in the Spirit is the route to being renewed and putting on the new self. We consider to be true what God has said He has done and we act on it. This is the walk of faith.
Question 39: What is sanctification?
Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which we are renewed in the whole person after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 4:23, 24; Romans 6:11.
Savage Gulf
Posted in General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Waterfall, tagged Cumberland Plateau, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Savage Gulf State Park, Stone Door, Waterfalls on December 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »
On Saturday following Thanksgiving, my hiking partner and I started off from out lodgings at my brother’s house at 6:30 for a 2 1/2-hour drive to Savage Gulf State Park. It is not particularly close to anything which is a bane and benefit. We had expected it to be in the low-20’s, but clouds held in heat overnight for a low-30’s beginning. I had never been there before though I had it on my bucket list for years. The draw was the Stone Door. The name seems mysterious if not odd for a natural feature, so I wanted to see it. I knew that we could also see some waterfalls. There were several more than I had expected and more water flowing over them than is usual for the Cumberland Plateau. My brother later told me that it had been raining quite a bit down their way which explains it. If you want to see some of what we experienced, check out “Water Falling.”
Made a Righteous Child of God
Posted in Adoption, Assurance, Baptist Catechism, Doctrine, Faith, Forgiveness, General, Grace, Justification, Salvation, tagged Adoption, bible, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus on December 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »
”Be a good little boy (or girl),” we are apt to say. The problem is, even the best of children cannot be truly good. The purpose of the Law is to both to teach us what we should be and that we cannot be that. Many do not want to be good, but those effectually called (“Effectual Calling”) will persist in a desire to be good owing to the enabling indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This pushes them to Christ (Galatians 3:24) who is able to make them right. Justify is “1To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid. 2To free (a human) of the guilt and penalty attached to grievous sin.” (1) Since no man or woman can prove him/herself just or right before God, the justification must come from without. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.” (Romans 8:33) What we cannot do, God graciously does.
But how does He justify undeniable sinners? Does He merely overlook the sin and the guilt of the sinner? No, the price was paid in Christ’s death, and a glorious transfer is made. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Without this transfer from Christ to us, God would in fact be unjust. With the transfer, His righteousness is demonstrated “so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26) Trust Jesus Christ who alone can remove the source of your guilt, which is sin, and justify you in the eyes of God.
Justification is so great and gracious, but the goodness of God shines even brighter. What if I pulled someone out of a muddy ditch, cleaned them up, clothed him in clean garments, and then said, “I’ve cleaned you up. Now be on your way and have a good life.” I might even provide him with some food, a little starter money, and a place to live. But where is his sense of belonging, source of counsel, provision of friendship and mentorship? As a part of justifying the sinner, God adopts him into His spiritual family where He is his Eternal Father and other believers are his eternal and temporal, spiritual brothers and sisters. Emotional and spiritual belonging and provision are secured. He is not a cleaned-up orphan but a provisioned, protected, and purpose driven son of his Heavenly Father.
Oh, I give glory to God for justifying this sinner and adopting him into His family. I am blessed beyond understanding even as I seek to understand and pursue the God-given purpose in it all.
Question 37: What is justification?
Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, by which he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
Romans 3:24, 5:19; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:16
Question 38: What is adoption?
Answer: Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, by which we are received into the company of God’s children and have a right to all the privileges of his sons.
1 John 3:1; John 1:12; Romans 8:16-17
- “The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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