November 17, 2024

At Calvary

March 29, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Years I spent in vanity and pride
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary

Mercy there was great, and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary

Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything
Now I gladly own Him as my King
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary

Gaither Music
written by William Newell and composed by Daniel Towner

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In Whom we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7

I have a sweet memory of Easter…I’ve got my pink Easter basket with tulle and lots of colored eggs, and I’m holding my mom’s hand as we head into the sanctuary.  Oh, how I loved Easter and the new white Sunday shoes.  But most of all, even at a young age, I loved the message. My God loved me so much that He allowed my Jesus, His Son, to become a man and walk the earth and ultimately die in my place.  After the message the choir would sing and chills would go all over as we sang about this day.

This song takes me back to those days…listen to the story behind the song:

William Newell wrote this hymn about his own testimony of God’s love and grace in his life that began with Jesus suffering and dying on the Cross to save him.  He was a teacher at the Moody Bible Institute and a Bible conference speaker. One day, while he was on his way to teach his class, he came up with the words to this hymn. He wrote them down quickly on the back of an envelope, just as they appear today. He then met with Daniel Towner, Director of music at the Institute, and showed him the words he had written.  Immediately Towner began working to compose a tune.

An hour later, the two met up and actually sang the hymn together. They were so grateful to God for this.  The hymn was published in 1895 in a collection called “Famous Hymns.”  The words of this hymn are sung all over the world in all denominations.  And, at Easter, the words mean just a little bit more.

“Mercy was great and grace was free,
pardon there was multiplied for me,
there my burdened soul found liberty…at Calvary“

As you listen to this hymn, I pray that you will ponder all that this means for you and maybe write your thoughts down.  He died for you, my friend.  At Calvary, all that you have done or ever will do was nailed to the cross with Jesus.

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Let us pray: Dear God, You are mighty and awesome.  Your love for us is unimaginable and Your grace and mercy are free.  Lord, as we come closer to Easter may we remember that it is not about the pastels and the bunnies but about something far greater—our Salvation.  One dark day Your Son was hung on a cross and died.  You couldn’t look. But on the third day He rose and now He lives and reigns with You. Thank You!  We love You…In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Up From the Grave He Arose

March 28, 2015 by 
psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior 
‘Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord 

 Up from the grave He arose
 With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
 He arose a Victor from the dark domain
 And He lives forever, with His saints to reign 
 He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose

Vainly they watched His bed, Jesus my Savior 
Vainly they sealed the dead, Jesus my Lord 

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior 
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord

 
David Thornton
Written by Robert Lowry
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What a way to celebrate Easter by singing this song with all of your heart!

As the disciples waited in the upper room…barely speaking to one another or even looking at each other.  None of them were blameless. All of them deserted Jesus in the end.  Then one of the women comes running to tell them that Jesus was gone from His grave.  Suddenly, there is hope, there is an excited expectation…though still mingled with  doubt.

Then, running out to the tomb, they see for themselves that it is indeed empty.  How can this be?  Who could have rolled the stone away and taken His body?  Then an angel appears telling them that Jesus has risen and asking them why do you look for him here?

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  …The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ … Then they remembered His words.  …Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

excerpts from Luke 24:5-12 

What a glorious day for the disciples! To know that the past three years were not in vain and that they were going to be spreading God’s word to all the nations.

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Father, thank You for the hope and promise of bringing more people into Your Kingdom.  I pray for hearts and minds to be opened to receive Your wonderful news of everlasting life with You!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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(Only Love) Sólo El Amor

March 26, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

For love I’d do almost anything
I’d cross the widest of oceans
For love, I’d fly with an broken wing
Just to taste it for a moment
For love, I’d turn back the strongest tide
There’s no storm I couldn’t weather
‘Cause it’s more than a gleam in someone’s eye
It’s what holds us all together
But I’ve only known once in my lifetime
Love in its purest form
He came here for me
Suffered and then died under a crown of thorns

Sólo el amor es la salida {Sólo el amor, only love can save me}
Limpia, construye, concibe y procres {Conquering death and the sting of the grave }
Tan solo el amor sana la herida {Kingdoms will fail and tongues will cease}
Que alguna vez nos causara el dolor {But through all eternity love will remain}

Sólo el amor, when all else has failed me
Will take me to places that I’ve never dreamed
Healing my wounds and setting me free
There’s nothing else worth living for
Sólo el amor

Por amor murio crucifecada la esperanza de la humanidad
{For love the Hope of humanity made the lame to walk again}
El amor es al fruta sagrada {For love He settled the raging sea}
La promesa de la libertad { And became the sinner’s friend}

For love He drank of His Father’s cup
With all my shame on His shoulders
And He offered forgiveness through His shed blood
Tell me, is it any wonder
That I’ve only known once in my lifetime
Love in its purest form
He came here for me
Suffered and then died under a crown of thorns

Sólo el amor…only love

Sandi Patty and Miguel Angel Guerra
Songwriters: Donato Póveda / Kelly Minter

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This morning I was sitting at my piano playing, and singing along to the words of this song.  I was struck so deeply by the very first line: “For love I’d do almost anything…”.  Because I WOULD do almost anything due to the love I have for my family and loved ones!  You would, too…I am sure!  Those of us who are mommas (or grammas!), we know the truth of this feeling in our hearts.  Y’know the whole “don’t get between a mother lion and her cub!” thing.  Definitely a deep, strong, passionate love there. But there is a love that goes beyond what you or I have done or could even imagine doing—the love of Jesus our Savior and Redeemer.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly…
But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6 and 8

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…
we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:3-5
(spoken prophetically about our Messiah)

But God—so rich is He in His mercy!
Because of and in order to satisfy
the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,
Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses,
He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ;
[He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for]
it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve)
that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation.)
Ephesians 2:4-5

Christ’s death is not only the demonstration of God’s love (John 3:16), it is also the ultimate expression of Jesus’ own love for all mankind. And my part (yours AND mine) is being convicted of this fact: “Christ loved me and gave Himself for me.”  And not just convicted…my response (OUR response) should be LOVE.   How do we prove our love for our Savior?  Simply by our obedience.

No matter where you look in the Scriptures—whether back in the records of the Old Testament…or in the words of our Lord contained in the Gospels…or in the doctrine given to the 1st century Church—to say ‘I love You, o God’ means you choose to obey.  Here are just three examples:

Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God,
who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousand generations
with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Deuteronomy 7:9

“If you love Me, keep My commands.
Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me.
The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I too will love them and show Myself to them.
…Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching.
My Father will love them,
and We will come to them and make Our home with them.
Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching.
These words you hear are not My own;
they belong to the Father who sent Me.”
John 14:15, 21, 23-24

By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God and observe His commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
and His commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:2 and 3

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I would love to leave you with a couple of resources that communicate so beautifully about the love of Jesus demonstrated through the sacrifice of His life for you and me.

  •  Herein Is Love, a sermon that Charles Spurgeon preached.  Click here.
  •  Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die,  a book written by  Pastor John Piper wrote.  Click here.

I hope that you will take make the time to read and meditate on the words of these two wonderful men, maybe not today but soon…or perhaps read them as part of your quiet time over a few days.  As you listen to this song and read through these teachings, my prayer is…

“…that you, being rooted and firmly established in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,
and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge…”
Ephesians 3:17-19

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The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

March 25, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean,
In its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above

O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore
How He loveth, ever loveth
Changeth never, evermore
How He watches o’er His loved ones
Died to call them all His own
How for them He intercedeth
Watcheth o’er them from the Throne

O the deep, deep love of Jesus
’Tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me
And it lifts me up to glory
For it lifts me up to Thee
And it lifts me up to glory

Selah
Lyrics: Samuel Francis / Music: Thomas Williams 

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Such a stirring, convicting song!  These lyrics remind us of the immensity and the magnitude of Jesus’ love.  As the song goes, “…vast, unmeasured, boundless….”  No love on this earth ever was, nor ever will be, any greater!  His is a deep, deep love!

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down His life for His friends.
John 15:13

Truly, it could only have been His pure love that compelled Him to die for us. Jesus was fully aware of the kind of sacrifice that was required to redeem mankind.  In His last moments of freedom, while praying in the Garden at Gethsemene, He agonized over what He knew was to come.  And yet, He did it. For us…with deep, deep love!

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps
for a good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more,
having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 5:6-10

And so deep is this love of Jesus for us that it requires being born-again—to have Christ living in us—to even be able to comprehend this deep, deep love!

…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ…
Ephesians 3:17-19

But, by God’s grace and through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, we are given some insight into this love.  And to begin to know this love.   To fully comprehend this kind of love I truly believe it will take having the new minds and new bodies which are promised to us when He returns.  Perhaps it is just too much for us to completely understand His deep, deep love at this point.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38 and 39

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you…” (John 15:12).  These were Jesus’ words to His closest friends during the last meal He would share with them.  He knew the time was imminent and that the time was at hand when He would show His deep, deep love.  He gave clear command to them (and to us—we are to do the same).

And so, what does that mean to you (me, too) today?  How will we show this deep, deep love of Jesus to others today?  This wasn’t Jesus’ suggestion or even His plea…it was His command.  And it is how the world will know that we ARE His!

By this all people will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

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He Lives (I Serve A Risen Savior)

March 23, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near

He lives, He lives
Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives, He lives
Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives
He lives within my heart

In all the world around me I see His loving care
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast
The day of His appearing will come at last

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind

Alan Jackson
Words and Music – Alfred Ackley, 1933

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One morning I was feeling a bit sad…life wasn’t going as I had envisioned.  And I was wondering why God wasn’t answering my requests and my desperate pleas.  Then, in the mail, I received a beautiful card with some much-needed reminders.  In it was this Scripture:

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a Mighty Savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

As I walked up the stairs to enjoy my quiet time, I was thinking about that verse, and this song sprang into my mind.  Christ lives!  He lives in me.  He walks with me and talks with me.  He is my Hope and my Help.  No one loves me like He does.  Whenever I need Him, He is always near.  Christ is my Savior and He takes great delight in me.  He actually rejoices over me with singing!  (If that doesn’t lift your mood, honey, you DO have problems!)  In a matter of moments my whole perspective had shifted.

All of this reminded me of another card I had received earlier in the week that contained this Scripture:

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you;
do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen…yes, I will help you;
yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 AMP

Another card I received reminded me that God is with me ALL the time and that ‘God is my Strength and Power, and He makes my way perfect’ (2 Samuel 22:33 NKJV).  God reminded me through these ladies and these cards that I have no reason to be dismayed or discouraged.  I have nothing to fear.  Christ lives and He holds me in His VICTORIOUS right hand.  (I just love that phrase!)  Christ alone is my Strength and my Power.  He loves me and ‘makes my way perfect.’  Who am I to question His plan?

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Lord Jesus, thank You for the much needed reminder that You are alive and live within my heart.  Thank You for walking with me daily, talking with me, and calming my fears.  I am so very blessed that You take great delight in me and rejoice over me with joyful songs.  Thank You for the lesson I learned through all of this and giving me the words to share it with others.  In Your holy name, Amen – So Be It!

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Stars In The Night

March 22, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

No matter where you lead, we want to follow You
Trouble is we forget who we belong to
We chase the wind and tides
We chase the reasons why
Chase the spark inside each other’s eyes
Desires are a war, we want that final shore
Sailing on until we find what we’ve been looking for

Hallelujah, we’re running to You
On fire from the mercy in Your eyes
And through the dark, singing we are Yours
Your love will lead us through the fight
Like stars in the night
Stars in the night
Stars in the night
Lead us through the fight

We fix our eyes on what we know is true
Even in our shame, grace makes a way through
Be our obsession, our constellation
You are light in and out of every season
So we keep pressing on with our redemption song
No one can undo what You’ve done

All our lives for the other side, where we’ll never die
And in the darkest night, we will lift our eyes
The life that lies ahead is more than all we leave behind

Tenth Avenue North
Mike Donehey, songwriter

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What if the only thing we really chased after was God’s own heart?  And what if the things of this world really didn’t matter and we consciously thought of how fleeting they truly are…because they really are.  What if the spiritual gifts were the only gifts that we asked for.  What a beautiful, loving, peaceful world we would live in!  But it seems we are really always looking for and hoping for something else to fill the void. We want what our friend has…or what we used to have…or what we have always dreamed of.  That void can only really be satisfied with God, your Father and your Creator.

And when we really have tried it all and nothing works—not money or alcohol or a woman or a man—we run as fast as we can to the God Whose arms are waiting and Whose love can really heal all wounds and fulfill all our needs.  Even though there may be shame in how far you may have gone, your Savior took your guilt away.  There is enough grace,  too, for every sin you ever have or will commit.  There’s redemption, too, in His name.

Are you down today?  Dear soul, I ask you to lift up your face and look up. There is hope and healing today.  And though it has been dark, His light shines bright.  No, we cannot go back and change the past…but we can cling to the One that holds our future and it is full of Jesus!  And, remember, this is but a blink.  Earth is so temporary as we are created for so much more than this…Heaven waits for us.

But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love Him…”
1 Corinthians 2:9

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their Light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:1-5

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Pray with me today…

Dear Lord, You are so amazing and awesome.  Your Name is above all other names and You are worthy of all praise and honor and glory. Lord, may we realize that all this chasing and looking for things that we think will make us happy or fill our cup is only a temporary fix.  We will never be fully satisfied until we empty everything and fill the void with only You.  And though You have made this world full of beauty and wonder, it is not our permanent home…Heaven is ours and we will live with You!  What a day of rejoicing that will be!  But until then, keep our eyes on You and our hearts so full of You that love just spills over.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Set Apart

March 21, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Back to our first love, nothing between us
Back to Your heart, to the start of it all
Where we found You

Out of the ashes, into the fire
You are refining our hearts in the flames
Of Your presence

Set apart for our God above
Set apart for the One we love
Set apart for Your glory we are Yours, Yours
Set apart for Your glory we are Yours, Yours
Set apart for Your glory we are Yours, Yours

Sacred and holy, Your name is worthy
Jesus, awaken our hearts now to be
Your revival

Everything for You alone
Everything to make You known
Set apart for Your glory we are Yours, Yours

And oh, how great You are
Set apart for Your glory we are Yours, Yours
We are Yours

Worship Central
songwriters: Ben Cantelon, Luke Hellebronth, Nick Herbert, Tim Hughes

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We have been set apart as holy because Jesus Christ did
what God wanted Him to do by sacrificing His body once and for all…this chief Priest (Jesus) made one sacrifice for sins,
and this sacrifice lasts forever.
Hebrews 10:10-12 (GW)

What does it mean to be set apart? I looked at dictionary.com and found these definitions:

  • “Set” is to place in some relation to something or someone
  • To be “set apart” is defined: to reserve for a particular purpose, or to cause to be noticed

As Christians, we are set into relationship with Jesus Christ through His sacrifice. He has called us to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:15-16).

For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 ESV

That is, to be dedicated to God and not to the things of this world.  If we are “set apart for the One we love,” we are reserved for a particular purpose.  That purpose is to worship and serve Him.

And so, dear brothers and sisters,
I plead with you to give your bodies to God
because of all He has done for you.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable.
This is truly the way to worship Him.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2

When we are set apart for God, we will be noticed because our lifestyle looks different.  We think differently, talk differently, and act differently than those around us who don’t have that relationship.  We make God our first love, focusing on our relationship with Him, allowing Him to refine us, and in our lives making Him known to others.

As I listen to this song, I’m singing and praying these words.  As we are coming into the Easter season, I think many of us are searching our own hearts.  God is holy.  We, as His children, are set apart for His glory.  But we are human, and we fail in our own efforts to be worthy of that place in His family.  Sometimes in the crazy busyness of this life we forget our first love (much as the church of Ephesus did, read Revelation 2:1-7.)  The exciting thing about being one of God’s children, is that when we repent, and come back to our first love, God is waiting “to be found” so He can refine our hearts.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for Himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to Him.
Psalm 4:3

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set His love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations…

Deuteronomy 7:6-9

These verses thrill me because we are a part of “…to a thousand generations.”  God loves us so much that through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, He set us apart to be His holy people.  What amazing grace!  Now it is our turn to lay down everything for Him alone.  It’s time to allow His Holy Spirit to refine our hearts, and to be set apart for God’s glory.  It’s time to come back to our first love, and give everything to Him, for He is worthy.

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Dear God, thank You for Your great love and sacrifice for us, Your children.  As we worship with this song and Your Word, we rededicate our lives to be holy, set apart for You.  Through Your Holy Spirit, please help us to set aside the things of this world, and allow You to refine us so that we may be witnesses for the sake of Your glory.  In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.

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The Compassion Hymn

March 19, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is an everlasting kindness
You lavished on us
When the Radiance of heaven Came to rescue the lost;
You called the sheep without a shepherd
To leave their distress
For your streams of forgiveness
And the shade of Your rest.

And with compassion for the hurting,
You reached out Your hand
As the lame ran to meet You
And the dead breathed again
You saw behind the eyes of sorrow
And shared in our tears
Heard the sigh of the weary
Let the children draw near

What boundless love, what fathomless grace
You have shown us, O God of compassion
Each day we live an offering of praise
As we show to the world Your compassion

We stood beneath the cross of Calvary
And gazed on Your face
At the thorns of oppression
And the wounds of disgrace
For surely You have borne our suffering
And carried our grief
As You pardoned the scoffer
And showed grace to the thief

How beautiful the feet that carry
This gospel of peace
To the fields of injustice
And the valleys of need
To be a voice of hope and healing
To answer the cries
Of the hungry and helpless
With the mercy of Christ.

Keith and Kristyn Getty
written along with Stuart Townend

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The meaning of compassion is to recognize the suffering of others,
then take action to help.
-from the mission statement of Compassion International

“If you would sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves,
it might be gathered into this one sentence:
He was moved with compassion.”
– Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Strong’s Concordance defines compassion in this way:

  • to have compassion
  • to have the bowels yearn, i.e., (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity
  • have (be moved with) compassion

How about you…when you hear the word, compassion, what does it make you think of?  Surely amongst the first things that spring to mind would be how very compassionate is our loving Heavenly Father.  The Scriptures tell us in many places about His compassion toward mankind.  In fact, as part of a word study in the Bible on this attribute of God’s nature—compassion—I found (literally) over 125 individual Scriptures that talk about God’s compassion…His being compassionate and His having compassion.

Compassion is a defining characteristic of Who Almighty God is!  For example, in this record (Nehemiah 9), God’s compassion is spoken of seven separate times.

But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:17

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.
Psalm 116:5

The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.
Psalm 145:9

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.
Isaiah 30:18

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:
It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed
because His [tender] compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self);
therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.
The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him,
to those who seek Him. It is good that one should hope in and wait
quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:21-26

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And, to be assured, there is record after record after record in the Gospel accounts of Jesus and the loving compassion He had for those around Him.

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him,
and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Mark 1:41

When he went ashore He saw a great crowd,
and He had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
And He began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
Luke 7:13

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We, too, are to live the same.  As the words of this beautiful hymn express, “Each day we live an offering of praise as we show to the world Your compassion.”

Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….
Colossians 3:12

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic,
love one another, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 3:8

But if anyone has this world’s goods
and sees his brother and fellow believer in need,
yet closes his heart of compassion against him,
how can the love of God live and remain in him?
1 John 3:17

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May we each today reach out to those around us…our loved ones, strangers, the untouchable, the harsh and critical, those who persecute us, those who do not understand us, the hurting, and the hurters…with this compassion that is ours to freely give by God’s grace.  May we be Christ’s love to them…and show them the love, grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness given at the Cross.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

I Choose Jesus

March 18, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I have searched to find the meaning of this life
Something that would fill my empty soul
Some believe a lie, choose darkness over light
But I will stand and let the whole world know

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me

I stand unashamed trusting in one Name
‘Cause I have seen the Cross and I believe
This choice comes at cost, all other things are lost
No other love could mean so much to me

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

He chose to love me when I felt unlovable
He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable
He carried me out of my fear and doubt
How I want the world to know—I choose Jesus

Moriah Peters
along with songwriters: Tony Wood, Chuck Butler, Ed Cash

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Have you searched to find meaning and SOMEthing that would fill the emptiness of your soul?  I have….  Oh, how I have yearned to KNOW I was l-o-v-e-d!  Probably for most of the first quarter century of my  life, I attempted to fill that void. But nothing…not accomplishments, not approval, not food, not inappropriate relationships…nothing was able to fill that hole in my heart.  And, assuredly, there is nothing which COULD fill that hole in my heart…only Jesus.  Perhaps you have heard this quote,

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person,
and it can never be filled by any created thing.
It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

(Blaise Pascal)

I think that describes it so well—a ‘God-shaped vacuum in the heart.’  I believe God created man (and woman) with that need.  And I know He perfectly provided for the filling of that vacuum when He made Adam and Eve and gave them the opportunity to have perfect fellowship with Him every moment of every day.  And I trust He would have always supplied their need…but they were deceived.   They chose to think that something else—being equal and alike to God Almighty—was the true answer to their needs.

But the serpent said to the woman,
You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:4-6

And, because they chose the deception of the enemy of their souls and disobeyed the One Who truly DID love them, they lost that fellowship and perfect connection and the fulfillment that a relationship with their God gave them.

And mankind has suffered under the sin of Adam since.  But God would not allow His plan, His desire to fail.  And He provided so that all of humanity could have that ‘God-shaped vacuum’ filled in the way He has originally planned.

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

Jesus IS the perfect and complete filling of that vacuum!  We do not need to search or attempt to fill the void inside…we need to accept God’s perfect provision making Jesus our Lord and Master and live our lives in obedience to Him.

In this beautiful song, Moriah Peters sings, “He chose to love me when I felt unlovable…He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable…He carried me out of my fear and doubt.”  No longer do I (nor you either!) have to search for something to fulfill the emptiness, the void.  We need to choose Jesus!  He has chosen me (you, too)!

Would you sing and praise along with me…

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

He’s Alive!

March 17, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The gates and doors were barred
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin’ through
To drag us all away

And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers’ fee

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told us where she’d been
She said they might have moved Him in the night
And none of us knows where
The stone’s been rolled away
And now His body isn’t there

We both ran toward the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they’d taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn’t lift me very high
‘Cause I’d seen them crucify Him
Then I saw Him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I’d promised Him
Just added to my shame
When At last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn’t be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove the shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With His arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I’d ever had
Just melted into peace

He’s alive, He’s alive
He’s alive and I’m forgiven
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He’s alive, He’s alive

Written and sung by Don Francisco

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I cannot think of a better song to represent suffering for your actions and attitudes.  The guilt and shame we carry for an act for which our head knew we should not do, but our fear and emotions reacted first.

Peter is such an excellent example of this and how much Jesus loves us. We may not walk physically with Jesus as Peter did, but He is right there, waiting on us to call upon Him as we would a trusted friend.  Jesus, of all people, knew what Peter was going to do but He also knew what Peter was capable of once he was forgiven and released from his sin.  Sisters, that is what God wants for us! He wants us to be released from our guilt and shame…to turn away from our sin…to rely on God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Another great example of Jesus’ forgiveness and love is the woman who was caught in adultery (Luke chapter 7) and brought before Jesus to be condemned.  I cannot imagine how she felt, appearing before all of the people, with her sin being proclaimed in the open, in front of the temple. As the men were trying to trick Jesus, He cleverly reminded them to not be so hasty in their attempt to throw stones.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—
as her great love has shown.
But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.
Luke 7:47 NIV

God loves His people, Jews and Gentiles alike. He does not want to condemn us…our sins, yes…but not us.  Jesus commanded husbands to love their wives as He loves.  Unconditionally, without reservation, without restraint.

Today, seek out areas where you can love more and better and  unconditionally.  Today, ask for the Holy Spirit to show you where you are forgiven and let the ‘strange,  sweet perfume’ surround your senses (as this song describes Peter’s experience). Wow!

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Father, we love You! Thank You for the reminder from Don Francisco of Your unconditional love. I want a most intimate relationship with You.  Help me shrug off all of the years of guilt and shame.  Help me surrender them all to You so You can build a brand-new me that honors and glorifies You in everything I do.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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