December 23, 2024

Mighty Warrior

June 18, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You call us out from the depths
Into Your freedom
Our chains are gone
No weapon formed shall prevail
Your Word is stronger
We overcome

Your glory resounds through the age
All saints declaring
Your great renown
Your Kingdom forever will stand
We won’t be shaken
We will not fear

Our God a mighty warrior
You’re a consuming fire
In victory You reign
We triumph in Your name
Jesus the great commander
You conquered death forever
In victory You reign
We triumph in Your name

And we declare Your name is power
Exalted One, no name is higher
You stand alone our Strong Defender
Above You there’s no other, above You there’s no other

Jesus the great Commander
You conquered death forever
In victory You reign
We triumph in Your name

Songwriters: Chris Brown, Jane Williams, Matthews Ntlele
Performed by Elevation Worship

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Is there anything that can destroy us if we are His children? As you listen to this song, I hope you are reminded that nothing is impossible for Him and there isn’t anything that is more powerful than our God.
There is freedom in His Name and chains are broken and we are victorious over anything that attempts to destroy us. Because He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place and to redeem us and restore us, we will forever live with Him in His home, Heaven.
We won’t be shaken, we will not fear, for nothing can ever separate us from Him. No weapon can be formed against us. Forever we will be free. Our God is to be exalted in the Heavens and the earth, now and forever more. He is to be praised and worshipped and loved by His children. We are to spread His hope to this dying world. He alone is our Joy and our Hope. He is our Rock and He never changes.
Oh friend, I pray today that you know Him. I pray today that you can rest in Him. Get into His Word and hear all He has for you—all His promises and blessings that are yours. And if you don’t know Him, reach out today. Your life will never be the same!

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Let us pray: Dearest Lord, we praise You and we love You. We thank You for being our Rock. You are our Provider. You give us joy and peace and make our lives here on earth so much more fulfilled. All around us are Your wonders and Your artwork. Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us and restore us. Thank You for breaking chains and giving us freedom in Your Name. Your Word is our shield and our hope. We can do anything with You as our God. Thank You for songs like this, that remind us of Your character. You give each one of us a way to glorify You. Help us to use it for Your glory. Give us courage to spread the hope of You to this world, for it’s in Your son’s name we pray, amen.

 

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In The Name Of The Lord

April 12, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Crowds have lined the narrow street
To see this Man from Galilee
Just a carpenter some say leading fools astray
Yet many kneel to give Him praise

And in His eyes they glimpse the power
That sees the heart of all men
And He knows His Father’s mind
And He speaks His Father’s words
For He comes in the Name of the Lord

There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord
Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord
In The Name Of The Lord

And when my plans have fallen through
And when my strength is nearly gone
When there’s nothing left to do but just depend on You
And the power of Your Name

And when we call upon Your Name
Your Strength through weakness to show
We can know the Master’s plan, extend the Master’s Hand
When we come in the Name Of The Lord

His Name will be worshipped forever
Creator, Redeemer, and King

Lyrics written by Gloria Gaither and Phill McHugh
Music written by Sandi Patty
Performed by Sandi Patty

*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

It was the Passover, and the Jewish people were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate.  Then Jesus entered the city riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of their coming king (Zechariah 9:9).  No wonder they shouted “Hosanna!”  We find this important event recorded in all four of the Gospels: Matthew 21:4-9, Mark 11:7-10, Luke 19:35-38, and John 12:12-15.

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
John 12:12-13

We, the Church, celebrate this event as Palm Sunday.  During this Easter season we are reminded over and over that Christ came, died, and was resurrected for our salvation and eternal life.

Most of us reading this today have chosen to welcome Christ’s coming into our hearts and lives.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

Rejoice greatly…Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He…
Zechariah 9:9

If you haven’t welcomed Jesus Christ into your life yet, if your “plans have fallen through, and your strength is nearly gone,” today is the day to reach out and take “the Master’s Hand” and allow Christ to fulfill His “Master’s Plan” in your life. Then you, too, will sing, “There is hope in the Name of the Lord.  Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God,
and He has made His light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my God; I will extol You. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever!
Psalms 118:26-29

AMEN!

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Beauty Will Rise

April 11, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

It was the day the world went wrong
I screamed ’til my voice was gone
And watched through the tears as everything
Came crashing down
Slowly panic turns to pain
As we awake to what remains
And sift through the ashes that are left behind

But buried deep beneath
All our broken dreams
We have this hope:

Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning
in the morning, beauty will rise

So take another breath for now,
And let the tears come washing down
And if you can’t believe I will believe for you

Cause I have seen
the signs of spring!
Just watch and see:

Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning
In the morning

I can hear it in the distance
And it’s not too far away
It’s the music and the laughter
Of a wedding and a feast
I can almost feel the hand of God
Reaching for my face
To wipe the tears away, and say
“It’s time to make everything new”

“Make it all new”

This is our hope
This is the promise
This is our hope
This is the promise
That it would take our breath away
To see the beauty that’s been made
Out of the ashes
Out of the ashes
That it would take our breath away
To see the beauty that He’s made
Out of the ashes…
Out of the ashes…

Out of these ashes… beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of this darkness…new life will shine
And we’ll know the joy is coming in the morning
In the morning…beauty will rise

Oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise

~  Steven Curtis Chapman, songwriter and singer  ~

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Steven Curtis Chapman is no stranger to tragedy.  Of all people, he knows ashes and he knows the beauty that God can make out of the ashes of tragedy and loss and suffering.  On May 21, 2008, Steven’s youngest daughter, Maria, was killed in their front yard, by a vehicle driven by their son. She was the youngest of the three girls the Chapmans had adopted from China; she was a vital part of the family, loved and adored by all.

In the days and week to come, Steven thought about leaving the music industry altogether.  Then God came to him, and inspired him to make music out of his pain.  That just maybe his mess that became his ministry would help others see that there is hope and healing in His name. And it became his mission to SEE God in the details of this.

Since Maria was from China, they traveled there and opened a home for special needs orphans called “Maria’s Big House of Hope” where children can live and be ministered to and loved.  Because of the tragedy of losing her, tens of thousands of children will be saved from life-threatening illnesses and have a place to call home, with loving nannies and nurses and doctors to care for them. Beauty from ashes, right?  And, while they were there, the whole family went to visit the site of that terrible earthquake of 2008, where over 70,000 people lost their lives. and left 5,000,000 homeless.  The Chapman family knew loss and they were able to relate to these people who had lost their sons and daughters, their mothers and fathers.  And the only comfort that they knew to share was God’s comfort through Scripture.  So they shared with the people of  China God’s unconditional love—that even in earthquakes, He never left them.

Through the ashes, like those left behind in the earthquake, beauty will rise.  New buildings are built; new homes, beautiful new streets and sidewalks.  And also new life with God.  After every tragedy, our relationship with God gets stronger because He is our Comforter and He never leaves us.  He can make beautiful out of ugly.  I know this and believe this…He is able!

Isn’t this like the Cross?  It was painful, hurtful, unfair and i’m sure the crown of thorns hurt and the day was dark.  But then Hope was raised from the dead, and new life…eternal life was birthed! And now we will live in eternity with Him forever!  Because Jesus died, we will live.  Because of the darkness, we see light and God will alway make something beautiful out of our ashes.

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Let us pray: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You so much for taking our tragedies and turning them into triumphs!  Out of the ugly messes we get ourselves in, Lord, You can use them to reach others for the Kingdom.  Sometimes our messes become our ministries ;and we are better equipped to help our fellow-travelers who may also be struggling. Beauty from Ashes…only You have the ability and only You know what we need.  In loss, You never leave us, and as we put one foot in front of the other, You fill us with Your strength and courage.  Thank You for not leaving us the way we are. And thank You for the ultimate beautiful Redeemer and Savior You sent to die in our place so that we can live a full life and live forever with You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

When You Took My Place

April 2, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Lost like a little child, helpless as a baby
Searchin’ desperately to find Someone who could save me

Then along came from out of nowhere
Precious as the light of day
You gave me something no one could take away
When You took my place

Chained like a prisoner from the day I was born
Blamed like a criminal for the things that I’d done

Then along came from out of nowhere
Precious as the light of day
You gave me something no one could take away
When You took my place

 ~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

*  ~  *  ~    ♥ ~  ✞  ~ ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

Have you ever been lost?  If so, then you can appreciate the amazing, indescribable feeling of relief of being found or finding your own way out.  Isn’t it true though, that you can’t truly appreciate the victory until you’ve tasted defeat?   And until you’ve been in the dark, you cannot appreciate the light of a flashlight?  My point is, until life really happens to you, and until you’ve really struggled and been in the valley, you cannot really appreciate climbing out of it and being on the mountain top.

Think back to your darkest hour… Did you feel His arms around you?  Did you know that He is strongest in your weakness?  And at some point, did you think that there is no way you can make it one more day not one more minute?  Then out of the Heavens, He shows up.  He shines His light into our darkness.  He meets us exactly where we are and saves us.  We don’t have to get good enough. We can never be good enough.  You know, we are all sinners and we all come short of His glory.  But because of a loving God Who sent His Son to literally take our place, we have a life that is abundant, a life full of blessings.  All we have to do is ask.  All we have to do is accept His redeeming love and His unending forgiveness.  And we are not to live in the shame of our past.  We have to live that forgiveness.  We have to hold on to His grace.  We have to live out His love for us and love others the way He calls us to.  All because He took our place.

Where are you today?  Are you in the woods somewhere lost and in need of a road map?  Or are you in a valley and need a rope to get up to the mountain?   He is a word away. He says “Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  God delivers with a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 5:15).  And then when you are on the other side of the road from your circumstances and God has rescued you and given you the victory, then tell the world that “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God (Psalm 40:3).

If you’re still in the middle of a hard place, then place your hope in Him. He will not leave you in one place too long.

He loves you.

He took your place so that you could live forever with Him in eternity.

And take heart…He overcame the world!

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CHRISTLife — FORTY: Embracing A Glorious Future

March 7, 2014 by

CLday40gloriousfuture

What an opportunity, privilege, and awakening we have experienced in the last 39 days of this study.  We have been made aware again, or perhaps for the first time, that God created us because He loves us.  He created us on purpose to have a relationship and fellowship with Him.  We didn’t come crawling out of some swampland.  We came out of His heart.

We discovered that the ideal mirror to look into is not our bathroom mirror but the mirror of God’s Word, which is His Truth and His Love.  It is the “reliable, unchangeable grounds for accepting ourselves.” (Ruth Myers)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

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Yes, we each came into this study with images of ourselves influenced by our past; many of those were negative experiences, failures, and hurts.  But God chose this time, this study, and each of us to destroy those images and replace them with His image of us from His Word, transforming our minds to line up with His mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern  of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

~~ * ~~

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

~~ * ~~

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

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Through this study we have begun to recognize and accept God’s description of us, His followers.  We “have chosen the way of Truth” (Psalm 119:30, NKJV).  I flipped back through the book, CHRISTLife, and was blessed to read again what God calls us:

created, child of God, daughter, called, chosen, loved, saved, sanctified, desired, beloved’s, bride, quilt-free, blessed, clean, redeemed, forgiven, righteous, purified, justified, alive, alert, new, holy, victorious, obedient, Christ-like, delivered, united, fruitful, transformed, temple, priest(ess), filled, complete, receiver, empowered, strong, enlightened, belong, accepted, approved, friend, citizen, servant, worshiper, worthy, delighted in, favored, honored, royal, nurtured, satisfied, secure, treasured, competent, beautiful, bold, confident, overcomer, anointed, purposeful, witness…and more!

Wow!  After reading those I’m breaking out into a little song and dance—what about you!?  Those affirmations fill me with hope, and confidence for now and for my future. As Ruth Myers said, “In God’s unlimited view, He sees our increasing glory as His Spirit transforms us into finished works of art.”

…Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

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Ladies, these “works of art” (us!) weren’t created to hang on some museum wall and gather dust.  We weren’t even created to walk this dusty earth forever.  Oh no, God has created us for purpose: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Our hope will be complete when we meet Jesus face to face (Isaiah 33:17).   Our future will be for all eternity, worshiping and serving in the presence of our King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 1:5-6).

Time after time in the Scriptures, God shares His desire and plan for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  Here are just a few passages for you to look up as you study today:

John 3:14-17, 17:2-3
Psalm 16:11
Romans 6:22-23
1 Timothy 6:12
Titus 1:2, 3:4-7
1 John 1:2, 2:25
Jude 1:21
Revelation 3:5

Ecclesiastes 3:11 even tells us that He has set eternity in the hearts of men, even though we can’t fathom everything He has done for us.  God loves us, God has chosen us, God planned from before time began for us to spend eternity with Him.  That desire is in His heart, and He placed it in our hearts—and Jesus went to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-4).

If you have given your heart to Jesus, then you have everything you need to spend a glorious future in the very presence of our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It’s time to embrace your true and deepest identity, for “God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).   “I AM Who God Says I Am!”

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

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Dear Lord, we have completed the study of this book, but I pray that we never stop studying from Your Book what You have to say to us and about us.  Thank You for loving us and choosing us to be Your children so that we can spend both here and in Heaven a glorious future with You.  I pray that You, the God of peace, will sanctify each lady in this study through and through.  May their whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The One who “…calls each of us is faithful, and He will do it”(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

December 8, 2013 by

gchcarolsbloggraphic

The first candle in the Advent wreath is the Candle of Hope.  This past Sunday my pastor referred to it, interestingly, as the Candle of Waiting.  How are “Hope” and “Waiting” related?  I think the link between the two is in one definition of the word faith—we have a need, and we turn to God to fill it.  In other words, we put our hope in His power and compassion, and we wait for His perfect timing.  David writes on this often in the Psalms:

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 130:5-6
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

This is one of the reasons I love the hymn “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”.  It perfectly describes not a tiny baby in a manger, but instead the Savior’s mission, His whole reason for being:  to deliver us from our sins, and from captivity (of all kinds).  All we have to do is wait for Him.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a Child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ~ Prichard/Wesley; sung by Ashley Spurling

The hymn shows our relationship to God:  we are weak, and He is strong.  We are tired and can’t go it alone, so Jesus was born to deliver us, give us rest, and console us.  We are captive to sins and fears, so God sent His son free us.

I love the Christmas carols that show the innocence and fragility of a newborn baby, and how amazing it is that God poured Himself into such a fragile vessel.  This song is not one of those!  This is a song about a Hero, a Man with a Plan.  This carol shows Jesus’s purpose in His life’s ministry, and how He fulfills the promises God has made to His people.

I like the dual message in this hymn, as well.  “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” is a Christmas carol, describing the birth of the Messiah — but it also is a plea for the second Coming!  We light the Candle of Hope—the Candle of Waiting—and we have faith that the Lord will keep His promises today, just as He kept them to Israel when he sent The Savior.  We have faith in the blood of the Lamb who washes our sins away, and we wait for Him to come again!  Hallelujah!

* * * * *

Please pray with me:  Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son.  Thank You for sending a Hero to save us from ourselves.  Strengthen our faith as we wait, and help us to continually seek You and praise You and be Your hand in this world.  Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, come!  In His Holy name, Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Hope In Christmas

December 4, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

Each week during the season of Advent  our blogs will focus on a central theme associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is HOPE.
Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent. Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with joy His second Coming.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Over 2,000 years ago, Jews were hoping for the arrival of their Savior—the Messiah—Jesus Christ. Today, we have the same hope of Jesus’ return after His Resurrection. We, as Christians, are very expectant of His return. When Christ does return, we will have eternal life if we have accepted Him into our hearts. Today, instead of anticipating the birth of Christ, we are now anticipating His return.

During Christmas, hope is more abundant than at any other time of the year. Kids hope for the perfect gift from Santa. Adults hope for a better New Year or for a way to provide a nice Christmas for their families. Sick people hope for a cure for their ailments. Hope springs eternal. Everyone is hoping for something.

However, during the holidays, we should be hoping—not for a birth, but for a return—Christ’s return. Yes, we celebrate His birth during this season, and we celebrate the Resurrection during the Easter season. However, instead of being reminded about Jesus’ birth, we should be reminded that His birth signaled the hope for a reconciliation with God. His birth brought us the hope for an eternal life spent with God because God already knew that Jesus would die on the Cross for our sins. We should hope for the gift of salvation, not only for ourselves, but for those who have not yet received that gift to receive it. As Christians we need to be spreading the hope of Christ’s return.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

John 3:16 gives hope to us that we will have eternal life in Heaven at the end of time if we believe in Jesus Christ. We have to have hope and faith that Jesus will return soon. This verse itself gives us hope that as believers we will spend eternity with God. This is the greatest gift that has ever and will ever be given.  We only have to accept the gift.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to us so that we may be reconciled with You. We cannot do it ourselves. We are not perfect nor will ever be. Your Son is perfect, and He brings hope to all those that believe in Him.  We pray in His Name.  Amen.

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Hope Came That Holy Night

December 3, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo
The Israelites watched and waited hundreds of years for The One Who would come as a Deliverer from their bondage. The Psalmist expressed this desire for help when he said, “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” (Psalm 14:7). They didn’t know when or how. They didn’t understand the exact Who or the complete why, but they continued to wait and hope.
Oh, the Hope that rang out across the world when baby Jesus’ first cry pierced through that silent, holy night in Bethlehem when He was born! I can’t help but think of Mary and Joseph on the first night they looked into the eyes of baby Jesus. They weren’t sure of all that the future would look like, but they had the words of angels to remember and hold on to. Through the words of angels that were spoken before Jesus was born, they knew they were picked by God for a divine purpose, and they both fully accepted their places in God’s Plan.
As Mary held that precious baby in her arms, did she fully realize the unending Hope He offered? When Gabriel had appeared to tell Mary about the birth of Jesus, he said, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name ‘Jesus.’ He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32-33).  The angel had proclaimed a promise of Hope in Jesus!  And there on that holy night, Mary saw that Hope had come when this Child was born!
As Joseph looked down on this little baby boy looking back at him, I wonder if Joseph thought about what the angel of the Lord had said to him in a dream, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name of Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel-which means, ‘God with us’ ” (Matthew 1:20-23). The angel had proclaimed a promise of Hope in Jesus! And there on that holy night, Joseph saw that Hope had come when this Child was born!
As they both looked down on baby Jesus, I wonder if Mary and Joseph remembered the words from the Old Testament that prophetically spoke of the Hope that would come to the world: “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6 and 7). Through Jesus, on that holy night, Hope had come as the Savior of the world!!!
Worship Jesus with me, would you please, as we listen to my favorite Christmas song, “O Holy Night,” sung by Mr. David Phelps.

 


Dear Lord,
We love You, and we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, on that divine holy night! He is our Hope to break us free from our bondage in sin and reign over us forevermore as King! Let us remember that Jesus coming as the Hope of the world is the reason for this blessed season, Christmas, and let us be thankful for His life, death, and resurrection on this earth. We give You all praise and glory!
In Jesus’ precious Name I pray,
Amen.

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Unswerving Hope

December 2, 2013 by

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Each week during the season of Advent  our blogs will focus on a central theme associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is HOPE.
Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent. Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with joy His second Coming.

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Hebrew 10:23 NIV

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful.

Who is this Who is faithful that we should put all our hope on?  And what is hope?!?

Hebrew 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things (HOPED) for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hope comes when you are at zero (0) and you want to be at one (1).  How to get to one…you just don’t know how.  It is all dependent on an external force, an external factor to propel you to get to one (1).

In this world we hope for so many things and many of these depend on others.  As we have seen the scripture on Hebrew 11:1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, things that we would want to have!  Things we desire to own, but, as much as we desire things of this world and hope (believing) of owning them one day…let us also hope for an eternal life that is given by accepting Christ Jesus which is better and of much greater value.

When we hope for the better, rest assured that the Faithful One will make it a point we have it. God is the One who is Faithful.  He fulfils all His promises to us and therefore we “… hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised….)”

Psalm 119:74

They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

Testimonies follow when we hope in the Lord, and others will see His providing for us.

Psalm 130:5

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Let us acknowledge God as our own Father and approach him as a father;  you will never regret the way your hopes are being answered.  God is our hope. He is our everything and in all things we praise Him.

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Father, we put our trust in You, and give our all to the glory of your Holy name.  AMEN!!!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapters 14 and 15 – Love Always Hopes, Love Always Perseveres

November 21, 2013 by

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Love always hopes

What does it mean that love always hopes?  In 1 Corinthians 13:7, we find four things that love “always” does. Love is not just an idea…it is an action.  The third action in this verse is that love always hopes.  Love is always hopeful.  In the Greek language, “hope” is from elpidzo, meaning ‘to hope or wait for salvation with joy and full confidence.”  This word, hope, is used 32 times in the New Testament alone.  Hope expresses more than a wish or a desire, but a confident belief in the unseen.  Hebrews 11:1 says,”Faith is being sure of the things we hope for and being certain of what we cannot see.”  Faith, hope and love are often connected in the Bible.  In Colosians 1:4-5, they are combined again: “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven.”

Just as God is called “Love,” Jesus is called our “Hope.”  He is the Hope within us. And the hope that will be seen by others around us.  If we are living in such a way—with such a hopeful attitude—then we will reflect the way of Jesus and bring glory to His Father.

Part of showing love is hoping, and part of hoping is seeing the good in others. If we treat others as they should be treated, then we have a part in helping them become who they should be.  As moms, we are always encouraging our children and showing them that there is hope in such a hard world.  If you have ever been in a job loss situation, what got you through?   Was it hope in Jesus, believing that at some point He would rain blessings down on you if you could just hold on long enough.  Hope holds on long enough.  Have you ever had a horrible medical diagnosis, maybe one that was a sure death sentence? What if you went ahead, planned your funeral, told your kids goodbye and moved away? That, to me, is life without hope.  Hope believes that Jesus has a miracle that is waiting just for them.

What about when you accepted Jesus as your Savior?  You had hope that His death would save you from all your sins and that you would live eternally with Him in Heaven. Without hope, where would we be? I’ve known many alcoholics and addicts.  They cling to the hope that one day they will be clean and stay sober.  Hope helps us bear the unbearable, my friends.  To a Christian, hope is the knowledge that we are being changed for the better as we trust in God’s promises.

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who hoped in God’s promises.  The patriarch Abraham is a model of hope for believers.  When he was 75 years old, God promised to bless him with many descendants, as many as there were stars. Abraham believed what he heard. Yet he had to wait another 25 years to see his hope fulfilled. Never once did he doubt God Almighty.  His hope wasn’t in his own ability to have a child at this old age, but he trusted an unchangeable God—the same God we worship today. Hebrews 6:19 describes this hope as “…an anchor for the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.”

You may be thinking to yourself, “How did Abraham stay hopeful for that long?” And perhaps, “How can you stay hopeful for what you need?”  The Bible says that Abraham was a friend of God.  He was also His servant. He stayed obedient and God gave him what he needed. You can do it too.  How you ask?

1. Submit yourself to God.  He is the source of your hope.  He alone.

2. Strengthen your faith. Let the previous blessings that He has given you remind you of the Blesser.

3. Trust His timing. Sometimes He answers our prayers and gives us what we hope for quickly and other times He allows us to wait. Through faith and patience, Abraham’s hope was fulfilled.

4. Thank God today.  Though it is hard to rejoice as we wait for hopes to be fulfilled, rejoicing opens the heavens for blessings to rain down. (Romans 5:1-5)

Have you lost hope? You can have it again, you know. Right now, turn to Him Who is able to do so much more than we could or would ever ask and ever hope for, and rest in Him. He knows and He never goes back on His word.

Love always perseveres

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Persevere defined, means to bear up under pressure.  It’s a military term meaning that an army must hold a vital position at ALL costs. In fact, love must mean perseverance or you shouldn’t say it unless you are willing to give all, to develop, to protect and keep that love.

When we say “I love you,” it not only means forever but it means also that we will fight anything that would get in the way of that love lasting!  Anything else is not love.  At the end of the passage above, we see love stand against overwhelming opposition as it bears all things, believes all things and hopes all things. Perseverance is the unending climax of love.  It is always on high alert and never stops fighting for the relationship.

Oh yes, the father of lies has his say and we may have some obstacles thrown at us; well… let’s say we will have some lies thrown at us.  And lies will be whispered to us like, “Love shouldn’t be this hard!” or “Love should be effortless!” or “Love is tolerance.”  Friends, this is a recipe for disaster and very un-loving relationships.  Love doesn’t just let people do what they want to do, and love doesn’t just care about happiness of the other person. Love has to make some hard choices sometimes and has to say hard things.  Our society leans more towards “God just wants me to be happy.” and gives up at the first sign of trouble. I want to give you some examples from Scripture of real, persevering love. We will start with Hosea.

  • The book of Hosea was written by the prophet and it tells a larger story of the Israelites unfaithfulness to God. It begins with Hosea marrying a prostitute and she becomes unfaithful to him, of course, and leaves him. He goes from house to house to find her and buys her back for 15 shekels of silver and some barley, a large amount. His love for his wife was a persevering love, never giving up.
  • Next is Stephen. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen is attempting to reason with the Jews and persuading them to trust in Jesus as their Savior. We all know how this ends— with them dragging him out of the city and stoning him to death.  As he is breathing his last breath, he cries out to the Lord, saying,”Lord, do not hold their sins against them.”  Even in dying, Stephen showed persevering love by reaching out to those who were killing him. He was more concerned with their salvation and knowing Jesus as their Savior than he was for his own life.
  • Then there is Jesus.  Jesus went to the Cross because He loves you with a persevering love like no other.  He took the sins of all mankind on Himself, so that we would be forgiven through our faith in Him.  And God your Father loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing you can do or say will ever separate you from Him.  There is no sin so great that can’t be forgiven.  If you are here today and you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to ask Him in your heart today. Tell Him you know you’re a sinner. Confess it to Him and ask for His forgiveness. It is free. You will forever be changed and will live eternally with Him. Oh, yes—there will still be some trials and things you won’t like, but He overcame this world. Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” The love of Jesus perseveres through any hardship that may come your way!  No matter the circumstance you find yourself in, there is nothing that can separate us from Jesus.  His love perseveres through it all.  And this should be our example to follow…to love others in the same way.  So now when you say love, you mean that you will fight to the end for them!  As Jesus did for us….

Let us pray:

Lord, we praise You and thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die in our place, so that we may live with You forever.  Oh Lord, we, on our own, cannot love as You have commanded, and without first loving You, we cannot love like You ask us to love each other.  Please give us the desire and fill us with the kind of love that only You can give, that it will be overflowing from us to all who know us and may we never grow tired of spreading the good news of You.  If we love each other, then we want the world to have what we have, and that is You. And for those who have accepted You today for the first time, may we keep discipling them and may they truly begin to walk closely with You.  How exciting to finally be alive! Be with us as we carry the message to this dying world.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

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