May 1, 2024

(Christmas Version) Hallelujah

December 24, 2015 by

I’ve heard about this baby boy
Who’s come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this—the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I’m singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God’s only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You’ll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged Cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah

Cloverton
Original tune: Leonard Cohen
This version lyrics: Lance Stafford, Layne Stafford, Kirby LeMoine and Josh Svorinic
 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *
HalleluJAH!  This phrase, which most often has been translated “Praise the Lord,” is found only a few times throughout all of the Bible.  We read it in the Book of Revelations, chapter 19, verses 1, 3, 4, 6.  As well as in the Psalms (#111, 112, 113, 117, 135, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150).  Many of us are familiar with Leonard Cohen’s classic original ‘Hallelujah’.  But the words in that version, while though very stirring, pale in comparison, in my opinion, to the lyrics sung here by the Cloverton boys.   Cloverton’s rendition sings out the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel-God with us.   Truly, I would call it a modern-day Christmas carol.

It reminds me of another very popular musical piece—Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah, his most well-known orchestral composition.  Now they differ greatly in style, of course…but are very similar in their lyrical content.   Point being, both of these songs were written to sing about the birth of Jesus and praises to  Almighty God, as well as give us, fellow singers and praisers, inspired songs to sing our praises.

In the account in the Gospel of Luke of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the angel and the ‘heavenly host’ similarly offered praise to God.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 1:13 and 14

And upon returning from seeing the Baby and acknowledging the fulfillment of the angel’s words, the shepherds also worshipped and praised God.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.
And there was the Baby, lying in the manger.
After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened
and what the angel had said to them about this Child.
All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The shepherds went back to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
It was just as the angel had told them.
verses 15-20

The birth of the Savior certainly was an occasion for much ‘Hallelujah-ing,’ wouldn’t you say?!  And there WAS much praise and glorifying of God!

May I encourage you to take time throughout the busyness and celebrations of this season to voice your praises and gratitude to Almighty God!  May each of us be found glorifying and praising God for His goodness and love to mankind.   It doesn’t matter whether it is in quiet meditation regarding how GOOD God is…or singing out our praise and worship through this gorgeous song…or praising God as we sing along with the carols and hymns of the season.

Just let ‘HalleluJAH’‘be on your lips!

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

HalleluJAH (Christmas Version)

December 25, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

I’ve heard about this baby boy
Who’s come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this—the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I’m singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God’s only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You’ll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged Cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Original tune: Leonard Cohen
This version lyrics: Lance Stafford, Layne Stafford, Kirby LeMoine and Josh Svorinic
 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *
HalleluJAH!  This phrase, which most often has been translated “Praise the Lord” is found only a few times throughout all of the Bible—in the Book of Revelations, chapter 19, verses 1, 3, 4, 6.  As well as in the Psalms (#111, 112, 113, 117, 135, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150).

Many of us are familiar with Leonard Cohen’s classic original ‘Hallelujah’.  But the words in that version, while though very stirring, pale in comparison, in my opinion, to the lyrics sung here by the Cloverton boys.  Cloverton’s rendition sings out the birth of Jesus, Immanuel.  Truly, I would call it a modern-day Christmas carol.

It reminds me of another very popular musical piece which sings out praise and worship. Now they differ greatly in style, of course…but the lyrical content of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from the Messiah, his most well-known orchestral composition. Point being, both of these songs were written to sing praise to the Almighty God, and give us, fellow singers and praisers, an inspired song to sing our praises.

In the account in the Gospel of Luke of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the angel and the ‘heavenly host’ similarly offered praise to God.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 1:13 and 14

And upon returning from seeing the Baby and acknowledging the fulfillment of the angel’s words, the shepherds also worshipped and praised God.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.
And there was the Baby, lying in the manger.
After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened
and what the angel had said to them about this Child.
All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The shepherds went back to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
It was just as the angel had told them.
Verses 15-20

The birth of the Savior certainly was an occasion for much ‘hallelujah-ing,’ wouldn’t you say?!  And there WAS much praise and glorifying of God!

May I encourage you to take time throughout the busyness and celebrations today to voice your praises and gratitude to Almighty God!  May each of us be found glorifying and praising God for His goodness and love to mankind.   It doesn’t matter whether it is in quiet meditation regarding how GOOD God is…or singing out our praise and worship through this gorgeous song…or praising God as we sing along with the carols and hymns of the season.  Just let ‘HalleluJAH’ be on your lips!

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

When Jesus Says Yes

August 26, 2014 by
psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvWhen Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”
(When Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”)
When Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”
(When Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”)
I’m not worried ’bout a thing
‘Cause I know You are guiding me
Where You lead me, Lord, I will go
I have no fear ’cause I know who’s in control
There’s no limit to what You can do
‘Cause it all belongs to You
Yes, it all belongs to You
(The world should know)
You’re almighty and all powerful
And it all belongs to You
Yes, it all belongs to YouWhen Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”
(When Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”)
When Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”
(When Jesus say, “Yes,” nobody can say, “No.”)

Unknown author.  Nigerian Praise Song

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This is such an upbeat and energizing song.  I pray you enjoy it.  Jesus is with us. He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever.  We are the ones who put limits on God and what He can do in our lives.  I am discovering this as I continue my walk. Praise Him with this song this week, and feel His goodness envelope you.

 

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

Break Through The Chains

May 31, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart.

Psalms 107:15-16

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Break through the chains in my life
Tear down the strongholds and the walls
Deliver me from all bondage and strife
That I may hear when You call and give You my all
Oh, Lord, my all I give You my all!

O Lord, my soul desire is to serve You
To honor You in everything I do
I surrender and lay down my life to You
Oh, Holy Spirit, come down and break through

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

First…Praise the Lord

March 3, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the LORD!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever!
Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or declare all His praise?”
Psalms 106:1-2 ESV

If when we drop to our knees and pray, what if our first words were those that showed praise to the Lord?  How would that affect the rest of our prayer?  Wouldn’t our hearts be more likely to keep our wonderful God as our focus and keep us in tune to the fact that He is more important than the problems that we bring to Him?  Israel often messed up, yet God was faithful to them.

The psalmist opens this psalm in wanting the emphasis to be on God—praising Him and reminding the people of God’s steadfast love before he went any further.  And to answer the psalmist’s question, “Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD or declare all His praise?” well, we can try, but we would never ever be able to list ALL of His great deeds or ever be able to finish praising Him for Who He is and what He has done, is doing, or will do.

When I am overwhelmed by God’s goodness and faithfulness, my problems seem to diminish; and I rest on the fact that God is able.  He can take care of difficulties, problems, and unknowns.  Where I cannot, He can.  “He can” so much better than all of us in all generations put together.  So, maybe our role in coming to God is to focus on Him and then, after we praise Him, lay our burdens and requests at His feet.  Be mindful to remember His faithfulness to you in the present and the past as you come to Him.  Remember how He has carried you when You have needed Him – even when you didn’t deserve it. Remember how He forgave you when you asked for forgiveness when you messed up and sinned—even when you didn’t deserve it.  And rest assured that He will continue to be faithful forever.

Our circumstances will continue to change, but God never does!  Our response is to praise Him forever!  Praise Him in prayer!  Praise Him in life!  Praise Him in heaven!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Lord, we praise You!  O Lord, we thank You for loving us and giving us grace in spite of what we deserve!  We lay at Your feet the great concerns of our hearts in which the Holy Spirit is bringing to our hearts and minds at this very moment knowing You are able to take care of them, Lord!  Touch these matters in such a way that it is obvious to us and those around us that You intervened and made a difference.  We can all give You, and You alone, great glory and praise!  In Jesus’ precious Name we pray.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Continuous Praise

September 20, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 103:19-22

So, I need to make a run to the grocery store? (Have a wonderful time in the journey.) Close the car door, start the engine, turn the volume up on the radio, fasten seat belt, put car in reverse, and away I go.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

So, I need to wash clothes? (First things first though.) Go to the computer, find the Christian radio station, crank up the music, get the laundry basket, fill it with dirty clothes, and head to the washing machine down the hall.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

So, I have the honor of holding a precious baby while her mom is in small group during Bible study? (What a beautiful, tiny blessing of God is held in my arms!) Hold her close, step outside where she likes the warmth of the sunshine, and sing praise songs to her while she falls asleep.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

So, I just walked into the sanctuary at church? (This is a favorite time of the week.) I find a seat, the music begins, and we rise to our feet as we sing with the worship leader as words of praise flash on the screen and the instruments fill the room with beautiful sounds.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

Four different situations in my life presented as opportunities to praise God in my soul.  David called several different groups of beings to praise God toward the end of Psalm 103 as if he is building a gathering that continues to increase in number and intensity.  By the end of the chapter in verse 22, he calls on all of God’s works everywhere to praise God.

I am going to spend an eternity praising Jesus! I enjoy this life being “a dress rehearsal” for then.

On the days I can’t sing, I need to stop and search my heart to see what’s wrong.  It’s then that I really need to pray.  For praise should always be able to spill forth from my lips.  I have often found that the more I pray, the more I can praise.  The one who prays often will be able to praise often!

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let us praise You here, there, and everywhere.  Let it not be a designated moment in time, but instead a continuous state of our hearts turned toward You.  Each time we hear praise music or belt it out ourselves, let our hearts overflow with thankfulness that we can hear it, sing it, and praise You in this life and in the one to come!  In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

 

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Seeking Him – Sing Your Praise

January 26, 2013 by

 

This week in our current series, Seeking Him, we will focus on recognizing how vital it is to include singing our praises to God as part of our quiet time.

Each Saturday we have been looking in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a dedicated, purposeful quiet time.  At the beginning of this series I had the privilege of sharing with you a few thoughts from some friends about their own quiet time.  Gathering from their experiences, there seem to be a few basics which include:

Bible reading
Prayer
Praise Songs
Meditation
Seeking the Lord

If you are like me, you have found that singing and praising through song is so uplifting, don’t you think?  Almighty God is the point…He is the focus…keeping my mind and heart set toward Him is my aim.  He is the reason why I sing praises to Him!

Psalms 147:1, 7

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God,
for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!

There are more reasons to praise our God than we have words enough to do so! Here are just a few of His attributes:

  • He is full of glory (Psalm 138:5)
  • He is great (Psalm 145:3)
  • He is wise and powerful (Daniel 2:20)
  • He is good (Psalm 107:8)
  • He is merciful (Psalm 89:1)
  • He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)

And just some of His wonderful works:

  • He is the One who saves us (Psalm 18:46)
  • He keeps His promises (1 Kings 8:56)
  • He pardons sin (Psalm 103:1-3)
  • He gives us our daily food (Psalm 136:25)

There is a day coming when all will praise God by bowing to Jesus the King!

Philippians 2:10-11

That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Almighty God is oh-so-worthy to be praised!  Psalm 107 would be a great place to be encouraged with reminders of what God has done for His children!  Throughout this particular psalm is listed proof after proof of God’s goodness.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31

Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness
and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

The Book of Psalms has been called the ‘Praise Book’ of the Bible.  In it are literally hundreds of examples of praises and reasons why praise is oh-so-very important.  Did you know that every single one of the 150 psalms included in the Book of Psalms is an actual song?  Steve Pearson, a wonderful singer and songwriter, has written and recorded many songs using the words of the Psalms and his own inspired musical accompaniment.  Here is a link to his website   http://www.psalmistry.com/ Check it out! 

As I read the Scriptures, one thing is clear: singing our praises is a good thing!

Join Miss Amy Grant as she sings Sing Your Praise to the Lord!

 Psalm 92:1

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High…

Psalm 138:1-5

I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word
and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
In the day when I called, You answered me;
and You strengthened me with strength
(might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord,
for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord
and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord.

Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

Jeremiah 29:12,13
Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Praying for each of you!  I know that the Lord will answer your heart’s cry as you are seeking Him with all your heart!

♥ coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this series, you may email her at:  Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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