God

40 Days of Praise — Day 24

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TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY by William Longstaff

Take time to be holy, Speak oft with the Lord; Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word

Make friends with God’s children, Help those who are weak; Forgetting in nothing, His blessing to seek

Take time to be holy, The world rushes on; Spend time in secret, With Jesus alone

By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct, His likeness shall see

Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy Guide; And run not before Him, Whatever betide

In joy or in sorrow, Still follow the Lord; And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word

Take time to be holy, Be calm in thy soul; Each thought and each motive, Beneath His control

Thus led by His Spirit, To fountains of love; Thou soon shall be fitted, For service above

What a beautiful reminder of our need to spend time with Jesus. The only way to have a powerful, fruitful life in service for Jesus is to abide in Him. The only way to abide in Him is to spend time with Him in prayer and through Bible study.

I love the practical advice given here as well. Make friends with God’s children. We cannot go through this life on our own. God has made us to interact with others and to cooperate with them to reach the world with the gospel. We are to show mercy to others also. We are to do good works in Christ’s name so that people see it and give praise and glory to the Father.

In the busy, hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to forget to take time out for God. Thank goodness He did not forget to take time out of the running of the universe to send His Son down for us. Thank goodness Jesus took the time to teach His disciples, to show us how to live, to die on the cross for the payment of our sins. How churlish it would be not to take the time to spend with Him after He has done so much for us.

All of us have the same amount of time. No person has more or less than 24 hours in a day. How we use those hours will reflect on our priorities in life. How much time are you spending on becoming holy and pleasing to God.

Lord, help me take the time with You that is needed to become a person holy and useful. Keep me from prioritizing other things instead of spending time with You. Put my thoughts and actions under Your control and lead me by Your Spirit.

40 Days of Praise — Day 23

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FROM GREENLANDS ICY MOUNTAINS by Reginald Heber

From Greenland’s icy mountains, From India’s coral strand,
Where Africa’s sunny fountains, Roll down their golden sand,
From many an ancient river, From many a palmy plain,
They call us to deliver their land from error’s chain.

What though the spicy breezes,  Blow soft o’er Ceylon’s isle;
 Though every prospect pleases,  And only man is vile:
 In vain with lavish kindness,  The gifts of God are strown;
 The heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone.

Can we, whose souls are lighted  With wisdom from on high,
 Can we to men benighted  The lamp of life deny?
 Salvation! O salvation!  The joyful sound proclaim,
 Till each remotest nation has learned Messiah’s Name.

Waft, waft, ye winds, His story,  And you, ye waters, roll,
 Till like a sea of glory,  It spreads from pole to pole; Till o’er our ransomed nature, the Lamb for sinners slain Redeemer, King Creator, in bliss returns to reign

From out of the days of great missionary endeavors comes this hymn, which captures the spirit that moved so many to proclaim the gospel across the globe. It is our duty to bring the gospel to those who have never heard its story. It is our privilege to show all people the correct God to worship as well as the correct way to worship Him.

               Paul told the Greeks in Acts 17, “You worship what you do not know, in ignorance “(my paraphrase) and then proceeded to enlighten them with the truth. In the same manner, those in places without a gospel witness worship in vain: idols made by hand, false gods, political systems, etc..

               One of the charges against Christianity is that we destroyed people’s religion and culture with our missionaries. Yes, we did. We sought to destroy false worship and replace it with the knowledge of the True God. Social customs, as long as they do not violate Scripture, are to be left alone. Religious and moral deficiencies are to be exposed to the gospel light so that its transforming power can set the spiritual captives free. May we never shirk from seeking to transform every culture, including ours, and having them conform to God’s laws.

               May we never be ashamed of the gospel’s power. May we never apologize for loving people so much that we are diligent in showing them how God requires them to worship.

            Lord, move on me to be unashamed that You have set up a narrow way, an exclusive way to salvation – through Jesus Christ. Help me to never apologize for holding fast to the truth that through Him alone salvation is found. Help me to proclaim salvation to those who have never heard as well as those who have never responded.

40 Days 0f Praise — Day 20

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We are halfway through 40 days of praise. I hope you continue to enjoy this musical devotional during your prayer time.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION by Robert Keen? George Keith?

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord; Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He has said; To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed; For I am Your God and will still give you aid

I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause thee to stand; Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go; The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow

For I will be with thee, your troubles to bless; And sanctify thee to your deepest distress

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie; My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply

The flame shall not hurt thee I only design; Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

The soul that on Jesus, hath leaned for repose; I will not, I will not desert to his foes

That soul though all hell shall endeavor to shake; I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”

How I love the affirmation of Scripture in the very first verse of this wonderful hymn! We can count on God’s Word. It’s veracity gives us a rock solid foundation for our faith. Everything we need to have a godly life pleasing to Him is found in His Word. It is complete.

       I also love the way the author depicts how God is with us, our Rock. We are able to trust Him. Every word, every promise He gives us, is true and we can lean on Him at all times. He will never leave us nor forsake us. There is no place we can go where His presence cannot be with us. How comforting that is.

       That truth is also frightening. Whenever I go someplace a Christian ought not to go, whenever I place myself in situations I ought not to be in, I take Christ there with me. I expose Him to shame and grieve His Holy Spirit.

       We are even shown, in verse 4, the truth that the fiery trials we encounter are merely to refine us, not destroy us. God lets us go through them not to bring harm to us, but to purify us and make us strong.

       What a wise and loving God we serve. No matter what we go through, no matter who or what seeks to conquer us, we can stand firm with the shield of faith, steadfast in the knowledge that the Lord is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in times of trouble.

       Lord, what a blessing Your Holy Word is. Thank you so much for giving it to us. Help me to study it and to hide it in my heart, so that I might not sin against You.

40 Days of Praise — Day 15

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A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD byMartin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing

For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate

On earth is not His equal

Did we in our own strength abide, our striving would be losing; Were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing

Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is He; Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same

And He must win the battle

And though this world with devil’s filled, should threaten to undo us; We will not fear for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure

One little word shall fell him

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him who with us sideth

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still

His kingdom is forever

This song has brought comfort to me many times. Whenever I go through trials, whenever I have been faced with persecution because of my faith in Christ, I lean on God to be both my unassailable place of refuge and my defender. Whenever, like the apostle Paul, I am so hard pressed that I despair even of life, my hope rests in the never failing strength and mercy of my God.

               It is so easy to look at the evil in the world and despair. Often, it seems as if goodness is failing and the darkness is winning. It is then that God’s Word provides the ultimate comfort by revealing the final result – God wins. Good triumphs. Evil is banished. Our ancient enemy is forever defeated by the might of our Savior and God.

               As a mere human, I am no match for the Prince of Darkness. As a son of the Living God, a prince of the Kingdom of Light, co-heir with Jesus Christ and temple of the Holy Spirit, I have nothing to fear. My life is hidden in Christ and all I have to do is call on His name. He is my refuge and my strength, an ever present help in times of danger.

            Lord, help me to remember that You are my place of safety, my refuge, my fortress. Help me not to become overwhelmed at the amount of evil in the world but to overcome it by shining Your light. Let me rest in the assurance that You will return, set up Your kingdom, and banish sin and evil forever. Lord, let me also run to You and You alone for safety.

40 Days of Praise — Day 14

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HOLY, HOLY HOLY  by Reginald Heber

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty, Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Who wert and art and evermore shall be

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love and purity

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty, All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity

What a magnificent, majestic song to sing in praise to God! Yes, all the saints do adore Him, the God of our Salvation. When we stand before the throne we will cast down our crowns at His feet, acknowledging that He and He alone is worthy of any honor. The great angels and other heavenly creatures also will bow in reverence, honor and awe before our great God.

               We cannot see Him now. To witness His holy glory would destroy us. Our sinful bodies are simply not capable of withstanding His perfect presence. One day, we will have a new body and be cleansed from all sin but for now, He is hidden from our sight. Now, we see as through a glass darkly, but then we will see clearly.

               At the coming of the Lord Jesus, when this present heaven and earth pass away and everything is made new, only those who belong to the Lord will inhabit the universe. All His works will praise His name. All will give Him the glory He deserves.

               Every time I sing this song, I am swept up in emotion as I reflect on how wonderful and amazing God is. I sing this with all my heart and mind, praying that He takes joy in my offering to Him. Early in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon, late in the evening, all are appropriate times to ring out praise to our most holy God.

               Most high and holy God, I offer to You everything I have. Nothing I am or will be is in any way a worthy gift to such a magnificent God, but all I have I give to You. You alone are worthy of praise and glory and majesty. I bow before Your glorious throne.

40 Days of Praise –Day 13

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AMAZING GRACE by John Newton

Amazing grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home

The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures

Yea when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease

I shall possess within the veil, A life of joy and peace

The world shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun refuse to shine

But God who called me here below, Shall be forever mine

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we’ve first begun

I find it ironic that almost everyone sings a version of Amazing Grace. Just perusing music sites, it seems every star has released a version of this song at one time or another, even though most of those people have never experienced God’s saving grace.

                               ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.

               To fear God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of His just punishment for sin. When I reflected on John 3:17-18, it made John 3:16 come alive. I was already condemned and facing eternal punishment.

                               And grace my fears relieved.

               God’s grace, given to me when I turned my life over to His Son’s Lordship, granted to me eternal life. There is now no condemnation for I am safely in the family of God. So precious, that grace given the hour, the very second I first believed.

               Upon hearing the call of God our Shepherd, here in this world, we will experience His reality face to face in the next. His word, His promises, secures our hope for an eternity with Him in heaven.

               Unless a person has experienced God’s saving grace, they really have no idea what this song is about. Far from just being a good hymn, it hammers home to us that our only hope is to be found in Christ alone.

            Lord, Your grace is totally amazing. That You could extend grace and mercy to us just completely overwhelms me. You, the perfect, holy Creator of the Universe, extending grace to one such as myself, selfish, arrogant, sinful is simply … amazing.

            Thank you for saving me by Your grace and extending to me the faith necessary to believe.

40 Days of Praise — Day 11

/ taethne

COME THOU FOUNT by Robert Robinson

Come, thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise mine Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God

He to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I’m constrained to be

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love

Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above

Of all the hymns this is probably my favorite. Prone to wander – yes, that is me. Prone to leave the God I love. Why? That is the question, isn’t it. Why do we leave the place where we are safest? Why do we leave the One who has given us everything we need to live a godly life?

O, the depths the human soul has sunk to! Even when brought into a transforming relationship with the God of the Universe we still seek to go our own way. Yes, I will raise my Ebenezer, knowing full well it is only by His help, His grace and power that I have come as far as I have. Only by His help, grace and power will I arrive at the destination He has planned for me. I need to pray for Him to daily bind me to Him. Not to keep me from experiencing a wonderful life, but to keep me from danger and harm. To keep me close to Him, the Savior of Life and every good blessing.

If I cannot keep myself close to Him, and I have proven over and over that I cannot, I can ask Him to keep close to me.

Bend my heart to Thee Lord, I pray. Fetter my wandering feet so they do not leave Your path. You have said you will never leave me nor forsake me and I appreciate that very much. Forgive my sins, I pray, and draw me close to your side.

40 Days of Praise — Day 7

/ taethne

STANDING ON THE PROMISES by R. Kelso Carter

Standing on the promises of Christ my king; Through eternal ages let His praises ring

Glory in the highest I will shout and sing; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises that cannot fail; When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail

By the living Word of God I shall prevail; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises I now can see; Perfect present cleansing in the blood for me

Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord; Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord

Overcoming daily by the Spirit’s sword; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises I cannot fall; Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call

Resting in my Savior as my all in all; Standing on the promises of God

REFRAIN

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior

Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God

The second verse of this hymn strikes me profoundly. God’s promises cannot fail. The omnipotent, all-knowing Creator God is able to keep every promise He makes. He is trustworthy, He is true. Whenever the storms of doubt and fear howl at me, whenever I am assailed by the knowledge of my own inadequacy, I can stand on God’s promises because He never fails.

There are over 3,000 promises in the Bible. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says this about those precious promises:

       “God’s divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of His divine nature”

Oh, what a great passage. God gave us these promises of His so that we can partake of His divine nature. He gave them to us so we can live a godly life through our relationship with His perfect Son!

Truly, I am bound to Him eternally and can overcome each day the doubts and fears Satan throws at me by using the Spirit’s Sword, the Holy Word of God. I will resolve to know these promises and to stand on Him. Will you?

Lord, help me to study Your Word and find your promises. Help me to hide Your Word in my heart so I will live a godly life and not sin against you. Help me to stand on Your Word.                                                                                                                                     Amen.

40 Days of Praise — Day 5

/ taethne

DARE TO BE A DANIEL by Phillip Bliss

Standing by a purpose true, Heeding God’s command

Honor them the faithful few, All hail to Daniel’s band

Mighty men are lost, Daring not to stand

Who for God had been a host, By joining Daniel’s band

Many giants great and tall, Stalking through the land

Headlong to the earth would fall, If met by Daniel’s band

Held the Gospel banner high, On to victory grand

Satan and his hosts defy, And shout for Daniel’s band

REFRAIN

Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone

Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known.

Written by Phillip Bliss for his Sunday School class, this hymn has been a favorite of mine since I was a boy. Both inspiring and challenging, Bliss throws down a gauntlet in urging believers to stand firm for the truth and to be active in conquering evil. In a day when a false definition of tolerance is making its way though society, the words of this song encourage us to act like one of the heroes of the faith.

Like Daniel, we are encouraged to live faithful lives by standing firm in obedience to God’s commands, even when the rest of society is compromising. We are urged to be brave and not to shirk from our duty. Though others may fall away, though we alone may seem to be remaining faithful, we must stand firm for our beliefs as Daniel did.

I often wonder, as I read the book of Daniel, how many other captive Jews just blended into Babylonian society. Apparently he was the only one who took praying to God seriously. The rest, well, it wasn’t politically correct to be seen worshipping God. How many of us fall into the trap of being politically correct instead of obedient?

We can accomplish great things for God when we walk in the might of His power and share the gospel message. May we go before the Lord today and pray that we will have the courage to stand for our convictions as Daniel did.

Lord, grant me conviction of heart like Daniel. Help me to stay the course, to be true and faithful. May it start today, let me not shirk from sharing the gospel with one who needs to hear Your message.

A Heart Hungry To Worship Part 14

/ taethne

Jesus found him. The man did not find Jesus; Jesus found him. That is the deepest truth of Christian faith; Jesus found me. Our fellowship with Him is rooted in His compassion.[1]

Chapter 13

Steve and Sarina’s Story

            It has been many years since Steve and Sarina experienced the life transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Despite the passage of time, they have never lost the wonder and excitement of being chosen, out of all the people in the world, by God. Their gratitude over being adopted into God’s heavenly family has only deepened as time has marched on.

            Steve and Sarina came into my life one afternoon in need of a favor. One of their daughters was weeks away from being married. The pastor of their church had resigned and moved away, leaving them without someone to officiate the wedding. Not wanting just anyone, Steve and Sarina went looking for a minister with the same doctrinal beliefs. I agreed to meet with them and we sat and talked for quite some time. Over the next few days, a friendship developed between our two families, one that would continue to grow and deepen.

            The wedding went off as planned and as our friendship grew, I came to admire their deep faith and love for God. It didn’t come as too much of a surprise when they showed up for church one Sunday morning. As the congregation sang, I couldn’t help but notice Sarina’s voice. Strong and beautiful, her voice brought a rich fullness to the service. Afterwards, I asked her to consider joining the choir and helping to lead the congregational singing. I was given such a funny look that I was afraid that I had somehow offended her. I dropped the subject rather awkwardly, and prayed that whatever misstep I had done would be revealed.

            The following Sunday, some of our ushers were absent. On the spur of the moment, I asked Steve if he would mind helping the other guys collect the offerings during the service. He hesitantly agreed, but I was struck with the feeling that I had again done something not quite right.

            Earlier in the week, knowing Steve’s mechanical skills, I had asked him to take a look at some equipment the church owned that needed fixing. After the service was over, I gave him a key to the church and told him that he could pick up the equipment anytime and take it to his shop. I was shocked to see this big bear of a man tear up, drop the key like a hot potato, and stammer incomprehensibly. I knew then that something was definitely wrong and that I needed to investigate. Over coffee the following day, their story came out.

            Steve and Sarina had both come to faith in Jesus Christ as adults. At the time, they lived back East and they moved to Montana not too long after their conversion experience. A gifted mechanic, Steve loved to restore old vehicles to their original conditions. They had a wonderful family and were very outgoing and jovial. They were relatively young Christians and had not had the opportunity to be discipled in the faith. The church they had been attending was doctrinally similar to ours. Steve and Sarina were charter members, excited to become part of a new church so soon after moving to a new state. For the last seven or eight years they faithfully attended every service. There was one glaring difference between our two churches, though.

            In their church, a person could not sing in the choir, usher, teach, take up an offering, play an instrument or even lead a corporate prayer unless they were judged to be spiritually mature enough by the pastor. For over seven years this couple, full of desire to worship the God they loved, were told that they hadn’t reached a spiritual level high enough to be acceptable to God. That was why it was so shocking to them that I had asked them to participate in our services. They did not feel worthy enough.

            Rarely have I ever been so angry in my life. Here were these wonderful people, passionate about their faith, full of untapped talent and zeal, eager to serve the Lord in any capacity, that were victims of a misguided human tyrant. I was outraged that a human being, under the guise of a minister of God, would dare to intervene and prohibit one of God’s children from worshipping their Father.

            This was why they had reacted so peculiarly to my requests. They didn’t feel worthy enough to sing in the choir or take up an offering. To be offered the responsibility of having a key to the church was overwhelming to them. Their natural response of wanting to serve and worship the Lord who had saved them had been stifled by years under the teaching of a person who had added rules and regulations to Holy Scriptures.

            I began sharing with them, from the Bible, how God gifted each one of us with certain abilities and talents. I shared how God desires us to use those talents and abilities in service for His Kingdom. We talked about how God delights in hearing the praises of His children. We discussed how even new Christians, those still immature in their faith, could please God and render acceptable service to Him. Most of all, I shared how they could find their worth and identity in their relationship with Jesus Christ. I used Steve’s passion for rebuilding cars as an example of how God rebuilds us, how He begins the process of transforming us into the image of His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. They began to get excited as God’s truth penetrated the shell of false teachings they had believed for years. They began to truly understand and accept God’s love for them and His declaration that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are Christ Jesus.”[2]

            The change in their lives was dramatic. Freed from a false sense of guilt and feelings of inadequacy, Steve and Sarina pursued worshipping God with fervor. Joy at finally being able to express how much they loved their Savior and Lord poured forth from them like a torrent. Their faith was infectious, changing those around them for the better. Many people were attracted to the gospel of Christ by observing the passion and excitement that penetrated their lives. God began preparing Steve and Sarina for even greater things as they matured in their knowledge of Him. Like sponges, they soaked up Scripture; their minds grasping the deep truths of God as they put into practice the teachings of the Bible.

            Almost a year after our conversation over coffee, Steve was ordained as an evangelist. Far from being unworthy to serve, the Holy Spirit uses Steve to witness for Him in a mighty way. For almost two decades now, he has served with a group of Christian motorcycle riders, sharing the gospel in places not easily accessible to most Christians. His wife accompanies him quite often, in between the Bible studies she leads for various ladies’ groups.             As I look back on their lives of service for God, I am filled with joy, sadness and pride. Joy, seeing how much Steve and Sarina have accomplished for the Lord and for the happiness that explodes out of them as they serve. Sadness, because of the wasted years under the influence of a person who does not understand grace or what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth. I have a sinking feeling that Steve and Sarina are not the only followers of Jesus Christ whose worship of Him has been stifled by false teaching. I shudder to think of the potential consequences faced by those who interfere with God’s children worshipping Him with all their heart, soul, strength and mind. Pride, at being used by God to assist Steve and Sarina, in helping them come into a realization of their worth in God’s sight. I pray that God will continue to use Steve, Sarina and I to reach out to the multitude of people that have yet to experience true worship. Not just those who have yet to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but also to those whose relationship with Him has been hindered from growing. It is vitally important to be able to share the meaning of how worship in spirit and in truth accurately, so this can take place.

[1] William Temple, Readings in St. John’s Gospel

[2] Romans 8:1