Hymnody

The Look by John Newton

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopp’d my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood,
Who fix’d His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath
Can I forget that look;
It seem’d to charge me with His death, 
Though not a word He spoke.

My conscience felt and own’d the guilt,
And plunged me in despair;
I saw my sins His blood had spilt,
And help’d to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did;
But now my tears are vain;
Where shall my trembling soul be hid!
For I the Lord have slain.

A second look He gave, which said,
“I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid,
I die, that thou mayst live.”

Thus while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue
(Such is the mystery of grace),
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief and mournful joy,
My spirit now is fill’d,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by Him I killed.

This is a hymn we sang on Sunday, though we sang a modernized version. I would like to know the original way this was sung. It is just beautiful. More and more i am beginning to understand "pleasing grief" and "mournful joy".  By clicking HERE you can see the updated lyrics and purchase the song, or you can hear the full version that we sang below. 

Without Jesus

Without Jesus

Just three chords and a melody

Won't leave you a living legacy

Without Jesus

Just four songs and a parable

Might leave you something terrible

Just five bucks in an offering

Won't buy you some prosperity

Just a sixth sense of morality

Won't get you out of your depravity

Without Jesus, oh, without Jesus

You could memorize

Become a Mennonite

You could speak in tongues

And raise the dead to life

You could build a big church

Call it ministry

Teach 'em all they need to know to run a family

You could sell it all

Be burned at the stake

But what in the world have you to ever gain

Without Jesus, oh, without Jesus

If all I ever get out of laying my life down

Is thorns in the shape of a crown

On the brow of a man from Nazareth

And if all I get is what Jesus did,

And said, and put within my heart

Then I get it all

I have it all

Oh, I have it all

Everything is mine

Oh, I have it all

I have it all

Just three chords and a melody

Won't leave you a living legacy

Without Jesus

We Have Found Him !!

The following entry is from Opened Treasures. It is a gathering of portions of Frances Ridley Havergal's writings in a daily devotional format.

COME AND SEE

Come and see. John 1:39

The Lord Jesus said it first. He said it to the two disciples of John who heard that He was the Lamb of God. They knew very little about Him, but they followed Him. Perhaps they would not even have ventured to speak, but, "Jesus turned, and saw them following," and spoke to them.The they asked Him where He dwelt, and He said, "Come and see!" Philip said it next. He had found Christ himself, and at once he told his friend Nathanael about it, "Come and see!" Is it not said still? Oh, "come and see!" Look into the Saviour's glorious and loving face, and see how ready He is to receive you, and to bless you. Come and see what He has done for you; see how He loved you and gave Himself for you; how He lived and suffered and bled and died for you ! Come and see what gifts He has for you - forgiveness and peace, His Spirit and His grace, His joy and His love ! Come and see where He dwelleth - see that He is ready to come in and dwell with you, to make your heart His own dwelling-place. Oh, if I could but persuade you to "come and see!" There is no other sight so glorious and beautiful. Will you not come? When you have come, when you can say, like Philip, "We have found Him!" and like Paul, "We see Jesus," will you not say to someone else, "Come and see!" You will wish every one else to come to Him, and you have His word to bid you try to bring them: "Let him that heareth say, Come!"

Hush! while on silvery wing of holiest song

Floats forth the old, dear story of our peace,

His coming, the Desire of Ages long,

To wear our chains, and win our glad release.

Our wondering joy, to hear such tidings blest

Is crowned with "Come to Him, and He will give you rest." 

~Frances Ridley Havergal

What is in there?

a question i am asking myself. What is in there? Well, where, exactly, you may be wondering?

each of these rocks has been collected over the years

answer:

my heart.

honestly, i don't like what i am seeing.

first, let me say that i love the Lord Jesus. He has redeemed my life from the pit. HE has purchased me with His own blood, that i might be made righteous. Amazing grace has truly saved a wretch like me. Because of the high price that was paid for me, i see even the smallest of offences as equal to the most heinous of sins. Sin. black, disgusting sin. Sin that my Saviour died for. My sin, that caused my Saviour to drink the cup of the wrath of God on my behalf, so that I might have HIS righteousness imputed to me. Incomprehensible. Humbling.

on a day to day basis, within the walls of my home, so much of what is in my heart comes out: a snappy reply, an exasperated sigh, a grumpy greeting, a "don't talk to me right now, or else" look. ouch.  When i am with others, i can kick in to my "self-preservation" mode pretty quickly: fear of what others think of me, fear that i may offend in some way, fear of not being "enough" for others... really just a bunch of self-centeredness! double-ouch. 

my own selfishness disgusts me. my husband works hard all day, and comes home to me not having even given much any thought to dinner. I claim i was too busy, too tired, too ______. Hmmm. he is tired too. he is busy too. he has had to fight battles all day at work, yet i claim i am too tired to make dinner. Lord, have mercy on me... a sinner. Yes, i have battles during the day. Homeschooling 3 of our kids definitely brings about some battles. But if i am completely honest, i do have time to make dinner. i do have time to get the house tidy, with the kids' help.  i DO have time. i obviously have time, since i am sitting here composing this post!!

i am not hopeless though. Our faithful God uses the challenges of my day to work His sanctification in me. I am seeing that i am in need. i am seeing that time in the Word is not something that can be compromised in my day, so that i can do other things. I am seeing that i am ever in need of grace.

if you are seeing an area in your own heart that needs cleansing, don't delay! Forgiveness awaits in the bountiful arms of our Great God, through our great Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, 

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, 

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God's grace, 

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, 

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Grace, grace, God's grace, 

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?

Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,

Brighter than snow you may be today.

Grace, grace, God's grace, 

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

Grace, grace, God's grace, 

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

~Julia H. Johnston

A Donkey & A Horse

Last night i was at a local church, and the Elder-in-training gave a short message on Jesus riding in on a donkey to Jerusalem. I was aware of some of the things that he stated, but one thing was interesting. Jesus used a donkey (colt of a donkey) to show he came in civil peace. That is what a King rode in on when he came in peace for civil affairs. Jesus came in peace, to purchase our peace with God.

But...

He is coming again. And this time, on a WAR HORSE, and not for civil peace! Revelation 19. He comes to make war with the nations. Kings would ride on horses in military victory. Think Alexander the Great and his trusty steed. Christ IS returning, on his WAR HORSE, with the armies of heaven behind Him. Amazing. He will wage war, and then bring peace at the consummation of the Ages.

If we are in Christ, we can trust that, indeed.....

"For He Himself is our peace..."

Ephesians 2:14a

If you would like to know the hope we have in Christ, here is a sermon that lays it all out....by Paul Washer. 

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=4181185011

Fridays with Frances: COME and SEE

The following entry is from Opened Treasures. It is a gathering of Frances's writings in a daily devotional format. One of my favorites! This one really struck me, as i desperately long for others to "come and see," yet i also realize i cannot force anyone to come.

COME AND SEE

Come and see. John 1:39

The Lord Jesus said it first. He said it to the two disciples of John who heard that He was the Lamb of God. They knew very little about Him, but they followed Him. Perhaps they would not even have ventured to speak, but, "Jesus turned, and saw them following," and spoke to them.The they asked Him where He dwelt, and He said, "Come and see!" Philip said it next. He had found Christ himself, and at once he told his friend Nathanael about it, "Come and see!" Is it not said still? Oh, "come and see!" Look into the Saviour's glorious and loving face, and see how ready He is to receive you, and to bless you. Come and see what He has done for you; see how He loved you and gave Himself for you; how He lived and suffered and bled and died for you ! Come and see what gifts He has for you - forgiveness and peace, His Spirit and His grace, His joy and His love ! Come and see where He dwelleth - see that He is ready to come in and dwell with you, to make your heart His own dwelling-place. Oh, if I could but persuade you to "come and see!" There is no other sight so glorious and beautiful. Will you not come? When you have come, when you can say, like Philip, "We have found Him!" and like Paul, "We see Jesus," will you not say to someone else, "Come and see!" You will wish every one else to come to Him, and you have His word to bid you try to bring them: "Let him that heareth say, Come!"

Hush! while on silvery wing of holiest song

Floats forth the old, dear story of our peace,

His coming, the Desire of Ages long,

To wear our chains, and win our glad release.

Our wondering joy, to hear such tidings blest

Is crowned with "Come to Him, and He will give you rest." 

~Frances Ridley Havergal

 

Hub-Bub

hopefully this is not what you are looking like, or feeling like. 


yes. it is December 8th. Seventeen days til the 25th. 


if you are on facebook, you have read the posts of what everyone has been doing. how crazy things are. how frantic their days and weekends are. 
All the hub-bub, for lack of  a better description. 


But i wonder...


What if we didn't: stress, over-spend, over-plan, over-indulge, over- ____?


What if we actually took the time to savor? to recall that, although it is not the ACTUAL day that our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born, it is a season that we remember His coming? And in this focused time of remembering, we can't help but realize that He came to seek and to save that which was lost (you and me), to die a violent death as the price for our sins, and to rise from the grave on the 3rd day. 


Lately i have been absolutely struck by those who were present at the birth of our King. Think about it: Who was there? Mary (duh), Joseph, maybe a female "helper" from the inn, some animals, and.... some shepherds. 

from the book Fit For a King, which
my husband, Brian York, illustrated

shepherds. 


a despised, low-class group of people. they smelled like sheep (oh yes they did!). They were tough. They knew sheep. THEY were the ones who were there THE NIGHT Christ was born. an angel appeared to the shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem. The shepherds were "sore afraid." In today's words, they were terrified! these shepherds were tough men, able to fight off packs of wolves, panthers, bears, and thieves. These men were MANLY men. you didn't mess with a shepherd. 


Yet these tough men (and maybe women, as there were some shepherdesses), were SORE AFRAID. okay then. The angel had to say to them “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12)
After that, the sky filled with a myriad of angels singing:

"Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace, 

goodwill toward men!”

Just soak that in. here the angels of the Most High God appeared to the lowliest shepherds, who were despised among men, and told them to REJOICE! for the Savior had come! Think forward to how Christ Himself was despised and rejected, and is called the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, the Shepherd of our souls. 

Here, the shepherds' response (Luke 2:15-20):

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”  So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

No wonder that people wondered! the shepherds, of all people, had had the birth declared to them by angels! 

This season, i wonder if we have wondered at the fact:

 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.. 1 Peter 3:18

 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

This season, let's intentionally slow down. let's be different. let's be focused.


I close with a quote from Michael Card's book A Violent Grace:

"Jesus was born to die...so that I could be born again to new life. It is the miracle of a violent grace: God securing for us the priceless treasures of His grace---One violence at a time. Will you open your heart to receive now these costly gifts from your loving Savior?"