O What A Savior! YOUR SAVIOR!

I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed (saved) you.
-- Isaiah 44:22 (HCS)

(10) The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. (11) Today YOUR SAVIOR, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. (12) This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
-- Luke 2:10-12 (GWT)

Last night as Pastor James Spruill and I were leaving the church parking lot following one of our Christmas Advent Season Revival services, gratitude for God's faithfulness was overflowing from both of our hearts. Pastor James exclaimed, "If I was a singer, I would have broken out loudly at the end of the altar time with the old hymn 'O What A Savior!"

Click here: Brian Free & Assurance-Oh What a Savior - YouTube

Here are the lyrics to that beloved hymn written by Marvin Dalton:

Once I was straying in sin's dark valley,
No hope within could I see,
But up in Heaven there is a Savior,
who saved a poor lost soul like me,

O what a Savior, O hallelujah!
His heart was broken on Calvary,
His hands were nail scarred,
His side was riven,
He gave His life-blood for even me.

He left the Father with all His riches,
With calmness sweet and serene,
Came down from Heaven and gave His life-blood,
To make the vilest sinner clean.

O what a Savior, O hallelujah!
His heart was broken on Calvary,
His hands were nail scarred,
His side was riven,
He gave His life-blood for even me.

Death's chilly waters I'll soon be crossing,
His hand will lead me safe o'er,
I'll join the chorus in that great city,
And sing up there forever more.

O what a Savior, O hallelujah!
His heart was broken on Calvary,
His hands were nail scarred,
His side was riven,
He gave His life-blood for even me.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Have Burdened Me With Your Sins

But you have burdened Me with your sins;
you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
-- God's Cry in Isaiah 43:24b (HCS)

Lord forgive! Lord forbid! Lord, give us a holy hunger to live lives apart from sinning against You and give us hearts aflame with holy fire to worship only You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled.
-- Matthew 5:6 (HCS)

Click here: Hungry (Falling On My Knees) - Kathryn Scott - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

"I Am Your King!" Yes, You Are My King!

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
-- Matthew 2:2 (HCS)

I am the LORD, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
-- Isaiah 43:15 (HCS)

Lord, it seems in this verse You are crying out to me personally:
"I am your Lord, your Holy One, your King.
Worship Me. Know Me. Serve Me."

Click here: You Are My King (worship video w/ lyrics) - YouTube

Yes, You Are My King!
Grateful

Go Through

Many things in life you cannot go around, you just have to go through them.
-- James Spruill

Through many dangers, toil, and snares
I have already come...
-- The Hymn, Amazing Grace

Grateful

Access. No Longer Foreigners. Sanctuary.

(17) When Christ came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (18) For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. (21) The whole building is being fitted together in Him and is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit.
-- Ephesians 2:17-22 (HCS)

Click here: Sanctuary - Worship Video w/ lyrics Randy Rothwell

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Were Dead. You Are Saved.

(1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins (2) in which you previously walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain, the spirit now working in the disobedient. (3) We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. (4) But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, (5) made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved!
-- Ephesians 2:1-5 (HCS)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Thankful That I Have & Need No Other Savior

(10) No god was formed before Me,
and there will be none after Me.
(11) I, I am the LORD,
and there is no other Savior but Me.
-- Isaiah 43:10-11 (HCS)

Lord, I am so thankful that I have no other Savior and I need no other Savior but YOU!

Click here: Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart - YouTube

Because of my Lord, it is truly a Happy Thanksgiving!
I have a Grateful heart, Indeed!

P.S. My favorite Thanksgiving Story at link below:

Click here: Are You Ready For The King's Thanksgiving?

Seeing Many Things, Surrendering Everything

Though seeing many things, you do not obey.
-- Isaiah 42:20 (HCS)

Lord, I want my eyes to have Your perspective and my heart to also be willing to totally obey Your desires. I know that seeing what You want is not enough. I must surrender to what You want. In Your Holy Name, make it so in my never-dying soul. Amen.

Click here: Michael W Smith/Coalo Zamorano/I Surrender All

Seeing Many Things, I Surrender Everything... to You, My LORD!
Grateful

Hear. See. Obey.

Though seeing many things, you do not obey.
-- Isaiah 42:20 (HCS)

Lord, give to me at all times ears to hear Your voice, eyes to see Your vision, and a hunger to obey Your desires, totally. Make it difficult for me to disobey Your desires. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

In The Bleak Midwinter (Warmth For The Soul)

On a late night ride home from the airport, I replayed this song on my car stereo at least a dozen times. Though winter is approaching, it was a tender season of warmth for my soul, yes a real joy ride for sure. I pray the lyrics will also now warm your heart:

Click here: In The Bleak Midwinter - James Taylor - YouTube

"In the Bleak MidWinter"
(Original words written as a poem: Christina Rosetti)

In the bleak midwinter,
frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him,
nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air;
But His mother only,
in her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man,
I would do my part;
Yet what I can give Him: give my heart.

ALL JOY TO YOUR WORLD!
Grateful

I Will Hold You. I Will Keep You.

(6) "I, the LORD, have called you
for a righteous purpose,
and I will hold you by your hand.
I will keep you, and I make you
a covenant for the people
and a light to the nations,
(7) in order to open blind eyes,
to bring out prisoners from the dungeon,
and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.
(8) I am Yahweh, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
or my praise to idols.
(9) The past events have indeed happened.
Now I declare new events;
I announce them to you before they occur."
-- Isaiah 42:6-9 (HCS)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Stay Away From Deep Pits And Narrow Wells

(25) Let your father and mother have joy,
and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.
(26) My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
(27) For a prostitute is a deep pit,
and a forbidden woman is a narrow well;
(28) indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber
and increases those among men who are unfaithful.
-- Proverbs 23:25-28 (HCS)

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Those Who Have An Anxious Heart

(3A) Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
(4) Say to those who have an anxious heart,
"Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."
-- Isaiah 35:3-4(ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Walk By The Spirit

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
-- Galatians 5:16 (HCS)

...if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
-- Romans 8:13b (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Lord is Rising Up. Wait For Him.

(18) Therefore the LORD is waiting to show you mercy,
and is rising up to show you compassion,
for the LORD is a just God.
Happy are all who wait patiently for Him.
-- Isaiah 30:18 (HCS)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The One Who Believes? Unshakable!

Therefore the Lord GOD said:
"Look, I have laid a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
the one who believes will be unshakable."
-- Isaiah 28:16 (HCS)

Click here: On Christ the Solid Rock - YouTube

On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand!
Grateful

Quiet Confidence or Fast Horses?

(15) For the Lord GOD , the Holy One of Israel, has said:
"You will be delivered by returning and resting;
your strength will lie in quiet confidence.
But you are not willing."
(16) You say, "No!
We will escape on horses"—
therefore you will escape!—
and, "We will ride on fast horses"—
but those who pursue you will be faster.
(17) One thousand will flee at the threat of one,
at the threat of five you will flee,
until you alone remain
like a solitary pole on a mountaintop
or a banner on a hill.
-- Isaiah 30:15-17 (HCS)

Lord, we want to be found always entering into Your quiet confidence rather than ever attempting to escape Your Presence on fast horses.
Grateful

Your Life Is Like A Morning Fog...

Hear these sobering words from James 4:14-17 (NLT):

(14) How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
(15) What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
(16) Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
(17) Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Only one life will soon be past,
and only what's done for Christ will last.
-- Message on wall at my Granny and Granddaddy's homeplace

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Skidboot, One The Most Amazing And Obedient Of Men's Best Friends Ever

Lord willing, I will be preaching on obedience this coming Sunday at our local church. In doing the research for the message, I came across two of my favorite Youtube videos of all-time. Yes, watch these Youtubes of David Hartwig from Texas and his blue heeler dog named Skidboot. Skidboot is surely one of the most amazing and obedient of men's best friends ever.

Click here: The Amazing Skidboot - YouTube

Click here: Skidboot the Amazing Dog - YouTube

Oh yeah, and Luke 5:1-11 might encourage you and me towards obedience as well, so that Jesus can call us His "obedient friends" too:

(1) One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on Him to listen to the word of God. (2) He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. (3) Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So He sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. (4) When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” (5) “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” (6) And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! (7) A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. (8) When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” (9) For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. (10) His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” (11) And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. (NLT)

Let's Trust and Obey Jesus Totally!
Grateful

God Will Wipe Away Tears...

This morning my phone rang early with heart-wrenching news that a beloved husband and father in our local fellowship had passed away in the night. He was two years younger than me. As I made my way to the home to cry with his family, I needed God's Word to cling to. This passage continues to give me some measure of perspective and peace in the midst of the pain:

(8) He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
(9) It will be said on that day,
"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him,
that He might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for Him;
let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
-- Isaiah 25:8-9 (ESV)

Click here: Matt Maher - Hold Us Together - YouTube

Please pray for the precious wife and the dear sons that this beloved husband and father left behind. Pray that they will sense that God is holding them together with His Love and that the Hope of a Glad Reunion Day will begin to appear clearly before them.

Your Love Will Hold Us Together, Lord Jesus!
Grateful

Really Live!

Did it ever occur to you, that life was/is meant to be... LIVED!?

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
-- Words of Jesus in John 10:10b (NIV)

For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
-- Philippians 1:10 (NLT)

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
-- Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)

Let's Look to Jesus and Really Live!
Grateful

What Sorrow

(11) What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning
looking for a drink of alcohol
and spend long evenings drinking wine
to make themselves flaming drunk.
(12) They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties—
lyre and harp, tambourine and flute—
but they never think about the Lord
or notice what He is doing.
-- Isaiah 5:11-12 (NLT)

Lord, I never want to be so numb that I never think about You or notice what You are doing.
Grateful

In The Night...

(8) In the path of your judgments,
O LORD, we wait for you;
Your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
(9) My soul yearns for You in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks You.
-- Isaiah 26:8-9 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Grace Rain Down

I was truly blessed in October of 2011 to be invited to an overseas gathering for about 650 church leaders from Europe, Asia, and The Middle East. It was such a humbling and glorious experience for me. The worship leader, Dave, from Hamburg, Germany, wrote a theme song for the worship services. He was kind enough to share the song with me and our local church has now been singing it in our own worship gatherings. I share the lyrics with you now. Be blessed:

GRACE RAIN DOWN

1. We have come together, long to see You now
Nothing here is hidden, move Your Word in power
Jesus, breathe from heaven, fill Your Church with life
Grant us new beginnings, beautify Your Bride
With one voice we sing, sing to You, our King

Chorus:
Let Your grace rain down
On every city, every town
Fill the earth with Your renown
Let salvation come
To every tribe and every tongue
For the victory is won

2. We, the still and idle, humbly now repent
We need to be awakened by the One who sends
Re-ignite compassion, let the visions grow
Lead us to the margins, gladly we will go
So, our lives we bring, all to You, our King

Bridge:
May the love be shown and the seed be sown
May the bread be shared, broken lives repaired
May the rich ones give so the poor ones live
May the sick be healed, Christ the King revealed

Coda:
Let Your Kingdom come, Lord
Let it come in us
Let Your Kingdom come, Lord
Let it come through us

Written and Copyrighted by David Schnitter, 2011

His Grace is Enough!
Grateful

The Lord Will Make Himself Known

...He will send them a Savior and Defender, and deliver them (those who swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts). And the LORD will make Himself known...
-- From Isaiah 19:20-21 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Words Left Unsaid. Deeds Left Undone.

The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
--Harriet Beecher Stowe

Click here: If I Had Only Known - Reba McEntire

Lord, help us to live lives that minimize future regrets in our relationships.
Grateful

Do You Not Realize?

(5) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (6) I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
-- 2 Corinthians 14:5-6 (ESV)

Christ in you, the hope of glory! (Col. 1:27b)
Grateful

In God I Trust

(3) When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
(4) In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
(11) ...In God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
-- Psalm 56:3-4, 11 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Is Your All On The Altar?

In a precious conversation with my dear Christlike Mom, she reminded me of this old hymn. The lyrics are so searching:

You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.

Refrain:
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

Would you walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
And have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will,
To be free from all ill,
On the altar your all you must lay.

Oh, we never can know
What the Lord will bestow
Of the blessings for which we have prayed,
Till our body and soul
He doth fully control,
And our all on the altar is laid.

Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made;
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.

Holiness unto The LORD!
Grateful

His Resting Place

My prayer today is that you will know glorious rest
in the Lord Almighty's presence.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

...and His resting place shall be glorious.
-- From Isaiah 11:10 (ESV)

Holiness unto the LORD!
Grateful