I awoke this morning with a verse of Scripture on my mind, Galatians 2:20, and an old hymn of the church in my heart, There's Power in the Blood.
Galatians 2:20 is a foundational verse for my life:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NIV)
The words and music of the hymn in my heart were written by Lewis E. Jones in 1899. He wrote There's Power in the Blood at a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland:
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain
Crucified with You, My Christ, I find Power in Your Blood, my One and Only Source for Life Everlasting. Amen!
Grateful
Showing posts with label Calvary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calvary. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
I Belong Between The Bread & The Blood
We have now entered that season between Christmas and Easter.
During the Holy Days of the Christmas season, it slowly but surely struck me that Bethlehem is called The House of Bread and Calvary is all about The Blood.
As we live between The Bread and The Blood, let us be in constant Communion with The One Who was born as our Baby King. Yes, and let us be intentional about an ever-increasing intimate relationship with Immanuel, The Lamb Who was once (and for all-time) slain for our sins (but is now Alive forevermore!)
Soon enough we will find ourselves in that celebration season between His glorious Resurrection and His powerful Ascension with the remarkable reality of Pentecost on the horizon.
Lord Jesus, during every season leading up to my faith finally becoming sight -- on that Day when You return for me -- I want to belong to You, and never betray You! I belong between The Bread and The Blood. Amen!
Click link below for Kathryn Scott's song "I Belong":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9TchaiOck&feature=related
(23b) The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (25)In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (26) For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (27) Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. (28) A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. (29) For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. -- 1 Corinthians 18:23b-29 (NIV)
Lord, from Your first cry in Bethlehem's Manger to Your final cry on Calvary's Cross, You have given to me everything necessary to succeed spiritually in every season of life and death! You are so Faithful. Find me ever so...
...Grateful (for Bethlehem's Bread and Calvary's Blood!)
During the Holy Days of the Christmas season, it slowly but surely struck me that Bethlehem is called The House of Bread and Calvary is all about The Blood.
As we live between The Bread and The Blood, let us be in constant Communion with The One Who was born as our Baby King. Yes, and let us be intentional about an ever-increasing intimate relationship with Immanuel, The Lamb Who was once (and for all-time) slain for our sins (but is now Alive forevermore!)
Soon enough we will find ourselves in that celebration season between His glorious Resurrection and His powerful Ascension with the remarkable reality of Pentecost on the horizon.
Lord Jesus, during every season leading up to my faith finally becoming sight -- on that Day when You return for me -- I want to belong to You, and never betray You! I belong between The Bread and The Blood. Amen!
Click link below for Kathryn Scott's song "I Belong":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9TchaiOck&feature=related
(23b) The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (25)In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (26) For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (27) Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. (28) A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. (29) For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. -- 1 Corinthians 18:23b-29 (NIV)
Lord, from Your first cry in Bethlehem's Manger to Your final cry on Calvary's Cross, You have given to me everything necessary to succeed spiritually in every season of life and death! You are so Faithful. Find me ever so...
...Grateful (for Bethlehem's Bread and Calvary's Blood!)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Holidays on the Horizon
I just want to say I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays on the horizon. Today, I just give thanks in advance before the holy days actually arrive, yes I give all thanks to our Generous God Who loved us so much that He gave us His one and only Son, sending Him to Bethlehem's manger so He could journey on to Calvary's Cross, to save and to sanctify our souls.
Meet me at John 3:16-17.
IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful
Meet me at John 3:16-17.
IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Go to Calvary. Breathe Again.
For as long as I can remember, my Aunt Edith (my Dad’s only sister and only sibling) has been the organist at the church where I was raised – Free Grace Wesleyan Church. She’s not a flashy musician, but she is talented and dependable and her love for the Lord invites breathless souls to breathe again.
Aunt Edith was always content to let the pianist choose the selections for praise and worship. I only remember once when she requested we learn a new hymn. Well, it was written in 1921 by Jennie Hussey, so it wasn’t exactly “new”, but you know what I mean. It was “new” to us. As Aunt Edith passionately shared, it was obvious that this “new” hymn was a personal prayer from her very alive soul.
By the theme of the hymn, it must have been the season leading up to Easter when Aunt Edith brought it to our attention. The title is “Lead Me to Calvary”. To this day, whenever I think on the wonderful words of “Lead Me to Calvary”, it inspires and challenges me to consider each word carefully and prayerfully.
Here are the loving lyrics now. Let’s remember that before we can breathe again on Easter Resurrection Sunday, first the Lord must “Lead Us to Calvary!”
(1) King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
(Chorus)
Lest I forget Gethsemane, Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.
(2) Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.
(3) Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.
(4) May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.
Lord, I do not ever want to forget Your love for me. I want to go to Gethsemane and to Calvary, yes through Your agony, so my eternal soul can in gratitude breathe again – inhaling and exhaling for forever Your Resurrection Life. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful
Aunt Edith was always content to let the pianist choose the selections for praise and worship. I only remember once when she requested we learn a new hymn. Well, it was written in 1921 by Jennie Hussey, so it wasn’t exactly “new”, but you know what I mean. It was “new” to us. As Aunt Edith passionately shared, it was obvious that this “new” hymn was a personal prayer from her very alive soul.
By the theme of the hymn, it must have been the season leading up to Easter when Aunt Edith brought it to our attention. The title is “Lead Me to Calvary”. To this day, whenever I think on the wonderful words of “Lead Me to Calvary”, it inspires and challenges me to consider each word carefully and prayerfully.
Here are the loving lyrics now. Let’s remember that before we can breathe again on Easter Resurrection Sunday, first the Lord must “Lead Us to Calvary!”
(1) King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
(Chorus)
Lest I forget Gethsemane, Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.
(2) Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.
(3) Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.
(4) May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.
Lord, I do not ever want to forget Your love for me. I want to go to Gethsemane and to Calvary, yes through Your agony, so my eternal soul can in gratitude breathe again – inhaling and exhaling for forever Your Resurrection Life. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful
Monday, February 22, 2010
Only Over My Dead Body
But God put His love on the line for us by offering His Son in sacrificial death... Romans 5:8a
Supporting Scripture Readings: Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
It was early-spring 1992. My photography schedule led me to an elementary school along the Carolina coastline to photograph the basketball team and cheerleaders. After the photo-shoot ended, I left out the front doors of the old field house. In my mind, I was focusing on a message I would be preaching in my first revival meeting as a bi-vocational evangelist that night. I whispered under my breath to God: "How can a loving God send people to Hell?" As soon as the thought slipped through my mind, a passionate whisper within my heart cried out: “I am a loving God. I don’t send people to Hell. Set your camera cases down. I’m about to give you a visual illustration of My love.” I sat my cases down immediately and buttoned my coat to shield my neck from the bone-chilling breezes.
God’s breathtaking-visual-illustration was already underway.A kindergarten teacher had her class outside for recess. As she stood with her back against the school house, her students were in the midst of a simple but profound running exercise. The children were told to run away from their teacher about 50 yards, touch a chain-link fence, and then return back to be reunited and congratulated by their teacher.I noticed that a few boys were exercising rebellion. They were not touching the chain-link fence and returning. They were instead trying hard to climb over the chain-link fence. On the other side of the chain-link fence was the community cemetery. The graveyard was their goal.As I picked up my camera cases and continued my trek to my vehicle, I passed close by the teacher. Most of the kids were returning to her applause and affirmation. She lovingly said to each returning student: "You’re a winner!" Yes, everyone who finished won the race. In between affirming those who were obeying the rules of the exercise, she continued to call out to the boys who were scaling the cemetery fence.
God’s whisper within my heart now seemed more passionate: "The chain-link fence is Calvary. Life, like this kindergarten recess exercise, is a race intended to be a run to the chain-link fence and back to Me. On the other side of the chain-link fence is death (Hell). When my Son died on the Cross, My Love drew a line in the sands of time, erected a fence, so that anyone who goes to Hell will have to climb over the fence of my Son’s crucifixion. Even while some are climbing the fence, I continue to call them back to Me. In other words, in His sacrificial death, my only Son, Jesus, was crying out, 'Only over my dead body will people go to Hell. I don’t send people there, but they can choose to scale the fence.'”
With the lesson on God's Love learned, I smiled at the teacher and said: "I think all the kids are coming back to you now. They look really tired running in these cold breezes." With a smile she said: "Yes, I’ll take them inside now, give them milk and cookies, and let them get some rest." WOW! I thought. The teacher's words were the exact reverse of Hell -- Heaven.
IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful
Supporting Scripture Readings: Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
It was early-spring 1992. My photography schedule led me to an elementary school along the Carolina coastline to photograph the basketball team and cheerleaders. After the photo-shoot ended, I left out the front doors of the old field house. In my mind, I was focusing on a message I would be preaching in my first revival meeting as a bi-vocational evangelist that night. I whispered under my breath to God: "How can a loving God send people to Hell?" As soon as the thought slipped through my mind, a passionate whisper within my heart cried out: “I am a loving God. I don’t send people to Hell. Set your camera cases down. I’m about to give you a visual illustration of My love.” I sat my cases down immediately and buttoned my coat to shield my neck from the bone-chilling breezes.
God’s breathtaking-visual-illustration was already underway.A kindergarten teacher had her class outside for recess. As she stood with her back against the school house, her students were in the midst of a simple but profound running exercise. The children were told to run away from their teacher about 50 yards, touch a chain-link fence, and then return back to be reunited and congratulated by their teacher.I noticed that a few boys were exercising rebellion. They were not touching the chain-link fence and returning. They were instead trying hard to climb over the chain-link fence. On the other side of the chain-link fence was the community cemetery. The graveyard was their goal.As I picked up my camera cases and continued my trek to my vehicle, I passed close by the teacher. Most of the kids were returning to her applause and affirmation. She lovingly said to each returning student: "You’re a winner!" Yes, everyone who finished won the race. In between affirming those who were obeying the rules of the exercise, she continued to call out to the boys who were scaling the cemetery fence.
God’s whisper within my heart now seemed more passionate: "The chain-link fence is Calvary. Life, like this kindergarten recess exercise, is a race intended to be a run to the chain-link fence and back to Me. On the other side of the chain-link fence is death (Hell). When my Son died on the Cross, My Love drew a line in the sands of time, erected a fence, so that anyone who goes to Hell will have to climb over the fence of my Son’s crucifixion. Even while some are climbing the fence, I continue to call them back to Me. In other words, in His sacrificial death, my only Son, Jesus, was crying out, 'Only over my dead body will people go to Hell. I don’t send people there, but they can choose to scale the fence.'”
With the lesson on God's Love learned, I smiled at the teacher and said: "I think all the kids are coming back to you now. They look really tired running in these cold breezes." With a smile she said: "Yes, I’ll take them inside now, give them milk and cookies, and let them get some rest." WOW! I thought. The teacher's words were the exact reverse of Hell -- Heaven.
IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful
Friday, December 25, 2009
The Other John 3:16? Give Up?
We're all familiar with John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
But I invite you to also consider with me on this wonderful Christmas Day the similar words of the other John 3:16. THE OTHER JOHN 3:16? Yes, 1 John 3:16. Here it is: We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.
Abba Father, on this Christmas Day, we give praise to You for so loving us that on that first Christmas Day You gave us Your only Son in Bethlehem's Manger. We are so grateful, too, that we know even more clearly what real love is because Your only Son gave up His life for us on Calvary's Cross. Help us to now GIVE UP our own lives for our Christian brothers and sisters so that we will prove to the world that we are Yours. Amen.
ALL.. JOY TO YOUR WORLD... All the boys and girls, now!
Grateful
But I invite you to also consider with me on this wonderful Christmas Day the similar words of the other John 3:16. THE OTHER JOHN 3:16? Yes, 1 John 3:16. Here it is: We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.
Abba Father, on this Christmas Day, we give praise to You for so loving us that on that first Christmas Day You gave us Your only Son in Bethlehem's Manger. We are so grateful, too, that we know even more clearly what real love is because Your only Son gave up His life for us on Calvary's Cross. Help us to now GIVE UP our own lives for our Christian brothers and sisters so that we will prove to the world that we are Yours. Amen.
ALL.. JOY TO YOUR WORLD... All the boys and girls, now!
Grateful
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