Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Worth the Wait" by Samantha Chambo for Thursday, 22 February 2018 - Luke 2:36 There was also a prophet named Hannah Bat-P’nu’el, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman — she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage 37 and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying. 38 She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.39 When Yosef and Miryam had finished doing everything required by the Torah of Adonai, they returned to the Galil, to their town Natzeret.
40 The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom — God’s favor was upon him.
41 Every year Yeshua’s parents went to Yerushalayim for the festival of Pesach. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival, as custom required. 43 But after the festival was over, when his parents returned, Yeshua remained in Yerushalayim. They didn’t realize this; 44 supposing that he was somewhere in the caravan, they spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for him among their relatives and friends. 45 Failing to find him, they returned to Yerushalayim to look for him. 46 On the third day they found him — he was sitting in the Temple court among the rabbis, not only listening to them but questioning what they said; 47 and everyone who heard him was astonished at his insight and his responses.
***
Waiting is one of the most difficult facts of life, even harder because we live in such an instant technological society. Advertising promotes that we should have everything we want and have it now. However, waiting is unavoidable. The question is this: How are we going to wait?
In Luke 2, Anna is a prime example of one who waits on God with anticipation that He will show up. The great thing about Anna is that she enjoyed God’s presence while she waited. Anna spent her days praising God, fasting, and worshiping. She was now 84, but never lost hope. Finally, Mary and Joseph showed up at the temple with Jesus. Anna burst out in a song of praise and thanksgiving. She proclaimed God’s faithfulness; she rejoiced to witness His deliverance. Anna knew that God had come to redeem His people.
Waiting is unavoidable for Christians. We all wait for the second coming of Christ when our salvation will be complete. Sometimes we wait for things we need in life. It is wonderful to know that we can wait with confidence. God is faithful, and He will not disappoint. However, we must choose to wait like Anna, in an attitude of worship.
Hymn for Today "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" by Luisa M. R.Stead
1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
2. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
3. Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
4. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Thought for Today: For the leader. A psalm of David:
I waited patiently for Adonai,
till he turned toward me and heard my cry.(Psalm 40:1)
Please pray: For the child development programs that minister to children in Eurasia.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "For Whom Are You Doing It?" by Samantha Chambo for Wednesday, 21 February 2018 - Zechariah 7:1 In the fourth year of King Daryavesh, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, a message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah. 2 He sent Sar’etzer and Regem-Melekh with his men to Beit-El in order to ask Adonai’s favor, 3 as they inquired of the cohanim of the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot and the prophets, “Should we go into mourning and abstain from pleasure during the fifth month, as we have been doing for all these years?” 4 It was then that this message came to me from Adonai-Tzva’ot: 5 “Speak to all the people of the land and to the cohanim. Tell them, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months throughout these seventy years, were you really fasting for me? Was it for me? 6 Rather, when you eat and drink, it’s just to please yourselves, isn’t it? 7 Isn’t this just what Adonai proclaimed through the earlier prophets, when Yerushalayim was inhabited and prosperous, as were the cities around her; and the Negev and the Sh’felah were inhabited?’”
8 Then this message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah: 9 “In the past Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘Administer true justice. Let everyone show mercy and compassion to his brother. 10 Don’t oppress widows, orphans, foreigners or poor people. Don’t plot evil against each other.’ 11 But they wouldn’t listen, they stubbornly turned their shoulder away and stopped up their ears, so that they wouldn’t have to hear it. 12 Yes, they made their hearts as hard as a diamond, so that they wouldn’t hear the Torah and the messages that Adonai-Tzva’ot had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. This is why great anger came from Adonai-Tzva’ot; 13 and it came about that just as they hadn’t listened when he called, so Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘I won’t listen when they call;
***
The feeling of being excluded is very painful. Perhaps all humans are acquainted with this, because we have all been excluded at some time or the other. Yet, can God feel excluded and rejected?
Consider the prophecy of Zechariah. God says that even the things that were supposed to be for Him, like fasting and religious festivals, now exclude Him. It was all about the worshipers–their agendas and desires–and God, instead of being worshiped, was left standing on the outside. God says, “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her” (Zechariah 8:2). God knows when He is being left out.
How do we know if our worship is genuine and not for self-gratification? By the manner in which we treat the people God loves, by how we treat the widow, the fatherless, the foreigner, or the poor. Because whatever we do for the people He loves, we do it for Him.
It is fortunate that God’s response to our worship does not depend on our performance, but on His loving kindness. He is always ready to accept and forgive us when we take notice of His Word and respond in obedience to His direction.
Hymn for Today: "Do Turn Him Away" by Haldor Lillenas copyright 1925, Renewed 1953 by Lillenas Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Thought for Today: Here, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me.(Revelation 3:20)
Please pray: For the compassionate ministries among the poor and in disaster areas of Eurasia.
***8 Then this message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah: 9 “In the past Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘Administer true justice. Let everyone show mercy and compassion to his brother. 10 Don’t oppress widows, orphans, foreigners or poor people. Don’t plot evil against each other.’ 11 But they wouldn’t listen, they stubbornly turned their shoulder away and stopped up their ears, so that they wouldn’t have to hear it. 12 Yes, they made their hearts as hard as a diamond, so that they wouldn’t hear the Torah and the messages that Adonai-Tzva’ot had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. This is why great anger came from Adonai-Tzva’ot; 13 and it came about that just as they hadn’t listened when he called, so Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘I won’t listen when they call;
***
The feeling of being excluded is very painful. Perhaps all humans are acquainted with this, because we have all been excluded at some time or the other. Yet, can God feel excluded and rejected?
Consider the prophecy of Zechariah. God says that even the things that were supposed to be for Him, like fasting and religious festivals, now exclude Him. It was all about the worshipers–their agendas and desires–and God, instead of being worshiped, was left standing on the outside. God says, “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her” (Zechariah 8:2). God knows when He is being left out.
How do we know if our worship is genuine and not for self-gratification? By the manner in which we treat the people God loves, by how we treat the widow, the fatherless, the foreigner, or the poor. Because whatever we do for the people He loves, we do it for Him.
It is fortunate that God’s response to our worship does not depend on our performance, but on His loving kindness. He is always ready to accept and forgive us when we take notice of His Word and respond in obedience to His direction.
Hymn for Today: "Do Turn Him Away" by Haldor Lillenas copyright 1925, Renewed 1953 by Lillenas Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Please pray: For the compassionate ministries among the poor and in disaster areas of Eurasia.
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "It’s A Heart Thing" by Samantha Chambo for Tuesday, 20 February 2018 - Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” says Adonai,
“turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping and lamenting.”
13 Tear your heart, not your garments;
and turn to Adonai your God.
For he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in grace,
and willing to change his mind about disaster.
14 Who knows? He may turn, change his mind
and leave a blessing behind him,
[enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings
to present to Adonai your God.
15 “Blow the shofar in Tziyon!
Proclaim a holy fast,
call for a solemn assembly.”
16 Gather the people; consecrate the congregation;
assemble the leaders; gather the children,
even infants sucking at the breast;
let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride the bridal chamber.
17 Let the cohanim, who serve Adonai,
stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Adonai!
Don’t expose your heritage to mockery,
or make them a byward among the Goyim.
Why should the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then Adonai will become jealous for his land
and have pity on his people.
19 Here is how Adonai will answer his people:
“I will send you grain, wine and olive oil,
enough to satisfy you;
and no longer will I make you
a mockery among the Goyim.
20 No, I will take the northerner away,
far away from you,
and drive him to a land
that is waste and barren;
with his vanguard toward the eastern sea
and his rearguard toward the western sea,
his stench and his rottenness will rise,
because he has done great things.”
21 Don’t fear, O soil; be glad! rejoice!
for Adonai has done great things.
***
At times we feel ravaged, like someone impacted by a locust plague. It might be in our finances, health, or relationships. We question: What did I do to deserve this? Friends may assure us, “Bad things happen!” This may be true, but at times God uses difficulties to get our attention. Perhaps our hearts have wandered away from Him. If so, it is time to fall on our knees in repentance and beg God’s forgiveness.
We are to rend our hearts. In Israel, clothing was torn as a sign of deep grief. It signified the shedding of pride. God calls for a deeper expression, one that tears our “heart,” the hidden, deepest parts of ourselves. Then the Holy Spirit can reveal the idols that took God’s place. This allows God access to our most vulnerable parts, and this can be scary.
However, we can trust God, for He is "merciul and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish" (Joel 2:13). Rending our hearts assures a positive response from God. He will have pity on us and answer us and restore us (Joel 2:18-20). He will restore our joy if we call on His name with our whole hearts.
Hymn for Today: "Just As I Am" by Charlotte Elliott
1. Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
2. Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
3. Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
6. Just as I am, thy love unknown
hath broken every barrier down;
now, to be thine, yea thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Thought for Today: “Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased;(Acts 3:19)
Please pray: That many young people in Eurasia will be called into Christian ministry.
***“turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping and lamenting.”
13 Tear your heart, not your garments;
and turn to Adonai your God.
For he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in grace,
and willing to change his mind about disaster.
14 Who knows? He may turn, change his mind
and leave a blessing behind him,
[enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings
to present to Adonai your God.
15 “Blow the shofar in Tziyon!
Proclaim a holy fast,
call for a solemn assembly.”
16 Gather the people; consecrate the congregation;
assemble the leaders; gather the children,
even infants sucking at the breast;
let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride the bridal chamber.
17 Let the cohanim, who serve Adonai,
stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Adonai!
Don’t expose your heritage to mockery,
or make them a byward among the Goyim.
Why should the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then Adonai will become jealous for his land
and have pity on his people.
19 Here is how Adonai will answer his people:
“I will send you grain, wine and olive oil,
enough to satisfy you;
and no longer will I make you
a mockery among the Goyim.
20 No, I will take the northerner away,
far away from you,
and drive him to a land
that is waste and barren;
with his vanguard toward the eastern sea
and his rearguard toward the western sea,
his stench and his rottenness will rise,
because he has done great things.”
21 Don’t fear, O soil; be glad! rejoice!
for Adonai has done great things.
***
At times we feel ravaged, like someone impacted by a locust plague. It might be in our finances, health, or relationships. We question: What did I do to deserve this? Friends may assure us, “Bad things happen!” This may be true, but at times God uses difficulties to get our attention. Perhaps our hearts have wandered away from Him. If so, it is time to fall on our knees in repentance and beg God’s forgiveness.
We are to rend our hearts. In Israel, clothing was torn as a sign of deep grief. It signified the shedding of pride. God calls for a deeper expression, one that tears our “heart,” the hidden, deepest parts of ourselves. Then the Holy Spirit can reveal the idols that took God’s place. This allows God access to our most vulnerable parts, and this can be scary.
However, we can trust God, for He is "merciul and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish" (Joel 2:13). Rending our hearts assures a positive response from God. He will have pity on us and answer us and restore us (Joel 2:18-20). He will restore our joy if we call on His name with our whole hearts.
Hymn for Today: "Just As I Am" by Charlotte Elliott
1. Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
2. Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
3. Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
6. Just as I am, thy love unknown
hath broken every barrier down;
now, to be thine, yea thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Thought for Today: “Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased;(Acts 3:19)
Please pray: That many young people in Eurasia will be called into Christian ministry.
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "The Way to Joy" by Samantha Chambo for Monday, 19 February 2018 - Isaiah 58:1 Shout out loud! Don’t hold back!
Raise your voice like a shofar!
Proclaim to my people what rebels they are,
to the house of Ya‘akov their sins.
2 “Oh yes, they seek me day after day
and [claim to] delight in knowing my ways.
As if they were an upright nation
that had not abandoned the rulings of their God,
they ask me for just rulings
and [claim] to take pleasure in closeness to God,
3 [asking,] ‘Why should we fast, if you don’t see?
Why mortify ourselves, if you don’t notice?’
“Here is my answer: when you fast,
you go about doing whatever you like,
while keeping your laborers hard at work.
4 Your fasts lead to quarreling and fighting,
to lashing out with violent blows.
On a day like today, fasting like yours
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the sort of fast I want,
a day when a person mortifies himself?
Is the object to hang your head like a reed
and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day that pleases Adonai?
6 “Here is the sort of fast I want —
releasing those unjustly bound,
untying the thongs of the yoke,
letting the oppressed go free,
breaking every yoke,
7 sharing your food with the hungry,
taking the homeless poor into your house,
clothing the naked when you see them,
fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!”
8 Then your light will burst forth like the morning,
your new skin will quickly grow over your wound;
your righteousness will precede you,
and Adonai’s glory will follow you.
9 Then you will call, and Adonai will answer;
you will cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you will remove the yoke from among you,
stop false accusation and slander,
10 generously offer food to the hungry
and meet the needs of the person in trouble;
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your gloom become like noon.
11 Adonai will always guide you;
he will satisfy your needs in the desert,
he will renew the strength in your limbs;
so that you will be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
12 You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
raise foundations from ages past,
and be called “Repairer of broken walls,
Restorer of streets to live in.”
13 “If you hold back your foot on Shabbat
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call Shabbat a delight,
Adonai’s holy day, worth honoring;
then honor it by not doing your usual things
or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.
14 If you do, you will find delight in Adonai —
I will make you ride on the heights of the land
and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya‘akov,
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”
***
The way to joy is through community. Many times we worship as selfish acts of dedication, a means to affirm our Christian identity, or to get God to give us what we want. However, Isaiah 58 says joy is found in community with God and others. Community with God happens when we delight in Him, so our acts of worship are not just an obligation, but reveling in the nearness of our God.
It is also about serving the people that God loves, seeing their needs and meeting them. It’s about serving others justly and self-sacrificially, as Christ did. These are the two sides of the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-39). It is loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor. Observing rituals of worship might be loving God, but ignoring the people that He loves makes for half-baked worship and thus is unacceptable to God. A holistic approach to worship leads to an abundance of blessings, but the greatest of all is hearing the Lord say: “Here I am” (Isaiah 58:9). There is no greater joy than this.
Hymn for Today: "Redeeming Lord" by Charles Wesley
1. All praise to our redeeming Lord,
Who joins us by His grace
And bids us, each to each restored,
Together seek His face.
2. He bids us build each other up;
And gathered into one,
To our high calling’s glorious hope,
We hand in hand go on.
3. And if our fellowship below
In Jesus be so sweet,
What greater blessings shall we know
When round His throne we meet?
Thought for Today: Drive them away as smoke is driven away;
like wax melting in the presence of a fire,
let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
But let the righteous rejoice and be glad in God’s presence;
yes, let them exult and rejoice.(Psalm 68:3)
Please pray: For the training of Christian leaders through extension in Eurasia.
***Raise your voice like a shofar!
Proclaim to my people what rebels they are,
to the house of Ya‘akov their sins.
2 “Oh yes, they seek me day after day
and [claim to] delight in knowing my ways.
As if they were an upright nation
that had not abandoned the rulings of their God,
they ask me for just rulings
and [claim] to take pleasure in closeness to God,
3 [asking,] ‘Why should we fast, if you don’t see?
Why mortify ourselves, if you don’t notice?’
“Here is my answer: when you fast,
you go about doing whatever you like,
while keeping your laborers hard at work.
4 Your fasts lead to quarreling and fighting,
to lashing out with violent blows.
On a day like today, fasting like yours
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the sort of fast I want,
a day when a person mortifies himself?
Is the object to hang your head like a reed
and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day that pleases Adonai?
6 “Here is the sort of fast I want —
releasing those unjustly bound,
untying the thongs of the yoke,
letting the oppressed go free,
breaking every yoke,
7 sharing your food with the hungry,
taking the homeless poor into your house,
clothing the naked when you see them,
fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!”
8 Then your light will burst forth like the morning,
your new skin will quickly grow over your wound;
your righteousness will precede you,
and Adonai’s glory will follow you.
9 Then you will call, and Adonai will answer;
you will cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you will remove the yoke from among you,
stop false accusation and slander,
10 generously offer food to the hungry
and meet the needs of the person in trouble;
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your gloom become like noon.
11 Adonai will always guide you;
he will satisfy your needs in the desert,
he will renew the strength in your limbs;
so that you will be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
12 You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
raise foundations from ages past,
and be called “Repairer of broken walls,
Restorer of streets to live in.”
13 “If you hold back your foot on Shabbat
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call Shabbat a delight,
Adonai’s holy day, worth honoring;
then honor it by not doing your usual things
or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.
14 If you do, you will find delight in Adonai —
I will make you ride on the heights of the land
and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya‘akov,
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”
***
The way to joy is through community. Many times we worship as selfish acts of dedication, a means to affirm our Christian identity, or to get God to give us what we want. However, Isaiah 58 says joy is found in community with God and others. Community with God happens when we delight in Him, so our acts of worship are not just an obligation, but reveling in the nearness of our God.
It is also about serving the people that God loves, seeing their needs and meeting them. It’s about serving others justly and self-sacrificially, as Christ did. These are the two sides of the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-39). It is loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor. Observing rituals of worship might be loving God, but ignoring the people that He loves makes for half-baked worship and thus is unacceptable to God. A holistic approach to worship leads to an abundance of blessings, but the greatest of all is hearing the Lord say: “Here I am” (Isaiah 58:9). There is no greater joy than this.
Hymn for Today: "Redeeming Lord" by Charles Wesley
1. All praise to our redeeming Lord,
Who joins us by His grace
And bids us, each to each restored,
Together seek His face.
2. He bids us build each other up;
And gathered into one,
To our high calling’s glorious hope,
We hand in hand go on.
3. And if our fellowship below
In Jesus be so sweet,
What greater blessings shall we know
When round His throne we meet?
Thought for Today: Drive them away as smoke is driven away;
like wax melting in the presence of a fire,
let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
But let the righteous rejoice and be glad in God’s presence;
yes, let them exult and rejoice.(Psalm 68:3)
Please pray: For the training of Christian leaders through extension in Eurasia.
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Our Constant Hope" by Nora Brush for Sunday, 18 February 2018 - Psalm 25:13 He will remain prosperous,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 Adonai relates intimately with those who fear him;
he makes them know his covenant.
15 My eyes are always directed toward Adonai,
for he will free my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, and show me your favor;
for I am alone and oppressed.
17 The troubles of my heart are growing and growing;
bring me out of my distress.
18 See my affliction and suffering,
and take all my sins away.
19 Consider my enemies, how many there are
and how cruelly they hate me.
20 Protect me and rescue me;
don’t let me be disgraced,
for I take refuge in you.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
because my hope is in you.
22 God! Redeem Isra’el
from all their troubles!
***
In Psalm 25, David is really in trouble. His enemies are closing in. His problems are multiplying. He is lonely, afflicted, and distressed. Sometimes life is like that, isn’t it? There may be trouble at work, conflict in the family, sickness, or financial difficulty. These are times to seek God.
David not only lays out his troubles before the Lord, he also opens his heart. He has sin to confess. David leans on God’s mercy and seeks forgiveness. When our relationship with God is right, we can rely on Him for instruction and deliverance. In Psalm 25:12 we read, “Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.”
David had traps set for him by King Saul. He had done Saul no evil and did not deserve to be hunted down. Therefore David could plead, “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you” (v. 21).
We can claim integrity and uprightness when we know God has cleansed our hearts from sin and His Spirit lives within. Even more important is knowing our hope is in the Lord. He desires to be our comfort and strong deliverer. Take refuge in Him.
Hymn for Today: "Children of the Heavenly Father" by Caroline V. Sandel-Berg; translated by Ernst W. Olson.
1. Children of the heav'nly Father,
safely in His bosom gather;
nestling bird nor star in heaven
such a refuge e’er was given.
2. God His own doth tend and nourish;
in His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
in His mighty arms He bears them.
3. Neither life nor death shall ever
from the Lord His children sever;
unto them His grace He showeth,
and their sorrows all He knoweth.
4. Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
to preserve them pure and holy.
Thought for Today: “Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows my name, I will protect him.(Psalm 91:14)
Please pray: That Christians in the area of Eurasia who are resistant to the Gospel of will be strengthen in their faith and be filled with the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
***and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 Adonai relates intimately with those who fear him;
he makes them know his covenant.
15 My eyes are always directed toward Adonai,
for he will free my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, and show me your favor;
for I am alone and oppressed.
17 The troubles of my heart are growing and growing;
bring me out of my distress.
18 See my affliction and suffering,
and take all my sins away.
19 Consider my enemies, how many there are
and how cruelly they hate me.
20 Protect me and rescue me;
don’t let me be disgraced,
for I take refuge in you.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
because my hope is in you.
22 God! Redeem Isra’el
from all their troubles!
***
In Psalm 25, David is really in trouble. His enemies are closing in. His problems are multiplying. He is lonely, afflicted, and distressed. Sometimes life is like that, isn’t it? There may be trouble at work, conflict in the family, sickness, or financial difficulty. These are times to seek God.
David not only lays out his troubles before the Lord, he also opens his heart. He has sin to confess. David leans on God’s mercy and seeks forgiveness. When our relationship with God is right, we can rely on Him for instruction and deliverance. In Psalm 25:12 we read, “Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.”
David had traps set for him by King Saul. He had done Saul no evil and did not deserve to be hunted down. Therefore David could plead, “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you” (v. 21).
We can claim integrity and uprightness when we know God has cleansed our hearts from sin and His Spirit lives within. Even more important is knowing our hope is in the Lord. He desires to be our comfort and strong deliverer. Take refuge in Him.
Hymn for Today: "Children of the Heavenly Father" by Caroline V. Sandel-Berg; translated by Ernst W. Olson.
1. Children of the heav'nly Father,
safely in His bosom gather;
nestling bird nor star in heaven
such a refuge e’er was given.
2. God His own doth tend and nourish;
in His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
in His mighty arms He bears them.
3. Neither life nor death shall ever
from the Lord His children sever;
unto them His grace He showeth,
and their sorrows all He knoweth.
4. Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
to preserve them pure and holy.
Thought for Today: “Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows my name, I will protect him.(Psalm 91:14)
Please pray: That Christians in the area of Eurasia who are resistant to the Gospel of will be strengthen in their faith and be filled with the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "In All Things" by Duane Brush for Saturday, 17 February 2018 - Romans 8:28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose; 29 because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; 30 and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified!
31 What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all — is it possible that, having given us his Son, he would not give us everything else too? 33 So who will bring a charge against God’s chosen people? Certainly not God — he is the one who causes them to be considered righteous! 34 Who punishes them? Certainly not the Messiah Yeshua, who died and — more than that — has been raised, is at the right hand of God and is actually pleading on our behalf! 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War? 36 As the Tanakh puts it,
“For your sake we are being put to death all day long,
we are considered sheep to be slaughtered.”[Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:23(22)]
37 No, in all these things we are superconquerors, through the one who has loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, 39 neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
***
I can appreciate the cautions I have heard from pulpits against the “name it and claim it” word-of-faith type of theology. Sometimes this type of faith is fixated on material things like wealth and physical health. Romans 8:28-39 encourages us to trust God for much more: “all things.”
Notice that the “all things” God gives does not include release from all suffering, but it does contain a promise of future glory (vv. 17-18). We are promised the hope that brings salvation (v. 24). We are promised the Holy Spirit’s assistance in our prayers (vv. 26-27). “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (v. 28, emphasis added). What is His purpose? “He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (v. 29). We may face “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword,” yet “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (vv. 35, 37, emphasis added). Nothing can separate us from His love. Now, that is a promise I can cling to!
Hymn for Today: "O to be Like Thee" by Thomas O. Chisholm
1. O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer;
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
2. O to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinners to find.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
3. O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
4. O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing;
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
5. O to be like Thee! While I am pleading
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love.
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit for a life which Thou wouldst approve.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Thought for Today: But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(Matthew 6:33)
Please pray: That people in areas of Eurasia that are resistant to the Gospel will have the opportunity to hear about God's Grace and Forgiveness.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Minister of Encouragement" by Duane Brush for Friday, 16 February 2018 - Acts 11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution which had arisen over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch; they spoke God’s word, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of these, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, when they arrived at Antioch, began speaking to the Greeks too, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Yeshua. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people trusted and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the ears of the Messianic community in Yerushalayim, and they sent Bar-Nabba to Antioch. 23 On arriving and seeing for himself the grace of God at work, he was glad; and he encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with their whole hearts; 24 for he was a good man, full of the Ruach HaKodesh and trust.
25 Then Bar-Nabba went off to Tarsus to look for Sha’ul; 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They met with the congregation there for a whole year and taught a sizeable crowd. Also it was in Antioch that the talmidim for the first time were called “Messianic.”
27 During this time, some prophets came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch; 28 and one of them named Agav stood up and through the Spirit predicted that there was going to be a severe famine throughout the Roman Empire. (It took place while Claudius was Emperor.) 29 So the talmidim decided to provide relief to the brothers living in Y’hudah, each according to his means; 30 and they did it, sending their contribution to the elders in the care of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.
***
In my first pastorate, my office was in the former parsonage. I would often hear the front door open and steps approaching. There would be a gentle tap on my office door, then the face of Brother Hamilton would appear. He was in his 80s, a former farm boy who was literally called from the field to serve Christ. He had served mostly small rural congregations. “I liked to get them small and build them up,” he would say.
“I can see you’re busy. I just stopped by to say a word of prayer for you, and then I’ll be gone.” We would bow our heads. “Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for bringing our Brother Brush here to be our pastor. Bless Him with Thy Spirit and guide Him as He studies Thy Word. Keep His heart close to Thee. Bless his dear family and provide for their needs. All this we pray in Jesus’ wonderful name. Amen.” He would shake my hand and say, “We appreciate you.” Then he was gone.
I never used Brother Hamilton’s first name; it wasn’t the fashion for his generation. Nevertheless, he was my Barnabas, my “son of encouragement.”
Hymn for Today: "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" by John Fawcett, 1740-1817
1. Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
2. Before our Father's throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
3. We share each other's woes,
our mutual burdens bear;
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
4. When we asunder part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.
Thought for Today: And may God, the source of encouragement and patience, give you the same attitude among yourselves as the Messiah Yeshua had,(Romans 15:5)
Please pray: For the faculty and students as they prepare for Christian ministry in the United Kingdom.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Our Hope For Revival" by Duane Brush for Thursday, 15 February 2018 - Nehemiah 9:9 “‘You saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt
and heard their cry by the Sea of Suf.
10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
against all his servants and the people of the land;
for you knew how arrogantly they treated them;
and you won yourself a name which is yours to this day.
11 You divided the sea ahead of them,
so that they could pass through the sea on dry land;
then you hurled their pursuers into the depths,
like a stone into turbulent waters.
12 “‘In a column of cloud you led them by day,
and by night in a column of fire,
so that they would have light ahead of them
on the way that they were to go.
13 “‘You descended on Mount Sinai
and spoke with them from heaven.
You gave them right rulings and true teachings,
good laws and mitzvot.
14 You revealed to them your holy Shabbat
and gave them mitzvot, laws and the Torah
through Moshe your servant.
15 “‘For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven;
for their thirst you brought forth for them water from the rock.
You ordered them to enter and possess the land
you had sworn with your hand to give them.
16 “‘But they and our ancestors were arrogant;
they stiffened their necks and ignored your mitzvot;
17 they refused to listen and paid no attention
to the wonders you had done among them.
No, they stiffened their necks, and in their rebellion
appointed a leader to return them to their slavery.
But because you are a God of forgiveness,
merciful, full of compassion,
slow to grow angry and full of grace,
you did not abandon them.
18 Even when they cast themselves a metal calf,
saying of it, “This is your god
that brought you up from Egypt,”
and committing other gross provocations;
19 still, you, in your great compassion,
did not abandon them in the desert.
The column of cloud did not leave them by day;
it kept leading them along the way.
By night the column of fire
kept showing them light and the path to take.
20 You also gave your good Spirit to teach them,
did not withhold man from their mouths
and provided them water to quench their thirst.
***
The restoration of authentic worship requires a restored relationship with God. With Nehemiah’s encouragement, Ezra the priest organized a public reading of the Book of the Law of Moses (Nehemiah 8:1). The Levites instructed the people in the meaning of the words they heard. This resulted in several immediate responses: The people worshiped God; they wept for their neglect of God’s Word, but were encouraged not to grieve “for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (v. 10). They enthusiastically obeyed what they were taught. They consecrated a sacred assembly where they publically “confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors” (9:2). Their confession concluded with a prayer of restoration and reaffirmation led by the Levites. Finally, a binding agreement was drawn up and signed committing their entire community “to follow the Law of God given through Moses” the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord (10:29).
This restoration was made possible not because of their actions, but because God is “a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (9:17). This is our hope for restoration and revival as well.
Hymn for Today: "Revive Us Again" by William P. Mackay
1. We praise Thee, O God!
for the Son of Thy love,
for Jesus who died,
and is now gone above.
Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
2. We praise Thee, O God!
for Thy Spirit of light,
who hath shown us our Savior,
and scattered our night.
Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
3. All glory and praise
to the Lamb that was slain,
who hath borne all our sins,
and hath cleansed every stain.
Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
Thought for Today: Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.(Psalm 80:19)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in the United Kingdom.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "God Answers Prayers" by Duane Brush for Wednesday, 14 February 2018 - Ezra 8:15 I assembled them by the river that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I reviewed the people and the cohanim but found no L’vi’im there. 16 So I sent for Eli‘ezer, Ari’el, Sh’ma‘yah, Elnatan, Yariv, Elnatan, Natan, Z’kharyah and Meshulam, who were leaders, and also for Yoyariv and Elnatan, who were men of discernment. 17 I gave them instructions for Iddo, the leading man in a place called Kasifya, and told them what to say to Iddo and his brother, who were in charge of Kasifya, so that they would bring us men to minister in the house of our God. 18 Since the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us Ish-Sekhel from the descendants of Machli the son of Levi, the son of Isra’el; Sherevyah with eighteen of his sons and kinsmen; 19 Hashavyah, with Yesha‘yah, from the descendants of M’rari, and twenty of his kinsmen and their sons; 20 and from the temple servants, whom David and the princes had assigned to serve the L’vi’im, two hundred temple servants, all recorded by name.
21 Then, there at the Ahava River, I proclaimed a fast; so that we could humble ourselves before our God and ask a safe journey of him for ourselves, our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for a detachment of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the road, since we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is on all who seek him, for good; but his power and fury is against all who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and asked our God for this, and he answered our prayer.
***
Part of the burden of spiritual leadership is to set an example of faith. The Temple of God in Jerusalem had been rebuilt. Now, God moved on the heart of Ezra, a priest among the Jewish exiles in Mesopotamia, to reestablish the worship of God. Ezra boldly asked King Artaxerxes for permission to take additional exiles and resources to Jerusalem. Artaxerxes “granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6). This included great wealth from the king’s treasury.
With all this wealth, the returnees could reasonably become the target of marauding bands of thieves. Ezra could ask for protection, but he wrote, “I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer” (8:22-23).
Instead of taking their problem to King Artaxerxes, they took it to the Lord of heaven and earth, and He responded, once again, with blessing.
Hymn for Today: "Day by Day" by Caroline V. Sandel-bergg; translated by Andrew L. Skoog
1. Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best--
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
2. Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
3. Help me then in eve'ry tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Thought for Today: “Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows my name, I will protect him.(Psalm 91:14)
Please pray: That many people in the United Kingdom will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Clearer Vision" by Duane Brush for Tuesday, 13 February 2018 - Exodus 34:1 (v) Adonai said to Moshe, “Cut yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones; and I will inscribe on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by morning; in the morning you are to ascend Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come up with you, and no one is to be seen anywhere on the mountain; don’t even let the flocks or herds feed in front of this mountain.” 4 Moshe cut two stone tablets like the first. Then he got up early in the morning and, with the two stone tablets in his hands, ascended Mount Sinai, as Adonai had ordered him to do.
5 Adonai descended in the cloud, stood with him there and pronounced the name of Adonai. 6 Adonai passed before him and proclaimed: “YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH!!! Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai] is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; 7 showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations.” 8 At once Moshe bowed his head to the ground, prostrated himself 9 and said, “If I have now found favor in your view, Adonai, then please let Adonai go with us, even though they are a stiffnecked people; and pardon our offenses and our sin; and take us as your possession.”
(vi) 10 He said, “Here, I am making a covenant; in front of all your people I will do wonders such as have not been created anywhere on earth or in any nation. All the people around you will see the work of Adonai. What I am going to do through you will be awesome! 11 Observe what I am ordering you to do today. Here! I am driving out ahead of you the Emori, Kena‘ani, Hitti, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi. 12 Be careful not to make a covenant with the people living in the land where you are going, so that they won’t become a snare within your own borders. 13 Rather, you are to demolish their altars, smash their standing-stones and cut down their sacred poles; 14 because you are not to bow down to any other god; since Adonai — whose very name is Jealous — is a jealous God.
***
Moses would meet God in a tent outside Israel’s camp. Here “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11a). Yet, Moses wanted more. Moses wanted to see God’s glory. There was one problem. God explained, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (v. 20).
God safely granted Moses’ request from the cleft of a rock. Moses caught a glimpse of God from behind. Later, God revealed insight into His nature, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God,” adding “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” (34:6, 7). It may be difficult for us to reconcile a God who is “slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” with One who would allow the inevitable suffering following sin to fall on “the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
God is compassionate and gracious, but He will not become complicit in our sin, even sin that impacts future generations. His glory is that His Holiness and Love intermingle. No generation is so far from His holiness that it cannot be redeemed by His love.
31 What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all — is it possible that, having given us his Son, he would not give us everything else too? 33 So who will bring a charge against God’s chosen people? Certainly not God — he is the one who causes them to be considered righteous! 34 Who punishes them? Certainly not the Messiah Yeshua, who died and — more than that — has been raised, is at the right hand of God and is actually pleading on our behalf! 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War? 36 As the Tanakh puts it,
“For your sake we are being put to death all day long,
we are considered sheep to be slaughtered.”[Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:23(22)]
37 No, in all these things we are superconquerors, through the one who has loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, 39 neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
***
I can appreciate the cautions I have heard from pulpits against the “name it and claim it” word-of-faith type of theology. Sometimes this type of faith is fixated on material things like wealth and physical health. Romans 8:28-39 encourages us to trust God for much more: “all things.”
Notice that the “all things” God gives does not include release from all suffering, but it does contain a promise of future glory (vv. 17-18). We are promised the hope that brings salvation (v. 24). We are promised the Holy Spirit’s assistance in our prayers (vv. 26-27). “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (v. 28, emphasis added). What is His purpose? “He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (v. 29). We may face “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword,” yet “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (vv. 35, 37, emphasis added). Nothing can separate us from His love. Now, that is a promise I can cling to!
Hymn for Today: "O to be Like Thee" by Thomas O. Chisholm
1. O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer;
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
2. O to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinners to find.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
3. O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
4. O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing;
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
5. O to be like Thee! While I am pleading
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love.
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit for a life which Thou wouldst approve.
Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Thought for Today: But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(Matthew 6:33)
Please pray: That people in areas of Eurasia that are resistant to the Gospel will have the opportunity to hear about God's Grace and Forgiveness.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Minister of Encouragement" by Duane Brush for Friday, 16 February 2018 - Acts 11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution which had arisen over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch; they spoke God’s word, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of these, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, when they arrived at Antioch, began speaking to the Greeks too, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Yeshua. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people trusted and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the ears of the Messianic community in Yerushalayim, and they sent Bar-Nabba to Antioch. 23 On arriving and seeing for himself the grace of God at work, he was glad; and he encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with their whole hearts; 24 for he was a good man, full of the Ruach HaKodesh and trust.
25 Then Bar-Nabba went off to Tarsus to look for Sha’ul; 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They met with the congregation there for a whole year and taught a sizeable crowd. Also it was in Antioch that the talmidim for the first time were called “Messianic.”
27 During this time, some prophets came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch; 28 and one of them named Agav stood up and through the Spirit predicted that there was going to be a severe famine throughout the Roman Empire. (It took place while Claudius was Emperor.) 29 So the talmidim decided to provide relief to the brothers living in Y’hudah, each according to his means; 30 and they did it, sending their contribution to the elders in the care of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.
***
In my first pastorate, my office was in the former parsonage. I would often hear the front door open and steps approaching. There would be a gentle tap on my office door, then the face of Brother Hamilton would appear. He was in his 80s, a former farm boy who was literally called from the field to serve Christ. He had served mostly small rural congregations. “I liked to get them small and build them up,” he would say.
“I can see you’re busy. I just stopped by to say a word of prayer for you, and then I’ll be gone.” We would bow our heads. “Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for bringing our Brother Brush here to be our pastor. Bless Him with Thy Spirit and guide Him as He studies Thy Word. Keep His heart close to Thee. Bless his dear family and provide for their needs. All this we pray in Jesus’ wonderful name. Amen.” He would shake my hand and say, “We appreciate you.” Then he was gone.
I never used Brother Hamilton’s first name; it wasn’t the fashion for his generation. Nevertheless, he was my Barnabas, my “son of encouragement.”
Hymn for Today: "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" by John Fawcett, 1740-1817
1. Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
2. Before our Father's throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
3. We share each other's woes,
our mutual burdens bear;
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
4. When we asunder part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.
Thought for Today: And may God, the source of encouragement and patience, give you the same attitude among yourselves as the Messiah Yeshua had,(Romans 15:5)
Please pray: For the faculty and students as they prepare for Christian ministry in the United Kingdom.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Our Hope For Revival" by Duane Brush for Thursday, 15 February 2018 - Nehemiah 9:9 “‘You saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt
and heard their cry by the Sea of Suf.
10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
against all his servants and the people of the land;
for you knew how arrogantly they treated them;
and you won yourself a name which is yours to this day.
11 You divided the sea ahead of them,
so that they could pass through the sea on dry land;
then you hurled their pursuers into the depths,
like a stone into turbulent waters.
12 “‘In a column of cloud you led them by day,
and by night in a column of fire,
so that they would have light ahead of them
on the way that they were to go.
13 “‘You descended on Mount Sinai
and spoke with them from heaven.
You gave them right rulings and true teachings,
good laws and mitzvot.
14 You revealed to them your holy Shabbat
and gave them mitzvot, laws and the Torah
through Moshe your servant.
15 “‘For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven;
for their thirst you brought forth for them water from the rock.
You ordered them to enter and possess the land
you had sworn with your hand to give them.
16 “‘But they and our ancestors were arrogant;
they stiffened their necks and ignored your mitzvot;
17 they refused to listen and paid no attention
to the wonders you had done among them.
No, they stiffened their necks, and in their rebellion
appointed a leader to return them to their slavery.
But because you are a God of forgiveness,
merciful, full of compassion,
slow to grow angry and full of grace,
you did not abandon them.
18 Even when they cast themselves a metal calf,
saying of it, “This is your god
that brought you up from Egypt,”
and committing other gross provocations;
19 still, you, in your great compassion,
did not abandon them in the desert.
The column of cloud did not leave them by day;
it kept leading them along the way.
By night the column of fire
kept showing them light and the path to take.
20 You also gave your good Spirit to teach them,
did not withhold man from their mouths
and provided them water to quench their thirst.
The restoration of authentic worship requires a restored relationship with God. With Nehemiah’s encouragement, Ezra the priest organized a public reading of the Book of the Law of Moses (Nehemiah 8:1). The Levites instructed the people in the meaning of the words they heard. This resulted in several immediate responses: The people worshiped God; they wept for their neglect of God’s Word, but were encouraged not to grieve “for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (v. 10). They enthusiastically obeyed what they were taught. They consecrated a sacred assembly where they publically “confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors” (9:2). Their confession concluded with a prayer of restoration and reaffirmation led by the Levites. Finally, a binding agreement was drawn up and signed committing their entire community “to follow the Law of God given through Moses” the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord (10:29).
This restoration was made possible not because of their actions, but because God is “a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (9:17). This is our hope for restoration and revival as well.
Hymn for Today: "Revive Us Again" by William P. Mackay
1. We praise Thee, O God!
for the Son of Thy love,
for Jesus who died,
and is now gone above.
Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
2. We praise Thee, O God!
for Thy Spirit of light,
who hath shown us our Savior,
and scattered our night.
Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
3. All glory and praise
to the Lamb that was slain,
who hath borne all our sins,
and hath cleansed every stain.
Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
Thought for Today: Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.(Psalm 80:19)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in the United Kingdom.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "God Answers Prayers" by Duane Brush for Wednesday, 14 February 2018 - Ezra 8:15 I assembled them by the river that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I reviewed the people and the cohanim but found no L’vi’im there. 16 So I sent for Eli‘ezer, Ari’el, Sh’ma‘yah, Elnatan, Yariv, Elnatan, Natan, Z’kharyah and Meshulam, who were leaders, and also for Yoyariv and Elnatan, who were men of discernment. 17 I gave them instructions for Iddo, the leading man in a place called Kasifya, and told them what to say to Iddo and his brother, who were in charge of Kasifya, so that they would bring us men to minister in the house of our God. 18 Since the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us Ish-Sekhel from the descendants of Machli the son of Levi, the son of Isra’el; Sherevyah with eighteen of his sons and kinsmen; 19 Hashavyah, with Yesha‘yah, from the descendants of M’rari, and twenty of his kinsmen and their sons; 20 and from the temple servants, whom David and the princes had assigned to serve the L’vi’im, two hundred temple servants, all recorded by name.
21 Then, there at the Ahava River, I proclaimed a fast; so that we could humble ourselves before our God and ask a safe journey of him for ourselves, our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for a detachment of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the road, since we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is on all who seek him, for good; but his power and fury is against all who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and asked our God for this, and he answered our prayer.
***
Part of the burden of spiritual leadership is to set an example of faith. The Temple of God in Jerusalem had been rebuilt. Now, God moved on the heart of Ezra, a priest among the Jewish exiles in Mesopotamia, to reestablish the worship of God. Ezra boldly asked King Artaxerxes for permission to take additional exiles and resources to Jerusalem. Artaxerxes “granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6). This included great wealth from the king’s treasury.
With all this wealth, the returnees could reasonably become the target of marauding bands of thieves. Ezra could ask for protection, but he wrote, “I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer” (8:22-23).
Instead of taking their problem to King Artaxerxes, they took it to the Lord of heaven and earth, and He responded, once again, with blessing.
Hymn for Today: "Day by Day" by Caroline V. Sandel-bergg; translated by Andrew L. Skoog
1. Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best--
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
2. Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
3. Help me then in eve'ry tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Thought for Today: “Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows my name, I will protect him.(Psalm 91:14)
Please pray: That many people in the United Kingdom will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Clearer Vision" by Duane Brush for Tuesday, 13 February 2018 - Exodus 34:1 (v) Adonai said to Moshe, “Cut yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones; and I will inscribe on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by morning; in the morning you are to ascend Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come up with you, and no one is to be seen anywhere on the mountain; don’t even let the flocks or herds feed in front of this mountain.” 4 Moshe cut two stone tablets like the first. Then he got up early in the morning and, with the two stone tablets in his hands, ascended Mount Sinai, as Adonai had ordered him to do.
5 Adonai descended in the cloud, stood with him there and pronounced the name of Adonai. 6 Adonai passed before him and proclaimed: “YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH!!! Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai] is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; 7 showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations.” 8 At once Moshe bowed his head to the ground, prostrated himself 9 and said, “If I have now found favor in your view, Adonai, then please let Adonai go with us, even though they are a stiffnecked people; and pardon our offenses and our sin; and take us as your possession.”
(vi) 10 He said, “Here, I am making a covenant; in front of all your people I will do wonders such as have not been created anywhere on earth or in any nation. All the people around you will see the work of Adonai. What I am going to do through you will be awesome! 11 Observe what I am ordering you to do today. Here! I am driving out ahead of you the Emori, Kena‘ani, Hitti, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi. 12 Be careful not to make a covenant with the people living in the land where you are going, so that they won’t become a snare within your own borders. 13 Rather, you are to demolish their altars, smash their standing-stones and cut down their sacred poles; 14 because you are not to bow down to any other god; since Adonai — whose very name is Jealous — is a jealous God.
***
Moses would meet God in a tent outside Israel’s camp. Here “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11a). Yet, Moses wanted more. Moses wanted to see God’s glory. There was one problem. God explained, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (v. 20).
God safely granted Moses’ request from the cleft of a rock. Moses caught a glimpse of God from behind. Later, God revealed insight into His nature, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God,” adding “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” (34:6, 7). It may be difficult for us to reconcile a God who is “slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” with One who would allow the inevitable suffering following sin to fall on “the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
God is compassionate and gracious, but He will not become complicit in our sin, even sin that impacts future generations. His glory is that His Holiness and Love intermingle. No generation is so far from His holiness that it cannot be redeemed by His love.
Hymn for Today: "Such Love" by C. Bishop copyright 1929, Renewed 1957 by Lillenas Publishing Company.
Verse 1: That God should love a sinner such as I
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh
How wonderful is love like this
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
Verse 2: That Christ should join so freely in the scheme
Although it meant His death on Calvary
Did ever human tongue find nobler theme
Than love divine that ransomed me
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
Verse 3: That for a willful outcast such as I
The Father planned the Savior bled and died
Redemption for a worthless slave to buy
Who long had law and grace defied
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
Verse 4: And now He takes me to His heart a son
He asks me not to fill a servant's place
The far off country wanderings all are done
Wide open are His arms of grace
"Such Love" by Graham Kendrick
1. Such love, pure as the whitest snow
Such love, weeps for the shame I know
Such love, paying the debt I owe
O Jesus, such love
2. Such love, stilling my restlessness
Such love, filling my emptiness
Such love, showing me holiness
O Jesus, such love
3. Such love, springs from eternity
Such love, streaming through history
Such love, fountain of life to me
O Jesus, such love
Thought for Today: Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.(Psalm 103:8)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in the Ukraine.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Grace-Filled Invitation" by Duane Brush for Monday, 12 February 2018 - Isaiah 55:1 “All you who are thirsty, come to the water!
It was going to be one of those weddings. I knew it at the rehearsal. It is not unusual these days to have multiple sets of parents and step-parents at a wedding. People who haven’t spoken in decades are suddenly forced by the bonds of blood and marriage to at least tolerate one another for a little while. As they gathered, glances were exchanged, and stage-whispered gasps were followed by barely audible comments. I prayed silently, “Lord, help us!”
My prayer was answered quickly. The bride and groom asked if they could speak. I nodded and the bride spoke first, “Could everyone take a seat? I know this is hard for some of you, and we appreciate your willingness to come. We have invited you here because each of you is important to us. We love all of you and appreciate your willingness to lay aside your differences and help us celebrate our wedding.” Everything went smoothly because of a grace-filled invitation.
Isaiah, in chapter 55, extends God’s graceful invitation to His wandering and unfaithful children. For all who accept the invitation, even today, it is life transforming.
Hymn for Today: "Lord, I'm Coming Home" by William J. Kirkpatrick
Verse 1: That God should love a sinner such as I
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh
How wonderful is love like this
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
Verse 2: That Christ should join so freely in the scheme
Although it meant His death on Calvary
Did ever human tongue find nobler theme
Than love divine that ransomed me
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
Verse 3: That for a willful outcast such as I
The Father planned the Savior bled and died
Redemption for a worthless slave to buy
Who long had law and grace defied
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
Verse 4: And now He takes me to His heart a son
He asks me not to fill a servant's place
The far off country wanderings all are done
Wide open are His arms of grace
Chorus: Such love (such love) such wondrous love
Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
***Such love (such love) such wondrous love
That God should love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this
"Such Love" by Graham Kendrick
1. Such love, pure as the whitest snow
Such love, weeps for the shame I know
Such love, paying the debt I owe
O Jesus, such love
2. Such love, stilling my restlessness
Such love, filling my emptiness
Such love, showing me holiness
O Jesus, such love
3. Such love, springs from eternity
Such love, streaming through history
Such love, fountain of life to me
O Jesus, such love
Thought for Today: Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.(Psalm 103:8)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in the Ukraine.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Grace-Filled Invitation" by Duane Brush for Monday, 12 February 2018 - Isaiah 55:1 “All you who are thirsty, come to the water!
You without money, come, buy, and eat!
Yes, come! Buy wine and milk
without money — it’s free!
2 Why spend money for what isn’t food,
your wages for what doesn’t satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and you will eat well,
you will enjoy the fat of the land.
3 Open your ears, and come to me;
listen well, and you will live —
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
the grace I assured David.
4 I have given him as a witness to the peoples,
a leader and lawgiver for the peoples.
5 You will summon a nation you do not know,
and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you,
for the sake of Adonai your God,
the Holy One of Isra’el, who will glorify you.”
6 Seek Adonai while he is available,
call on him while he is still nearby.
7 Let the wicked person abandon his way
and the evil person his thoughts;
let him return to Adonai,
and he will have mercy on him;
let him return to our God,
for he will freely forgive.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.
9 “As high as the sky is above the earth
are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return there, but water the earth,
causing it to bud and produce,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth —
it will not return to me unfulfilled;
but it will accomplish what I intend,
and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
12 Yes, you will go out with joy,
you will be led forth in peace.
As you come, the mountains and hills
will burst out into song,
and all the trees in the countryside
will clap their hands.
13 Cypresses will grow in place of thorns,
myrtles will grow instead of briars.
This will bring fame to Adonai
as an eternal, imperishable sign.
***It was going to be one of those weddings. I knew it at the rehearsal. It is not unusual these days to have multiple sets of parents and step-parents at a wedding. People who haven’t spoken in decades are suddenly forced by the bonds of blood and marriage to at least tolerate one another for a little while. As they gathered, glances were exchanged, and stage-whispered gasps were followed by barely audible comments. I prayed silently, “Lord, help us!”
My prayer was answered quickly. The bride and groom asked if they could speak. I nodded and the bride spoke first, “Could everyone take a seat? I know this is hard for some of you, and we appreciate your willingness to come. We have invited you here because each of you is important to us. We love all of you and appreciate your willingness to lay aside your differences and help us celebrate our wedding.” Everything went smoothly because of a grace-filled invitation.
Isaiah, in chapter 55, extends God’s graceful invitation to His wandering and unfaithful children. For all who accept the invitation, even today, it is life transforming.
Hymn for Today: "Lord, I'm Coming Home" by William J. Kirkpatrick
1. I’ve wandered far away from God,
Now I’m coming home;
The paths of sin too long I’ve trod,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain: Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
2. I’ve wasted many precious years,
Now I’m coming home;
I now repent with bitter tears,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain: Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
3. I’m tired of sin and straying, Lord,
Now I’m coming home;
I’ll trust Thy love, believe Thy word,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain: Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
4. My soul is sick, my heart is sore,
Now I’m coming home;
My strength renew, my hope restore,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain: Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
5. My only hope, my only plea,
Now I’m coming home;
That Jesus died, and died for me,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain: Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
6. I need His cleansing blood I know,
Now I’m coming home;
Oh, wash me whiter than the snow,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Refrain: Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Thought for Today: The angel said to me, “Write: ‘How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!’” Then he added, “These are God’s very words.”(Revelation 19:9)
Please pray: That many people in the Ukraine will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Our High Priest" by Robin Radinski for Sunday, 11 February 2018 - Hebrews 7:11 Therefore, if it had been possible to reach the goal through the system of cohanim derived from Levi (since in connection with it, the people were given the Torah), what need would there have been for another, different kind of cohen, the one spoken of as to be compared with Malki-Tzedek and not to be compared with Aharon? 12 For if the system of cohanim is transformed, there must of necessity occur a transformation of Torah. 13 The one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar; 14 for everyone knows that our Lord arose out of Y’hudah, and that Moshe said nothing about this tribe when he spoke about cohanim.
15 It becomes even clearer if a “different kind of cohen,” one like Malki-Tzedek, arises, 16 one who became a cohen not by virtue of a rule in the Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is stated,
“You are a cohen FOREVER,
to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.”[Hebrews 7:17 Psalm 110:4]
18 Thus, on the one hand, the earlier rule is set aside because of its weakness and inefficacy 19 (for the Torah did not bring anything to the goal); and, on the other hand, a hope of something better is introduced, through which we are drawing near to God.
20 What is more, God swore an oath. For no oath was sworn in connection with those who become cohanim now;
***In Old Testament days, the key role of the high priest was to step in for the people and confess their sins before God. In this way, they would all be absolved of guilt. Now Christ has become our High Priest, and entered the eternal Holy of Holies in heaven, offering His own blood once for the sins of all. By my right standing with Christ, I now have access to the throne of grace. This access to the Father is so precious, so unique, and so intimate that it far outweighs the benefits that any human priest could offer. The old system only foreshadowed the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Human priests were prey to the same sins as those they represented. Now, we have a sinless High Priest who can understand us and defend us. He sits at the right hand of the Father; our High Priest fulfills the role of Lord, Savior, and friend. He justifies and comforts. He understands and transforms. How insufficient all others are in comparison to our Christ!
Thank you, Lord, for Your priesthood in my life. As You hear my confession and restore my soul, I know that in You I have a friend who will never leave me nor forsake me.
Hymn for Today: "He Ransomed Me" by Julia H. Johnston
1. There’s a sweet and blessed story
Of the Christ who came from glory
Just to rescue me from sin and misery;
He in loving-kindness sought me
And from sin and shame hath brought me -
Hallelujah! Jesus ransomed me.
Chorus: Hallelujah! what a Savior
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting, "Glory, glory, glory!"
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.
2. From the depth of sin and sadness
To the heights of joy and gladness
Jesus lifted me in mercy full and free;
With His precious blood He bought me,
When I knew Him not He sought me,
And in love divine He ransomed me.
Chorus: Hallelujah! what a Savior
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting, "Glory, glory, glory!"
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.
3. By and by with joy increasing
And with gratitude unceasing,
Lifted up to be with Christ eternally,
I will join the hosts there singing,
In the anthem ever ringing,
To the King of Love who ransomed me.
Chorus: Hallelujah! what a Savior
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting, "Glory, glory, glory!"
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.
Thought for Today: Therefore, since we have a great cohen gadol who has passed through to the highest heaven, Yeshua, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we acknowledge as true.(Hebrews 4:14)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Syria.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Release From Regret" by Robin Radinski for Saturday, 10 February 2018 - 1 John 1:1 The Word, which gives life!
He existed from the beginning.
We have heard him,
we have seen him with our eyes,
we have contemplated him,
we have touched him with our hands!
2 The life appeared,
and we have seen it.
We are testifying to it
and announcing it to you —
eternal life!
He was with the Father,
and he appeared to us.
3 What we have seen and heard,
we are proclaiming to you;
so that you too
may have fellowship with us.
Our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah.
4 We are writing these things
so that our joy may be complete.
5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him — none!
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him while we are walking in the darkness, we are lying and not living out the truth. 7 But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of his Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim not to have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.
10 If we claim we have not been sinning, we are making him out to be a liar, and his Word is not in us.
2:1 My children, I am writing you these things so that you won’t sin. But if anyone does sin, we have Yeshua the Messiah, the Tzaddik, who pleads our cause with the Father. 2 Also, he is the kapparah for our sins — and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
***The beautiful news of the gospel is so complete because it addresses areas of our wholeness that we may never have considered. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross did more than just remove the penalty for our iniquities. He did more than just stand in for us, or cover our sins from the view of the Father. Christ actually abolished our sin and the power of death over us. He cancelled our guilt; He washed it and annulled it. The heavy burden of guilt should be gone from our hearts. Is it?
Any religion that does not address the guilt of humanity really does not set us free. Even in the church, some have used shame to control and to convince many while neglecting to preach the deepest truth about Christ’s sacrifice: That He died to release us from all the chains of death.
Today, Christ offers release from the regret of your past and the heaviness of your wrong choices. He offers you the best type of forgiveness: a forgiveness without conditions or strings. Christ, in His perfect love, offers to erase your guilt before the Father, but also to set you free from the heaviness of the sorrow of your sin. Live free today. You are forgiven.
Hymn for Today: "I Lay My Sins on Jesus" by Horatius Bonar
1. I lay my sins on Jesus,
The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all, and frees us
From the accursed load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus,
To wash my crimson stains
White in His blood most precious,
Till not a spot remains.
2. I lay my wants on Jesus:
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases,
He doth my soul redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases;
He all my sorrows shares.
3. I rest my soul on Jesus,
This weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces,
I on His breast recline.
I love the Name of Jesus,
Emmanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His Name abroad is poured.
4. I long to be like Jesus,
Meek, loving, lowly, mild;
I long to be like Jesus,
The Father's holy Child;
I long to be with Jesus,
Amid the heavenly throng;
To sing with saints His praises,
To learn the angels' song.
Thought for Today: Pain handled in God’s way produces a turning from sin to God which leads to salvation, and there is nothing to regret in that! But pain handled in the world’s way produces only death.(2 Corinthians 7:10)
Please pray: That many people in Syria will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "The Best Suffering?" by Robin Radinski for Friday, 9 February 2018 - 1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, don’t regard as strange the fiery ordeal occurring among you to test you, as if something extraordinary were happening to you. 13 Rather, to the extent that you share the fellowship of the Messiah’s sufferings, rejoice; so that you will rejoice even more when his Sh’khinah is revealed. 14 If you are being insulted because you bear the name of the Messiah, how blessed you are! For the Spirit of the Sh’khinah, that is, the Spirit of God, is resting on you! 15 Let none of you suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a meddler in other people’s affairs. 16 But if anyone suffers for being Messianic, let him not be ashamed; but let him bring glory to God by the way he bears this name. 17 For the time has come for the judgment to begin. It begins with the household of God; and if it starts with us, what will the outcome be for those who are disobeying God’s Good News? —
18 “If the righteous is barely delivered,
where will the ungodly and sinful end up?”[1 Peter 4:18 Proverbs 11:31]
19 So let those who are suffering according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator by continuing to do what is good.
***We are constantly bombarded with stories of failure and shame. Great rising stars meet their equally brilliant end in a crash of disaster. People we admire end their own lives, and the wealthy lose everything they own. Suffering appears to be common in this life.
We are encouraged that suffering for Christ is the best form of suffering possible. It is better to suffer doing good than to suffer for having murdered or cheated or hurt another. When we suffer for doing good, we should rejoice. Though this may seem a little psychotic, or at best, ridiculous, the challenge is not to enjoy suffering but to realize that everyone faces it at some time. The best condition under which we can face trials is in Christ. We rejoice, not because we are hurting, but because we are facing this pain under the best possible conditions.
When I suffer for doing good, I am surrounded by grace. I am lifted up in the prayers of other, the family of Christ embraces me, and I am under the manifest presence of the Almighty. There is no better way to suffer than in the protective hands of an all-powerful God.
Hymn for Today: "Jesus Is All The World To Me" by Will L. Thompson
1. Jesus is all the world to me,
my life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
without Him I would fall:
when I am sad, to Him I go;
no other one can cheer me so;
when I am sad, He makes me glad;
He's my friend.
2. Jesus is all the world to me,
my friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings,
and He gives them o'er and o'er:
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest's golden grain;
sunshine and rain, harvest of grain;
He's my friend.
3. Jesus is all the world to me,
and true to Him I'll be;
oh, how could I this friend deny
when He's so true to me?
Following Him, I know I'm right,
He watches o'er me day and night;
Following Him, by day and night;
He's my friend.
4. Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better friend;
I trust Him now, I'll trust Him when
Life's fleeting days shall end:
beautiful life with such a friend,
beautiful life that has no end;
eternal life, eternal joy;
He's my friend.
Thought for Today: In my distress my comfort is this:
that your promise gives me life.(Psalm 119:50)
Please pray: For faculty and students as they prepare for Christian ministry in Switzerland.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "He Understands Our Need" by Robin Radinski for Thursday, 8 February 2018 - Hebrews 7:20 What is more, God swore an oath. For no oath was sworn in connection with those who become cohanim now; 21 but Yeshua became a cohen by the oath which God swore when he said to him,
“Adonai has sworn and will not change his mind,
‘You are a cohen forever.’”[Hebrews 7:21 Psalm 110:4]
22 Also this shows how much better is the covenant of which Yeshua has become guarantor.
23 Moreover, the present cohanim are many in number, because they are prevented by death from continuing in office. 24 But because he lives forever, his position as cohen does not pass on to someone else; 25 and consequently, he is totally able to deliver those who approach God through him; since he is alive forever and thus forever able to intercede on their behalf.
26 This is the kind of cohen gadol that meets our need — holy, without evil, without stain, set apart from sinners and raised higher than the heavens; 27 one who does not have the daily necessity, like the other cohanim g’dolim, of offering up sacrifices first for their own sins and only then for those of the people; because he offered one sacrifice, once and for all, by offering up himself. 28 For the Torah appoints as cohanim g’dolim men who have weakness; but the text which speaks about the swearing of the oath, a text written later than the Torah, appoints a Son who has been brought to the goal forever.
***My youngest has wanted a pet for a long time. In all truth, this is the furthest thing from my heart. When I hear the word “pet,” I translate it into the words, “more work”. Still, her grades deserve recognition. Her dream is to own a dog, but we’ve tried to convince her a hamster would be more appropriate. So, at this point, her request is a hamster, even though we know she would prefer a dog. In the end, we are getting her a dog!
How similar this is to what Christ does by the Holy Spirit. He knows the deep desire of our heart, and He knows our need. Even more, He knows what is best for us. When, in our ignorance, we pray for a dog, He whispers, “No, a hamster.” We pray for patience, and sometimes He gives us situations that build it! We pray for healing, yet sometimes He whispers, “Eternal life and freedom from pain.” We beg for justice, and Christ offers us mercy.
The secret is believing that God´s love for us is so great that His translations of our prayers are perfect. Forbid that I would be content with my limited request when He desires to give me so much more.
Hymn for Today "Not My Will, but Thine" by Hugh C. Benner
Not my will but Thine
Not my will but Thine
Not my will but Thy will be done
Lord in me
May Thy Spirit divine
Fill this being of mine
Not my will but Thy will be done
Lord in me
***
1.
If I ask for a thing that I should not ask for
If I pray for a thing selfishly
If I ask for myself and not for my neighbor
Lift this veil from my eyes and let me see.
Chorus: "Not my will, thine by done," prayed Jesus.
May this same prayer be mine every day.
When this robe of flesh that I wear makes me falter,
Guide my steps, hold my hand all the way.
2. If I murmur about the toil of my journey,
If I seek for an easier way,
If I worry because my load gets so heavy,
Make me willing to walk in thy way.
Chorus: "Not my will, thine by done," prayed Jesus.
May this same prayer be mine every day.
When this robe of flesh that I wear makes me falter,
Guide my steps, hold my hand all the way.
3. When my pathway is dark and my heart is so weary,
When I feel all alone in this fight,
Come, dear Lord, walk with me along this pilgrim's journey
Be my compass, be my chart, be my guide.
Chorus: "Not my will, thine by done," prayed Jesus.
May this same prayer be mine every day.
When this robe of flesh that I wear makes me falter,
Guide my steps, hold my hand all the way.
***
Thought for Today: Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.(Matthew 6:8b)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Switzerland.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "For Our Justification" by Robin Radinski for Wednesday 7 February 2018 - Romans 4:16 The reason the promise is based on trusting is so that it may come as God’s free gift, a promise that can be relied on by all the seed, not only those who live within the framework of the Torah, but also those with the kind of trust Avraham had — Avraham avinu for all of us. 17 This accords with the Tanakh, where it says, “I have appointed you to be a father to many nations.”[Romans 4:17 Genesis 17:5] Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence. 18 For he was past hope, yet in hope he trusted that he would indeed become a father to many nations, in keeping with what he had been told, “So many will your seed be.”[Romans 4:18 Genesis 15:5] 19 His trust did not waver when he considered his own body — which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old — or when he considered that Sarah’s womb was dead too. 20 He did not by lack of trust decide against God’s promises. On the contrary, by trust he was given power as he gave glory to God, 21 for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish. 22 This is why it was credited to his account as righteousness.[Romans 4:22 Genesis 15:6]
23 But the words, “it was credited to his account . . . ,” were not written for him only. 24 They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too, because we have trusted in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead — 25 Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous.
***
Right-standing is one definition of justification. We are considered “right” if we “measure up” to the standard set. It is ironic how I constantly try to reach perfection in my daily life. I struggle to find a balance between enjoying my day and being excellent in all areas. I want to be a superhero. When I miss the mark, get sick, or simply collapse exhausted, I feel much less than justified.What are we striving to earn? Of course we need to try our best in every task we are given, but when will we accept the high price our Lord paid on the cross for our justification? He was raised to life for our right standing! He sits at the right hand of the Father and pleads for us in our weakness.
By myself, I cannot adequately face my day with the discipline and perfection I desire. I hope to please Him, but too often I forget His presence, run ahead, and waste time on my blundering efforts. How much better if I spent time in the arms of the One who was bruised for my iniquity? His acceptance of my weakness is transformational. I begin to understand that I only measure up when nestled in His presence.
Hymn for Today: "Beneath the Cross of Jesus" by Elizabeth C. Clephane
1. Beneath the cross of Jesus
I long to take my stand -
the shadow of a mighty Rock
within a weary land,
a home within the wilderness,
a rest upon the way,
from the burning of the noontide heat,
and the burden of the day.
2. Upon that cross of Jesus
my eyes at times can see
the very dying form of One
who suffered there for me;
and from my smitten heart with tears
two wonders I confess -
the wonders of redeeming love
and my unworthiness.
3. I take, O cross, your shadow
for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine
than the sunshine of his face,
content to let the world go by,
to know no gain nor loss,
my sinful self my only shame,
my glory all the cross.
Thought for Today: So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah.(Romans 5:1)
Please pray: That many people in Switzerland will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Carried Our Sins!" by Robin Radinski for Tuesday, 6 February 2018 - Isaiah 53:4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore,
our pains from which he suffered;
yet we regarded him as punished,
stricken and afflicted by God.
5 But he was wounded because of our crimes,
crushed because of our sins;
the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him,
and by his bruises* we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, went astray;
we turned, each one, to his own way;
yet Adonai laid on him
the guilt of all of us.
7 Though mistreated, he was submissive —
he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to be slaughtered,
like a sheep silent before its shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 After forcible arrest and sentencing,
he was taken away;
and none of his generation protested
his being cut off from the land of the living
for the crimes of my people,
who deserved the punishment themselves.
9 He was given a grave among the wicked;
in his death he was with a rich man.
Although he had done no violence
and had said nothing deceptive,
10 yet it pleased Adonai to crush him with illness,
to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering.
If he does, he will see his offspring;
and he will prolong his days;
and at his hand Adonai’s desire
will be accomplished.
11 After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction.
“By his knowing [pain and sacrifice],
my righteous servant makes many righteous;
it is for their sins that he suffers.
12 Therefore I will assign him a share with the great,
he will divide the spoil with the mighty,
for having exposed himself to death
and being counted among the sinners,
while actually bearing the sin of many
and interceding for the offenders.”
***I once watched a movie where the main character was saved by receiving a donor heart. The movie was a tearjerker, especially when the receiver realized the identity of the donor. Sacrifice motivates us to tears, even limited, human, heroic acts.
And yet, we are far beyond understanding the depth of Christ’s sacrifice when He left His throne for our salvation. The Bible is clear about the pain and suffering Jesus endured on the cross, but it also reveals the devastating reality of the pure and sinless One who carried the sins of the world. How awful to suddenly feel the rift of sin and the grit of ungodliness. Our Lord felt the jaws of death close in on Him, as the kingdom of darkness claimed a short-lived victory. How gruesome for the exalted King of Heaven to dwell among the dust of fallen humanity with demonic evil clawing at Him.
Do we truly understand the level of heroism this took? Have our eyes become dry as we read and reread the salvation story? Do we really understand what the outpouring of the wrath of God feels like? Because Christ does.
Because All we can say is "Thank you, dearest Lord.
Hymn for Today: "And Can It Be" by Charles Wesley
1. And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Refrain: Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
2. 'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
Refrain: Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
3. He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race;
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.
Refrain: Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
4. Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
Refrain: Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
5. No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Refrain: Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
Amen.
Thought for Today: He himself bore our sins[1 Peter 2:24 Isaiah 53:4, 12] in his body on the stake,[1 Peter 2:24 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness — by his wounds you were healed.[1 Peter 2:24 Isaiah 53:5](1 Peter 2:24)
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Sri Lanka.
***
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Esteem" by Robin Radinski for Monday, 5 February 2018 - Isaiah 52:11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything unclean!
Get out from inside it, and be clean,
you who carry Adonai’s temple equipment.
12 You need not leave in haste,
you do not have to flee;
for Adonai will go ahead of you,
and the God of Isra’el will also be behind you.
13 “See how my servant will succeed!
He will be raised up, exalted, highly honored!
14 Just as many were appalled at him,
because he was so disfigured
that he didn’t even seem human
and simply no longer looked like a man,
15 so now he will startle many nations;
because of him, kings will be speechless.
For they will see what they had not been told,
they will ponder things they had never heard.”
53:1 Who believes our report?
To whom is the arm of Adonai revealed?
2 For before him he grew up like a young plant,
like a root out of dry ground.
He was not well-formed or especially handsome;
we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us.
3 People despised and avoided him,
a man of pains, well acquainted with illness.
Like someone from whom people turn their faces,
he was despised; we did not value him.
***One of my life’s major motivators has been gaining the esteem of others. What a disappointing ladder it has been to climb. All around, the main impulse I see promoted on television, magazines, and the Internet is the approval of others. Even money and fame seduce us because we assume that when we obtain them, we will be liked and accepted.
Christ demonstrated a different value system. Old Testament prophecy spoke of a nation despised and rejected by others (Isaiah 52–53). This prophecy foreshadowed the Messiah’s unique characteristics. Abused and marginalized, our Savior Jesus Christ never sought people’s approval. He knew the Scriptures. He was fully aware that His mission was to please His Father and not fulfill the expectations of others. This led to His crucifixion: an innocent hanging between two thieves.
This is the Christ we claim to follow and emulate. Then why do I covet the esteem of others? Shouldn’t my surrender as a true disciple of this hated and rejected man not challenge my need for approval? Shouldn't I turn the away from the eyes that measure what can only be seen, and seek to be measured solely by Him who holds my heart in His hand? Yes. Obviously, yes.
***
Hymn for Today: "I Want To Be Like Jesus" by Thomas O. Chisholm
***
1) I have one deep supreme desire,
That I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire,
That I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be,
So that a watching world may see
His likeness shining forth in me.
I want to be like Jesus.
2) He spent His life in doing good;
I want to be like Jesus.
In lowly paths of service trod;
I want to be like Jesus.
He sympathised with hearts distressed,
He spoke the words that cheered and blessed,
He welcomed sinners to His breast.
I want to be like Jesus.
3) A holy, harmless life He led;
I want to be like Jesus.
The Father’s will, His drink and bread;
I want to be like Jesus.
And when at last He comes to die,
“Forgive them, Father,” hear Him cry
for those who taunt and crucify.
I want to be like Jesus.
4) O perfect life of Christ, my Lord!
I want to be like Jesus.
My recompense and my reward,
that I may be like Jesus.
His Spirit fill my hungering soul,
His power all my life control.
My deepest prayer, my highest goal,
that I may be like Jesus.
Thought for Today: Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever holds out till the end will be preserved from harm.(Matthew 10:22)
Please pray: That many people on Sri Lanka will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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