Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

This is a great Christmas hymn, written by Charles Wesley long ago, full of truth and hope.


Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

1. We sang this song this morning in church.  It is a great reminder of the solid stability found in the name of Jesus Christ... and also a reminder of the shifting, sinking sand of anything else we may mistakenly put our hope and trust in. 
2. 
   
3. My hope is built on nothing less
   Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
   I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
   But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
   
   • Refrain:
     On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
     All other ground is sinking sand,
     All other ground is sinking sand.
   
   
4. When darkness veils His lovely face,
   I rest on His unchanging grace;
   In every high and stormy gale,
   My anchor holds within the veil.
5. His oath, His covenant, His blood
   Support me in the whelming flood;
   When all around my soul gives way,
   He then is all my hope and stay.
6. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
   Oh, may I then in Him be found;
   Dressed in His righteousness alone,
   Faultless to stand before the throne.

My Country 'Tis of Thee

One of the first patriotic songs I ever learned was this one. It was in first grade, and we always sang the first verse after we had pledged our allegiance to the flag. Now my sons have learned this song and sing it in their elementary school. Many thanks to the veterans and uncounted soldiers who gave me and my sons the right to stand in those classroom and sing this song.

My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims' pride,

From every mountainside

Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,

Land of the noble free,

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills;

My heart with rapture thrills,

Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees

Sweet freedom's song;

Let mortal tongues awake;

Let all that breathe partake;

Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

Our father's God to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing.

Long may our land be bright,

With freedom's holy light,

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God our King.

Godsend

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday. To say I've been blessed by her is an understatement. A few days ago I was listening to a song by DC Talk and it describes how I feel on the eve of her special day:

Hoping, praying, I've been waiting
Everybody needs somebody to love
There's no question, straight from heaven
You're my angel, I'm so crazy for you

(chorus)
You're a godsend
A blessing from above
You've been God-sent to me
You're the godsend
I've been dreaming of
You're a godsend

Holding your hand, touching your face
I will love you now and always I swear
I will never forget that first moment we met
When two worlds collided and I found my best friend
(repeat chorus)

I was made for you, you were made for me
In this lonely world, we were meant to be in love

I will never forget that first moment we met
When two worlds, they crashed in
And I found my best friend
(repeat chorus)

Happy Birthday Schweetheart
Mark

Precious Bible!

John Newton wrote the famous Christian hymn 'Amazing Grace'. I was surprised to learn how many other hymns this man wrote. Meditate on this Newton hymn, Precious Bible! What a Treasure...

Precious Bible! What a treasure
Does the Word of God afford?
All I want for life or pleasure,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword:
Let the world account me poor,
Having this I need no more.

Food to which the world’s a stranger,
Here my hungry soul enjoys;
Of excess there is no danger,
Though it fills, it never cloys:
On a dying Christ I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed.

When my faith is faint and sickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind,
Cordials, to revive me quickly,
Healing med’cines here I find:
To the promises I flee,
Each affords a remedy.

In the hour of dark temptation
Satan cannot make me yield;
For the Word of consolation
Is to me a mighty shield
While the scripture truths are sure,
From his malice I’m secure.

Vain his threats to overcome me,
When I take the Spirits’ sword;
Then with ease I drive him from me.
Satan trembles at the word:
’Tis a sword for conquest made,
Keen the edge, and strong the blade.

Shall I envy then the miser
Doting on his golden store?
Sure I am, or should be, wiser,
I am rich, ’tis he is poor:
Jesus gives me in his word,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword.

Hero

Make sure you watch this video in its entirety. This is one great video.

Complete in Thee

Complete in Thee
By Aaron R. Wolfe and James M. Gray.

Complete in Thee, no work of mine, may take dear Lord the place of thine
Thy Blood Hath pardon bought for me and I am now complete in Thee.
Yea justified, O blessed thought, and sanctified salvation wrought
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me and glorified I too shall be.

Complete in Thee each want supplied and no good thing to me denied;
Since Thou my portion, Lord, will be, I ask no more, complete in Thee.
Yea justified, O blessed thought, and sanctified salvation wrought
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me and glorified I too shall be.

Complete in Thee no more shall sin, Thy grace hath conquered reigned within
Thy voice shall bid the tempter flee, and I shall stand complete in Thee.
Yea justified, O blessed thought, and sanctified salvation wrought
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me and glorified I too shall be.

Dear Savior when before Thy bar All tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among Thy chosen I shall be, At Thy right hand, complete in Thee.
Yea justified, O blessed thought, and sanctified salvation wrought
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me and glorified I too shall be.

People Never Crumble in a Day

In Christ Alone - Keith and Kristyn Getty

Christmas Bells

"Christmas Bells"
Words: Henry Longfellow, 1864. Music: John Calkin, 1872

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

God and Mankind Reconciled?

A few years ago at Christmastime I was flipping through the channels as I was getting ready for church. There was the heretic Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in all its 'glory' being displayed for all to stand in awe and wonder. But I hesitated to continue through the channel surfing... they were playing Christmas music. I thought to myself, "you really can't mess up a Christmas song", so I left it on and turned it up as I finished getting ready. Let it be known: you CAN mess up a Christmas song. If you are against calling someone a 'sinner' like the Bible-twisters at Crystal Cathedral, you can, and will change the lyrics to fit your damnable heresies. How can you call someone a sinner and still have them maintain their precious self-esteem?

The great hymn 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' was the next carol in the program, and I about vomited when I heard the choir sing, 'God and MANKIND reconciled'. When I was growing up, that song always said, 'God and SINNERS reconciled'. Sinners. SINNERS! What in the world was the purpose of Christ coming to earth anyway if it wasn't to save wretched SINNERS?! And so we have an entire movement that is afraid to use the word, and so they re-write the song to fit their goofy theology. Watch out Frosty and Rudolph. Your songs are probably next.

While You Were Sleeping

The snowfall today had me thinking forward a few weeks to Christmas. Read these compelling Christmas lyrics by the band Casting Crowns:

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returnedAnd has carried
His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

When Its All Been Said and Done

I love music that causes worship to well up within my soul. I love music that provokes me to consider the beauty of Christ and the greatness of God’s salvation. I love music that makes me to consider the strength and power and glory that Jesus is so worthy of. This morning as I was exercising with my wife I heard a song I never heard before, and once again the preciousness of my Savior and the promise of my future home and inheritance was laid before me. The song is ‘When Its All Been Said and Done’, by Don Moen:

When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for you?

When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I have done
For love's rewards
Will stand the test of time

Lord, your mercy is so great
That you look beyond our weakness
That you found purest gold in miry clay
Turning sinners into saints

I will always sing your praise
Here on earth and in heaven after
For you've joined me at my true home
When it's all been said and done
You're my life when life is gone...

Long May It Wave...

The sun shone brightly through my American flag this morning. The American flag, the symbol of freedom. In view of the upcoming election next week, I thought of our national anthem that we've heard countless times... often at sporting events. We know the song by heart, we can repeat the lyrics by heart, probably without even thinking through them. How often, though, have we heard the whole song? Here are the lyrics the to last verse of The Star Spangled Banner:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace,
may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made
and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Offering

In the morning, we'll get up and head off to church. During the service, the gold-colored, felt-bottomed plate will pass by us and people will put in their 'offering'. Then we'll all think we have given something to God and we'll move on with the rest of the worship service. Regardless of how much we plunked in the plate, did we really give an 'offering'? I recently heard this song by Third Day that sums up my feelings about offerings:

Magnificent Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me

Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

[Chorus]
This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me

I stand before You at this alter
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours
[Chorus]

This is my offering...

The Power of the Cross

Last night our church met with another church for a corporate 'sing' and 'worship' service. I saw an old friend of mine from ccllege who I hadn't seen since about half my life ago. It was nice to rekindle that friendship. He hadn't changed his looks a bit - I would have known him anywhere. I was hoping he thought the same thing about me! The sing-along was refreshing and needful. One of the songs my family and my buddies family shared last night was 'The Power of the Cross'.

"The Power of the Cross"

Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn

Of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men,

Torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath—

We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain

Written on Your face,

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Ev'ry bitter thought,

Ev'ry evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;

Now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two,

Dead are raised to life;

"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name

Written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death;

Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Son of God—slain for us.

What a love! What a cost!

We stand forgiven at the cross.

Your Name is Matchless

Aaron Shust wrote a great song a few years ago. I have to share the lyrics:

Son of a Man, Great I am,
King of heaven, Son of God,
you hold the measure of my days
Holy Lamb, spotless Lamb,
You are worthy, I am not
Before Your throne I stand amazed

Every tongue confess and every knee will bow
To Jesus Christ the Lord forever, hear our praises now

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless
Your name means more than I could know
You're so far above me, the way that you love me
Goes further than any love could go

Wonderful Counselor, Root of David,
Morning Star you are the Way, the Truth, the Life
Lion of the tribe of judah,
Mighty God is who you are
The Only Perfect Sacrifice

In your name you took the blind man and you gave him back his sight
In your name you took the dead man and you brought him back to life
In your name you took this prisoner and you opened up the doors
And I will sing before your throne forever more

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless
Your name means more than I could know
You're so far above me, the way that you love me
Goes further than any love could go

I've Been Blessed Beyond All I Could Think or Imagine

Come Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Poured Out

In chapter five of Romans, the Apostle Paul tells us that 'the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us'.

That phrase 'poured out' means overflowing, super abundance, gushing out, profusion, lavish outpouring. John MacArthur makes the comment that "our Heavenly Father does not proffer his love in measured drops, but in immeasurable torrents". This gives us unwavering assurance and comfort that the God who saves us is the God who keeps us.

The hymn, 'The Love of God' describes this pouring out of God's love very well. Written in 1917 by Frederick M. Lehman, the lyrics follow:

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Refrain

I Surrender All

Surrender? Never. No one wants to surrender. Surrender is a sign of weakness - a sign of loss - giving up - losing the will to fight to the end and win. Right?

But the gospel message is one of complete surrender. Humbly giving up all our rights to do what Christ wants us to do. That's pretty hard for those of us who want to be able to claim even just a little bit of credit for our successes in life (and blame our failures on others).

On Sunday morning, our congregation sang the great and mighty hymn, "I Surrender All". It was different this time. Every heart and voice was lifted to a different level and the song was more meaningful than ever before. It occurred to me that God wants me - wants us - to surrender ALL. Not some, not most... but ALL. He doesn't want the half-hearted. He doesn't want the mediocre. He doesn't want the left-overs. He doesn't want the proud. He wants the ones that understand that they can't 'win' on their own. He wants the ones who have counted everything else as loss. He wants the ones who have given up trying to please Him by their filthy rags of personal righteousness. He wants the ones who have thrown up the white flag of complete surrender, fully trusting in Him to do to them only what is for their good and for His glory.

I put alot of songs and hymns and praises out on this blog. That is because music can touch the heart in ways that other means cannot. God created us to appreciate music, and biblical sound words/lyrics can provoke us to think, provoke us to worship, provoke us to self-evaluation. Music, in its proper context, helps us rejoice at times and helps us cope at other times.

I hope I can sing the words of this song and mean it:

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

Refrain
All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

Refrain
All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Refrain
All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!


Mark