O Jesus, Friend Unfailing

O JESUS, Friend unfailing,
How dear art Thou to me!
Are cares or fears assailing?
I find my strength in Thee!
Why should my feet grow weary
Of this my pilgrim way?
Rough though the path and dreary,
It ends in perfect day!

What fills my soul with gladness?
'Tis Thine abounding grace!
Where can I look in sadness,
But, Jesus, on Thy face?
My all is Thy providing ---
Thy love can ne'er grow cold;
In Thee, my Refuge, hiding ---
No good wilt Thou withhold.

Why should I droop in sorrow?
Thou'rt ever by my side!
Why, trembling, dread the morrow?
What ill can e'er betide?
If I my cross have taken,
'Tis but to follow Thee;
If scorned, despised, forsaken,
Nought severs Thee from me.

For every tribulation,
For every sore distress,
In Christ I've full salvation,
Sure help and quiet rest.
No fear of foes prevailing,
I triumph, Lord, in Thee!
O Jesus, Friend unfailing,
How dear art Thou to me!

Written originally in German by Samuel Christian Gottfried Kuster (1762 to 1838), translated by Miss Hannah K. Burlingham (1842-1901) on June 13th, 1865, when she was only 23 years old! Moya Brennan has a version of this that is on a CD called Focusfest 2001 - The Sound of Grace. The tune she uses is a traditional Irish tune called "The Dawning of the Day". (This tune was popularized by a group called The Dubliners on a song called "Raglan Road".

You can have a listen here. Check the tabs at the top of the site to find the page.

Christmas Day 2011

Emmanuel - God with us!

GOD with us.

God WITH us.

God with US!

No matter how you look at it, Emmanuel is mind-boggling but soul-blessing truth.

Merry Christmas!

Of Weary Ways or Golden Days

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

But "I know Whom I have believed
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day."

Amen!

Christ Be In My Waking

Christ Be In My Waking

As the sun is rising,

In my day of working,
With me every hour.
Christ be in my resting,
As the day is ending,
Calming and refreshing,
Watching through the night.

Christ be in my thinking,
And my understanding,
Guarding me from evil,
Walking in the light.
Christ be in my speaking,
Every word a blessing,
Pure and not deceiving,
Grace to all who hear.

Jesus, this is my devotion,
All my life to know You,
Every day to walk with You.
Saviour, You’re my deepest longing,
You’re the One I live for,
Teach me, Lord, to walk with You.

Christ be in my gladness
For the joy of living,
Thankful for the goodness
Of the Father's hand.
Christ be in my sorrow,
In my day of darkness,
Knowing that I follow
In the steps He trod.

Christ when hope has faded,
Nothing left to cling to,
Every pleasure jaded,
Every well is dry.
Christ the loving Shepherd
Draws me with His kindness,
Leads me from the desert
To the streams of life.

Stuart Townend & Simon Brading
Copyright © 2011 Thankyou Music

Rivers of Living Water

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39. (ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-25 (ESV)

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13 (ESV)

I Understand Now

A beautiful song - musically & lyrically - from Mary Kathryn.


I Understand Now

Remembering the former things
And thinking of today
I understand now
Looking back I see
How Your mercy covered me
I understand now

How You brought me through the darkness
Holding me close
We walked together
Untouched and yet so changed
I emerged to see the Light that was my guide
You saved my life

Remembering the former things
And thinking of today
I understand now
Looking back I see
How Your mercy covered me
I understand now

You protected me from harm
With Your great a mighty arm
A loving Father
So gallant and so brave
Like a soldier out to save the land he loves
Sent from above

Sweet Comforter
Holy One of God
Look at me
In Your eyes I see
Safe in Your love
Following the path
You made for me
Now I see . . . I see

Remembering the former things
And thinking of today
I understand now
Looking back I see
How Your mercy covered me
I understand now
I understand now

Words & Music by Mary Kathryn, © 1998 Elements of Praise, BMI

You can read and listen at her website: www.mary-kathryn.com

Antidote to Idiocy

If you are as tired and disgusted and sad as I am to hear about the stupid and lewd behavior of our supposed leaders, here are some suggestions:

1. Go to joniandfriends.org and read any (or all) of the articles. Joni's story is unfailingly inspirational (and usually convicting!) and the various outreach ministries are busy doing wonderful things.

2. Google Robin Mark and listen to any of his songs on youtube. They all glorify God.

3. Go to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church's main website (www.opc.org) and read about our missionaries in Sendai, Japan, who have survived the earthquake and tsunami and are now working tirelessly in the relief efforts.

4. For something completely different, check out the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee and get a big dose of cuteness. (The link is on the sidebar.)

5. Turn off the TV and the computer and go eat a BIG piece of chocolate!

God is at work in our sad old world, but most of the time, His workers are under the radar screen of celebrity and publicity. Of course, we are all sinners and all need grace and mercy and forgiveness. I'm certainly thankful that no one is following me around and plastering all the dumb things I do & say all over the news.

Just for a while, let's focus on something other than bad news.

Rise, My Soul, To Watch and Pray

This was one of the hymns we sang today. I thought it was interesting to see that it was written in 1697 by a German composer named Johann Freystein. Then in 1863 it was translated into English by Catherine Winkworth, who is responsible for many of hymns we enjoy today.

"Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray"
by Johann B. Freystein, 1671-1718
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

1. Rise, my soul, to watch and pray,
From thy sleep awaken;
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o'ertaken.
For the Foe,
Well we know,
Oft his harvest reapeth
While the Christian sleepeth.

2. Watch against the devil's snares
Lest asleep he find thee;
For indeed no pains he spares
To deceive and blind thee.
Satan's prey
Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.

3. Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its pow'r defeat thee.
Watch lest with her pomp unfurled
She betray and cheat thee.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm thee,
Who but seek to harm thee.

4. Watch against thyself, my soul,
Lest with grace thou trifle;
Let not self thy tho'ts control
Nor God's mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within
All thy hopes to scatter;
Heed not when they flatter.

5. But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
He will free thee, be thy stay,
Strength and faith increasing.
O Lord, bless
In distress
And let nothing swerve me
From the will to serve Thee.

6. Therefore let us watch and pray,
Knowing He will hear us
As we see from day to day
Dangers ever near us,
And the end
Doth impend--
Our redemption neareth
When the Lord appeareth.

Hymn #567
The Trinity Hymnal
Text: Matthew 26:41
Author: Johann B. Freystein, 1697, cento
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Titled: "Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit"
Tune: "Straf mich nicht"
1st Published in: Hundert Arien
Town: Dresden, 1694

Indelible Grace!

We sang this in church today. What a marvelous message, and what wonderful imagery!


A Debtor to Mercy Alone by Augustus Toplady (author of Rock of Ages)

A debtor to mercy alone
Of covenant mercy I sing
I come with Your righteousness on
My humble offering to bring
The judgments of Your holy law
With me can have nothing to do
My Savior’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions
From view

The work which Your goodness began
The arm of Your strength will complete
Your promise is yes and amen
And never was forfeited yet
The future or things that are now
No power below or above
Can make You Your purpose forego
Or sever my soul from Your love

My name from the palms of Your hands
Eternity will not erase
Impressed on Your heart it remains
In marks of indelible grace
Yes I, to the end will endure
Until I bow down at Your throne
Forever and always secure
A debtor to mercy alone

O Light That Knew No Dawn

In our worship service, we sometimes reflect on a hymn while it is played, before the call to worship. Today I was the pianist and the hymn below was today's choice. The author is Gregory of Nanzianzus, and I encourage you to google the name and read up on some fascinating Christian history. I also encourage you to google John Brownlie, who was a Scottish pastor in the late 1800's. He translated this and many other poems from the ancient Greek & Latin.

O Light That Knew No Dawn

O Light that knew no dawn,
That shines to endless day,
All things in earth and Heav’n
Are lustered by Thy ray;
No eye can to Thy throne ascend,
Nor mind Thy brightness comprehend.

Thy grace, O Father, give,
That I might serve in fear;
Above all boons, I pray,
Grant me Thy voice to hear;
From sin Thy child in mercy free,
And let me dwell in light with Thee.

That, cleansed from stain of sin,
I may meet homage give;
And pure in heart, behold
Thy beauty while I live;
Clean hands in holy worship raise,
And Thee, O Christ my Savior, praise.

In supplication meek
To Thee I bend the knee;
O Christ, when Thou shalt come,
In love remember me,
And in Thy kingdom, by Thy grace,
Grant me a humble servant’s place.

Thy grace, O Father, give,
I humbly Thee implore;
And let Thy mercy bless
Thy servant more and more.
All grace and glory be to Thee,
From age to age eternally.

Reckon, Refuse, Render

Did you know that Romans 6:11 is the first command in the book of Romans? I didn't until this morning's sermon. "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." And, interestingly enough, it is a command to THINK, not to DO.

The following is my condensation of today's sermon:

To backtrack - as a review of the first five chapters of Romans, today's sermon reminded us that Christ not only died for sin, He died to sin. Therefore, the following five things are true:

1. Feelings of powerlessness are irrelevant. If we are recipients of His forgiveness, than we are also recipients of His power. It is an irrevocable transaction.

2. Without dying to sin first, any commandments are impotent.

3. Techniques of living a Christian life apart from a union with Christ are inadequate.

4. Every part of my being has been liberated in Christ. (mind, body, will, emotions, thoughts, speech, decisions, etc.)

5. Sin's authority over me has been broken.

In light of this, there are three keys to experiencing the fullness of the benefits of salvation:

Romans 6:11 - RECKON myself dead to sin. I need to learn how to THINK!

Romans 6:12 - REFUSE to let sin in. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions." (put off sin) I need to learn how to say NO!

Romans 6:13 - RENDER to God what is His - to love Him and love others. "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. " (put on righteousness)

The sermon title for today was "Grace Reigns in Life". Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we now can live joyfully under the regime of GRACE!!!

Another Brian Houston song

I TOOK MY BURDEN TO THE CROSSROADS

I looked both ways down the ancient roads
I asked the Lord for the right way
To find redemption for my soul
And the sunlight streamed in through my window
Shone a ray of hope into my blackest hole
Took the book of Jeremiah to my bedside
Felt inspiration murmur soft and low

Hurricane keep a blowing
Send me something on the breeze
Sounds like hope and a future
Sounds like there might be some for me

When I wonder why I bother
When I feel like giving up on my life
When they’re selling all that You gave me freely
In the temple courts for a criminal price
Will You keep revealing to me all the mysteries?
And the ancient secrets so well hid
Like when mercy triumphs over judgement
Revealing more of You than the law ever did

Brian Houston
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music/MC

Where You See Bones

I bought a couple of CD's on ebay a few weeks ago. This song was on one of them. I think the lyrics are amazing.

WHERE YOU SEE BONES

When the ones you love and trust hurt and destroy You
You may be discouraged, certainly don't think of giving up
When you are broken, when you are wounded
Forgive those who persecute you
For it's alright to be broken, and it is no shame to cry

But I do not want you to remain in that place of brokenness
Even though I am in that place with you
Still I do not want you to stay there

Where you see bones, I can see the army
When you see floods, I see the shore
Where you see dry winds blow, I see new life grow
Where you see clouds in your way, it is the Lord

Like I delivered Moses out from the desert place
So I will lead you through
You will see a fire in the night and a pillar of cloud in the day
I will go before you
And if you can forgive then when your soul is really mended
You will see that there is gold, pure gold
Real gold of great worth
You will see there is gold, pure gold
Real gold of great worth in your life

But I do not want you to remain in that place of brokenness
Even though I am in that place with you
Still I do not want you to remain there
No, no, no, no I do not want you to remain in the land of your affliction
No, no, no, no I do not want you to stay there in the land of your broken dreams

To know that I the Lord your God dwell within you
Live beside you and walk behind you
This the pure gold I am talking about
That cannot be consumed by fire or stolen away by human hands
This is the gold of ministry that you have longed for
That you have laid awake at night on your bed dreaming of

And you need to know that I have been wishing for you
Dreaming in you, hoping for you
For my dreams are so much greater for you than yours
And to know my hand in Your life
This is the greatest prize
So much better than recognition

And as you rise up in me, many will know
Many will see, many will hear
Because I am your God

This is the pure gold that I am refining in you
That will shine within your soul
And your cup will run over
And you will see the fruit of your labours
And you will not be disappointed forever
For your toils and your struggles are not in vain

© 2001 : Brian Houston
KingsWay's ThankYou Music/MCPS

Missions & Ministries - Part 5

Back in the dark ages, when I was 12 or 13, I read "The Cross & the Switchblade" by David Wilkerson. I was captivated by how the Lord used him to minister to gang members and drug addicts and ultimately, start Teen Challenge. The Lord also used these books to touch my heart and put within me a desire for a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Over the years I have heard presentations from individuals whose lives have been transformed by God through the Teen Challenge program, and it has always remained a favorite ministry of mine.

I used to wish that I had a dramatic testimony. I've grown enough in my faith to know that any testimony is dramatic, and that any time God touches and redeems a life, it is a miracle of grace. Sometimes I forget that and get weighed down with the cynicism of the world. At such times, a report of a life saved from crime, drugs & despair reminds me that God is still at work and that no life is beyond the hope of salvation.

Sadly, there is as much of a need for a ministry to drug addicts as there was when Teen Challenge was started. Also sadly, the center in Rochester, NY was financially unable to stay open and recently had to combine with Buffalo, NY. Hopefully if the economy improves, the center in Rochester will be re-established. Meanwhile, Teen Challenge remains a ministry that does wonderful work with minimal resources. (www.tcwny.org)

Missions & Ministries - Part 4

Today's focus is The Rochester Family Mission. (www.rochesterfamilymission.com) I met the director, Barbara Thomas, a few years ago when our church hosted a missions conference. The mission's outreaches include food distribution, youth programs, tutoring and educational programs, and RICE (Rochester Institute of Christian Education). A couple from our church has volunteered there for years, so I have confidence that this is an organization that is doing the Lord's work with integrity and responsible stewardship.

Missions & Ministries- Part 3

Today's focus is a radio show aimed at working women, "The Christian Working Woman" with Mary Whelchel. (www.christianworkingwoman.org) In addition to her daily radio show, every summer Mary and her assistant Lucinda travel to Africa for 2 weeks to minister to women there. Part of that trip involves taking gifts and materials to distribute. Additionally, as opportunities arise, the ministry will do special aid projects. An example is Haiti. After the earthquake, TCWW located a couple of families in Haiti that had been seriously affected by the earthquake. All the special donations went directly to those families. TCWW combines evangelism and discipleship in down to earth ways that are biblically sound and easy to understand and remember,

Missions & Ministries- Part 2.

Another organization high on my list is Logoi. (www.logoi.org) The founder, Les Thompson, was born in Cuba to missionary parents, and lived there until they were asked to leave in the 1960's. He is a missionary, pastor, and author. The ministry is based in Miami and their main goal is equipping Spanish speaking pastors and believers with sound Christian materials. They hold pastor's conferences in Cuba, Latin America and South America. They also have a newly developed website where Spanish speaking pastors can make a wish list and English speaking believers can make those wish lists a reality. I have not explored their new site much yet, but it seems to have great potential and to be using the power of the internet to link believers around the world, to the glory of God.

Missions & Ministries- Part 1

Yesterday, Little Man's Father & I went to a missions conference. At first, I wondered why it had been scheduled in December, when everyone is accelerating toward Christmas. After listening to the speakers, my thoughts and attitude had been re-aligned. Missions is all about glorifying God and telling people that they can have peace with God because of Jesus. Hearing about various mission endeavors in various parts of the world was such an antidote to the commercialization of Christmas that starts before Halloween and increases until everyone is sick of the holiday before it even gets here. How sad. Don't get me wrong - I love all the tradition and trimmings and I'm busy shopping and decorating and moving through the various celebrations of the season. But in the midst of it, I'm trying to keep a place of peace and stillness and trying to take time to focus on the incarnation of our Lord and all its implications.

As part of that, I thought I would focus on some of the mission & ministry endeavors that I've become aware of, in no particular order. The first one is "Come Over and Help", which I heard about for the first time yesterday. Their website is www.coah.org. Their area of work is Eastern Europe and countries that were formerly communist. They don't have missionaries - instead, they partner with churches and ministries that are already established and help them in whatever way is needed to carry out their work. The areas the speaker highlighted yesterday are pastor training, prison ministry, orphanages, church building and humanitarian aid.

Celtic Advent

In the Celtic Christian tradition, Advent is a full 40 days of preparation, similar to Lent. In "The Celtic Daily Prayer" book by the Northumbria Community, it is described as a time of repentance, humbling and interior "housecleaning". John the Baptist's warning was to prepare a way for the Lord by making a clear and level path, getting rid of boulders (the things we have done that we should not have) and filling in the potholes (the things we should have done and failed to do).

In the past, I have only noticed Advent on Sundays when we lit a candle at church in the Advent wreath. I really love this idea of Celtic Advent as a way to spiritually prepare for the holiday season. In googling "Celtic Advent", I found the following at www.wellsprings.org.uk:

Opening Responses
Reader	Days of heavy clouds stifling the sunlight the world burdened by greyness and gloom
ALL	OPEN OUR EYES, LORD TO THE COMING OF YOUR LIGHT LIFTING THE BURDEN OF DARKNESS FROM OUR LIVES.
Reader	Chillness that seeps deep into bones hearts and spirits rigid with frost-hardness souls wrapped up against coldness and loneliness.
ALL	OPEN OUR SOULS, LORD, TO THE WARMTH OF YOUR COMING MELTING THE HARDNESS THAT KEEPS US FROM YOU AND FROM EACH OTHER.
Reader	Trees - branches bare against the steel skies stems crumpled under weight of frost - weight of snow last year’s leaves - blackened and slippery underfoot - nature oppressed by wintriness - yet resting - awaiting rebirth.
ALL	CHERISH OUR HEARTS, LORD OPPRESSED BY WINTRINESS - ASSURE US OF YOUR COMING OF YOUR CALL TO NEW LIFE.

Closing Responses
Reader	We take the light of our prayer into the world
ALL	TO PRAY FOR THOSE UNABLE TO PRAY; TO OFFER OURSELVES AS ANSWERS TO PRAYER.
Reader	We take the light of our compassion into the world:
ALL	TO COME ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING ANGUISH OF HEART ANGUISH OF MIND AND BE AS CHRIST FOR THEM.
Reader	We take the light of God's power into the world:
ALL	GOD'S POWER MADE PERFECT IN POWERLESSNESS STRENGTH MADE KNOWN IN WEAKNESS LIFE MADE KNOWN IN DYING.
Reader	God enters the hearts of all who pray - and feel they are not heard suffers their pain - their humiliation - carries the burdens of the world and dies that we might live May our God bless us
ALL	THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Reader	And until we meet again
ALL	MAY GOD HOLD US IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND. AMEN

Wonderful words of comfort

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

These wonderful words are from the Heidelberg Catechism, question 1.