This week I have enjoyed posting songs of Thanksgiving to remind us of how blessed we are and how very much we have to be thankful for!
In II Corinthians 9:15, we read: "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."
I have often sung the chorus, "Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul . . .", but I don't remember ever hearing the verses to the song. "The words of this hymn by Seth Sykes have been greatly used of God since they were written in 1940 to allow believers to offer praise for the gift of their salvation."
"Some thank the Lord for friends and home,
for mercies sure and sweet;
But I would praise Him for His grace --
In prayer I would repeat:
Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul; Thank You, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free.
Some thank Him for the flowers that grow,
some for the stars that shine.
My heart is filled with joy and praise,
Because I know He's mine.
I trust in Him from day to day;
I prove His saving grace;
I'll sing this song of praise to Him,
Until I see His face.
Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul;
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me --
Thy great salvation so rich and free."
Let us carry this lovely little musical prayer in our hearts throughout this blessed season!
_____
My daughter is picking me up soon to travel to Kansas City for the wedding of my great-niece, and then I am staying through Thanksgiving with my son Jonathan and family.
Since I won't be posting next week, I want to wish each of you a very blessed Thanksgiving!! May God bless you as you "count your many blessings -- name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done!"
Friday, November 16, 2018
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
In Lamentations 3:22-23, we read: It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." I love this beautiful hymn, and I enjoyed reading and learning about the background in the hymn stories of Kenneth Osbeck.
"While many enduring hymns are born out of a particular dramatic experience, this was simply the result of the author's "morning by morning" realization of God's personal faithfulness in his daily life. Shortly before his death in 1960, Thomas Chisholm wrote:
'My income has never been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. But I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant keeping God, and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness.'
Thomas Chisholm was born in a crude log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky. From this humble beginning, and without the benefit of high school or advanced education, he somehow began his career as a school teacher at the age of 16 in the same country school where he had received his elementary training. After accepting Christ as Saviour, he became editor of 'The Pentecostal Herald' and later was ordained as a Methodist minister. Throughout his long life time, he wrote more than 1,200 sacred poems, many of which have since become prominent hymn texts.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness--
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear Presence to cheer and to guide--
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided--
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."
Praise the Lord! What a wonderful song for us to meditate upon throughout this Thanksgiving season! Let us live in a spirit of grateful praise,. as we recall over and over again the tender mercies and faithfulness of our wonderful Lord!
"While many enduring hymns are born out of a particular dramatic experience, this was simply the result of the author's "morning by morning" realization of God's personal faithfulness in his daily life. Shortly before his death in 1960, Thomas Chisholm wrote:
'My income has never been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. But I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant keeping God, and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness.'
Thomas Chisholm was born in a crude log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky. From this humble beginning, and without the benefit of high school or advanced education, he somehow began his career as a school teacher at the age of 16 in the same country school where he had received his elementary training. After accepting Christ as Saviour, he became editor of 'The Pentecostal Herald' and later was ordained as a Methodist minister. Throughout his long life time, he wrote more than 1,200 sacred poems, many of which have since become prominent hymn texts.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness--
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear Presence to cheer and to guide--
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided--
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."
Praise the Lord! What a wonderful song for us to meditate upon throughout this Thanksgiving season! Let us live in a spirit of grateful praise,. as we recall over and over again the tender mercies and faithfulness of our wonderful Lord!
Monday, November 12, 2018
Give Thanks!
In Psalm 92:1, we read: "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most high." I have a book entitled "Amazing Grace" that contains hymn stories by Kenneth Osbeck. Let us look today at the Thanksgiving hymn, "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come", written by Henry Alford.
"The first stanza of this harvest hymn is an invitation and an exhortation to give thanks to God in His earthly temple -- our local church -- for the heavenly care and provision of our earthly need. The following two stanzas are an interesting commentary on the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares as recorded in the 13th chapter of Matthew. The final stanza is a prayer for the Lord's return --'the final harvest home.'
Come, ye thankful people, come -- raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied:
Come to God's own Temple, come -- raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God's own field, fruit unto His praise to yield:
Wheat and tares together sown, unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.
For the Lord our God shall come and shall take His harvest home:
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away --
Give His angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.
Even so, Lord, quickly come to Thy final harvest home:
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin;
There, forever purified, in Thy presence to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels, come -- raise the glorious harvest-home."
In this beautiful Thanksgiving season, let us take time to worship our God from a thankful heart!
"The first stanza of this harvest hymn is an invitation and an exhortation to give thanks to God in His earthly temple -- our local church -- for the heavenly care and provision of our earthly need. The following two stanzas are an interesting commentary on the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares as recorded in the 13th chapter of Matthew. The final stanza is a prayer for the Lord's return --'the final harvest home.'
Come, ye thankful people, come -- raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied:
Come to God's own Temple, come -- raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God's own field, fruit unto His praise to yield:
Wheat and tares together sown, unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.
For the Lord our God shall come and shall take His harvest home:
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away --
Give His angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.
Even so, Lord, quickly come to Thy final harvest home:
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin;
There, forever purified, in Thy presence to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels, come -- raise the glorious harvest-home."
In this beautiful Thanksgiving season, let us take time to worship our God from a thankful heart!
Friday, November 9, 2018
PEACE!
There is a lovely verse in I Corinthians 14:33, which reads: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." How blessed it is to know that beneath all the toils and cares and conflicts that life may bring, we can have a deep, settled peace in our soul! Praise the Lord!
James tells us in his epistle that "the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated. . ."
Our world seems to be full of confusion, turmoil and strife, and the only One who can bring true and lasting peace is the Author of peace, and, of course, this is our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! He is the author of peace, just as the devil is the author of all confusion and strife.
Our wonderful Lord is the Author of peace, the Lord of peace, the Prince of peace, the King of peace--the very God of peace! How wonderful to know that He is our peace! And someday, the prophet Zechariah tell us -- "His dominion shall be from sea even to sea and from the river even to the ends of the earth." And Isaiah tells us: "...of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." What a blessed promise!!
Let us be careful to keep our lamps trimmed and burning, live in peace, and keep the glory of the Lord on our souls!
God bless you as we prepare our hearts for the coming Lord's Day!
James tells us in his epistle that "the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated. . ."
Our world seems to be full of confusion, turmoil and strife, and the only One who can bring true and lasting peace is the Author of peace, and, of course, this is our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! He is the author of peace, just as the devil is the author of all confusion and strife.
Our wonderful Lord is the Author of peace, the Lord of peace, the Prince of peace, the King of peace--the very God of peace! How wonderful to know that He is our peace! And someday, the prophet Zechariah tell us -- "His dominion shall be from sea even to sea and from the river even to the ends of the earth." And Isaiah tells us: "...of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." What a blessed promise!!
Let us be careful to keep our lamps trimmed and burning, live in peace, and keep the glory of the Lord on our souls!
God bless you as we prepare our hearts for the coming Lord's Day!
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
The Morning After ---
The huge rallies have ended -- the voting booths have closed -- some are shouting the victory -- some are mourning in defeat!
But today, as a citizen, and as a Christian, we have a responsibility to pray for those who have been elected as leaders in our nation. God's Holy Word tells us in the 33rd Psalm: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
So as we face the unknown future, may these great words by Ernest Shurtleff be our battle cry:
"Lead on, O King eternal. We follow; not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning where-e'er Thy face appears.
The cross is lifted o'er us; We journey in its light.
The crown awaits the conquest; Lead on, O God of might."
But today, as a citizen, and as a Christian, we have a responsibility to pray for those who have been elected as leaders in our nation. God's Holy Word tells us in the 33rd Psalm: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
So as we face the unknown future, may these great words by Ernest Shurtleff be our battle cry:
"Lead on, O King eternal. We follow; not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning where-e'er Thy face appears.
The cross is lifted o'er us; We journey in its light.
The crown awaits the conquest; Lead on, O God of might."
Monday, November 5, 2018
I am so glad ---
"I am so glad that Jesus loves me -- Jesus loves even me!"
"Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so full and free."
"I am blessed! I am blessed! Every day that I live I am blessed!
When I wake up in the morning, 'till I lay my head to rest --
I am blessed! I am blessed!"
Yes, on this beautiful Monday morning, I am very blessed! When I woke up this morning, I saw these beautiful words on my wall --
"Pray about everything -- worry about nothing."
And then when I look out the window above my bed, I see a beautiful tree loaded with lovely golden leaves. Yes, I am blessed with eyes to see the beauty around me, with family and friends who love me and pray for me, and above all, I am blessed to know the joy of living for Jesus every moment of every day!
At this Thanksgiving season, one of the things we are most thankful for is our home and family. I like this poem entitled "Beatitudes for the Home" by Theodore Adams.
"Blessed is the home where God is at home, and where the spirit of Christ rules.
Blessed is the home where children are welcomed and given their rightful place.
Blessed is the home having a church home where father, mother, and children
worship regularly together.
Blessed is the home where each puts the other's happiness first.
Blessed is the home where all show their love in ways that mean the most to those they love.
Blessed is the home where each seeks to bring out the best in the other,
and to show his own best self at all times.
Blessed is the home where all have learned to face their daily problems
in a Christian spirit, and to disagree without being disagreeable.
Blessed is the home where children grow up, and grown-ups do not act like children.
Blessed is the home having the assurance of a heavenly home!" Amen!
"Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so full and free."
"I am blessed! I am blessed! Every day that I live I am blessed!
When I wake up in the morning, 'till I lay my head to rest --
I am blessed! I am blessed!"
Yes, on this beautiful Monday morning, I am very blessed! When I woke up this morning, I saw these beautiful words on my wall --
"Pray about everything -- worry about nothing."
And then when I look out the window above my bed, I see a beautiful tree loaded with lovely golden leaves. Yes, I am blessed with eyes to see the beauty around me, with family and friends who love me and pray for me, and above all, I am blessed to know the joy of living for Jesus every moment of every day!
At this Thanksgiving season, one of the things we are most thankful for is our home and family. I like this poem entitled "Beatitudes for the Home" by Theodore Adams.
"Blessed is the home where God is at home, and where the spirit of Christ rules.
Blessed is the home where children are welcomed and given their rightful place.
Blessed is the home having a church home where father, mother, and children
worship regularly together.
Blessed is the home where each puts the other's happiness first.
Blessed is the home where all show their love in ways that mean the most to those they love.
Blessed is the home where each seeks to bring out the best in the other,
and to show his own best self at all times.
Blessed is the home where all have learned to face their daily problems
in a Christian spirit, and to disagree without being disagreeable.
Blessed is the home where children grow up, and grown-ups do not act like children.
Blessed is the home having the assurance of a heavenly home!" Amen!
Friday, November 2, 2018
"TODAY" ---
I like this beautiful challenge given us by an unknown author which he titles with just one word, "Today"!!
Mend a quarrel. Search out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter. Share some treasure.
Give a soft answer. Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed.
Keep a promise. Find the time. Forgive an enemy.
Listen. Apologize if you were wrong.
Try to understand. Flout envy.
Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else. Appreciate,
Be kind, be gentle. Laugh a little more.
Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice.
Decry complacency. Express your gratitude.
Worship your God. Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love. Speak it again.
Speak it still again. Speak it still once again."
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another."
Mend a quarrel. Search out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter. Share some treasure.
Give a soft answer. Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed.
Keep a promise. Find the time. Forgive an enemy.
Listen. Apologize if you were wrong.
Try to understand. Flout envy.
Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else. Appreciate,
Be kind, be gentle. Laugh a little more.
Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice.
Decry complacency. Express your gratitude.
Worship your God. Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love. Speak it again.
Speak it still again. Speak it still once again."
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another."
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