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At Calvary

10/21/2017

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Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.
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Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.


Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary!


Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.


Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!


Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.


Date:  1895
Author:  William R. Newell
Music:  Daniel B. Towner

Story:

This 27-year old had just moved to a new position as a teacher, so one might expect he’d feel rather sure of himself. Yet he knew enough to retain his humility. What made William Reed Newell a gifted teacher was also what - -or whom, rather – made him aware of his own condition, of the route he’d travelled, and of where he was headed. Most of all, he knew whom he should thank for all of this experience, and the hope of what lay ahead. It all comes across in the song “Years I Spent In Vanity” that he composed in 1895. 

Newell’s song may be more commonly known as “At Calvary”, and the lines he wrote seem to indicate this alternate title is probably more appropriate for the thoughts that were apparently going through his mind during its composition, too. It is said that Newell pondered his own conversion story for several weeks, and then in the space of a few moments, while he walked to a class that he was scheduled to teach one day at Moody Bible Institute, he penned the words. He’d just begun teaching at this institute in Chicago, so perhaps he was giving himself a bit of a self-exam, reviewing his own life as part of a new beginning at Moody. Ducking into an empty classroom to jot down the words that day suggests he sensed he had something special, something he wanted to be certain he recorded before he was distracted by other pressing duties. What happened next must have confirmed for him and his musical collaborator, Dan Towner, the school’s musical director, that “At Calvary” was indeed extraordinary.  Towner composed the music in just an hour after receiving his friend’s words, so its quick development must have meant the words were powerful and incisive for him too. Maybe Newell was thinking about a lecture or a commentary on the Bible’s book of Romans, as someone has noted the song’s verses seem to follow the general outline of that ancient work, for which the composer was also a noted academic authority.  

There are lots of reasons to look at Calvary the way William Newell did in 1895. It must have been personal for the composer, but he invites me to think along with him about the shadow that piece of wood casts. Verses 1 and 2 tell me Newell recognized his true nature, despite all of his notoriety, so I’m prompted to reflect ‘Am I any different?’Verse 3 allows me to rejoice with the composer that I can extend beyond my limits by accessing, of all things, another’s death. How strange! But, it’s not supposed to be conventional. God is, after all unique, and this cross-view perspective provides a window into His mind in verse 4. Yes, ‘at calvary’ is necessary, if I want to tie myself to God. It’s the one place on earth where I can see myself, ugly as I am, and Him at the same time with open arms, literally and figuratively. Oh, wait. I think there may be another moment somewhere out there when He’ll have open arms for me. For you, too. 

Bible Verse

Luke 23:33 - When they came to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him

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This hymn was taken from this website:  www.popularhymns.com/at_calvary.php

The story for this hymn was written by David Cain and was taken from this website:  songscoops.blogspot.com/2013/03/years-i-spent-in-vanity-william-r-newell.html



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We Believe in Jesus Christ

10/20/2017

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"An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins'" (Matthew 1:20-21).
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Jesus Christ is the second person of the triune Godhead. He was with God in the beginning and through him all things were created (John 1:2-3, Colossians 1:15-17). Through Jesus all things were created good, free from evil, and functioning as God intended (Genesis 1:4, 31). But when humankind chose evil over good, sin entered into the world and brought with it painful consequences. As a result of sin, the wickedness of the human race increases and every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart became increasingly evil, all the time (Genesis 6:5).

The restoration of good in creation of God now requires redemption because we cannot save ourselves from the mess we created.  In God's wisdom and love, Jesus, through whom all things were created, is the Redeemer who comes into the messy world He created as good to bring restoration and salvation, to reconcile the world unto itself.

Marking the dawning of a new era is the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ. It is significant, something new, something which has never been seen before, and something that has not been seen since. Only God can perform this miraculous act. For the people of Israel, it is no secret that God's power and authority transcends the laws of nature.

Isaac's birth (Genesis 21:1-7) and John the Baptist's birth (Luke 1) are examples of God's expression of His mighty works which transcend the laws of nature. However, the birth of Christ supersedees this.

Jesus, the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the visible expression, true reflection, and representation of God, comes by the Holy Spirit and is born of the Virgin Mary, so that two whole and perfect natures, the Godhead and manhood, are united in Jesus Christ.

Attempts to find parallels of virgin births in the mythical stories show that the traditional myths are just that. No pagan or other mythological tales can be found that offer evidence of a virgin birth. Those traditions involve relationships between a god and a human. This is not the case with the birth of Jesus. He is the Son of God ("The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God" Luke 1:35.), anointed and appointed by God to save the world.

Although throughout the Old Testament the people of Israel anticipate the coming of the Messiah for their salvation, they seem to have no expectation that He will come as He did. They also seem to have missed that God's plan for the restoration of the world included Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day. His birth, death, and resurrection are miraculous signs that find meaning in God. The miracles, signs, and wonders that Jesus performed are results of the power that derived from the Father.

The New Testament writers are in agreement that Jesus is from God, and God's power is at work in and through Him as Jesus goes about the business of His Father to establish the kingdom of God. This is a kingdom that breaks into the world of darkness and is actively at work to reconcile the world to God.

Christ's death and resurrection further reveal God's image to the world. The expression of God's love for humanity, possibility of forgiveness of sin, transformed life, and reconciled relationship with God in and through Christ (1 John 3:1-10), are for those who believe in Jesus Christ. And those who have been transformed by Christ are promised eternal life which is made possible as a result of the victory of Christ over death (1 Corinthians 15:12, 20| 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The resurrection of Christ reassures us that God has power and authority over His creation. Not even death can limit His power. He can bring to life that which is dead, "Death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Therefore, even though the world is in a chaotic state, and because of sin and its consequences things seem to be getting worse, there is great optimism for the healing of the human condition and the world.

Through Jesus Christ, salvation is accessible for all!

As people, communities, and villages call on the name of Jesus in repentance and receive the forgiveness of sin, all are empowered by the Lord to live victorious lives and to be witnesses of the new kingdom, the kingdom of God.

Thus, Jesus commissions His followers, the church, to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20a).

The church, marked by Jesus Christ, must be the reflection and expression of Jesus Christ to the world. The church must derive its power from Jesus. Apart from Christ, we cannot and will not bear fruit (John 15:1-17). We are called to join in revealing Jesus to the world and to partner with Jesus in His mission to reverse the effects of sin. We are called to be the revelation of the breaking in of the kingdom of God into the world of darkness.

Those marked by Jesus become God's showcase to the world, witnessing the fact that salvation and redemption are available to everyone. People do not have to live enslaved by the power of evil, for Christ has the power to set people free from evil and its power. Sin brought disorder into the world, but Christ's death provides a way to heal the world.

Jesus Christ not only sets us free from sin and its power, but He also sustains His creation. "In him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). Thus, when we confess that we believe in Jesus Christ, we affirm that we put our trust in and acknowledge that Jesus Christ's way of life is what God intends for all humanity. Believing in Jesus Christ means committing every aspect of our lives to His Lordship. It is a choice to live in obedience to His teachings and in assurance of hope that He sustains us with His mighty power.

This post was written by Dr Filimao M Chambo, General Superintendent of The Church of the Nazarene. You can find his original post here:  holinesstoday.org/we-believe-in-jesus-christ





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Preparing your heart

10/19/2017

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I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.- Haggai 2:7


Is there something big and seemingly impossible you are currently praying for? Maybe it is a promotion at work, the salvation of a loved one, or even the reconciliation of a previously damaged relationship. Whatever it is that you are crying out to God about, sometimes just praying can seem so intimidating and, honestly, unproductive. 

If you are like me you tend to speak loudly to God about things He has not answered yet. Even in the waiting, though, it seems like God is always listening and gives little glimpses of hope throughout the waiting.

This passage is set in a time when the temple was laying in rubble in Jerusalem. God’s people felt so defeated and many just gave up and thought God had abandoned them. People prayed that the temple would be restored but the broken bricks on the ground made the emotional wounds even deeper. God had a plan though.

God’s plan centered around the concept of how the original Tabernacle was built. Resourced by God in miraculous ways and built by God’s people. Even when people were hurting, the Creator was forming His master plan.

It took a lot of time, but what we know looking back at these writings is that God was softening and preparing the hearts of the people. He wanted Israel to be ready to once again receive His glory in the temple. All of these prayers that were prayed in desperation were guiding their hearts in the right direction. Even though waiting was excruciating, they had to be prepared.

Are you allowing God to prepare your heart as you wait on His answer? Trust Him as You wait, and you will see His glory.

Prayer for today: Father, help me to trust you even when it seems like my prayers are going unanswered. Amen

This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.  
​You can find his blog here: www.ministrysauce.com​



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Mourn for sin

10/18/2017

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Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.  Matthew 5:4 (NKJV)

The sorrow and promise that is given here are not a general sorrow. This doesn’t refer to the sorrow that comes when things go wrong in our life. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t comfort us during these times because he certainly does. There are plenty of places in Scripture that speak to this. This just isn’t one of them.

As we look at these attitudes it’s important to recognize how they are interconnected. Those that come to the place where they understand the seriousness of their sin and their spiritual poverty, mourn for their sin. They mourn first for their own sin and then for the sins of others. The word that is translated as mourn is the strongest word possible for mourning. It is like the deep mourning and wailing that occurs when a loved one dies. It is a deep, desperate and helpless sorrow and in this case it comes not because of a tragedy but because we recognize how serious our sin is.

It is rare to see this kind of mourning for sins in our day and age. Have you ever wondered why? I think the main problem is that we don’t have a Biblical view of sin. The word sin in our culture at large is generally used to refer to things that are seen as indulgences. These are things we know we shouldn’t have, but it’s just so good we will anyway. We may regret it tomorrow, but right now we are going to enjoy it and joke about how sinfully delicious it is. Of course what this really means is that it is no big deal.

Sadly, many times this is the same general attitude that we have toward sin. This is certainly not the Biblical view of sin. Look at some of what the Bible says about sin.

Sin is a work of the devil. “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning…” (1 John 3:8 NKJV)

Those who sin are children of the devil. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do…” John 8:44 (NKJV)

Sin is an abominable thing God hates. “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord…” (Proverbs 15:9 NKJV)

Sin is disgraceful. “Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34 NLT)

All sin is done against God. “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight– That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.” Psalm 51:4 (NKJV)

Sin defiles us. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” Matthew 15:19-20 (NKJV)

Sin brings the wrath of God. “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5-6 NKJV)

Sin brings death. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:14-15 (NKJV)

Sin enslaves me. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:16 (NKJV)

Sin is the reason Jesus was crucified. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)

When we recognize the severity of our sin we will mourn for our sin. The promise for that genuinely mourns for their sin is that they will be comforted. They will be comforted. This comfort comes because mourning leads to repentance, repentance leads to confession and confession leads to forgiveness.

“I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”  Psalm 32:5 (NKJV)

This is why God wants us to mourn for our sins. It’s not so that we can live lives of shame, guilt and feeling beat down. It’s so that we will turn to Him and seek His grace and mercy. God wants to forgive us for our sins. He wants to forgive us so much that He sent Jesus to die that awful death we talked about for our sins. Before we can be forgiven we must repent. We must turn from our sins and turn to God.  We won’t repent until we truly mourn for our sins. This leaves us separated from God and far from the life He wants us to have.

Do you see your sin as serious as described above?

Do you mourn for your sins?

Is there sin in your life that you need to confess to God and receive His forgiveness?

This post was written by Rev Ross.  For the original post, go to:  http://stacyjross.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/mourn-for-sin/


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More God = Less Crime

10/17/2017

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Byron R. Johnson, a professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, who compiled a survey of every study between 1944 and 2010 that measured the possible effect of religion on crime. He found 273 such studies. As he reports in "More God, Less Crime," even though their authors used different methods and assessed different groups of people, 90% of these studies found that more religiosity resulted in less crime. Only 2% found that religion produced more crime. (The remaining 8% found no relationship either way.)

Does this prove that religion reduces crime? Not precisely, for these are all quasi-experimental studies. If they were truly experimental and thus carried greater intellectual weight, the researchers would direct people, none of whom had any religion, either to acquire and practice one or to remain godless and thereby stay in the control group. We would then compare the groups' crime rates. Doing this would be immoral, illegal and impractical, and so we are left with studies that compare religious and nonreligious people and try to control statistically for other factors that might explain away the religion-and-crime link.

How much confidence, then, should we have in nonexperimental studies? Not a lot, as none of the studies that Mr. Johnson cites show the statistical controls necessary to evaluate them. But offsetting this weakness is the number of studies showing a religious effect. And we can look at a few of the best ones, such as that by Richard Freeman. A Harvard professor of economics, he arranged for 2,358 young black men living in downtown Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia to be interviewed. He found that, other things (such as family and economic background) being equal, going to church is associated with substantial differences in how young men behave. More churchgoing, less crime, less alcohol and fewer drugs. As Mr. Freeman puts it: "The effect of churchgoing is not the result of churchgoing youth having 'good attitudes.' " If you want to see his reasons, look at his book "The Black Youth Employment Crisis" (1986).

The interesting question is whether society can make religion more important in the lives of convicted offenders. The largest effort to do this is managed by the Prison Fellowship, an organization created by Charles Colson in the 1970s when he was in jail after having pleaded guilty to charges involving his role in the Nixon administration's effort to discredit Daniel Ellsberg, the Pentagon Papers leaker.

Evaluating the Prison Fellowship program is not easy. Inmates, according to the organization, must complete all three phases of its program in order to benefit. Phase one involves Bible study while in prison; phase two requires community service during the day at a nearby city; and phase three means linking up with mentors and churches in the community. Each phase lasts about a year.

Mr. Johnson looked at the program's effectiveness in Texas and found that those who completed all three phases were much less likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a new crime than those who dropped out. The key question is whether the inmates who go through all three phases differ in other ways from those who never join the program or drop out early.

In an earlier study of inmates at four New York prisons, Mr. Johnson says, there was no difference between Fellowship and non-Fellowship groups over an eight-year period except for those members of the program who worked hard at Bible studies. Even then, the effect lasted for only two or three years after their release.

But these findings do not fully address a problem that social scientists call "selection bias." If people who join a long program and stay with it are different in motivation from those who drop out, we cannot be sure that Bible study makes a difference. The selection-bias problem, I suspect, afflicts many of the studies that Mr. Johnson summarizes. The strongest results come from studies (there are a few) that compare people in the Prison Fellowship with those who volunteered for it but weren't selected.

But wait, the story doesn't end there....The second story that Mr. Johnson has to tell in "More God, Less Crime" is about what happens to academics—in his case, a criminologist—who turn their attention to religion. When he was a young scholar at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) in the mid-1980s, Mr. Johnson was told by his department chairman that none of his articles involving religion would count toward getting tenure. Though Mr. Johnson began publishing articles in academic journals about subjects other than religion, two years later he was fired. In his appeal to the dean, Mr. Johnson mentioned his publications and high student evaluations. The dean replied: "I don't need to have a reason," adding: "I can let you go if I don't like the color of your eyes."With three small children at home, Mr. Johnson was desperate to save his job. He appealed to the provost, who told him: "You simply don't fit in here. I think you need to consider getting a job teaching at some small Christian college." The provost added, according to Mr. Johnson, that he would have "the same problem" at any other state university. Mr. Johnson then said to the provost: "If I were a Marxist we wouldn't even be having this conversation, would we?" The provost "nodded in agreement."

Mr. Johnson moved on to the University of Pennsylvania, where in the 1990s he continued to publish material on religion (even though the school is funded in large part by the state). In 2004, he took a job at Baylor University, a private Baptist institution, where he has been quite successful. His advice to young scholars: Get tenure before you start writing about religion.


This post came from the Wall Street Journal.  It was written by James Q Wilson.  The original article can be found here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703778104576287043835803026.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_opinion

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Discontentment

10/16/2017

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In the quiet moments of the day we sense a nagging within, a discontentment, a hunger for something else. But because we have not solved the riddle of our existence, we assume that something is wrong—not with life, but with us. Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What's wrong with me? We feel guilty about our chronic disappointment. Why can't I just learn to be happier in my job, in my marriage, in my church, in my group of friends? You see, even while we are doing other things, "getting on with life," we still have an eye out for the life we secretly want. When someone seems to have gotten it together we wonder how did they do it? Maybe if we read the same book, spent time with them, went to their church, things would come together for us as well. You see, we can never entirely give up our quest.   

As May reminds us,

"When the desire is too much to bear, we often bury it beneath frenzied thoughts and activities or escape it by dulling our immediate consciousness of living. It is possible to run away from the desire for years, even decades, at a time, but we cannot eradicate it entirely. It keeps touching us in little glimpses and hints in our dreams, our hopes, our unguarded moments."

He says that even though we sleep, our desire does not. "It is who we are." We are desire. It is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness is ever accomplished without it. Not a symphony has been written, a mountain climbed, an injustice fought or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our search for the life we prize. Our desire, if we will listen to it, will save us from committing soul-suicide, the sacrifice of our hearts on the altar of "getting by." The same old thing is not enough. It never will be.

This post is excerpted from the book, Desire by John Eldredge

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Uncle Buddy:  A few things that prove depravity

10/15/2017

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In the seventh chapter of Romans, St. Paul says, "I am carnal, sold under sin." The apostle means to say that he was on the bottom and sin was on top; or in other words, the enemy had him down, and the thing that he said had him down was carnality. However, many of the big preachers tell us that, when man fell, he fell up instead of down, and that for six thousand years man has been pressing toward the "golden age." They have denied inbred sin and carnality, and declared publicly that these things were all believed only by the ignorant and weak-minded.

But we see a big difference between the teachings of the preachers and the presidents of the national banks of America. For the bank presidents are spending millions of dollars in building vaults to keep their wealth in. They believe that man is depraved, and to make it right plain, they deal with every man as though he were a rascal. And no banker will trust his money in the hands of a man unless he has good security. If a  stranger was to go to a banker, and tell the banker that he was born as an angel and knew nothing of depravity and carnality, and that he wanted to borrow a few thousand dollars on his own face, the president of the bank would notify the health officers that there was an insane man in the bank, to come over and take him out. But, when we think of it, everything we see as we travel the streets proves that man fell down instead of up. For we see great signs that say, "Don't spit on the sidewalk," "Don't pull the flowers," "Don't feed the animals," "Don't bother the monkeys," "Keep off the grass," "Not responsible for hats and overcoats," "Keep out of the president's room," "Trespassers will be prosecuted." All of this shows that man has lost confidence in man.

Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson (Kindle Locations 2692-2704). Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition. 




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Are You Washed in the Blood?

10/14/2017

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Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? 

Refrain

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Refrain

Date:  1878
Author: Elisha A. Hoffman
Music:  Elisha A. Hoffman

Story:

ELISHA ALBRIGHT HOFFMAN (1839-1929) was born in Orwigsburg, PA, the son of devout Germans and was reared in a family that sang as part of their daily devotions. He attended Central High School, Philadelphia, then Union Seminary (of the Evangelical Association) and became a minister of the Evangelical Church. He pastored in Benton Harbor (Michigan) Presbyterian Church, served as editor of many music publications, and was a gifted amateur writer of both words and music of gospel songs. He is remembered as the composer of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms". He served briefly as an editor for Hope Publishing Company, and left a large file of unpublished compositions in care of the company. His most popular hymn "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms" appears as #496 in Hope's new hymnal WORSHIP & REJOICE (2001).

Bible Verses

Revelation 7:14 - They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.


The hymn and story for this hymn was taken from this website:  www.popularhymns.com/are_you_washed_in_the_blood.php

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The cow that arranged a meeting

10/13/2017

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Nestor Wilondja was lost in thought as he drove out of Swartdam, South Africa. As an EHC Mobile Training Coordinator, Nestor had visited this rural community to train local churches to evangelize their neighbors and disciple new believers. He was filled with thankfulness for those he had met who were eager to change their communities with Jesus’ love, and he was excited to see how God would move through them in their upcoming outreaches.

Cows, goats and chickens could be seen milling about outside several homes as Nestor pulled his Fortuner SUV onto the road. He knew that these animals represented the livelihood of their owners. People in Swartdam rely on their livestock to provide milk, eggs, meat — and, most importantly, income.

Such income is vital to many families. The homes Nestor drove past were little more than shacks. Built of corrugated iron on bare ground, strong winds and rain would be enough to knock them down. Swartdam is a poor community made up primarily of black Africans, who are still a marginalized group in South Africa. Many in Swartdam are uneducated and unskilled, and 43 percent of the population is unemployed. Crime is a major problem, as well as HIV/AIDS.

These social factors are further aggravated by the negative portrayal of Christians in the media. Unfortunately, when many in Swartdam think of Christianity, they think only of the prosperity gospel. Preachers on the TV and the radio never urge their followers to help and serve the community; they only ask for people’s money. This impression creates a wall of mistrust between our workers and the families they strive to reach. Trust must be earned before the true Gospel can be shared.

A figure rushed onto the road ahead, jarring Nestor from his thoughts. The man was waving his arms and signaling for Nestor to stop his SUV. Wondering what this man could need, Nestor pulled over and leapt from his vehicle. The man was a farm manager, and he led Nestor away from the road and into a nearby field. The scene that Nestor found there told him everything in an instant.

Surrounding an enormous mud puddle next to a drying creek were several men and a pickup truck — and in the middle of the mud was a scared, exhausted cow. The animal had sunk more than halfway into the wet, sticky mess so that only its head and back could still be seen. The men had tied one end of a rope around the cow’s middle and the other end to the truck, but they clearly hadn’t made any progress in their efforts to pull it free. The pitiful creature mooed weakly.

An observer who didn’t know better might have found the scenario funny, but there were no smiling faces in the group that met Nestor. He could guess what they were all thinking. The farm manager was likely wondering what he would tell the farm owner if they were unable to free his cow. If the cow was not rescued from the mud, it would die there — and that would be a tremendous loss for the farm. The other workers were likely wondering how this problem would affect their families. If the cow was lost, the farmer might not be able to pay them. Had they worked hard that day in the African heat only to return home empty-handed? The situation was bleak.

Nestor quickly returned to his SUV and drove it into the field next to the farm manager’s truck. The men helped Nestor tie his vehicle to the cow, and then both drivers got behind their wheels. Saying a short prayer, Nestor gently gave the vehicle some gas and looked in his rearview mirror.

To everyone’s delight, the cow began to rise out of the mud. The combined power of the truck and the SUV was enough to make the difference. The farm workers cheered as the vehicles pulled the cow free and dragged it away from the mud. The fatigued animal lay helplessly on its side, too weak to move, but finally free.

The farm manager and workers gathered around Nestor to thank him for his help, but Nestor knew he could still help them in a more important way. He took the opportunity to share the Gospel and told the farm workers how much Jesus loves them.

To Nestor’s joy, the farm manager and four of the other workers gave their lives to Jesus.

The farm manager said he had never believed in the Jesus he heard about from the prosperity preachers in the media — but he does believe in the Jesus Nestor follows. Nestor didn’t just speak about Jesus; he showed Jesus through his actions. His willingness to serve strangers in need was a testimony of God’s love for them.

The farm manager offered to lend his pickup truck to the families of the four other new believers so they could go to church. Now, they all ride together to worship with the nearby Rock of Ages congregation each week.

Antonie Boshoff, the National Director of Every Home for Christ South Africa, often reminds his teams that, as they preach the Gospel, they should also live it out each day.

“Actions speak louder than words,” he says. “People in the world do not read their Bibles, but they read you as a child of God.”

This blog post is from Every Home for Christ.  To find the original post, go to:  www.ehc.org/blog/stuck-in-the-mud



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How rich is God?

10/12/2017

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I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ- Ephesians 3:16-18
 
How rich is God? It is somewhat of a silly question isn’t it? When we think of richness we think of fat wallets, financial advisors and storage facilities full of “stuff”. So, the question still remains. How rich is God? Or, maybe I should ask…How much “stuff” does God have? It seems like a foreign thought to have because we never think of God sitting on his throne in Heaven, and right next to Him, a security guard whose purpose is to protect His collection of gold and diamonds. Yet, at the same time, we know God has more than we do. The fact is, God has everything. Every square inch of the universe is His. Sometimes we forget that the same God who created everything can meet our needs. He personally know us by names and cares about our needs. As humans, we frequently fall short of our supply of anything we can think of; both spiritual and physical. For some reason, we tend to think that God can only use what we already have in limited supply. When we pray for things we do not possess, or manufacture, God provides (in His timing) from His own resources. We become so frustrated when a lost familiy member is not listening to truth, or a bill is coming due we cannot afford, but God can make miracles happen. 
 
Do you believe it? You should, because it happens every day. Trust Him today and anticipate His amazing provision. Believing in this truth will make your heart a more habitable space for God's love and power. Then, when you experience His power, you more quickly testify to others; thus passing on the blessing. You become more rooted and established and ready to be an ambassador for God's kingdom (the richest kingdom around). 
 

Prayer for today: God, I know you know my heart and what I need. I ask that you show me a miracle today in the area that I am the most burdened about. I need you more than an answer. Thank you for being my deliverer and my provider. Amen.

​
This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.  
​You can find his blog here: www.ministrysauce.com​


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