Archive for April 2018

See Jesus Christ

2018-04-29 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31, NASB)

See Him now,
the Jewish peasant,
the Victim,
the One rejected, ridiculed, brutalized, and
executed as a blasphemer and traitor.
See Him now
in all the glory that is His from all eternity.
See Him risen to the right hand of the Father.
He is seated,
His task complete.
He has wiped away all our sins,
completely and forever.
He has poured out the Holy Spirit of God Himself
on every person who will receive Him.

He is our Brother,
the Lord of all things
in this world and the next,
all things seen and unseen,
in heaven and earth.
We are secure and eternally, extravagantly blessed in Him.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Jesus, Living God!
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Be His Praise

2018-04-26 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A reflection on Revelation 4,
John’s vision of the throne room of God.

Look at John’s vision of the throne room of God and
see who you were created to be.

See the twenty-four elders.
They are honored ones,
respected leaders,
perhaps priests.
They are royal,
each wearing a crown of gold.
They are holy,
dressed in white.
They worship God Almighty with
word and
posture and
action.
They joyfully return to Him
all the honor and glory He has shared with them.
They know that all their crowns truly, only belong to Him.
The twenty-four elders are what God’s people were redeemed to be.

See the four living creatures.
They surround the throne of the Sovereign Lord of all.
Each is wisely and lovingly fashioned by his Creator.
Each is unique
yet one with all He has made.
Each is full of eyes in front and behind and is
fully aware of all reality,
fully attentive to their God.
Each has six wings and
is ready to move immediately at His command.
Each ceaselessly responds to God in all His
holiness,
power, and
eternity.
The four living creatures are what we were created to be.

Like the elders,
like the living creatures,
we exalt God most clearly and beautifully,
not just by what we say,
but by what we do and
who we are.

The infinite Spirit God, unlimited by a physical body,
incarnates Himself in partial ways
in each of His creatures.
He shares Himself and His qualities
through us
so that the whole universe might glimpse just how
great and
holy and
gracious He is.

Child of God,
be His praise!
Be His glory!
In Jesus Christ, be the incarnation of
His life,
His love, and
His holy beauty.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: God of All People
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

A Unique Opportunity

2018-04-24 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Marvelous Creator,
Designer of each snowflake,
You have given me this day as a
unique opportunity.

Today I can know You better.
Today I can walk step-by-step in Your Spirit.
Today I can live Your marvelous love
in fresh, new ways.
Today I can
please You and
praise You and
love You.

Keep me open
to all this day can offer.
Keep me open
to all You want me to
see and
savor and
share.

Father, today
keep me open to You.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Today in Your Presence
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Love Is Fruit

2018-04-22 Devotional with Hymn No comments

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:5, 12, NASB)

How can we love each other as Christ loves us?

Abide in the Vine.
Stay connected to Him.
Stay connected throughout the day,
turning to Him and
talking to Him often.

His presence,
His Spirit,
His perspective will start to permeate our
hearts,
minds, and
lives.

His love will be the fruit of our remaining in Him.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: I Look to You, and You Are Love
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Start with God

2018-04-19 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A reflection on Revelation 4,
John’s vision of the throne room of God.

Do you want to better understand your life?
Do you want to better understand your world?
Yourself?
Start with God.
See Him high and lifted up.
See Him for who He is:
all power,
all wisdom,
all love, justice, and rightness.

All that is flows from Him, the Source.
All that is flows through Him,
the Mover,
the Means,
the Doer,
the Planner,
the Power.
All that is flows to Him, the Goal.

To understand
your purpose,
your design,
your destiny,
start with Him,
for He is the Source and Goal of all you are.
This marvelous God made You in His own image.
He made you to be like Himself.

He is holy,
free from wrong,
free from anything that binds, corrupts, or destroys.
And He longs to make you holy.
He understands your limitations, yet
He intends to make you holy as He is holy,
completely,
freely,
naturally,
by simple faith.

He loves
lavishly,
abundantly,
without any selfishness or reserve.
And He frees you to love the same.

He is eternal,
without beginning or end.
He is unbound by time –
never hurried.
Time is not His master,
but His slave.
And He wants to share His limitless eternity with you.

Do you want to understand
your purpose,
your design,
your destiny?
Do you want to begin to experience
what your life can be
today and every day?
Know and worship God
high and lifted up.
Start with Him.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: High and Holy Sovereign God
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Good Shepherd

2018-04-17 Hymns No comments

A Hymn based on John 10

Recording
Printed Music

Good Shepherd, speak. My heart is listening.
Your voice is love. You call my name.
Lord Jesus, lead, for I can only follow.
I am a lamb, and You, the Living Way.
Good Shepherd, speak. My heart is listening.
Your love alone can call my name.

O Savior God, You walk before me.
Your way is life. I gladly go.
I cannot see, but I will simply follow.
We walk a path that only You can know.
O Savior God, You walk before me.
Your way is love. I gladly go.

Prune Me

2018-04-15 Devotional with Hymn No comments

John 15:1-8; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23

Father,
Creator,
Source of all that is good,
all life and fruitfulness flow
from You
through Jesus Christ.
He is the Vine, and
I am a branch in Him.
All that is
good and
beautiful and
life-giving,
all that is You in me,
flows through my connection with Him.

Prune me, Lord.
Clean away all that fruitlessly drains Your life-giving sap.
Cut off all that hinders the flow of the Spirit between
Christ and
me.
Remove all that clutters my
mind,
heart, and
life
without connecting me closer to Him.
Strip away
all that is not love,
all that is not Christ.

O merciful, all-wise, all-loving Lord,
prune me
that more of You
might flow freely
through me.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Life in the Vine
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Knocking

2018-04-12 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A prayer response to Revelation 3:14-22,
Christ’s letter to the church in Laodicea

Jesus,
You come and offer me the boundless wealth of
all You have and
all You are,
yet I cling to my meager resources.

You ask to clothe me in Yourself, and
I angrily resist,
wrapping myself more tightly in my filthy rags.

You freely offer me Your wisdom, but
my ignorance feels so much safer and more familiar.

Despite all this,
You humbly stand at my door,
day after day,
need after need, and
simply knock.
Your only desire is to offer me Yourself:
Your ability for all my weakness,
Your beautiful purity for all my sin,
Your sight for my total blindness,
Your glory for my deep shame.

You have done all You can for me and
will always do all You can,
but my destiny depends on me trusting You enough to
invite You in.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Seeking Me
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Draw My Desires to You, Lord

2018-04-10 Hymns No comments

A Hymn for hungry hearts

Recording
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Draw my desires to You, Lord.
Draw every thought to You.
Absorb my heart,
My soul, my strength,
And draw my desires to You.
Lord, draw every thought to You.

Fill all my time with You, Lord.
Fill every hour with You.
Take all I plan
And all that comes,
And fill all my time with You.
Lord, fill every hour with You.

God Loves the Lost

2018-04-08 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Matthew 9:36; 10:5-6; 12:11-12; 15:24; 18:12-14;
Mark 6:34; Luke 15; John 10:1-30; 2 Peter 3:9 

Jesus doesn’t think of sinners as repulsive people to be
avoided
despised, or
condemned.
He thinks of them as
lost sheep,
lost treasure, or
lost children.
They are to be searched for
eagerly,
lovingly,
single-mindedly.
God’s love never gives up!

Sinners arouse, not His condemnation, but
His compassion.
They stir, not His anger,
but His love and mercy

When the lost sheep is brought safely back,
rejoice!
When the treasure is found,
celebrate!
When the wayward child comes back home,
still in the rags of sin,
run to meet him!
Shower him with hugs and joyful tears!
Welcome him with full and glad acceptance!
One of God’s children is alive from the dead!
Let the party begin!

Listen and sing:
Hymn: One Lost Sheep
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

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