See How God’s Flower Blossoms

2018-12-12 Hymns No comments

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See how God’s flower blossoms
From dry and hardened earth,
And from our sin and darkness,
A child of humble birth;
So small for such a need,
Yet all of love’s long promise
Is in that tiny seed.

The breath of God eternal
Fills fragile flesh and bone
With truth and love and beauty
That glows of God alone.
And we have seen His face–
The glory of the Father,
The flower of His grace.

This flower is now a garden,
The fruit of that small seed,
A promise green and growing,
An Eden yet to be.
O Christ, our heart’s delight!
We rise and bloom and flourish
In You, our love and life!

Hear the Voice of Love

2018-12-10 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Submit yourselves, then, to God…
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
(James 4:7-8, NIV)

I passed the television and reached out my hand to turn it on. But I felt You prompt me to turn to You and pray instead. I obeyed, and I was glad I did.

I was even gladder when I realized that it was a request from You, my Savior, my Brother, and my Friend.

Lord, help me hear all Your promptings not as demands from a higher authority but as personal invitations from You. May each request remind me of the intimate moments we have enjoyed and the many times You have come and met my need.

Each word from You is an invitation to draw closer. Help me to always hear Your voice as the voice of love. 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Constant Love
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You Are Good

2018-12-07 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A prayer response to Revelation 19:1-6,
the four-fold hallelujah

Father, we join the song of
all the saints of
all the ages:
You are right and good, and
everything You do is right and good.

You are good when You bless and
good when You punish.
You are good when You give and
good when You take away.
You are good when life is bathed in light and
good when all is darkness.

You are good when we understand You and
good when our minds and hearts are too small.
You are good in our abundance and
good in our need.
You are good when we laugh and
good when grief overwhelms us.

Father, through every season
in every situation,
You are good.
You are good, and
Your love endures forever. 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: You Are Good
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See Him Walk on the Water

2018-12-05 Hymns No comments

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In the darkness, in the fury,
With the storm all around us,
In our struggle, in our weakness,
With the storm all within,

He is coming! Christ is coming!
See Him walk on the water!
He is with us! God is with us,
The Almighty I AM!
It is Jesus in His mercy!
See Him walk on the water!
He is with us! God is with us,
See unspeakable love!

In the garden, in His suffering,
In His bleeding and dying,
In His rising, in His reigning,
In returning again,

He is coming! Christ is coming!
See Him walk on the water!
He is with us! God is with us,
The Almighty I AM!
It is Jesus in His mercy!
See Him walk on the water!
He is with us! God is with us,
See unspeakable love!

Seeing God’s Glory

2018-12-03 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Exodus 33:18-19; 34:5-7; Psalm 16:11; 27:1; 118:14

Father,
I bow in Your presence.
I look up and cry
with all my heart:

“The Lord!
The Lord!
The eternal, unchanging God,
compassionate,
gracious,
patient and
forgiving,
overflowing with love and
faithfulness!
You are my light and
my salvation!
You are my strength and
my song!
You, O glorious God,
are my fullness of joy!” 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: The Glow of Your Goodness
Recording
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What Will Matter Then?

2018-11-30 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A reflection on Revelation 18:9-24,
the laments over the fall of Babylon

It’s easy to become infected by the values of this world:

  • The signature of a famous person is worth thousands.
  • A vase is worth a year’s salary.
  • A single painting is worth $100,000,000 or more.
  • For the applause of people, many will gladly invest an entire life.

But when the world is on fire,
how much will they be worth?
When you are drawing your final breaths,
what will matter then?

Those who have disposed of
the belongings of a departed loved know that
the physical goods they leave behind,
belongings they may have treasured,
are now just stuff.
Getting rid of it is a chore, a burden.

The Bible mocks those who worship false gods:
False gods can’t carry us.
We have to carry them.

Trust,
love, and
serve
the God who will
carry you. 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: The Rich Young Ruler
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Second Coming Hymn

2018-11-28 Hymns No comments

Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 16:27; 24:30-31, 42-46; Mark 13:26-27, 33-36;
Luke 12:35-38, 42-43; 21:27-28, 33-35; Acts 1:9-11;1 Corinthians 15:50-54;
Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10;
Revelation 1:7; 22:20 

Recording
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Jesus Messiah is coming, coming.
He who has come will be coming again,
Coming in clouds with great power. See Him!
As He ascended He’s coming again!

Angels will gather His people. See them!
All will be changed in the blink of an eye.
We will be like Him in glory, glory.
Lift up your heads — He is coming again!

Then every eye will behold Him, see Him.
None will ignore or deny Him that day.
Hear all the mockers now weeping, wailing.
Make yourself ready — He’s coming again!

Be on your guard, ever watching, waiting,
Trusting, obeying, and looking to Him.
Stay at your task and be faithful, faithful.
Live in the joy — He is coming again!

One with You in Christ

2018-11-26 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Father, in Jesus Christ
I can know You –
I can know You completely,
You who are
all life,
truth,
holiness, and
beauty.

In Christ, our knowing is
full and
organic,
heart-to-heart and
being-to-being.
I share Your life.
I breathe Your breath.
Your Spirit is
my spirit.

In Christ, I am one with everyone who shares in You.
In Jesus Christ, Father, You became incarnate in
a Person.
And as we are all in Christ,
You become incarnate in
a people.
All life is in You,
And in You, all life is
love,
joy, and
complete, eternal well-being. 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: See God in Christ
Recording
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Children of This Age

2018-11-23 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A reflection on Revelation 18:1-8,
the fall of Babylon.
See also Matthew 5:3-12.

See a picture of the people who displease God,
the children of Satan,
the people whom God will destroy.
See them
glorifying self,
serving self,
lusting for comfort and luxury,
clinging to this world,
seeking their meaning and security in this world,
self-centered,
self-assured,
self-sufficient.

See a picture of the people whom God blesses,
the people who will rule the earth forever,
the people who will inherit all His eternal riches.
Hear Jesus describe them.
They don’t grasp for earthly possessions, but are
poor in spirit,
meek and gentle.
They mourn what God mourns and are
hungry to be like Him.
They are merciful, and
they make peace.
They joyfully follow Christ, even when it brings persecution.

Such people are not children of this age,
doomed to pass away.
They are children of the living, everlasting God,
His heirs,
His treasure. 

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Beatitudes Hymn
Recording
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Sea of Mercy

2018-11-21 Hymns No comments

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When first I drew an infant’s breath,
I sailed a sea of mercy.
This life, this world, these gifts, my Lord,
Were flowing all from You.
When bound by sin and blindness,
So sure that I was free,
I saw Your face and heard Your voice
And found Your love for me.
My God, what love for me!

I turned, and You forgave my past.
Lord, what a sea of mercy!
Now every day in You, my God,
I’m more than I can be.
I love You, and I follow.
That’s all that I can do.
Your mercy is a mighty sea
That carries me to You.
I’m coming, Lord, to You!

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