The King of Love My Shepherd IS

The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never,
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.
~H. Baker

I was very much blessed by this sweet hymn this evening. I was especially blessed with the thought that though I enjoyed my sin and never gave thought of coming to Christ, except for selfishly wanting to save myself from pain and  misery, He in love sought me and brought me home, rejoicing!  Beloved, can you believe it! The Creator of the entire universe rejoiced when He brought you into His kingdom.  It is too much to bear. When I realize how sinful I really am and how unworthy I am of any good thing it can only bring me to my knees thanking God for who He is, the King of Love and my Shepherd.

Beloved, forget not your King, remember all He has done for you, and rejoice in Him as He rejoices in you.

"Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest" Jn 4:35

There was great rejoicing among the Saints today as we celebrated the new birth of four friends. 

Each person has a unique story and each is very different from the other but one common thing is found to be true among them all, their refrain will no longer be "my glory and honor" but will forevermore be, "All glory and praise to the One whom my soul loves best, Jesus!"  

Today Thy mercy calls me,

To wash away my sin;

However great my trespass, 

Whatever I may have been,

However long from mercy 

I may have turned away

Thy blood, O Christ, can cleanse me, 

And make me white today.

Today Thy gate is open,

And all who enter in,

Shall find a Father's welcome, 

And pardon for their sin;

The past shall be forgotten,

A present joy be given,

A future grace be promised--

A glorious crown in heaven.

O all embracing mercy.

Thou ever open door,

What should I do without Thee,

When heart and eyes run o'er?

When all things seem against me,

To drive me to despair,

I know one gate is open,

One ear will hear my prayer.

                            ~Oswald Allen

The Name of Jesus

In the last 21 years, the Lord has been faithful to work in my life and to bring me unto Himself, yet there are times when the enemy comes in and causes my soul to be dismayed at how little I have actually grown and how much sin I still have.  It is in these times of heart-break and unrest that I find it hard to be soothed by the most encouraging verse, loving saint, or even prayer. I am bogged down by the fact that I have failed the One whom my heart loves the most and I begin to wonder if I ever loved Him at all.  I become overwhelmed by the most tedious of things, and I see every failing as if it were going to crush me to death.

My heart aches at the very thought of living out another moment in such a state, yet I see no other way than to drudge through the mire under a cloud waiting for the Sun to shine through and smoother roads to come ahead.  These times can last for days, weeks, months even.  I become parched and weary, no longer wanting to fight the good fight, no longer wanting to take one more step, only wanting to drift along in life by myself.

Then, through this dreary time, through the fogginess of my mind and heart comes the sweetest thing, a name, Jesus. His name alone has dispelled all darkness, brightened the once sorrowful heart, and granted life to dead bones.  His name has saved me from all of my sins, and though I fall, I will rise again, forgiven and standing clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

in a believer's ear;

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,

and drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,

and calms the troubled breast;

Tis manna to the hungry soul

and to weary rest.

Dear name, the Rock on which I build,

my shield and hiding place,

my never-failing treasury, filled

with boundless stores of grace.

Jesus, my Shepherd, Savior, Friend,

My Prophet, Priest, my King,

My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,

Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart, 

and cold my warmest thought;

but when I see Thee as Thou art

I'll praise Thee as I ought.

I would Thy boundless love proclaim

with every fleeting breath;

so shall the music of Thy name

refresh my soul in death.

~John Newton

He Owns Me for His child

April 4

April 4, 2013 • By Charles H. Spurgeon; revised and edited by William C. Neff (c)2003-2005

"[God] made [Jesus], who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."-- 2 Corinthians 5:21

Dear mourning Christian! Why are you crying? Are you sorrowful over your own corruption? If so, then look to your perfect Lord, and remember that you are complete in Him. You are in God's sight as perfect as if you had never sinned— in fact, even better than that! The Lord our righteousness has put a divine garment upon you, so that you wear the very righteousness of God.
If you are mourning because of your continued sinfulness, remember that none of your sins can condemn you. You have learned to hate sin, but you have not learned that your sin is no longer yours-- it was laid upon Christ's head. Your acceptance in God’s presence is not based in yourself, but in your Lord; you are as much accepted by God today with all your sinfulness as you will be when you stand before His throne free from all corruption.
I beg you today to lay hold on this precious thought— that you are perfect and complete in Christ! With your Savior’s garment on you are as holy as the Holy one. Who can possibly condemn you? Christ died and was raised for you, and he is now at God’s right hand interceding for you.
So, Christian, rejoice! You are "accepted in the Christ who loves you." What do you have to fear? Smile! Live near your Master today, and know that when your time has come you will rise up where your Jesus sits now, and you will reign at His right hand.  All of this is true because the divine Lord "was made to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." ~Morningandevening.org

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Nor let that ransomed sinner die!"

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And "Father, Abba, Father," cry.

~Charles Wesley

Did you think to Pray?

Did you think to Pray? 

Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?

Refrain

O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.

When you met with great temptation,
Did you think to pray?
By His dying love and merit,
Did you claim the Holy Spirit
As your guide and stay?

When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?

When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?

-M. A. Kidder

I was thinking of this Hymn the past couple of days as I have been convicted on the busyness of my life and how it affects my prayer life.  

Free Grace Sustains Me Still

Today has been a day of battle for me.  I feel the doubting of all I know to be true of God and of myself warring within me.  It has taken it's toll and I am weak and weary of this fight; more often than not, I just want to give up.  I would like to put down my sword and rest for awhile. The doubts in my mind are raging, but God is the same and nothing can change that.  My standing with Him is the same no matter what lies come or how I feel. 
 There are many days when I come to the realization that if it was my conduct that had saved me, then I would be lost forever.  I'm thankful that it is not of myself that keeps me in the same standing with God.  If it was of my doing I know that I would not be able to even attain a right standing with God much less sustain one.  What a privilege to be a child of God! To be redeemed by His blood, to be made one with Him.What assurance there is in knowing that nothing can sever this union. Not you, nor me, not principalities, not death, Beloved, there is NOTHING that can do so (Romans 8:35-39). When our feelings and doubts get in the way we can still rest assured that we are one in Christ. Why? Because we are not resting in our emotions or our merits, but we are resting in the finished work of Christ.
So, when the battle becomes too intense I can simply rest in Christ because "free grace sustains me still". 


Free Grace

"1. You children of God,
by faith in His Son
Redeemed by His blood,
and with Him made one
This union with wonder
and rapture be seen
Which nothing shall sunder,
without or within

2. This pardon, this peace
which none can destroy
This treasure of grace
and heavenly joy
The worthless may crave it,
it always comes free
The vilest may have it,
it was given to me

Chorus:
Free grace has paid for all my sin
Free grace, though it cost so much to Him
Free grace has freed even my will
Free grace to the end sustains me still

3. It's not for good deeds,
good tempers nor frames
From grace it proceeds,
and all is the Lamb's
No goodness, no fitness
expects He from us
This I can well witness,
for none could be worse

Bridge: Sick sinner, expect no
balm but Christ's blood
Your own works reject,
the bad and the good
None ever regret it that on Him rely
Though guilty as Saul or Jonah or I"

~J Hart

My Song is Love Unknown by Samuel Crossman

My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.

In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav’n was His home;
But mine the tomb wherein He lay.

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

Beams of Heaven

Beams of Heaven, as I go,

Through this wilderness below,
Guide my feet in peaceful ways,
Turn my midnights into days;
When in the darkness I would grope,
Faith always sees a star of hope,
And soon from all life’s grief and danger,
I shall be free some day.

Oftentimes my sky is clear,
Joy abounds without a tear,
Though a day so bright begun,
Clouds may hide tomorrow’s sun;
There’ll be a day that’s always bright,
A day that never yields to night,
And in its light the streets of glory
I shall behold some day.

Harder yet may be the fight,
Right may often yield to might,
Wickedness awhile may reign,
Satan’s cause may seem to gain,
There is a God that rules above,
With hand of power and heart of love,
If I am right, He’ll fight my battle,
I shall have peace some day.

Burdens now may crush me down,
Disappointments all around,
Troubles speak in mournful sigh,
Sorrow through a tear stained eye;
There is a world where pleasure reigns,
No mourning soul shall roam its plains,
And to that land of peace and glory
I want to go some day.

~Charles Tindley

My times are in Thy Hand

My times are in Thy hand;

My God, I wish them there;

My life, my friends, my soul I leave

Entirely to Thy care.

 

My times are in Thy hand,

Whatever they may be,

Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,

As best may seem to Thee,

 

My times are in Thy hand;

Why should I doubt or fear?

My Father's hand will never cause

His child a needless tear.

 

My times are in Thy hand,

Jesus, the crucified!

Those hands my cruel sins had pierced

Are now my guard and guide.

 

My times are in Thy hand;

I'll always trust in Thee;

And, after death, at Thy right hand

I shall forever be.

 

~William Freeman Lloyd

HT: Liyah McDonnell

Sometimes A Light Surprises

"Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.

It can bring with it nothing but He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe His people, too;
Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed;
And He Who feeds the ravens will give His children bread.

Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the field should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice,
For while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice."

~William Cowper

O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

~S. Trevor Francis