Music Monday: "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson

 Music Monday: "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson

 

 

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I thought I would take a moment to wish all my readers a wonderful holiday.  I plan on making the best out of an awkward situation since my chair is still not fixed, and we have decided to wait on Medicaid (who knows how long that can take!!) After this post, I plan to spend the rest of the week off with family and dedicate some long-overdue writing time to my book...

As much as I enjoy doing these, I can't help but feel that my book won't get done unless I start making it an absolute priority. Yes, I won't be doing it alone, of course - I will also have my family to help out during this process. But that wasn't exactly what I was referring to; I hope this time will allow me to reconnect with my "writer" side and reconnect with God. I know nothing can be done without his presence and his encouragement - something I've been lacking as of late - so please say a prayer for me as I attempt to get in the groove of things!

Anyway, as we near the end of this Thanksgiving season, I would like to take one final look at a Thanksgiving classic – "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing." Granted, it's not a typical Thanksgiving hymn, but it shows God's Power to transform lives.

Not only through its lyrics but also by its history.

Written by Robert Robinson in 1858 (nearly three years after his encounter with George Whitfield), the author reflects on his past. After the unexpected passing of his father, Robinson became even harder to deal with; as a last resort, his mother sent him off on an apprenticeship at the tender age of 14. She hoped it would give him a new sense of direction and a career in the future. But, unfortunately, her plans backfired as Robinson got in with the wrong crowd left to his own devices in London.

But God had even bigger plans for him. So one night, Robinson and his "gang of friends" attended a George Whitfield revival (probably with every intent to disrupt the service and cause a ruckus). But, strangely enough, something the preacher said had him intrigued.

For the next three years, he struggled to make sense of life on his own. Finally, though, at age 20, Robinson made "peace" with God and accepted Jesus' gift of salvation. Shortly after, he joined a Methodist congregation and felt the call to preach.

The first stanza of this worship hymnal opens up, singing the praises of God and what he had done for humanity; the rest seem somewhat autobiographical of Robinson's spiritual journey.

To listen to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing " in its entirety, please go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYrTqBioaZ4

  

Wisdom Wednesday:The Walk of Wisdom Part 6 -The Source of the Wisdom for the Walk

                The Walk of Wisdom Part 6- The Source of the Wisdom for the Walk

by: Dad

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Rom 15:26-27

 

If we walk in wisdom, we uniquely walk with God. He is the "God only wise" (the only God that exists, the God that is wise).  The Scriptures describe wisdom as a unique attribute of God's character and an attribute He shares with believers who ask for wisdom.

First, Wisdom is an attribute of God.

God's wisdom is displayed in His creative works of the universe and its creatures (Psalm 104:24). Paul's closing doxology in his epistle to Roman believers focused on God as wise. By His wisdom, He chooses the highest goal and the best path to achieve that goal - those believers become like Christ and share in His glory (believers share the weight of His character). His path and His wisdom are revealed in His me of redemption of sinners (Ephesians 3:10).  Paul exclaimed, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Romans 11:33). This is not the world's logic that the Son of God should die to redeem us from our sins. In fact, Paul explained that our personal ability to partake of God's character of righteousness, and holiness is by being redeemed (1 Corinthians 1:30):

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

Jesus Christ – is the wisdom of God personified for us and He is the source of God's wisdom for us.  

In him one in But also, God gives Wisdom to Believers who Ask

Not only is wisdom an attribute of God, but it Is a shareable attribute the God invites us to request that we may live to please Him. In James' epistle, the challenge of life's trials that test our faith is discussed; the first need for the believer is to have the perseverance to endure and gain maturity (James 1: 2-4).  This process requires wisdom to know what to do, and we are invited to ask:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1: 5-8)

We ask in sincerity and faith, and God will provide the goal and the best path to achieve it. In practical terms, God will help us translate His goal (to glorify Him by revealing His character in our life) into a reasonable goal in our life (to be in a position, a job, a neighborhood, a situation where we can best reveal His character). And He will give us the wisdom to choose a path to get there - the practical decisions of life. Ask an older believer, and they will tell you how God guided them when being tested in life and making crucial decisions. They can tell you about God's giving them wisdom- and the peace in knowing God is guiding them.

But James warns in verses 6-8 that doubt is evidence of an unstable faith, one that is moved back and forth between belief and disbelief. On the other hand, God's wisdom provides assurance and stability in the presence of trials (testing) of our faith; it is evidence of perseverance and maturity.

Our encouragement in wisdom this week is that God shares His unsearchable wisdom with us. First, He reveals the knowledge of His creative and redemptive plan for mankind, and next, He shares His wisdom as we live our life, facing tests of our faith. His wisdom enables us the move through life confidently to endure the trials of our faith.

 

Music Monday: "He Has Made Me Glad (I Will Enter His Gates) " by Leona Bruce Von Brethorst

 Music Monday: "He Has Made Me Glad (I Will Enter His Gates) " by Leona Bruce Von Brethorst

This week, we continue our study of both traditional and contemporary songs that express an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness during this holiday season. No matter what you've experienced this holiday, I'm sure we can at least find one thing to be grateful for this season…

Born in Tennessee, Brethorst was one of eleven siblings born during The Great Depression; She was no stranger to difficulty. Growing up, Brethorst often found herself walking to school without any shoes. Her struggles continued into adulthood as she found herself alone with her children; rejecting her Christian faith, her husband left her to fend for herself. Her children grew quickly and were eager to leave the nest, parting ways from their meager upbringing. It was then that she found hope in reading Psalms-especially Psalms 100. She connected with Israel's experience in dedicating the Temple; the feelings of gratitude and awe overwhelmed her, and she wanted to feel that as well.

With no experience playing instruments or reading music, she got work writing "He Has Made Me Glad (I Will Enter His Gates)."

I don't know about you, but having gratitude is hard for me these days. It's like all of the bad circumstances are threatening to overwhelm me; it's hard to look back and remember the good times. But that is one ingredient to being thankful- remembering God's faithfulness in the past so you can expect it in the future!

In Psalm 77, Asaph writes openly of his grievances with God but then ends with a bit of encouragement. In Psalms 77:5-11, he writes, "I thought about the former days, the years of long ago  I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked: 'Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? - Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?' Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago…."

 

Did you catch that?? Even in the darkest of moments, he reflects on God's goodness.

 

That’s something I am going to try and incorporate into my week this week. How about you

 

Feel free to comment below or let me know how I can pray for you this week.

To listen to "He Has Made Me Glad (I Will Enter His Gates) " in its entirety, please go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGf9vqrkCo8

 

Faithful Friday: Real-life Inspiration for “Dolphin Tale” movies Passes Away

Faithful Friday: Real-life Inspiration for “Dolphin Tale” movies Passes Away

 

At two months old, Winter’s tail was caught in a crab trap; this cut off circulation to her tail flukes. As a result, her overall health began to deteriorate. That’s when the Clearwater Aquarium team started working with the Hanger clinic to create a prostatic tail allowing the dolphin to swim normally. Until then, Winter had been misusing her fluke, moving it sideways rather than the up-and-down motion as dolphins usually do. After Winter’s original companion died unexpectedly, the search was on to find her another friend; shortly after, Hope was rescued in Indian River Lagoon, attempting to nurse on her deceased mother. At first, she required around-the-clock care, with feedings every two hours.

Recently Winter’s caregivers noticed she wasn’t eating; after some testing, they discovered a gastrointestinal abnormality and began treating her for it. Unfortunately, there was little improvement, and during preparations for a procedure, they noticed her vitals were declining. After several minutes of lifesaving efforts, Winter died in the loving arms of her caregivers

 

For more information about Clearwater Marine Aquarium, please go to: https://www.cmaquarium.org/winter-updates/
 

Music Monday: "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas Chisholm

 Music Monday: "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas Chisholm

By: Debbie

Last week, we began our exploration of both traditional and contemporary songs that focus on the idea of being thankful for or having an attitude of gratitude about life. I will be the first to tell you this isn't always the easiest thing to do...

Case in point: This week has been a very exciting week in our family's journey to get an elevator; for those that have been following, we have encountered our share of difficulties in this area. But this week, they finally came and installed it. But it still needs to be inspected before proper use. Also, this week I attended the Royal Writer's Christian Conference (American Christian Fiction Writers-VA Chapter). All was going great until I turned on my wheelchair to several error messages and continuous beeps. At first, I thought it was a fluke and just turned off the power and was greeted with the same response. Now, my wheelchair no longer works despite the fact it is getting power-the joystick doesn't even respond. Ultimately, this means I have to rely on others to push me where I need to go.

My parents will be the first to tell you this is not the easiest thing to do-especially considering how much I weigh plus the electronics of a battery in the back; I know that they are willing to do this for me, but it reminds me once again how limited I am without the help of electronics.

But there is something – someone – I can always depend on. That's Jesus. Unlike technology, Jesus will never fail to come through for me. Now that doesn't mean I will always get things the way I want them-just that God has my best interests at heart.

Originally written in 1923, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" is reminiscent of the words penned by Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:22-23. At the beginning of Lamentations, we are reminded of how the city fell to Babylon in 500 BC. Jeremiah acknowledges the people's sinful nature and that God's wrath is justified; however, he doesn't stop there, giving a sense of hope for the first time in the book. He reasons that if God is consistent enough to bring his justice to people that do evil, God will also show mercy. This is clear when Jeremiah writes, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; how great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." (Lamentations 3: 22- 24)

 

To listen to "Great is Thy Faithfulness" in its entirety, please go to:

https://youtu.be/ErwiBz1QA4o

 

Wisdom Wednesday: The Walk of Wisdom Part 5

                                                      The Walk of Wisdom Part 5                                

The Walk of the World

Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

There is a form of wisdom that the Scriptures warns us about – the wisdom of the world system that opposes God. This wisdom leads to a walk that leads away from God. As we have seen earlier, it is described as the broad way that leads, ultimately, to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14).

We are exhorted to walk wisely and not waste waste time - because we are living a life in view of the brevity of this life, carrying the Gospel message to the lost, because we live in evil times. We are warned to not conform to the wisdom of this world, but to allow God’s will and word to transform our mind to carry out our wise walk for Him. (Rom 12:2) John sharply warned of the dangers of the world system: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."(1 John 2:15-17).

Jesus contrasted the walk of the wise and the unwise in several similar parables:

•    Wise and Foolish Builders – in Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus contrasted the wise builder who built his house (his life) on the rock foundation (the Lord and eternal values) and the foolish builder whose foundation was sand (the world of temporal values). When the torrential rain came, only the wise house stood. 
•    The Wise and Foolish Stewards – In Luke 12:42-48 Jesus contrasted the wise servant who is faithful over the ruler’s assigned stewardship and the foolish steward who disbelieved the ruler’s promise to return and squandered his stewardship. Jesus warned “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more (v. 48). 
•   Wise and Foolish Virgins - in Matthew 25:1-13, after explaining He will come again (as a bridegroom), Jesus described wise brides who are prepared and eager - as "they that look for Him" (Hebrews 9:28), and "love His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8); these live wise lives, the light of their lamps shining as the Abide in Christ. The unwise were unprepared, and sadly, rejected by the groom. 
•   Foolish Investor – in Luke 12:16-21 Jesus described the sad fate of the foolish investor who unwisely boasted to himself "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry" on the night of his untimely death. (v. 19) He counted on the temporal things of life, misjudged his lifespan, and failed to invest in eternal things.   

Each of these illustrated the wise who did not waste time, remained faithful, and lived with a recognition that our life on earth is short, indeed, and that the Lord is coming.

James, the stepbrother of Jesus, also contrasts the characteristics of the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world in chapter 3 of his epistle to the scattered Jews of his time.. Before describing the attributes of Godly wisdom (verses 13, 17-18), James enumerates the attributes of the wisdom of the world (verses 14-16). The world’s wisdom is first, based on the attitude of the heart that is motivated by:

1.     Self-seeking goals (contentious and even strife to achieve and obtain)
2.      Bitter envy (a fervent jealousy or malice toward others).
   

If these motivations are present in the life of a believer, he or she must admit it and confess it rather than boasting or denying it (v.14). Denial is the kind of self-deception depicted earlier in James 1:24-25. This kind of wisdom is of the earth, serves the sensual, and its source is Satan. The outcome of this kind of wisdom is:

1.        Confusion or instability
2.       Every evil thing; wickedness in behavior  

 

In contrast, James exhorts us to Godly wisdom:   But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18

Our encouragement in wisdom this week is to beware of the wisdom of the world that rejects Jesus and breeds confusion, leading people to wickedness and destruction. We re exhorted to walk in God’s wisdom to produce spiritual fruit and bring peace.

 

Music Monday: "Give Thanks" by Don Moen

  Music Monday: "Give Thanks" by Don Moen

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at all of the contemporary and traditional songs that relate to this idea of "being thankful." I know what you're thinking, "But Debbie, you have no idea what will I've been through this year!"

Believe me, I understand. These last two years have turned out much differently than anyone of us imagined. But there's good news; God was not surprised by any of it. Still… If you're having difficulty finding something to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, look no further; God loves you so much that He gave up his only son Jesus Christ because He didn't want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9).Originally penned in 1982, the writer Eddie Espinoza was driving home one day asking God for a change of heart. Such a simple prayer, but the words using open candy crush easier open candy crush, really do pack a punch don’t they?"

As humans, we are prone to worry, and God knows that. But we don't need to... Why?? Because Jesus is ultimately in control of everything, all we need to do is trust.

Originally written in 1978, the worship song "Give Thanks" was penned by a young seminary student named Henry Smith; diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition, he was unsure of his work in the ministry field. However, he refused to take his eyes off the prize-knowing that Jesus was the Source of his strength.

He is reminding himself and generations to come that they still have something to be thankful for, no matter how bleak life gets. Inspired by a sermon on I Corinthians 8-9, Smith looked at Jesus' sacrifice in a new light -the Lord made Himself poor so that we might be rich.

So no matter what you are facing this Thanksgiving, don't lose hope. As Christians, we never walk this road alone

Let this be our prayer this week to cultivate an attitude of gratefulness no matter what God brings our way.

To listen to "Give Thanks (With a Grateful Heart) " in its entirety, please go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blbslHDgceY