One of My Favorite Songs!

God Over All

 Verse 1

God over all
Giver of life and health and breath
I want to sing of Your love
Came as a man
Humble, You died the sinner’s death
I want to sing of Your love

 Chorus

Your love has saved me
By Your grace I now draw near and
Your love has set me
Free to glorify Your name
And I, I want to sing of Your love

 Verse 2

I’ll never forget
That You have bought me with Your blood
I want to sing of Your love
In all I do
May Your great love be shining through
I want to sing of Your love

 Verse 3

And on that day
When You come back to claim Your own
Yes, we will sing of Your love
Then we’ll bow down
Praise You forever at Your throne
Yes, we will sing of Your love

 ”God Over All” by Devon Kauflin. © 2005 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).

Sunday Sermon Application

10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” (John 10:1-21, ESV Bible)

I’m passionately loved by a holy and sovereign God. My relationship… the love that I know… is secure in the Godhead… secure because of Christ’s voluntary death on the cross.

God loves me. He died for me. Why do I ever doubt Him? Why do I ever lack faith? That’s why Peter sunk in the waves. He didn’t understand. He didn’t have the solid, secure faith that produces explosive joy and trust. He didn’t understand the vastness of the Trinitarian love. I get to know that love. I get to have a personal relationship with this God. Jesus is MY Shepherd. He is my Good Shepherd. He loves my passionately. He desires and pursues intimate relationship with me. It’s all of grace! There’s freedom in these truths. I am free to love and worship my God without guilt. He paid the price. He gave me His righteousness. He’s leading and caring for me… even in ways I don’t yet see. I get to be loved by the Holy God of the universe! I’m His sheep. Doesn’t get any better than that. Praise my God! Praise His holy name, forever and ever. Amen!

A Mindful God Who Blesses

February 15

‘The Lord hath been mindful of us: He will bless us’ (Psalm 115:12)

“I can set my seal to the first sentence. Cannot you? Yes, Jehovah has thought of us, provided for us, comforted us, delivered us, and guided us. In all the movements of his providence he has been mindful of us, never overlooking our mean affairs. His mind has been full of us – that is the other form of the word ‘mindful’. This has been the case all along, and without a single break. At special times, however, we have more distinctly seen the mindfulness, and we would recall them at this hour with overflowing gratitude. Yes, yes, ‘the Lord hath been mindful of us.’

“The next sentence is a logical inference from the former one. Since God is unchangeable, he will continue to be mindful of us int he future as he has been in the past; and his mindfulness is tantamount to the blessing us. But we have here, not only the conclusion of reason but the declaration of inspiration: we have it on the Holy Ghost’s authority – ‘HE WILL BLESS US.’ This means great things and unsearchable. The very indistinctness of the promise indicates its infinite reach. He will bless us after his own divine manner, and that for ever and ever. Therefore, let us each say, ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul!’”

-C.H. Spurgeon, Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

Bless the Lord, O my soul!!

Not By My Own Merit

I’m currently reading Children of the Living God by Sinclair Ferguson. Such a great book! I highly recommend it to every Christian on the planet. My understanding of adoption and my “sonship” status before God has grown SO much. Anways, I was reading a portion of the book today during my devotions. “Old Family Ties Are Broken” was the title. Mr. Ferguson was writing about how many people find it hard to believe that they really are God’s children, and no longer slaves to their former master. The devil often tempts us with doubt. “Am I really God’s child?” “Does He really love me that much?”  The below quote was so very encouraging to me. Hope you enjoy it!

“What is the answer to this kind of temptation? It is, at least in part, the recollection that we are not children of God by worth or merit, but by free gracious adoption. God has chosen us. Our status is not a matter of our worthiness, but of his love!” -Sinclair Ferguson, Children of the Living God  

“6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Ephesians 5:6-11 (ESV BIBLE)

Reign in Us

This song is by Starfield. The lyrics are SO rich and gospel centered. Enjoy!

Looking Forward to Perfect Eternal Worship

After reviewing Pat’s sermon on Worship from last Sunday, my heart has been sturred worship my God better. That doesn’t mean I pull myself up by my boot straps. Nope, like everything in life, I need God’s grace. The only reason my worship is acceptable to the Father is because Jesus’ blood cleanses it. What a glorious thing. What glorious God I am love by! The below video was taken at the WorshipGod09 Conference in August. It makes me think of heaven. It’s just a small taste of what it will be like – the multitudes of God’s children, all singing to Him, clothed in His perfect righteousness!