Posted on 11/09/2006 6:49:58 PM PST by Knitting A Conundrum
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Psalm 127:1>
At this time, when feelings run high, the world seems crazy, and anger seems to be the one thing the peoples of the world have in common, I invite you, my fellow FReepers, to join me in prayers and meditation for guidance, God's help and for our fellow man, for America, our troops, and all our own needs.
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
William Bradbury
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Psalm 46: 1-3
Hallelujah!
I Give Thanks to God
With Everything I've Got—
Wherever Good People Gather,
And in the Congregation.
God's Works are So Great,
Worth a Lifetime of Study;
Endless Enjoyment!
Splendor and Beauty Mark His Work;
His Generosity Never Gives Out.
His Miracles are His Memorial,
This God of Grace,
This God of Love. (Ps.111:1-4)
Psa 74:16 Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
Psa 74:17 You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.
Psa 74:18 Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.
Psa 74:19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
Psa 74:20 Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
Psa 74:21 Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
Psa 74:22 Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
Psa 74:23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!
YOU ARE GOD, OH GREAT JEHOVAH, KING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
DO YOUR GOOD WILL TODAY IN THIS EARTH AND IN MY HEART.
MAY YOU BE GLORIFIED.
I PRAY THAT YOU WILL COMFORT AND STRENGTHEN THOSE BEING PERSECUTED FOR YOUR NAME’S SAKE.
LET YOUR KINGDOM COME AND YOUR WILL BE DONE.
LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/r/greatjeh.htm
Great Jehovah, mighty Lord,
Vast and boundless is Thy Word;
King of kings, from shore to shore
Thou shalt reign forevermore.
Jew and Gentile, bond and free,
All shall yet be one in Thee;
All confess Messiah’s Name,
All His wondrous love proclaim.
From her night shall China wake,
Afric’s sons their chains shall break;
Egypt, where Thy people trod,
Shall adore and praise our God.
India’s groves of palms so fair
Shall resound with praise and prayer;
Ceylon’s isle with joy shall sing,
Glory be to Christ our King.
North and South shall own Thy sway;
East and West Thy voice obey;
Crowns and thrones before Thee fall,
King of kings and Lord of all.
—Fanny Crosby
BTTT
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross {Lyrics: Isaac Watts, 1707. Composer: Lowell Mason, 1824.}
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Yes, Your Majesty, we Worship and are in Awe of our King. Our Glorious Lord of Love, Thank You for Setting us Free from our Sin. Throughout the Ageless Eternities to Come, we will Magnify Your Sweet Name. May You Increase, O Son of God, and we Decrease, through Your Grace.
To You be All Glory, All Power, All Honor, and All Might. Jesus is Lord and King Forevermore! Hallelujah to the Lovely Lamb of God!
In the Name of our Most Excellent God Jesus Christ, amen.
I Bless God Every Chance I Get;
My Lungs Expand with His Praise! (Ps.34:1)
BTTT
Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord?
and why did he use a kiss to show? -that's not what a kiss is for
Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain.
and only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain
Why did it have to be a thorny crown placed upon his head?
It should have been a royal one, made of jewels and gold instead
It had to be a crown of thorns, because in this world that we live
all who would seek to love a thorn is all the world has to give
Why did it have to be a heavy cross he was made to bear?
and why did they nail His feet and hands? -His love would have held him there
It was a cross for upon a cross a thief was supposed to pay
and Jesus had come into this world to steal every heart away
~Michael Card, "Why"
“Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces.” ~Og Mandino
Yo, Carb and Kitty and all.
The Blessedness of another day that the LORD has made be with you.
Psa 37:1... Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
Psa 37:2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
Psa 37:6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Psa 37:8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Psa 37:9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
Psa 37:10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/e/jehovaio.htm
Jehovah is our Strength,
And He shall be our Song
We shall o’ercome at length
Although our foes be strong.
In vain does Satan then oppose,
For God is stronger than His foes.
The Lord our Refuge is
And ever will remain;
Since He has made us His
He will our cause maintain.
In vain our enemies oppose,
For God is stronger than His foes.
The Lord our Shepherd is;
He knows our every need,
And since we now are His,
His care our souls will feed.
In vain do sin and death oppose,
For God is stronger than His foes.
Our God our Father is;
Our names are on His heart;
We ever will be His,
He ne’er from us will part.
In vain the mightiest powers oppose,
For God is stronger than His foes.
Oh Father, thank you for the Cross of Jesus Christ.
It has become the way to the Throne of GOD.
Because of Him and Him ALONE, we wait patiently at your knee, as dear Children, beloved by God, and seated in the heavenlies with THE BELOVED JESUS.
AMEN AND GLORIES TO YOU FOREVER AND EVER.
BTTT
There is Power in the Blood {Lyrics and Composer: Lewis E. Jones, 1899. }
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Glory to You, our Master, with All the Love in our Hearts! We Worship and Adore You, and Give You Sweetest Praise. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that Your Blood has Brought us New Life. Cleansed from Sin, Regenerate in Love, we Go Forth to Serve our Risen King!
May You be Manifest in us Daily, through Sovereign, Great Grace. Be Pleased, Dear Father, to Conform us to the Likeness of Thy Son. Enable us to Take Up our Cross Gratefully Day by Day. All You have Done for us, our God, we could Never Hope to Repay. We Love You, Lord and Shepherd of our Hearts!
Be Glorified Forever, our Magnificent and Holy, Loving God. In Jesus' Name, and for His Excellent Praise, amen.
O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.
There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.
Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.
~Elizabeth C. Clephane
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,
"It is finished!"
And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
John 19:30 (NASB)
Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.
Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?
Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
~Henry F. Lyte
Then [Jesus] called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. “If any of you wants to be my follower,” he told them, “you must put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross, and follow me closely. If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.”
~Mark 8:34-35 (TLB)
This day, O Lord,
Open our eyes
to the ways we disguise
that hardness of heart
that separates us from our brothers
from You,
from the persons we are supposed to be.
How well we disguise it
behind masks of righteousness,
behind good intentions,
behind the myriad ways we can explain away the fact
that we are not loving justice,
not acting mercifully,
not walking humbly with You
who show Yourself in our brother’s eyes.
O Lord,
strip the veils,
crack the masks,
and let us see ourselves as we are,
standing naked before You
not worthy,
scarred and wounded by our failures to hit the mark
in need Your healing and transformation.
Lord, dress me anew in the white garments of Your love.
Help me release each one of those soiled and tattered veils I cling to,
transform me by Your loving touch,
this day and always,
Amen.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/k/i/kinglove.htm
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.
OH LORD, after we have considered our ways, and our hopeless state apart from you, and the fruitless branch not grafted into the VINE, turn our hearts again to your Loveliness, as we walk in obedience to You, our Shepherd King.
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
BTTT
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the wind and the rain
In His hands,
He's got the wind and the rain
In His hands,
He's got the wind and the rain
In His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the wee small ba-by
In His hands,
He's got the wee small ba-by
In His hands,
He's got the wee small ba-by
In His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got all you Mothers
In His hands,
He's got all you Mothers
In His hands,
He's got all you Mothers
In His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got ev-'ry-bod-y
In His hands,
He's got ev-'ry-bod-y
In His hands,
He's got ev-'ry-bod-y
In His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.
The Lord Sitteth Upon the Flood;
Yea, the Lord Sitteth King Forever. (Ps.29:10)
Psa 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Psa 31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/i/hideme.htm
Hide me, O my Savior, hide me
In Thy holy place;
Resting there beneath Thy glory,
O let me see Thy face.
Refrain
Hide me, hide me,
O blessèd Savior, hide me;
O Savior, keep me,
Safely, O Lord, with Thee.
Hide me, when the storm is raging
O’er life’s troubled sea;
Like a dove on ocean’s billows,
O let me fly to Thee.
Refrain
Hide me, when my heart is breaking
With its weight of woe;
When in tears I seek the comfort
Thou canst alone bestow.
—Fanny Crosby
Dearest LORD,
Hide my heart, mind and soul in your Truth and Beauty in the midst of this busyness.
It will be to me like a refreshing, pure fountain, or a pavilion of Light stirred with sweet breezes.
Amen.
BTTT
All Praises to our Redeeming Lord {Lyrics: Charles Wesley, 1747. Composer: Carl G. Claser}
All praise to our redeeming Lord,
Who joins us by His grace,
And bids us, each to each restored,
Together seek His face,
Together seek His face.
He bids us build each other up;
And, gathered into one,
To our high calling's glorious hope,
We hand in hand go on,
We hand in hand go on.
The gift which He on one bestows,
We all delight to prove;
The grace through every vessel flows,
In purest streams of love,
In purest streams of love.
We all partake the joy of one;
The common peace we feel;
A peace to worldly minds unknown,
A joy unspeakable,
A joy unspeakable.
And if our fellowship below
In Christ yet be so sweet,
What height of rapture shall we know,
When round His throne we meet,
When round His throne we meet!
Your Eyes will See the King in His Beauty,
And the Highlands of Heaven Far Away. (Is.33:17)
Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.
Mat 22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Mat 22:7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
CONTINUAL REPENTANCE
from
“The Valley of Vision, a Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions”
O God of Grace
Thou hast imputed my sin to my substitute,
and hast imputed his righteousness to my soul,
clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe,
decking me with jewels of holiness.
But in my Christian walk I am still in rags;
my best prayers are stained with sin;
my penitential tears are so much impurity;
my confessions of wrong are so many
aggravations of sin;
my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with
selfishness.
I need to repent of my repentance;
I need my tears to be washed;
I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,
no loom to weave my own righteousness;
I am always standing clothed in filthy garments,
and by Grace am always receiving change of
raiment,
for thou dost always justify the ungodly;
I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying, Father, forgive me,
and thou art always bringing forth
the best robe.
Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
go out to the day’s work in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it,
stand before the great white throne in it,
enter heaven in it shining as the sun.
Grant me never to lose sight of
the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
the exceeding Righteousness of Salvation,
the exceeding Glory of Christ,
the exceeding Beauty of Holiness,
the exceeding Wonder of Grace. Amen.
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