Tag: Isaiah 64:4

Hymns 2.0 – How Great Thou Art

On August 30, 2023

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

O Lord my God, When I, in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Carl Boberg translated into english by Stuart K. Hine

The History Behind the Hymn

‘How Great Thou Art’ is a Christian hymn which started life as a poem set to a Swedish melody.

The poem, ‘O Store Gud’ (O Great God), was written by the Swedish poet and lay minister, Carl Boberg, in 1885. According to hymnologist J. Irving Erickson, the poem is said to be inspired from a sudden violent thunderstorm which Boberg was caught in on his way home from church.

After the storm had cleared, and Boberg had returned home, he opened his window and looked out towards the sea. The evening was quiet, and Boberg could hear the sound of church bells. It was these sights and sounds that inspired the words of ‘O Store Gud’.

The lyrics were matched with a traditional Swedish folk song and first sung in a church in 1888, three years after the poem was written.

As the hymn’s popularity gained momentum, the lyrics began to spread across the world. British missionary Stuart K. Hine translated the lyrics into English. His translation was actually done from Russian lyrics, which were a translation of German lyrics, which were a translation of the original Swedish lyrics.

Hine also added two original verses of his own to the 1949 translation, which still feature in the lyrics today.

A Lesson for Me

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Psa 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psa 105:2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

Whenever I hear this hymn, tears come to my eyes. There is no greater hymn that will make a heart tender toward the Creator. His beautiful and wonderful works never see to amaze me. The internet has helped me to see the Lord’s beautiful creation all over the world. I love to put those 4K videos on YouTube that are set to music. They take me all around the world while sitting in my living room!

The Creator of it all has a lot more in store for us than what we see and hear on this earth!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Message for today

For the born-again believer, there is coming a time when we will see new things and hear new sounds that no one has ever seen or heard! We are promised this!

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

To those who do not want anything to do with God, this special place will not be available to you. Hell is a real place described as burning, darkness, torment, and the first death. Once God calls an unbeliever out of Hell at the Great White Throne Judgment, He will review every opportunity to be saved with that person. He will reveal every known and secret sin. Everything will be laid open with nothing to hide. Then He will see if that unbeliever’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; of course, that name won’t be there. It is at that time that the unbeliever will experience a second death and will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. That moment’s reprieve from burning in Hell will be replaced with an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Friend, don’t be deceived by the world’s attractions. Their pleasures last for a split second in comparison to eternity.

Today’s hymn reveals what Christ did for the unsaved. The Father sent His Son (John 3:16-17) to pay the price for your sins. Jesus bore your shame and sin because it was impossible for you to pay the penalty yourself.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

But for the born-again believer, that second time (Jesus’ Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation) will be a glorious event!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

So what is it for you? Will you be ashamed at His Coming or will you be rejoicing? If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Holy Holy Holy

By Kate Plourde

On August 11, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! (1 John 5:7)

Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be. (Rev. 4:10)

Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man, thy glory may not see:
Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power in love, and purity. (1 Sam. 2:2)

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy! merciful and mighty,
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! (Ps. 145:10)
Reginald Heber

The History Behind the Hymn

This beautiful hymn was written by an Anglican bishop named Reginald Heber who lived in Hodnet, Shropshire, England (1783-1826). He was the son of a rich landowner and cleric, and became known as a poet at the University of Oxford. He was ordained in 1807 and took over his father’s old parish. He wrote this hymn in the early 1800’s, and amazingly, he wrote over 100 hymns of which many are still being sung today. Not many hymns have been written about the Trinity but there are a few. He was known as the innovator of hymnology in the Church of England. His efforts and labours took a toll on him, and he died in India at the age of forty-three.

A Lesson for Me

The multiples of threes in this hymn is absolutely beautiful. An interesting side note is that anytime a word appears in the Bible three times sequentially, it is meant to be emphatic! So maybe I should pay attention to it!! The fact that the word “holy” is one of these, there must be something God wants us to know, amen?

1. Holy, Holy, Holy – God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity: Everyone seems to have a hard time with the concept of the Trinity. But the more I read His Word, I have come to see the Trinity in a clearer way. The Father is the head, God Almighty. His Son, Jesus Christ, is the physical incarnation of the Father and His spoken Word. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, the Helper and Comforter, was given to us so we are able to glorify God in our walk. I still can’t comprehend how they can be be separate, yet One. That is what faith is all about.

2. Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be – Although this is self explanatory, it reveals to us that our God has no beginning or end. What comfort this brings to me. This means our Father knows every detail of my life, from beginning to end. He knows every part of me; every thought. He knew me when He formed me in the womb. This depicts an intimate God who wants to be a part of every area of my life.

3. Perfect in power in love, and purity – There is no imperfection found in God. His power is perfect and cannot be negated. God’s love is so perfect that through His love comes blessing and judgment. My parents punished me when I did wrong and this taught me not to do it again. So does God – He is the ultimate Parent. He wants to shower me with blessing but because He loves me, He will also discipline me when I need it to protect me.

4. All thy works shall praise thy name in earth, and sky, and sea – There is nothing that God has created that isn’t perfect. No matter where our eyes settle, we see His handiwork. One only has to look at a butterfly or jelly fish to see the details in His intricate work. The beauty of the growth of a baby in its mother’s womb is magnificent! All of God’s creation will praise Him!

5. Holy, merciful and mighty – I am so thankful that God is not only mighty but He shows mercy as well. He must in order to be holy.

(Isa 6:3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

(Rev 4:8) And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Message for Today

Our finite minds cannot comprehend what it will be like in Heaven, other than what has been described to us in Revelation. We can read about it; we can let our imagination run wild as we read the descriptions of the New Heaven and New Earth. However, it is just that: our imagination! Why? Our imagination has its limits – we can only go as far as what we have knowledge of. But the Scriptures tell us that our eyes have never seen and ears have never heard the things that God has in store for us!

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

I long for the day where our faith will be made sight! The day when we will be able to cast our crowns before the Saviour’s feet is a long-awaited day for Christians. If we are blessed enough to experience the Rapture before our death, then it will most assuredly be a blessed event for the believer! This hymn is a mini sermon in that it bears Scripture with its verses. I placed the Scripture reference beside the verses to show that God’s Word is reflected in each verse. This particular verse refers to Revelation 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: What a glorious day that will be!

Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Comfort During the End Times – Day 23

By Kate Plourde

On April 21, 2023

In Comfort During the End Times, Devotionals

Psa 138:1-2 A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. (2) I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Good morning! The past few days have been absolutely beautiful near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia! God’s handiwork is evident everywhere I look. Just imagine, the Creator of all things must absolutely love color! Just look around you! We are so blessed – and it reminds me of what life will be like when the Lord creates a new heaven and a new earth! (Isaiah 64:4, 1 Cor. 2:9)

You may think that this is way far into the future but, friend, it is not. We are seeing the birth pains of the end times. The Bible calls this the beginning of sorrows. (Matt. 24:8) Let’s see what Jesus said:

Mat 24:4-8 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.

We have seen many men proclaim to be Jesus Christ – one only needs to Google it and you’ll see the 20th Century had a bunch! Just like labor pains, there will be more to come. Wars and rumours of wars are all around us today. The Middle East is in such unrest at this moment! Israel is at war at the moment and we can see the building up of a great war to come! Jesus said that all these things must come to pass before the end comes. The Rapture of the church (made up of born-again believers) will happen before that 7-year Tribulation. It’s every Christian’s blessed hope as he/she awaits the return of the Lord, Jesus Christ, in the air! After the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will come as a conquering King and He will destroy the armies of the antichrist! (Revelation 19:11-16)

If you’re a scoffer, you’re part of that end times prophecy! (2 Peter 3:3-7) God’s Word WILL stand and all of the prophecies for the end times in the Bible will come to past because God magnifies His Word above His own Name!!! (Psalm 138:2) Every single prophecy in the Bible up until today has been fulfilled. Every single prophecy about the future will happen. God is not a liar. If you don’t believe now, you may not believe later because God will send a strong delusion and you will believe lies. (2 Thess. 2:11-12)

Does this disturb you? I hope it does if you aren’t saved. But to the born-again believer, it should be exciting because you know you won’t be here to experience the Tribulation. God loves the church, the bride of Jesus Christ. He will not cause her to experience the Tribulation – Christ will come for her and receive her to Himself. (John 14:3)

Despite the horrible things going on in this world at this moment, believers can rest because the best is yet to come for us!

This should bring you great comfort, even though you’re going through trials at this time. There’s always something for the Christian to be excited about when one thinks about the future! We have no need to fear!

Our job is to be a light to this lost and dying world. We need to give them hope as we have hope! Friend, don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!