Tag: James 2:23

Hymns 2.0 – At Calvary

On October 25, 2023

Lyrics (click he r e to hear instrumental)

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Refrain:
Mercy there was great and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
There my burdened soul found liberty–
At Calvary.

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned–
Then I trembled at the Law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary. [Refrain]

Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus ev’rything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary. [Refrain]

O the love that drew salvation’s plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. [Refrain]
William Reed Newell (1868-1956)

The History Behind the Hymn

William R. Newell was born on May 22, 1868 in Savannah, Ohio. All who knew him considered him a “humble man”, however that was not how his life began.

Dr. Torrey, President of Moody Bible Institute told the following story. “When I was president of the Moody Bible Institute, I received a letter from a very concerned pastor who told me of a son who was causing himself and his family a great deal of trouble. His life was really mixed up. And the father felt that attendance at Moody would help. I advised the father that even though I sympathized with him, for I was a father; yet, because I was running a Bible school and not a reform school, I had to deny his request. After many letters of pleading his cause, I finally gave in with the stipulation that the rebellious teen must see me each day and make every effort to abide by the rules and requirements of the Institute.”

“Torrey went on to say that the boy faithfully visited his office each day; and with wisdom from God’s word, he answered the questions that had been keeping the boy from God. Finally, after many months of counseling, the prayers of the boy’s father were answered.”

Years I spent in vanity and strife, caring not my Lord was crucified…There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary

That young man was William R. Newell. Newell eventually became a minister and later returned to Moody Bible Institute as a teacher.

One day in 1895, Newell was sitting in his classroom during a planning period. He began to pen a word picture in the form of a poem describing his testimony. His original words were penned on the back of a used envelope.

After writing the poem, Newell paid a visit to the Music Director at Moody. That man was Daniel Towner. “Towner went to a vacant piano room, sat down, and started writing a tune for his friend’s lyrics. An hour later, the music was finished, and the two friends were sitting down by a piano, singing the new creation together.”

Newell died on April 1, 1956, in Florida.

Today, Newell’s testimony is a reminder of all that Christ did for all of us At Calvary.
https://dianaleaghmatthews.com/at-calvary/

A Lesson for Me

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

A lot happened at the cross of Calvary. I think that one of the very first things that happened was that Jesus paid the price that the Law (the Ten Commandments) could not pay. We all know that even on our best day, we break one of those commandments. It’s impossible to live a sinless life and that is why Jesus came!

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned–
Then I trembled at the Law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

Message for today

The Old Testament is our teacher. It tells us all about Jesus, why He had to come to die for our sins, and that He is coming again. It is our “schoolmaster” as the verses below tell us.

Gal 3:24-26 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (26) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

It is by faith that we are saved. The Ten Commandments were given to the Jews as laws to live by. These laws were to open their eyes to realize that they could not keep the entire law without breaking at least one. If one could keep the Ten Commandments without breaking one each and every day of their life, they would be sinless. But Romans 3:23 tells us that there isn’t one person that is sinless. That is why Christ had to come. The Law was to teach them that they could not work for their salvation but that they needed a Savior.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Abraham came before the Law was given to Moses, yet we see in James 2:23 that Abraham believed God – he had faith in his God – and he is known in the bible as the Friend of God! Therefore, the Law points us to recognize our sin and the need for a Savior, and faith leads us to salvation.

O the love that drew salvation’s plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary.

Friend, are you in the same boat as William Newell was in? Are you searching to fill a hole in your empty heart? It is not until you reach the cross of Calvary and realize that you are in need of what Jesus did there. It is there that forgiveness for your sins can be found.

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 13

By Kate Plourde

On March 29, 2023

In Comfort During the End Times, Devotionals

Good morning, Reader! I hope this series has brought you some comfort during these difficult times. As I write this, there is extreme unrest in Israel. A Jewish brother in Christ says that Israel is on the brink of civil war. The prophecies of old and those of the end times revolve around Israel. It doesn’t matter what other countries do amongst each other; it matters what happens to Israel, amen?

The news is constantly filled with horrible headlines of famines, earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars. Jesus said this would happen in the end times and would get worse. (Matthew 24:6-8) But should the believer in Jesus Christ be eaten up with worry? Do you not think that God knows your heart and how worried you are?

How would you feel if your child stayed awake at night worried that someone would break into house? Wouldn’t it bother you that your child didn’t trust his parents enough to protect him? It is no different with God. If you are a born-again Christian, the Father in Heaven knows you so well. Friend, He actually knows your name!

Exo 33:17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

To an unbelieving world, events may seem chaotic where fear sets into the heart of man. This is exactly one of the devil’s goals. He does not want you to have peace in the Lord.

Satan wants mankind to be distracted and fearful.

This distraction and fear plays right into the devil’s plans to usher in the antichrist. The antichrist will appear to be the man of peace when he signs a peace treaty with Israel. But the devil is a deceiver and the father of lies. (John 8:44) He is known as an angel of light according to 2 Corinthians 11:14! The end times will be filled with lies, deceptions, signs and wonders, which will be so mesmerizing that it will seduce the world into believing he is God. (Mark 13:22) Friend, you should not take this lightly. The world will be sucked into this delusion!

1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

But before the antichrist can be revealed, the Holy Spirit’s influence on the earth (residing within every born-again believer) must be removed in order to usher in the devil’s total influence. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8)

In the meantime, the Lord takes care of His sheep. His Spirit leads and guides us through His Word, the Bible! Although God is a God of judgment (as the world will see in the Tribulation), He is also a God of love for those who follow Him. As Christians, we know that the Lord not only loves us but He knows us intimately.

Luk 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

When God says that the very hairs on our heads are numbered, it reveals that intimacy! Not only does He know us intimately, but we are now His child because Christ’s righteousness covers us. When God looks at the born-again believer, He sees His Son’s righteousness over us, not our own! In fact, just as Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, God called Abraham His friend! Praise the Lord! Christ’s righteousness over us means that God calls us His friend also!

Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Not only are we considered a friend, we are Christ’s Bride. (Revelation 21:9, Revelation 22:17) The groom would never allow anything horrible happen to the woman of his dreams, right? Well how much more will our Groom protect us, His Church, from the Tribulation? (Revelation 3:10) Be encouraged, Christian. The same God who counts the hairs on our head, joys over us and calls us friend, is the same God who will give you peace during these difficult times!

As believers, we have so much at our fingertips to pull from for encouragement. We can read our Bibles, search out songs to encourage our hearts, and bow before the Lord of lords and Kings of kings in prayer! We can have intimate fellowship with the Creator of the universe!! But to the person who is not born-again, he has only himself to turn to and there’s no comfort in one’s own heart. The unbeliever doesn’t have the comfort that the believer does; they may be able to access the resources but that comfort just isn’t there. 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!