1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Do you see Jesus in this verse? He is the only truth that one must follow. We find that truth in His Word. (John 14:6) Not only is He the truth in all things, but He desires to have close fellowship with us. So much so, that He calls the church His Bride! (Revelation 21:2, 21:9, 22:17) The church has continued to build, from the time Jesus arose to Heaven to the day the Rapture takes place. After the Rapture, the church is not mentioned because the Bride has gone home to her Groom! He loves us so much that He gave His life for us!
Jesus took all our punishment upon Himself so that we could be free from sin. The penalty of sin has been paid on the cross over 2,000 years ago! What love!
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Jesus made it clear that if we follow Him, we are not only His Bride, but His friends! We are not servants but friends! Jesus is my Saviour! My eyes are fixed on Him as He leads me! We all need Him today more than ever! The world is upside down with sin running rampant in our streets. It is only through Him that we find truth, peace and comfort. (Matthew 11:28-30) Thank you, Lord!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Psalm 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Admitting when I’m wrong has gotten easier as I have grown older. It’s never easy to admit you’ve done something wrong or that you have sinned against God. But once you’ve done it a few times, it does in fact get easier. Why? Because confession is good for the soul. It frees the soul from guilt and worry.
Is it any wonder that many Christians today are not walking closer with Jesus? Many have not declared their ways to Him. In a time where pride is at the pinnacle of society, Christians must beware of adjusting their spiritual walk to society’s “walk.” It is of the utmost importance to stay away from the evil doctrine of this world. We are most certainly living in the end times, of this I am certain.
1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Admitting to Jesus our sins sets us free, especially when we come to salvation! A closer walk with Jesus helps us to keep our sin list short. We must desire that close relationship with Him. The closer we get to Him, the less we fall prey to sin. Furthermore, notice the verse says that He hears us in Psalm 119:26? Praise the Lord that our prayers for forgiveness are not lost in the air but are actually heard by the Lord! Praise Him!!
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Amen and amen! Jesus’ grace is sufficient each and every moment! Keeping ourselves centered around God’s Word helps us to deal with the pressures of today. Our world has gone crazy! They call that which is sin, good, and that which is good, evil!
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
I don’t know how people make it through the day without fretting or worrying about what is happening around us. We all need the Lord and with Him, there is peace and rest.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
1. O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free!
Refrain: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
2. Thro’ death into life everlasting, He passed, and we follow Him there; O’er us sin no more hath dominion– For more than conqu’rors we are!
3. His Word shall not fail you–He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!
Helen Howarth Lemmel
The History Behind the Hymn
Born in 1864, Helen Lemmel moved to the United States around the age of twelve. From a young age, her musical ability was noticed by all those around her.
In 1907, She moved to Germany for 4 years to undergo intensive music training. It was here that she would meet her husband. Together, they returned to the United States in 1911. While in America, she served faithfully in the Lord’s work. She dedicated herself to writing, arranging, and teaching songs and hymns of the faith
A few years after her marriage, a tragic illness caused her to lose her vision. Her husband, refusing to attend to a blind wife, left her. This time of hurt and loss weighed heavily upon Helen.
Then, in 1918, Lemmel was introduced to a pamphlet written by Algerian missionary Lilias Trotter. Trotter was a well-known artist who had given up a rising and lucrative career to serve the Lord on the misson field. Her words stirred the heart of Lemmel. She writes, “Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and, singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody…These verses were written…the same week…”
The words that so captivated Helen were these: “How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out. Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look…look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, and the Divine “attrait” by which God’s saints are made…will lay hold of you. For “He is worthy” to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”
Helen kept her eyes on the Lord Jesus and continued to serve Him faithfully.
enjoyingthejourney.com
A Lesson for Me
Mat 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I’ve often quoted this Bible passage. In fact, these were the first verses I committed to memory after I was born again. My husband was furious at the change that came upon me (John 3:3, 6-7; 2 Cor. 5:17). I was no longer the woman he had married. I longed for the rest that the Lord Jesus promised in this passage. I longed for my burdens to be made light. This is the believer’s confidence, dear Reader.
Psa 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Without the Lord, there is no such confidence but that of the flesh. (Proverbs 14:30a) Only a heart that is fixed on the Lord can survive the struggles in life.
His Word shall not fail you–He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!
Message for today
Will life have no struggles after salvation? Of course not! The unbeliever has no one to turn to who will provide peace and comfort. However, the believer in Jesus Christ does! Can’t you see that? Our trials and tribulations are not taken away. Instead, we are promised that the Lord Jesus will walk beside us and provide the right amount of grace to persevere!
How do I know this? Jesus calls those who are born again His friends! Not only are we His friends, but we are now His Bride!
Joh 15:14-15 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Jesus Christ did not leave us empty handed to live willy-nilly in the world. He left us His Word so that we could learn and find comfort. There is comfort to be had while we go through the trials of life. It is up to us to spend time in prayer and in the God’s word! Jesus is the spoken word of God Himself, dear Reader!
O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free!
It is in the light of the Bible that you will find solace for your soul. It is between those blessed pages that you will find peace which passes all understanding! The born-again child of God is not left to his own devices but is given rest during difficult times.
Joh 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
If you are not truly born-again, you cannot possibly have this peace. 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!
1 Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
2 Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
3 Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
4 Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Charlotte Elliott
The History Behind the Hymn
Elliott, Charlotte, daughter of Charles Elliott, of Clapham and Brighton, and granddaughter of the Rev. H. Venn, of Huddersfield, was born March 18, 1789. The first 32 years of her life were spent mostly at Clapham. In 1823 she removed to Brighton, and died there Sept. 22, 1871.
In 1828, at the age of 32, Charlotte Elliott suffered a serious illness that left her a semi-invalid. This caused depression, and within the year she experienced a severe spiritual crisis. Swiss evangelist Henry A. Cesàr Malan was visiting her family, and she confessed to him that she didn’t know how to come to Christ. His famous response was, “Come to him just as you are.” Her depression continued, however. One night, twelve years later, she lay awake, distressed by her uselessness as an invalid, and by doubts of her spiritual life. The next day, as she reflected on the previous night, she decided she needed to meet her spiritual troubles head on and conquer them by the grace of God. So she “gathered up in her soul the grand certainties, not of her emotions, but of her salvation: her Lord, His power, His promise” (Lutheran Hymnal Handbook). She took up pen and paper, and wrote down her own “formulae of faith,” remembering those words of the visiting evangelist. In the end she had the text “Just as I am, without one plea.” Her rule of faith has since become a comfort to millions, and we join with all Christians who experience doubt and uncertainty in their faith when we declare that Christ invites us to come to Him, just as we are.
Though weak and feeble in body, she possessed a strong imagination, and a well-cultured and intellectual mind. Her love of poetry and music was great, and is reflected in her verse. Her hymns number about 150, a large percentage of which are in common use.
Mat 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I was probably a couple of days old in the Lord when I read these three verses. Oh how I cried! I was very heavy laden and had a burden of care upon my shoulders. I had been married six years at this point and my husband absolutely despised what I had become. Life was unbearable and I could not imagine God healing my marriage. He not only healed my marriage but He also showed me how I could receive peace in the midst of the trial while waiting! These verses rested heavily on my heart during that time.
What does this have to do with today’s hymn? Everything! God wants us to come to Him with all our troubles!
3 Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Message for today
Yes, this hymn’s message is mainly to show that God takes the sinner just as he is. The sinner need not clean up his life before receiving the gift of salvation. If he had to do that, what’s the point of God’s Son being called a gift? One doesn’t have to do a thing to receive a gift. It is freely given and must be freely accepted. There is nothing that can be added.
1 Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
It is not by our own works that we receive this wonderful gift. It is by simple faith. We are all sinners in need of saving. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. The very nature of God is to show mercy upon a repentant sinner. When we humbly come before Him, admitting our sinfulness, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2 Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
My friend, there is nothing we can do to wash away our sins. Only Jesus can do that. He became our sin offering so we could be made righteous before God through Him! Oh praise the Lord for His unending love for us!
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
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!
Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, the shadow of a mighty Rock within a weary land; a home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way, from the burning of the noontide heat and the burden of the day.
Upon the 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.
3 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 nor loss; my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.
Elizabeth C. Clephane
The History Behind the Hymn
I never heard of Elizabeth Clephane until I did the research on this hymn. Of course, I knew the hymn but knew nothing about its author. What a blessing to read of her life! She is in the same company as a few of my friends who are undergoing the same frail health.
Elizabeth Cecilia Douglas Clephane was born in Scotland in 1830 and died in 1869. The daughter of a county sheriff, she lived most of her brief life near Edinburgh.
Though in frail health most of her life, Elizabeth found the strength to help the poor and sick in her town. She and her sister gave all that they could spare to charity including, it is said, selling their horse and carriage for the benefit of the needy. The townspeople of Melrose referred to Elizabeth as “the Sunbeam.”
“Beneath the cross of Jesus,” focusing on the shelter of the cross, was first published three years after the author’s death in 1872 under the title “Breathings on the Border,” perhaps a double entendre referring to a geographical location near Melrose, the Scottish Borders, and a reference to the border between life and death.
Originally five stanzas, another omitted stanza, perhaps autobiographical, provides further insight into the comfort that the writer found in the shadow of the cross and the inspiration that the cross gave her as she anticipated her own death:
There lies beneath its shadow, but on the further side, the darkness of an open grave that gapes both deep and wide; and there between us stands the cross, two arms outstretched to save, like watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
When the realization hits as to why Christ came to earth and what He did for me, my heart was broken. Someone else took my punishment!
Why would the Lord do this for me? With my finite mind, there is no way I can comprehend the mind of God. But what I can comprehend is His Word. The Scriptures tell us of His love (John 3:16), and that His mercy is new every single morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)! There is balm to be had for the deepest wounds!
Upon the 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.
Message for today
The moment I meditate on God’s redeeming love, and my unworthiness of His saving grace, my heart is stricken with the same tears as Elizabeth’s. How many tears have been shed for the same reasons? Each one of those tears is recorded in Heaven. (Psalm 56:8) Every heartache, every tear of joy, every tear shed when I lost someone dear, is known by my Heavenly Father!
Are you hurting today, Reader? Have you spent half the night crying? Are you in the same ill health as Elizabeth? If you are born again, your Father knows all about it. He is there to apply that balm to your distraught heart. Will He remove your sickness or problem? I don’t know. But what I do know is that He will provide you with the strength to live through each and every day.
But if you are not born again, it’s time you find forgiveness and peace at the foot of the cross of Jesus. He stands waiting to hear from you. It is there you will find peace for your soul! (Matthew 11:28-30)
Pro 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
The Lord hears your prayer when you turn to Him with a repentant heart and ask His forgiveness. Invite Him into your life – make a decision to follow Him every day. He hears the prayers of His children. If you do not get saved, the verse above says that He is far from you. Do not be far, Reader. Turn to Him before it’s eternally too late.
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!
The Bible has an ongoing theme for God’s chosen people, Israel. We see it in today’s verse and we see it in the numerous verses below. One thing is for certain, God has never abandoned His people nor will He ever! Even during the Tribulation, God will pour out His mercy on His people giving them every opportunity to acknowledge their Messiah, Jesus!
(Jos 8:1) And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
(Jos 10:25) And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
(1 Chron 28:20) And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
(2 Chron 20:17) Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
(Isa 41:10) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
(Jer 30:10) Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
(Jer 46:27) But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Multiple times, God has told His people not to fear nor to be dismayed. This word, dismayed, means disheartened or deprived of courage. If there has ever been a people who has been persecuted in this world, it is the Jewish people. God knew their frame because He created man. He knew they would get discouraged and that they would need Him to remind them who He is and what He can accomplish! When Christ came in the flesh to speak the words of God, He opened up the way of salvation to all man, not just the Jews. Now the Church can reap the same blessings from today’s verses because God never changes. The Church does not replace Israel, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying God’s character cannot change and He blesses His people; therefore we will be blessed as we work for the Kingdom!
(Mal 3:6a) For I am the LORD, I change not;
Are you troubled today? Are you possibly the person who has been deceived by the world’s lies about what gender you are? Have you crossed that line and fear that you may have gone too far and God will never forgive you? There IS forgiveness to be had! That forgiveness can be found at the foot of the cross of Jesus when a sinner acknowledges that He died for sins just like yours – in fact, for all sin. There is no sin too great that He cannot forgive! But all you have to do is accept that forgiveness, repent of your sins and live for Him; proclaiming Him to all who will listen. Repentance is the key. You don’t see the sinner’s prayer in the Bible. But what you DO see in the Bible is a call to repent! (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:16, Luke 13:3, 5) You may think it’s too late to turn back the clock, but it is not! Take it from someone who was ready to commit suicide, but God rushed someone to my side to tell me about His saving power!
Mat 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
There is truth to be found, reader! The truth and the future of our world is carefully written in the Bible so we could see what was to come. Friend, if you’re not sure where you will spend eternity, please settle the matter. Christian, if you’re not living your life for the Lord, there’s not much time left. We need to give the lost 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!
