In His Time

In His time, In His time;
He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Lord, please show me every day
As You’re teaching me Your way,
That You do just what You say
In Your time.

In Your time, in Your time;
You make all things beautiful in Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring;
May each song I have to sing
Be to You a lovely thing
In Your time.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:11

Listen To The People

Listen to the people crying everywhere.
Groping in the darkness with a load of care.
Listen to the hopeless living in despair.
Is there none to help them and the gospel share?

O Thou Holy Father listen to my prayer.
Heal this selfish servant from my worldly care.
Help me spread the message
That the world may see Jesus’ love in me,
Now to every creature a proclaimer be.

Thank you for Thy Spirit working in my heart.
I see my transgression cleanse Thou every part.
Where I’ve been so blinded by my vanity,
Grant me heavenly vision to win the lost to Thee.

O Thou Holy Father listen to my prayer.
Heal this selfish servant from my worldly care.
Help me spread the message
That the world may see Jesus’ love in me,
Now to every creature a proclaimer be.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

~ Romans 10:13-15

O taste and see that the LORD is good!

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

~ Psalm 34

Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love.

~ Eric Liddell

Close To Thee

Thou my everlasting Portion, more than friend or life to me,
All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee.
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,
All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee.

Not for ease or worldly pleasure, nor for fame my prayer shall be;
Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,
Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.

Lead me through the vale of shadows, bear me over life's fitful sea;
Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,
Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.

~ Fanny Crosby

Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

~ Psalm 73:23-26

Close to Thee and Thee alone, dearest Lord Jesus..thank you so much for Your sacrificial love..thank you so much for Your faithful promise that forever with Thee, we will be..

Keep Your Heart

Now on this mountain top we have gleaned so many things.
We’ve been drawn closer to His heart, a place that trial brings.
We have seen victory over sin, and witnessed answered prayer.
We have known Christ be our only strength, found His Word a jewel rare.

Keep your heart, keep your heart,
Keep your heart with all diligence.
Keep it clean, keep it pure, make your love for Christ endure.
Guard your ears; guard your eyes;
Pressing onward to the prize.
Lest you fall, lest you fail,
Make your love for Christ endure.

Now from this mountain top to your valley here below,
You have all of the armoury to defeat that wicked foe.
The victory is at your command,
Your prayers He’ll answer still.
Be the guardian of your only heart,
Heed His Word, His perfect Will.

Keep your heart, keep your heart,
Keep your heart with all diligence.
Keep it clean, keep it pure, make your love for Christ endure.
Guard your ears; guard your eyes;
Pressing onward to the prize.
Lest you fall, lest you fail,
Make your love for Christ endure.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

~ Colossians 3:1-17, 23-24

The Lord is our refuge

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

~ Proverbs 14:26

God makes no mistakes

My life I give to You, O Lord,
Use me, I pray.
May I glorify Your precious name in all I do and say.
Let me trust You in the valley dark as well as in the light,
Knowing You will always lead me; Your Will is always right.

I know God makes no mistakes.
He leads in every path I take along the way that's leading me to home.
Tho' at times my heart would break, there's a purpose in every change He makes;
That others would see my life and know that God makes no mistakes.

And when some day in heaven above I see His dear face,
May I then be counted faithful as a runner in this race.
But now I'm trusting in the Saviour to show me the way.
In His righteousness He guides me, as I seek to please Him day by day.

I know God makes no mistakes.
He leads in every path I take along the way that's leading me to home.
Tho' at times my heart would break, there's a purpose in every change He makes;
That others would see my life and know that God makes no mistakes.

God's Wisdom..God's Holiness

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

~ Proverbs 9:10

Every thing that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He, who leans only upon Christ, lives the highest, choicest, safest, and sweetest life.

~ Thomas Brooks

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

~ Luke 22:31-32

Unfortunately, just like in the days of Simon Peter and Jesus, Satan is alive and well on planet earth. Guess what? Just like he desired to sift Peter like wheat, he longs to rip us to shreds. You might say his plan is to make Christians into 'shredded wheat'! Fortunately for us, in the same way Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, He is also praying for all believers.

According to 1 John 2:1, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. When we sin, Jesus is praying for us. When we stumble, He is upholding us before the Father. When the devil shoots his fiery arrows or accuses us of wrongdoing, Christ is right there to defend us.

Do you think the prayers of the Son of God go unanswered? I don't think so! The Father hears the prayers of His Son on our behalf.

Think about that for a moment. There are times in all of our lives when we struggle. Like Peter, we stumble and fall in our relationship with Christ. Yet He will never leave us or forsake us! In fact, when we are at our worst, Christ is at His best. He is constantly pleading grace before our Heavenly Father to help us.

Perhaps today you are going through a tough time. It could be the consequences of sin, a family struggle or a broken relationship. Possibly you're catching flak because of your witness for Christ on campus, or it might be that you're just plain discouraged.

Take courage in one awesome truth. Someone is praying for you. Someone is passionately upholding you before the throne of the King. Someone knows your struggle and is articulating it before the Father better than you ever could. Someone cares. That someone is Jesus: the Author and Finisher of our faith. So now you can pray with confidence and witness with passion, because you know that you are not fighting the battle alone. You are standing side-by-side with your Champion and Eternal Savior, Jesus Christ. He is petitioning the God of heaven and earth on your behalf.

As you bring worry, discouragement, and failures before God, remember that:

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

~ Hebrews 4:15-16

Satan may desire to make us into 'shredded wheat', but Jesus is conforming us into solid rocks! =)

- Lane Palmer

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

~ Luke 6:36-50

Faith

Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.

~ Oswald Chambers

Your praise and Your honour, Lord..all the day

For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

~ Psalm 71:5, 7, 8, 14-16

My grace is sufficient for thee..

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9,10

Today i am resting completely upon Your wondrous promise, dear Lord. Thank you so much that Your grace is sufficient for me..always. =)

Christian one-liners

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.

God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?

A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.

Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.

We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.

Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

If God is your co-pilot - swap seats!

The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

We do not change the message, the message changes us.

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

~ James 4:7,8,10

Take Him

Take Him not only as your Savior from the guilt of sin but also as your Savior from the power of sin. He not only died to make atonement for your sins, He also rose again, and He lives today to set you free from the power of sin and to make intercession for you (Hebrews 7:25). Will you take Him now as your Deliverer from the power of sin? Will you come to this risen and mighty Lord Jesus with all your weakness and sins and trust Him to set you free? That is the right thing to do with Jesus Christ: Just take Him as your Savior, your crucified Savior, from the guilt of sin and your risen Savior from the power of sin..

~ R.A. Torrey

Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.

~ Isaiah 50:10

A Grace-Awakened Ministry

One characteristic of a grace awakening ministry deserves special attention: release from past failures. A ministry of grace does not keep bringing up the past for the purpose of holding it over people. There is an absence of shame.

Paul addresses this in 1 Timothy 1:12–14: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

You may be surprised to know that the apostle Paul had every reason to feel ashamed. He was one whose past was dreadful: "formerly a blasphemer...persecutor...violent aggressor." Then how could the same man write, "I am not ashamed" (2 Timothy 1:12 )?

He gives us the answer here in 1 Timothy 1:14: Grace was more than abundant. Blasphemy had abounded in his past, but grace superabounded. Violence and brutality had abounded, but grace superabounded.

What if it read "divorcee"? What if it read "homosexual"? What if it read "addict"? I realize it reads "blasphemer, persecutor, aggressor." But what if it read "prostitute" or "ex-con" or "financial failure" or "murderer"? In a grace-awakened ministry, none of those things in the past are allowed to hold those people in bondage. They are released, forgiven, and the believer is allowed to go on to a new life in Christ. Grace releases people, not only from sin but from shame. Do you do that in your ministry? Or do you make a note of those things and keep reminding yourself when that particular name comes up: "Well, you know, you'd better watch her" or "You've gotta watch him." Do you give people reasons to feel greater shame? Who knows what battles of shame most folks struggle with? It is enormous.

~ Charles R. Swindoll

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

~ Fanny Crosby

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord..

~ Acts 3:19

Never is the path so rough that God's Hand cannot lead the way;
Never is the road so dark that His light will not show the way.