Oh, How I Wish I Were There....

I remember the night I saw this clip on one of Oprah's specials. I was watching from a girlfriend's house...and suddenly everyone in the room could sense the presence of God in her house... It certainly was a night to remember....

On this clip, various famous singers were singing two old Hawkins Family classics. First you'll hear a snippet of "Changed" by Tramaine and Walter Hawkins, and the Hawkins family. (Too bad Tramaine was not there to sing her song!)

The second song you'll hear is a snippet of the first gospel song to ever crossover into everyday popular music: "Oh Happy Day" by Edwin Hawkins. Enjoy! \0/

What Am I Thankful For?

For me, Thanksgiving is every day...but I'll address what is at the top of my list. I have to say at the top of my list of what I am thankful for most is the gift of God's salvation. Only because of the sacrifice of His only Son for our sins, can we experience His love, mercy and grace, and have a relationship with Him. Even though I have been listening my Pastor's Sinner's Prayer every Sunday for three years, the awesome reality of the gift of salvation still brings tears to my eyes.

The first time I heard "A Heart Like Mine," it was on a compilation CD by various CCM artists. I loved the CD, but I was burning a hole through Bryan Duncan's "A Heart Like Mine." At this particular point in my life, I was just beginning to come into an understanding (as much as we can humanly comprehend anyway), of God's grace and mercy....even though I had been saved for 17 years! Needless to say I was overwhelmed.

Before I started to experience His love for myself, I remember feeling that God loved me, but what was so special about that? Didn't God create and love everybody? So God loves everybody, what was so special about the fact that He loved me?

Here is an often quoted quote from St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 3, chapter 11, 19: "O Thou Good Omnipotent, who so carest for every one of us, as if Thou caredst for him only; and so for all, as if they were but one."

David comes to mind, when I think of His special relationship with God. David understood that He could have an intimate relationship with God. God called him a man after God's own heart. Wow! That same special relationship with God is available to each of us as individuals...not as a collective worldwide group. Isn't God awesome?

Here are the lyrics that take me right into a spirit of adoration and worship.

A Heart Like Mine

by Bryan Duncan

Of all the hearts in the world
I've only one to give
So insecure, a desperate pulse
Racing to Your embrace
That You could want me and seek me
Is more than words could ever say
That You would love me and see in me
A pearl of price, thrown away

A heart like mine
How could it be worthy that You'd find
A way to redeem this hardened clay
Twisted and broken
Oh Father God above
The wonder that You'd love a heart like mine

Your holy hands hold me still
Shaping my heart anew
Once vacant shell now reclaimed
Offers its praise to You
The one who searched till You found me
A wounded lamb whose gone astray
You stopped the world to recover me
Oh Lamb of God, the price You've paid

A heart like mine

How could it be worthy that You'd find

A way to redeem this hardened clay

Twisted and broken

Oh Father God above

The wonder that You'd love a heart like mine

I make my promise to

Do the one thing I can do with abandon
I can give every heartbeat to You

A heart like mine
How could it be worthy that You'd find
A way to redeem this hardened clay
Twisted and broken
Oh Father God above
The wonder that You'd love a heart like mine

A heart like mine
How could it be worthy that You'd find
A way to redeem this hardened clay
Twisted and broken
Oh Father God above
The wonder that You'd love a heart like mine

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"He Will Sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver..."

I know this one has made the email rounds in the past, but in case some haven't read it here it is again:

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi,and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."

While reading Malachi chapter 3 this verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. They were perplexed about the remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

One woman spoke up and said she thought the verse was intended to convey the sanctifying influence of the grace of God. Another woman offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - it's fully refined when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Someone needs to know that God is watching over them and that He will not leave them in the flame one moment longer than necessary to see His image.

And, whatever you're going through, if you can find gratitude for His Master Plan you will grow spiritually and become more like JESUS! How awesome is that?!


Author Unknown

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I Will Say

The words to the song, "I Will Say" just really clicked today. I've listened to it a million times, but today was different. It is kind of a long song by today's standards, but if you get a chance to listen to it, it's on Fred Hammond's "Speak Those Things: POL Chapter 3 " CD. This is my favorite Fred Hammond CD. But then again, I love just about anything Fred Hammond! :-)
Here are the lyrics below. The bold emphasis is mine.



"I Will Say " by Fred Hammond

(Verse 1)
The hills are steep and rough is the road
Nothing to fear as long as I know
I'm not alone, Lord, You're here with me
I'm in Your care yes this I believe
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

(Chorus A)
To encourage my soul
I will say
In Him will I trust
And I will say
You're God and You will never change
And I will say
You're more than enough

(Channel 1)
To hurt or to heal
To break or to mend
Power is all inside
And since You gave the power to me, yeah
That's what I'll say, yeah

(Verse 2)
And when my walls come tumbling down
Shadows of death just hanging around
I will not fear 'cause You're here with me, yeah
I'm in Your care yes this I believe

(Chorus A)
To encourage my soul
I will say
In Him will I trust
And I will say
You're God and You will never change
And I will say
You're more than enough

(Channel 2)
To fall or to fly
To stand or to hide
You know the choice is mine
So by the power given to me
I'm gonna say

(Bridge)
My fountain of joy
My river of life
My maker and my redeemer
My rest and my peace
My rock and my truth
And all of these things I will say

(Chorus B)
To encourage my soul
And I will say
In You will I trust
I will say
You're God and You will never change
And I will say
You're more than enough

(Vamp)
I will say, I will say, I will say
Speak life into my soul
I'll speak life
(Repeat-Out)

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It would behoove us to do what Jesus did...He SPOKE LIFE!

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." 1 Corinthians 2:13

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord," Ephesians 5:19

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. " 1 Peter 4:11

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On Level Ground

My Lord and Father,

I can only imagine how sad You may be when one of Your children falls prey to the principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, resulting in the spiritual wickedness of sin and evil. There is nothing any one has ever done that we are not capable of doing ourselves. So when we pray for our brother, Ted Haggard, we pray not out of pity or self-righteousness but with a humble spirit because we know that we are standing with him on level ground before the cross. Your Word tells us if we confess our sins You are faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse of all unrighteousness.

Father, give this man and his wife the gift of your grace. Protect them from the constant accusations of the evil one who will seek to torment them, deny them sleep, tempt them to talk too much to the public, and arouse conflict between them as a couple and with their children. Send the right people into their lives who can provide the correct mixture of hope and healing love. Deliver them from people who will run to tell them things that they should not hear. Please restrain Ted and his wife, Gayle from making poor judgments in their most fearful of moments.

Lord, be ever present to the leaders and people of the New Life Church. Lord we ask that You comfort the NAE leadership which has to live with the side effects of this tragedy for years to come. Show Yourself strong to the people in the evangelical tradition who are now wondering who they can trust. Lord, I don’t know what else to pray for, but You know all things. We know so very little, but in You we trust and believe completely, for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
In the name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ we pray,

Amen.

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Authors:
Pastor and author Gordon MacDonald is chair of World Relief and editor-at-large of Leadership, and L. Johnson, author of the blog, A Heart of Worship-To My Sisters in Christ.

Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord....

Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord
by Paul Baloche

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shining in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
I want to see You.

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"...Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
Revelation 4:8

Be Holy....

I was led to share this scripture with you this morning.

'Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."'

I Peter 1:13-16

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