Memories…flood the corners of my mind, or at least how the song goes. But do our memories serve to inspire us or haunt us? Age and sickness have a way of displacing some of our fondest memories. That is discouraging when we think of all the good times we’ve had, but perhaps that’s not such a bad thing when we think about our failures.

Sometimes we’d like to forget some things, and thanks be to God…He will. In reference to the ‘new covenant’ in Jeremiah chapter 31, God makes this declaration; “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their inequity, and their sin I will remember no more.” What a blessing to know that even with all my faults, sins and shortcomings…my God doesn’t remember them.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, January 18, 2015

You’ll notice the following songs come from the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah” – 3

Opening our service together we praise Jehovah…singing, as it were, Psalm 148!

“How Deep the Father’s Love” – no book

A contemporary song that poetically walks us through the hours of Christ crucifixion. From the time ‘the Father turns His face away’ (Matt. 27:46), to the final words of Jesus, ‘I know that it is finished.’ (John 19:30) We find power in singing the truth…‘His wounds have paid my ransom.’

“Living for Jesus” – 676

Just the chorus as we sing between the bread and the fruit of the vine, “O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give my life to Thee. For Thou in Thine atonement didst give Thyself for me. I know no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give hence forth to live…O Christ for Thee alone.” Do we…will we act on this pledge?

“Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet” – 501

An old spiritual song that speaks the message of this morning’s lesson…“He’ll forgive your transgression and remember them no more…” What a blessing that He forgives and forgets, but do we?

“Does Jesus Care” – 507

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth (happiness/laughter) and song…” Our chorus answers that question with a resounding “O yes, He cares…”

“I Bring My Sin to Thee” – 917

If God will forgive AND forget my sins, what would hinder me from bringing my sins to Him? Especially consider, as the song goes, we have too many sins to even begin to count!

“Jesus is All the World to Me” – 590

How much does it mean to you when someone cares enough about you to not only forgive you, but never hold your transgression against you? Someone who forgives and forgets. Perhaps that’s why we sing, “Jesus is all the world to me my life, my joy, my all.” A true friend is one who doesn’t hold a memory of your wrongs. That’s why…“He’s my friend.”