Tag: The Greatest Command

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Winning First Place…Oct. 20th

2nd place...How excited is the Olympic athlete when he/she comes in second?  Why are we thrilled to come in first, but fall into the doldrums of depression when we lose?  The athlete prepares themselves to win, and stand on the podium for the gold medal, not the silver.  Even in life we strive for first place…never for second.

Even Paul urged us to ‘…Run in such a way that you may win.’  (Obviously he is referring to the ‘imperishable wreath.’)  So shouldn’t we strive for first place?  Perhaps we need to consider what race we’re running?  Maybe we get to focused on running in the wrong race.  Or maybe our competitive nature causes us to ‘run over’ some folks who actually may be needing help running the race.  Or just maybe, we are striving to win in the world rather than looking at heaven’s race.  What ever the case, what is it that we should be running for?  Christ told us in Mark 12…the most important thing, our goal is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  When we do that, then we’ll be in 1st Place!

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

Sunday morning, October 20, 2013

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“I Will Call Upon the Lord” – 63

The Lord Lives!  We open our worship time together singing scripture (Psalm 18:3).  David wrote, “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”  Perhaps we know this song so well we forget that we have deliverance from those who hate us.  In a world torn by division we should all be seeking pure hearts, loving our God first and calling upon Him often.

pure in heart“Purer in Heart, O God” – 671

How do you devote your life?  Are you concerned about where you’re walking, how you’re living?  We sing this hymn (a song of prayer) asking for God’s guidance and protection.  It’s an encouragement to me as I hear my brothers and sisters in Christ singing and praying for God to ‘help me to be pure in heart, so that one day I may see Your holy face…’  Would that we all long for God to reign within our lives (within our souls).

“One Day!” – 353

The first verse of this song takes us back to the day of Christ’s birth, when He came to earth.  We continue with the second verse looking to ‘Calvary’s mountain’ and His suffering.  The third verse will take us to the tomb where He was laid.  But the chorus is our focus as we sing this song before the Lord’s Supper; “Living, He loved me; Dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely forever…One day He’s coming (back), Oh glorious day!”   Christ gave Himself so we might be ‘justified,’ by definition: “To be declared free of blame.”  Though we are sinful men, if we give our lives to Christ and are baptized into His death, we have been declared free of sin because of His death on Calvary’s mountain.

“Majestic Sweetness” – 530

Notice the title of this song and where ‘majestic sweetness’ is enthroned.  The answer; “…upon the Savior’s brow;” (head)  Now consider the 3rd verse; “He saw me plunged in deep despair and flew to my relief; for me He bore the shameful cross, and carried all my grief.”  Certainly we owe Him our life and breath, and all the joys we have.  It’s no surprise that Samuel Stennett would concluded this hymn with the phrase…“Had I a thousand hearts to give, Lord they should all be Thine…”  

“Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord” – 762

Remember the old adage, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?’  It’s true for many areas in life, but when it comes to Godliness we better take a look at how teachable we are.  When I’m lost I’m more than eager to have someone ‘show me the way’.  When I am sad of heart or when fears and doubts arise, I’m more receptive to being comforted and consoled.  As we sing about God’s guidance, would that we long to be taught His ways!

“The Greatest Commands” – 448

A great contemporary song that provides each of the four basic parts an opportunity to sing their individual lines, yet all in harmony.  Notice each of these verses come from the scripture; I John 4:7, 8, I Corinthians 13:7 and Christ’s words in Mark as He says, “Love the Lord, thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, all thy strength all thy mind…”; a beautiful soprano line.  But here’s some homework for you; which part (bass, tenor or alto) sings the words from I Corinthians 13:7?

“Let Him Have His Way with Thee” – no book

This old spiritual song will serve as our invitation as we ask the question, “Would you live for Jesus and be always pure and good?”  If you say ‘Yes’, then you will choose to let Him have His way with you.  But what does that mean?  It means that His power, His blood and His love will all be first and foremost in your life.  Then ‘you will see ’twas best for Him to have His way with thee.’

“Hear, O Israel” – 446greatest commandment

Theses words are taken straight from the Bible (and sung already this morning).  It is first found in Deuteronomy chapter 6, but is repeated by Christ in the gospels.  This morning, our basis for study will be Mark 12 when Christ is asked, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”  (verse 28)  His reply, as He so powerful demonstrated time and again, was to sight the scripture.  “The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…mind… and strength.”  Question: How are we doing in life, are we winning first place?

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Jesus’ Plan For Drawing Us to God…June 9th

bronze serpentThe scripture reading on Sunday morning at Waterview will be coming from John chapter 3, verses 9-15.  Notice the words of Jesus as He says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…”  The text of this reading is the basis for our lesson.

In Numbers 21 we read of the rebellion among the people against God.  He sends ‘fiery serpents’ that plague the people, and many died because of their rebellion.  The Lord’s instruction however was clear, “Make a fiery (bronze) serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”  The Jews were told if they wanted healing, they simply needed to come to ‘the standard’ that was raised in the wilderness.  The songs this morning are designed to focus us on the saving power of Christ and His plan to draw us toward God.

 

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

Sunday morning, June 9, 2013

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“To God Be the Glory” – 4

One of several great songs of praise, this hymn was written by Fanny J. Crosby in 1875.  It always amazes me when I read the words of this woman who was blind from birth.  In this hymn she writes, ‘…let the earth hear His voice…’ and obvious statement coming from someone whose sense of hearing was likely well developed.  But I’m more intrigued by her words in the last verse.  Never having seen the light of day, Fanny Crosby writes, “…But purer and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we SEE.”   Praise the Lord!

“My Only Hope is You” – no book

The beauty of this song comes as it builds upon each verse.  Some may consider this a ‘7-11 song’ (7 words sung 11 times), yet the repetition and development of the thought should take precedence.  From early in the morning, until late at night, Jesus is my only HOPE, PEACE, and JOY.  The fourth verse sums it up best… “All that I need is You, Jesus, all that I need is You…”  Listen to the song below, but Sunday we’ll sing it without the soloist.

“More Precious Than Silver” – 273

A simple hymn that implores us to consider how we view (yes, spend) our wealth.  To what, in this life, do you  dedicate your prosperity?  Another song that’s easy to sing…but perhaps not so easy to fulfill.  Really, what is it that you desire?

“I Come to the Garden Alone” – 595

Written from the perspective of Mary as she comes to the garden after Christ burial, you can see her emotional pull to be with Jesus, the soothing comfort of His voice and the longing to stay with Him.  C. Austin Miles captures the feeling Mary may have felt as we read John chapter 20.  Perhaps with that understand we can sing this song differently; “…and He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has every know.”  From Mary’s eyes, truer than we may have previously thought.

“We Saw Thee Not” – 342

An older hymn (again this is sung to our God) that brings the saints to a clearer understanding of Jesus life here on earth.  None of us ever saw Christ or His ‘cottage home.’  We didn’t stand on Golgotha’s hill and see the soldiers ‘lift Him up’ on the cross, and none of us stooped down to look into the empty tomb.  But together we’ll sing, “But we believe the deed was done, that shook the earth and veiled the sun.” 

“Lift Him Up” – 631

How do we reach the masses?  What can we do to show Jesus to a lost and dying world?  Jesus told us that He would be lifted up so all men could come to Him. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” John 12:32  How do we reach men with Christ?  Perhaps we start by lifting Him up in our own lives.

“I Am Thine, O Lord” – 666looking up

Our song before the lesson implores us to draw nearer to God.  Do we really long to rise in our faith, and truly seek to be closer drawn to Jesus?  In the second verse we’ll sing that our souls look up with a steadfast faith, and our will be lost in Jesus.  He was lifted up to draw us to Him…now will you look up to Him as you draw nearer in faith?

“Come to Jesus” – no book

In the chorus of this invitation song we’ll sing,“Come to Jesus!”   Repeated more than 6 times, this old spiritual song implores the lost to seek His salvation.  And like the Jews who were rebellious and bitten by the fiery serpents, we need to look up to the cross.  But notice the admonition, “…Oh delay not till the morrow, lest thy coming be too late.”

“The Greatest Command” – 448

Though we sing with simplicity we sing with the scripture… “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I John 4:7, 8 It’s easy to love the loveable, but what about those who persecute you and refuse to love you back?  We can better understand how to love when we draw near to the One who was lifted up.