... His wooings, His touch, the gentleness of His grip on my life and His continuous ministry to mind and spirit



How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.



Tune: How Firm a Foundation (Parker) (To listen: click score
[url=http://www.clparker.com/SH/shbook/shBook.html#16]http://www.clparker.com/SH/shbook/shBook.html#16[/url]

Alternatives
[url=http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/f/hfirmafo.htm]http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/f/hfirmafo.htm[/url]



Exodus 34:27 - 35
And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.

And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And [i]till[/i] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [i]that[/i] which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.


Hebrews 1:1 - 5
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by [i]his[/i] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of [i]his[/i] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee'? And again, 'I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son'?

Because I don't believe that there is a spiritual part of life and a separate secular part of life (for the Christian), I'd like to say how thankful I am that I have [i]already[/i] filed my taxes for this year! They were sent out yesterday, 1/18/08.

The last couple of years were very difficult and I had to play around with deductions. Big mistake. I ended up owing about $1,200 for two years in a row. Uff-da! I couldn't file, or pay, on time those years and it was disheartening. This year, I left well-enough alone and was able to file very early and am getting about $1,050 in refunds!

_________________
Keith

I need you Oh-- Lord
Open my eyes to see
Let my ear hear Your voice __
Oh -- Set me free___
Change me
Set me free___
Ooo__ for who ever
Who ever
Jesus set free
Are free indeed.

I need you to set me free
Jesus set me free ---
Hear me out
I cry out to you
Let me see your face;
Oh___ set me free
I call on Your name ---
Oh -- set me free___,
Jesus set me free.

Oh__ ooo ---
I am free
Jesus has set me free
He has set me freeeee.

_________________
Claudette

... practical progress and life from the dead




Give me the faith which can remove
And sink the mountain to the plain,
Give me the childlike praying love
That longs to build Thine house again:
The love which once my heart o'erpowered,
And all my simple soul devoured.

I want an even strong desire,
I want a calmly fervent zeal
To save poor souls out of the fire,
To snatch them from the verge of hell,
And turn them to the pardoning God,
And quench the brands in Jesu's blood.

I would the precious time redeem
And longer live for this alone -
To spend and to be spent for them
Who have not yet my Saviour known,
Fully on these my mission prove,
And only breathe to breathe Thy love.

My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord,
Into Thy blessed hands receive,
And let me live to preach Thy word,
And let me for Thy glory live,
My every sacred moment spend
In publishing the Sinner's Friend.

Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart
With boundless charity Divine,
So shall I all my strength exert,
And love them with a zeal like Thine,
And lead them to Thine open side,
The sheep, for whom their Shepherd died.

Or if , to serve Thy church and Thee,
Myself be offered up at last,
My soul brought through the purple sea
With those beneath the altear cast,
Shall claim the palm to martyrs given
And mount the highest throne in heaven.



[i]Charles Wesley[/i]


Tune: Melita
[url=http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/hymn.php?t=h&n=560]http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/hymn.php?t=h&n=560[/url]

[url=http://hymns-organ.com/Music.php?P=1&M=1176455890&S=424&U=1176455890]http://hymns-organ.com/Music.php?P=1&M=1176455890&S=424&U=1176455890[/url]



Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 2:8 - 11
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; 'These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [i]I know[/i] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [i]are[/i] the synagogue of Satan.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [i]some[/i] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.'

2 Thessalonians 1:2 - end
Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: [i]which is[/i] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing [i]it is[/i] a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of [i]this[/i] calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of [i]his[/i] goodness, and the work of faith with power: that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

... my fellow-pilgrims and travellers



Brethren in Christ, and well-beloved,
To Jesus and his servants dear,
Enter and show yourselves approved;
Enter, and find that God is here.

Welcome from earth: lo, the right hand
Of fellowship to you we give!
With open hearts and hands we stand,
And you in Jesu's name receive.

Say, are your hearts resolved as ours?
Then let them burn with sacred love;
Then let them taste the heavenly powers,
Partakers of the joys above.

Jesu, attend thyself reveal!
Are we not met in thy great name?
Thee in the midst we wait to feel,
We wait to catch the spreading flame.

Thou God that answerest by fire,
The Spirit of burning now impart;
And let the flames of pure desire
Rise from the altar of our heart.

Truly our fellowship below
With thee and with the Father is;
In thee eternal life we know,
And heaven's unutterable bliss.

In part we only know thee here,
But wait thy coming from above;
And we shall then behold thee near,
And we shall all be lost in love.



[i]Charles Wesley[/i]


Tune: Hampstead
[url=http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/o/fomgolov.htm]http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/o/fomgolov.htm[/url]



2 John 1
The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; [u]for the truth's sake[/u], which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.

Grace be with you, mercy, [i]and[/i] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, 'That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it'.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [i]your[/i] house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Having many things to write unto you, I would not [i]write[/i] with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

Jesus visited

Jesus visited you tonight
Oh—Jesus visited you tonight__
He wants you to see His grace
He wants you to hear His heart

Jesus visited you tonight
Oh—Jesus visited you tonight
He loves you
He wants you to know that
He loves you and__
He’s calling you out

Oh—
Jesus is here tonight
Jesus is here tonight
Come back to Him no__w
Oh—Don’t deny Him my frie__nd
He loves you
He died for you
He bled his heart for you to live

Oh—Jesus is here tonight
Jesus is here tonight
Jesus visited you tonight.

Oh—open the door He is knocking
Let Him in my friend to your life__
Oh—Don’t deny Him my frie__nd

Jesus visited you tonight
Oh—Jesus visited you tonight
He loves you
He wants you to know that
He loves you and__
He’s calling you out


Dedicated for Laura Smithers.
Written by Claudette
Inspired by the Holy Spirit

_________________
Claudette

Your True Love

Every tears of my heart You know
And You wipe it away
Every pain in my You know
And You gave me comfort to sooth the pain
And Your loving voice brings healing
To my broken hearted.
Your amazing hand that stretch out for me
To reach me in the pit of Hell,
And brought me back to see Your goodness,
Your loving kindness
And Your gentle words shows me love
And what love is about.
So amazing to know You
And to know what garce and
Mercy is ablout.
So amazing to know
What true love really is.

Thank for Your Love Jesus.



edited: typing error.

_________________
Claudette

... the newness of today and His words to me




We sing the praise of Him who died,
Of Him who died upon the Cross;
The sinner's hope let men deride,
For this we count the world but loss.

Inscribed upon the Cross we see
In shining letters, God is love!
He bears our sins upon the tree,
He brings us mercy from above.

The Cross: it takes our guilt away;
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
And sweetens every bitter cup;

It makest he cowards spirit brave,
And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
It takes the terror from the grave,
And gilds the bed of death with light;

The balm of life, the cure of woe,
The measure and the pledge of love,
The sinner's refuge here below,
The angels' theme in heav'n above.




Tune: Germany aka Walton (Beethoven)
[url=http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/hymn.php?t=h&n=102]http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/hymn.php?t=h&n=102[/url]

[url=http://hymns-organ.com/Music.php?P=1&M=1169098814&S=324&U=1169098814]http://hymns-organ.com/Music.php?P=1&M=1169098814&S=324&U=1169098814[/url]

[url=http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0003/x000301.htm]http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0003/x000301.htm[/url]




Luke 15:1 - 10
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, 'This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them'.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 'What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found [i]it[/i], he layeth [i]it[/i] on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together [i]his[/i] friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find [i]it[/i]? And when she hath found [i]it[/i], she calleth [i]her[/i] friends and [i]her[/i] neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth'.

... somehow having held my day together until it produced something worthwhile



Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty victorious, Thy great name we praise

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,




Tune: Joanna (St Denio)
[url=http://www.opc.org/books/TH/old/Blue079.html]http://www.opc.org/books/TH/old/Blue079.html[/url]

[url=http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/hymn.php?t=h&n=14]http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/hymn.php?t=h&n=14[/url]



Psalm 104
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, thou art very great;
thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Who coverest [i]thyself[/i] with light as [i]with[/i] a garment:
who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters:
who maketh the clouds his chariot:
who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
Who maketh his angels spirits;
his ministers a flaming fire:
[i]Who[/i] laid the foundations of the earth, [i]that[/i] it should not be removed for ever.

Thou coveredst it with the deep as [i]with[/i] a garment:
the waters stood above the mountains.

At thy rebuke they fled;
at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

They go up by the mountains;
they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
that they turn not again to cover the earth.

He sendeth the springs into the valleys, [i]which[/i] run among the hills.

They give drink to every beast of the field:
the wild asses quench their thirst.

By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, [i]which[/i] sing among the branches.

He watereth the hills from his chambers:
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man:
that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine [i]that[/i] maketh glad the heart of man, [i]and[/i] oil to make [i]his[/i] face to shine, and bread [i]which[/i] strengtheneth man's heart.

The trees of the LORD are full [i]of sap[/i];
the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests:
[i]as for[/i] the stork, the fir trees [i]are[/i] her house.

The high hills [i]are[/i] a refuge for the wild goats;
[i]and[/i] the rocks for the conies.

He appointed the moon for seasons:
the sun knoweth his going down.

Thou makest darkness, and it is night:
wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep [i]forth[/i].

The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together,
and lay them down in their dens.

Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

O LORD, how manifold are thy works!
in wisdom hast thou made them all:
the earth is full of thy riches.

[i]So is[/i] this great and wide sea, wherein [i]are[/i] things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

There go the ships:
[i]there is[/i] that leviathan, [i]whom[/i] thou hast made to play therein.

These wait all upon thee;
that thou mayest give [i]them[/i] their meat in due season.

[i]That[/i] thou givest them they gather:
thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled:
thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
and thou renewest the face of the earth.

The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever:
the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth:
he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

My meditation of him shall be sweet:
I will be glad in the LORD.

Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.

Bless thou the LORD, O my soul.

Praise ye the LORD.

... continuing to speak His heart to me from His word, and to make me understand the gospel




Glory to God, and praise and love
be ever, ever given,
by saints below and saints above,
the church in earth and heaven.

On this glad day the glorious Sun
of Righteousness arose;
on my benighted soul he shone
and filled it with repose.

Sudden expired the legal strife,
'twas then I ceased to grieve;
my second, real, living life
I then began to live.

Then with my heart I first believed,
believed with faith divine,
power with the Holy Ghost received
to call the Savior mine.

I felt my Lord's atoning blood
close to my soul applied;
me, me he loved, the Son of God,
for me, for me he died!

I found and owned his promise true,
ascertained of my part,
my pardon passed in heaven I knew
when written on my heart.

O for a thousand tongues to sing
my dear Redeemer's praise!
The glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace.

My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.



[i]Charles Wesley[/i]


Tune: Lydia
[url=http://hymns-organ.com/Music.php?P=1&M=1166706063&S=103&U=1166706063]http://hymns-organ.com/Music.php?P=1&M=1166706063&S=103&U=1166706063[/url]



Hebrews 12:1 - 13
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us,] and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [i]our[/i] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected [i]us,[/i] and we paid [i]them[/i] respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened [i]us[/i] as seemed [i]best[/i] to them, but He for [our] profit, that [i]we[/i] may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be [i]dislocated,[/i] but rather be healed.