Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) - Casting Crowns

Wonderful merciful saviour with lyrics

God's Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21 (The Message)

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
 ¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
   God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
 ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

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How He Loves Us- David Crowder Band

Kutless - What Faith Can Do

The Ball is in Your Court! Isn't that how it should be?

God will never twist your arm to get you to believe.  He is more of a still, small voice,  a niggling deep down in your soul.  He will never stop seeking you.  He will never stop wanting you to come to Him.  He is always waiting and watching patiently, and speaking quietly in quiet moments.

But the ball is in Your Court!  Isn't that how it should be?  When we love someone, we want them to love us back of their own volition, don't we?  We might think we would want to force them to love us, but would that be real love?  The Father is no different in that one respect.  He offers the free gift and all He asks is that we reach out and receive it.  And then we will see what He can do in one life, ours....Joy unspeakable, boundless love,  peace that passes understanding.  Why wouldn't you want that?

He is not a crutch.  He is hope, and peace, and love, and life.  I can tell you why you might not want that.  You might not want that because you fear you will lose control.  You might not want that because it requires something of you...complete surrender of yourself to Him.  For some,  there is nothing  scarier.  But let me tell you, losing your selfishness is not as hard as you think it is.  Especially when it is replaced with faith immeasurable.  I guarantee you, you will never be sorry.  You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by saying, "Yes, Lord!"

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You Never Let Go by Matt Redman

When We Practice Real Love

1 John 3:11-24 (The Message)

¹¹For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.
 ^12-13We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.
 ^14-15The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together.
 ^16-17This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

When We Practice Real Love

 ^18-20My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.  ^21-24And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

Behold What Manner of Love the Father has Given Unto Us...

1 John 3:1-10 (The Message)

 ¹ What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to.  ^2-3But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own.
 ^4-6All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God's order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backward.
 ^7-8So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil's ways.
 ^9-10People conceived and brought into life by God don't make a practice of sin. How could they? God's seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It's not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test.

When Does it Take Months to Pay off a $22 Loan?

Go Ahead, Take Away the Stone

John 11 (The Message)

The Death of Lazarus

 ^1-3A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord's feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick."  ⁴When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son."
 ^5-7Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. After the two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea."
 ⁸They said, "Rabbi, you can't do that. The Jews are out to kill you, and you're going back?"
 ^9-10Jesus replied, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in daylight doesn't stumble because there's plenty of light from the sun. Walking at night, he might very well stumble because he can't see where he's going."
 ¹¹He said these things, and then announced, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I'm going to wake him up."
 ^12-13The disciples said, "Master, if he's gone to sleep, he'll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine." Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap.
 ^14-15Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him."
 ¹⁶That's when Thomas, the one called the Twin, said to his companions, "Come along. We might as well die with him."
 ^17-20When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.
 ^21-22Martha said, "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you."
 ²³Jesus said, "Your brother will be raised up."
 ²⁴Martha replied, "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time."
 ^25-26"You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"
 ²⁷"Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world."
 ²⁸After saying this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear, "The Teacher is here and is asking for you."
 ^29-32The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When her sympathizing Jewish friends saw Mary run off, they followed her, thinking she was on her way to the tomb to weep there. Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."
 ^33-34When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. He said, "Where did you put him?"
 ^34-35"Master, come and see," they said. Now Jesus wept.
 ³⁶The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him."
 ³⁷Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man."
 ^38-39Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone."
   The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, "Master, by this time there's a stench. He's been dead four days!"
 ⁴⁰Jesus looked her in the eye. "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
 ^41-42Then, to the others, "Go ahead, take away the stone."
   They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, "Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me."
 ^43-44Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.
   Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose."

The Man Who Creates God-Signs

 ^45-48That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him. But some went back to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. "What do we do now?" they asked. "This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have."  ^49-52Then one of them—it was Caiaphas, the designated Chief Priest that year—spoke up, "Don't you know anything? Can't you see that it's to our advantage that one man dies for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed?" He didn't say this of his own accord, but as Chief Priest that year he unwittingly prophesied that Jesus was about to die sacrificially for the nation, and not only for the nation but so that all God's exile-scattered children might be gathered together into one people.
 ^53-54From that day on, they plotted to kill him. So Jesus no longer went out in public among the Jews. He withdrew into the country bordering the desert to a town called Ephraim and secluded himself there with his disciples.
 ^55-56The Jewish Passover was coming up. Crowds of people were making their way from the country up to Jerusalem to get themselves ready for the Feast. They were curious about Jesus. There was a lot of talk of him among those standing around in the Temple: "What do you think? Do you think he'll show up at the Feast or not?"
 ⁵⁷Meanwhile, the high priests and Pharisees gave out the word that anyone getting wind of him should inform them. They were all set to arrest him.

He Knows My Name by Maranatha Singers

Our Good, His Glory Revisited

God has two purposes in His plan, our good and His glory. We need never think that He does not know what we are going through. He does! He himself experienced life in human flesh. John 11:22 says, "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." (NIV)

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 (NASB)

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB)

God is at work in this world, and His plan is to make us into His image. We don't need to be discouraged that things aren't working out the way we want them to. We can trust that God's plan is for our good and for His glory, even if we can't understand it right now. He will be with us on the journey. And when we have been transformed into His image, all glory and honor and power are His. I am thankful that He chooses to share this with us!

"And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me." John 17:22-23

"But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (NASB)

Consider the story of Joseph. Things never looked like they were for his good, but Joseph just kept putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward in God's direction, trying to do His will. When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:27-28), he ended up in Egypt. Joseph had dreams and interpreted dreams, eventually finding his way into the house of Pharaoh being second in charge in all the land. Because Joseph put God first in all things, he was crowned with success, but not to bring glory to Joseph. Joseph was part of God's plan to protect His people from the famine that had entered the land. God's plan was bigger than the circumstances and Joseph knew that he was exactly where God wanted him to be.

So Joseph told his brothers when they came to Egypt to ask for food and realized that their brother was in charge, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid." Genesis 50:19-21 (NASB)

We also can be assured that if we are seeking Him and putting Him first in all things and loving him with all of our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, He will accomplish His purposes in us. He will accomplish them even when we don't see how He could possibly do it.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29 (NASB)

Dear Lord, If I could just trust your plan for my life, I would walk in Your peace continually. Please help me to trust You with everything knowing that You have me exactly where You want me to be.

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Originally posted April 10th, 2010.

Wonderful Cross - Michael W. Smith

Pray More

"Every time we pray our horizon is altered, our attitude to things is altered~~not sometimes but every time...and the amazing thing is that we don't pray more."
~Oswald Chambers 

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there."  2 Chronicles 7:13-16 (NIV)

 "Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said,  'There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: "My rights are being violated. Protect me!"  He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, "I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding."'  Then the Master said, 'Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?'"Luke 18:1-8 (The Message)

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."  Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)

"Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out."  Ephesians 6:13-18 (The Message) 

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (The Message) 

Dear Lord,  Teach us how to pray consistently and to never give up.  Help us to pray more, longer and harder than ever before.  Find us having that kind of persistent faith when you return. 

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Michael W. Smith - I See You

Like a Mighty Wind...

Acts 2 (The Message)

A Sound Like a Strong Wind

 ^1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.  ^5-11There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

   Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
   Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
      Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
      Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
   Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
   Even Cretans and Arabs!
"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"
 ¹²Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"
 ¹³Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."

Peter Speaks Up

 ^14-21That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk—it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:

   "In the Last Days," God says,
   "I will pour out my Spirit
      on every kind of people:
   Your sons will prophesy,
      also your daughters;
   Your young men will see visions,
      your old men dream dreams.
   When the time comes,
      I'll pour out my Spirit
   On those who serve me, men and women both,
      and they'll prophesy.
   I'll set wonders in the sky above
      and signs on the earth below,
   Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
      the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
   Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
      the Day tremendous and marvelous;
   And whoever calls out for help
      to me, God, will be saved."  ^22-28"Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:

   I saw God before me for all time.
      Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side.
   I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
      I've pitched my tent in the land of hope.
   I know you'll never dump me in Hades;
      I'll never even smell the stench of death.
   You've got my feet on the life-path,
      with your face shining sun-joy all around.
 ^29-36"Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,

   God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand
   Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet."
"All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross."
 ³⁷Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
 ^38-39Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites."
 ⁴⁰He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!"
 ^41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
 ^43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
 ^46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

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