Let every heart prepare Him room

Isaac Watt’s grand hymn: Joy to the world. The Lord is Come! is one of my favourite Christmas songs. In the opening verse of his song Watts makes a powerful call for all of us to prepare room in our hearts for the birth of Jesus.

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.”

As Advent begins, how will we make space for the Lord? 

What have you found helpful in your spiritual journey?

Living in Grace

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In Christ Alone

I was grateful for the words of 'In Christ Alone' this past week. It is wonderful how the lyrics and melody of songs have the ability to speak into our lives. Here are the words of the first verse of this song:

“In Christ alone, my hope is found:
He is the light, my strength, my song.
This cornerstone, this Solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease,
My comforter, my all in all,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.” – Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

May you find deep security in the presence of Jesus Christ. Our Hope is found in Him.

If you would like to listen to the song, please click here

Living in Grace

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An empty, open hand

"Faith is like an empty, open hand stretched out towards God, with nothing to offer and everything to receive" - John Calvin

In this week, when we remember the significant changes brought to the Church, through the Reformation, I thought I'd share a few inspiring words from John Calvin. Although he is not everyone's favourite, John did have a remarkable impact on the Church and Theology. Here are a few more of his insights:

"Humility is the beginning of true intelligence."

"People will never worship God with a sincere heart or be roused to fear and obey Him with sufficient zeal, until they properly understand how much they are indebted to His mercy."

Matthew 9:2 - Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

Living in Grace

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A glistening mirror of divinity

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) is remembered on the 17th of September, and she was indeed a remarkable woman. It is said that kings and queens, bishops and popes, sought the counsel of this women of God.

But the Benedictine nun was perhaps most knowledgeable about admiring and appreciating every creature that God had created. She loved Jesus and saw God's handiwork all around her. Among her most inspirational quotes are the following:

“The Earth sustains humanity. It must not be injured; it must not be destroyed.”
“Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of divinity.”
“Creation is the song of God.”

Romans 8:39 - "No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thought: In this season of Creation (Spring in the Southern Hemisphere) let us remember our Creator. 

Living in Grace

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Passwords of Praise

I was reading through Psalm 89 in the Message, and I was delighted to read how Eugene Peterson described the worship of God. He says:

"Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
    who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
    who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
    you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air!
All we are and have we owe to God,
    Holy God of Israel, our King!" - Psalm 89: 15-18

I was struck by the expression: 'blessed are those who know the passwords of praise.' I have so many passwords for bank accounts, email accounts, online shopping, phones etc, but do I know the passwords of praise? And what would these passwords open up for my life?

Living in Grace

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Which person are we?

Elizabeth Browning wrote these words:

“Earth is crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God.

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.

The rest sit round it and pluck berries.”

One may have to read these 4 lines a few times before they truly begin to sink in. Elizabeth Browning suggests there are two common responses to the beauty of Creation. Some people just want to consume what they see, without much thought for the Creator, while others are moved to awe and wonder. Their response is Moses-like, they take off their shoes and realise they are witnessing a marvel from God.

Which person are we?

"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven." - Job 25:2

Living in Grace

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Leaving an amazing legacy

If we had the chance to write our own obituary, I am not sure we could compete with words written about Hezekiah. This is what the Bible records about his life and legacy: 

"Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time." - 2 Kings 18:5

This is some testimony. Bearing in mind the long list of kings recorded in the books of Kings, as well as in the Genealogies of Jesus, this is a massive compliment. Hezekiah will be remembered for his influence in bringing about religious reforms in Jerusalem and for being faithful to the Lord. 

Another of his impressive achievements (we believe) was to champion the building of a tunnel carrying water into Jerusalem. This was to prevent the Assyrian invaders from having access to the water. The tunnel was carved out of rock, carrying water from the Gihon Spring into the pool of Siloam. We have had the privilege of walking through this tunnel, and it is very impressive indeed. 

As an ancestor of Hezekiah, we remember that Jesus is the Living Water - he brings refreshing 'spiritual' water to all who are thirsty. 

"Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ - John 7:38

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Come Holy Spirit (Uthando)

I have been listening to this beautiful song over the last while. It was written by a friend of mine, Mark Counihan, with input from his wife, Denise and friend Langa Mbonambi. If you need a song to quietly lift your spirits and remind you that God is still with us, then please click the link and listen. I am sure you will be blessed by the words and melody. (Come Holy Spirit)

Come, Holy Spirit

Move among us

Come Holy Spirit

Flow Living Water

Flow within us

Flow Living Water

Pre-Chorus

Your Love is alive

Breaking the darkness

It’s bringing the Light

To soften the heart of stone

Your Love is alive

Breaking the darkness

And winning the fight

And bringing the orphan home

Chorus

Uthando uthando

Lwakho lwakho

Luyaphila luyaphila

Your love is alive

Umbuso umbuso

Wakho wakho

Uyaphila, uyaphila

Your Kingdom is alive

No matter what language we speak - the Spirit of God is among us and God is alive.

Living in Grace

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Trying to flatter the King?

Francois Fenelon was the court preacher for King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. One Sunday when the king and his attendants arrived at the chapel for the regular service, no one else was there but the preacher.

King Louis demanded, “What does this mean?”

 

Fenelon replied, “I had published that you would not come to church today, in order that your Majesty might see who serves God in truth and who flatters the king.” - (Submitted by Chris Stroup, Source Unknown)

Thought: The obvious challenge for us all is this - do we attend Sunday worship to gain the respect of others, or do we worship to honour the King? 

Revelation 17:14 - They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Living in Grace

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Thoughts on Worship

As we busy ourselves for another time of Sunday worship, here are a few thoughts to help us prepare our hearts and minds for this great privilege.

"Ultimately, it is the very life of man, man himself as living righteously, that is the true worship of God, but life only becomes real life when it receives its form from looking toward God." - POPE BENEDICT XVI

"It is only when people begin to worship that they begin to grow." - CALVIN COOLIDGE

"God has no need for our worship. It is we who need to show our gratitude for what we have received." - THOMAS AQUINAS

"God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and, in the ages, to come for what Thou hast done already." - A. W. TOZER

• John 4:24 - God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

May you be truly blessed as you worship the Living God today.

Living in Grace

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How deep the Father's love

How deep the Father's love is one of my favourite songs. There is something special about the words, melody and message of the song that reaches deep inside my soul. If you have never heard the song, here is a beautiful version of the song - may it bless you today. 

"How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That he should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory." - Stuart Townend

Ephesians 3:18 - I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is.

Living in Grace

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We need some more Wonder!

Perhaps we all need a little more 'Wonder' in our lives at the moment. 

You may think I have lost my mind (again), but let me explain. When Isaiah challenged the Israelites about their relationship with God he said this (Isaiah 29:13-14): The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

It seems to me that God wants us to move from our rote words and worship, thinking that we have God all figured out. Our complacency moves us into a space of boredom, where we leave no room for awe and wonder.

How would God astound you at this moment in your life?

What would leave you in awe and wonder?

Living in Grace

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Joy to the World

Three hundred years old! That is how old the song Joy to the World is. That's incredible!

Written in 1719 by Isaac Watts, this beloved song/hymn still echoes through our churches, schools and carol services across the planet. What is even more interesting is that apparently Isaac Watts didn't even write the words as a song at all. He was busy working on a poetic reflection of the Psalms and was trying to create a modern paraphrase of each Psalm. These were compiled into a book called "The Psalms of David". 

When Isaac read Psalm 98 he was inspired to write the words we sing today (mostly) and when you look at the Psalm in the light of his song, we can see the deep connection. 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven . . . and heaven . . . and nature sing.

One of the other interesting facts about Isaac Watts' work on the Psalms was that he was trying to read each Psalm in the light of Jesus Christ - the promised Messiah. This is why I love his words even more! As many of you know that was the title of one of my books (Jesus in the Psalms) - I am convinced that the words of the Old Testament become so much more meaningful when read in the light of Christ.

The Challenge for us this Advent is to 'prepare room in our hearts for the coming of Christ.' 

We can only truly sing that 'The Lord is come', if we have made a decision to treat Jesus as our Lord.

Thoughts?

Living in Grace
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Celebrating the King

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, let us read some words from Zephaniah who shares a remarkable prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. As you read his words cast your mind on the image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. Hosanna in the highest - praise the Lord of lords.

¹⁴ Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵ The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
¹⁶ On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
¹⁷ The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,    but will rejoice over you with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:14-17

For all of the reasons mentioned by Zephaniah, Jesus comes into our lives this week and invites us to kneel before his throne. What will our response be?

Living in Grace
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At the mercy of ...

There are many things that are out of our control. We are at the mercy of things like: the weather, the taxman, load-shedding, aging and illness. But have you ever considered that we don't have to be at the mercy of everything that comes our way? There are some things that can guide us and provide a solid foundation for us.

Listen to these insightful words from Eugene Peterson:

"Worship is an act of attention to the living God who rules, speaks and reveals, creates and redeems, orders and blesses ... failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren."

By centering our worship on Jesus, God helps us remain secure in the gift of his grace, without the fear of being held hostage by every little thing.

Thought: It is best to rather be 'at the mercy' of Jesus.

Living in Grace
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No King?

People faulter without proper leadership. This is a fact and is played out in countries, schools, businesses, communities, churches and even in some homes. People need leaders!

"Have you no king to lead you?
Have your wise people all died?" - Micah 4:9

Micah's question arises as a result of the mess that he sees in the nation of Israel. People are living as if they have no king and no wise teachers to lead them. The irony was that they had a King, but they had turned their backs on God.

Remember this Advent season, that we are blessed to have a King - his name is Jesus. He invites us into his kingdom and waits to see our response.

Matthew 2:2 - “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

Living in Grace
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Come let us adore Him

One of our favourite Christmas carols has to be "O Come all ye faithful", which has the wonderful chorus: "O come let us Adore Him, Christ the Lord." When I read through the words of the prophet Micah today, I thought of this hymn and I wanted to sing out loud "O Come let us adore him."

"Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." - Micah 4:2

As we edge ever closer to Christmas, let us draw near to the temple of the Lord and worship Him. May Jesus teach us his ways, so we can walk in his paths of Life.

Living in Grace

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Order in our worship

At first glance, Ezekiel's words can seem like a long list of "religious rules" and perhaps even a little confusing for us. However, there is reminder for me in these instructions and that is how our worship can benefit from order. Of course, we need to balance 'order'  with 'freedom', but Ezekiel's vision certainly helps people know how to approach God in their worship times.

“‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. ¹⁰ The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out. - Ezekiel 46

Over the centuries the Christian church has vacillated from the extremes of stifling order in our worship into times of chaotic freedom. It is our role as Christian leaders to discern the move of the spirit and not to restrict God's movement, but also to allow for sincerity in our worship. It is not an easy thing to do, but it seems that even Paul tried to manage this: 

1 Corinthians 14:26 -[ Good Order in Worship ] What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.

Any thoughts?

Living in Grace
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The 4th Gift of the Magi

"On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures (Treasure Chests) and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." - Matthew 2:11

Ask anyone what 3 gifts the Magi brought to Jesus and most of us would be able to tell you - Gold, Incense and Myrrh. However, if you had to ask the question: "What did they do before they gave Jesus the gifts?" - then we would take a little longer to reply. 

This is why I feel that somehow we have got stuck on the 3 gifts that the Magi presented to Jesus and have subtly missed the FOURTH gift.  In fact, the 4th Gift is the very first action of the Wise-men. They bowed down in front of Jesus and acknowledged him as a ruler and King. Their gift of worship inspired their generous gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. 

As we still come to terms with a new year, let us offer Jesus our gift of WORSHIP as a starting point. From then on, we can open our Treasure Chests and bring everything else to him.

Living in Grace
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1 Chronicles - A song of thanks

Sometimes a song says it best! There is incredible emotion in the melody of a song and when the lyrics compliment the music, then the song becomes deeply meaningful. In order to thank God for the amazing blessings he had received David wrote many songs. We know that most of them are recorded in the Psalms, but there are a few scattered throughout other parts of the Old Testament.

The words of today's song are found in the book of 1 Chronicles. As you read them I pray that they would make your heart glad and that you would be moved to offer your own praise to the Lord.

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
³² Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
    Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
³³ Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.

³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
³⁵ Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
    Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you. - 1 Chronicles 16

Living in Grace

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