There’s a land unseen by our mortal eyes, And its joys no tongue can tell;
Where in robes of white, in its vales of light, We shall meet, and forever dwell.
O Eden, dear Eden, Home bright and fair,
Soon our bark will land on thy golden stand, And our rest will be glorious there.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
His Way is Perfect
I've been feeling a lot of pressure in the past week and was very tired. So many responsibilities and so little time. Yesterday as I was going home, a song kept ringing in my mind. I didn't know the song very well and didn't sing it very often, and yet the chorus kept coming to me: "His way is perfect..." It was as if God was reminding me that He has a plan in all these things I am facing.
When I got home, I did a search on the internet for the lyrics. The search returned only one link - the blog of one dear sister in Christ from GLCC. She posted the song in her blog a long time ago, and that was the first place I heard that song. This sister is very young, and the Lord used her to minister to my heart with a song in her blog that was posted so long ago. It's a marvel how God works. It's a reminder not to tire in doing little things for the Lord. We never know how He can take those things and use it mightily. If a mustard seed the size of this full-stop can become a big plant, how much more can God multiply the little we have if it is given to Him.
Here is the song. I hope it will encourage you too:
His Way is Perfect
When my way seems dark and drear and the future I don’t know,
My heart feels so empty as the tears unending flow.
When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempest fills my soul,
This one thing I know for sure, my God is in control.
His way is perfect,
His way is perfect.
Though I don’t understand His wise and loving plan,
His way is perfect.
His way is perfect.
Take my life and make a vessel purified.
God makes no mistakes His way is best.
When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care,
I faint ‘neath the burden of a cross I cannot bear.
When the joy has departed from my sorrow stricken soul,
This one thing I know for sure, my God is in control.
Link to song
I've been feeling a lot of pressure in the past week and was very tired. So many responsibilities and so little time. Yesterday as I was going home, a song kept ringing in my mind. I didn't know the song very well and didn't sing it very often, and yet the chorus kept coming to me: "His way is perfect..." It was as if God was reminding me that He has a plan in all these things I am facing.
When I got home, I did a search on the internet for the lyrics. The search returned only one link - the blog of one dear sister in Christ from GLCC. She posted the song in her blog a long time ago, and that was the first place I heard that song. This sister is very young, and the Lord used her to minister to my heart with a song in her blog that was posted so long ago. It's a marvel how God works. It's a reminder not to tire in doing little things for the Lord. We never know how He can take those things and use it mightily. If a mustard seed the size of this full-stop can become a big plant, how much more can God multiply the little we have if it is given to Him.
Here is the song. I hope it will encourage you too:
His Way is Perfect
When my way seems dark and drear and the future I don’t know,
My heart feels so empty as the tears unending flow.
When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempest fills my soul,
This one thing I know for sure, my God is in control.
His way is perfect,
His way is perfect.
Though I don’t understand His wise and loving plan,
His way is perfect.
His way is perfect.
Take my life and make a vessel purified.
God makes no mistakes His way is best.
When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care,
I faint ‘neath the burden of a cross I cannot bear.
When the joy has departed from my sorrow stricken soul,
This one thing I know for sure, my God is in control.
Link to song
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
People Need the Lord
Written by Greg Nelson and Phill McHugh
Every day the pass me by
I can see it in their eyes
Empty people filled with care
Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear
Laughter hides their silent cries
Only Jesus hears
Chorus:
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When will we realise
People need the Lord
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong is right
What could be too great a cost for
Sharing life with one who's lost
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear
They must hear the words of life
Only we can share
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When will we realise
That we must give our lives for
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When we were in the Philippines last year, Jonah sang us this song on the last night. Jonah has such a love for the lost. She said to us that we can forget her but not the Lost. Lord, give us that same love too.
Written by Greg Nelson and Phill McHugh
Every day the pass me by
I can see it in their eyes
Empty people filled with care
Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear
Laughter hides their silent cries
Only Jesus hears
Chorus:
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When will we realise
People need the Lord
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong is right
What could be too great a cost for
Sharing life with one who's lost
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear
They must hear the words of life
Only we can share
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When will we realise
That we must give our lives for
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When we were in the Philippines last year, Jonah sang us this song on the last night. Jonah has such a love for the lost. She said to us that we can forget her but not the Lost. Lord, give us that same love too.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
The Message of Repentance
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
~ Matthew 3:2, 4:17 ~
When Ian and Kim Cheong came back from the Philippines, they shared how so many people were saved. They also shared how in the Philippines, you can preach hard against sin and they will still listen. This brought some thoughts. I believe one of the reasons so many got saved is the very fact that they preached hard against sin.
One song I like has the lyrics, "The message we're proclaiming is repentance and forgiveness." It reminds me that there has to be repentance before there can be forgiveness. John the Baptist preached repentance in preparation for the coming Christ. Jesus Himself preached repentance. The Holy Spirit's work is to convict people of sin and bring them to repentance. The apostles preached repentance. So we too, when we share the good news, must show the hearer his/her need to repent. We must not be afraid to confront sin, because unless and until a person sees his sinfulness and hopelessness, he/she will not come to the Saviour to be saved. A watered down Gospel has no power to save.
P.S. There is a balance we need to observe in this. The purpose of preaching repentance is in order to draw people to the forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ. We need to do it out of compassion, neither playing down the severity of sin nor the free and limitless grace and love of the Lord.
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
~ Matthew 3:2, 4:17 ~
When Ian and Kim Cheong came back from the Philippines, they shared how so many people were saved. They also shared how in the Philippines, you can preach hard against sin and they will still listen. This brought some thoughts. I believe one of the reasons so many got saved is the very fact that they preached hard against sin.
One song I like has the lyrics, "The message we're proclaiming is repentance and forgiveness." It reminds me that there has to be repentance before there can be forgiveness. John the Baptist preached repentance in preparation for the coming Christ. Jesus Himself preached repentance. The Holy Spirit's work is to convict people of sin and bring them to repentance. The apostles preached repentance. So we too, when we share the good news, must show the hearer his/her need to repent. We must not be afraid to confront sin, because unless and until a person sees his sinfulness and hopelessness, he/she will not come to the Saviour to be saved. A watered down Gospel has no power to save.
P.S. There is a balance we need to observe in this. The purpose of preaching repentance is in order to draw people to the forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ. We need to do it out of compassion, neither playing down the severity of sin nor the free and limitless grace and love of the Lord.
