Saturday, February 13, 2010, 7:11 a.m. – I woke this morning with this song playing in my mind:
The Solid Rock / Edward Mote / William Bradbury
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Revelation 1:
My Understanding: As I thought about the words to that song this morning, I had to stop right after the first phrase – “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…” I thought about how often we place our hope in people, jobs, worldly security, circumstances, things, relationships, ideals, etc. Or, we put our hope in the gifts of God rather than or more than in the giver of the gifts. This is why we sometimes get our hopes dashed, because we are placing our hopes in the wrong things or the wrong person. This song is thus a reminder to us of the significance of where we place our hope. It reminds us to make sure that is in Jesus and in his blood and righteousness and not in anything less.
Then, I thought about the chorus – “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” So, I prayerfully considered this phrase before the Lord in prayer, inquiring of God to show me if I am standing on anyone or anything other that the solid Rock, Jesus Christ. And, as I considered this “sinking sand” in relation to “all other ground” and thought about it, I affirmed in prayer with the Lord that certainly all other ground is sinking sand. If we are placing our hope and/or if we are taking our stand in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ and him crucified, buried, risen and coming again, we will sink in one way or another.
That brings me to this last part of this song where it says, “When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found; dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” Jesus is coming again. I believe it is soon; it is not far off. It is important that we know that we are found in him complete when he comes to receive his bride unto himself.
The way we know we are in him is that we are “dressed in his righteousness alone,” i.e. this is not something we can do in the flesh, this is not a mixed bag of tricks of different forms of religion, and this is not works-based salvation, i.e. it is not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Yet, to be in his righteousness does mean that his righteousness will be revealed in us in the way we live our lives, i.e. in repentance, in obedience, in love, in faith, and in endurance, etc. It is Christ working in and through us for his glory. If we are truly dressed in his righteousness, it should show in our lives.
That brings me to this passage of scripture, in particularly to verse 3 where it states, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” I had to stop right there and think and pray this through. I thought about what it means to hear and what it means to listen. Hear – it can mean to audibly hear the sound, to be informed of something, to listen to somebody or something and/or to understand fully by listening attentively. Listen – to concentrate on hearing somebody or something; to pay attention to something and take it into account; an act of making an effort to hear something [Source: Encarta Dictionary].
I believe there is a definite distinction between “hearing” and “listening”. Have you ever spoken to someone who you felt really was not listening to what you said? So, you repeated yourself, only to hear from them in response, “I heard you the first time”? And, then did you say, “Yes, but you weren’t listening”? Hearing is something we do if we have the sense of hearing whenever there is a sound. It is an automatic response to sound for hearing people. Listening is entirely different. Listening involves an act of making an effort to hear, it necessitates undivided attention being given to the speaker, it includes eye contact (usually), it entails concentration, paying attention, and then it requires taking into account what was said. In addition, a good listener will engage the speaker in conversation about the subject of which the speaker is talking. A good listener will ask questions and then repeat back to the speaker what he thinks he or she is saying to make sure he is hearing the speaker correctly.
To take something into account means to consider it, to regard it, and/or to allow for it in your life. To take it to heart is one step further, I believe. It means to take it seriously and to be impacted and/or affected by it, i.e. to have it make a difference in your life. Again, if we are truly dressed in his righteousness, it should show in our lives. We should hear God’s word, we should listen to it and we should take it to heart, i.e. we should apply its truths to our daily lives. The Bible instructs us to not be merely hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word. True faith = action.
Jesus loves us. He died on the cross for our sins. He rose again. And, he is coming again. Where will you be when he comes? Will you be listening? Will you be taking his words to heart by applying their truths to your day to day life? Or, will you be like the person who said, “I heard you the first time,” but who was not really listening and who did not take to heart what was being said? This song poses an interesting question on that subject. When Jesus returns, where will you be? Will you be hearing, listening and taking God’s words to heart in your life daily? Or, will you be sleeping?
While You Were Sleeping / Casting Crowns
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight
Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save
Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent tonight
The Solid Rock / Edward Mote / William Bradbury
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Revelation 1:
My Understanding: As I thought about the words to that song this morning, I had to stop right after the first phrase – “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…” I thought about how often we place our hope in people, jobs, worldly security, circumstances, things, relationships, ideals, etc. Or, we put our hope in the gifts of God rather than or more than in the giver of the gifts. This is why we sometimes get our hopes dashed, because we are placing our hopes in the wrong things or the wrong person. This song is thus a reminder to us of the significance of where we place our hope. It reminds us to make sure that is in Jesus and in his blood and righteousness and not in anything less.
Then, I thought about the chorus – “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” So, I prayerfully considered this phrase before the Lord in prayer, inquiring of God to show me if I am standing on anyone or anything other that the solid Rock, Jesus Christ. And, as I considered this “sinking sand” in relation to “all other ground” and thought about it, I affirmed in prayer with the Lord that certainly all other ground is sinking sand. If we are placing our hope and/or if we are taking our stand in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ and him crucified, buried, risen and coming again, we will sink in one way or another.
That brings me to this last part of this song where it says, “When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found; dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” Jesus is coming again. I believe it is soon; it is not far off. It is important that we know that we are found in him complete when he comes to receive his bride unto himself.
The way we know we are in him is that we are “dressed in his righteousness alone,” i.e. this is not something we can do in the flesh, this is not a mixed bag of tricks of different forms of religion, and this is not works-based salvation, i.e. it is not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Yet, to be in his righteousness does mean that his righteousness will be revealed in us in the way we live our lives, i.e. in repentance, in obedience, in love, in faith, and in endurance, etc. It is Christ working in and through us for his glory. If we are truly dressed in his righteousness, it should show in our lives.
That brings me to this passage of scripture, in particularly to verse 3 where it states, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” I had to stop right there and think and pray this through. I thought about what it means to hear and what it means to listen. Hear – it can mean to audibly hear the sound, to be informed of something, to listen to somebody or something and/or to understand fully by listening attentively. Listen – to concentrate on hearing somebody or something; to pay attention to something and take it into account; an act of making an effort to hear something [Source: Encarta Dictionary].
I believe there is a definite distinction between “hearing” and “listening”. Have you ever spoken to someone who you felt really was not listening to what you said? So, you repeated yourself, only to hear from them in response, “I heard you the first time”? And, then did you say, “Yes, but you weren’t listening”? Hearing is something we do if we have the sense of hearing whenever there is a sound. It is an automatic response to sound for hearing people. Listening is entirely different. Listening involves an act of making an effort to hear, it necessitates undivided attention being given to the speaker, it includes eye contact (usually), it entails concentration, paying attention, and then it requires taking into account what was said. In addition, a good listener will engage the speaker in conversation about the subject of which the speaker is talking. A good listener will ask questions and then repeat back to the speaker what he thinks he or she is saying to make sure he is hearing the speaker correctly.
To take something into account means to consider it, to regard it, and/or to allow for it in your life. To take it to heart is one step further, I believe. It means to take it seriously and to be impacted and/or affected by it, i.e. to have it make a difference in your life. Again, if we are truly dressed in his righteousness, it should show in our lives. We should hear God’s word, we should listen to it and we should take it to heart, i.e. we should apply its truths to our daily lives. The Bible instructs us to not be merely hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word. True faith = action.
Jesus loves us. He died on the cross for our sins. He rose again. And, he is coming again. Where will you be when he comes? Will you be listening? Will you be taking his words to heart by applying their truths to your day to day life? Or, will you be like the person who said, “I heard you the first time,” but who was not really listening and who did not take to heart what was being said? This song poses an interesting question on that subject. When Jesus returns, where will you be? Will you be hearing, listening and taking God’s words to heart in your life daily? Or, will you be sleeping?
While You Were Sleeping / Casting Crowns
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight
Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save
Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent tonight
