Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 7:50 a.m. – The Lord began our time with this song:
Still the Cross / FFH
Sometimes it seems the world’s unraveling around us
We fear it all may one day come undone
We can’t forget the One who came before us
To forgive the past and bring hope for what’s to come
When it all comes crashing down
The cross still stands alone
And on this our faith is built
And our courage is made strong
When the world falls apart
And you fear for your heart
There’s a tower of peace
It’s still the cross
So bring your sick and your poor
And your longing for more
To the place of relief
It’s still the cross
There is hope for the lost
It’s still the cross
Sometimes it seems that I have been forgotten
I don’t know how I will make it on my own
But the One who said I will never be forsaken
He still hears my prayer and I will never be alone
Though the world may not confess
You and Your holiness
One day all will see
You in all Your majesty
And the cross will stand alone
As the place where You made known
Your love for all mankind
Till then in it we’ll hide
My husband and I walked through the neighborhood after he got home from work. We spoke with a couple of neighbors we had not met before, both of whom were Pittsburgh Steelers fans (or married to a fan). It just so happens that the Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, so that struck me kind of odd.
Anyway, the lady who is married to a Steelers fan talked with us, she told us her name, what she did for a living, how many kids she had, etc., and then Rick told her who we are and that she would be receiving an invitation in the mail to a Bible study at our house. I’m not sure much was said after that, and then we continued walking.
I’m beginning to read in Revelation, so today I read chapter one:
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed 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.
Greetings and doxology
4John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
One like a Son of Man
9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
I prayed: “Thank you, Lord, for your word and how it speaks to our hearts. Lord, go before those letters/invitations to the Bible study that went out to our neighbors yesterday. Prepare our hearts and the hearts of our neighbors. Draw those you want to have be here and prevent others from coming that you want to keep away. You hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven, so we trust you to draw the people to yourself and to this home to study your word that you choose. Minister your grace to our hearts, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Rick and I are taking the list of 104 (including our house) houses and we are praying for 8 of them each day, specifically for each individual address up until the day of the Bible study. And, we are believing the Lord to do a mighty work.
As soon as I wrote that, the Lord gave me a reprise of this part of the song:
When the world falls apart
And you fear for your heart
There’s a tower of peace
It’s still the cross
So bring your sick and your poor
And your longing for more
To the place of relief
It’s still the cross
There is hope for the lost
It’s still the cross
In the song, it stated that even though the world may not confess the Lord in his holiness (now), one day they will see him in all his majesty and the cross will stand alone as the place where Jesus made known his love for all mankind. Then, the scripture said this:
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
It was the Lord who coordinated this song with this scripture and with the timing of us inviting our neighbors to a home Bible study at the leading of the Holy Spirit. I do believe the Lord’s return is near and that one day all will see him, and those who do not know him will mourn because of him. So, it is essential that we get the gospel out to those who need Jesus.
Another thing struck me about this and that is when I stated that we were believing the Lord to “do a mighty work,” he immediately gave me that reprise of that song, and that particular part of the song is talking about the world falling apart and us fearing for our hearts, but that our answer will be in the cross of Christ. I get this sense that something is going to happen (the world falling apart) as a precursor to revival and to even people seeing how much they need Jesus. So, it looks as though this “mighty work of God” is going to involve some of our world “falling apart” and us “fearing for our hearts.” But our peace will be in the cross of Jesus Christ.
Still the Cross / FFH
Sometimes it seems the world’s unraveling around us
We fear it all may one day come undone
We can’t forget the One who came before us
To forgive the past and bring hope for what’s to come
When it all comes crashing down
The cross still stands alone
And on this our faith is built
And our courage is made strong
When the world falls apart
And you fear for your heart
There’s a tower of peace
It’s still the cross
So bring your sick and your poor
And your longing for more
To the place of relief
It’s still the cross
There is hope for the lost
It’s still the cross
Sometimes it seems that I have been forgotten
I don’t know how I will make it on my own
But the One who said I will never be forsaken
He still hears my prayer and I will never be alone
Though the world may not confess
You and Your holiness
One day all will see
You in all Your majesty
And the cross will stand alone
As the place where You made known
Your love for all mankind
Till then in it we’ll hide
My husband and I walked through the neighborhood after he got home from work. We spoke with a couple of neighbors we had not met before, both of whom were Pittsburgh Steelers fans (or married to a fan). It just so happens that the Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, so that struck me kind of odd.
Anyway, the lady who is married to a Steelers fan talked with us, she told us her name, what she did for a living, how many kids she had, etc., and then Rick told her who we are and that she would be receiving an invitation in the mail to a Bible study at our house. I’m not sure much was said after that, and then we continued walking.
I’m beginning to read in Revelation, so today I read chapter one:
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed 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.
Greetings and doxology
4John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
One like a Son of Man
9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
I prayed: “Thank you, Lord, for your word and how it speaks to our hearts. Lord, go before those letters/invitations to the Bible study that went out to our neighbors yesterday. Prepare our hearts and the hearts of our neighbors. Draw those you want to have be here and prevent others from coming that you want to keep away. You hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven, so we trust you to draw the people to yourself and to this home to study your word that you choose. Minister your grace to our hearts, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Rick and I are taking the list of 104 (including our house) houses and we are praying for 8 of them each day, specifically for each individual address up until the day of the Bible study. And, we are believing the Lord to do a mighty work.
As soon as I wrote that, the Lord gave me a reprise of this part of the song:
When the world falls apart
And you fear for your heart
There’s a tower of peace
It’s still the cross
So bring your sick and your poor
And your longing for more
To the place of relief
It’s still the cross
There is hope for the lost
It’s still the cross
In the song, it stated that even though the world may not confess the Lord in his holiness (now), one day they will see him in all his majesty and the cross will stand alone as the place where Jesus made known his love for all mankind. Then, the scripture said this:
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
It was the Lord who coordinated this song with this scripture and with the timing of us inviting our neighbors to a home Bible study at the leading of the Holy Spirit. I do believe the Lord’s return is near and that one day all will see him, and those who do not know him will mourn because of him. So, it is essential that we get the gospel out to those who need Jesus.
Another thing struck me about this and that is when I stated that we were believing the Lord to “do a mighty work,” he immediately gave me that reprise of that song, and that particular part of the song is talking about the world falling apart and us fearing for our hearts, but that our answer will be in the cross of Christ. I get this sense that something is going to happen (the world falling apart) as a precursor to revival and to even people seeing how much they need Jesus. So, it looks as though this “mighty work of God” is going to involve some of our world “falling apart” and us “fearing for our hearts.” But our peace will be in the cross of Jesus Christ.
