Heavenly Overtures

[FineLinen]

 

[FineLinen]

 

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Imagine yourself as a living house.

"God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ~C.S. Lewis

 

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[Saint Steven]

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Reminds me of the story of the man that got a flat tire (tyre puncture) out in the farmland. He walked to a nearby farm to seek help. The hound dog on the farm house porch howled away again and again but never got up from laying on the porch deck. The man finally asked the farmer what was wrong with his hound. "Aw... he's laying an a nail head, but is too lazy to get up and move."

 

[FineLinen]

“Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the veil.” ~A. B. Simpson

 

[Saint Steven]

Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Interesting and thought-provoking post, thanks.
I'm inspired to comment/reply to each verse.

So true. All the "stuff' we run after.
Why do we resort to the same hamster wheel method we used
when we chased after meaning in the world?

Running to this meeting and that.
Following teachers that are popular.
Don't get me wrong. Increasing our knowledge is a good thing, but...
Of what use ultimately if we can't stop to see God in it?

To find our rest in Him is so satisfying.
What else do we need?

 

[Saint Steven]

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Stop!
Why compose prayers that shackle God with our OWN solutions?
The God that opened the Red Sea and brought the walls of Jericho down has answers we can't even fathom.

 

[Saint Steven]

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Let go!
Such a tight grip we have in the interest of controlling our lives.
Futile efforts to rein in life. Forget it.

If Jesus is your copilot, you're in the wrong seat.

 

[Saint Steven]

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Rather than possess God, he should possess us.
We were bought with a price after all.

 

[Saint Steven]

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the veil.” ~A. B. Simpson

They could blow the planet out from under my feet, but if I have Jesus, I have everything.
Not to worry.

 

[FineLinen]

"Unto You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to every man according to his work."

Some translators make it kindness and goodness; but I presume there is no real difference among them as to the character of the word which here, in the English Bible, is translated mercy.

The religious mind, however, educated upon the theories yet prevailing in the so-called religious world, must here recognize a departure from the presentation to which they have been accustomed: to make the psalm speak according to prevalent theoretic modes, the verse would have to be changed thus:--

To You, O Lord, belongs justice, for You render to every man according to his work. ~George MacDonald

 

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Just as that STONE cut out without hands becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth, so also in our individual experience. The SEED OF LIFE, which we have received from Him, shall progressively grow in us until old things have passed away, and all things become new. Out of every experience and working of God we have gained a foretaste of that glory which shall be ours in fullest measure as He perfects that which concerns us. ~Ray Prinzing

 

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