God of this City – The Church

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14

God is God of the Church.  I’ve written earlier, here, about how much the Lord love His bride, His church, His city on this earth.   But the Lord’s love is not blind.  He sees our humanity, arrogance, love of the world and lack of brotherly love.  And then…He sees Jesus.  He sees His church washed in the blood of the Lamb, clothed in white garments..redeemed.  He cherishes the church and like a happy, anxious groom, is breathless with anticipation to see His bride walk down the aisle towards Him.

Is this the church we see?  Or, like the world, are our eyes so clouded by all the faults and glaring flaws, that our relationship with Jesus is hindered?  

God is still God of this City, the Church.  With all her present problems, the Lord still knows what He is doing.  He is completing a work which began before time, a work of great diligence, requiring perfect patience and grace. 

When you look at your own local church, ask the Lord for new eyes, to see as He sees. To see through eyes of patient grace.  And love.  Ask to see what Jesus saw, when He became sin for us, so that we, the Church, might become the righteousness of God.

He is still God of this City.

“For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City.”

Below are a few links of things the Lord is doing in our local church/city.  Let us pray for our local churches, that they will be cities on a hill, and His light in the surrounding darkness.  And, now and then, may the Lord grant us a glimpse of that glorious wedding day to come as we worship Him!   I can’t wait!!

http://andyfalleur.typepad.com/go_for_a_coffee/2010/09/satur.html

http://jonjuane.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-church-is-growing.html 

http://saulgood.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/jericho-road/

 

Two Towers

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and is….  safe.”
Proverbs 18:10

We can run into one of two towers;  the Lord Jesus, who is the same, yesterday, today, and forever; or the tower of our own making, our own pleasures, gods, treasures, or devices.

As we remember the grievious and tragic events of 9/11, we’re sadly reminded how frail we are, and the towers of our making.  I cry all over again when I watch replays of the brave firefighters racing into the World Trade Towers, giving their all to save others, unaware of their own fate.  I want to stop them in flight and cry, “Don’t run in there!  It’s burning, and it’s going to come down on you!”   And so too, I weep and want to halt loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers who are running full speed towards things that will ultimately collapse, towards hopes that will disappoint.  Our lives, our towers, the structures in life in which we place our hopes, are vulnerable to loss, decay, theft, and worse.

Please pray with me today for those who are running into frail towers, vulnerable to the effects of time and tragedy.  Pray and share.  There is a strong tower, where we can be safe…beyond time, into eternity.   Run to Jesus. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”  John 3:16, 17

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.”    Hebrews 13:8

God of This City – Our City

 “Someday you will live forever in a fully restored house [city], but right now you are called to live with peace, joy, and productivity in a place damaged by sin.  Emmanuel lives here with us, and He is at work returning his house to its former beauty.”
Paul David Tripp, Broken-Down House

 

As part of  my “God of This City” series, I want to share a little slideshow compiled from John’s photos of our current city, Ottawa, set to Tomlin’s song, God of This City.  This isn’t a ‘tourist’ video made to highlight key sites of this beautiful city (tho scenic pics are included), but rather, a glimpse of what the Lord sees everyday…people who need Jesus!

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”  I John 3:16

 

 

I encourage you today, to pray for your geographical city–wherever God has placed you.  Pray for your government leaders, law-makers, judges, police officers and other civil servants, for your school teachers, pastors, co-workers, employers, employees, along with your neighbors, friends……and your precious family. 

God of This City – The Song

“And they will call you the city of the Lord!”  Isaiah 60:14

“And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”  Revelation 21:24

We are the city of the Lord…and He is Lord of our city!   The following song by Chris Tomlin can take on many meanings;  it can apply to the geographical city in which we live, the spiritual city He has made us to be in Christ, and the eternal city to come, the place He has prepared for us.

For “Part One”, I simply want to give you another song of worship!  More thoughts on this will follow later this week!  I uploaded this in the Blue Music Box so you can listen, worship and sing to the Lord!  Blessings to all of you! 

 

God of This City
by Chris Tomlin

You’re the God of this City
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are

You’re the Light in this darkness
You’re the Hope to the hopeless
You’re the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our god
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here.

 

My Hope

“My Hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

Hope is….to cherish a desire with anticipation.  That defines My Hope…Jesus.

“Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life!”  Titus 3:7

In memory of Todd’s recent passing from death to eternal life, I needed a reminder of  hope and encouragement, since I find myself on this side of eternity, seeing a bit darkly, and walking, sometimes hobbling, by faith.

C. H. Spurgeon writes:

‘The voice of weeping shall be no more heard.’  (Isaiah 65:19)   The glorified weep no more, for all outward causes of grief are gone.  There are no broken friendships, or blighted prospects in heaven.  Poverty, famine, peril, persecution and slander are unknown there.  No pain distresses, no thought of death or bereavement saddens.

  They weep no more, for they are perfectly sanctified.  They are without fault before His throne and are fully conformed to His image.  Well may they cease to mourn who have ceased to sin. 

They weep no more, because all fear of change is past.  They know that they are eternally secure.  Sin is shut out, and they are shut in. They live in a city that will never be stormed..bask in a sun that will never set…drink from a river that will never run dry…and pick fruit from a tree that will never wither.

They weep no more because every desire is fulfilled.  They cannot wish for anything that they do not already have in their possession.  Eye and ear, heart and hand, judgment, imagination, hope, desire, will, and all the faculties are completely satisfied.

The joy of Christ, which is an infinite fullness of delight, is in them…and that same joyful rest remains for us.  It may not be far distant.  ‘Wherefore, comfort one another with these words!’ (I Thess. 4:18) 

John Newton wrote this hymn about a loved one’s death:

In vain, my fancy strives to paint
The moment after death,
The glories that surround the saint,
Then yielding up his breath.

One gentle sigh the fetter breaks:
We scarce can say,”They’re gone!”
Before the willing spirit takes
Her mansion near the throne.

Faith strives, but all its efforts fail,
To trace her in the flight;
No eye can pierce within the veil
Which hides that world of light.

Thus much (and this is all) we know,
They are completely blest:
Have done with sin, and care, and woe,
And with their Saviour rest!

Before our Lord, they praise His name,
His face they always view;
Then let us followers be of them,
That we may praise Him too.

 

This is an encouraging quote from Bunyan’s Pilgrim:

There also you shall serve Him continually with praise, shouting, and thanksgiving, Him whom you desired to serve in the world, though with much difficulty, because of the infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears with hearing the pleasant voice of the mighty One.

 

And from Jesus:

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”  John 11:25

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hell.” Revelation 1:17, 18 

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”  Revelation 22:17

 

What is your Hope? 

 

The Todd for whom we Prayed

“Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.  The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.  But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children.” 
Psalm 103:15-17

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the joyous news of Kate McRae’s present progress in her battle with cancer. And we continue to pray she will remain cancer-free, so every day of her life will glorify the Lord. 

Well, another precious one we’ve been praying for is cancer-free too, except his pathway to healing was a little different.  Todd passed away Saturday night and is now present with the Lord. His life and faith truly brought glory to the Lord, and his faith has become sight!

If you’ve been praying for Todd, or want to know more about someone who demonstrated joy in sorrow, hope through despair, and unfailing love in His God and Saviour, even when obstacles became bigger than life–then please go to Beth’s Blog, HERE.  

Please remember to keep Todd’s family, his wife and two children, parents, and many dear friends, in prayer as they face the future without him, but never without our loving Lord.  Thank you!

In honour of Todd, here is an encouraging excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress, as Christian enters the Celestial City:

The Shining Ones answered, “You must receive the comforts of all your toil and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have sown, even the fruit of all your prayers, tears, and sufferings in your journey for the King….”

“These are the men who have loved our Lord when they were in the world and who have left all for His holy name….”

O by what tongue or pen can their glorious joy be expressed!! 

 

Remember to visit Beth Stone’s Blog  to learn more about Todd.  Additionally, you can read about his testimony and funeral service details HERE.

Love Answered

Question:    What is love?

a few thousand stars....Hubble photo

Answer:    Hands that flung the stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered.

Graham Kendrick

It’s His Church!

This a a re-post of something I wrote over two years ago.   The terms, “Church” and “Christianity,” often stir up a wide-range of negative emotions— anger, rage, dissatisfaction, dissapointment, hurt,  etc.  And I  understand why. It’s full of people!  People hurt and disappoint and fall short of their own goals or standards.  People in the church fall short of Christ’s standards.  And that brings tremendous shame on the Church and Christianity.  But…..

I am grieved by the attitude so many Christians maintain towards ‘the church’.  The church, local and worldwide, with all the good, bad, and ugly, is loved by Jesus.  He died for it.  He died for us.  We are the church.  

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or blemish….no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of His body.”  Ephesians 5:25-27, 29-30

Christ gave Himself up for the church.  He separated it for Himself, He cherishes the church. 

There’s so much dissatisfaction with either the local church or the church in general, that many either choose not to be part of one, or they change churches like they change their clothes..trying them on to see what fits or “looks good.”  They check it out saying, “does this one make me look fat?” or “how do I feel about this one—today?”  Statements such as “the church doesn’t meet my needs, “I don’t like the worship”, or the quintessential excuse, “the church is full of hypocrites”, is all too common.  All these sentiments lead to the same outcome; dissatisfaction with others, disconnection with Jesus Christ, and ultimately, disillusionment with their faith.  My heart aches, because it is HIS Church!

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be the head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. (Eph.1:22-23)

In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Eph. 2:21-22 )

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”  (Rev 19:7)

“And I saw the holy city, new Jersualem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”  (Rev 21:2)

When Christians complain about the church, they’re railing against the Beloved of Jesus.  “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine!”  In our own families, we get defensive if someone speaks negatively about our spouse, siblings, or one of our children (even if we’re aware of their faults!)  How much more does it hurt the Lord when we speak against His Bride? 

Let me close with a quote by a more eloquent and theologically-estute communicator, about the church:

On earth she is often in rags and tatters, stained and ugly, despised and persecuted.  But one day she will be seen for what she is, nothing less than the bride of Christ, “Free from spots, wrinkles or any other disfigurement,” holy and without blemish, beautiful and glorious.  It is to this constructive end that Christ has been working and is continuing to work.  The bride does not make herself presentable; it is the bridegroom who labours to beautify her in order to present her to himself.    John Stott

Be patient with the work that Christ and the Holy Spirit are doing to complete and beautify His Bride.  Please don’t diminish or spurn the very one Jesus loves with complaints or strife.  It’s His Church!

Enough

“There is nothing my heart can crave for but He can more than satisfy.”
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

Who is ever satisfied?  Who has enough??  I’m not and don’t.  That is, not apart from Christ.

In his book, Broken-Down House, Paul Tripp notes that, “all Satan’s temptations, from Eden to now, come down to 1000 variations on the same lie : You Don’t Have Enough.”

Such craving and dissatisfaction leads to all manner of jealousy, envy, strife, violence, war, anger, bitterness, lust, and _____(your pick). 

Scriptures cover a lot of this ground, but here’s just a few instances of Never-enough:

“The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing.”  Eccl.1:8

“Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.”  Prov 27:20

“All a man’s labour is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not satisfied.”  Eccl 6:7

“[The rich man’s] eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked “And for whom am I labouring and depriving myself of pleasure?”  Eccl.  4:8

“There are three things that will not be satisfied, four that will not say “Enough”:  Death, the barren womb, earth that is never satisfied with water, and fire than never says ‘enough’.”  Proverbs 30:15-17

Paul Tripp also brings this up in his book, Whiter than Snow:

Enough is the persistent problem this side of eternity.  Enough is what we seldom seem to get right.  Enough is what trips us up, again and again.  Enough is one of our deepest sources of trouble.  Enough is what we find such difficulty in being satisfied with.  Although the definition is different for each of us the struggle with our enough is that it tends to keep expanding.  And when it does, we never seem to have enough.

What God has given you in the awesome gift of his grace in Christ Jesus is simply not enough.  Christ-satisfied hearts live joyfully inside of God’s will, while dissatisfied hearts fall prey to all kinds of temptations.  Enough is the war that rages inside us every day. 

A Christ-satisfied heart!  That’s what I want!  We can foster this contentment by focusing on Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, and His grace.   What does that look like?

~  We can be satisfied with His mercy/lovingkindness:

“O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”  Psalm 80:14

~ And His goodness:

“I will fill the soul of the ministers with abundance, and my people will be satisfied with My goodness.”  Jeremiah 31:14

~ And through worship:

 “We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.”  Psalm 65:4

~ By seeking the Lord:

“The afflicted will eat and be satisfied, those who seek Him will praise the Lord.  Let your heart live forever!”  Psalm 22:26

~ And through utter reliance on Jesus:

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life!”  John 4:14

 Lord, we want you to be our Enough.  Satisfy us with your lovingkindness, so we may sing all of our days.   Amen. 

Here’s a song to sing today, which is also in the Blue Music box, so you can hear and worship!

Enough

by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

Youre my sacrifice
Of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
Youre the coming King
You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me!!!

Lamb by Lamb

“I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises!”
Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2:12

Declaring His name to you today!  Together we will sing His praises!

Today, in lieu of personal ponderings or devotional discussions, may we be lifted out of ourselves into worship, led by an *original* contemporary Christian group from the 1970s:  Lamb, featuring Joel Chernoff and Rick “Levi” Coghill.  My husband and I saw them in concert in 1976, bought their albums, and have beautiful, happy memories of worshipping the Lord together with dear friends at home and in church!  

Music of the Lamb by Lamb

 

Sacrifice Lamb

 

In addition to the YouTube Video, I also uploaded of few of my favourite Lamb tunes in the Blue music box.   These songs are still available, and Joel Chernoff continues to write and sing praises to our Lord.  Check out his website HERE.

Laugh, worship, dance, and rejoice in the Lord Jesus, our sacrifice Lamb!