Ok - don’t get used to this again, but in my prayer time this morning I was directed to sing the song “Jesus I My Cross Have Taken” as I read and prayed through a chapter in the book Prone to Wander. I’m going to put down all the lyrics because it’s a beautiful song. This has been a hard year, and it may still get more difficult as we head into the fall and winter. I love the line in the third stanza: “Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.” Then turn to all of stanza 5…just take in the truth of this great song. There is sweet rest with Jesus. May you and I rest in that each and every day!

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken, 
All to leave and follow Thee. 
Destitute, despised, forsaken, 
Thou from hence my all shall be. 
Perish every fond ambition, 
All I’ve sought or hoped or known. 
Yet how rich is my condition! 
God and heaven are still my own.

2. Let the world despise and leave me, 
They have left my Savior, too. 
Human hearts and looks deceive me; 
Thou art not, like them, untrue. 
O while Thou dost smile upon me, 
God of wisdom, love, and might, 
Foes may hate and friends disown me, 
Show Thy face and all is bright.

3. Man may trouble and distress me, 
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast. 
Life with trials hard may press me; 
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest. 
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me 
While Thy love is left to me; 
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, 
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

4. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, 
Come disaster, scorn and pain 
In Thy service, pain is pleasure, 
With Thy favor, loss is gain 
I have called Thee Abba Father, 
I have stayed my heart on Thee 
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather; 
All must work for good to me.

5. Soul, then know thy full salvation 
Rise o’er sin and fear and care 
Joy to find in every station, 
Something still to do or bear. 
Think what Spirit dwells within thee, 
Think what Father’s smiles are thine, 
Think that Jesus died to win thee, 
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

6. Haste thee on from grace to glory, 
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer. 
Heaven’s eternal days before thee, 
God’s own hand shall guide us there. 
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, 
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days, 
Hope shall change to glad fruition, 
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Co 1:4–9)

Provided to YouTube by TuneCore Jesus I My Cross Have Taken [Andrew Osenga] · Indelible Grace Music Pilgrim Days: Indelible Grace II ℗ 2008 Indelible Grace M...

This morning part of my reading was James 3. Most of us are familiar with this as the famous “tongue” chapter. Here James draws out the power of the tongue. He starts the chapter with a warning; that not many should aspire to become teachers because the teacher will be judged more strictly, and we all know the tongue is not able to be restrained. The picture is a bit foreboding. For to describe the tongue as a restless evil, full of deadly poison (verse 8) is not really all that encouraging. And the words that follow are very pointed.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

The contradiction that spouts forth from between our lips is not good. But there is another way that this incongruity is seen - in what we type/write. The times that we are living in seem to grow more and more vitriolic by the day. The way people “speak” on social media can be appalling. And whether I have typed it myself; I certainly have thought it and that brings culpability as well. It is disheartening to see Christians who have become so tribal and narrow in their views that anyone who does not think or say exactly what they want is fair game to be attacked. How can we curse those made in the likeness of God? This does not mean we cannot disagree, but there has to be a better way.  

Not surprisingly, James goes on to show us that better way.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

We must turn to the wisdom that is from above. It is wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. Wow!!! Imagine conversation (spoken or typed) that displayed that wisdom! Where do we get that?

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; 

all those who practice it have a good understanding. 

His praise endures forever! (Psalm 111:10; cf. Proverbs 15:33) 

The fear of the Lord - the knowledge of God - that is our wisdom. But it is more than that. The wisdom of God was, and is, most fully displayed in the One who came to be our wisdom and our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). The one who sprang from the stump of Jesse whom Isaiah described like this;

2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, 

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, 

the Spirit of counsel and might, 

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. 

He shall not judge by what his eyes see, 

or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, 

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; 

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, 

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, 

and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (Isaiah 11:2-5)

And here’s what should blow every person who is “in Christ” - it should blow your mind. You are commanded to have that mindset within you (that way of acting), and - here is the amazing part - it is yours because you are in Christ Jesus - you are united to him by grace through faith (cf. Philippians 2:1-11, especially verse 5). Ponder that. Pray for that to be more visible. And praise God for that!

Two songs this morning. The first is by Wes King (“Sticks and Stones”) and the second is by Keith and Kristyn Getty (“The Perfect Wisdom of Our God”). Enjoy.

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment Sticks And Stones · Wes King Sticks And Stones ℗ 1991 Reunion Records Inc. Producer: Gary Chapman Producer: J...

The official video for Keith and Kristyn Getty's song "The Perfect Wisdom Of Our God" off their album "Hymns For The Christian Life." Hymns For The Christian...

Psalm 40 is a psalm rich in comfort, because it is rich in the character of God. The psalm begins with these words:

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; 

he inclined to me and heard my cry. 

2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, 

out of the miry bog, 

and set my feet upon a rock, 

making my steps secure. 

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God. 

Many will see and fear, 

and put their trust in the LORD. 

Our God is one who saves people from pits of destruction. We are, by nature, not only stuck in a pit, but driving aimlessly on the road to destruction. But yet God, in his grace, pulls people out of that pit and sets their feet on solid ground. If there is not reason for song in that, then there is no reason for song at all.

Those who are in Christ have moved from desperation to blessing. As many have heard me repeat the theme of the Psalter: “Blessed are all who take refuge in the King who reigns” (Thank you Dr. Mark Futato), you see that very theme stand out in this psalm. The person whose God is the Lord has been blessed beyond measure. Look at verse 5:

5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, 

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; 

none can compare with you! 

I will proclaim and tell of them, 

yet they are more than can be told. 

His thoughts towards us - his wondrous deeds…if we were to seek to tell them all it would be well beyond number. Have you considered that? Have you considered that God, your Savior, considers you? Works for you daily? Blesses you beyond what you know?

Take some time and read and meditate through this entire psalm. Look at David’s response to all that the Lord has done for him (and for others). Look at how he speaks of God. But there is something a bit different about this psalm - it has great thanksgiving, yet lament and petition are the last words. Yet in all of it, it is informed and guided by the character and attributes of God.

16 But may all who seek you 

rejoice and be glad in you; 

may those who love your salvation 

say continually, “Great is the LORD!” 

17 As for me, I am poor and needy, 

but the LORD takes thought for me. 

You are my help and my deliverer; 

do not delay, O my God! 

The hope of David - the Lord takes thought of him. I think of the most tangible display for us of the Lord taking thought of those who are in Christ. Galatians 2:20…listen to the language used: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul personalizes the sacrificial death of Christ. It wasn’t just for some random group, but for each and every one of God’s children. What an amazing God who has pulled us up out of the pit. Let us sing a new song of praise!

Going back to 1983 and one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Here is the song “40” by U2.

U2-40+lyrics

As I have been thinking a good bit lately about who Jesus is - about his character and his heart - this song has been one that I have discovered again. It is a beautiful song about, quite simply, the goodness of Jesus. As with many good songs, there are numerous references to Scripture passages (Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 90:14; John 7:37-39, etc…). Hear these words; find the Scripture references; meditate on the goodness of Jesus. Our Savior, our God, is more amazing than we know or understand. And we have the privilege of discovering that heart more and more each and every day. Enjoy his goodness!

Come you weary heart now to Jesus
Come you anxious soul now and see
There is perfect love and comfort in your tears
Rest here in His wondrous peace

Oh the Goodness, the Goodness of Jesus
Satisfied he is all that I need
May it be, come what may, that I rest all my days
In the Goodness of Jesus

Come find what this world cannot offer
Come and find your joy here complete
Taste the living water, never thirst again
Rest here in His wondrous peace

Oh the Goodness, the Goodness of Jesus
Satisfied he is all that I need
May it be, come what may, that I rest all my days
In the Goodness of Jesus

Come and find your hope now in Jesus
He is all he said he would be
Grace is overflowing from the Saviour’s heart
Rest here in His wondrous peace

Oh the Goodness, the Goodness of Jesus
Satisfied he is all that I need
May it be, come what may, that I rest all my days
In the Goodness of Jesus
May it be, come what may, that I rest all my days 
In the Goodness of Jesus

'The Goodness of Jesus' recorded live at St Paul's Castle Hill Words & music by Fiona Aghajanian, Harrison Druery, Michael Farren, Jaywan Maxwell, Jonny Robi...

It’s Saturday morning, and as of late I have merely been posting a song. This is a song from the 1800’s, and though it has been redone, it still retains the beauty of the original verse. It is all based off of what is arguably the best known psalm in all of Scripture - Psalm 23. This is the psalm with the “hounds of heaven” - the goodness and mercy of the Lord that will pursue me all the days of my life. This is a psalm of tremendous comfort and hope, because it focuses on the Great Shepherd. Because it is so familiar, I encourage you to read it as well this morning in a different translation. I’ve included one below by Alec Motyer (an Irish scholar who died a few years ago. He said of himself: "I’m not really a scholar. I’m just a man who loves the Word of God.”).

(The Shepherd)

1. Yahweh is my shepherd:

I will not lack.

2. In pastures of fresh grass he makes me lie.

Beside secure waters he guides me.

3. He restores my soul.

He leads me along tracks of righteousness,

for the sake of his name.

(The Companion)

4. Even when I am walking in the valley of deadly shadows

I do not fear evil,

because you are ever with me:

your rod and your staff reassure me.

(The Host)

5. You lay a table before me,

in front of my adversaries.

You have refreshed my head with oil;

my cup is more than full!

6. But indeed good and committed love

will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will return to Yahweh’s house for ever.

And now to get to the song - “The King of Love” by I Am They.

I AM THEY - King Of Love: Song Sessions Free Chords + Lyrics: https://essentialworship.lnk.to/KingLoveTutorialID Stream or Download: https://essentialworship...

The King of Love my Shepherd is
Whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever
And He is mine forever

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth

Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is

Lost and foolish off I strayed
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me

In death's dark veil I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me
Thy rod and staff my comfort still
Thy cross before to guide me

Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is

Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is

Never failing, Ruler of my heart
Everlasting, Lover of my soul
On the mountain high or in the valley low
The King of Love my Shepherd is
The King of Love my Shepherd is

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never
Good Shepherd, may I sing Your praise
Within Your house forever
Within Your house forever

This morning I want to get back to the heart of God…I’m not sure there is a better place to focus than that. The text I turn to is Jeremiah 6:16.

16 Thus says the LORD: 

“Stand by the roads, and look, 

and ask for the ancient paths, 

where the good way is; and walk in it, 

and find rest for your souls.

Stand and look. The Lord is commanding the people to look…to think…to consider as a traveller does on a journey. They should take care to find their way. Matthew Henry, the great Bible commentator wrote: “O that men would be thus wise for their souls, and would ponder the path of their feet, as those that believe lawful and unlawful are of no less consequence to us than the right way and the wrong are to a traveller!”

And then we find another imperative - ask for the ancient paths. What are the paths? They are the way of faithfulness that had been given to Moses and the people. The paths are the way of God and that which he blesses. They are the way of godliness and righteousness and peace and joy. They are the way of God’s law.They are the way laid out in Holy Scripture…the written Word of God given to us to be treasured and followed. This is the good way that we are to walk in.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed in the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, 

nor stands in the way of sinners, 

nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 

2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, 

and on his law he meditates day and night. 

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water 

that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. 

In all that he does, he prospers. 

This ancient way is the way of delight in the Lord and in his ways. It is delight in his Word and in all that he has given us. It is following these ways even when the road seems quite rough. It is an ancient way, not necessarily a smooth way. It will likely cost you a bit of pain, but you will find much help along that way, and certainly the end of the journey will make it all worthwhile. It is a way that will bring rest to our souls. The way of faithful obedience is the way of true and lasting growth (John 15:1-17). And we have a forerunner, because this is the path that our Lord walked before us and in him we have the strength to walk it too.

Yet there is a little bit of the verse that I left out - the response: But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Let us not say the same thing. Let us walk the road before us. Let us take up our cross and follow our Lord on his path of obedience and blessing. It is the good road. It is the road that reveals the heart of God…that he desires the best for his children.

Below is a song by Andrew Peterson (by now you know I really appreciate his music). It’s called “You’ll Find Your Way.”

Music video by Andrew Peterson performing You'll Find Your Way. (P) (C) 2012 Centricity Music. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation ...

When I look at you, boy
I can see the road that lies ahead
I can see the love and the sorrow

Bright fields of joy
Dark nights awake in a stormy bed
I want to go with you, but I can’t follow

So keep to the old roads
Keep to the old roads
And you’ll find your way

Your first kiss, your first crush
The first time you know you’re not enough
The first time there’s no one there to hold you

The first time you pack it all up
And drive alone across America
Please remember the words that I told you

Keep to the old roads
Keep to the old roads
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way

If love is what you’re looking for
The old roads lead to an open door
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
Back home

And I know you'll be scared when you take up that cross
And I know it'll hurt, 'cause I know what it costs
And I love you so much and it's so hard to watch
But you're gonna grow up and you're gonna get lost
Just go back, go back

Go back, go back to the ancient paths
Lash your heart to the ancient mast
And hold on, boy, whatever you do
To the hope that's taken hold of you
And you'll find your way
You'll find your way
If love is what you’re looking for
The old roads lead to an open door
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
Back home

“It is the spirit of a truly godly [person], to prefer God before all other things, either in heaven or on earth.”

What does that mean for us? How is it that Edwards (this is a continuation from the previous two days) draws the above conclusion?

I think of Colossian 3:1-4: 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

Our life is Christ. Apart from his we have no real life. And we, as we grow in understanding the nature of God, will long for heaven above everything else - and what we long for is to be with God. Edwards brings out Hebrews 11:13-16 where the saints died in faith longing for heaven; longing for a better home.

The main reason why though is because God is there. Heaven “is the place where God is gloriously present, where his love is gloriously manifested, where the godly may be with him, see him as he is, and love, serve, praise, and enjoy him perfectly.” That sounds phenomenal! The heart of the believer is in heaven, because he knows that is where his treasure (God himself) resides.

Edwards goes on to then state that the saint will prefer God above all things on earth. We’ve looked before at Psalm 27:4. There is great longing, but also action of seeking after God. It flows out of a heart that has seen the glory of God and longs for his presence.

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; 

my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, 

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

beholding your power and glory.  (Psalm 63:1,2)

We could turn to the New Testament and Paul’s letter to the Philippian church: 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:7-11)

The longing in those verses is palpable. Paul’s desire is to know and gain Christ. Now here is the reality though - we don’t all feel like this. As Edwards wrote: “The saints are not always in the lively exercise of grace, but such a spirit they have, and sometimes have the sensible exercise of it.” What I believe Edwards was seeking to communicate is that though this is not always felt (or seen) to be the case in us, it truly is the spirit of the saint to prefer God above everything else.

Why is this so important? Well, particularly in this time, when so much has been ripped away, the saint has a solid hope. Edwards wrote: “…whatever changes a godly man passes through, he is happy; because God, who is unchangeable, is his chosen portion…on which he builds as his main foundation for happiness…” The believer can be content in this time of discontent of the world, because our hope has not shifted, has not failed, has not changed…and never will. Our hope and our joy is in the eternal, unchangeable God who sent his only Son for us to redeem us from our sin.  

Here’s a song by Sandra McCracken that, in some sense, calls on our own souls to recognize the goodness and beauty of God.

Call Him Good (Psalm 104) Written by Sandra McCracken, Don Chaffer, Derek Webb From the album "God's Highway" by Sandra McCracken © 2016 Same Old Dress Music...

Today I am providing another guest post by Tristan. I so wish we could be together this evening for a service. I pray that today you meditate on this most important of days in the ministry of Jesus. Without this suffering, we would have no hope.

On Good Friday, the Church remembers Jesus’ death on the cross. And while it can be a bit off-putting to call something so terrible as death “good”, in this case, that label seems to be the most appropriate term at our disposal if we understand it properly. 

There are a number of places where the word “good” is used in Scripture, but it is perhaps most familiar to us in the creation account found in Genesis 1. As God knits together heaven and earth, fills the sky and the sea, allows the dry land to flourish, and, at last, creates man in his own image, there is this refrain: And God saw that it was good. The creation account finds its culmination in verse 31 where the text tells us, And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. In the beginning, God creates, and his creation is good. But this “good” isn’t the same “good” that I might use to describe freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies or an evening spent with friends. It is not the bottom tier of the “good, better, best” spectrum. No, this “good” is as good as it gets. In fact, the Hebrew word tov, which we translate “good,” actually has connotations of perfection or wholeness. It is as though God has said about his creation: “My work is complete; it simply cannot be improved upon.” 

And this is the same understanding of good warranted by its usage to describe the Friday on which our Savior was crucified. When God declared his creation good, it was in perfect relationship with him. But our sin destroyed this relationship. By violating God’s commandments, we made ourselves unfit to stand in his presence. That is why we need Jesus. Our only hope of returning to the goodness of Eden was through the death of a sinless Savior. 

In the account of the crucifixion we learn that, as Jesus breathed his last, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Mt. 27:51). In the Old Testament, the veil existed to keep the people of Israel from the direct presence of God. It’s not as though God didn’t want to have a relationship with his people. In fact, he created us for loving relationship with him. But, because God is also just, he must respond to sin by punishing it. He knew that, as a sinful people, Israel could not avoid his wrath with their sin unatoned for. The veil was a reminder that there was no way for them to be in right relationship with God on their own. But with Jesus’ death, all of that changed. Jesus is the way to the Father. 

In many ways, Jesus’s final words echo those of his Father at creation. As Jesus cries It is finished, he declares once and for all that his work is complete. It is perfect. It cannot be improved upon. Jesus’s death for our sins means that, by believing in him, we are on our way back to Eden, to the new heavens and the new earth, to perfect union with God. And that is good news indeed!

And then let me add another song choice - this one by Andrew Peterson. It is a meditative song that goes through the last words of Christ from the cross, appropriately called “Last Words (Tenebrae).” And because of the large repertoire of songs for this season, here is a great hymn: “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”

Holy Week, Day 6: Friday Friday, April 3, AD 33. To continue through the week, follow the link below for Saturday: https://vimeo.com/89436644 The link for Palm Sunday: vimeo.com/89013208 The link for Monday: vimeo.com/89117797 The link for Tuesday: vimeo.com/89651201 The link for Wednesday: vimeo.com/89420035 The link for Thursday: https://vimeo.com/89420081