THIS LITTLE CHILD

"This Little Child" is the title of a powerful song written and sung by American Christian music artist/ missionary, Scott Wesley Brown, and featured on his 1981 album titled: SWB. The song, as you might have already realized, especially if you have taken the time to listen to the You Tube track above, is about the child Jesus, and His impact on humanity as He grew to become a man, and fulfilled His purpose as the Saviour of the world. Below are the lyrics to this song:

Who would of thought

That long ago, and very far away

A little child would be born

And in a manger laid

And who would have thought

This little child

Was born the King of Kings

The son of just a carpenter

But for whom the angels sing

And who would have thought

That as He grew

And with other children played

This child with whom

They laughed and sang

Would die for them some day

And who would have thought

This little child

Could make a blind man see

Feed the hungry, make rich the poor

And set the sinner free

Oh, who would have thought

This little child

Was who the prophets said

Would take away the sins of man

And rise up from the dead

Oh, I believe and I will always sing

This little child is the King

Oh, I believe and I will always sing

This little child

He is the King of Kings

Many years have come and gone

Yet this world remains the same

Empires have been built and fallen

Only time has made a change

Nation against nation

Brother against brother

Men so filled with hatred

Killing one another

And over half the world is starving

While our banner of decency is torn

Debating over disarmament

Killing children before they're born

And fools who march to win the right

To justify their sin

Oh, every nation that has fallen

Has fallen from within

Yet, in the midst of this darkness

There is hope, a light that burns

This little child, the King of Kings

Someday will return

And I believe and I will always sing

This little child is the King

And I believe and I will always sing

This little child

He is the King of Kings

And who would have thought this little child

Is who the prophets said

Will return to judge this world

The living and the dead

Oh, can't you see

That long ago, so very far away

This little child our only hope

Was born a King that day

In Philippians 2:5-8, the Apostle Paul, speaking to all who identify as Christians, true followers of Christ:

 Let this mind be in you all,

 which was also in Christ Jesus, 

who, being in the form of God, 

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

But He emptied Himself, 

taking upon Himself the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men.

And being found in the form of a man,

He humbled Himself

and became obedient to death,

even death on a cross.

The Christmas season is here once again, where we remember with great joy the birth of the baby Jesus in a dirty stable in the little town of Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem - where He was laid in a manger, an animal feeding trough filled with hay.

Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit together make up the Trinity, the one true God, who has always existed - this same Jesus willingly became one of us, born into this world, taking on a human body, and in so doing, emptied Himself of some of His divine attributes and privileges while confined in time and space during His thirty three years living amongst us in bodily form.

The Greek word kenosis describing the self-emptying in the above passage in Philippians 2 makes it clear that Jesus as the God-man could not be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent in Himself. The Bible says that He fully relied on the power of the Holy Spirit within Him, and only did those things told to Him by the Father.

Of Jesus, the apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:

By Him all things were created that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and by Him, all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, and to reconcile all things to Himself by Him, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him, I say - whether they are things on earth or things in heaven.

And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.

Isaiah says that: All our righteousnesses before God are as filthy rags.

Romans 3:23 states that: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

The Greek word for sin hamartia means "to miss the mark." One way of picturing this is that of someone shooting arrows at a target. No matter how hard one tries to hit the target, the arrows all fall short.

Once, the Bible says, we were a people without God, and without hope in the world.

Once we were not a people, but are now the people of God (speaking of those who have committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ).

Speaking of Jesus, the word of God says that: He became sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

We who were far away from the covenants and promises of God have been brought near by the blood of Jesus.

At Christmas, we remember God sending His Son to earth to be born in  a humble stable. Today, we honour and worship Him as the crucified, and risen Lord of Glory, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, who, as the Bible says, ever lives to make intercession for us.

If you would like to know how you can become a Christian, there are many online resources to help guide you. One resource I can recommmend is: www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Australia's Vision Christian Media, which includes Vision Christian Radio, broadcasting to well over 700 cities, towns and small population centres across the nation. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless. 

If you have made a commitment to Christ as a result of reading this blog, please comment below.

 

JOY TO THE WORLD 

If you haven't already watched and listened to the above YouTube video of the Christmas carol "Joy To The World", why not do so now - and be blessed as popular singer/ songwriter Chris Tomlin sings with the backing of the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda in Africa. The song echoes the wonderful news told to a group of shepherds tending their flocks in fields in Galilee, one night a little over 2,000 years ago.

Luke the Physician, in his Gospel recounts the event:

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

"And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest,

                          And on earth, peace, goodwill to all men." Luke 2:8-14 NKJV

Luke goes on to describe how the shepherds went to Bethlehem and just as the angel had said, they found the baby Jesus lying in a manger (in a stable) together with Joseph and His mother, Mary. The shepherds were so excited that they told many others of the revelation concerning Jesus' birth and how they had seen him. They then returned to tending their flocks, praising God for all they were privileged to see and hear.

In his popular book, "The Harvest" by pastor and author, Rick Joyner, Founder and Director of MorningStar Ministries based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, in one of the chapters, he has a section headed "God Was Born In A Stable."

Quoting from this passage, he writes: In Biblical times, the stable was a most offensive place....By today's standards, they would not be fit even for animals. That the Lord of Glory would choose such a place to make His entry into the world is one of the more profound revelations of His message to man. We would do well not to miss His point as He has not ceased to use such places to make His appearances.

Human reasoning would never lead us to a stable to find God. The only way He could be found was by revelation; only those who were led by the Spirit would come. This has not changed. That which has been born of God is usually found in a place that is repulsive to the pride and presumptions of carnal men. As the Apostle Paul stated it: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

that no flesh should glory in His presence.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption - 

that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NKJV

After His birth, Jesus was then raised in the most despised town in the nation. Even His physical appearance was such that no one would be attracted to Him. Isaiah 53:2

He left this world after the most degrading torture and execution yet devised by the demented schemes of fallen men. This gospel is foolishness to the natural man and always will be. It will never attract those who live by human wisdom. Only those who love truth more than anything else in this world will walk with Him in the reproach of the true gospel.

The birth, life and death of  Jesus put the axe to the root of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is the most powerful message the creation has ever heard; it is the most profound testimony of the character and nature of God. When we embellish this gospel to make it appeal to carnal men, we destroy its power to set them free and we ourselves start to drift from the path of life. For this reason Paul preached nothing but Christ and Him crucified. He knew that if one was compelled to come by any other message, it would be a false conversion.

Like the humble shepherds who had the revelation concerning the birth of Jesus, which would be Joy To The World to those who would receive Him as their Saviour and Lord, each one of us today has the wonderful opportunity afforded by our Creator God to be restored to fellowship with Him - a fellowship destroyed by the entrance of Sin into the world.

This Christmas, as we remember the birth of Jesus in a dirty barn in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, let us also know that He is no longer a baby in a manger. He grew up and at the age of thirty three, He hung on a Cross of wood for us with nails through His hands and feet, and a crown of thorns on His head. He suffered and died in our place, that, through His death, we might experience new life in Him. He rose from the dead the third day, defeating all the powers of Sin and Death.

He is the triumphant King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are told by Jesus in Matthew 6:33 that our priority in life should be to: Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and everything we need will be added to us.

The Apostle Paul in Romans 14:17 says The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

YES, the Lord is declaring at this Christmas season of the year that His desire for each one of us is that we would know His True Joy, BUT, deep abiding joy comes out of our quest for Righteousness, becoming more like Jesus as we are changed by His Life within us.

2021 is just around the corner. 2020 has certainly been a very different year and a very difficult year for many around the world with COVID-19 and its multitude of spin-off effects, impacting the whole of society, as well as the Church of Jesus Christ. There certainly has been a lot of shaking going on, as we are told in Hebrews 12, but as Christians, we have come to a kingdom which cannot be shaken. The King is coming! The King is coming! Let us be ready for His return, whenever that will be!

If you would like to know more about how you can become a Christian, go online to www.vision.org.au This is the home of Australia's Vision Christian Media. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless! 

TRUTH IS A PERSON 

PART TWO

Jesus, in John's Gospel, chapter 8, when stating His divinity to a group of Pharisees, who virtually were accusing Jesus of being an illegitimate child, says to them: "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.

You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

Which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore, you do not hear, because you are not of God." John 8:42-47

In stark contrast to Satan, the father of lies, Jesus Christ said of Himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." John 14:6 He was saying to His disciples, and directly to Thomas, in reply to a question from him, that He Himself was the embodiment of Truth.

Earlier in John 8, the chapter quoted above, Jesus defends His self witness to being the Son of God, as He says in verses 29, 39 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

Then Jesus made an astounding claim, which proved to be true for those who put their trust in Him at that time, and still proves true today in the lives of those who take the Living God at His Word. - Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My word, you are My disciples indeed,

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31,32

I love what the Director of the Bible college I attended in New Zealand said of that verse: "..............you shall know the truth, AND THE TRUTH IN YOU SHALL BE A LIBERATING FORCE!" 

Jesus re-stated this truth concerning Himself, in verse 36, where He said: " If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Back in the eighties, I remember hearing the testimony of Barry McGuire, who had a huge hit song in 1965 with the protest song "Eve Of Destruction." He said he went around to a friend's place one night to "smoke dope." On the coffee table was a copy of "Good News For Modern Man," a popular paraphrase of the New Testament in modern language.  He said in his gravelly voice, "Hey, I'm a modern man. What's this all about>" He took it home and began to read it, and he could not deny it was the Truth. That was the beginning of a transformed life as he encountered the Jesus of the Bible in the twentieth century - the God who still makes people free from the power of sin and its consequences.

As a Christian, I am far from perfect. At times, I have been guilty of not representing the Truth very well in my life. I say that to my shame, but daily I seek to follow the One who is unwavering in truth and integrity.

Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead, calls to you today: I am STILL the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And he who lives and believes in Me shall never die.

Those who all their lifetimes have sat in darkness and the shadow of death have seen a great light - and their lives have forever changed as they have encountered the Person, who is Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Although this present world has been corrupted by the lies and deception of the evil one, I have read the back of the book and we win! The book of Revelation paints graphic word pictures of the final judgment of Satan and his hordes - to deceive the nations no more. Jesus Christ will return as  King of Kings and Lord of Lords, pictured in Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True...

If you would like to know more about how to become a Christian, and experience the life-changing power of God working in your life, one resource I can direct you to is www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Australia's Vision Christian Media. Click on "Grow your faith" then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless.

TRUTH IS A PERSON 

Over a number of years, the  Readers Digest have published lists of the most trusted professions in Australia, as well as compiling a list of the most trusted individuals. When I searched online, I found the list of 45 most trusted professions. Admittedly, this was some nine years ago, but I would imagine the ratings on the list would not have changed much over the years, concerning the public's perception of trustworthiness.

At the top of the list were paramedics, firefighters, pilots, rescue volunteers and nurses in positions one to five.

At the other end of the scale of trustworthiness were taxi drivers, real estate agents, car salesmen, politicians and telemarketers. Having been a taxi driver in Hobart, the southernmost capital city of any state in Australia - for over fourteen years (was it really that long? Time flies when you're having fun - or more to the point, as you get older), my boss had me laughing at times, when directing my reverse parking in his yard into awkward spaces, when he called out: "Trust me, Pete! I'm a cab driver!"

Having said that, looking at the list of professions, the perceived levels of trustworthiness are generalisations. As a cab driver - I hung up my keys for the last time nearly four years ago, many of the cabbies I have known have been hard-working, decent people just trying hard to make an honest living. Also, our experience four years ago as we had our house on the market, and subsequently sold, and then bought another house - dealing with three real estate agents, lower on the list of professions than taxi drivers - was a happy one, and we could say without a shadow of a doubt that we trusted these three agents implicitly.

As to the list of most trusted individuals, I would personally question some of the choices at the top of the lists, but that is another story.

The reality is, that as we are at the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century, honesty and trustworthiness seem to be character qualities that do not always seem to be in ample supply. It used to be said that a person's word on a matter was their bond, quite often sealed with a handshake. In other words, if a person said he would do something for you, his word could be trusted - at least in the majority of dealings with reputable people and organisations. That, obviously is far from reality in our present times.

With the advent of personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other readily available communication platforms, using the internet to host a myriad of social media sources, the potential for users to fall victim to a host of online scammers and cyber-criminals of varying degree and sophistication is mind-boggling and not just a little bit scary!

Add to the online scammers the criminal telemarketers preying on the elderly, in particular, who use fear and intimidation techniques to attempt to catch them unawares, and in turn, by deceit and lies, to fleece them of financial assets - all the while presenting as bona fide representatives of organisations such as the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink, and Telstra. We have had bogus calls from people purporting to be from all of those bodies just mentioned. At one time, the "Telstra" one was almost on a daily basis - usually with voices from overseas call centres. So frustrating! The really upsetting thing is that, no doubt, there would be numbers of people who fall for these scams and suffer financially, physically and mentally in the process - and it would seem they can do nothing about it.

Then there is the "fake news" phenomenon spurned by the 2016 US election of Donald Trump, with most of the major US networks and newspapers and news magazines deliberately presenting stories as facts, when, in reality, oftentimes they are nothing more than attempts to denigrate him as a person in ways that cannot be substantiated by the truth. In 2020, post November 3 election in the USA, this phenomenon is actually worse. Networks and news outlets are falling over themselves to declare Joe Biden is the runaway winner of the election, and Trump should just concede, and fade into oblivion. 

Fortunately, for Donald Trump, and American democracy, the battle for the truth about this election outcome is far from over, and diligent lawyers and millions of Bible-believing Christians are standing for full disclosure of fraud, evil vote-rigging and exposure of corruption on all levels, including suspect computer software under the name of Dominion.

Here in Australia, where I live, the mainstream media also has been guilty of presenting "fake news" and for political advantage, only presenting a one-sided appraisal of individuals and political parties. I have had to laugh, albeit cynically, when I have heard promos on ABC Newsradio stating that their news is authoritative and unbiased - when in fact, they are obviously very much biased to the left side of the political spectrum. No more was this so, than when Tony Abbott was Australian Prime Minister, and was constantly being undermined and ridiculed by the ABC. Their current treatment of Donald Trump is no better. As has been said by others, once upon a time, you could listen to the news and receive objective facts, and then it was left up to the hearer or reader to make up their own minds on a particular matter.

We should not be surprised that truth and personal integrity are dwindling commodities in today's world. The Bible says in 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. NKJV

Speaking of the rebellion of Satan, when as the angel, Lucifer, he lost his place in the presence of God, Revelation 12:9 tells us: And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Paul, the apostle, says in 2 Tim. 3:13 But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

Lies and deception entered the human race when Adam fell into sin the Garden of Eden.

TO BE CONTINUED

THIS DAY WE FIGHT 

In his book, "This Day We Fight - Breaking the Bondage Of A Passive Spirit," American pastor and author, Francis Frangipane recounts a scene from the third film in the Lord Of The Rings series, "The Return Of The King." Quoting from page 32 of the book,...Aragorn seeks to inspire his hopelessly outnumbered men against what seems like sure defeat: Hell's swarming legions have amassed before them and the courage of Aragorn's fighters is weakening.

Riding along the front lines of his gathered, but rather lowly army, he shouts:

I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day...This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, men of the West! 

Francis Frangipane goes on to say: Let us also put aside our fears and the burdens of a passive spirit. Let us take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And let us war on behalf of righteousness. A day may come when the world succumbs to the forces of evil. But it is not this day. This day we fight!

The day we committed our lives to Jesus Christ, and He became our Saviour and Lord, we were enlisted in an army, but unlike a soldier in a physical army who after a time may decide to leave the ranks of the military and return to civilian life, our commitment to fighting our enemy is a life-long one, and we dare not remain passive in our stance toward our foe, Satan, for if we do not take the offensive position against him, he will seek relentlessly to weaken us to the point of being ineffective in the Lord's army. After all, as Jesus said in John 10:10, the thief (Satan) has the unwavering aim to STEAL, KILL and DESTROY - Us!

As I was pondering the quote above from Francis Frangipane's book "This Day We Fight," I thought about the passage in Ephesians 6 where the apostle Paul encourages Christians to: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Four times in the verses Ephesians 6:10-14, Paul admonishes his readers to STAND.

Verse 13 says: "Therefore, take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to WITHSTAND in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND."

As I read and watched the impassioned cry of Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings, I was amazed at the last sentence...................."I bid you stand, men of the West."

It seems that, as each day passes, all that we hold dear in the West, as in Western nations and society is being attacked and eroded. For those who do not hold to a Biblical worldview, there are no longer any moral absolutes. What once was white is now black, with all shades of grey being accepted in between.

Truly the words of Isaiah the prophet spoken some seven hundred years before Christ are true of our times:

    "Woe to those who call evil good

      and good evil,

      Who put darkness for light

       and light for darkness,

       who put bitter for sweet

       and sweet for bitter." Isaiah 5:20 NIV

Whether it concerns issues such as Abortion, Same-sex marriage, Euthanasia, or all the implications of Political Correctness, the need has never been greater than today for Christians who are fully committed to the Lordship of Jesus, and who are committed to obeying the Word of God, the Bible - To STAND FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, and TO KNOW WHAT we are standing FOR and AGAINST according to the unchanging standards of Truth and Righteousness in the Word of God.

In the context of where we are in early November, 2020, the U.S. Presidential election has just taken place this week, with the outcome still on a knife-edge, although mainstream media are all but calling a victory for the Democrats and their contender, Joe Biden. Certainly, in the natural, there would seem to be almost no hope of Donald Trump now reaching the 'magic' number of 270 Electoral College votes, with Biden only six short of that number and Mr Trump still on 214. As the counting of postal votes has continued in key states, it seems that the majority votes have been for the Democrats.

AND YET, there have been a number of prophetic words this year and in years previous to this from well seasoned and highly regarded prophets - that Donald Trump would win a second term as President (2020=2024). There has seemed to be an agreement amongst some of these men and women of God that this would be a certainty, albeit with much civil unrest, rioting, looting etc., to follow. Some prophets have also stated that President Trump would experience a deeper relationship with the Lord God during these times. 

As with Aragorn, in The Lord of the Rings, it seems that the opposing "army" is about to vanquish Donald Trump's hopes of retaining the Presidency and staying in the White House.

BUT GOD....... WATCH THIS SPACE!!

LIFTING MY VOICE: PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS Just yesterday...

LIFTING MY VOICE: PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS  Just yesterday...: PSALMS , HYMNS AND S P I R I T U A L SONGS   Just yesterday, I was watching a video online of Karen Wheaton, Senior Leader of The Ramp chur...

PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS 

Just yesterday, I was watching a video online of Karen Wheaton, Senior Leader of The Ramp churches in the USA and Manchester, England - presenting her latest weekly "Front Porch Friends" segment from her home in Hamilton, Alabama. She quoted a few verses from Philippians 4 from the New Living Testament. Immediately, in my mind, I was reminded of 

a song featured on one of the "Children Arise" set of albums my wife and I bought way back in the 90's for our two girls. In fact, the song in question was directly inspired by the words of these verses in Philippians 4 in The Living Bible, the 1971 paraphrase by Kenneth N. Taylor. These are the verses:

            Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. Verses 6-7.

These four "Children Arise" albums recorded in Brisbane in the 90's and originally released on cassette tape were the result of the vision given to Merrilyn Billing and her family of producing high quality children's music albums with songs taken direct from Scripture verses. A fifth "Children Arise" album was later recorded and released in Tasmania, where Merrilyn Billing now oversees Zions Hill Church in Launceston. George Mcardle, former bass player for Little River Band in the 1970's was also heavily involved in the production of the four albums recorded in Brisbane.

This blog is not primarily to focus on these albums, but to highlight the wonderful and powerful impact that singing Scripture verses has on the Christian, whose regenerated human spirit responds and is energized by hearing and being able to sing the Word of God. Let me just finish the reference to the "Children Arise" albums by saying that I believe they still sound just as relevant and refreshing as when they were first produced. If you do not have these albums in your CD collection, they are still available for purchase from Zions Hill Church in  Launceston. If you go online to the church's website, you can order online. As well as these, there are a number of other anointed music and worship albums, including the children's "Let The Whole World Sing" albums which, I believe are based on verses from The Passion Translation of the Bible.

The other source of songs set to the Word of God that greatly impacted me in the 70's and 80's especially, are those produced by the ministry of "Scripture In Song", headed up by David and Dale Garrett from Auckland, in New Zealand. In the seventies and eighties, they wrote and recorded a number of albums, some of which were made up entirely of "Scripture in Song" songs. Some of their later albums contained songs that were Biblically sound, but not lyrically direct Scripture verses. From a personal point of view, the Scripture in Song albums that most impacted me were the double-album set "Prepare Ye The Way." By today's Christian recording standards, some of the "Scripture in Song" albums may not seem as professionally recorded or produced, but the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was on some of them certainly made up for what they may have lacked in "professional" sound and production.

David and Dale Garrett were certainly Holy Spirit anointed servants of the Lord who were trailblazers in laying a foundation for subsequent contemporary Praise and Worship music. They deserve a place of honour in the halls of faith, for their commitment to the Lord personally in their lives and their desire to see the church built up and encouraged by singing the Word of God.

David and Dale Garrett

The Bible has much to say about singing, as an expression of praise, worship and gratitude to the Living God - and also as a weapon to subdue the enemy. More about this in the next blog post.

www.vision.org.au is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Vision Christian Radio broadcasts to 730 cities, towns and small communities in every state and territory of Australia. Listen online or access other online resources to help grow your faith. God Bless!

THE STANDARD

Part Two

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair....." - so commences the book "A Tale Of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens.

With every passing day, it seems that the battle lines are being drawn, and increasingly, as Christians, we are being faced with choices which not only affect our own lives, but those of our families, and the wider communities in which we live, and beyond that, the nation and nations of the world.

If Dickens was writing today, would he not say the same about our world and society, which brings us back to the passage in Isaiah referred to in my previous blog post:

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-3

It is not a time for us to be having a spiritual slumber party. We need to take a clear stand for the Lord in our lives, even if it goes against popular society attitudes that are clearly in opposition to the non-negotiable teaching of the Word of God in the Bible.

The Apostle Paul states in Ephesians 5: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord........

Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep,

                              Arise from the dead,

                              And Christ will give you light." (verses 8-10,14)

I am always challenged by the words of the song "Asleep In The Light" written by Keith Green, where he says in one of the verses:

                     The world is sleeping in the dark

                             That the church just can't fight

                             'Cause it's asleep in the light.

                             How can you be so dead

                             When you've been so well fed?

                             Jesus rose from the grave,

                             And you, you can't even get out of bed. OUCH!! 

Jesus said of Himself in John 8:12...I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

He also said of His disciples, then and now, in Matthew in Matthew 8:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

We are admonished by the apostle Paul to redeem the time because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:16

He again pleads with those who claim to be followers of Jesus 

in Romans 13: 

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:11,12

                              

Can we hear the anguished heart cries of Isaiah, Paul the apostle, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to each one of us in the Church to ARISE, to SHINE THE LIGHT, TO AWAKE FROM SPIRITUAL SLUMBER...and in so doing, to help bring an eternal difference to individuals, to communities, and to the nations as we glorify Him with our lives.

Writer: Peter Harvey, Tasmania, Australia.

 

THE STANDARD

A number of years ago, I remember listening to a message by highly respected Bible teacher and author, Dr. Derek Prince, his text for the message being Isaiah 59:19 - 60:5. This is still one of my favourite Bible passages. When he first delivered the message so many years ago, the prophetic nature of the passage was clearly being worked out in the life of the Church.

    As of this writing, late 2020, the prophetic fulfillment of these verses for the Church of Jesus Christ, and for the world in general, is even more amazing and relevant to our times.

    Isaiah 59:19 states:

So shall they fear

The name of the LORD from the west;

And His glory from the rising of the sun;

When the enemy comes in like a flood,

The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

Derek Prince presented such a wonderful word picture of the significance of the second part of the above verse historically, which in turn has great significance to us today in the church as this, and following verses from Isaiah are being fulfilled prophetically today on the Earth, and in the Church of Jesus Christ, the worldwide Body of Christ.

When the enemy comes in like a flood,

The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

In an ancient army, Derek Prince stated, the particular army would have a flag or banner, or STANDARD, which, when preparing to face battle with an opposing army, would be raised or lifted up by the STANDARD BEARER. When the standard was lifted up, this was a signal for all those in the army to gather to the STANDARD in order to march out together in unity under that particular STANDARD.

Prophetically speaking of the Church, the STANDARD today is the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the Standard Bearer is the Holy Spirit.

As members of the church, each one of us has to make a decision. Either, YES, that's my standard, or NO, that is not my standard. Although the Church, the Body of Christ is made up of so many different denominations and different doctrinal emphases, all who agree with the universally accepted Biblical tenets of the faith, and who proclaim that Jesus is Saviour and Lord, are rallying to this Standard.

It should be the aim of every one of us who desires to please the Lord and to honour Him with our lives to always be  "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 I admit that I often fall short of this aim, but I am determined to, with God's grace and some discipline on my part, get closer to Jesus, so that I may hear His voice more clearly.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

LIFTING MY VOICE: WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE? This is the title of a ...

LIFTING MY VOICE: WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE? This is the title of a ...: WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?   This is the title of a well known hymn written in 1877 by Frances Ridley Havergal, an English poet and hymn...

WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE? 

This is the title of a well known hymn written in 1877 by Frances Ridley Havergal, an English poet and hymn writer. Another of her most well known and loved hymns is "Take My Life And Let It Be."

Below are the verses and chorus to the hymn "Who Is On The Lord's Side.":

            Who is on the Lord's side

                    Who will serve the King?

                        Who will be His helpers,

                    Other lives to bring?

                Who will leave the world's side?

                                Who will face the foe? 

                            Who is on the Lord's side?

                                                    Who for Him will go? 

                        By Thy grand redemption,

                    By thy grace divine, 

                    We are on the Lord's side,

                         Saviour, we are thine.   

Not for weight of glory, 

Not for crown or palm,

Enter we the army,

Raise the warrior psalm;

But for love that claimeth

Lives for whom He died;

He whom Jesus nameth

Must be on His side.

Jesus, thou hast bought us,

Not with gold or gem, 

But with thine own life-blood, 

For thy diadem;

With Thy blessing filling

Each who comes to Thee,

Thou hast made us willing,

Thou hast made us free.

Fierce may be the conflict,

Strong may be the foe, 

But the King's own army

None can overthrow.

Round His standard ranging

Victory is secure,

For His truth unchanging

Makes the triumph sure.

Chosen to be soldiers

In an alien land;

Chosen, called and faithful,

For our Captain's band;

In the service royal

Let us not grow cold;

Let us be right royal, 

Noble, true and bold.

    "Who is on the Lord's side?"  This was a crucial question asked by Moses to the children of Israel, as recorded in Exodus 32:26. Moses had been on Mount Sinai for forty days in the presence of the Lord, receiving instructions from Him concerning various laws and detailed instructions on building and furnishing the Tabernacle. The children of Israel became impatient and restless because of their perceived delay of Moses' return to the camp, so they foolishly pleaded with Aaron to make them an idol to represent God to them.

    After instructing the people to bring anything they had, made of gold - earrings, ornaments etc., Aaron fashioned the molten metal into a golden calf.

    When Moses challenged Aaron about the idol worship, he sought to justify himself by saying: "Do not let the anger of the people become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

    "For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

    "And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let him break it off.' So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out."

    No wonder Moses was angry with the people, because of their unrestrained idolatry. He made a proclamation at the entrance of the camp: "Whoever is on the Lord's side - come to me." And the sons of Levi gathered to him. The children of Israel paid a high price for their idol worship that day, as the sons of Levi went through the camp and put to death around 3,000 at the edge of the sword because of their rebellion against the Lord.

    We can look back at the history of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament and perhaps wonder at the apparent harsh judgment of God against a people who often were stiff-necked and rebellious.

    The history of Israel in the Old Testament is filled with periods of obedience to the LORD's injunctions, followed by periods of disobedience to His decrees, outright rebellion against God with much idol worship, resulting in terrible consequences for the people as the hand of God was removed from the nation. The majority of the kings of Israel and Judah were evil, given to blatant rebellion and idol worship, even though the Lord had warned them of terrible consequences of disobedience to His decrees.

    Deuteronomy 28 lists the blessings that would follow obedience to the Lord, followed by a much longer list of the curses which would result from disobedience.

Thankfully today, we live under a different dispensation - that of grace, not of law as was the case with the children of Israel under the old covenant.

     However, that does not mean that we are free to disobey God's Word to us, which has been given for our benefit, that we might fulfil God's purposes for our lives. Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to become more Christlike as we allow the Word of God to renew us from within, we, as followers of Christ are being changed, as the Bible says, from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

    When the Lord God made man, He gave him a free will. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, Paul reminds the readers that there were serious consequences for the sins and idolatry of the children of Israel. He says in verses 11,12 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

    At the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, a recounting of Moses of God's holy laws, Moses lays before the people a clear choice:

    "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 

     In that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord will bless you in the land you go to possess.

    "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:15,16,19.

    You might be reading this, and thinking that God must be an egomaniac, a control freak, that we have to obey His laws or else suffer undesirable consequences. The reality is that the Creator God is a God of love, whom the Bible says " is not willing that any should perish [in his or her sins], but that they all should come to repentance."2 :Peter 3:9

    The old hymn quoted above "Who Is On The Lord's Side" is a rallying cry for Christians to take a clear stand for the truth of God's Word today. The language of hymn seems rather outdated now, and archaic, but the call to arms for followers of Christ to be fully committed soldiers of the Cross is as relevant today as when it was written 143 years ago.

    Persecution of Christians has long been the price one has had to pay for following Jesus in communist and many Islamic nations, but increasingly today in the twenty first century, to be a wholly committed, uncompromising Christian in the Western world is becoming a very unpopular entity with those caught up with the social distortions of the age.

    Whether it is in relation to marriage, sanctity of life before and even up to birth or approaching death, creation versus evolution, and a number of other social and ethical issues - those holding to a Biblical worldview are having to count the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus Christ in an increasingly hostile world, where they are labelled as homophobes, bigots, and other terms of derision.

    "Who Is On The Lord's Side?" is not only the name of an old hymn, but a question each person, including those who claim to be Christians, must answer today.

THE TIME FOR COMPROMISE IS OVER FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN AND FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 

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