OzThoughts –Thursday 30th July 2009.
[Admin Notice: There will be no OzThoughts on Friday, Saturday or Sunday as I will be away from the computer attending a seminar in Melbourne ].
So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. (John 13: 4-5 The Message)
There is something special about this story of Jesus washing his Disciples’ feet. I wonder what would happen today or this weekend if we were out at a special meal or with family, and we decided to do something like this. I guess some of us may get up to get a cool drink or a cup of coffee for our guests. Some might see it as their task to serve the meal if it is an at home meal.
I recently was the guest in a home for a meal. The son of the family was home from overseas and spending a relaxing time with his parents. From the moment, I entered the door, I enjoyed his very attentive hospitality. It was a cold night and I was greeted with a hot mug of coffee made just as I like it. During the meal his duties as waiter were carried out as professionally as one would desire. Later, he explained that when he comes home, his gift to his parents is that he acts as butler for them. It was his holiday but he wanted his parents to enjoy his presence. So his gift to them was his hospitality.
The Disciples had dodged this menial task. Although they dodged washing each others feet, Jesus was happy to do it. Peter at one stage is recorded as refusing to allow Jesus to wash his feet, but Peter does not offer to take the bowl and towel. In fact it seems that the Disciples were more interested in being the greatest or knowing who was the greatest among them.
Matthew 18:1, Mark 9:34, and Luke 9:46 all tell of the Disciples asking or arguing about who was the greatest. In fact Luke records it as happening twice as Luke 22:24
also records a dispute as to who would be the greatest.
I have told the story before but some years ago I was travelling home from work on the train with a work colleague who attended a different church. Two Salvation Army Soldiers were sitting with their back to us and it was very easy to hear their conversation. These Divisional Headquarters employees for some reason began discussing by rank and name the various Officers who worked at Headquarters and whether they washed their own coffee cups. It was an enlightening conversation because I knew all the Officers they mentioned.
My work mate was killing herself laughing and continually elbowing me. She particularly enjoyed one comment that a certain Major always left his cup to be washed by others as if they were his servants. It was pleasing to hear of a Colonel (the Divisional Commander – a Bishop equivalent) who regularly washed the cups of other staff.
On one occasion Jesus reacted to the discussion about the greatest by taking a little child and saying as Luke records: “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest” (Luke 9: 47,48).
On this occasion, Jesus took not a child but he took a bowl and a towel. On his way to the cross as he met with his Disciples together for a final time, Jesus took a bowl and towel. As Isaiah said about the Messiah he had nothing special about him except he was willing to become not only the servant God but the servant man and suffer at the hands of men.
PRAYER: (Using our Song Book as our prayer book):
O that in me the mind of Christ
A fixed abiding-place may find,
That I may know the will of God,
And live in him for lost mankind.
Chorus
Doing the will of God,
Doing the will of God,
The best thing I know in this world below
Is doing the will of God.
2.
The suffering servant he became,
Yea more; in loneliness and loss
He bore for me in grief and shame,
A crown of thorns. a heavy cross.
3.
O that in me this mind might be,
The will of God be all my joy,
Prepared with him to go or stay,
My chief delight his sweet employ.
4.
More than all else I would become
The servant of my servant-Lord;
My highest glory his reproach,
To do his will my best reward.
Author: Edward Henry Joy (1871-1949)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 451
MEDITATION:
Isaiah 53 (The Message – selected).
1Who believes what we've heard and seen?
Who would have thought GOD's saving power would look like this?
2The servant grew up before God--a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
3He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
4But the fact is, it was our pains he carried--
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
5But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
6We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.
7He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
8Justice miscarried, and he was led off--
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
9They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.
10Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life.
And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him.
11Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
12Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly--
the best of everything, the highest honours--
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.
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Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
OzThoughts –Wednesday 29th July, 2009.
OzThoughts –Wednesday 29th July, 2009.
[Admin Notice: There will be no OzThoughts on Friday, Saturday or Sunday as I will be away from the computer attending a seminar in Melbourne ].
Love and forgiveness are actions which come from the Spirit living within. There are many stories of people who had seen themselves as unclean, unworthy and useless who have found a new way of living because some one reached out in the name of Christ.
On the other hand we are so much like those who captured, tried and stoned Stephen. We want to be policeman, judge and jury and sometimes help in the “execution” of good people. Stephen was one of the people selected by the early Church to do the welfare work of the church. How ever, Stephen did more than just provide the food parcels. He was arrested because he was involved in the ministry other than just doing welfare. He was showing the power of God by doing miracles.
As Stephen as stoned to death we read that the cloaks of those who stoned him were held by a young man named Saul and that Saul approved of his death. (Acts 7: 58-8.1). The story of acts goes on to tell of the conversion of Saul (who we also know by his Roman name Paul), and we find that Paul later writes in his letter to the Romans of the internal conflict that he finds between the good and evil (Romans 7& 8).
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for forgiveness through Jesus. I pray that I will find the power of your Holy Spirit within me that enables me not only to stop doing wrong but to reach out in love and forgiveness to others. Don’t let me stand by ‘holding the coats’ while evil is done. Help me to have a holy anger that moves against wrong and injustice done to others. Amen.
MEDITATION:
Romans 7 (The Message)
22I truly delight in God's commands, 23but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
24I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Romans 8 (The Message)
1With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. 2A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
3God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3806.mp3 ]
I bring thee my cares and my sorrows,
I bring thee my doubts and my fears,
I bring thee the sins which have burdened my soul
And shadowed my pathway for years.
Chorus
O save me, dear Lord! O save me, dear Lord!
I plead by thy mercy.
O save me, dear Lord!
2.
O thou who doth know human frailties,
Prepare me for gain or for loss;
Though born of the dust,
Lord, our Father art thou,
The builder of sun and the cross.
3.
Forgive all my blindness and folly,
My prodigal wanderings and shame.
O heed now the outcrying pains of my heart!
I come as the prodigal came.
4.
We thank thee we find in life's wilderness
Established thy gardens of grace,
In temptation's desert a cool shading rock,
In darkness the light of thy face.
Author: Evangeline Booth (1865-1950)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 288
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
[Admin Notice: There will be no OzThoughts on Friday, Saturday or Sunday as I will be away from the computer attending a seminar in Melbourne ].
Love and forgiveness are actions which come from the Spirit living within. There are many stories of people who had seen themselves as unclean, unworthy and useless who have found a new way of living because some one reached out in the name of Christ.
On the other hand we are so much like those who captured, tried and stoned Stephen. We want to be policeman, judge and jury and sometimes help in the “execution” of good people. Stephen was one of the people selected by the early Church to do the welfare work of the church. How ever, Stephen did more than just provide the food parcels. He was arrested because he was involved in the ministry other than just doing welfare. He was showing the power of God by doing miracles.
As Stephen as stoned to death we read that the cloaks of those who stoned him were held by a young man named Saul and that Saul approved of his death. (Acts 7: 58-8.1). The story of acts goes on to tell of the conversion of Saul (who we also know by his Roman name Paul), and we find that Paul later writes in his letter to the Romans of the internal conflict that he finds between the good and evil (Romans 7& 8).
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for forgiveness through Jesus. I pray that I will find the power of your Holy Spirit within me that enables me not only to stop doing wrong but to reach out in love and forgiveness to others. Don’t let me stand by ‘holding the coats’ while evil is done. Help me to have a holy anger that moves against wrong and injustice done to others. Amen.
MEDITATION:
Romans 7 (The Message)
22I truly delight in God's commands, 23but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
24I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Romans 8 (The Message)
1With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. 2A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
3God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3806.mp3 ]
I bring thee my cares and my sorrows,
I bring thee my doubts and my fears,
I bring thee the sins which have burdened my soul
And shadowed my pathway for years.
Chorus
O save me, dear Lord! O save me, dear Lord!
I plead by thy mercy.
O save me, dear Lord!
2.
O thou who doth know human frailties,
Prepare me for gain or for loss;
Though born of the dust,
Lord, our Father art thou,
The builder of sun and the cross.
3.
Forgive all my blindness and folly,
My prodigal wanderings and shame.
O heed now the outcrying pains of my heart!
I come as the prodigal came.
4.
We thank thee we find in life's wilderness
Established thy gardens of grace,
In temptation's desert a cool shading rock,
In darkness the light of thy face.
Author: Evangeline Booth (1865-1950)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 288
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Sunday, July 26, 2009
OzThoughts – Monday 27th August, 2009
OzThoughts – Monday 27th August, 2009
As God fills us with the Holy Spirit, our life is changed. God does so much for us. There is a phrase in one song we sometimes sing that speaks about God’s giving to us and speaks of his continued giving.
The line is from the third verse of “Joyful, joyful we adore Thee.” It says simply but so profoundly “Thou art giving and forgiving” then it goes onto talk about God’s “ever” blessing us and God being the source of the joy of our living. I love the way the song writer gives us a picture and we can fill in the details. As I read these words I went off think how much we rely on God and his generous nature for the good things in life.
Then comes the last two lines of the song which are a lovely prayer that we might respond to the example of Christ our brother “Teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine”.
Psalm 37 is another favourite of mine. In it there are a number of references to generosity of righteous people in this Psalm and God giving them many blessings.
(I have printed all 40 verses. Read a few and think a while…then come back and read more if you have time. Maybe select a key verse or two to print out and carry with you or put in a key place in your home or office or even your school desk).
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the fullness of your love and your forgiving and giving to me. I pray that each day I might continue in the joy of living for you. Help me to be giving in my love for others. Amen.
MEDITATION:
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_388.mp3 ]
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
Hail thee as the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the clouds of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.
2.
All thy works with joy surround thee,
Earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around thee,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Bloss'ming meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in thee.
3.
Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest.
Thou the Father, Christ our brother--
All who live in love are thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
4.
Mortals, join the mighty chorus
Which the morning stars began;
Father-love is reigning o'er us,
Brother-love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music lifts us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
Author: Henry van Dyke (1852-1933)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 10
Psalm 37
1Don't bother your head with braggarts
or wish you could succeed like the wicked.
2In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings
and wilt like cut flowers in the sun.
3Get insurance with GOD and do a good deed,
settle down and stick to your last.
4Keep company with GOD,
get in on the best.
5Open up before GOD, keep nothing back;
he'll do whatever needs to be done:
6He'll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.
7Quiet down before GOD,
be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,
who elbow their way to the top.
8Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,
cool your pipes--it only makes things worse.
9Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;
GOD-investors will soon own the store.
10Before you know it, the wicked will have had it;
you'll stare at his once famous place and--nothing!
11Down-to-earth people will move in and take over,
relishing a huge bonanza.
12Bad guys have it in for the good guys,
obsessed with doing them in.
13But GOD isn't losing any sleep; to him
they're a joke with no punch line.
14Bullies brandish their swords,
pull back on their bows with a flourish.
They're out to beat up on the harmless,
or mug that nice man out walking his dog.
15A banana peel lands them flat on their faces--
slapstick figures in a moral circus.
16Less is more and more is less.
One righteous will outclass fifty wicked,
17For the wicked are moral weaklings
but the righteous are GOD-strong.
18GOD keeps track of the decent folk;
what they do won't soon be forgotten.
19In hard times, they'll hold their heads high;
when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.
20God--despisers have had it;
GOD's enemies are finished--
Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time,
vanished like smoke in thin air.
21Wicked borrows and never returns;
Righteous gives and gives.
22Generous gets it all in the end;
Stingy is cut off at the pass.
23Stalwart walks in step with GOD;
his path blazed by GOD, he's happy.
24If he stumbles, he's not down for long;
GOD has a grip on his hand.
25I once was young, now I'm a graybeard--
not once have I seen an abandoned believer,
or his kids out roaming the streets.
26Every day he's out giving and lending,
his children making him proud.
27Turn your back on evil,
work for the good and don't quit.
28GOD loves this kind of thing,
never turns away from his friends.
Live this way and you've got it made,
but bad eggs will be tossed out.
29The good get planted on good land
and put down healthy roots.
30Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone,
rolls virtue around on his tongue.
31His heart pumps God's Word like blood through his veins;
his feet are as sure as a cat's.
32Wicked sets a watch for Righteous,
he's out for the kill.
33GOD, alert, is also on watch--
Wicked won't hurt a hair of his head.
34Wait passionately for GOD,
don't leave the path.
He'll give you your place in the sun
while you watch the wicked lose it.
35I saw Wicked bloated like a toad,
croaking pretentious nonsense.
36The next time I looked there was nothing--
a punctured bladder, vapid and limp.
37Keep your eye on the healthy soul,
scrutinize the straight life;
There's a future
in strenuous wholeness.
38But the willful will soon be discarded;
insolent souls are on a dead-end street.
39The spacious, free life is from GOD,
it's also protected and safe.
40GOD-strengthened, we're delivered from evil--
when we run to him, he saves us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
As God fills us with the Holy Spirit, our life is changed. God does so much for us. There is a phrase in one song we sometimes sing that speaks about God’s giving to us and speaks of his continued giving.
The line is from the third verse of “Joyful, joyful we adore Thee.” It says simply but so profoundly “Thou art giving and forgiving” then it goes onto talk about God’s “ever” blessing us and God being the source of the joy of our living. I love the way the song writer gives us a picture and we can fill in the details. As I read these words I went off think how much we rely on God and his generous nature for the good things in life.
Then comes the last two lines of the song which are a lovely prayer that we might respond to the example of Christ our brother “Teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine”.
Psalm 37 is another favourite of mine. In it there are a number of references to generosity of righteous people in this Psalm and God giving them many blessings.
(I have printed all 40 verses. Read a few and think a while…then come back and read more if you have time. Maybe select a key verse or two to print out and carry with you or put in a key place in your home or office or even your school desk).
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the fullness of your love and your forgiving and giving to me. I pray that each day I might continue in the joy of living for you. Help me to be giving in my love for others. Amen.
MEDITATION:
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_388.mp3 ]
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
Hail thee as the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the clouds of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.
2.
All thy works with joy surround thee,
Earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around thee,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Bloss'ming meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in thee.
3.
Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest.
Thou the Father, Christ our brother--
All who live in love are thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
4.
Mortals, join the mighty chorus
Which the morning stars began;
Father-love is reigning o'er us,
Brother-love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music lifts us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
Author: Henry van Dyke (1852-1933)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 10
Psalm 37
1Don't bother your head with braggarts
or wish you could succeed like the wicked.
2In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings
and wilt like cut flowers in the sun.
3Get insurance with GOD and do a good deed,
settle down and stick to your last.
4Keep company with GOD,
get in on the best.
5Open up before GOD, keep nothing back;
he'll do whatever needs to be done:
6He'll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.
7Quiet down before GOD,
be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,
who elbow their way to the top.
8Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,
cool your pipes--it only makes things worse.
9Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;
GOD-investors will soon own the store.
10Before you know it, the wicked will have had it;
you'll stare at his once famous place and--nothing!
11Down-to-earth people will move in and take over,
relishing a huge bonanza.
12Bad guys have it in for the good guys,
obsessed with doing them in.
13But GOD isn't losing any sleep; to him
they're a joke with no punch line.
14Bullies brandish their swords,
pull back on their bows with a flourish.
They're out to beat up on the harmless,
or mug that nice man out walking his dog.
15A banana peel lands them flat on their faces--
slapstick figures in a moral circus.
16Less is more and more is less.
One righteous will outclass fifty wicked,
17For the wicked are moral weaklings
but the righteous are GOD-strong.
18GOD keeps track of the decent folk;
what they do won't soon be forgotten.
19In hard times, they'll hold their heads high;
when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.
20God--despisers have had it;
GOD's enemies are finished--
Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time,
vanished like smoke in thin air.
21Wicked borrows and never returns;
Righteous gives and gives.
22Generous gets it all in the end;
Stingy is cut off at the pass.
23Stalwart walks in step with GOD;
his path blazed by GOD, he's happy.
24If he stumbles, he's not down for long;
GOD has a grip on his hand.
25I once was young, now I'm a graybeard--
not once have I seen an abandoned believer,
or his kids out roaming the streets.
26Every day he's out giving and lending,
his children making him proud.
27Turn your back on evil,
work for the good and don't quit.
28GOD loves this kind of thing,
never turns away from his friends.
Live this way and you've got it made,
but bad eggs will be tossed out.
29The good get planted on good land
and put down healthy roots.
30Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone,
rolls virtue around on his tongue.
31His heart pumps God's Word like blood through his veins;
his feet are as sure as a cat's.
32Wicked sets a watch for Righteous,
he's out for the kill.
33GOD, alert, is also on watch--
Wicked won't hurt a hair of his head.
34Wait passionately for GOD,
don't leave the path.
He'll give you your place in the sun
while you watch the wicked lose it.
35I saw Wicked bloated like a toad,
croaking pretentious nonsense.
36The next time I looked there was nothing--
a punctured bladder, vapid and limp.
37Keep your eye on the healthy soul,
scrutinize the straight life;
There's a future
in strenuous wholeness.
38But the willful will soon be discarded;
insolent souls are on a dead-end street.
39The spacious, free life is from GOD,
it's also protected and safe.
40GOD-strengthened, we're delivered from evil--
when we run to him, he saves us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Saturday, July 25, 2009
OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 26th JULY, 2009
OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 26th JULY, 2009
[We get mail: see at the end of today’s devotion ]]
This day belongs to the LORD!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
(Psalm 118:24 Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 145:1-9 (The Message)
David's Praise
1 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity.
2 I'll bless you every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
3 GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.
6 Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone's lips.
8 GOD is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 GOD is good to one and all;
everything he does is suffused with grace.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 2
Authors: Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), Translator: William Henry Draper
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1033.mp3 ]
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam:
Chorus
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2.
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice:
3.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light:
4.
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them his glory also show:
5.
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One:
Psalm 145:10-18 (The Message)
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God's there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 645
Authors: Joseph Scriven (1819-86)
[Listen: Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_996.mp3
or
Songsters (Barry Gott Tune): http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3635.mp3 ]
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
2.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he'll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! Amen. (Romans 15: 5,6 The Message).
Meditation: Songsters: Somebody Prayed For Me:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2430.mp3
WE GET MAIL:
OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 26th JULY, 2009
[We get mail: see at the end of today’s devotion ]]
This day belongs to the LORD!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
(Psalm 118:24 Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 145:1-9 (The Message)
David's Praise
1 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity.
2 I'll bless you every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
3 GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.
6 Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone's lips.
8 GOD is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 GOD is good to one and all;
everything he does is suffused with grace.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 2
Authors: Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), Translator: William Henry Draper
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1033.mp3 ]
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam:
Chorus
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2.
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice:
3.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light:
4.
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them his glory also show:
5.
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One:
Psalm 145:10-18 (The Message)
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God's there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 645
Authors: Joseph Scriven (1819-86)
[Listen: Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_996.mp3
or
Songsters (Barry Gott Tune): http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3635.mp3 ]
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
2.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he'll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! Amen. (Romans 15: 5,6 The Message).
Meditation: Songsters: Somebody Prayed For Me:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2430.mp3
WE GET MAIL:
Re: OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 19th JULY, 2009
How often I have listened to an instumentalist or vocalist perform and praised them for their talent.
Todays OzThoughtsInternetMinistry made me think that I don't praise God often enough for His 'talent'.
I'm surrounded at all times by His wondeful creations but for too much of the time I fail to thank Him for them. I take them for granted.
So I would say todays OzThoughtsInternetMinistry has done a useful job. I'll try to thank God more often - but keep up with the reminders please!
KD
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry@yahoogroups.com.au; salvationarmy3@yahoogroups.com; phantomfan46@hotmail.com, robyn.collins@aue.salvationarmy.org; Vicki.Clarke@aue.salvationarmy.org, heidinordhagen@hotmail.com; dgodby@tpg.com.au; gahworks@tpg.com.au; lyall.reese@aue.salvationarmy.org, vicwarren@optusnet.com.au; a.bentham@bigpond.com; pengellyjr@optusnet.com.au; Yvonne.henderson@aue.salvationarmy.org; baileysm@bigpond.com; cfagence@bigpond.net.au; scotte@au.ibm.com; tord4@smartchat.net.au; kevdigrice@aol.com; russell.grice@aue.salvationarmy.org; june.grice@aue.salvationarmy.org; skgrice@bigpond.com; dgutteridge@goldcoast.qld.gov.au; sandra@patchworkeasyas.com; jorgos5@bigpond.net.au; jeandhdl@onthenet.com.au; randcluhrs@yahoo.com.au; juliemccorriston@hotmail.com; maureenmac@gcmanors.com; rohannancarrow@hotmail.com; nelly1947@yahoo.com.au; kay.nelson@aue.salvationarmy.org; william.nutter@bigpond.com; bjp@swiftdsl.com.au; margaretpotter51@hotmail.com; shane.robb@aep.salvationarmy.org; sjrobb@austarnet.com.au; cats4ever7@bigpond.com; saunders_janice@hotmail.com; rodnree@dodo.com.au; ronjudy2@bigpond.net.au; brian.surch@aue.salvationarmy.org; brian.murl@hotmail.com; surchus@yahoo.com.au; lyndel.surch@nrm.qld.gov.au; suesurch@hotmail.com; surcham@yahoo.com.au; r.tomlinson@griffith.edu.au; tom_chelle@hotmail.com; rhonavel@yahoo.com.au; tracey.schutz@aue.salvationarmy.org; gfy@aapt.net.au; nicole_moroney@yahoo.com.au; angela.marston@aue.salvationarmy.org; narelle.packer@sunwater.com.au; lauriee.arthur@aue.salvationarmy.org; paul.arthur@aue.salvationarmy.org; debbieanderson@aapt.net.au; gordon.shaw@live.com; robthomas31@aapt.net.au; vicki.whybird@deewr.gov.au; mountnathan@bigpond.com; daburno@gotalk.net.au;
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
[We get mail: see at the end of today’s devotion ]]
This day belongs to the LORD!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
(Psalm 118:24 Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 145:1-9 (The Message)
David's Praise
1 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity.
2 I'll bless you every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
3 GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.
6 Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone's lips.
8 GOD is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 GOD is good to one and all;
everything he does is suffused with grace.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 2
Authors: Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), Translator: William Henry Draper
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1033.mp3 ]
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam:
Chorus
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2.
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice:
3.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light:
4.
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them his glory also show:
5.
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One:
Psalm 145:10-18 (The Message)
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God's there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 645
Authors: Joseph Scriven (1819-86)
[Listen: Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_996.mp3
or
Songsters (Barry Gott Tune): http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3635.mp3 ]
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
2.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he'll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! Amen. (Romans 15: 5,6 The Message).
Meditation: Songsters: Somebody Prayed For Me:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2430.mp3
WE GET MAIL:
OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 26th JULY, 2009
[We get mail: see at the end of today’s devotion ]]
This day belongs to the LORD!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
(Psalm 118:24 Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 145:1-9 (The Message)
David's Praise
1 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity.
2 I'll bless you every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
3 GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.
6 Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone's lips.
8 GOD is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 GOD is good to one and all;
everything he does is suffused with grace.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 2
Authors: Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), Translator: William Henry Draper
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1033.mp3 ]
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam:
Chorus
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2.
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice:
3.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light:
4.
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them his glory also show:
5.
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One:
Psalm 145:10-18 (The Message)
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God's there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 645
Authors: Joseph Scriven (1819-86)
[Listen: Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_996.mp3
or
Songsters (Barry Gott Tune): http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3635.mp3 ]
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
2.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he'll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! Amen. (Romans 15: 5,6 The Message).
Meditation: Songsters: Somebody Prayed For Me:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2430.mp3
WE GET MAIL:
Re: OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 19th JULY, 2009
How often I have listened to an instumentalist or vocalist perform and praised them for their talent.
Todays OzThoughtsInternetMinistry made me think that I don't praise God often enough for His 'talent'.
I'm surrounded at all times by His wondeful creations but for too much of the time I fail to thank Him for them. I take them for granted.
So I would say todays OzThoughtsInternetMinistry has done a useful job. I'll try to thank God more often - but keep up with the reminders please!
KD
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OzThoughtsInternetMinistry@yahoogroups.com.au; salvationarmy3@yahoogroups.com; phantomfan46@hotmail.com, robyn.collins@aue.salvationarmy.org; Vicki.Clarke@aue.salvationarmy.org, heidinordhagen@hotmail.com; dgodby@tpg.com.au; gahworks@tpg.com.au; lyall.reese@aue.salvationarmy.org, vicwarren@optusnet.com.au; a.bentham@bigpond.com; pengellyjr@optusnet.com.au; Yvonne.henderson@aue.salvationarmy.org; baileysm@bigpond.com; cfagence@bigpond.net.au; scotte@au.ibm.com; tord4@smartchat.net.au; kevdigrice@aol.com; russell.grice@aue.salvationarmy.org; june.grice@aue.salvationarmy.org; skgrice@bigpond.com; dgutteridge@goldcoast.qld.gov.au; sandra@patchworkeasyas.com; jorgos5@bigpond.net.au; jeandhdl@onthenet.com.au; randcluhrs@yahoo.com.au; juliemccorriston@hotmail.com; maureenmac@gcmanors.com; rohannancarrow@hotmail.com; nelly1947@yahoo.com.au; kay.nelson@aue.salvationarmy.org; william.nutter@bigpond.com; bjp@swiftdsl.com.au; margaretpotter51@hotmail.com; shane.robb@aep.salvationarmy.org; sjrobb@austarnet.com.au; cats4ever7@bigpond.com; saunders_janice@hotmail.com; rodnree@dodo.com.au; ronjudy2@bigpond.net.au; brian.surch@aue.salvationarmy.org; brian.murl@hotmail.com; surchus@yahoo.com.au; lyndel.surch@nrm.qld.gov.au; suesurch@hotmail.com; surcham@yahoo.com.au; r.tomlinson@griffith.edu.au; tom_chelle@hotmail.com; rhonavel@yahoo.com.au; tracey.schutz@aue.salvationarmy.org; gfy@aapt.net.au; nicole_moroney@yahoo.com.au; angela.marston@aue.salvationarmy.org; narelle.packer@sunwater.com.au; lauriee.arthur@aue.salvationarmy.org; paul.arthur@aue.salvationarmy.org; debbieanderson@aapt.net.au; gordon.shaw@live.com; robthomas31@aapt.net.au; vicki.whybird@deewr.gov.au; mountnathan@bigpond.com; daburno@gotalk.net.au;
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
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You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Friday, July 24, 2009
Australian Thoughts At The Weekend. 25th July 2009
Australian Thoughts At The Weekend. 25th July 2009
These days I work at two jobs. The main one is as a Hospital Chaplain Coordinator. I coordinate a team of 15 Chaplains in a hospital with 575 patients. I do that four days each week. One day each week, I am a part of a team researching and writing background information on industries. These two tasks are quite different as you imagine. In one I am bound to a computer. In the other, I meet different people and hear quite a lot of interesting stories.
This week a patient and his wife who are church members spoke with me briefly about their story which highlighted their love of the Lord which they were so glad their adult children shared. Another patient told me of his terminal health difficulties and the fact his wife had died the previous week. Two other patients were ready with their bags packed ready to return home and resume their normal life as soon as the doctor dropped the starting flag.
It is great to meet people and hear their stories. Most of my working life has given opportunities to do this. I was reflecting on this recently as I sat and did some research on an industry. I remembered I had written about one day when I met some interesting but very different people who lived quite near to each other. At the time I was working as a Bequest officer and Major Donors Liaison Officer for a major church. I spoke to people thanking their for their gifts and spoke to them about how they could give in the future.
Some Days Are Different.
(Written 11th February, 2006).
Some days are different. In fact, during this last week I have found a few different days. I set out to knock on home doors and thank people for their regular and generous donations to the home nursing and aged care section of the Uniting Church, I work for (http://www.bluecare.org.au). I was successful in finding many people home and I was warmly welcomed when I stated my business.
During this week, I have inspected gardens, patted pet dogs, joined one lady and her guest in a lovely morning tea, and listened to many stories. One lady only a couple of years short of ninety told me stores of when she was a nurse working in remote country areas. She also shared the joy of her church membership with me.
Another fellow about the same age told how his wife, a School Head Mistress and a published educator, had encouraged him to study when he retired. He told me of studying the 13 original States of the United States before the War of Independence, of studying the British monarchy, all the United States Presidents and Napoleon. He showed me his wood carvings which showed his skill with wood. He took me to his garage where I looked at a huge collection of hand tools, a belt sander, a bench saw and a planer, and a band saw. I ended up with a few pieces of timber for my son who shares his enthusiasm for shaping pieces of wood.
At one door the lady told me that I know when to come and took me in to join a visiting friend and herself in a lovely morning tea. These two friends told me how they had enjoyed a lovely sight seeing tour of the remote areas of northern Western Australia and particularly enjoyed the area known as the Kimberleys (http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/).
At another house, the retired home owner was working with a remote control WW2 Mosquito plane he had built. He told me of the complaint from a neighbour about the noise of the engine. He said he had only run it five times and at least one of those times she was not home. While he and his wife could laugh about it as they told me, it was obvious the neighbour could not find reason to laugh.
At another house, the owner was on the roof clearing the guttering of leaves. I did not offer to join him on the roof but his wife said she would pass the message.
Yes, some days are different. On Friday, I found an address and walked through the front gate towards the door. Immediately, I could see that this house was different. The whole area between the house and the front fence was paved and a huge Poinciana tree (http://iaphomepage.org/int402/poinciana.jpg) covered the whole area. Unfortunately, it had finished flowering. I noticed coconut trees each side of the gate bearing coconuts and a heap of coconuts on the ground beside the gate.
As I looked around I could see a yard full of trees. Some of these trees had staghorn ferns (see: http://www.totaltravel.com.au/photos/cairns-holiday-homes/staghorn-large.jpg) attached to them. Some of these must have been a metre across and more than a metre and a half from the highest upright frond to the end of the lowest hanging ones. These ferns which are native to Australia grow on trees and in the rain forests they are often very high overhead. They are not parasites like mistletoe but while hanging on the tree remain independent of the tree. Now this garden was “tropical”, there was not a rose, petunia or pansy in sight. It was bromeliads and ferns and other shade loving tropical plants.
I knocked on the door and it was difficult not to turn my back on the door and take in all the beauty of the various plants in the garden. However, I concentrated on the task in hand and prepared my little introduction. Soon Mrs J opened the door and when I told her why I was there she told me to come in. Mrs J and her husband are significant donors to our organization and I was there to thank them for that. The house was as beautiful inside as the garden was outside.
Mrs J invited me to sit down and she called her husband to join us. When he had joined us, Mrs J told me she had a very soft spot for our organization and told me she did some voluntary work at one of our aged care centres. Mr J made the comment “I don’t know how much we gave but it was not enough”. He told his wife to write another cheque.
Mr J said while she is organizing that come and look at my shells. He took me into an adjoining room which had glass display cabinets which were absolutely full of the most glorious collection of shells you would wish to see. Mr J explained that he was getting his entries ready for the Sydney Shell Show in March. He showed me the entries which were from miniature shells of less than 5mm up to large ones which must have been at least 30cm across. It was very interesting to see the delicate design of some shells and the shades of colour in others. Some of the shells had interesting stories as to how they were obtained from various places around the Pacific Ocean.
After we had finished looking at the shells we returned to Mrs J who was writing a cheque. Mr J said to me “don’t sit down Mrs J has more to show you”. I was ushered into another room which was dominated by a Conn electronic theatre organ which had 3 keyboards and a full width set of bass pedals. Right next to it was a grand piano. Mrs J played two of my favorites, Crimond (The Lord’s My Shepherd) and How Great Thou Art. She played a number of other enjoyable tunes from old shows and the classics.
Mr J said I will get my musical instrument. He returned with what looked like one of those souvenir key rings. It was a key ring but on the end was not a souvenir but a miniature mouth organ. It only had four holes. He played an excerpt from “Scotland the Brave” and asked me to name the tune. I did that and said I think that is the first time I have heard it played in tune.
Mrs J told me she was the organist and choir leader at her church and when she purchased this Conn organ, she had taken her Wurlitzer to the church and the Lowry from the Church to the Blue Care Aged Care Centre where she plays it and entertains as a volunteer. As I left this house I felt I would return again. I am sure they have much more to show and tell me.
As I drove around, I was becoming aware of beautiful and generous people. Here I was a stranger. Yet I was welcomed as a friend and taken into their confidence. Some shared their Christian faith with me. All shared something of themselves with me. I remembered our previous Corps Officer speaking about living and giving extravagantly. Many of these people were doing that. They were giving people with their hospitality, their time as volunteers and of their wealth. Some appeared not to have very much to give financially, but they still lived generously. There are a lot of
“widows giving mites”. They might not know the song but their spirit says “I have not much to give you Lord but all I have is thine”.
[Listen: Songster Mrs Jacqui Proctor:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1139.mp3 ]
And is it so? A gift from me
Dost thou, dear Lord, request?
Then speak thy will, whate'er it be:
Obeying, I am blest.
Chorus
I have not much to give thee, Lord,
For that great love which made thee mine:
I have not much to give thee, Lord,
But all I have is thine.
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
The talents I possess?
Such as I have I give to thee
That others I may bless.
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
The gift of passing time?
My hours I'll give, not grudgingly,
I feel by right they're thine.
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
A loving, faithful heart?
'Tis thine, for thou on Calvary
For me with all didst part.
Author: Richard Slater (1854-1939)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 475
Romans 12 (The Message)
3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.
5 The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body,
6 let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else;
7 if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching;
8 if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
9 Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.
10 Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11 Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master,
12 cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
13 Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
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Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
These days I work at two jobs. The main one is as a Hospital Chaplain Coordinator. I coordinate a team of 15 Chaplains in a hospital with 575 patients. I do that four days each week. One day each week, I am a part of a team researching and writing background information on industries. These two tasks are quite different as you imagine. In one I am bound to a computer. In the other, I meet different people and hear quite a lot of interesting stories.
This week a patient and his wife who are church members spoke with me briefly about their story which highlighted their love of the Lord which they were so glad their adult children shared. Another patient told me of his terminal health difficulties and the fact his wife had died the previous week. Two other patients were ready with their bags packed ready to return home and resume their normal life as soon as the doctor dropped the starting flag.
It is great to meet people and hear their stories. Most of my working life has given opportunities to do this. I was reflecting on this recently as I sat and did some research on an industry. I remembered I had written about one day when I met some interesting but very different people who lived quite near to each other. At the time I was working as a Bequest officer and Major Donors Liaison Officer for a major church. I spoke to people thanking their for their gifts and spoke to them about how they could give in the future.
Some Days Are Different.
(Written 11th February, 2006).
Some days are different. In fact, during this last week I have found a few different days. I set out to knock on home doors and thank people for their regular and generous donations to the home nursing and aged care section of the Uniting Church, I work for (http://www.bluecare.org.au). I was successful in finding many people home and I was warmly welcomed when I stated my business.
During this week, I have inspected gardens, patted pet dogs, joined one lady and her guest in a lovely morning tea, and listened to many stories. One lady only a couple of years short of ninety told me stores of when she was a nurse working in remote country areas. She also shared the joy of her church membership with me.
Another fellow about the same age told how his wife, a School Head Mistress and a published educator, had encouraged him to study when he retired. He told me of studying the 13 original States of the United States before the War of Independence, of studying the British monarchy, all the United States Presidents and Napoleon. He showed me his wood carvings which showed his skill with wood. He took me to his garage where I looked at a huge collection of hand tools, a belt sander, a bench saw and a planer, and a band saw. I ended up with a few pieces of timber for my son who shares his enthusiasm for shaping pieces of wood.
At one door the lady told me that I know when to come and took me in to join a visiting friend and herself in a lovely morning tea. These two friends told me how they had enjoyed a lovely sight seeing tour of the remote areas of northern Western Australia and particularly enjoyed the area known as the Kimberleys (http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/).
At another house, the retired home owner was working with a remote control WW2 Mosquito plane he had built. He told me of the complaint from a neighbour about the noise of the engine. He said he had only run it five times and at least one of those times she was not home. While he and his wife could laugh about it as they told me, it was obvious the neighbour could not find reason to laugh.
At another house, the owner was on the roof clearing the guttering of leaves. I did not offer to join him on the roof but his wife said she would pass the message.
Yes, some days are different. On Friday, I found an address and walked through the front gate towards the door. Immediately, I could see that this house was different. The whole area between the house and the front fence was paved and a huge Poinciana tree (http://iaphomepage.org/int402/poinciana.jpg) covered the whole area. Unfortunately, it had finished flowering. I noticed coconut trees each side of the gate bearing coconuts and a heap of coconuts on the ground beside the gate.
As I looked around I could see a yard full of trees. Some of these trees had staghorn ferns (see: http://www.totaltravel.com.au/photos/cairns-holiday-homes/staghorn-large.jpg) attached to them. Some of these must have been a metre across and more than a metre and a half from the highest upright frond to the end of the lowest hanging ones. These ferns which are native to Australia grow on trees and in the rain forests they are often very high overhead. They are not parasites like mistletoe but while hanging on the tree remain independent of the tree. Now this garden was “tropical”, there was not a rose, petunia or pansy in sight. It was bromeliads and ferns and other shade loving tropical plants.
I knocked on the door and it was difficult not to turn my back on the door and take in all the beauty of the various plants in the garden. However, I concentrated on the task in hand and prepared my little introduction. Soon Mrs J opened the door and when I told her why I was there she told me to come in. Mrs J and her husband are significant donors to our organization and I was there to thank them for that. The house was as beautiful inside as the garden was outside.
Mrs J invited me to sit down and she called her husband to join us. When he had joined us, Mrs J told me she had a very soft spot for our organization and told me she did some voluntary work at one of our aged care centres. Mr J made the comment “I don’t know how much we gave but it was not enough”. He told his wife to write another cheque.
Mr J said while she is organizing that come and look at my shells. He took me into an adjoining room which had glass display cabinets which were absolutely full of the most glorious collection of shells you would wish to see. Mr J explained that he was getting his entries ready for the Sydney Shell Show in March. He showed me the entries which were from miniature shells of less than 5mm up to large ones which must have been at least 30cm across. It was very interesting to see the delicate design of some shells and the shades of colour in others. Some of the shells had interesting stories as to how they were obtained from various places around the Pacific Ocean.
After we had finished looking at the shells we returned to Mrs J who was writing a cheque. Mr J said to me “don’t sit down Mrs J has more to show you”. I was ushered into another room which was dominated by a Conn electronic theatre organ which had 3 keyboards and a full width set of bass pedals. Right next to it was a grand piano. Mrs J played two of my favorites, Crimond (The Lord’s My Shepherd) and How Great Thou Art. She played a number of other enjoyable tunes from old shows and the classics.
Mr J said I will get my musical instrument. He returned with what looked like one of those souvenir key rings. It was a key ring but on the end was not a souvenir but a miniature mouth organ. It only had four holes. He played an excerpt from “Scotland the Brave” and asked me to name the tune. I did that and said I think that is the first time I have heard it played in tune.
Mrs J told me she was the organist and choir leader at her church and when she purchased this Conn organ, she had taken her Wurlitzer to the church and the Lowry from the Church to the Blue Care Aged Care Centre where she plays it and entertains as a volunteer. As I left this house I felt I would return again. I am sure they have much more to show and tell me.
As I drove around, I was becoming aware of beautiful and generous people. Here I was a stranger. Yet I was welcomed as a friend and taken into their confidence. Some shared their Christian faith with me. All shared something of themselves with me. I remembered our previous Corps Officer speaking about living and giving extravagantly. Many of these people were doing that. They were giving people with their hospitality, their time as volunteers and of their wealth. Some appeared not to have very much to give financially, but they still lived generously. There are a lot of
“widows giving mites”. They might not know the song but their spirit says “I have not much to give you Lord but all I have is thine”.
[Listen: Songster Mrs Jacqui Proctor:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1139.mp3 ]
And is it so? A gift from me
Dost thou, dear Lord, request?
Then speak thy will, whate'er it be:
Obeying, I am blest.
Chorus
I have not much to give thee, Lord,
For that great love which made thee mine:
I have not much to give thee, Lord,
But all I have is thine.
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
The talents I possess?
Such as I have I give to thee
That others I may bless.
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
The gift of passing time?
My hours I'll give, not grudgingly,
I feel by right they're thine.
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
A loving, faithful heart?
'Tis thine, for thou on Calvary
For me with all didst part.
Author: Richard Slater (1854-1939)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 475
Romans 12 (The Message)
3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.
5 The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body,
6 let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else;
7 if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching;
8 if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
9 Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.
10 Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11 Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master,
12 cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
13 Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Thursday, July 23, 2009
OzThoughts – Friday 24th July 2009.
OzThoughts – Friday 24th July 2009.
This week we have thought about commitment. Commitment is organised between each believer and God. Yet that does not mean each believer stands alone. God has been pleased since the Day of Pentecost to organise his people into groups. Those groups we know as the Church.
As the early Christian Church grew, it had to organise and I imagine reorganise more than once to cope with the numbers of new believers who joined the fellowship. It is not surprising that Luke in writing the history of the church records at least one time when reorganisation took place because people were in need of being included in what was happening (Acts 6).
This particular reorganisation took place because the widows of the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected in the distribution of welfare. Now the leaders of the church applied some good management skills. They looked at what their own priorities should be. I am sure it was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that they “managed” the situation. Their task, in response to their high calling was to work full time in preaching and in prayerful devotion. So they chose people to carry out the Christian service in the name of the fellowship of Christian worshippers. No one would be neglected because the “Leaders” were in a time of communion with God or communicating with him. Neither would the welfare ministry be neglected but it would be in the hands of wise Holy Spirit filled people.
I remember laughing at the time when a retired Officer (pastor) at an anniversary celebration of a Corps (church) told of one occasion when he was reminded of his calling and ministry while he was at that Corps. He said it was a Saturday morning and the men of the church had gathered to put a new concrete path beside the church. He put on his best yard working clothes and joined them. As he bent his back along with the others one of the church men came to him and said “Major leave this to us, we can do this. There are tasks that you are called by God to do that you should be doing.”
There is a lot for thought in that.
I might also add a very wise Officer told me as a young Officer, if you want to get to know your people work along with them in tqasks arounbd the Hall or even at their place of work or home. .
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your calling to ministry in the day by day tasks of my life. I pray that each one of us within your body, the church, might see the tasks that you have called us to do. Help us to see the priorities you have set for each one of us as individuals. May we all be filled with your wisdom and your Holy Spirit today. Show us how we might be involved to release the pastors and ministers of the Word for the tasks of their high calling. Amen.
MEDITATION:
Acts 6 (The Message)
1During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers--"Hellenists"-toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines.
2So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, "It wouldn't be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor.
3So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we'll assign them this task.
4Meanwhile, we'll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God's Word."
5The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose--
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon,
Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
6Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.
7The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.
8Stephen, brimming with God's grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them.
``````````````````````````````
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music3/mus_4461.mp3 ]
I'll go in the strength of the Lord,
In paths he has marked for my feet;
I'll follow the light of his word,
Nor shrink from the dangers I meet,
His presence my steps shall attend,
His fullness my wants shall supply;
On him, till my journey shall end,
My unwavering faith shall rely.
Chorus
I'll go, I'll go in the strength,
I'll go in the strength of the Lord
I'll go, I'll go in the strength,
I'll go in the strength of the Lord.
I'll go in the strength of the Lord
To work he appoints me to do;
In joy which his smile doth afford
My soul shall her vigour renew.
His wisdom shall guard me from harm.
His power my sufficiency prove;
I'll trust his omnipotent arm,
And prove his unchangeable love.
I'll go in the strength of the Lord
To conflicts which faith will require,
His grace as my shield and reward,
My courage and zeal shall inspire.
Since he gives the word of command.
To meet and encounter the foe,
With his sword of truth in my hand.
To suffer and triumph I'll go.
Author: Edward Turney (1816-72)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 734
````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
This week we have thought about commitment. Commitment is organised between each believer and God. Yet that does not mean each believer stands alone. God has been pleased since the Day of Pentecost to organise his people into groups. Those groups we know as the Church.
As the early Christian Church grew, it had to organise and I imagine reorganise more than once to cope with the numbers of new believers who joined the fellowship. It is not surprising that Luke in writing the history of the church records at least one time when reorganisation took place because people were in need of being included in what was happening (Acts 6).
This particular reorganisation took place because the widows of the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected in the distribution of welfare. Now the leaders of the church applied some good management skills. They looked at what their own priorities should be. I am sure it was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that they “managed” the situation. Their task, in response to their high calling was to work full time in preaching and in prayerful devotion. So they chose people to carry out the Christian service in the name of the fellowship of Christian worshippers. No one would be neglected because the “Leaders” were in a time of communion with God or communicating with him. Neither would the welfare ministry be neglected but it would be in the hands of wise Holy Spirit filled people.
I remember laughing at the time when a retired Officer (pastor) at an anniversary celebration of a Corps (church) told of one occasion when he was reminded of his calling and ministry while he was at that Corps. He said it was a Saturday morning and the men of the church had gathered to put a new concrete path beside the church. He put on his best yard working clothes and joined them. As he bent his back along with the others one of the church men came to him and said “Major leave this to us, we can do this. There are tasks that you are called by God to do that you should be doing.”
There is a lot for thought in that.
I might also add a very wise Officer told me as a young Officer, if you want to get to know your people work along with them in tqasks arounbd the Hall or even at their place of work or home. .
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your calling to ministry in the day by day tasks of my life. I pray that each one of us within your body, the church, might see the tasks that you have called us to do. Help us to see the priorities you have set for each one of us as individuals. May we all be filled with your wisdom and your Holy Spirit today. Show us how we might be involved to release the pastors and ministers of the Word for the tasks of their high calling. Amen.
MEDITATION:
Acts 6 (The Message)
1During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers--"Hellenists"-toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines.
2So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, "It wouldn't be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor.
3So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we'll assign them this task.
4Meanwhile, we'll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God's Word."
5The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose--
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon,
Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
6Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.
7The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.
8Stephen, brimming with God's grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them.
``````````````````````````````
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music3/mus_4461.mp3 ]
I'll go in the strength of the Lord,
In paths he has marked for my feet;
I'll follow the light of his word,
Nor shrink from the dangers I meet,
His presence my steps shall attend,
His fullness my wants shall supply;
On him, till my journey shall end,
My unwavering faith shall rely.
Chorus
I'll go, I'll go in the strength,
I'll go in the strength of the Lord
I'll go, I'll go in the strength,
I'll go in the strength of the Lord.
I'll go in the strength of the Lord
To work he appoints me to do;
In joy which his smile doth afford
My soul shall her vigour renew.
His wisdom shall guard me from harm.
His power my sufficiency prove;
I'll trust his omnipotent arm,
And prove his unchangeable love.
I'll go in the strength of the Lord
To conflicts which faith will require,
His grace as my shield and reward,
My courage and zeal shall inspire.
Since he gives the word of command.
To meet and encounter the foe,
With his sword of truth in my hand.
To suffer and triumph I'll go.
Author: Edward Turney (1816-72)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 734
````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
OzThoughts. Thursday 23rd July, 2009
OzThoughts. Thursday 23rd July, 2009
When William Booth struck the word “volunteer” from the printer’s proof of the 1878 annual report, he registered his protest and walked away. It was others who were with him who found the word “salvation” not only filled the gap left in the proof but described most admirably what The Christian Mission was about. So “..a volunteer army” became “a salvation army” and eventually “The Salvation Army”.
Have you ever felt a little less than satisfied when you hear someone describe you? Have you felt that they have not really got to know you? They have looked at you, maybe briefly spoken to you and then feel they know all about you. It is really like they have looked at a two dimensional photograph of you then gone on to describe you. A photograph taken in a slit second cannot record a life time of living.
I am sure William Booth had a feeling something like that when he looked at the proof. Here was a description that fell so far short of what he had given to God and what the people he was leading had given to God.
Sure they were volunteers working by their free will and there was little or no pay for most. Yet, he remembered getting on his knees and praying that God should have every part of William Booth. It was “Every hour and every power for Christ and duty”. He expected the people he led to have the same commitment.
3-4 Get insurance with God and do a good deed,
settle down and stick to your last.
Keep company with God,
get in on the best.
5-6 Open up before God, keep nothing back;
he'll do whatever needs to be done:
He'll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.
7 Quiet down before God,
be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,
who elbow their way to the top. (Psalm 37 The Message).
[Listen: Chicago Staff Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2139.mp3 Listen: Male Chorus with Band http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_861.mp3 ]
Soldier, rouse thee! War is raging,
God and fiends are battle waging;
Every ransomed power engaging,
Break the tempter's spell.
Dare ye still lie fondly dreaming,
Wrapped in ease and worldly scheming,
While the multitudes are streaming
Downwards into Hell?
Chorus
Through the world resounding,
Let the gospel sounding,
Summon all, at Jesus' call,
His glorious cross surrounding.
Sons of God, earth's trifles leaving,
Be not faithless but believing;
To your conquering captain cleaving,
Forward to the fight.
Lord, we come, and from thee never
Self nor earth our hearts shall sever;
Thine entirely, thine for ever,
We will fight and die.
To a world of rebels dying,
Heaven and Hell and God defying,
Everywhere we'll still be crying:
Will ye perish, why?
Hark! I hear the warriors shouting;
Now the hosts of Hell we're routing;
Courage! onward! never doubting
We shall win the day.
See the foe before us falling,
Sinners on the Saviour calling,
Throwing off the bondage galling,
Join our glad array.
Author: Attr George Scott Railton (1849-1913)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 693
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
When William Booth struck the word “volunteer” from the printer’s proof of the 1878 annual report, he registered his protest and walked away. It was others who were with him who found the word “salvation” not only filled the gap left in the proof but described most admirably what The Christian Mission was about. So “..a volunteer army” became “a salvation army” and eventually “The Salvation Army”.
Have you ever felt a little less than satisfied when you hear someone describe you? Have you felt that they have not really got to know you? They have looked at you, maybe briefly spoken to you and then feel they know all about you. It is really like they have looked at a two dimensional photograph of you then gone on to describe you. A photograph taken in a slit second cannot record a life time of living.
I am sure William Booth had a feeling something like that when he looked at the proof. Here was a description that fell so far short of what he had given to God and what the people he was leading had given to God.
Sure they were volunteers working by their free will and there was little or no pay for most. Yet, he remembered getting on his knees and praying that God should have every part of William Booth. It was “Every hour and every power for Christ and duty”. He expected the people he led to have the same commitment.
3-4 Get insurance with God and do a good deed,
settle down and stick to your last.
Keep company with God,
get in on the best.
5-6 Open up before God, keep nothing back;
he'll do whatever needs to be done:
He'll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.
7 Quiet down before God,
be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,
who elbow their way to the top. (Psalm 37 The Message).
[Listen: Chicago Staff Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2139.mp3 Listen: Male Chorus with Band http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_861.mp3 ]
Soldier, rouse thee! War is raging,
God and fiends are battle waging;
Every ransomed power engaging,
Break the tempter's spell.
Dare ye still lie fondly dreaming,
Wrapped in ease and worldly scheming,
While the multitudes are streaming
Downwards into Hell?
Chorus
Through the world resounding,
Let the gospel sounding,
Summon all, at Jesus' call,
His glorious cross surrounding.
Sons of God, earth's trifles leaving,
Be not faithless but believing;
To your conquering captain cleaving,
Forward to the fight.
Lord, we come, and from thee never
Self nor earth our hearts shall sever;
Thine entirely, thine for ever,
We will fight and die.
To a world of rebels dying,
Heaven and Hell and God defying,
Everywhere we'll still be crying:
Will ye perish, why?
Hark! I hear the warriors shouting;
Now the hosts of Hell we're routing;
Courage! onward! never doubting
We shall win the day.
See the foe before us falling,
Sinners on the Saviour calling,
Throwing off the bondage galling,
Join our glad array.
Author: Attr George Scott Railton (1849-1913)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 693
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
OzThoughts. Wednesday 22nd July, 2009
OzThoughts. Wednesday 22nd July, 2009
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave, and follow thee;
Though I be despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be.
Chorus
I will follow thee, my Saviour,
Thou hast shed thy blood for me:
And though all the world forsake thee,
By thy grace I'll follow thee.
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.
Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Saviour too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me,
Thou art not like them, untrue.
And while thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me,
Show thy face and all is bright.
O 'tis not in grief to harm me,
While thy love is left to me!
O 'twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy not found in thee!
Authors: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) (verses), James Lawson (chorus)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 498
It is said that Henry Francis Lyte wrote this hymn in memory of his wife. Gordon Avery (Companion to the Song Book, 1962) tells that Anna Maxwell was the daughter of a Church of England clergyman. When she determined to join in worship with the Methodists who had been a great spiritual inspiration to her, he said she must “be prepared to leave home and family”. As the hymn says she took up her cross, left all and determined to follow Jesus.
Below are all six of the eight line verses which appear in most hymnals which contain this hymn. As we meditate on them, can we feel the satisfaction that comes from a complete commitment to Jesus?
24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16 The Message).
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my All shalt 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 Saviour, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.
3. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure!
Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure;
With Thy favour, 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.
4. 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.
5. Take, my soul, 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,
What a Father's smile is thine,
What a Saviour died to win thee;
Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?
6. Haste, then, on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heaven's eternal day's before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close the earthly mission,
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave, and follow thee;
Though I be despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be.
Chorus
I will follow thee, my Saviour,
Thou hast shed thy blood for me:
And though all the world forsake thee,
By thy grace I'll follow thee.
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.
Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Saviour too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me,
Thou art not like them, untrue.
And while thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me,
Show thy face and all is bright.
O 'tis not in grief to harm me,
While thy love is left to me!
O 'twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy not found in thee!
Authors: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) (verses), James Lawson (chorus)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 498
It is said that Henry Francis Lyte wrote this hymn in memory of his wife. Gordon Avery (Companion to the Song Book, 1962) tells that Anna Maxwell was the daughter of a Church of England clergyman. When she determined to join in worship with the Methodists who had been a great spiritual inspiration to her, he said she must “be prepared to leave home and family”. As the hymn says she took up her cross, left all and determined to follow Jesus.
Below are all six of the eight line verses which appear in most hymnals which contain this hymn. As we meditate on them, can we feel the satisfaction that comes from a complete commitment to Jesus?
24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16 The Message).
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my All shalt 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 Saviour, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.
3. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure!
Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure;
With Thy favour, 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.
4. 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.
5. Take, my soul, 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,
What a Father's smile is thine,
What a Saviour died to win thee;
Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?
6. Haste, then, on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heaven's eternal day's before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close the earthly mission,
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
OzThoughts. Tuesday 21st July, 2009
OzThoughts. Tuesday 21st July, 2009
These days we do not sing the rousing strains of “Come, join our Army to battle we go”. If we do, it is not very often. To a tune which sounds very much like the Australian folk song “Click go the shears” (only because it is the same tune) we invite people to come and join us as we fight the battle of evil and invite them to the Saviour, Jesus.
[Look and listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/video/video_028.WMV
or
Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3704.mp3 ]
Come, join our Army, to battle we go,
Jesus will help us to conquer the foe;
Fighting for right and opposing the wrong,
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Chorus
Marching along, marching along,
The Salvation Army is marching along;
Soldiers of Jesus, be valiant and strong;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Come, join our Army, the foe must be driven;
To Jesus, our captain, the world shall be given;
Foes may surround us, we'll press through the throng;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Come, join our Army, the foe we defy,
True to our colors, we'll fight till we die;
Saved from all sin is our war cry and song;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Come, join our Army, and do not delay,
The time for enlisting is passing away;
Fierce is the battle, but victory will come;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Author: William James Pearson (1832-92)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 681
Robert Sandall in his first volume of the official Salvation Army history tells of the change of name from The Christian Mission to The Salvation Army. The story is well known that General William Booth objected strongly to the Christian Mission being described as a Volunteer Army on the front page of the Mission’s 1878 report and appeal. Sandall’s records that Booth said “we are not volunteers for we feel we must do what we do, and we are always on duty.”
Sandall goes on to comment the “Volunteers” an auxiliary and part-time citizen army “were at the time receiving much notice – most of it derisive.” Now today we probably don’t know much about the “Volunteers” or the “Territorials” as they became. Have you seen “Dad’s Army” on television? You have? Now you know something of why Booth objected to being called a volunteer.
I have the highest regard for volunteers after working as a manager of volunteers for many years. I do know from interviews and comments that some volunteers know little about turning up for regular shifts, and doing a good hour or day’s work, and keeping good standards about what they are doing.
On the other hand I know volunteers, and thankfully it is most of them, who are most professional in their approach to the task. It is only the pay is different.
As we go to battle it is about commitment. Booth would demand the commitment of a regular soldier . Does Jesus demand anything less?
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
11-13 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him.
14-18 "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. (John 10. The Message).
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music4/mus_7000.mp3 ]
How can I better serve thee, Lord,
Thou who hast done so much for me?
Faltering and weak my labor has been;
O that my life may tell for thee!
Chorus
Here at the cross in this sacred hour,
Here at the source of reviving power,
Helpless indeed, I come with my need;
Lord, for thy service, fit me I plead.
Dull are my ears to hear thy voice,
Slow are my hands to work for thee,
Loath are my feet to conquer the steeps
That lead me to my Calvary.
Strength for my weakness, Lord, impart;
Sight for my blindness give to me;
Faith for my doubtings, Lord, I would crave,
That I may serve thee worthily.
Author: Bramwell Coles (1887-1960)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 488
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
These days we do not sing the rousing strains of “Come, join our Army to battle we go”. If we do, it is not very often. To a tune which sounds very much like the Australian folk song “Click go the shears” (only because it is the same tune) we invite people to come and join us as we fight the battle of evil and invite them to the Saviour, Jesus.
[Look and listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/video/video_028.WMV
or
Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3704.mp3 ]
Come, join our Army, to battle we go,
Jesus will help us to conquer the foe;
Fighting for right and opposing the wrong,
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Chorus
Marching along, marching along,
The Salvation Army is marching along;
Soldiers of Jesus, be valiant and strong;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Come, join our Army, the foe must be driven;
To Jesus, our captain, the world shall be given;
Foes may surround us, we'll press through the throng;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Come, join our Army, the foe we defy,
True to our colors, we'll fight till we die;
Saved from all sin is our war cry and song;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Come, join our Army, and do not delay,
The time for enlisting is passing away;
Fierce is the battle, but victory will come;
The Salvation Army is marching along.
Author: William James Pearson (1832-92)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 681
Robert Sandall in his first volume of the official Salvation Army history tells of the change of name from The Christian Mission to The Salvation Army. The story is well known that General William Booth objected strongly to the Christian Mission being described as a Volunteer Army on the front page of the Mission’s 1878 report and appeal. Sandall’s records that Booth said “we are not volunteers for we feel we must do what we do, and we are always on duty.”
Sandall goes on to comment the “Volunteers” an auxiliary and part-time citizen army “were at the time receiving much notice – most of it derisive.” Now today we probably don’t know much about the “Volunteers” or the “Territorials” as they became. Have you seen “Dad’s Army” on television? You have? Now you know something of why Booth objected to being called a volunteer.
I have the highest regard for volunteers after working as a manager of volunteers for many years. I do know from interviews and comments that some volunteers know little about turning up for regular shifts, and doing a good hour or day’s work, and keeping good standards about what they are doing.
On the other hand I know volunteers, and thankfully it is most of them, who are most professional in their approach to the task. It is only the pay is different.
As we go to battle it is about commitment. Booth would demand the commitment of a regular soldier . Does Jesus demand anything less?
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
11-13 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him.
14-18 "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. (John 10. The Message).
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music4/mus_7000.mp3 ]
How can I better serve thee, Lord,
Thou who hast done so much for me?
Faltering and weak my labor has been;
O that my life may tell for thee!
Chorus
Here at the cross in this sacred hour,
Here at the source of reviving power,
Helpless indeed, I come with my need;
Lord, for thy service, fit me I plead.
Dull are my ears to hear thy voice,
Slow are my hands to work for thee,
Loath are my feet to conquer the steeps
That lead me to my Calvary.
Strength for my weakness, Lord, impart;
Sight for my blindness give to me;
Faith for my doubtings, Lord, I would crave,
That I may serve thee worthily.
Author: Bramwell Coles (1887-1960)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 488
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Sunday, July 19, 2009
OzThoughts. Monday 20th July, 2009
OzThoughts. Monday 20th July, 2009
One of my favourite pieces of Salvation Army Band Music is “In Quiet Pastures” [ Listen: In Quiet Pastures”: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2464.mp3 ] which features the tune “Shepherd hear my prayer”. The words we associate with the tune are here introduced by General Albert Osborne C.B.E. (sung by Harlesden Songsters and organ) accompaniment: http://www.regalzonophone.com/audio/MF338%20-%20Vocal%20-%20Shepherd,%20Hear%20My%20Prayer.mp3
Unto thee will I cry,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
Poor and needy am 1,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
Deep is calling unto deep.
Rugged are the heights, and steep;
Guide my steps and keep;
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Where the tempest is loud,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
'Mid the darkness and cloud,
Shepherd, hear my prayer
Let me hear thy voice afar,
Coming with the morning star;
True thy mercies are!
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Let the foe not prevail,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
My resources would fail,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
Order all my steps aright,
Carry me from height to height;
Yonder shines the light!
Shepherd, lead me there!
Lead me safely there!
Author: Albert Orsborn (1886-1967)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 641
Albert Orsborn, later to become General (World Leader) of the Salvation Army, wrote these words in New Zealand. He commented later the song was originally born of personal battles on the heights and in the depths – otherwise it could not have been written”. (Companion to the Song Book. Gordon Avery. 1962).
The words are a prayer that it would help us all this week as we meditate on it and make it a prayer.
"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." (John 10: 14-18. The Message).
Listen to an address by General Albert Osborne where he introduces his song sung by C.B.E. Harlesden Songsters and organ accompaniment: http://www.regalzonophone.com/audio/MF338%20-%20Vocal%20-%20Shepherd,%20Hear%20My%20Prayer.mp3
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
One of my favourite pieces of Salvation Army Band Music is “In Quiet Pastures” [ Listen: In Quiet Pastures”: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2464.mp3 ] which features the tune “Shepherd hear my prayer”. The words we associate with the tune are here introduced by General Albert Osborne C.B.E. (sung by Harlesden Songsters and organ) accompaniment: http://www.regalzonophone.com/audio/MF338%20-%20Vocal%20-%20Shepherd,%20Hear%20My%20Prayer.mp3
Unto thee will I cry,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
Poor and needy am 1,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
Deep is calling unto deep.
Rugged are the heights, and steep;
Guide my steps and keep;
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Where the tempest is loud,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
'Mid the darkness and cloud,
Shepherd, hear my prayer
Let me hear thy voice afar,
Coming with the morning star;
True thy mercies are!
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Hear, O hear my prayer!
Let the foe not prevail,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
My resources would fail,
Shepherd, hear my prayer!
Order all my steps aright,
Carry me from height to height;
Yonder shines the light!
Shepherd, lead me there!
Lead me safely there!
Author: Albert Orsborn (1886-1967)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 641
Albert Orsborn, later to become General (World Leader) of the Salvation Army, wrote these words in New Zealand. He commented later the song was originally born of personal battles on the heights and in the depths – otherwise it could not have been written”. (Companion to the Song Book. Gordon Avery. 1962).
The words are a prayer that it would help us all this week as we meditate on it and make it a prayer.
"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." (John 10: 14-18. The Message).
Listen to an address by General Albert Osborne where he introduces his song sung by C.B.E. Harlesden Songsters and organ accompaniment: http://www.regalzonophone.com/audio/MF338%20-%20Vocal%20-%20Shepherd,%20Hear%20My%20Prayer.mp3
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
Saturday, July 18, 2009
OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 19th JULY, 2009
OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms. Sunday 19th JULY, 2009
[Admin note: OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms has been available each Sunday for six months now. Do you find it useful? Have you shared it with others particularly ‘shut-ins’ who have email? Have you any suggestions which may be helpful? Please reply to OzThoughts@Yahoo.com.au ]
This day belongs to the LORD!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
(Psalm 118:24 Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 89:1-4 (The Message)
1-4 Your love, GOD, is my song, and I'll sing it!
I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
I'll never quit telling the story of your love—
how you built the cosmos
and guaranteed everything in it.
Your love has always been our lives' foundation,
your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
You once said, "I joined forces with my chosen leader,
I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
'Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
I'll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.'"
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 33
Authors: Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960)
[Look and Listen: Congregational Song: http://www.salvoaudio.com/video/video_048.WMV
or
Listen: Songsters: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2112.mp3 ]
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Chorus
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
2.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
3.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Psalm 89:5-18 (The Message)
5-18 GOD! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
Search high and low, scan skies and land,
you'll find nothing and no one quite like GOD.
The holy angels are in awe before him;
he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
powerful and faithful from every angle?
You put the arrogant ocean in its place
and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
everything from atom to archangel.
You positioned the North and South Poles;
the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
nobody trifles with you!
The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
Love and Truth are its fruits.
Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
who shout on parade in the bright presence of GOD.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
All we are and have we owe to GOD,
Holy God of Israel, our King!
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 37
Authors: Stuart K. Hine
[Listen: Band and Songsters: http://salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_321.mp3
or
Songsters: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2188.mp3
or
Band and Vocal Solo: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_3326.mp3 ]
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee:
How great thou art, how great thou art!
2.
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
3.
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
4.
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
Prayer:
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! Amen. (Romans 15: 5,6 The Message).
Meditation: The Light of the World
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2640.mp3
Meditation: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Sir John Dean Goffin
[These notes from: http://www.newenglandbrassband.org/html/low_notes.html ]
Sir John Dean Goffin was one of New Zealand's first prolific Salvation Army composers who composed not only music for the Army but for non-Army bands as well (such as his "Rhapsody in Brass" which is part of the New England Brass Band's repertoire). His The Light of the World takes its inspiration from the famous painting of the same name by William Holman Hunt.
A reproduction of William Holman Hunt's painting, "The Light of the World" appears on the cover of the CD. Hunt (1827-1910) was one of the Victorian era's most beloved artists. Hunt, along with fellow artists Dante Gabriel Rosetti and John Everett Millais founded the Pre-Rephaelite School of painting in 1848 in reaction to what they felt were disturbing trends in art away from realism and truth in nature. Hunt's paintings were almost exclusively religious in nature and none was more famous than his "The Light of the World", begun in 1851. The painting shows an image of Christ, lantern in hand, knocking at a door. Significantly, the door has no handle on the outside, illustrating the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Completed in 1853, Hunt's painting was wildly popular in Victorian England. The original hangs in Keble College, Oxford, but demand for the painting was so great that a second version was painted in 1900-1904. That copy toured the United Kingdom and many other parts of the then British Empire and the United States. Upon its return it was donated to St. Paul's Cathedral (London) where it hangs today.
Dean Goffin's musical meditation on Hunt's painting uses two well-known hymns from the Salvation Army Tune Book to tell the story of Christ knocking at the door. The first, played by the cornet section, "O Jesus Thou Art Standing Outside the Fast Closed Door" uses the tune ("Aurelia") which is also the tune for the well known hymn "The Church's One Foundation" and tells the story from the point of view of one inside the house, on the side of the door opposite the knocking Christ. The second tune, the chorus section from "Behold Me Standing at the Door", played poignantly by the horn section, utilizes words of Christ. A two note "knocking" motif begins the piece and is heard throughout.
Hunt's painting and Goffin's musical composition are stunning companion pieces. By taking a familiar passage from the Bible, both have given the words on the printed page vibrant life. While not everyone can visit Keble College or St. Paul's Cathedral, we hope the inclusion of Hunt's painting on the cover of "The Light of the World" will enhance the listening experience of those who enjoy our recording.
The text to "O Jesus, Thou art standing: and "Behold Me Standing at the Door" follow:
O Jesus, Thou Art Standing Outside the Fast Closed Door
(to the tune "Aurelia")
O Jesus, Thou art standing outside the fast closed door,
In lowly patience waiting, to pass the threshold o'er.
O Jesus, Thou art knocking; and lo! that hand is scarred,
And thorns Thy brow encircle, and tears thy face have marred.
O Jesus, Thou art pleading in accents sweet and low,
"I died for you, O sinner, and will ye treat me so?"
O Lord, with shame and sorrow we open now the door;
Dear Saviour, enter, enter, and leave us never more!
Behold Me Standing at the Door
Behold Me standing at the door, and hear Me pleading evermore,
With gentle voice: O heart of sin, may I come in, may I come in?
[CHORUS]
Behold Me standing at the door, and hear Me pleading evermore:
Say, weary heart, opprest with sin, may I come in, may I come in?
I bore the cruel thorns for thee, I waited long and patiently:
Say, weary heart, opprest with sin, may I come in, may I come in?
I would not plead with thee in vain, remember all My grief and pain!
I died to ransom thee from sin: may I come in, may I come in?
I bring thee joy from Heaven above, I bring thee pardon, peace and love:
Say, weary heart, opprest with sin, may I come in, may I come in?
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
[Admin note: OzThoughts - Sunday Hymns and Psalms has been available each Sunday for six months now. Do you find it useful? Have you shared it with others particularly ‘shut-ins’ who have email? Have you any suggestions which may be helpful? Please reply to OzThoughts@Yahoo.com.au ]
This day belongs to the LORD!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
(Psalm 118:24 Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 89:1-4 (The Message)
1-4 Your love, GOD, is my song, and I'll sing it!
I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
I'll never quit telling the story of your love—
how you built the cosmos
and guaranteed everything in it.
Your love has always been our lives' foundation,
your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
You once said, "I joined forces with my chosen leader,
I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
'Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
I'll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.'"
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 33
Authors: Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960)
[Look and Listen: Congregational Song: http://www.salvoaudio.com/video/video_048.WMV
or
Listen: Songsters: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2112.mp3 ]
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Chorus
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
2.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
3.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Psalm 89:5-18 (The Message)
5-18 GOD! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
Search high and low, scan skies and land,
you'll find nothing and no one quite like GOD.
The holy angels are in awe before him;
he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
powerful and faithful from every angle?
You put the arrogant ocean in its place
and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
everything from atom to archangel.
You positioned the North and South Poles;
the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
nobody trifles with you!
The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
Love and Truth are its fruits.
Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
who shout on parade in the bright presence of GOD.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
All we are and have we owe to GOD,
Holy God of Israel, our King!
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 37
Authors: Stuart K. Hine
[Listen: Band and Songsters: http://salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_321.mp3
or
Songsters: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2188.mp3
or
Band and Vocal Solo: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_3326.mp3 ]
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee:
How great thou art, how great thou art!
2.
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
3.
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
4.
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
Prayer:
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! Amen. (Romans 15: 5,6 The Message).
Meditation: The Light of the World
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2640.mp3
Meditation: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Sir John Dean Goffin
[These notes from: http://www.newenglandbrassband.org/html/low_notes.html ]
Sir John Dean Goffin was one of New Zealand's first prolific Salvation Army composers who composed not only music for the Army but for non-Army bands as well (such as his "Rhapsody in Brass" which is part of the New England Brass Band's repertoire). His The Light of the World takes its inspiration from the famous painting of the same name by William Holman Hunt.
A reproduction of William Holman Hunt's painting, "The Light of the World" appears on the cover of the CD. Hunt (1827-1910) was one of the Victorian era's most beloved artists. Hunt, along with fellow artists Dante Gabriel Rosetti and John Everett Millais founded the Pre-Rephaelite School of painting in 1848 in reaction to what they felt were disturbing trends in art away from realism and truth in nature. Hunt's paintings were almost exclusively religious in nature and none was more famous than his "The Light of the World", begun in 1851. The painting shows an image of Christ, lantern in hand, knocking at a door. Significantly, the door has no handle on the outside, illustrating the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Completed in 1853, Hunt's painting was wildly popular in Victorian England. The original hangs in Keble College, Oxford, but demand for the painting was so great that a second version was painted in 1900-1904. That copy toured the United Kingdom and many other parts of the then British Empire and the United States. Upon its return it was donated to St. Paul's Cathedral (London) where it hangs today.
Dean Goffin's musical meditation on Hunt's painting uses two well-known hymns from the Salvation Army Tune Book to tell the story of Christ knocking at the door. The first, played by the cornet section, "O Jesus Thou Art Standing Outside the Fast Closed Door" uses the tune ("Aurelia") which is also the tune for the well known hymn "The Church's One Foundation" and tells the story from the point of view of one inside the house, on the side of the door opposite the knocking Christ. The second tune, the chorus section from "Behold Me Standing at the Door", played poignantly by the horn section, utilizes words of Christ. A two note "knocking" motif begins the piece and is heard throughout.
Hunt's painting and Goffin's musical composition are stunning companion pieces. By taking a familiar passage from the Bible, both have given the words on the printed page vibrant life. While not everyone can visit Keble College or St. Paul's Cathedral, we hope the inclusion of Hunt's painting on the cover of "The Light of the World" will enhance the listening experience of those who enjoy our recording.
The text to "O Jesus, Thou art standing: and "Behold Me Standing at the Door" follow:
O Jesus, Thou Art Standing Outside the Fast Closed Door
(to the tune "Aurelia")
O Jesus, Thou art standing outside the fast closed door,
In lowly patience waiting, to pass the threshold o'er.
O Jesus, Thou art knocking; and lo! that hand is scarred,
And thorns Thy brow encircle, and tears thy face have marred.
O Jesus, Thou art pleading in accents sweet and low,
"I died for you, O sinner, and will ye treat me so?"
O Lord, with shame and sorrow we open now the door;
Dear Saviour, enter, enter, and leave us never more!
Behold Me Standing at the Door
Behold Me standing at the door, and hear Me pleading evermore,
With gentle voice: O heart of sin, may I come in, may I come in?
[CHORUS]
Behold Me standing at the door, and hear Me pleading evermore:
Say, weary heart, opprest with sin, may I come in, may I come in?
I bore the cruel thorns for thee, I waited long and patiently:
Say, weary heart, opprest with sin, may I come in, may I come in?
I would not plead with thee in vain, remember all My grief and pain!
I died to ransom thee from sin: may I come in, may I come in?
I bring thee joy from Heaven above, I bring thee pardon, peace and love:
Say, weary heart, opprest with sin, may I come in, may I come in?
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.
If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following group which you are welcome to join:
SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/
SALVATIONARMY3 was born in August 2004 because it was felt that there was a need for a place on the Internet where Salvationists and Christian Friends could come together and talk about things concerning The Salvation Army, their Faith, and all that is involved within it.
We are now the largest and most active Salvation Army Group on the Internet with over 870 members.
We wanted a place where we could discuss how we can be better people in this world because of …
• Our belief and trust in God the Father.
• Our love for Jesus and all that He means to us day by day.
• Our experience of The Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
As the founder of SALVATIONARMY3 wrote when we first came into being ...“It is my Prayer that this group stays a Holy place, where JESUS is the Focus of every Conversation, and "OTHERS" is the reason we meet.
I Love JESUS and THE SALVATION ARMY and want a great place to meet others who feel the same”...
If you feel you would like to be part of a vibrant and active Salvation Army group, please come in and join us. A welcome awaits you.
This is an unofficial website and does not necessarily reflect the position of "The Salvation Army"
Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au
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