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God With Us

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey of exploring the Gift of Emmanuel.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering we examined chosen and desperate needs. This week we will explore the meaning of Emmanuel. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you and feel you with me.”

PROMISE: Matthew 1:23 Amplified

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”

From the extraordinary immaculate conception of Jesus to  His resurrection, Jesus’ life fulfills God’s promises. In fact, His very name is a promise of God. The name of Emmanuel was given to Jesus as a reminder that God is always with us in happiness, heart aches, and hopelessness.

PSALM: Angels from the Realms of Glory by James Montgomery.

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night
God with man is now residing
Yonder shines the infant Light

For James Montgomery writing was his God-given gift and poetry was a tool he used to remind himself and others of God’s presence.  At the age of twelve when he lost both his parents, he used the tool of poetry to express and heal his grief. Though an orphan to the world, he knew he was a child of God and that God was with him. He was empowered through God to publish eleven volumes of controversial poetry and progressively publish over four hundred hymns. On Christmas Eve in 1816 Montgomery used his writing platform as editor of the paper to publicly proclaim the gift of the birth of Jesus through printing the Christmas carol Angels from the Realms of Glory in the Sheffield Iris Newspaper.

Even hundreds of years after this Advent hymn was first written, Montgomery’s poetry reminds us that from His birth, Jesus was and is the Light of the World that shines of the truth that He is our mediator, He is God and He is man, and He is our access to God. Montgomery’s lyrics still reminds us that Jesus is God’s sign to us that God is with us, God is in us, and God is for us!

PARABLE: Christmas carols are still a holiday tradition. Another tradition is gift giving. One of our family Christmas traditions when our children were young is that all but one gift had to fit in a Christmas Stocking.  The stocking was to be filled with practical gifts that did not cost over $25. This was not popular as most of our children’s friends were getting the electronics on the “children’s most wanted list.” Not to mention that over time $25 did not buy as many small gifts. However, the ONE gift that did not fit in the stocking usually made up for the disappointment they may have experienced by not having an abundance of gifts under the tree.

Christmas is usually a time of joy and gift giving. However, when you are unable to give gifts, it can be disappointing and parents can feel helpless. One year when our youngest son was about seven years old and our daughter was almost a teenager, we had major car trouble which exhausted our funds and we were unable to buy the one big gift. Within our children’s Christmas stocking we placed a card with an “I Owe You” note that said they could redeem the coupon for money to purchase their own one big gift after Christmas. I felt disappointed, shamed, and helpless that we were unable to provide the one big gift to our children. The holiday passed, another pay date came, and as promised they redeemed their coupons for cash after Christmas. They were able to purchase more than what they would have received from us because of the after Christmas sales. The next year when we asked our son and daughter what they wanted for Christmas as their big gift, our son asked, “May we have an I owe you like you gave us last year?” My heart melted. The shame I felt from not providing them with a Christmas gift was unnecessary. It had not impacted our children. In fact, they saw  the promise of the gift as a greater value than the gift. This life lesson was so important to us that it became our new tradition.Our children understood the present of a promise and eagerly claimed the unsettled debt.

The birth of Jesus has a great value to us! Because of His birth, we are entitled to God’s promises.  In the hymn lyrics, Montgomery reminds us that Jesus, who settled our debt, IS THE PROMISE. Montgomery is illuminating to us that the birth of Jesus– whose name means God with us– presents us with the greatest gift we will EVER receive–GOD WITH US. As the shepherds, we are invited to celebrate that His Presence is a Present that does not stop giving nor does it expire.

In all of the holiday traditions and gift giving, how often do we GIVE a gift that tells of the greatest gift? Let’s start a new tradition.

PONDER and WANDER:  During this season of giving, how can we give a gift that tells of the greatest gift? I wonder what would happen if we chose to give one gift this year that provides an opportunity to reflect on the gift of the birth of Jesus. What if we gave a gift that tells of the promise that Jesus–our Wonderful, Counselor, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace–is our reminder that God is with us. 

Ponder the question: How can I shine attention on the promises of  Jesus, the LIGHT of the World, this Christmas?

The Bible contains many promises that help us to recall that God is with us.

CHRISTmas is an opportunity to ponder God’s promises, remember God’s presence, and to emphasize that Emmanuel is the greatest gift given.

      God with us, in us and for us

Soul care training exercise: Take a few minutes to breath in and out. As you invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate your spiritual senses:

Chose one of the above scriptures as your focus to become aware of God’s presence with us at all times.

Recall that you are in God’s presence.

Next, draw a Christmas stocking.

Then Ask the Holy Spirit to show you an image or give you the name of the object that represents the promise that God is with us.

Next Think about what  you will give as a gift that will relay the sign that God is with us.

Now, decide who you will give it to.

Finally, consider making this a new tradition.

We can be instruments in helping others remember the CHRIST of CHRISTmas and that Jesus, the light of the world is the greatest gift we have ever been given.

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for being the light of truth and making it accessible to all. Even in the midst of shopping, gift wrapping, opening and returning I can choose to adore you by sharing your promises. This year, help me to select gifts that intentionally guide others to the Present of your Presence. Brighten my light to shine on the CHRIST of Christmas. Light of the world, unwrap the presents of your promises of your presence, peace, and truth to shine in and through me. In the name of the Prince of Peace, who is the Christ of CHRISTmas I pray, amen.

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank God for His Presence!  Let the work of your wandering fill you with the assurance that God is with us, God is in us, and God is for us!

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

PERSONAL BONUS: If you choose, take another five minutes to read about my experience with seeing a shepherd while in Rwanda.

Montgomery’s writes of Shepherds in the field abiding. While traveling in Rwanda our route was disrupted by a shepherd herding cattle. Cattle are of high importance in Rwanda. In Rwanda a cow is one of the greatest gifts you can receive because it represents wealth, nutrition, and sustainability. Before the genocide, when Rwanda was first settled, people who lived there raised cattle. Those who owned the most cattle were called “Tutsi” and everyone else was called “Hutu.” You could change your category by gaining more cattle. The genocide changed things and the labels of Tutsi and Hutu were used as a racial divide. Yet cattle remain a symbol of wealth and are valued and considered the best wealth a person can possess. A shepherd who is responsible for the safety and welfare of the cattle is assigned an important task because of the importance of a cow in Rwanda. Each cattle is unique yet each one represents the same promise of wealth, nutrition, and sustainability.

As Believers of Christ we may not be shepherds in the physical sense. However, we are responsible for the safety and welfare of sharing God’s promises with others. Jesus, His promise of salvation, and so many other promises are the best wealth a person can possess. Each promise is unique yet each one represents the same promise of spiritual abundance, spiritual nutrition, and spiritual well-being. How are you caring for His promises? Are you gathering them in your heart and sharing their wealth with others or are you herding and hording them for yourself?

The post God With Us appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions:
Emmanuel: Google images
God with us:  https://pixabay.com/photos/christmas-stocking-tree-xmas-1479700 with added text
Shepherd and cattle: Photograph by Mary Shortreed

 

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Will You Acknowledge God Wants a Meeting with You?

Shepherds

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
 Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
 Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read.  Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.

We continue our journey to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  This week we consider the first ones to hear the glorious news of the angels, the shepherds.  Their role in the story shows us that God meets us where we live and in what we do.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Where We Live

Can you put yourself in the place of the shepherds?  Spending another night out in the fields.  Nothing new.  Same old, same old.

I wonder what their conversations around the fire consisted of?  Benjamin’s new son?  What they are going to do with that one sheep that keeps trying to wonder off?  How many more travelers could possibly still be making their way to Bethlehem for the census and where they were all going to find a place to sleep for the night?

Just a normal night.  Living it where they did so many nights before, only this night would not be like those other nights.  No, this would be like no other night.

Suddenly, an angel appeared, and they were filled with fear.  So would we be, but it is not the fear I want to focus on here.  It is the  context of the encounter.

God chose to meet these simple shepherds where they lived.

  • They did not have to come to Him.  He came to them.
  • They did not have to prepare the way.  He made the way.
  • They did not have to dress up.  He put on flesh.

So what about us?  Are we still trying to come to God, when He is already with us?  Is there anything we need to do to prepare to receive God’s message for us, or do we just need to receive it?  Are we trying to get ourselves together, when He has already brought us together?

How is God trying to meet you in these days?  Where is He showing up right where you live?  Will you be like the shepherds and gladly receive what God has already made known to you?  Take a few moments to let Him speak to your heart and respond to what He says.

In What We Do

Flocks By Night

But it was not only in meeting them where they were that God demonstrated His desire to come to them.  He also did it by meeting them in the midst of what they were doing, their daily grind.  That is truly remarkable.

Think about it.  They were simply watching over their flocks.  Nothing exciting here folks here, move along.  Standing around watching sheep eat and sleep.  BORING!

Maybe there are times when you are underwhelmed by how mundane your life is.  Guess what.  That happens to all of us.  We get weary doing the daily stuff, particularly our work stuff.  Punching the clock and biding our time until the end of the day.  We have all had days like that.

But again it is remarkable how unremarkable their lives were, until God showed up.  We may be inclined to think that the shepherds role was insignificant, but if we do, we miss the entire point.  God delights in revealing extraordinary things to rather ordinary people.  We see this again and again in Scripture.

Can you acknowledge that maybe God wants to do this to you? Maybe He wants to so fill what you are doing with Himself that there is no mistaking it is Him.  Honestly.  There is not maybe about it.  He wants to do that  He did it then and there for them.  He will do it here and now for you.

How is God trying to meet you in these days?  Where is He showing up in what you do?  Will you be like the shepherds and gladly receive what God has already made known to you?  Take a few moments to let Him speak to your heart and respond to what He says.

 

Father, thank You for what You said to those shepherds long ago.   Thank you for meeting them like you did, extraordinarily in the their ordinary beings and doings.  Thank You for what you are saying to me today. In Jesus name.  Amen!

Mundane Tuning!

Keep coming back and we will work help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Video 12.2 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

We have heard the story so many times it is difficult to imagine what that night outside of Bethlehem must have been like.  How kind of God to come to simple shepherds to make the news of His coming known! How kind of God to come to us! Thank Him.

They were just doing their job, going about their normal activity when God suddenly appeared.  Are you prepared to see God at work in your everyday circumstances? He will probably not come with angelic announcement, but He will come.  Prepare yourself.

God came to make His dwelling among us, John 1:14, and He continues to do so.  That He came to the shepherds is meant to show us He has come for us all, including the lowliest.  Ask Him to dwell in you today, as surely as He did in that manger long ago.

The Light of the World came into our darkness and He keeps coming.  They were welcomed into the light and so are we. As you draw near, is there darkness in you that His light is exposing?  Confess it and welcome His radiant light to shine in you again today.  

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

The post God With Us appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Shepherds – http://www.jeremysams.com/church-murals/img_3792/
Silent Flocks – https://omraam-words-of-light.org/2016/12/23/one-night-in-bethlehem-a-meditation-for-christmas-eve/

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Learning How to Offer Praise that Extends Peace

Ye Who Sang

Angels from the realms of glory,
  Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
  Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
 Come and worship, come and worship,
 Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read.  Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.

We continue our journey through Advent as we look at the second part of this stanza.  We started with the angel host, and now consider how they were there at the creation, and also present to herald the coming of redemption in the birth of Messiah, the anointed One of God.  Let’s think about this.

Start at the Very Beginning

It’s a very good place to start.  And that is where the praises of the angels began.  They sang creation’s story as it unfolded.

When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:7 ESV

Creation’s Story

Angels are referred to in many different ways throughout Scripture, but one of them is “sons of God”.  Here we read that they “shouted for joy” at the creation of the world.    

Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created in Christ.  They were there when He was making all things, and they are still there as He is remaking all things through His work of redemption.  If you listen closely, you can almost hear them singing today as their echoes ring across eternity.

But what does this mean for us?  The ones who were offering praise to God as He created all things, were still the first in line when it came time to offer praise for His sending His Son.  We should follow their lead.  They joined the stars that first morning, and continued their praise, even upping the ante by revealing their glory to the shepherds, in the moment Christ’s natal star appeared.  We encourage them to continue to offer their praise, but must be willing to add ours to it.

So will you?  Today, join your voice in extending the invite to come and worship to someone.  How can you do that?  The Christmas season provides many opportunities to invite people to join in the worship of the Christ.  How can you invite someone to join you in it?  Maybe an event at church or in the community?  A Christmas Eve celebration?  Commit to find some way to invite some more character’s into this greatest of stories.

 

Join the Praise

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  Luke 2:14ESV

These are the words the multitude of angels sang in grateful chorus the night of Messiah’s birth.  To proclaim it best, they gave glory to God first, and then extended peace to all who choose to please God. May we always start by giving glory to God, then extending the offer of peace to all who will walk in God’s ways.

  • He was worthy at creation.  So they praised Him.
  • He was worthy in Bethlehem.  So they praised Him.
  • He is worthy today. So they praise Him.
  • He will be worthy eternally.  So they will praise Him.
Messiah’s Birth

When you give glory to God by praising Him for sending Jesus to us, you are joining the eternal praises of God offered specifically for the Incarnation.  God became flesh and dwelt among us.  It is as if you are actually singing your praise with those angels over the pasture outside of Bethlehem.  Incredible!   But that is not all…

You also enter into those moments when you extend peace by sharing what Jesus has done for you.  If you have decided to spend your life ascribing to God the worth that is due His name He is pleased with you.  Even though chaos may develop in our lives at times we can still have peace despite those circumstances.  When you live that out before others, they see that something is different about you.  That gives you the opportunity to speak of the peace you have found in Christ, and that in turns gives Him glory.

It is a powerful cycle we are invited to step into, and welcome others into as well.

Have you ever shared with anyone the peace you have found in Christ?  As you consider inviting someone to join you in giving God glory with you at some point in the season, pray about an opportunity to share with them the peace you have found.  It may just make al the difference in whether they are intrigued enough to check it out for themselves.

 

Jesus, thank You for creating the angels to be Your messengers.  I want to be your messenger as well. Create some opportunities for me to not only give You glory, but also extend peace to someone who needs it.  In Jesus name.   Amen.

Angelic Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

Podcast 12.1 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Angels from the realms of glory,

Luke 2:13 ESV

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

We will get to their song later but note that these angels have come from the heavens.  The realms of glory left behind, they come to tell of the King’s arrival. What kind of King gets such a royal, angelic proclamation?  Only our King, Jesus Christ. Worship Him who alone is worthy.  

 Wing your flight o’er all the earth;

Luke 2:10 ESV

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

This glorious good news and the offer to receive it echoes to the whole earth, for all the people.  The angels are God’s messengers and they carry this invitation to worship everywhere there wings take them.  Will you put your journey to the same use declaring this invitation.

Ye who sang creation’s story

Job 38:7 ESV

When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Though there are several Scriptural allusions to the presence of angels during the creation of the world, this one is a good one. Taken from God’s response to Job, God Himself acknowledges the presence of the sons of God, angels, shouting for joy with the morning stars.  Can you hear the echo of their praises across eternity?

  Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

Luke 2:14 ESV

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

And here the host of angels sing glory to the newborn King! They join the first angel that started the proclamation of Messiah’s birth in angelic chorus.  Imagine what that must have been like, and determine to respond to the call to worship with them today.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Angels from the realms of glory,
  Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
  Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
 Come and worship, come and worship,
 Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Ye Who Sang – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/music-clef-musical-note-background-2087771/
Creation’s Story – https://pixabay.com/photos/meadow-green-meadow-flower-meadow-2401911/
Messiah’s Birth – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-god-holy-spirit-3852478/

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Learning Some Lessons from Angels

Angel

Angels from the realms of glory,
  Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
  Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
 Come and worship, come and worship,
 Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read.  Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.

We begin our journey through Advent this week as we make our way toward Christmas and the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  Through this hymn we will consider the invitation extended herein to different groups of prospective worshippers.  We start with the angel host, who get the praises started off in glorious fashion.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Realms of Glory

What a neat way to describe this multitude that probably scared those shepherds half to death.  Having dwelt since the creation of the world in the the throne room of God, these messengers would certainly reflect His glory, not only in their desire to do his bidding, but likely even in their countenance.  When your home is the very presence of God it undoubtedly affects everything about you, from your pursuits to your appearance.

They had come from the realms of glory.  The Scripture says it like this.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying…Luke 2:13 ESV

We will examine what they said as they praised God on Thursday, but focus now on a few other words.

  1. suddenly
  2. multitude
  3. heavenly host
Angels Over Bethlehem

One angel began the proclamation, but was joined suddenly by many more.  Have you ever imagined what the was like?  Did they come zooming in from afar at the speed of light?  Did they just appear as if from our of nowhere?  How did they travel from realms of glory to the realm of earth?  Whatever the answer is we know this for sure, it was sudden.

That is made even more remarkable when we consider how many of them there were.  Multitude is not very specific, but would be by definition a large number.  From one angel, to a multitude, and suddenly.  There were a lot of them and they arrived quickly.

Finally, we learn from where this multitude suddenly appeared, and what characterized them.  The host of heaven.  Often in Scripture the angelic host described a warrior like group of heavenly messengers fit for battle.  We can only imagine that must have characterized their appearance here as well.  They came from heaven ready to do battle.  Wow!

So what is our take away from this first line, the who of the first invitation to come and worship?  If angels are invited to come worship, those who existed since the dawn of creation in the presence of God, and they come, then I better make sure I am ready to come as well.  Are you ready to not only offer the invitation to them, but receive it yourself?  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you offer it and be ready to respond.

All the earth

Wing Your Flight

From realms of glory to all the earth.  Their proclamation was first to shepherds, but then to the entire world.  And how fortunate that is for us.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10 ESV

Angels are messengers.  They carry God’s messages to the people God wants to hear.  This is the greatest message every spoken, and accordingly God wants everyone to hear it, so He makes that access explicit in the proclamation itself.  

That first angel  brought the news of great joy “for all the people”.  The exhortation to the angels in the hymn is to continue to carry that message to the entire earth.  As we sing it we are effectively telling the messengers to continue messaging, while simultaneously joining in the worship of the Christ.

Certainly, they are happy to do so which we will see when we look at their song a few verse later on Thursday.  It is a song that also tells the good news, a story in song.  They are doing their messaging work and their worshiping work at the same time.  Maybe we could learn from this.

Rather than trying to create unique moments to tell the story of Messiah’s birth, maybe we should learn to make it a more natural part of everything we do.  Then we will be able to simultaneously tell the story and worship Christ.  Help us Lord.

Are there ways you could integrate telling the story of Jesus as you give Him praise in your daily living?  Maybe if you work at highlighting His activity in your life in your normal speech patterns, and preoccupation to tell His story may just naturally emerge.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can better bring together your worshipping and your messaging.

Father, thank You for sending the angels to declare the arrival of Your Son.  Help us to learn a lesson from them as we blend our worship and our telling.  May they flow together seamlessly so we may have more opportunities to do both.    In Jesus name.  Amen.

Heavenly Tuning!

Keep coming back and we will work help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone members enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Video 12.1 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

Angels from the realms of glory,
  Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
  Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
 Come and worship, come and worship,
 Worship Christ, the newborn King.

 

 

 

This Christmas carol carries the call to worship to several different groups.  The first is the angelic host. Ever God’s messengers, now we get to encourage them to make known the glory in which they have dwelt since the dawn of creation.  Think about that.

We are both inviting them to come and worship and to take that same invitation to the entire earth.  It is marvelous to consider how with the turning of each year we commemorate their first Christmas carol with our own.  Determine now to join their song.

These angels were there as God spoke “Let there be light” and they continue to dwell in His unapproachable light.  They sang at the creation of all things, and were there to herald the re-creation that Christ’s coming would initiate.  Praise God for new beginnings.

They were also there when the Light of the World came to dwell among us and were the first to issue the call to worship the newborn King.  Thank God for making His coming known in such a glorious way, and for enabling us to echo it in our songs and lives.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Angel – https://pixabay.com/vectors/angel-christmas-star-religion-2915060/
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Tapping The Promise of Supply, Without Demand

Bless Me

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
  Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
  I come to Thee.

I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)

Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read. Please be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.

As we close out these six weeks of meditating on this great hymn text, we take it home with a sincere cry for God to bless us.  We come to Him because we know we need Him.  We acknowledge that one last time together.  Let’s think about this.

Supply

What a bold prayer!  An emphatic “bless me now my Savior”.  Not only bless me, but now.

On what grounds would someone approach God so boldly?  The grounds that Scripture declares He has already made the provision of our need available to us.  Are you bold enough to ask for this blessing?

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 ESV

Did you notice where the supply for the blessing comes from?  God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  This might tempt you to believe that the supply will only be eventual, when we arrive in glory. But it seems clear this Scripture speaks of a needs more immediate.  

The other amazing thing is the extent of God’s supply.  It does not say God will meet most of your needs does it?  No, it says He will supply every need of yours.  How wonderful and generous is that?  Think on that for just a moment.

But one more thing to consider.  The person of Jesus Christ.  The Father provides out of His riches in Christ Jesus.  The provision finds its source in Christ.  Jesus is the source and the conduit of the blessing.  He is the blesser and the One who delivers the blessing.  And He is the One who makes us aware our need in the first place, and then prompts us to reach out for it.  

So when was the last time you asked God to bless you?  When did you last cry out to Him and acknowledge your need?  This morning?  Yesterday?   A week ago?  Last July?  If you will approach with a humble posture confessing your need you can boldly request your blessing.  Why wait?  Do it now.

Without Demand

We do not have to demand God supply our needs.  On the contrary, He has already made the supply available even before we ask.

Come

Yet there is something we have to do.  We have to come to Him.  We need to act on His invitation to come.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28 ESV

Seems pretty straightforward and an incredible offer.  So why do not more people come? Many reasons.

  • They think they will have to give up more than they gain.  FALSE.
  • They think they have to get their act together before they come. FALSE
  • They are not convinced Jesus invitation is for them. FALSE
  • They are not sure they qualify, if they are weary or burdened enough. FALSE

Do any of these reasons keep you from coming often, or coming at all?  Jesus is ready to give you rest.  He has already made it available to you.  There is nothing more you need to do that receive it, by coming to Him as you are.

Where does your journey begin?  The same place this hymn did.  Acknowledging you need God.

Where do many who started get lost?  Forgetting they continually need God.

Is there an area of your life that you say you have surrendered to God, but you keep trying to control?  You may lack rest because you are still striving.  Decide today to come to Jesus, with all your stuff, and sit it down at His feet and then take a seat as well.  Ask Him to show you if you have been habitually carrying something around which is robbing you of His promised rest.  If He reveals something, lay it down and find rest today.  Then repeat that exercise rest seems elusive.  It’s one way to practice your need of God.

Jesus, thank You for providing rest for me.   Amen.

Purposeful Thinking!

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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

Podcast 11.6 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Luke 21:36 ESV

But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

We must be alert and awake to two things, our need and God’s ability to provide.  We must pray for the strength to escape the things that would undo us, that we might stand before our God.  Pray today for the strength to endure, and the grace to stand.

  Every hour I need Thee;

Matthew 24:44 ESV

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

We must be ready for that hour when Jesus returns.  Part of the way we do that is by living every hour prepared for His return, not planning to get ready, but actually ready.  Are you ready? Ask Jesus to show you if you are or not.

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

Philippians 4:19 ESV

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

But there is not only the eventual provision of God for our needs, there is the immediate.  He supplies every need according to His riches in glory. Jesus brings them down to us today.  Pray for the blessing of hope for tomorrow, and the access to God’s supply today.

  I come to Thee.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And here is our greatest need realized, rest.  But not just rest from our toil and labor, rest from even the spiritual striving.  Jesus offers us that rest but we must receive it. Ask Him to meet your greatest need as you learn to rest in Him again today.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
  Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
  I come to Thee.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

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