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When Did You Last Feel His Power to Cleanse?

Holy Spirit, Power Divine

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to 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.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He is our Teacher and Guide as well, the Power to free and strengthen as we follow Jesus. Let’s tune our hearts.

Power Divine

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine

My first thoughts when I think of power are of external sources. Lighting, electric lines, body builders. I do not think of internal power.

But that is precisely the focus here. Well, kind of.

See the Spirit was an external power source for each of us at one point, but for those who have yielded their lives to Christ that has changed. Once the Spirit was outside us, working around us, influencing us and the world around us. Now it is inside  us.

Jesus promised His disciples the Spirit would come and He did.  When He did they were empowered to be witnessed to the wonder of our Savior’s redeeming work. When you yielded your life to that work, the Spirit came to dwell in you making you a witness to the world.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

And what a remarkable power that is! It is the same power that Paul refers to when he said in Philippians “I want to know Christ -yes to know the power of his resurrection…” Phil. 3:10a Can you grasp the wonder of the that? The same power that rose Christ from the dead is at work IN you.

I believe it is true, but I struggle with it at times.  Why? Because if it is true why do I seem to battle with self and sin so? And how am I supposed to be a witness of a power I still seem to be trying to harness? We will think a lot more about this below, but first take a few moments to simply acknowledge the wonder of this power resident and at work in you.

RESONATE!
The Spirit is the source of Divine power at work in the redemption of every believer and the working out of that salvation with fear and trembling. Welcome His presence again today. Ask Him to give you the power to believe He is the source, and then the grace to tap into Him for daily living. Then revel in the fact that He actually wants to do all that for you.

At Work Within

Of all the things the hymn writer could have focused the power of the Holy Spirit on, it is insightful to consider where his focus immediately turns. Internal.

Though the verse above from Acts informs us that power is to be used to effect things externally, even to the ends the earth, it is imperative that we set the proper framework for internal matters first. If we are not convinced of the power of the Spirit to change our lives, our witness to others of the same will be powerless.

Cleanse This Guilty Heart

What is more internal than the heart?

Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;

If you are tempted to grab the scrub brush and get to cleaning yourself, don’t. We cannot. Doing things on our own is what got us into trouble in the first place, and perpetuates the problem. The humility of this simple prayer is also an evidence of the work the Spirit is already doing in us for none of us seeks after God on our own. [More on this…Romans 3:9-20]

So what are we to do? Enter into a divine dance with the Holy Spirit. We welcome Him to come and dwell within us.  As He does, we become familiar with the gracious way He reveals the things about which we feel guilty. We let Him lead us and agree with Him asking for His gentle cleaning work.

He could tear into us with His power. Instead, He leads us with the kindest of strokes which first reveal the guilt, then their source, and then remove them as we confess them.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

How kind of God to give us this promise so that we may ask for His cleansing with confidence knowing He will grant it. Then we begin to see the connection between cleaning and witnessing.  This assurance of cleansing pours confidence into our witnessing because we can assure those with whom we testify that God desires to forgive them, because we are walking in the reality of it daily. I am not sure there is a clearer demonstration of His power than in His saving work. 

RESONATE!
Praise God for His faithfulness and His forgiveness. Take a few moments right now and do that. Have you asked for His forgiveness about anything lately? If He has seemed distant, maybe this is why. Ask the Spirit to reveal any sin so that you may confess it and receive His forgiveness. Then bask in the power of God to do that work in you, and be prepared to share it with others.

Jesus, thank You for sending Your Spirit to be Divine power in me.  Teach me to walk in a daily dependence on the Spirit’s ongoing work to cleanse me. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Reverent Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to 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’re 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.

Video 17.2 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.

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

The Spirit also represents for us the power of God.  Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 we would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon to make us witnesses.  What better thing to share than His cleansing work in our lives.  Thank the Spirit for His power.

We all fall short of the glory of God, and even as Spirit-filled Christians struggle to always do right.  Our failures bring guilt into our hearts and lives.  Some of the most powerful work of the Spirit is cleansing us so we can live free of guilt.  Ask Him to cleanse you today, and every day.

Mercy is not receiving what we deserve.  Certainly our failures bring guilt, but they can also bring condemnation.  The Spirit can free us from both and in His great mercy He gladly does so.  Welcome His mercy again today, and walk in it by His power.

Sin would like to keep us bound, tied up and encumbered so we can not walk in the power of the Spirit.  We can walk in freedom when we yield instead to His power.  Invite His presence and the power it brings into your heart right now.

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 When Did You Last Feel His Power to Cleanse? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Power Divine – https://pixabay.com/photos/flash-thunderstorm-thunderbolt-3087117/
Cleanse This Guilty Heart – https://pixabay.com/photos/wash-brush-soap-heart-soap-wood-1253911/

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Here’s Help for Dealing with Your Darkness

Chase the Shades of Night Away

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine.
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast 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 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.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We began our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn this week. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He chases the shades of night away and turns darkness into day. Let’s think about this.

Shadows Flee

Chase the shades of night away,

Darkness is real. Sometimes it is so real it is as if you can feel it. Sometimes it is much more nebulous, barely recognizable as such.

But be it insidious or innocuous, it can not resist the light. I love that illustration that says all you have to do is turn a light on in a dark room and darkness has to flee. It has no choice.

The issue then is really only whether we want to be filled with light or dark. We are familiar with both, and all of us as followers of Christ have the light to exile the dark. Christ has faithfully given us His Holy Spirit to establish us and guard us against the evil one.  He by no means expects us to do it on our own.

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

We face darkness of many kinds, but generally, it comes from one of three sources: the world, the flesh, or the devil. To deal with these shadows, and deal with them me must for there is truly no avoiding them altogether, we must look to the light and let God establish and guard us against the schemes of the evil one. Our Lord is faithful and will do it.

Are you familiar with what those shadows are for you? The influences that cast darkness over you life, some you invite and others which encroach without any invitation. If you have tried to battle them on your own, you have no doubt learned how formidable those forces can be, much more daunting than a mere shadow. We need the light of the Holy Spirit to chase them away, so we must cultivate the ability to live in His presence which brings a lingering brightness to our minds that empowers us to combat them.

RESONATE!
The simple prayer of this hymn must be one with which we become very familiar. The Spirit is the light that can chase those shades of night away, but we must ask Him. Welcome Him regularly, but start again today. Ask Him to shine upon your heart right now and reveal any shadows present so you can partner with Him to see them flee. Then tomorrow, do it again. When this is your habit, those shadows that once loomed large will slowly lose their sway over you, to the glory of God!

Turn My Darkness Into Day

Darkness Lightens

Turn the darkness into day.

I like that saying, “It is always darkest before the dawn.” Seems like it could be a real downer if you focus on the darkness, but I choose to see the end, the dawn. Scripture tells us this is what our God does.  Psalm 139:12 tells us even the darkness is as light to Him so He can actually turn darkness into day.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is probably the greatest example of this in history.

Some versions of this hymn say “Turn my darkness into day.” That resonates with me. I know I have a new nature in Christ, but I struggle at times with the residue of my old nature resident in my flesh. He has begun to turn my darkness into day, and the resurrection gives me the hope that one day that process will be complete.

The One who is working out that process in my experience of the Christ life is the Holy Spirit.  He is the abiding presence of God, His seal of our redemption, the promise of our transformation.  He wants to turn our night into day.  

For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29ESV

Have you ever used a lamp in the woods?  In a room, a lamp may light up the entire room, even if only a little at the edges.  In the forest at night, there is still plenty of darkness beyond the influence of the lamp.  Still near the lamp things are quite bright, and it can provide a very clear path even through the darkest of woods.

A similar thing can be said spiritually.  The Holy Spirit may not deal with all the darkness in one moment, but He lightens it.  What you need to deal with immediately around you can be seen clearly, as long as you stay near that lamp.

RESONATE!
We do not overcome the darkness by focusing on it, but rather by focusing on God.  As we welcome the light of His Holy Spirit, even our darkest moments, especially the darkest, are flooded with His light.  Do it today and every day. Pray for God to lighten your darkness as you draw near the lamp of His presence.

Jesus, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to be a lamp to lighten my darkness. Help me to live in the light of His presence every day. To draw near, and stay near. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Illuminated 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.

Podcast 17.1 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.

Holy Spirit, light divine,

I have heard of you that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Daniel 5:14 ESV

The Holy Spirit revealed Himself through Daniel to be divine light.  That was exactly what the king of Babylon needed in an alarming time, and He is exactly what we need when we face darkness of every kind.  Like this pagan king, acknowledge the Spirit to be divine light.

Shine upon this heart of mine.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

We need His light to shine in our hearts that we may know the knowledge of the glory of God.  Echo this simple pray today.  Welcome the light of the Holy Spirit to shine upon your heart and illumine any darkness therein.

Chase the shades of night away,

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

We face darkness of many kinds, but generally it comes from one of three sources: the world, the flesh, or the devil. To illumine these shadows, look to the light, and let God establish and guard you against the schemes of the evil one. God is faithful and will do it.  Ask Him.

Turn the darkness into day.

For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29 ESV

We do not overcome the darkness by focusing on it, but rather by focusing on God.  As we welcome the light of His Holy Spirit, even our darkest moments are flooded with His light.  Pray for God to lighten your darkness as you draw near the lamp of His presence.

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.

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine.
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.

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 Here’s Help for Dealing with Your Darkness appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Chase the Shades of Night Away – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-love-romance-romantic-3124330/
Turn My Darkness into Day – https://pixabay.com/photos/silhouette-sunset-dawn-red-sky-4853010/

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Ready to Deal with Your Darkness?

Wednesday Wanderings is biweekly and 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 with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we considered our response to the fact that the Lord of heaven is Entitled to our praise. This week we will welcome the divine light of His Holy Spirit to illumine our darkness. 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.”

PROMISE: Numbers 5:24-26 ESV

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

We are far more desperate for that light to shine on us than we often realize.  Let’s take a few minutes today to turn from our darkness and welcome the light of His presence. Will you join us on the journey?

Holy Spirit, Light Divine

PSALM:Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)
By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine.
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.

Reed finds the perfect words to express what we often feel, yet either fail to express or simply struggle to find the right words.  Even when our hearts are overcome with darkness He is still desiring to shine His light in upon them and chase the shades of night away. How kind He is!

PARABLE: Darkness. It is something with which every one of us battles. Sometimes it is the lingering doubt of a disappointment.  Sometimes the way a hope unfulfilled can sap our faith, and leave our soul gloomy.  Sometimes is the result of something someone said or did that has left a grievous wound.  And sometimes that someone is us.

I am struggling with some darkness right now.  I am facing the season of greatest uncertainty of any in my life thus far.  Sure, COVID-19 is a contributor, but I had a number of things threatening to cloud the light in my soul even before this all broke loose.  Struggles relational and vocational have brought me to the end of myself, but they have not yet kept me from asking the Spirit to work and move in me.

I must admit, when I chose this hymn two months ago, I was looking for something to express our soul to the Spirit as we approached Pentecost and our celebration again of His coming to us, and living in us who believe, but I did not realize what a personal cry this opening hymn in particular would be.  Even so, I must give Him glory for He has continued to give me the faith to ask Him to do His illuminating work in me every day.  I am absolutely a work in progress, but only because of the grace of God have I not succumb to the darkness.

The same can be true of you. But we must ask. This stanza is a simple but beautiful prayer. Will you make it yours today?

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: How can I routinely welcome the light of God’s presence into my life?

The light of the Holy Spirit wants to shine upon you.  We must be willing to welcome that illumination every day. He has His part which you can not do, but you must invite Him to come and partner with you and help you with yours. The exercise below expands the simple prayer that is this stanza.  Use it and continue to develop resonance as you remove that hinder the shining of His light in your soul.

Shine Upon This Heart

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise.

  • When you are ready, clear your mind and acknowledge that the Spirit is the light of God.  We must begin there so we are prepared to accept what His light reveals.
  • Next, invite the Holy Spirit to come and illumine the reality of God and your heart and soul before Him.
  • As He shows you the shadows that need to be brought into His brightness, to do hesitate to ask Him to chase them away.
  • Finally, thank Him that He can turn your darkness into day, then trust Him to do it today and every day. 

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for sending Your Spirit to help me deal with my darkness. I need His help every day. Help me to remember this and be quick to ask for it. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your soul of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to worship Him and let the work of your wandering fill you with the praise of Christ.

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.

The post Ready to Deal with Your Darkness? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Holy Spirit, Light Divine – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-love-romance-romantic-3125812/
Shine Upon This Heart of Mine – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-love-romance-romantic-3124330/

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How to Welcome Divine Light

Holy Spirit, Light Divine

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine.
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to 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.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We begin our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He is our Teacher and Guide as well, a Light to illumine our path as we follow Jesus. Let’s tune our hearts.

Divine Light

We live in a dark world. It is often difficult to find our way through he quagmires of self and sin, and almost impossible to due to unscathed. We realize how great the darkness is the closer we draw to the light of God.

Holy Spirit, light divine,

When God reveals Himself, we see clearly. We see His will and and ways. We see the path ahead of us. So why is it that often it seems like God is distant? It may seem like He is for a few reasons.

  1. We have grown accustomed to the dark so we do not always seek the light.
  2. We do not receive much encouragement from the world around us that has little familiarity with God’s light.
  3. When we do seek His light, it can sometimes be terrifying because His way is so different.

Daniel had a reputation for walking in the light. That reputation put him in a position to counsel the king of Babylon when God chose to reveal Himself through a handwriting on the wall. Imagine that.

I have heard of you that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Daniel 5:14 ESV

If we seek the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can be filled with light and understanding and excellent wisdom.  How might our lives be different if we were more diligent? Are you known in this way to the people in your life? Certainly that is a tall order, but the invitation is extended to all who welcome the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

RESONATE!
As we begin our journey with the Holy Spirit over these weeks start by thanking Him for being the light of God. Thank Him for illuminating your darkness. Thank Him for the reputation He gave to Daniel, and ask Him to begin to give you a heart that would long to be known as one in whom the Spirit of God resides. Begin by acknowledging the divine light that is the Holy Spirit.

Shine Upon This Heart of Mine

Illumine My Darkness

Shine upon this heart of mine.

When we truly welcome the light of God into our lives and hearts something miraculous begins to happen. We slowly become aware of darkness that resides in us, in our hearts. That light takes root in us in the person of Jesus Christ and is brightened by the work of the Holy Spirit.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

We need His light to shine in our hearts that we may have the knowledge of the glory of God.  That glory begins to push back the darkness in us. As it is revealed agree with God about it, confessing it to Him and ask Him to remove it.

But be careful because our hearts can be deceitful.  Be honest about the darkness.  If you like it because it keeps things hidden in your heart ask God for His forgiveness and then ask Him to remove that darkness. Do not try to remove it yourself.  You need the powerful illuminating work of the Holy Spirit to push back that darkness as you simply welcome the light of His presence.

RESONATE!
So take a moment and make the verse your prayer. Maybe something like this. “Holy Spirit, shine in my heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. I can not push back the darkness on my own. I need you to do that for me by first revealing Jesus to me and then forming Him in me. Show me Jesus.” As He does, let Him reveal where your life needs to change as darkness is revealed and removed.  Do not be in a hurry, and then remember to ask the Holy Sprit to examine your heart regularly. This is not a one-time occurrence but must become a way of living.

Jesus, thank You for sending Your Spirit to be Divine Light in me.  Forgive me for my darkness. Send Your Spirit into my heart again today to push back the darkness. As You do I will give You praise. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Reverent Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to 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’re 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.

Video 17.1 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.

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine.
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.

The Holy Spirit.  The third person of the Trinity.  In this stanza we reflect on His being the light of God.  Through this stanza the imagery develops as we ask Him to illumine our lives.  Start by thanking Him for being the light, and bringing that light into your darkness.  

Our hearts can be exceedingly deceitful.  We can even deceive ourselves.  Here we ask the Spirit to come and shine light into our hearts so if there is any wicked way in us He can show us.  Welcome His illumination of your heart and confess anything He reveals.

There are also influences the cast shadows over our lives, some we invite and others which encroach without any invitation.  Ask the Holy Spirit to chase those shades of night away with the light of His presence that it may cultivate a lingering brightness in your soul.

Psalm 139:12 tells us even the darkness is as light to Him so He can actually turn darkness into day.  The Spirit is the abiding presence of God, His seal of our redemption.  He wants to turn our night into day.  Ask Him to do that for you today, and every day.

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 How to Welcome Divine Light appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Holy Spirit, Light Divine – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/heart-love-luck-abstract-608787/
Shine Upon This Heart of Mine – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/banner-header-heart-love-4565257/

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How to Find Your Place in the Eternal Song

Thou For Us Hast Died

Crown Him the Lord of heav’n!
One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv’n
From yonder glorious throne,
To Thee be endless praise,
For Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days
Adored and magnified.

Crown Him with Many Crowns (1852)

By: Matthew Bridges, v. 3 by Godfrey Thring, pub.1874

Listen to this modern arrangement as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast 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 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.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We conclude our journey of resonance through this great hymn today. In the first half of this stanza, we considered how Jesus was one with the Father and Spirit as the Lord of heaven.  In this second half, we ponder our response to that eternal reality. Let’s think about this.

Endless Praise

To Thee be endless praise, For Thou for us hast died;

Our endless praise is the only appropriate response to what Jesus has done.  Though the perfect Son of God, He laid down His life to become the sacrifice for our sins, the only thing that could satisfy the just demand of a holy Father. Indeed, forever will not be long enough to offer the worship that is due Him for His death on that cross.

Still, we are not the first to offer this eternal exaltation around the heavenly throne.  In Revelation 5, we read of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders responding first to this Lamb who appears before the throne. They declare Him worthy and tell how His work has ransomed people from every tongue and made us a kingdom of priests who will reign. But the song is only beginning.

Myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, that is how John describes the angels that get in on the action and offer this call to worship.

 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
 to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
  and honor and glory and blessing!”  Revelation 5:12 ESV

Thousands of thousands.  One thousand thousand would be a million, so thousands of thousands would be millions.  The exact number is not really the point.  Simply put, that’s a lot of angels.  But did you notice how they sounded? With a loud voice.  They were together, unified as one voice declaring that praise.  

Words can not describe their number, so they certainly can not represent the power of that moment of heavenly acclamation. They were praising Him for salvation, but not their own.  That honor rests upon the redeemed, His blood-bought people.

Our salvation both makes offering praise possible and enables it. It is all the angels who are quoted here in John’s vision of heaven. There is truly endless praise, having begun at the dawn of creation and continuing forever. They praise Him who was slain for the sins of the world. Do you long to join them in praising the Lord of heaven?

We praise him eternally for dying for our sins.  We could and will praise Him for so much more across the span of forever, but our salvation is the foundation that allows us to offer our first praise and enables an eternity of the same.  Give Him praise now, and forever!

RESONATE!
It is very difficult for us to even begin to imagine what that endless praise will sound like. As a musician, I love to think about how glorious that praise will be. Take a minute, read that verse again, and ask the Spirit to sanctify your imagination.  As the story unfolds, this will be the praise that precedes ours around the throne.  Prepare yourself to respond today by pondering what those inspiring moments will be like. 

Endless Days

Adored and Magnified

If the angels’ praise is difficult to imagine, contemplate how difficult it is for us to conceive eternity.  Not only is the sound of their salutations virtually unfathomable, so is the length.  We will begin to praise Him, and simply never stop.

Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days Adored and magnified.

I have joked with folks over the years that they should sing in choirs because it gives them some practical experience for how we will spend a portion of forever. While I think we will engage in other activities besides just singing, I am confident we will lift our voices in praise. So, how are you getting ready?

We are going to spend some portion of our endless days offering endless praise.  I want to encourage you to get into good form now, not only because I think it will prepare you a bit for an eternity of adoration, but even more so because it will change your outlook now.

We will magnify Jesus as the Lord of heaven, but we do not have to wait.  We can offer the material for our commendation to Him today.  Your endless days can start today, if you are willing.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13 ESV

And join them we shall, every creature. Here is the material for our song. Do not wait until the end of days to offer your worship. Praise Him today, and then never stop.  That is the blessing of living eternally, we will adore and magnify Jesus for endless days. Hallelujah! Think on that.

RESONATE!
Yes we will add to the angels’ song with one of our own.  Notice the Scripture tells us we will “say” these words.  You can start your praise today by simply saying them to Jesus from your heart.  Read them again. Then say them out loud.  Do it again, and imagine you are joining your voice with every creature. You are not alone. Not even now. And you certainly will not be on that day. 

Jesus, thank You for dying for me so that I could be among the number that will offer endless praise for endless days. Help me look up today and every day, declaring blessing and honor and glory and might on Your matchless name. I can hardly wait to join my voice around Your throne. Help me grow in praise today. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Eternal Thinking!

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Podcast 16.4 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.

Crown Him the Lord of heav’n! One with the Father known,

My Father…is greater than all…I and the Father are one.” John 10:29a, 30 ESV

He is the Lord of heaven.  Two things of note.  First, He is one with the Father, the first mystery of the Trinity. Second, He is known with the Father.  Though they are distinct in person they are known connected, as with Jesus’ teaching here.  Give Him praise that we can know Him!

One with the Spirit through Him giv’n From yonder glorious throne,

Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39 ESV

Here is the second mystery of the Trinity. Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to be the Living Water available to all who believe to quench their spiritual thirst and be an expression of the same. Thank Jesus for sending us the Holy Spirit once He was glorified.

To Thee be endless praise, For Thou for us hast died;

 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
 to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
  and honor and glory and blessing!”  Revelation 5:12 ESV

It is all the angels who are quoted here in John’s vision of heaven. There is truly endless praise, having begun at the dawn of creation and continuing forever. They praise Him who was slain for the sins of the world. Do you long to join them praising the Lord of heaven?

Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days Adored and magnified.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13 ESV

And join them we shall, every creature. Here is the material of our song. Do not wait until the end of days to offer your worship. Praise Him today, and then never stop.  That is the blessing of living eternally, we will adore and magnify Jesus for endless days. Hallelujah! Think on that.

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.

Crown Him the Lord of heav’n!
One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv’n
From yonder glorious throne,
To Thee be endless praise,
For Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days
Adored and magnified.

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

The post How to Find Your Place in the Eternal Song appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Thou For Us Hast Died – https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/why-did-jesus-have-to-die
Adored and Magnified – https://adoringgod.org/2019/01/07/the-infinite-power-behind-gods-providential-care/

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