Month: August 2022

A New Attitude as a Tuned-up Instrument to Sing a New Song to the LORD

My heartstrings become “out of tune,” immediately when they’re hit with news of the world today.

So, I fight to think of something good. This hymn always rescues me:

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise, (Come Thou Fount, Robert Robinson, 1758).

This is the prayer I can’t find to pray when I’m hit with sudden heaviness. I need a heart tune-up.

“Come thou Fount of every blessing!”

So, I talk to the Lord,

“Jesus, Your greatest work is You died on the cross, for me. For the “sins of the world, You are the Lamb of God.”

I think of the two guilty men on either side of You, each on a cross. You were innocent, without guilt, shame, or sin.

Yet, one of the guilty men was changed in an instant. He watched You, listened to You, and he believed. And he rebuked the other criminal.”

So, I opened God’s Word to read the account.

Everything became crystal clear to him:

 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 

 But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”

(Luke 23: 39-43).

This thief and liar was instantly changed. In the presence of the Lord, He watched. he heard. He believed. That’s what the Lord is showing me I must do. Everyday.

My heaviness and attitude are lifted and softened. I look at Jesus in His Word and hear what He says.

The hymn reminds me: I need continual reminders of the power of God, whom I believe.

I’ve got to fight the fight of faith all day long with praise and prayer:


Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
mount of God’s redeeming love (Come Thou Fount, Robinson).

I went to a “melodious sonnet,” in Psalm 98. I discover again, my heavy heart becomes hopeful, with faith, to believe God is great again. I have thankfulness again.

God’s Word is living:

“Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.


The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.


He has remembered his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God” Psalm 98: 1-3.

God’s reminding me, “Keep your eyes on My marvelous works and pray to Me. Ask of Me!

“Do you love My ocean? The sound of My rivers? My sunrises, My sunsets?

 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
    let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98:7-9.

God is Big. There’s nothing our God can’t do!

There is power in the name of Jesus. There’s life in His Word. This is my safe place.

Today, will you join me to lift our eyes, and, yes, even our hands in faith and praise the Lord, together? Today,

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help, I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above (Come Thou Fount, Robinson).

As an orchestra, with eyes up, yes, and even arms raised, let’s be changed in an instant in faith of God through Jesus, His Son:

Here’s my heart
Oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Tell someone of your heart change, your new attitude. And let a child keep our faith on track with this:

Ella/My God is so Big!

Who Can We Believe? Only God’s Word is Truth!

God cannot lie. The Bible is the only truth to stand on. (For all eternity, to be exact.)

If you have a Bible on your shelf or can open an app on your device, it’s time to hear God’s voice instead of man’s highest wisdom.

I sound so dramatic, don’t I? And I’m a nobody. I have no large platform. “Oh, Toni’s always telling us to read our Bibles. Isn’t that just like her?”

NO! I’m not just talking flowery, or “religious” words! I’m talking about truth with a capital T and life, hope, and the only Love out there:

“For God so loved, “me,” . . .

Stop a minute and speak this aloud.

“He gave His only Son,. . . “

But God isn’t only Love, He’s just! He’s holy. Jesus came. He died on the cross, as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” John 1:29.

His blood was shed to wash our lies, our impatience, our envy, our pride, our anger, our hate . . . all our sin away.

It’s time to believe in Him, the Rock of our salvation, and stop building our “houses” of our souls on fear and unstable foundations that continue to change, crumble, and fall.

It’s time to humble ourselves and agree with God, “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.

The endless lies and “new” definitions about Jesus, family, humankind, marriage, babies, freedoms, justice . . . the Bible speaks on all of this in Genesis, Revelation, the Book of John, the Book of Proverbs, in all of the 66 Books of the Bible. Open The Book and hear it for yourself, not “hearsay!”

I spent my whole summer meeting up with children and bringing them the story of Noah in Genesis 6-8.

Can you believe, for 120 years Noah worshiped God, built an ark for a huge rain that no one believed would come, and told the people, “Come through this door and you will be saved from the destruction!”

No one listened. Everyone laughed and mocked, except his immediate family.

Noah wasn’t talking about the “end of the world,” he was talking about a saved life in a new earth. Noah was inviting people for safety, security, provision, protection, covering—

Year after year, month after month, day after day. Noah loved and obeyed the Lord.

The worldwide flood did come. We can go to the zoo and thank Noah he obeyed God and remained faithful to build the ark with the help of God’s Spirit and instruction. (Genesis 6-8).

As in the days of Noah, Satan is working overtime. Are there lies? Is there violence, stealing, and hatred in our world? What does the Bible have to say about Satan:

 “. . . He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” John 8:44.

What did Jesus have to say?

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.

Jesus told us He is life. We can read it ourselves when we spend time individually, intentionally, and whole-heartedly with Him.

As Noah, we are to “build each other up,” (not be tearing each other apart,) and talk of the wonderful works of God.

Today, I talk about God’s greatest work. His gift of Jesus. He is the “Door,” to deliverance from evil, salvation, and life. He is the Good Shepherd. He is our only hope:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 

 I and My Father are one” John 10:27-30.

Do you feel the Lord tug on your heart? Is your soul thirsty for Living Water? Do you feel the need to turn around to the Lord of love?

We are at the last hour. There was a day when God said, “Noah, get on the ark.” And only days later, God shut them in. The time is short.

Do it today. Make today the first day of the rest of your “eternal life,” and pray to Jesus,

“Dear Lord, You have touched my heart. I need a Savior. I need to turn back to you. You alone can help me. Take my anger, my critical spirit, my hurts, my pains, my brokenness. Heal me, Jesus.

Take my life and come in to make me new. I need “new.” Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name,

Amen.”

______________________________________

Please tell someone if you have asked the Lord in your life. Pick up a Bible and make it yours. If you don’t have a Bible, ask the church if they have one for you.

Look up John 3:16,17 and yellow it in!

For God so loves . . . you!

Take a moment to let the sound of kids sing God’s Greatest Gift Song: John 3:16 & 17 to fill your heart with the joy of the Lord as you rejoice in His great love:

Original by Toni John 3:16 & 17 with Irelyn & Graham

A 1737 Hymn turns me around every time. “Give to the winds thy fears;”

1. Give to the winds thy fears;
hope and be undismayed.
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head.

2. Through waves and clouds and storms,
God gently clears the way;
wait thou God’s time; so shall this night
soon end in joyous day.

3. Leave to God’s sovereign sway
to choose and to command;
so shalt thou, wondering, own that way,
how wise, how strong this hand.

4. Let us in life, in death,
thy steadfast truth declare,
and publish with our latest breath
thy love and guardian care.
Paul Gerbhardt, translated by John Wesley, 1737).

“Hope and be undismayed . . . ”

These are times of great trouble. Persecuted Christians are imprisoned, there are economic struggles, deceptive governments, struggles in the church, physical illnesses, and losses of great magnitude, etc.

I wrote this first paragraph many years ago. But, it fits today.

What great comfort to know, God is the same. God’s Word never changes.

I feel as if, in life, I play a one-stringed guitar.

God’s Word tells us, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

This is my one-stringed theme in life. So, when my heart is out of tune, most likely there is no song around. A good-themed melody is a therapy for the heart and mind.

I share this old hymn from long ago, and want to encourage you to join me to put some voice on the words and speak these faith sounds to revive worn-out souls:

“Give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.”
“Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears thy way; Wait thou His time; So shall this night soon end in joyous day.”

The second stanza reminds me God is big when trials seem to build. Nothing is impossible with Him. I can trust Him. You can trust Him. We can trust God.

When we choose to believe and follow the Lord, He will faithfully lead us:

Leave to God’s sovereign sway
to choose and to command;
so shalt thou, wondering, own that way,
how wise, how strong this hand.

Have you given your life to the One who gave His own? Jesus paid it all. All our debt in full. Is today your day to rest in His strong, sovereign hand?

There is no death in Christ! To rest in His love is eternal love and life forever with Him.

Let us in life, in death,
thy steadfast truth declare,
and publish with our latest breath
thy love and guardian care.

We must rest in His Word and truth:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27.

If you feel the Lord tugging on your heart to pray, then talk to Him now. Salvation in Jesus is only a prayer away. Ask Him in your life.

He comes in and cleanses and makes new all the garbage and junk and debt of sin. We all have sin. We all need a Savior. Is today the day?

If you have the Lord and feel burdened and heavy on this day, talk to the Lord,

Through waves and clouds and storms,
God gently clears the way;
wait thou God’s time; so shall this night
soon end in joyous day.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor” Isaiah 61:1-3.

Are you changed today? For salvation or revived hope to persevere? Talk to someone about it!

God bless each of us today. How we need Jesus. In His name, we pray. Amen.