One breath away from repentance.
One step away from regret.
This moment defines you
Today and now on.
Choose carefully, my friend.
This chance too soon is gone.
"I'm sorry, Dear Lord.
Please forgive me today."
This is the choice you know you should make.
It won't be easy but you won't be alone.
He gave you His word
And He will never lead you wrong.
"One more time won't matter.
I'm sure I'll have lots of fun."
Then one time leads to another and another.
And you're deeper in sin and regret.
If only you'd chosen more wisely.
But you were not ready yet.
You go through life
Either in obedience or
Choosing to rebel.
Knowing that, either way,
Each choice you make
Helps or hurts someone every day.
Fast forward and it's time for your judgement.
It could be now or it could be in years.
Which way did you choose?
What will He say
When He surveys what you chose to do?
Did you ask His forgiveness,
Let His blood wash you clean
And then did you earn a 'well done'?
Or did you continue in sin
Thinking you knew what was best
And earn damnation instead of rest?
Did pride and selfishness cloud your vision?
Did His light finally shine through?
How dark does your life need to get
Before you see?
He's right there where He's always been
And He's wanting to forgive you.
He tries to get your attention.
With open eyes you can see,
His love and forgiveness is at every turn.
It will cost you nothing to be free.
He did it for you out of love.
With His life He paid for it all.
One breath away from repentance.
One step away from regret.
He stands there waiting to change your life,
Offering you abundance now and forever.
With His whole life He loves and adores you.
With arms wide open He waits....for you.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Verse 4
The congregation is singing in worship. The words seem to flow as wonderful old hymns rise to the ceiling and echo around the walls. Then it happens. The Worship Leader says "verse 5". But wait. We just sang verse 3. What happened to verse 4? Poor verse 4. More often than not it gets left out.
Now this is not a new phenomenon. In fact I remember the same thing happening when I was a child. But why? Why verse 4? Was the author struggling during the writing of that verse so it doesn't really make sense? Does it say something wrong? Is there an unwritten code somewhere that says verse 4 in a song of 5 verses or more always gets left out?
Actually I think the reason is about time. In an effort to sing more songs, a verse (or two if the song has 6 or more) is left out. But why verse 4? Why not start at verse 2 or leave off the last verse?
While this may not seem important, please hear me out. As usual, I'm pretty sure there is a method to my madness. Let's look at one of the most beautiful and loved hymns of all time.
Amazing Grace. Most of us could sing a good deal of that song even if it had been years since we heard it. But what about verse 4? "The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures."
To get the whole idea here, lets start with a little history. Written by John Newton, who had been a slave trader and not a Christian prior to writing these words, he wrote verse 1 after being on a ship during a violent storm. The conditions were so severe that he called out to God for mercy. That marked his spiritual conversion. While his boat was being repaired, he wrote that first verse. "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see."
That just reminded me of when the disciples and Jesus were on a boat and a horrible storm arose. The disciples were afraid. But Jesus was asleep. They woke Him, thinking He didn't even care since He was asleep. But Jesus stood up and commanded the wind "Be quiet!" To the waves He said "Be still!" The wind and the waves obeyed Him. Now I don't know if John Newton had heard this story before he called out to God on that stormy night, but even if he hadn't, he did the same thing as the disciples. He spoke to God.
Back to verse 4. I find it interesting that John Newton wrote the first verse in 1748 but the rest was written much later for a New Year's Day sermon in 1773. And Newton actually ended his then poem "Amazing Grace" with verse 4. Verse 5 was written by someone else and added in 1790. Now I'm not down playing the impact of the words in verse 5. It beautifully describes what our reward will be like someday. But what message was John Newton wanting to get across with verse 4 and what blessing are we missing by leaving it out?
Beginning with a verse of repentance and realizing how unworthy we are and then followed by a verse describing how we are not only saved by grace but grow and live by God's grace, Newton then wrote verse 3. Perhaps Newton was still thinking back to that fateful night when he first believed like he mentioned in verse 2 when he penned "Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; Tis grace that brought me safe this far, And grace will lead me home." Newton knew that he lived, every day, covered in the grace of God.
And that forgotten verse that just takes up too much time to sing (a huge 34.93 seconds according to my calculations) was perhaps what John Newton meant to be the summation of what God's grace meant to him. "The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures." Newton knew that, according to God's Word, his future was secure. And it was secure because of God's Amazing Grace.
What is your verse 4? What are you leaving out because you just don't think there is enough time? Think about the words in verse 4. The verse that often gets left out because of 'time'. For me, I'm thinking of my verse 4. In fact I think I have several of them. And it's time I stop leaving them out. They are there for a reason. And I just suspect, like verse 4 in Amazing Grace, a blessing will be attached when I just make time for my very own verse 4.
Now this is not a new phenomenon. In fact I remember the same thing happening when I was a child. But why? Why verse 4? Was the author struggling during the writing of that verse so it doesn't really make sense? Does it say something wrong? Is there an unwritten code somewhere that says verse 4 in a song of 5 verses or more always gets left out?
Actually I think the reason is about time. In an effort to sing more songs, a verse (or two if the song has 6 or more) is left out. But why verse 4? Why not start at verse 2 or leave off the last verse?
While this may not seem important, please hear me out. As usual, I'm pretty sure there is a method to my madness. Let's look at one of the most beautiful and loved hymns of all time.
Amazing Grace. Most of us could sing a good deal of that song even if it had been years since we heard it. But what about verse 4? "The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures."
To get the whole idea here, lets start with a little history. Written by John Newton, who had been a slave trader and not a Christian prior to writing these words, he wrote verse 1 after being on a ship during a violent storm. The conditions were so severe that he called out to God for mercy. That marked his spiritual conversion. While his boat was being repaired, he wrote that first verse. "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see."
That just reminded me of when the disciples and Jesus were on a boat and a horrible storm arose. The disciples were afraid. But Jesus was asleep. They woke Him, thinking He didn't even care since He was asleep. But Jesus stood up and commanded the wind "Be quiet!" To the waves He said "Be still!" The wind and the waves obeyed Him. Now I don't know if John Newton had heard this story before he called out to God on that stormy night, but even if he hadn't, he did the same thing as the disciples. He spoke to God.
Back to verse 4. I find it interesting that John Newton wrote the first verse in 1748 but the rest was written much later for a New Year's Day sermon in 1773. And Newton actually ended his then poem "Amazing Grace" with verse 4. Verse 5 was written by someone else and added in 1790. Now I'm not down playing the impact of the words in verse 5. It beautifully describes what our reward will be like someday. But what message was John Newton wanting to get across with verse 4 and what blessing are we missing by leaving it out?
Beginning with a verse of repentance and realizing how unworthy we are and then followed by a verse describing how we are not only saved by grace but grow and live by God's grace, Newton then wrote verse 3. Perhaps Newton was still thinking back to that fateful night when he first believed like he mentioned in verse 2 when he penned "Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; Tis grace that brought me safe this far, And grace will lead me home." Newton knew that he lived, every day, covered in the grace of God.
And that forgotten verse that just takes up too much time to sing (a huge 34.93 seconds according to my calculations) was perhaps what John Newton meant to be the summation of what God's grace meant to him. "The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures." Newton knew that, according to God's Word, his future was secure. And it was secure because of God's Amazing Grace.
What is your verse 4? What are you leaving out because you just don't think there is enough time? Think about the words in verse 4. The verse that often gets left out because of 'time'. For me, I'm thinking of my verse 4. In fact I think I have several of them. And it's time I stop leaving them out. They are there for a reason. And I just suspect, like verse 4 in Amazing Grace, a blessing will be attached when I just make time for my very own verse 4.
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