Beginning in January you can read “A Golden Treasury for the Children of God” on Kindle.
This is a 365 day devotional first printed in the 1700s by CHv Bogatzky.
This new printing used for Kindle was originally published as twelve monthly booklets.
If you are interested in this book or booklets, leave a comment, or go to the website agoldentreasury.com.
Music is designed with a melody that runs throughout the whole piece. Other parts add harmony. The melody is the beginning, and the ending. It is what holds the piece together. Lose the melody or make it a monotone—the same tone over and over— and it ceases to be music. Overpower the melody and the music loses its meaning.
Music is a sound that began in heaven with God, our Father and Creator. It is a major means that He provided to help us worship Him—“Holy, Holy, Holy”—one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Ghost, is sung by the angels in heaven. (Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8)
Anthems are compositions for music that include all parts —melody, harmony, and sometimes, what is called a descant. A descant is a part that is sung by a higher range of voices. It is not meant to overpower but provide an extra lift to the other parts.
Together all the parts speak to the senses to lift the spirit and the heart toward God.
Some of The Psalms that we sing from the Trinity Psalter have descants. If you have never sung The Psalms you have not only missed hearing the command of the Lord in Ephesians 5:19, but also the blessings that come with them when they are sung.
In Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we worship with Biblical texts and heavenly music.
(For centuries The Psalms were sung in all the churches. They are God’s Word sung in worship to Him. But most churches for the past two hundred years have thrown them out in the same way that the true gospel has been pushed aside.)
And for the most part, all we hear is a monotone—the same thing over and over. Melody and harmony have been replaced with the performances of one person’s voice or drowned by instruments that overpower the melody.
Hymns have been replaced by compositions that have no harmony—difficult to sing and remember—and have separated generations of families.
I picture it according to His Word—the melody was begun in heaven with Jesus, His Son—“Holy, Holy, Holy” from the foundation of the world. He would not only be the beginning of music, but the melody throughout the span of time here on earth, onward into eternity.
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes…”
He was wrapped in our humanity—the melody of heaven was here—to gather around Him those that would add the harmony to Himself, and provide the music for His family, the music that the Father wanted to hear.
“On the same night there were shepherds with flocks of sheep in the field. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them”—the music and the worship were about to begin.
“And the glory of the Lord shone round about them with good tidings of great joy”—the prelude—the introduction to the first anthem of true worship.
“To all people—unto you is born a Savior, Christ the Lord”—the music begins.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest”—the descant.
“And on earth peace.” Christ Jesus, our Lord, is the melody of heaven, the melody of life, as God has composed it, and plays it for us by His Spirit and through His Word.
“I will declare thy name (the Father) unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” “Behold, I and the children which God hath given me.” (Hebrews 2:12-13)— the harmony of His family. Now He has a full choir.
The Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that we learn throughout our childhood are the anthems that are carried into heaven with us, as we join that celestial choir. Others are added along the way as He gives us a repertoire. The only soloist is the one who carries the melody—Christ, Himself.
As we live by the Spirit, and walk by the Spirit, He opens our ears to hear the melody, and to follow Him. Our off-keys and monotones are tuned to harmonize with other voices. And walking humbly with our Father, in the obedience of faith, loving the Lord, our God, and our neighbor, we are surrounded by the heavenly overtones echoing His praise in heaven and earth. In our devotion to Christ He opens our hearts to hear compositions we have never heard before, especially during the difficult circumstances of life.
I pray that we know the Lord as our strength and song.” (Exodus 15:2)
I pray that we would experience “the new song” as He fills us with His Spirit.
On this Lord’s Day I go to His House with a great expectation of hearing the melody—a strong and sure foundation for our worship—hearing the other parts, and the distant sound of the descant of the angels in affirmation that our worship is accepted.
I pray that each day we will practice our singing, individually, and in family worship, so that we are prepared for worship on the Lord’s Day—all in preparation for the great day when we see Him and praise Him in all His glory with the angels.
Our Father has composed the music and directs the choir.
Let us sing with full hearts to His glory and our joy.
“Holy,—-Holy,—-Holy,
The LORD of hosts:
The whole earth is full of His glory.”
Lord’s Day 9/23/07 (Article from 50 Days of Prayer and Praise~Articles and Stories of Faith.)
The path of grief begins with a loss, usually the death of a loved one. Since my first post on grief, “Grace for Grief,” I hope that you have followed other posts. They have been indirectly the beginnings of this path that I believe can be part of your experience to get through and triumph over your grief. (Example: articles on the Lord’s Day. Part of healing is through our obedience to His commands. This includes our worship and fellowship with His people. Grace ~ A Realm, speaks of Christ living in you, to bring you through everything in this life.)
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief.”
Isaiah 53:3
This blog is for the proclamation of God’s grace. Everything that we write is intended to be wisdom and comfort for those who read. You will find Jesus Christ, the Lord of grace, in each article. He is the one to follow through this path of grief. He has been there, and will lead you through. So, even though an article may not have the word “grief” in it, it will still minister to your heart, and be a means of His grace to get you through.
The path of grief is not something we chose to take, but is placed before us. We must rise up and follow, else we will become stagnant. Life will no longer have meaning. There are many cases where the persons left behind grieve themselves to death. They refuse to take the path that will lead them through their suffering. There are others who have by their own hand taken their own life. In these cases, the reality of life was never in Jesus Christ, but in whatever was lost.
A path is based on promises. There are signs posted along this way of grace, and He has said that He will always be with you.
A path is going somewhere. There is an end in mind, and at some point the end will be in view. Herein is the hope that keeps us going.
A path can take different turns. There may be resting places at times, before you go on. These times will test your faith, and work patience, and faith in you.
A path is mapped out individually for each of us. Your grief may not be like someone else’s. But know that your heavenly Father in His sovereignty has a special plan and way for you.
A path is sometimes lonely. Even those who have experienced the same kind of loss may not know how to get through, nor help you get through it.
A path is not a race track; the time it will take to get through will be according to His timing.
A path has places of interest that you have never seen before. These are pointed out as you take the Father’s hand and walk with Him.
This path of grief is a narrow path. There is no room to turn around. When you commit to follow Jesus Christ, He expects your own self-denial for the duration.
“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou art the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.”
Psalm 25:4-5
I cannot promise that in following this blog you will be triumphant over your grief, but the promise is from the Father Himself, that in your following Christ, His Son, He will bring you through—to His glory and your joy.
In the grace and love of Christ. ~ Fran
The first opening of our Camellia—the beginning of winter;
Into the depths of the cold season this shrub
which has become a tree
will be filled with these beautiful blooms.
God’s grace is a realm, within a realm, within a realm.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DIAGRAM?
It expresses the idea of a first thought, but it does not convey the truth that our heavenly Father gives of Himself and His grace. Continued thought and meditation on His Word brought me to see that this diagram gives a limited view of Him and His grace. It encloses all things to my narrow way of thinking.
There are many images of GOD. We can think of him with many different names and uses. In our own imaginations we make GOD what we want Him to be. Apart from His Word and His Holy Spirit we can make GOD just like us. This diagram binds GOD within this circle. It also binds His grace within my little idea of what He does. The only thing right about this picture is of the world—which is bound.
“HE HAS SET HIS THRONE IN THE HEAVENS;
AND HIS KINGDOM RULETH OVER ALL.”
Psalm 103:19
WHAT IS DIFFERENT IN THIS PICTURE?
The true and living GOD of the Holy Bible has a name that those of HIS KINGDOM know and acknowledge—THE LORD GOD—who made heaven and earth. No other (whatever) claims this name nor this power. Of His kingdom there is no limit. This world and everything beyond is under His rule.
The world is bound within the kingdom of THE LORD GOD. He has set its boundaries. Under His sovereignty and in His providence the world will turn its final turn in HIs timing, when He will have put all kingdoms under the feet of His Son, Jesus Christ.
“THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.”
Luke 17:22
The realm of GOD’S GRACE is bound up in Jesus Christ, but not bound by our thinking. By the power of His grace His kingdom is born within us. It is a supernatural kingdom, unlike the world. We cannot see it. We can only believe it and live it as He continues to sanctify us in Christ. How is this possible?
“And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD:
and they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
for they shall return unto me with their whole heart”
Jeremiah 24:7
The revelation of Christ brings regeneration—new life in Him. This new heart and spirit is the kingdom of His grace ruling within us. He is not bound in His own use of His grace, but spreads it wherever He chooses, according to the counsel of His own will; (Ephesians 1:11) that we should be to the praise of His glory; living in the world as light and salt.
The heart is the center of our being. What rules our heart rules our life. Are we ruled by the world—or by THE LORD GOD AND HIS GRACE?
The first thought of this diagram came to me on the eve of the most trying decade of my life. It was a vision that The Lord gave that assured me that though the world surrounds us with its evil, its hypocrisy, its rule of injustice, our heavenly Father’s kingdom is in control of it all. His grace within my heart and life keeps me by His power, ruling and reigning, now and through eternity. We can stand against the wiles of the devil, the god of this world who blinds the world to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is deceived and seeks to deceive by his own devises.
We can face the enemy who would use everything in our lives to turn us against THE LORD GOD and His kingdom. The trials, the temptations, and the losses that occur here in this world are but opportunities for our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ to show us His kingdom, His limitless power and grace in and through us—for His glory, and our joy.
Who in this life desires to face death’s door? Who has the faith to believe that new life is on the other side? Those who are in pain and agony may be the only ones who are truly ready to answer this question. While in good health we tend to shun the idea; death is not something we like to think or talk about. But we must.
If God is true, then we can look at all of this life in light of His promises. What does His Word teach us about death? What does the Bible say about life after death?
What is truth? What is fiction or heresy? We must each settle these questions in our own hearts and minds, based on what we have read or heard from other people, our own experiences with the deaths of loved ones, and/or by faith in God’s Word. It is the understanding of these things that enable us to die, or to endure the grief in the loss of our loved ones.
What I believe will keep me steadfast in hope when I face that door. How I live now is preparing me for death to this life and the “immediate passing into glory.” (SC) Faith, through the grace of Jesus Christ will enable me to accept Jerry’s death if he dies before I do.
God teaches us in many ways—specifically through His Word; but He works in His providence to reveal His intervention in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. My brother was at death’s door twice before it was opened. Five months ago when he had complications from gall bladder surgery, in ICU for 6 weeks, he was not ready to go; his wife nor his doctor (who was a good friend of the family) were ready to let him go. He was placed in two other facilities, heavily medicated for pain, paranoia, and depression, before being brought back to the hospital for the amputation of his toes. This was the final trauma that enabled him to face, and desire this opening and passing through this door. Death was the only truth, and hope, left. The mystery on the other side was drawing him to embrace his death and to submit to it.
God blessed, during these five months, for my sister-in-law, alone without her husband, to experience His care for her.
My dad died on Labor Day seventeen years ago. Friday, following that Monday, Jerry’s nephew’s daughter was born—a message that life goes on, even when one is taken from us.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.“
Luke 9:23
There is a death that must take place in this life—death to our own way of life and the desires of the flesh. The eternal life that awaits the believer beyond the door of physical death begins now. We experience it here on this earth, in the everyday trials, pain and agony. New life begins the moment God’s Spirit births us into His kingdom, and it transports us beyond this wilderness into His glory for eternity. For this truth, and in the reality of this promise, we rejoice now, and evermore in the Lord, Jesus Christ, who has opened this door of grace for those who follow Him.
“I AM THE DOOR…” John 10:9
Where do I begin to write on the subject of grief? I must begin within the parameters of God’s grace. To approach anything, to come to a knowledge of things in this life, outside of His grace, leaves us with unanswered questions and unfulfilled promises.
Grief is the result of—our response to—the loss of something, particularly the loss of a family member or close friend. Grief is the human side. Grace is God’s side. Grief outside the realm of our Father’s grace will never be properly understood, dealt with, or overcome. Grief wrapped in God’s grace brings us into His own presence, His wisdom, and the comfort of His “everlasting arms.” To understand grief as our Father sees it will enable us to embrace it, endure it, and triumph through it. It will bring us beyond the grief, in time; where grief is exchanged for His grace. As deeply agonizing is the grief, so deeply His grace works in our hearts to experience His glory and joy.
“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
In many articles on the subject of grief this verse from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is quoted. We first understand this comfort in the context of mourning over our sins. It is the believer, the sons and daughters of the living God, who have experienced His grace. Those who have already come to Christ in repentance and godly sorrow receive this blessing in all times of loss. This comfort is already a part of our relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. He is, at all times, and every day, preparing us to lose the things and the people, we love. This does not make the grieving any easier. We still must go through the pain and agony, but with something the unbeliever does not have—FAITH, HOPE, and the LOVE of a gracious heavenly Father. In our loss, and during our grieving, He reveals Himself as He never has before.
Death for the one we lose is a final moment in time and history. There is no more pain, and no grieving in the heart and spirit of one who dies, physically. There is no loss—only gain—unless the person dies without Christ; then our grieving will be useless for them.
As I have experienced the lose of a niece at the age of 23, my grandparents, 18 aunts and uncles (12 children in my mother’s family; 8 in my father’s), cousins, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my father, my mother, and now my brother, who was my only sibling, Jerry is now the only one of this family older than I am. It behooves me to think more clearly, surely, and wisely about this thing called grief. What is its purpose as it relates to the death of a loved one, family or friend?
The purpose of this series of articles on grief is two-fold: as a ministry to my sister-in-law, and others who have lost a loved one; and as preparation for myself and others who see the future possibility (unless we, as wives, die first). Particularly we will be addressing the loss of a spouse.
We will write about the purpose in God’s plan for grief, the means of grace for our grief, how to relate to one who is grieving, and how the church is to minister to the widow.
We post this series with the desire and invitation that you join in this ministry with your own comments, and direct those who are grieving to this blog. We pray that our heavenly Father will speak to us through His Word, through Christ and His Spirit, in the next few articles; that we will hear from those who are in grief now, and from you who have experienced the Lord’s grace during your time of grief.
“Blessed be God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3
God's Grace ~ God's Glory! 