grace god

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I see you hanging there

Christ crossI SEE YOU HANGING THERE

I see you hanging there
Nailed to a splintered wooden beam,
Drinking pain and sorrows,
Breathing agony.
And in those dark, dark hours,
As life drained from Your flesh and bones,
I know my life had its beginning at Your cross.
And I thank You, thank You:

For the cross, where You bled,
For the cross, where You died,
For the cross, Where You’ve broken Satan’s back.
For the cross, where You won,
For the cross of victory,
For the cross, Where You paid the price for me.

You were my substitute
In laying down Your life for mine,
Being cursed and bearing
The wrath of God for me.
You were crushed by sin,
Your punishment has brought me peace,
And by the wounds You suffered
I’m alive and healed.
And I thank You, thank You:

Two days in the grave,
Then You rose up from the dead –
Now You reign in glory,
Rule in righteousness.
And I was raised with You,
Free at last from all my sin,
Safe forever in the shelter of my King.
And I thank You, thank You:

Michael Sandeman
Copyright © 2001 Thankyou Music

This song was released on an album titled IN CHRIST ALONE, Live Worship from CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING, UK

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The Glories of Calvary

Cross_The_PassionIt is sometimes a challenge as a Christian to explain why Good Friday is good, why the Cross is our delight, our boast. Unless you are willing to talk about God’s judgement, it makes it very tricky to explain why Jesus came at all. But that is why Jesus came – to live a perfect life then die a death where all the judgement for sin was laid on him.  Grace has come to us at such a cost – but not a cost to us! God’s boundless love held his own Son to the Cross, for us. “By our Savior’s crimson flow Holy wrath has been removed“. This is an ‘older’ song from Sovereign Grace writers Steve and Vikki Cook, but you don’t get a much better picture of the Glories of Calvary!

Listen here

THE GLORIES OF CALVARY

Lord, You’re calling me to come and behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace, that came to me at such a cost
Where Your boundless love conquered my boundless sin
And mercy’s arms were opened wide

My heart is filled with a thousand songs
Proclaiming the glories of Calvary
With every breath, Lord how I long
To sing of Jesus who died for me
Lord, take me deeper into the glories of Calvary

Sinners find eternal joy in the triumph of Your wounds
By our Savior’s crimson flow Holy wrath has been removed
And Your saints below join with your saints above
Rejoicing in the Risen Lamb

“The Glories of Calvary”, by Steve & Vikki Cook.
©2003 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Ministries.
From Songs for the Cross Centered Life.

Two great Keller quotes

GOD'S GRACE IN HANDS“Christ will do everything for you, or nothing. You cannot combine merit and grace.”

“Human beings will only be drawn out of themselves into unselfish acts of service to others when they see God as supremely beautiful.”

Tim Keller

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The Hurt and the Healer

HURT_AND_THE_HEALERI have been listening to this song over and over in the car today. Every time I listen it reminds me of something more of God’s grace. On the Cross Christ suffered. He was hurt for our healing. When we realise we are sinners, we are hurt, but this realisation makes for our healing. In our lives we may experience loss or disappointment when things we plan or expect don’t happen. Such pain makes us doubt the very love of God, and doubt His best plans for us. The “Why? question” is never too far away.
But in all this hurt the Healer meets us. God’s glory meets our suffering. The Hurt and the Healer collide. I trust you will also be encouraged by the truths of God’s powerful grace in what may be my new favourite song (for the week). Check out the lyrics below or watch the clip at the end.

THE HURT AND THE HEALER (Mercy Me)
Why?
The question that is never far away
But healing doesn’t come from the explained
Jesus please don’t let this go in vain
You’re all I have, All that remains
So here I am what’s left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

I’m alive, Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I fall into Your arms open wide
When the hurt and the Healer collide

Breathe
Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You
Lord take hold and pull me through
So here I am What’s left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

It’s the moment when humanity is overcome by majesty
When grace is ushered in for good and all our scars are understood
When Mercy takes its rightful place and all these questions fade away
When out of weakness we must bow and hear You say “It’s over now”

Jesus come and break my fear
Wake my heart and take my tears
Find Your glory even here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxqfDs-64I0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

(Click here to listen to another one of their songs which I have written about You are I AM)

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Powered by the Spirit (Ephesians 3:16)

revival_fire-817x1024Happy to say I am finally back to continue this series on the Three Sixteen (3:16) verses. (If you have recently joined us you might like to check out my posts on Matthew through to Galatians. Click here).
Today we have arrived at Ephesians; verse 16 is the first sentence below:
 “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)

If you ever needed a verse to print out and stick on the fridge, this is the one!
It is just such a mystery the way the Spirit works to deliver this inner strength. Who could ever write anything to adequately describe the work of the Spirit in us? (Probably not me, but I’ll have a go anyway.)
The Spirit’s presence, gifted to us when we receive Christ, brings us peace, union with Christ and power, supernatural power  – inner strength! This power is glorious and unlimited. The Spirit gives us the inner strength to say yes to God and no to sin and selfishness. He gives us the strength to own the name of our Saviour in the face of ridicule and persecution. The Spirit strengthens by leading us to the fullness of grace and strength in Christ. He does not seek glory for Himself. He empowers us so that the glory goes to God.

The Spirit’s work is not about providing a warm fuzzy or sentimental experience of God’s love. His task is to make Christ at home in our hearts, to enlighten the eyes of our hearts, so that we can KNOW God, making us complete with all the fullness of life and power in Christ.
This is the power of the Spirit of Christ! This inner strength requires and supplies the knowledge of truth in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

We should also remember that this gracious gift (of the ‘inner strength of the Spirit’) fulfills the big OT promise that came through Ezekiel, that God would deal with our sin problem once and for us. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Praise be to God for this next great 3:16 reminder of how he has dealt with our sin, in Christ, through Christ and for Christ. We get the present and eternal benefits of His sovereign and merciful plan.
We are powered by the Spirit!
How’s your battery running lately?
(Perhaps we could talk more about recharging at another time.)

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Could we live in grace and change the world?

Just discovered this grace-filled challenge tucked away on Matt Redman’s 10,000 Reasons album, in the song We could Change the World. It’s not really suitable for a congregation to sing, but it is a great personal challenge: Am I really living like God’s grace has made a difference? Am I responding in a way that shows I know God is loving and is stronger than everything in this world? Could I live like this? What’s stopping me?
Only listen if you are prepared to do some serious thinking…and praying.
(See Ephesians 1:16-23 for more details!)

Could we live like Your grace is stronger
Than all our faults and failures?
Could we live like Your love
Is deeper than our hearts can fathom
Could we live like this?

Could we live like Your name is higher
Than every other power?
Could we live like Your ways
Are wiser than our understanding?
Could we live like this?
Could we live like this?

[Chorus]
Yes, our God is all He says, all He says He is
Jesus, in Your name we could change the world
We stand in Your love, in Your power
And all You say we are
Jesus, in Your name we could change the world

We believe that Your grace is stronger
Than all our faults and failures
We believe that Your love
Is deeper than our hearts can fathom
So could we live like this
And shine in all the world
Could we live like this?

We’re saying, “yes, Lord, yes, Lord!”
What else could we say, what else could we say?
We’re saying, “yes, Lord, yes, Lord!”
We’re going all the way, we’re going all the way
We’re going to live like this

Yes, our God is all He says, all He says He is
Yes, our God is all He says, all He says He is

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Book Review: The Pressure’s Off by Larry Crabb

pressure1Over the holidays I chatted with a friend who was reading a great book by a favourite author of mine, Christian psychologist and all round smart guy, Dr. Larry Crabb. The theme is living by grace, and avoiding an attitude of works-based performance and perfectionism in our Christian walk. I would love to say I have read it, but only had a quick flick. Instead I will share a review from someone else. The book is definitely on my reading list this year. It would be great for any of your friends who struggle in this area. Praise be to God for his glorious grace!

Here’s the opening of the review. Click the link below to continue reading.
“Where the Protestant reformers sought to live for the glory of God,  Larry Crabb contends American Christians of today seek to be blessed by God. The result is a performance based pursuit of God’s blessing that leaves the pressure on where God never intended there to be pressure in a relationship with Him. Larry Crabb suggests there is a better way, a way that leaves as his new books says, The Pressure Off.”

Book Review: The Pressure’s Off by Larry Crabb.

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Oh the Mercy of God

GOD'S GRACE IN HANDSAs I prepare a new playlist of songs for church this year, I’ve been thinking through older songs we have enjoyed in the last decade of which you may not even be aware. Can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this one yet (since I am blogging about God’s grace, and music!). The lyrics of “Oh the Mercy of God” (1997) come to us straight from Ephesians 1:3-12, through the pen of Geoff Bullock, one of the founding musicians at Hillsong Sydney. In just three verses and a chorus he manages to sum up the wonder of a gracious God, who not only redeems us, but counts as as righteous! And why? For His own praise and glory. This is the astounding and almost unbelievable good news of the Gospel. Enjoy.
(Click on the link below to listen)

Oh the Mercy of God

Oh the mercy of God, The glory of grace
That You choose to redeem us, To forgive and restore
And You call us Your children, Chosen in Him
To be holy and blameless, To the glory of God

Chorus:
To the praise of His Glorious Grace
To the praise of His Glory and Power
To Him be all Glory Honour and Praise
For ever and ever and ever A–men

Oh the richness of Grace, The depths of His love
In Him is redemption, The forgiveness of sin
You called us as righteous, Predestined in Him
For the praise of His Glory, Included in Christ.

Oh the Glory of God expressed in His Son
His image and likeness revealed to us all
The plan of the ages completed in Christ
That we be presented perfected in Him.

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We are His People

HelloImSavedByGraceHoping soon to compile a list of new songs that we plan to add to our repertoire at ARPC in 2013. But before I do that I want to introduce you to an older song (if 2002 is old!) from EMU music – a song which is filled with the mercy and grace of Jesus that we have been singing for many years. You will find it to be a fairly simple and lively song. It is based on that great grace passage in Ephesians 2:8-10 (my favourite!). What a great verse for your church to be singing.

The song seems to be based on the wording of the NIV, but I quite like the NLT version: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Hope you enjoy the song and find it useful. Sheet music is at Song Select (and from EMU).

1. We, we are God’s people
Once, dead in our sin and
Now, raised up with Christ in heaven
God, rich in his mercy
Made us all alive in Christ
Seated with him forever

Chorus
By grace we are saved through
Faith, not from us but
God – not our works or boasting
By grace we are saved through
Faith, not from us but
God – not our works or boasting – by grace.

2. We, we are God’s people
Once, once who were far away
Saved by the blood of Jesus
Now, we are his temple
Filled, filled with his Spirit
Made – for doing good in Jesus.

© 2002 Philip Percival

Listen here or purchase

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Grace has now appeared – Christ!

adventTitus 2:11  “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.”

Talking today about another great new Christmas song published by the folks from EMU music. (If you haven’t heard of them, they are a great source of singable gospel-true congregational songs). This song “Grace has now appeared” is the first track on their recently released Christmas album “Advent” (follow this link to buy on itunes). The theme is obviously the “advent”, the arrival of our Saviour, the Word become flesh.

The whole album is filled with gospel-rich songs of different styles and tempos. It’s great to play in your home or car through the holiday season, to help remember the loving act of our Holy God, who became man, and showed immeasurable kindness in stooping down to save us, from our addiction to worshipping ourselves.
My favourite lines of this song come in verse 3, “He has come to dwell within us, Bringing us from death to life, Giving us the hope of glory, Making us like Christ, Shining forth his light.” Grace has indeed appeared! And we “little Christs” are the living reminders of that grace. Hope you enjoy the album! (Sheet music available here)

GRACE HAS NOW APPEARED

1. See the love of God of Father
For our lost and desperate race
Sending to our world a saviour
Full of truth and grace
People who once walked in darkness
Now are dwelling in the light
Undeserving of his kindness
Blindness turned to sight
Dead have come to life

Chorus
Glory to our God in heaven
Celebrate the Saviour’s birth
Joyful news for all the people
Hope has come to earth
God has comforted his people
Come to drive away our fear
Born for us in David’s city
Grace has now appeared

2. See the grace of our Lord Jesus
Who was rich but became poor
In our place he pays our ransom
Satisfies the law
Giving up his life for sinners
Banishing our guilt and shame
Pouring out for us his life-blood
Freeing us from blame
This is why he came

3. See the Holy Spirit’s power
Overshadow Mary’s womb
Come upon the suffering servant
Raise him from the tomb
He has come to dwell within us
Bringing us from death to life
Giving us the hope of glory
Making us like Christ
Shining forth his light

© 2012 Rob Smith

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