Minute Musings...I Am Blessed

Today is Canada's 148th birthday...we are a blessed nation.  It's easy to complain about
what we perceive as great problems within our borders, and yes there are problems...but
WE ARE BLESSED!  We still have religious freedom, we have universal health care, we
are free to voice our thoughts on any subject!  There are many in this old world who do
not enjoy such freedom.

We also experience great blessing personally.  For myself I am blessed to have loving
children who not only care for me in word, but also in deed.  I am blessed with a precious
little grandson and another one on the way.  God has blessed me with enough health to
still be able to care for myself.  I have my mental capacities still intact (really!).  I have
access to the medications I need on a daily basis.  I have my eyesight and hearing...such
blessings!

However my greatest blessing is my dear Savior.  To be loved, blood bought and kept
by the Great God and King of the Universe is a truth that is overwhelming.  What makes
this even more unbelievable is that I deserve none of His mercy and grace. 

 

How do you view your life today?  Do you see the showers of blessings from a loving
God, or do you only see trials, adversities, hardships and tribulations?  I want to point
out a great truth to you...blessings often come disguised as trials!  Some of you might
be shaking your heads at this statement, but it is the truth. 

God says this to us in Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward
you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected
end."

Don't mistakenly think that God has not blessed you because of a lack of material
possessions.  God's greatest blessings are peace, joy, comfort and His promised presence
with us.  It is one of the greatest blessing to have the peace of God present in your heart
while in the midst of a great trial.  The blessing of His precious promises have been a life
line to me during the lowest points in my life.  The blessing of others in my life have
been an encouragement and help that can never be measured.  The blessing that comes
from Godly music has been a balm to my hurting soul many times over.

I challenge you today to take a fresh look at your life.  Ask God to show you His
great mercy, love and grace that might be hidden in the storms of tribulation in your
life.  There is always a silver lining of blessing in every storm...take the time to look
for it. 

Ephesians 1:3  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJursNxC63o

Minute Musings...Gods Loom

Have you ever seen pictures of the old fashion looms?  Perhaps you've been fortunate
and have been able to visit somewhere and seen one working!  A loom is not for the
faint of heart.  Hours of backbreaking work is spent seated at the loom.  Attention
must be paid to every single detail, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, or
the whole pattern will be thrown off!  The Master weaver works steadily, never taking
his eyes off the pattern that he is skillfully weaving with his hands.

 

Our lives are like that tapestry that is being spun on the loom.  We however are not
the weavers...God is.  He alone knows what the finished pattern will look like.  We
cannot see what is taking shape in His hands, we instead only see the underside. 
Have you ever viewed the underside of a weaving?  It just seems to be a mess of
jumbled threads, knots everywhere, and no semblance of a beautiful pattern is in
sight.  One would become discouraged only seeing this side of the weaving!  Our
lives in our eyes resemble a mess of threads and knots.  We see the mistakes that
happened, wrong choices made, the place where pride took over, the shameful

actions and sinful thoughts that corrupted our hearts.  It all is just a mess to us.

 

But God in His rich mercy and grace is taking that rough fabric of our lives and is
making something beautiful out it.  Only He has the skill needed to turn a disaster
of a life into a masterpiece of glory! 

We sometimes look back on our life and wonder why God allowed such sorrows,

pain and trials to encompass us.  If you are honest with yourself, you will realize
that it is in these darkest hours that God became the most real to us.  These times
of greatest heartache produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives like no other time
can.  What God allows is always for our best and His ultimate glory!

Philippians 2:13  "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of His good pleasure.  We only need to look around us at the masterpiece of God's
creation to know that God does all things well!  Psalms 8:3 & 19:1  "When I
consider Thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which
Thou hast ordained:  The heavens declare the glory of God;  and the firmament
sheweth His handywork."  How can we doubt that God is making our lives
beautiful and full of glory?

Take heart today.  God is making your life into
a vibrant masterpiece of breathtaking beauty that
will tell the story for ages to come of His glory,
grace, mercy and love.

My life is but a weaving
Between the Lord and me;
I may not choose the colors–
He knows what they should be.
For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side
While I can see it only
On this, the under side.
Sometimes He weaves in sorrow,
And I in foolish pride,
Forgets He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not ’til the loom is silent
                                               And the shuttles cease to fly
                                               Shall God unroll the canvas
                                              And explain the reason why.
                                              The dark threads are as needed
                                              In the Weaver’s skillful hand
                                              As the threads of gold and silver
                                              In the pattern He has planned.

                                                                                                  Author Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_nKk0x2e8s
 

 



Minute Musings...Broken Crayons

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to color, in fact if the truth were to be
told...I still do!  I always felt a twinge of excitement when I'd open up a box of new

crayons.  Somehow the pictures always seemed to turn out a little better when I used
brand new crayons.  However in reality, the crayons still left the same marks on the
page, whether they were new or old.  But to our human minds, nothing is better than
new.  Then I grew up, and all of a sudden found myself having this same argument with
my children.   When the crayons became broken, in their little minds it was time to throw
them out, they were no good anymore.  No matter how much I tried to explain, and show
them, the crayons got tossed aside.  I'm sure you are all too familiar with that discarded 
container of broken crayons, that sits on a shelf, forgotten. 

Do you realize that this is how from our limited human minds we view lives.  We see
broken humanity as a life passed its usefulness.  Sin has corrupted and there is nothing
good left.  What a blessing it is to know that God does not view our lives in this fashion.

2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old
things are passed away;  behold, all things are become new."

There are many of you today who feel that you are no good, there is no way in your mind
that God could ever accept you.  You feel cast aside, discarded and forgotten.  May I tell
you that this is a good way to feel!  You might be surprised that I say this, but one cannot
come to God unless they recognize their brokenness before Him.  It tells us this in Psalms
51:17,  "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:  a broken and a contrite heart, O
God, Thou will not despise."

When we approach God Almighty, it must be with brokenness of spirit and heart.  God
will reject any attempt at approaching Him in our perceived righteousness.  Isaiah 64:6
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf;  and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

When we acknowledge our brokenness before a Holy and righteous God, we are essentially
saying, "Only You can restore me to a state of usefulness;  only You can reverse my souls
brokenness."  I'm sure that you've all seen broken crayons melted down, molded, and placed
back with the other useful crayons.  This is what God does to us.  He melts us, remakes us,
and places us back into useful service for Him!  Our brokenness is the first step of a dedicated,
surrendered life in Christ Jesus!  Malachi 3:3  "And He (God) shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver;  and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the
LORD an offering in righteousness." 

Don't fret if you find yourself in the refiners fire.  You might feel that you are passed the
point of God ever being able to use you.  But the only way to be of use to God is through
the brokenness that we lay at His feet.  God's glory shines through our brokenness! 

Start viewing things from the Lords perspective.  Brokenness is a good thing!  Psalms
38:18  "For I will declare mine iniquity:  I will be sorry for my sin."  God is melting
you, remaking you and will place you back into a place of productive service for the King.  Remember, broken crayons can still color!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnn0hlV1kzc

Minute Musings...Excuse Free Zone

Do you realize that you can find almost any excuse to fit any scenario?  We are so good
at doing this aren't we.  We were late, sick, too tired, not home, lost our phone, forgot,
ran out of time, can't sing, it's out
of my comfort zone, no babysitter,
too short, too tall, too fat, too small,
shy, can't drive, no money, I don't
have the energy...are you starting
to get the picture?  There is always
an excuse.  Have you noticed that
you don't have to teach your
children the art of excuse making! 
"I can't" is a phrase that comes
quickly and easily to the lips of a
child...and to the child of God.

However...God doesn't buy that. 
God is the One person to whom
excuses won't cut it because He
can see right through them.  It's
not that people haven't tried! 
Right back to Adam and Eve, people have been trying to make excuses to God.  Whether
it's trying to excuse ourselves from our sin like Adam and Eve;  or excuses as to why we
are not able to do as God has asked us, like Moses.  Five times Moses doubted that he
could do what God was telling him to do; and five times he questioned God and gave
excuses as to why what was being asking him to do would not work! 

Exodus 4:14  "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses,"  God had
already told this to Moses in chapter 3 verse 12, "And He (God) said, Certainly I will
be with thee;"  Had God made a mistake?  Did He chose the wrong man to lead the
Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt?  We sit and shake our heads in disbelief at
how Moses could have the audacity to doubt God after he had received such a promise!

Guess what...we do the very same thing!  We have all had times in our lives when we
know that God wants us to do something specific for Him, but we start the excuse game.
Just like Moses, we tell God that He is wrong in His assumption that we are the right
person for the task, even though we are in possession of the exact same promise that
Moses was!  Hebrews 13:5  "I (God) will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  In
jumping on the bandwagon of excuses we are literally telling God, "I don't believe
You!"

Who are we to tell Almighty God anything...let alone that He is wrong and a liar!  I
have learned over the years that my God will never ask of me anything that His power 
will not enable me to complete.  This is why the Christian life is called the Life of Faith. 
It is our faith in God that empowers us, that moves us unto bigger and better things for
Him.  Does this mean that we never shake in our boots at some new calling of God upon
our lives?  NO!  But, if we had our way, we would never venture out of our comfort zones
and do anything that made us the least little bit uneasy.  Seeing God work wonders
through our human limitations is what grows our faith, deepens our commitment and
strengthens our zeal for the Lord.  Faith is our key to the Christian life.

 

The Apostle Paul tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
Can you imagine how little we would do for God if we only did that which we could see
the outcome for!  There would be no missionaries or mission fields;  church building
projects would be non-existent;  Bible Schools would not be needed for God would not
be equipping people for an unknown path;  communion with the Lord in prayer would be
greatly reduced as direction sought for the future would not happen.  The Christian life is
one that has its foundation on the Lord, and the Lord's will is not a hand delivered letter
to us when we are saved.  It is revealed bit by bit as we walk along in our faith.  This is not
a life that has any place for the safety net of excuses, it is a life of excited expectation as
we learn to lean on the Lord and to wait for Him to reveal our next step. 

How's your faith today?  Is it weak, like that of Moses', or do you have a faith like that
of Abraham?  Abraham obeyed without question when God called to him to leave his
country, kindred and father's house;  and to go to a new land which God would reveal
to him.  Genesis 12:4  "And Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him;"
No questions, no hesitation, no excuses, just obedience.  Determine today, with the Lord's
help, to make your life an excuse free zone;  then watch the impossible unfold before you!

 



 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwJfwYMuZEQ

 

Minute Musings...I'm Free

Have you ever put a lot effort into a project only to find out that it wasn't good enough? 
It failed to meet the expectations of others because you didn't have what you needed to
make it work on your own.  It is a very humbling experience to realize that no matter
how hard you tried, you failed, you were unable to accomplish your goals. 

 

Do you realize that this is the problem we encounter with God?  We try in our own
strength to meet His expectations, and we fail over and over again.  Why?  Because
man cannot appease a Holy God.  And there we have it...HOLY.  We come in our
unrighteousness before a Holy God and expect Him to accept us!  But it doesn't work
that way!

We read in Hebrews 10:31  "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God."   We will have the wrath of a Holy, righteous God fall upon us if we try to please
Him with our attempts of holiness.  However, God commands us in 1 Peter 1:16,
"Be ye holy:  for I am holy."  So, what are we suppose to do?  I want you to notice
something very important here;  God will never tell us to do something that He does
not provide us with a way to do!  A way has been provided for us to fulfill Gods command
to be holy...but it has nothing to do with us!

There was a night long ago when the Children of Israel had followed God's directions
and had sacrificed a lamb without blemish,
and put its blood upon the doorposts of their
houses.  God passed through Egypt that night,
and judgement fell upon those homes that did
not have the blood covering them. 

Exodus 12:13  "And when I see the blood, I
will pass over you."  This is a beautiful picture
of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, God's
perfect Son.  He died on Calvary, shedding His
precious blood.  Just as the shed blood of the
lamb that long ago night on the doorposts of the
houses, spared the occupants the judgement of God upon them;  so the blood of Jesus Christ,
the LAMB of God covers us, and spares us the wrath of a just and holy God!  2 Corinthians
5:21  "For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin;  that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

How about you today?  Have you been going along, trying with your own attempt at
holiness to please God?  I'm sorry to have to tell you, that you will always fail in this
endeavor. To please and obey God we must do things His way.  Repent of our sin and 
accept God's free gift of salvation which was bought by the blood of the Lamb.  When
God looks at you, He will not see sin, He will see the blood...and His judgement will
pass over you.

1 Peter 1:18 & 19  "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (lifestyle) received by tradition
from your fathers;  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot."

My soul has been set free by the blood of the Lamb!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzLY3nUGBNM

Minute Musings...Upheld

Do you have a traditional Sunday lunch?  Many families gather at lunchtime on Sundays
to spend time together before the craziness of another week begins.  Grandparents get to
enjoy their grandchildren, brothers and sisters visit over mom's good home cooking.
There is merriment and laughter as good times are remembered and memories made to
look back upon.  Do you remember what was served at those meals?  I certainly hope that
it wasn't "Roasted Pastor!"

My dad used to warn people about partaking of this.  You certainly can't ask the Lord's
blessing on it!  It is very easy to criticize isn't it.  Easy to judge someone when you really
don't know what it's like to walk in their shoes.  The majority of us do not know what our
Pastors go through on a weekly basis.  The discouragement they face, the heartbreaks
that they have to deal with, the comfort, rebuke and exhortation that they must mete out.
They bear the burdens of the church.  This is a daunting task to which they have been
called, but they have not been called to do it alone.

We read in Exodus 17 about a task Moses was called of God to perform.  The enemy.
Amalek had come to fight the Children of Israel in Rephidim.  Moses, Aaron and Hur
went to the top of the hill to watch the battle unfold.  Vs 11, "And it came to pass, when
Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed:  and when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed."

Have you ever done arm curls, or tried to hold your arms up over your head for any
length of time?  It is not very long before your muscles are screaming out in agony at
you, and they begin to get very heavy and shaky.  Before you know it, they are hanging
limp at your sides.  Vs. 12,  "But Moses' hands were heavy;  and they took a stone,
and put it under him, and he sat thereon;  and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands,
the one on the one side, and the other on the other side;  and his hands were steady
until the going down of the sun." 

Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and held up his hands for him, and they were not
only witnesses that day to a mighty victory, but active participants in the battle themselves! 
How are you doing with holding up your Pastor's hands in the battle of the Lord?  Or are
you the one who knocks the rock out from under him with your backbiting and criticisms? 
Please to not misunderstand, we are not glorifying man here today, instead we are exalting
and magnifying the One Who works through a dedicated and surrendered heart. However 
this man is not in the battle by himself!  How can we hold up our Pastors hands, and those
of the other leaders in our churches? 

1.  Pray for him.  Ephesians 1:15 & 16  "Wherefore I also after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in my prayers."

2.  Do not tear him down.  Ephesians 4:29  "Let no corrupt communication proceed
out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers."

3.  Don't complain when asked to help.  Philippians 2:14 & 15  "Do all things without
murmurings and disputings:  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons
of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among
whom ye shine as lights in the world."

4.  Show him respect for his place of service.  1 Thessalonians 5:12 & 13  "And we
beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you
in the Lord, and admonish you:  And to esteem them very highly in love for their
work's sake.  And be at peace among yourselves."

5.  Help him bear the burdens.  "Galatians 6:2  "Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ."

We might have an epidemic of fainting Pastors and leaders this week if their
congregations began praying for them; building them up instead of tearing them down;
offering to help; if they respected them instead of ridiculing and gossiping about them; 
and if they helped them carry their heavy demanding loads instead of adding to them.

I encourage you this week to spend time in prayer for your Pastor's and leaders!  When
we do things God's way He has promised to bless.  I challenge you to become an Aaron
or Hur for your Pastor and the other leaders in your church, then stand back and watch
the mighty victories unfold before you!

The Pastors Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE8MFHF6B5Y

Minute Musings...Marvellous In Our Eyes

Psalms 118:23  "This is the LORD'S doing;  it is marvellous in our eyes."

Today was a special day at Westney Heights Baptist Church in Ajax ON.  It was our
25th Anniversary!  Anniversaries are special, these are days of remembrance of the
past, thankfulness for the present, and renewed commitment for the future.  The praise
today centered, not on the Pastor's, the congregation, the workers (although they all
have a dedicated heart to serving the Lord and we are thankful for them!), the praise
was directed to the Lord God, the only One whom is truly worthy of our praise!

Approximately 250 times the word "praise" in connection with God is mentioned in
the Bible.  I think that He is trying to tell us something!  Psalms 145:3 & 4  "Great
is the LORD, and greatly to be praised:  and His greatness is unsearchable.  One
generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts."

During the course of the service we heard the history of the church.  We heard the
declarations of the mighty and great acts of God and His faithfulness.  We were told
of the struggles encountered in the early days, the obstacles faced as God expanded
the work, the victories won, the sowing of the Gospel, the reaping of the harvest, and
the sustaining hand of blessing from the Lord on this vibrant work.  Yes, God is to
praised!  Yet, it made me pause and consider another work of the Lord that needs to
be praised.  Psalms 13:5 & 6  "But I have trusted in Thy mercy;  my heart shall
rejoice in Thy salvation.  I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt
bountifully with me."

I am a work of the Lord;  you are a work of the Lord!  His mercy, grace, love and
faithfulness have been bountifully bestowed upon us;  His hand upholds, and His
eye guides, His comfort bathes us, and His power sustains us.  We are a work that
will be completed in that happy day when we shall bow at His blessed feet, and meet
Him face to face.  Philippians 1:6  "Being confident of this very thing, that He (God)
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" 
God is working in us, to make us into the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ!  Malachi
3:3b  "And purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an
offering in righteousness."

Sometimes it's hard to see that there is something praise-worthy in the midst of
tribulations.  Yet, all that God allows is for our good.  Our church went through a
building project a few years back, and vandals set fire to the building.  God knew what
was happening, it didn't take Him by surprise!  He had a plan.  Trials in our lives do
not take God by surprise, He knows what is happening, He has a plan!  We are being
purged, refined, in order that our offering to God will be righteous and acceptable. 

Just as the church can look back and see the hand of God which has guided and
sustained all these years, we can look back on our personal journey through the
wilderness of this old sinful world and see the mighty hand of God which has led us
all the way.  We can be confident that the good work that He has begun in us, He will
complete...for His honor and His glory!

Isaiah 48:17  "I am the LORD thy God...which leadeth thee by the way that
thou shouldest go.  Psalms 150:2 & 6  "Praise Him for His mighty acts:
praise Him according to His excellent greatness.  Let every thing that hath
breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB27OjUFZjs

Praise Him!  Praise Him!

 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

Sing O earth, His wonderful love proclaim!

Hail Him!  Hail Him!  Highest archangels in glory;

Strength and honor give to His holy name!

Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,

In His arms He carries them all day long;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!

 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

For our sins He suffered, and bled and died;

He our rock, our hope of eternal salvation,

Hail Him!  Hail Him!  Jesus the Crucified.

Sound His praises!  Jesus Who bore our sorrows,

Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!

 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

Heav'n-ly portals loud with hosannas ring!

Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever;

Crown Him!  Crown Him!  Prophet, and Priest, and King!

Christ is coming!  Over the world victorious,

Power and glory unto the Lord belong;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!

 

                                                Fanny J. Crosby