My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

As Seth encouraged us to do on Sunday, I have spent most of my day looking up the words to the song, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” and searching for scripture that goes along with this hymn. Doing so has been very beneficial to me. I’m so thankful to God for song writers like Edward Mote who have used their giftings in the area of songwriting to proclaim God’s truth.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteous;
No merit of my own I claim
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils his lovely face,I
ret on his unchanging grace;
In every high and story gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Sustain me in the raging flood;
When all supports are washed away,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in him be found,
Clothed in his righteousness alone,
Redeemed to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

God is our rock:

Psalm 18:1-2-“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 40:2-“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”

God is our hope:

Psalm 42:11-“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Romans 5:3-5-“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 8:24-25- “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 12:12-“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

We’ve been redeemed:

Lamentations 3:58- “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.”

By God's Grace:

2 Corinthians 12:9- “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Ephesians 1: 7- “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

Ephesians 2:4-5-“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

Titus 2:11-12-“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

-Candace

Desiring God Conference 2008

-Kyle-

Do as you Promised

This is one of the gems given at Na08, this quote that C.J. used in his message on God's Word and Our Feelings is filled with truth about the loving nature of Christ. So I would encourage you to read it and embrace the wonderful truth it proclaims....

“God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper. He intended that theyshould be used. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation.He loves to see His children bring them up to Him, and say, ‘Lord, do as you promised.’ Weglorify God when we please His promises. Do you think that God will be any the poorer forgiving you the riches He has promised? Do you dream that He will be any less holy forgiving holiness to you? Do you imagine He will be any less pure for washing you from yoursins? He has said, ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins arered as crimson they shall be like wool.’ Faith embraces the promise of pardon. It doesn’tdelay, saying, ‘This is a precious promise, I wonder if it is true?’ but goes straight to thethrone with it, and pleads, ‘Lord, here is the promise. Do as you promised.’ Our Lord replies,‘Be it to you even as you will.’ When a Christian grasps a promise but doesn’t take it to God,then God is dishonored; but when one hastens to the throne of grace, and cries, ‘Lord, I havenothing to recommend me but this, You have said it;’ then the desire shall be granted. Ourheavenly banker delights to cash His own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the word ofpromise out of its scabbard, and use it with holy violence. Don’t think that God will betroubled by your importunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loudoutcries of needy souls. It is His delight to give favors. He is more ready to hear than you areto ask. It is God’s nature to keep His promises. Therefore, go at once to the throne with, ‘Do as You promised..’” Charles Spurgeon

- ryan

His Name(s)

Recently, as I was doing some reading I came across this passage in 1 Chronicles: "Glory in his holy name." It got me to thinking... what does that mean? How do I glory in God's name? What steps must I take to accomplish this? Clearly I was over thinking the issue, but sometimes God makes the day cloudy so when the sun comes back the sky is that much more beautiful. Before I tackled this issue of what constitutes "glorying in his name", I first felt it necessary to examine some of his names and see what they mean. And that is what I would like to share :)

Now, before we go over some of these definitions, I want to make it extremely clear that would should not limit God to the definition of one of his many names. There is a reason that God has many names and it is primarily due to the fact that he is ALL things and therefore must not be placed in a box of literary definition. Here are some of the more common ones:

1. Yahweh - Actually spelled YHWY, it means Jehovah. It is the promised name of God.

2. Jehovah - Lord.

3. Alpha and Omega - The beginning and the End

4. Immanuel - God with Us

5. I AM - God uses this name to demonstrate that He is. He was not created, he was not formed or influenced in any way. He is and he will always be.

6. Hosanna - "Save Now" or "Please Save." It is used to describe Christ as the Messiah.

7. Messiah - The Anointed One.

8. Adonai - This is the Hebrew word for "Lord". One interesting fact about this name is that it is in plural form. Adoni would be singular but it is always found in the Bible as Adonai meaning "My Lords".

As I said before, God references himself in over 300 different ways throughout scripture, but I found it extremely helpful to remind myself of the meanings of just these few here. It assisted me in thinking of God in much bigger context and in a more all-encompassing manner. Hopefully you find it as beneficial as I did.

-Kyle-

Taste the Rainbow... (Hycoos and Whatnots)

Hilarious.



-Kyle-

I have waaay too much time on my hands...

(HT: DGM Blog)

-Kyle-

Awesome...

When I was younger my family would always make fun of me for how fast I ate.  My dad would tell me to just strap a bag to my face and eat like a horse next time...  Needless to say, I was the unfortunate brunt of many jokes as a small child but now comes my oh so sweet redemption.  Apparently this is now becoming popular:

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

-Kyle-

Election 2008

After last nights primary's in Puerto Rico, it is becoming increasingly clear that Barack  Obama will face John Mccain in the general election.  Though Hillary Clinton continues to pile up victories as of late, it makes little difference.  Because of the way that delegates are apportioned in the Democratic primaries, Obama continues to edge close to his magic delegate number, solidifying his nomination.  I very strongly believe that this election will be a turning point for our country.  Though I have cautions for both candidates, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that Sen. Obama could indeed be a dangerous choice.  From abortion rights to socialism, it is apparent that a President Obama could bring devastation to our country.  However, I cannot fall into the trap of forgetting who is over all of this.  God.  It might very well be the Lord's will for Sen. Obama to win the election and that must be something that I am at peace about.  Though I pray earnestly for the victory of John Mccain, I trust that God will be faithful and never forsake his people regardless of the political state of this nation.  

-Kyle-