Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.


Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.


How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.

On Fruit Bearing, by C. E. Orr

On Fruit Bearing, by C.E. Orr is a very good article.

Here are 3 quotes:

A young life laden in rich profusion with kind words, generous deeds, and gentle, modest ways, is the most beautiful object that ever graced this mundane sphere.

Not only are your hearts the “garden of the Lord” where blooms the “rose of Sharon” and the “lily-of-the-valley” in all the sweetness of their fragrance and beauty, but they are also the Lord’s fertile field, where the amiable Christian graces are to bud, bloom, and bear fruit. Your duty as a Christian is to bear fruit for God, that He may be glorified. Every fruit-bearing branch, therefore, He purges, that it may bring forth more fruit. The successful farmer carefully removes all the foreign growth out of his field, and then cultivates his plants, that he may reap the greatest possible harvest.

Delicious fruits are brought from the tropical clime to this land of ours, and they awaken in our hearts an admiration for that delightsome country. We long to travel through those sunny lands. You are God’s fertile field. In your life has been placed the beautiful fruits of the heavenly land. As this world looks upon your life and beholds these fruits, admiration will be awakened in their hearts for the fruitful fields of heaven. They will be influenced by your life to seek the kingdom of God and its riches so that they may taste of its fruits now and forever. If you will walk with God and live devoted to Him, those precious fruits of the Spirit will become more plentiful and beautiful in your life as you journey down the way, making you a greater blessing to the hearts of others. To this end you must live.~

Before I speak THINK.

A message to myself:

Is what I am about to say:
True?
Helpful?
Inspiring?
Necessary?
Kind?

If not, then I should be silent.

Psalm 141:3
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Proverbs 17
27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.

James 1
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Face to face with Christ, My Savior

This song is on my mind.....


Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ Who died for me?

Chorus:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!
-

Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessèd day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.
-

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.
-

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ Who loves me so.


http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/a/faceface.htm

Until then...

My heart can sing when I pause to remember,
A heartache here is but a stepping stone;
Along this trail that’s winding always upward,
This troubled world is not my final home.


The things of earth will dim and lose their value
If we recall they’re borrowed for a while;
And things of earth that cause our hearts to tremble,
Remember there will only bring a smile.

Chorus:
But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I’ll carry on.
Until the day my eyes behold that city,
Until the day God calls me home.

Until the day my eyes behold that city,
Until the day God calls me home.

Last Sunday Bro Michael preached a sermon I really needed about this subject, and ended with this song...

I would not have my way, dear Lord, but Thine

I would not have my way, dear Lord, but thine;
I would not walk alone, for I might fall:
Thou knowest what is best, so lead me on;
I'll listen, Lord, I'll hear thy faintest call.

I would not have my way, dear Lord, but thine;
E'en tho' the road be rough I will not fear:
E'en tho' the sun refuse sometimes to shine,
I'll walk by faith and know that Thou are near.

I would not have my way, dear Lord, but thine;
I do not ask for beds with flow'rs entwined:
Thy way might be some mountainside to climb,
Some wand'ring sheep or some lost lamb to find.

Chorus:
I would not have my way, dear Lord but thine;
O keep me for thyself and thine alone:
When shadows fall and darkest night has come,
I'll trust in thee to guide me safely home.


Thanks to my MD friends for getting me the words..., I could not find this song anywhere online, it is #393 in the "Christian Hymnal" put out by Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.

He Is All I Need

Jesus Christ is made to me,
All I need, all I need,
He alone is all my plea,
He is all I need.

Refrain:
Wisdom righteousness and pow’r,
Holiness forevermore,
My redemption full and sure,
He is all I need.
-
Jesus is my all in all,
All I need, all I need,
While He keeps I cannot fall,
He is all I need.
-
He redeemed me when He died,
All I need, all I need,
I with Him was crucified,
He is all I need.
-
Glory, glory to the Lamb,
All I need, all I need,
By His Spirit sealed I am,
He is all I need.