Morning devotions

Beautiful Jesus

/ The Pastor

We worship God because he sent Jesus to reveal His love and grace to sinful people through his death and resurrection. As you prepare to worship on this Lord’s Day, reflect on the beauty of Jesus; the glory that shines forth revealing the Father. Don’t enter your places of worship out of a sense of duty to one another, but because of what God has done through Jesus Christ. As the psalmist says, in Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.“

The following poem is dedicated to the beauty of Jesus…

Lord Jesus you are beautiful,
And your heart is full of mercy.
Your love is all encompassing,
Your compassion has no boundary.

Your presence gives me holy peace,
Your comfort soothes my broken heart.
I was weak, blind and oh so lost,
From you I’ll never be apart.

You shine forth the Father’s glory,
Your face glows brighter than the sun.
Your beauty takes my breath away,
And with you I am so undone.

I long to gaze upon your face,
And to bask in your loving glow.
Lord Jesus you are beautiful,
And its you that I want to know.

Help Me, Oh Lord My God!

/ The Pastor

“Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.” (Psalm 109:26)
Help me Oh Lord my God!
Guide me with Your Holy Spirit.
Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Teach me to know Your ways.
Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Show me the path to follow.
Help me, Oh Lord my God!
I want to glorify You with my life.
As the psalmist cried out to You for help;
knowing his shortcomings;
knowing his failings;
knowing his sin;
I cry out to You.
I cry out to You for help that I may not be crushed by my sin.
Save me according to Your steadfast love,
For my faith is in Jesus.
I am weak.
I fall short.
I often turn from You.
If salvation were up to me, I would certainly be damned.
Please do not turn from me.
Please do not give to me as I deserve.
May Your grace shower me and drench me.
May I be caught up in Your river of Life;
sweeping me away in a torrent of Love.
“Help me, Oh Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.”

Arise and Give Thanks

/ The Pastor

Arise and give thanks unto the Lord,
For his mercies are new every day.
His love is wide.
His grace is abundant.
His faithfulness is unending.
His glory is radiant.
He is worthy of all praise,
Each and every second,
Each and every moment,
He is worthy.
Arise, oh believer, arise,
For New Life is yours through Jesus.
Arise, oh believer, arise,
Give thanks unto the Lord.

Help

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth.
[Psalms 121:1‭-‬2 ESV]

We have family staying with us this weekend and because of that, my 4-year-old son has been displaced from his room and is sleeping in our room. He usually ends up with us in our bed each night but is not accustomed to starting in our room.

Anyway, an hour or so after he went down, my wife hears something upstairs – it’s our son, whimpering at the top of the stairs. She scopes him up and brings him back to our room. After a little while she returns downstairs saying that he wants daddy. I rush up there and he’s crying. I ask him if he’s scared and with a crying whimper he says, “Ye-e-s”. I laid down next to him and held him close. Within minutes he was out. All he needed was to know daddy was near.

“From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth.” Isn’t it nice to know that your heavenly Father is always there for you? You are never alone in the darkness. You are never alone in your fears. You are never alone in trials. You are never alone in tribulation. Cry out to Him and know your heavenly Father is there.

From where does your help come?

Morning Thanks

/ The Pastor

As my eyes open I enjoy the gift of my next breath,
and then the next,
and the next,
and so on.
God, each breath I breathe is a gift from you.
Thank You!
As I begin my day I enjoy the gift of water:
To drink,
To cleanse my body,
To enjoy as the greatest drink of all – Coffee.
But most of all, the Living Water of Jesus.
Thank You!
As I see my children I enjoy the amazing gift of being their daddy.
As I see my wife I enjoy the amazing call and gift of being a husband.
As I eat,
As I feel the sun on my face,
As I count my blessings,
I praise You for being my God.
Thank You!

Troubled Heart One

/ The Pastor

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.“
[John 14:1 ESV]

Oh, why do you have a troubled heart?
Why do you worry about tomorrow?
Why do you worry about this life?
Oh troubled heart one,
Why do you get anxious about trivial things?
Why do you obsess about that which you can not change?
Why do you fear this world?
Oh, why are you so troubled?
Why?
Do you not trust Me?
Do you not understand that I have overcome this world?
Have you forgotten how much I love you?
My child,
There is nothing I can not handle.
There is no trouble too big.
There is no challenge too difficult.
There is no obstacle too tall.
There is no opponent too strong.
I can handle it.
So why is your heart troubled?
Do you need a reminder, well, do you?
Look at the cross – look at the tomb of Jesus,
What do you see?
Nothing?
That’s because Jesus has risen.
I have overcome the world.
Through Jesus, I have overcome the world for you.
Now, let’s discuss this troubled heart thing, shall we 🙂

This Day

/ The Pastor

Oh God, to You I pray
Through Christ the only way
Every second
Every moment
Oh God, I want to say

To You I live this day
To You I will obey
Every second
Every moment
With You I’ll be okay

So guide me in the Way
That You I may display
Every second
Every moment
Your love I will portray

All praise to You today
Your grace I will relay
Every second
Every moment
Oh God, to You I pray

You

/ The Pastor

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” [1 Samuel 2:2 ESV]

Holy God,
Father,
the Almighty,
there is indeed no one like You — not even close.
There is no one or no thing that can come close to comparing to You.
You are
Holy,
Sovereign,
Creator of all.
You are my God and thus I worship You.
You, oh Lord do I worship.
You
You
for You and You alone are worthy.
But what am I?
As the psalmist say, I am but a worm.
I am only worthy of condemnation and destruction.
Oh Lord, my God, have mercy on this worm,
a sinner,
wretched,
insolent
Have mercy, Lord, have mercy, in Jesus name.
Forgive me
Forgive me
Forgive me
May I sing Your praise day and night.
May I proclaim Your glory.
May I shout of Your salvation.
May I dwell in You.
For You are indeed my Rock and Salvation.
Ohhhh…
…there is no god like You,
for You are my Rock and Salvation.
You
You
only You.
You are my God.

Prayer for a New Day

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Father God,
Your mighty hand has protected me throughout this past night;
graciously opening my eyes to see Your glory in a new day.
Though my aches and pains and troubles are still present,
You are more present,
Lord of all
Creator
Sovereign
Mighty
As Your mighty hand protected me through the might,
may Your mighty hand guide me through this day also,
not that I may be glorified but that I may bring glory to Your holy name.
Your majesty is all around.
Your glory is not hidden.
Your love is ever abounding.
Your mercy is great.
Holy God, loving Father, mighty Lord,
through Jesus Christ restore my soul,
revive my heart,
renew may faith.
May Your Way never depart from my eyes and heart.
Keep me
Hold me
Secure me
from the evil one.
And now, with You by my side, I am ready;
ready to take on this day.
To You be all honor, glory, thanks, praise and worship,
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen.



Morning Confession

/ The Pastor

Morning has dawned,
The sun has risen.
Me a sinner to which I’m imprisoned.
Filled with sorrow
and regret,
Oh God my Lord, please remove my large debt.
Christ Jesus died
and rose for me.
My faith I place completely in thee.
Restore and renew
that I may rejoice.
And of Your glory I’ll give a loud voice.