Brian Olson Advent, Christmas, Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Love Came Down At Christmas

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Words by Christina Rossetti, 1885
Music by Traditional Irish Melody

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:16 – 18

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:7 – 12

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45

 

If I were to ask you, “What do you love?” how would you answer the question. One person might say, “I love reading.” One person might say, “I love pizza.” Another might say, “I love the mountains.” And another might say, “I love my spouse.” It’s interesting how we bandy this four letter word around and it seems to have a slightly different meaning in each context. I mean, a person’s feeling about reading, pizza, the mountains and their spouse certainly aren’t the same, yet we use the same word.

So what does love mean? Contrary to what we often think of, love is not simply an emotion. Rather, I have heard it said, that love is a commitment. It goes beyond emotion. Emotions come and go, but love does not end. It is this true meaning of love that we find portrayed in the Christmas hymn, “Love Came Down at Christmas” by Christina Rossetti.

Rossetti writes, “Love was born at Christmas.” The birth of Jesus is Love, as we find in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” God had no obligation to send his son. He did it, because he was committed to His purpose, to save mankind. Despite our constant turning our backs on Him and choosing to follow our own direction, God still remains faithful to His commitment.

Yes Jesus is “Love incarnate, love divine.” Jesus is the commitment of God made flesh. A commitment to reach a world in need. So, “worship we our Jesus” for this truth, that He “ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16)

This Love that has been given to us, now we spread to others. Rossetti writes, “Love shall be yours and love be mine, Love to God and to all men.” This reflects 1 John 4:7 which reads, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”

So, what is love? “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) Yes, “Love came down at Christmas”, when Christ was born. When He came into this world “to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) God is faithful, so we, in response share His love with a world in need.

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized, Worship

Thank We All Our God

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Words by Martin Rinkart, 1636
Music by Johann Cruger, 1647

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven
Lamentations 3:41

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:8

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22

 

From the time we are young our parents taught us to say, Thank you. These two simple words communicate so much. When we receive something, a gift, a compliment, a favor, we say it. It is a way of expressing appreciation for things we receive.

But more often than not it seems to simply be an after thought.  Something we casually throw out because it is the cultural norm.  We don’t stop to think about what we are saying, so in the end it has not real meaning. But then there are those time, though they may be few and far between, that the words are genuine and heart-felt.  They do not come close to relaying the gratitude that is felt and so their meaning carries a profound depth. This is the theme of Martin Rinkart’s, “Now Thank We All Our God.”

Starting with the opening line of the hymn, “Now thank we all our God,” we are drawn in to see our need to express thankfulness to God. We “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” (Psalm 118:1) We give thanks for what He has done. A thankfulness that is not simply expressed in words but comes from our full being. So Rinkart writes, “with heart and hands and voices.” reflecting the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:41 where we read, “Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.”

Yes, we are to express our deepest gratitude to him. Gratitude to a God “who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices.” We rejoice in God, “who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way. With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.” He has always and will always be there. He alone is our source of joy and true hope.

When we honestly stop to reflect, there is so much that God has given us for which we are grateful. When we stop to realize this, we cannot help but pray that His blessings do not end. This is why Rinkart writes, “O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us.” We pray that God will not leave us and we can rest confidently in the knowledge that, “he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

So we thank God for all he has done. We thank Him for his blessings. We thank him that he will always remain near to us. We lift our voice up to him with “All praise and thanks to God the Father . . . The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven.

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Doxology

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Words by Thomas Ken, 1674
Music by Louis Bourgeois, 1551

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Psalm 150:6

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
Psalm 145:21

Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Psalm 148:2

At the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10 – 11

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
2 Corinthians 1:3

we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
Philippians 3:3

 

One of the biggest challenges that I find in writing or speaking is getting started. How do you grab peoples attention? How do you lead into what you want to talk about? Ultimately the question is “How do I begin?”

So it can be when we sing praises to God. Where do we begin? Almighty! Victorious! Worthy! Savior! I can go on and on, for there is so much that can be said. This passion and truth is presented to us in a simple four line stanza, that may be the most commonly used hymn throughout Christendom, “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” more commonly known as the “Doxology.”

Now the first thing to understand is that these words that have become so familiar with the church today make up the final stanza of a much longer hymn known as “Awake, My Soul, And With The Sun.”

But as we look at these words that have stood the test of time, we are drawn in to worship God in all His glory. The first line reads, ” Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.” Thomas Ken begins by answering a question that we here so often, a question that we may sometimes find ourselves asking. “Why should I worship God?” Both those who feel they have nothing and those who feel they have earned all they have will ask, “What has He done for me?”

But the Bible has answered this question. James writes in chapter 1 verse 7, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. . .” So Ken writes in response to the worlds question, “Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.”

Simply put, God is worthy to be praised. But we are not alone in declaring His praises. It is so easy for us to center our focus on ourselves, and amazingly when it comes to praising God we are no different. Each of us may begin to see that it is “our” job to worship God. And while this is true, it is not us alone. Not only is the call upon all the people in the world to declare His praise but it is the purpose of all creation.

Ken writes, ” Praise Him, all creatures here below.” Yes everything on the earth is called to praise Him. This theme occurs again and again through the Psalms. In Psalm 150 verse 6 we read, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” And again in Psalm 145:21 we read, “. . . Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

And still beyond this world the praises ring. Ken now writes, “Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.” Yes, it is all of creation that praises Him, Not only those in the world, but also those who sit in the heavenly realms. Psalm 148:2 tells this when we read, “Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts.”

And finally, this universal praise of God is shown to us in its ultimate culmination when we read in Philippians 2:10 – 11 that “At the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Yes, we have been called to praise God. We need not worry about how we begin, simply that we do. When understand our call to sing His praises, then we truly will be able to ” Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

 

 

Read more about the “Doxology.”

Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

It Is Well With My Soul

161When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Words by Horatio G. Spafford, 1873
Music by Philip P.Bliss, 1876

 

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content . . . I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:11, 13

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:13 – 15

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

 

I love the outdoor. I love to go for a hike in the woods. I love to go camping. But the reality is what these have in common is getting away from the busyness of life. Taking time to slow down and enjoy the peace that comes from setting everything aside. It is at times like this that everything can seem right when things seem that can’t get any better.

But life is not always like this. At other times life can seem like a hurricane is pounding right down on top of you. Yes, life is a series of ups and downs that we face. Our desire is to be as the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) This is the theme of Horatio Spafford’s “It Is Well With My Soul.”

Spafford writes, “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.” As I mentioned earlier, it is easy to be content when everything is going well, but not so easy when everything seems to be going wrong. So how is it that we are supposed to be able to say, “It is well with my soul.” when all seems lost?

Spafford answers the question when he writes, “Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.” The peace and contentment that we desire is found in Christ alone, for He knows what we are facing and in response “has shed His own blood.” In Him alone can we find the strength to say, “It is well with my soul.” (Philippians 4:13)

Yes, the peace we seek can be found to face all that comes our way in life. A peace that comes from Christ sacrifice. A sacrifice that paid the penalty for our sins. It is of this that Spafford writes, “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

Our debt had been paid. He has removed “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14) Through the cross, Christ has opened the door that we may stand before God. And when we stand before God we may claim “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7)

Yes, life has its ups and downs and can toss us hither and yon, but through Christ, we can experience true peace. Then we can sing with great anticipation, “And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Mind of Christ

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

Words by Kate D.Wilkinson 1913
Music by Arthur C. Barham, 1925

 

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 2:1 – 5

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17 – 19

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1 – 2

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost
Luke 19:10

 

Do you know the difference between working as part of a group and working as part of a team? Have you ever had a project to do at work or school and you get grouped with other people to accomplish it. Each of you has the same goal, but all of you have a different idea of how to get there. What happens when each of you decides your way is best and you just proceed. At best you have duplicate work being done. At worst, you have complete chaos and nothing gets done.

Now have you ever been part of a team to accomplish a project. In this case, you not only have a common goal, but you have a common plan to reach it. In fact, in an ideal situation, you do not even have to speak what needs done because everyone know what to do and even know how others are thinking.

Being a Christian is to be a member of a team and not simply a group. As a result of a common belief in Jesus Christ, we are to be unified in all that we do. Sharing the same mind that Christ Himself had. This is the theme of Kate Wilkinson’s hymn, “May The Mind of Christ My Savior.”

The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:1 – 5, “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”

Sound familiar? He said to be of the “same mind.” Just like the team that has the same end goal in focus, we need to understand that we have the same goal.  Even more,we will not reach that goal  when we selfishly seek our own interest.  Rather, we will only reach it when we “let the same mind be in (us) that was in Christ Jesus.”  So, in reflection of this passage, Wilkinson writes, “May the mind of Christ my Savior, live in me from day to day.”

But how do we do this.  How do we  have the same mind as Christ.  The answer is found in the second verse of the hymn, “May the Word of God dwell richly, In my heart from hour to hour.” To have the mind of Christ, we must know the Word of God.  We need to spend time reading it learning it and memorizing it.  Then we can say with David, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

When we have taken God’s word into our heart and begin to understand the mind of Christ, we will see that we are not alone.  That we are  part of a team, that includes not only those around us, but those who can before and those who are yet to come.  As the writer of Hebrew says, “we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1.  The writer goes on to say, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.”  This is why Wilkersen writes, “May I run the race before me, Strong and brave to face the foe. Looking only unto Jesus As I onward go.”

Yes we are to have the same mind as Christ.  When we have this mind, we will begin to see the world through His eyes. We see a world that needs him.  When we have the mind of Christ, the world will see Him when they look a us.  When we realize this we can find the real meaning as we sing, “May His beauty rest upon me, As I seek the lost to win, And may they forget the channel, Seeing only Him.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

O Worship The King

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power hath founded of old;
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to worship Thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.

Words by Robert Grant, 1833 (based on lyrics by William Kethe, 1561)
Music by Johann Haydn, (1737 – 1806)

 

 

Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
Psalm 104:1 – 4

Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
Psalm 103:13 – 14

LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
Psalm 40:11

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Psalm 95:6

But God is my helper. The Lord is my defender.
Psalm 54:4

Our Redeemer–the LORD Almighty is his name– is the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 47:4

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15

 

I love the hymns of the church. I love how they express such substance and feeling. There are some that teach deep theological truths. Some hymns look to the joys of heaven to come. Still others speak to our situations in life. But sometimes, we need to stop and simply see God for who He is and who we are to him. This is a theme of Robert Grant’s, “O Worship The King.”

As I go through Grant’s hymn, there are two things that draw my attention. The first is the elaborate description given of God and His majesty. He writes, “O tell of His might, O sing of His grace, Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space, His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.”

What an incredible word picture that he draws straight from Scripture. In Psalm 1:4 we read, “. . . The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent . . . He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. . .” God is worthy to be praised.

This then leads to the second part to which I am drawn. The counter to the image of a God who is to be praised. Grant writes, “Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail; Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.”

Yes, God is worthy to be praised, yet in contrast, we are nothing. And even though we are nothing, God has compassion on us. He knows our weakness. Psalm 103:14 tells us, “that He is mindful that we are but dust.”

Knowing this, He shows His compassion for us. In Psalm 40:11 we read, “LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.” Yes, we are but dust, but God’s mercy reaches to us. He watches over us, protects us and meets our every need, for He is our Maker (Psalm 95:6), Defender (Psalm 54:4), Redeemer (Isaiah 47:4) and Friend (John 15:15).

When we come to realize, despite who we are, that the Almighty Creator of the universe cares for us. When we understand that we can turn to Him to lean on and find strength, what else can we do? We are compelled to sing His praise. We declare with ardent fervor the opening words of the hymn, “O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing His power and His love.”

 

 

Read more about “O Worship The King.”

Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

God Leads His Dear Children Along

In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

Away from the mire, and away from the clay,
God leads His dear children along;
Away up in glory, eternity’s day,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

Words and Music by George Young, 1903

 

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:14 – 17

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.”
Isaiah 48:17

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5 – 6

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians 2:14

 

I have worked with the Boy Scouts for several years. In the scouts, our goal is to develop leadership among boys as they grow into men. The key method for reaching this goal is the boy led model in which the boys serve as the primary leaders of the troop and the adults serve as advisers. This is great experience for the boys, but can sometimes lead to a less than fluid execution. And while they learn from their failures as much as their successes, they also learn the need for good, clear leadership.

Thankfully, those of us who follow Christ, have not been left to lead ourselves. This is the overarching theme of George Young’s “God Leads Us Along.”

In his words we see that it does not matter the situation we find ourselves in, for those who trust in God he will Seek his will “show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:6). When we have put their faith in Christ and are led be Him, we become Children of God. This is why Paul writes in Romans 8:14, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

Yes, we can know that God leads us as he has promised. In Isaiah 48:17 God tells us, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.” When we follow His leadership we can rest with confidence for the God who has told us that he will lead us, has also promised that he will never leave us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

So whatever our trial or our situation, we need not fear that we will become lost if we keep our eyes on the one who leads. Our Heavenly Father leads us not simply as an adviser for our lives, but as leader who takes along the way if we will submit and follow.

When we submit our lives to God’s leadership, we will see first hand the meaning of the words, “God leads his dear children along.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Not A Mite Would I Withhold

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

Words by Frances R. Havergal, 1874
Music by Henri A. C. Malan, 1827

 

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.
Luke 18:18 – 23

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41 – 44

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17

 

 

When I was young I was a member of the the 4-H organization. Now for those who are unfamiliar with 4-H, it is largest youth development organization in the United state, with focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs.

We would have regular meeting which always began with formal opening ceremonies. One of the items that was part of these ceremonies was reciting the 4-H pledge. It goes:

“I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

As 4-Hers seek to develop citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills of youth, they pledge the 4-Hes (Head, Heart, Hands, Health) to that Goal. It is basically an abbreviated way of saying they are going to “give it their all.” In a similar way, Francez Havergal in her hymn, “Take My Life and Let It Be” lays out an “all in” commitment to following Christ.

The hymn begins by saying, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.” To be consecrated is to be set aside and dedicated for a sacred purpose. The call in the hymn is to set aside our very lives as dedicated to God’s purpose. This should draw our minds to Leviticus 11:40 where we read ,”I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”

So Havergal begins to list piece by piece our commitment to following Christ. But it is not just our commitment to give these things to serve Christ, but our prayer that He will make use of them.

As we sing through this hymn, the line that stick with me is “Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.” This is not because it is a financial commitment, the fact is that the others are commitments of my very body and being which are for more profound and desired by God. (Micah 6) What strikes me is the phrase, “Not a mite would I withhold.” We are to be all in.

I am drawn to the images of two of Jesus encounters. In Luke 18:18 – 23 Jesus speaks with a rich man who was unable to give up all he had to follow and instead walks away. In Mark 12:41 – 44 Jesus observes a poor woman put two coins in the offering and tells His disciples that she had given more than anyone else, because she gave all she had.

We are called to give everything, our money, our body and our minds to serving Christ, but it is not something to be taken lightly. We are to be consecrated, set aside, dedicated. So when we realize the magnitude of the prayer of consecration we can join with others and say, “Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

I Come To The Garden Alone

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Words and Music by C. Austin Miles, 1912

 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
1 King 19:11 – 13

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:15 – 16

 

We live in a hectic and busy world.  It seems we always have something on our plate.  I know personally, those times when there is nothing on the schedule are few and far between.  Between working full-time (which typically pushes over 40 hours a week, being a leader in two separate youth organizations and ministry involvement, which includes both regular preaching and writing, I have very few down hours.  Add on top of that activities of for my wife and three children, there are times when having nothing to do is simply a fantasy.

Now, on those rare occasions when we do have free time, what do we do with it. We try to find other activities.  And if we are not doing something else, then we will often find ourselves with the television or radio going.  Down time is rare and silence almost seems taboo.

As I look at the words of Miles’ hymn, “In The Garden”  I am struck by the clear theme of peace and rest.  From the beginning we read,  “I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses.”  This is something we have lost, and something that we so desperately need.  Time set aside from the rush of activities and the constant barrage of noise.  This is what the Psalmist refers to when he writes, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

The distractions of our daily lives can so easily get in the way of knowing God. We do not take the time to listen for God’s voice.  We miss the sweet joy about which Miles writes, “And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.” It is in the peace of the garden, when everything else is set aside, that we can hear God’s voice.  It is then that we can hear the gentle whisper of 1 Kings 19:11 – 13.

We all need time alone with God.  Jesus, the very Son of God, understood this need.  Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  If Jesus saw this need, how much more do each of us need it as well.

Yes, we need to take time away from our hectic lives to be alone with God.  To listen for His voice. To know Him.  “In The Garden” reminds us that when we take this time, we can share the joy that can come only from walking and talking with our Lord alone.

 

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Words by Reginald Heber, 1826
Music by John Dykes, 1861

 

. . . At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. . . Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. . . Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Revelation 4:1 – 11

. . . I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with two they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. . .

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin removed.
Isaiah 6:1 – 7

 

I remember visiting my grandparents house when I was young. We would go there for Thanksgiving, Christmas, sometimes Easter as well as other times. One of the things that was always a given was a big meal. For the holidays there was always a big meal, but even if we were there only for the weekend, we would always have a big Sunday dinner.

Now my grandmother had a china cabinet (though I don’t remember it having china) that the dishes were kept in. We would pull out the dishes and set the table. For big family get togethers we would set a second table. Sometimes we stretched the dishes to the limit, using everything available in the cabinet.

But these were not the only dishes my grandmother had. Hanging on the wall in the dining room she had a collection of tea cups. These, however, were special. She had collected the. and they were never used. After my grandmother passed away these cups were distributed to family. I have one, and I as well do not use it, it sits on a shelf as a reminder of my grandmother each time I see it. It is set apart.

“Set apart” This is the meaning of he word Holy, and so is the theme of Reginald Heber’s hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Heber begins his hymn with the words, “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!” These words may be familiar to many. In Revelation 4:8 the angels around the throne declares, “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” They are echoing the words of the angels around the throne in Isaiah 6:3 where they declare, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Think about, the angels themselves, who are in the very presence of God cannot help but declare that God is set apart. He is above and beyond all of creation. He is Holy. But they do not simply declare Him holy, but do it three-fold. The three-fold formula is a declaration that God is not simply holy, but perfectly holy. And so over and over again, in his hymn, Heber proclaims that God is perfectly holy.

How humbling and frightening this can be. I mean if the seraphim and cherubim who are in God’s very presence bow before Him declaring his holiness and the twenty-four elders of Revelation 4:10 fall down and cast their crowns before Him, what can I do. As Heber puts it, “Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see.”

So when I find myself coming before the Lord, I am with Isaiah who says, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5) What am I to do?

There is hope. For Isaiah the angel touched his lips with a coal from from the altar of God and he is told, “this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin removed.” But what of us?

Our hope is in Jesus Christ. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18) Because of this, if we “declare with our mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) As a result, we need not fear standing before God, but we may “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace “ (Hebrews 4:16)

Yes, we who have believed in Christ. We who have been baptized “ in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” ( Matthew 28:19) into Christ death and resurrection (Romans 6:3) need not fear being in the presence of a perfectly holy God. Instead we may join with that great chorus of voices testifying, “Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!”

 

 

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