“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:1-5 NLT
Loving God,
It all starts with Your love. Loving us and showing us Your love, God. Then we start to discover its length, width, height and depth (Ephesians 3:18). And we learn to love each other. So how can we not realise the wisdom of Your commandments and want to please You by keep them? Are they so burdensome?
But Father, like Paul puts it in Romans 7:19 “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Here in John’s first letter You encouraged us to just keep on, keeping on, even when we fail, because You love us. And then we will see victories in the battle against sin.
Victory suggests that fantastic feeling of getting the better of something. How good we feel when we manage to bite our tongue and not say something unkind. Or not bear a grudge or not judge another person. Or take back what we know was an unkind thought. (No-one else even knows about!) Not be negative and not be tempted to do nothing when we should help. Victory. Help us keep on winning victories. Learning to live with Your Son and display the family likeness. And when we mess up? Thank You for the opportunity to start again every single time..
Keep us, keeping on loving You, learning to love each other and loving ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). With Your help we will be victorious in our battle with sin.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Suggestions for prayer . . .
Loving God,
For family, friends, neighbours, whisper Your love into their hearts and bless their day..
For our church family, ministers and all who serve, let them know Your love today.
For all the Royal family. King Charles to know He is in Your care and love.
For our government. Help and direct them. Let love for this nation drive them to de their best.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Lord disrupt Russia and lead them away, remove the want to war.
For the church in Ukraine, Myanmar and the underground church in many countries. Strong love.
For Gaza an end to killing, hostage taking and hate. Provide a way to talk ceasefire and peace.
For all whose lives help others and who serve the community. May love be their motivation.
For Stoke hospital and all who work there. For our local police, local magistrates and judges.
For us, thank You for all those who love us, for the love You have for us and the love we have to give to others.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Worship Wednesday 28th February 2024
The harmony by these two working men made my heart sing.
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
Lyrics by Eugene Bartlett 1885-1941
Eugene married his sweetheart in 1917 and they raised 2 children. His hymn book was in demand, selling over 15,000 copies across the county, and contained his own and his contemporaries hymns. He was called to publish hymns and teach aspiring singers how to sight-read. He travelled the south, holding singing schools and singing conventions.
But in 1939 at age 53, his world changed drastically. He suffered a paralyzing stroke that left him unable to walk, speak and he was mostly bedridden. It ended his teaching ministry, yet It was during these dark days that Eugene would write his best-known hymn, Victory In Jesus.
These are the verses not sung in the video..
I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow’r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,”
And somehow Jesus came and brought
To me the victory.
I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory.