Jesus Paid it All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Refrain

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
“Jesus died my soul to save”
My lips shall still repeat

Refrain

Listen to the music here

Update

Mitchelle made it back safely from her vacation to Chili. It’s real nice having her back.

Our church is having a ladies’ meeting this Saturday evening, and Mitchelle will be attending. She said that during her time in Chili, she missed the “work girls” and missed the church! I’m floored with the way God is working in her heart.

Please pray that nothing gets in the way of her coming to the ladies’ meeting. I think this will be good for her. She needs to grow in the Lord. She needs to be faithful to Him and to His church!

Friday Nights

I love all four of my J.V. girls at Awana. They mean so much to me, more than they could ever know.

Out of the four, only Nicole remains unsaved. She is a very difficult teenager. I understand she has family issues, school problems and suffers from a lot of insecurities. She also has an attitude problem and is very rebellious. Yet, underneath it, she is a beautiful person. I’ve come to know her really well and I care a lot about her.

Yesterday night was the second time that Nicole brought her friend to Awana, which is great, however, she gets even more rebellious around her. Last night was the first time I had to discipline Nicole the way I did. I reported her to the Awana commander and asked him to speak with her. Nicole and her friend didn’t come upstairs to the classroom and I had to go on with my lesson without them. But before I began the lesson, Ashley, Amanda, Adriana and I huddled around in a circle, held hands and lifted Nicole and her friend, Melissa, in prayer. The Lord is so good and I have tasted of His goodness countless times. I am supposed to be encouraging these girls but, last night, they encouraged me with their kind words. It was a beautiful moment. We laid all our burdens down at the foot of the cross, not just the Nicole situation.

When the Awana was over, I went to speak to both Nicole and Melissa, but then Melissa got called away and I had Nicole all for myself. I let her know that I did what I did because I love her and because I care for her salvation. Nicole apologized for the first time to me and promised to come upstairs to the class next Friday.

Friday nights are often tiresome, because all four of the J.V. girls need a lot of attention, and I often worry if I am doing them justice and if I am the right person to teach them. Maybe because we are approaching the end of they year, I am starting to feel a bit more discouraged, and tired. I just don’t want to lose Nicole. She isn’t forced to come to Awana; she comes completely out of free-will, but what if one day she decides not to attend anymore. She would have walked out the church the way she walked in, a lost soul. That wrenches my heart and I hate thinking like that. I need the Lord to give me faith that, in due time, Nicole will bow her head and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save her.

Please pray for salvation for Nicole and Melissa. Pray also for a continual growth for Ashley, Amanda and Adriana.

I already feel much better just having prayed for that whole situation and for having posted about it on my online diary!

Whiter than Snow has a whole new meaning

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7

When we are born again our sins are forgiven. We are washed “whiter than snow.” I’ve had that thought in mind for a while, especially since last week, when Montreal was literarily bombarded with tons of snow. I remember coming back from prayer meeting last Wednesday night in the midst of the snow storm. When the snow first falls down, it’s breathtaking. It’s pure white and almost reflects like crystal. I love watching it falling down; the very sight of it is peaceful.

Whiter than snow - that’s pretty clean. Can you imagine whiter than snow? Anything whiter than snow must have a touch of the glory of God upon it. And that is precisely it; the precious blood of Jesus washes all our sins away.

This concept applies even after salvation. Our lives can still get stained and dirty by sin and we aren't very pretty to look at. Some people try a lot of things to clean up their lives. Some think that if they will just go to church, they will get clean, but the stain is still there. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away even the worst stains in our life.

When we fall down, we can plead Psalm 51:7 and we will receive the promise of forgiveness of sins through 1 John 1:9. What a beautiful thought that Christ can wash us clean and make us pure again. Only He can wash us whiter than snow!

A perfect peace

One of the most reassuring verses in the bible reads: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Is 26:3).

This scripture gives us a promise of peace, and gives us the way to obtain this peace. When our minds are stayed on the Lord and on the goodness of Him, no matter what’s going on around us, we have an assurance of peace. And not just peace, but PERFECT PEACE. A peace that will enable us to stand in the midst of any trial. A peace that gives us confidence that we can be still and know that He is God (Ps. 46:10) even when placed in the center of a storm.

A peace that assures us our God is always in control of all things, and if He can part the Red Sea and allow the children of Israel to walk through on dry land, surely He is able to take care of our daily needs. A peace that reminds us that we serve the great “I AM”, not the great “I was”, or the great “I’m going to be”! The Lord says, “I AM” the God that delivers; “I AM” the God who supplies your needs; “I AM” the God who heals; “I AM” the God of your salvation; “I AM” the God who forgives; “I AM” the God who loves; “I AM” the God who fulfills and “I AM” the God of peace which passeth all understanding (Phi 4:7)!

The walk of faith

I heard this saying many years ago and it stuck with me. I hope it sticks with you also!

"If we walk by faith we will soon be walking on golden streets."

~For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7

~And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. Rev. 21:21

Saved!

I will just come right out and say it, although, I feel like shouting it. Mitchelle got saved in church today! Thank you, and praise you, Lord Jesus!

Right now, I am just in awe at the way God works. You see, Mitchelle was supposed to come back to church last Sunday morning, however, she ended up having to cancel. Mitchelle is taking a two-week vacation to Chili with her friend. They were to leave this past Friday, which is why she didn’t come to church last Sunday. She needed to go shopping with her friend in preparation for their trip.

Yes, I was a little disappointed, but if there’s anything I’ve learned by now, it is to leave everything up to the Lord. My only worry was that now that Mitchelle is leaving on Friday and won’t be back for two weeks, she will not be coming to church for quite a while. I took it to the Lord in prayer. As it turns out, it is much cheaper for both Mitchelle and her friend to travel on a Monday, than it is on a Friday. Monday morning Mitchelle announced to me that, in fact, she will travel on the Monday following, which would allow her to come to church this Sunday.

Praise the Lord, she came to church this morning! Right before the service began, she sat on the bench next to me, and my mom was quick to ask her if she was saved yet. Mitchelle smiled and said she doesn’t know. The problem is that Mitchelle believed in her heart that Jesus Christ paid the death penalty for her on the cross, but she didn’t quite understand what to do with that knowledge. Mom told her that it’s a matter of a simple prayer, and before you know it, my mom, Mitchelle and I held hands and prayed.

Mitchelle prayed and said the following (I don’t remember the exact words):

“Lord, I know that I am a sinner, I know that you died for me, and I ask you to give me eternal life and a place in Heaven.”

WOW!!!!!! Keep in mind that this is all taking place before the service had even began, and when it started, we opened with the Hymn I am thine, O Lord. We then sang In the sweet by and by, Whiter than Snow and Standing on the promises. Mrs Judi (Pastor’s wife) then sang a special. She sang about Heaven, and sure enough, Pastor’s message was about Heaven! Mitchelle listened intently and was all smiles. She had just asked for a place in Heaven and she now had proof from the Bible that Jesus Christ granted her request.

Like last time she came to church, she joined me and my church family for lunch. Everybody spoke to her, including myself, and I can assure you that Mitchelle KNOWS that is she ETERNALLY saved and knows and understands that she is now a born-again Christian. She kept repeating how she felt an overwhelming joy and that she really loved the church.

I told Mitchelle to write down today’s date in her Bible and to bring it with her on her trip to read it and to witness to her friend. She says she is looking forward to come back from Chili so that she could come to church again. Mitchelle even knows that she has to tell her sisters and mother about the Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for a household salvation!

You see Mitchelle had come to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in her heart and all that was left to do was to confess it with her mouth, which she did today, February 11, 2007, on her bench at Bible Baptist Church.

~For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10

All I can say is, thank you, Lord, Jesus!

A closer walk with God

I believe most of you are familiar with the Hymn Just a closer walk with Thee. That is what I have been craving for these past few days. A stronger, more sincere and intimate walk with my Savior is what my soul is longing for.

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Whenever I think of that Hymn, my thoughts often turn to King David. There are several Bible passages which prove that David lived that day-by-day walk with Almighty God. I just love David. So what if he fell short of the glory of God, who hasn’t (Rom 3:23). David's heart was right with God and I love that he thirsted for righteousness. I believe he was a man that had a sincere longing for the Lord and thus, maintained a daily walk with Him.

First of all, he prayed daily:

~Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Secondly, he meditated in God’s word daily:

~Psa 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Thirdly, David realized the benefits of God’s daily blessings:

~Psa 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

And fourthly, He praised God daily:

~Psa 72:15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

With these simple tasks alone, David equipped himself to meet his day. The second verse of “Just a closer walk with thee” is as follows:

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

David learned to daily rely on the Lord, and to rely on Him alone. Even though David had his share of “snares” in his life, he learned that the only person in this world who truly cares is the Lord. None but Thee, as in the Hymn.

The last verse of the Hymn talks about when this day-by-day life is over:

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Until then, may we all learn to walk just a closer walk with God. Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Waiting patiently on the Lord

I think it’s human nature to want to rush through life, but human nature is sinful nature. God’s Word teaches us to wait on the Lord. However, studying God’s word has also taught me that it’s not only a simple matter of waiting, but of waiting patiently.

Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

I now understand that the Lord is teaching me to wait, and to wait patiently and on HIM. That is alright. I much rather trust God’s wisdom than trust my own.

Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

A good verse to claim

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

I often claim the above-mentioned verse when the Lord burdens me to pray for a friend’s salvation. It sounds so simple, because it is, but all that we have to do to win our family, friends and co-workers to the Lord is to earnestly pray for them. After all, God Himself cares for their salvation much more than we could ever possibly desire!