Grace Community Church Christmas Concert, Christmas Music, and a Song of Christian Encouragement

Grace Community Church Concert & Christmas Music MP3 Album

Grace Community Church in Southern California has Christmas concerts every year, and this year they are scheduled to stream the one on December 17th.  I look forward to watching the stream online each year.  

The time it is scheduled for is: 6 PM Pacific / 8 PM Central / 9 PM Eastern (U.S.) / 2 AM on the 18th GMT.  Don't miss it!  Look for the choice of Livestream links on the Concert Page Here.

I also discovered a Christmas album on the church's site called A Church Notes Christmas that has a few Christmas songs available.   

Music to Encourage Christians in Troubling Times

The following music has lyrics, so you may be able to sing along!

A Timely Message on Israel by John MacArthur, Natalie's Story, Psalms of Grace MP3 Files, & Christmas Carols

God Will Keep His Promises to Israel - Don't Miss This!

There was a timely message John MacArthur gave on November 19th of this year that Christians should listen to.   God's keeping His promises to Israel in the future should encourage all believers.  It's on the GTY website:  In God We Trust (sermon by John MacArthur).

Natalie's Story

I have been following the story of Natalie (a child) for quite some time, and God has used what could have seemed tragic for His purposes.  It's amazing to be reminded again about how God made the body in a wonderful way.  Watch Here.

Free Psalms of Grace MP3 Files (available at the time of this post)

I saw that these files are still free which are good for those who want to use them.  There are also ones available in Spanish!  You can find them HERE. 

Celebrating the Incarnation with Music

I often have shared music on here around Christmas, and here are some carols with violin and guitar for you to listen to.

Don't Look Away

 What Hamas did in Israel on October 7, 2023, was horrific.  I did not watch everything, but I saw some still photos that were gruesome.  I've read and heard accounts.  I know it happened.  Deniers are liars...just like those who deny the Holocaust of Hitler's time.  Some recently have said things like, "Do not look away."   I understand, as some want to deny the truth.... deny reality.... pretend like there is a good excuse.  They are deluded and blind to the truth.

I was thinking today about how I feel sometimes when I read the account of the crucifixion in the Gospels.  I feel like I don't want to read that part even though I should want to.  I don't like to think of the suffering and humiliation and the injustice.  Yet I know that what Christ suffered...physically and also the wrath of God (which he willingly suffered for others as He was sinless) ...well, that was the only way that my sins could be properly atoned for.  He was my substitute.  

So, while I can't see the physical blood of Christ, or know the depth of His suffering of the wrath of God against my sins and the sins of all who would ever believe, it is necessary to remember and to see the reality with the spiritual eyes He has given me.

Have you seen Christ on the cross in that way?  Have you seen the depth of your sins?  Turn to Christ.  Read His Word, and don't look away from the cross.  Look to Jesus.  Only in Him is forgiveness and eternal life. 

The Bible

Fall Colors of 2023

 

The Wind Does God's Word

Praise Yahweh from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;

Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, doing His word;
Psalm 148:7-8 LSB

Doing His word.
They are to praise Yahweh.
This is a good reminder that God is in control.
A lot of people are trying to stir up panic today over the climate, and there are those who want to use that panic to gain control over the world and do crazy things (and waste a lot of money, resources, and effort, etc.).
But as I was reminded on another site, the wind and the seas obeyed Jesus.

There really is no need to fear, because all of the efforts of the climate alarmists will not change what God's plans are for the future.  I don't believe there is any climate crisis, but sadly some people want to shut down opposing viewpoints.  

For now, I can be content with knowing this:

While all the days of the earth remain, 

Seedtime and harvest,

 And cold and heat, And summer and winter, 

And day and night Shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:22 LSB

God sets up and throws down governments and determines boundaries.  

Even though the world is going crazy and evil governments are gaining control and there is corruption all over the place (even in the U.S.), I again can go to the Bible to remember that God is still sovereign even over governments.

And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.
Daniel 2:21 LSB


and He made from one man every nation of mankind to inhabit all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
Acts 17:26 LSB

I've been reading Job again lately, and it's a reminder that while Job suffered the loss of family, possessions, livestock, and health (boils and misery) that God was still sovereign even over Satan's evil schemes. 

God has purposes that we might not see now.  

Job is quite the example of blessing the Lord even though he did want the day of his birth cursed in chapter 3. 

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.

Looking to the Lord & His Word in Crazy Times

Trusting in the Lord in these times is the anchor I have to know that despite all of the evil in this nation and world, and despite of the threats to our health and lives (chemicals, illnesses, weapons of war) I know that God's good purposes won't be thwarted.

My health already isn't good, but God has continued to care for us one way or another. He will help us through each trial until we are safely Home with Him. Without this knowledge, I would have no hope to cling to. Hoping in deliverance by man or man's weaponry is useless. In the Bible, it is made clear that people must turn to the Lord. It is not always His will to deliver us out of trials, but we must learn to look to Him in our trials here on earth.

When anxious thoughts come, I can go back to what I know and have learned from Scriptures and from others who teach the Scripture. 

Even if my brain stops functioning well enough to do much of anything one day, He will still care for me.
It isn't based on my worthiness, because I'm not.
My hope is in Christ and His righteousness and mercy and love and faithfulness.
When I doubt His kindness, when I fail in my sinfulness, He brings me back to looking to Him.

After someone at a store was telling about a supposed vision she had, a part of a song came to my mind.  I trust in the already finished canon of Scripture.  It is complete. 

I don't need anything else to verify what is in it apart from what God has already given.

Nothing new is needed to trust in Christ.  (She doesn't realize we are cessationists.)

My heart is leaning on the Word,

The written Word of God,

Salvation by my Savior’s name,

Salvation through His blood.

Refrain:

I need no other argument,

I need no other plea,

it is enough that Jesus died,

and that he died for me.

        (Author: E. E. Hewitt - Public Domain)

The "My Truth" Fallacy

I've been quiet on here awhile again.

I often think I don't have much to say, but I do want to encourage people somehow today.

The world seems to be going downhill fast in many ways, and people are becoming more aware of all of the lies and corruption they have been fed.

The encouragement is this.  God and His Word (the 66 books of the Bible) do not change.  

The Triune God is unchanging.  His words are true (Psalm 119:160).

The truth of God is objective.  It doesn't change with the times.

Your feelings can and do change...sometimes daily.

Often what people call "my truth" is just a statement of their feelings.  

Feelings are not truth.  They often lie to us.  They send us into depression or unreality.

They will not satisfy us.

Reality is not based on what you feel or what you want.  

You cannot be whatever you feel like.

God created you, and whatever you do to paste on another identity...your facade does no good before Him.

So, the Bible may hurt feelings, but the Spirit saves eternal souls and transforms lives through God's Word.  The Word of God pierces through, and all of our thoughts and motives are visible to God (based on Hebrews 4:12-13).

Absolute truth cannot be found apart from God and His Word.

What is right and what is wrong are based on the character of God and that is revealed in the Scriptures.

Have you read the Bible through?

Jesus is the truth.  (See John 14:6 for full verse.)

For the Christian, we can be encouraged knowing that God is true/truth, and His words are true, and we know that His death for our many sins was enough.  His righteousness imputed.  His resurrection.  We can trust Him that He will sanctify us, provide our needs, and that He will bring about His good purposes through our many trials (and those trials are there to bring about perseverance, proven character, and hope...See Romans 5).  We can trust Him that we will be resurrected and glorified.  We can trust that He really is faithful, and His lovingkindness is everlasting.  We can know that His future Kingdom will come, and that there will be an eternity with Him for those who are His.  

We can trust that He is just and that evil will not be unpunished.

We need to look to the Word of God, listen to preaching, and examine everything from the lens of Scripture (as there is a lot of heresy and false teaching out there).

God will never leave the believer even when homebound, disabled, or in distress.

I hope this will encourage you, because in composing this I am encouraging myself by reminding myself of what the Bible says.

As my mind is a fog so often, I don't know how clear this will be to anyone else.

Without Christ, there is no truth.

But God is real, and He is absolutely true and trustworthy, and so is His Gospel.

So, please read His Word, and let me know if you would like me to pray for you.

Read the Legacy Standard Bible.  Here is the book of John.