Aches and Praise Three Hundred & Twenty Six

Posted on 2017-12-08 in English |

Dear friends,  

 

Have you ever heard a sermon that you enjoyed so much that you would have been glad to drive hours to hear it? I have experienced that several times, including during our visit to Connecticut, to see our daughter, Candace, and Richie and his family during American Thanksgiving. One of the elders of Cheshire Bible Chapel, who officiated at Candace and Richie’s wedding in August, preached a tremendous sermon on the tenth chapter of the gospel of John. Knowing that the Lord Jesus is our shepherd gives us wonderful assurance that we can trust Him to take great care of us!

After telling His disciples that He is the door and the good shepherd, Jesus says: “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16). When I volunteer at a public event in Montreal, I can tell when I meet someone from France or Belgium by their accent. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people would realize that of all the voices calling for their attention, the one that is most deserving of their attention is that of the Lord Jesus.
 
A song that Karen sang often with her family in the 1980s was “People Need the Lord.” In his book “Disciplines of a Godly Man,” R. Kent Hughes references this song by Greg Nelson and Phill McHugh. Here are the lyrics of the first part of the song:

 

                        Every day they pass me by,

                              I can see it in their eyes;

                        Empty people filled with care,

                              headed who knows where.

                        On they go through private pain,

                              living fear to fear.

                        Laughter hides the silent cries,

                              only Jesus hears.

 

                        People need the Lord.

                              People need the Lord.

                        At the end of broken dreams,

                              He’s the open door.

 

                        People need the Lord.

                              People need the Lord.

                        When will we realize

                              people need the Lord?

 

If you have never heard this song, or would like to hear it again, you can do so at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxzEJTKxIjQ. Karen and I had the privilege of meeting Steve Green, an inspirational Christian recording artist, in Buffalo, NY some years ago. To hear a stirring duet of “People Need the Lord” by Steve Green and Song Jung Mi, please go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccU-87Km-M.

As we approach Christmas, let us ask God to guide us to tell others about the One whom the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews described as “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20).
 

Scripture for the weekend: “When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4 (NASB) 

Thought for the weekend: “Life, well lived, is like writing a poem. And therefore it is hard, very hard. A sloppy prose life or an unintelligible, free verse life would not be as hard. And the effect would not be as great. God is beautiful, and the life that expresses his glory should be beautiful … Beauty and truth and compelling depth come by painstaking thinking and trial and praying and self-correcting.” – Dr. John Piper (from his book “A Godward Life – Book Two”)
 
 

By His grace,

 

Steve

^