Trusting Jesus ~ Thursday, April 16 2020
2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.”
“Simply trusting every day, Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small, Trusting Jesus, that is all.”
Sometimes it is difficult to accept that God is in control, and let go of our worry and doubt.
I Peter 5:7 says “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding.”
God has proven himself over and over to many Christians in need who have put their trust in him. The world tells us not to worry; saying things like “Everything will be okay.” and “You can get through this.” or “We will get through this together.” There is a fatal flaw in all those types of cliches. The people saying them have no power or authority to know whether what they are saying is true. They often do not have the ability to affect the change necessary to make those statements true. The good news to those who put their trust in God is that he has the power and the ability to do both of those things; and the best news is that he cares enough for us that he answers prayers and works in this world, helping us fight against the evil that seems so overwhelming at times.
Romans 8:28 “For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”
The words to the hymn, Trusting Jesus by Edgar P. Stites illustrate this concept perfectly,
“Trusting as the moments fly, Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall, Trusting Jesus, that is all.”
~John Easterling
The Love of God ~ Tuesday, April 14 2020
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Imagine if God's love for us was equal to our love for him. Would he have given his Son to be beaten, ridiculed, and killed just for a bunch of unthankful, rebellious, indifferent, and unworthy sinners? Thankfully, God's love for us is not dependent on our love for him. It is for good reason that John 3:16 is among the most popular verses in the Bible. Have you ever heard another sentence like it? There was a father who loved a bunch of rebellious, hateful worms so much that he gave his son to be tortured and die for them so that some would accept his free gift of grace while others still spat on him and trampled his love under foot. Again I say, thankfully God’s love is far greater than ours!
In 1917, a pastor and songwriter, Frederick M. Lehman was working in a packing factory in Pasadena, California, and while reflecting on God’s love, he was inspired to write the hymn, “The Love of God”. He wrote three verses, and I struggle to find only one verse to put here. I would recommend looking it up and reading all three verses and reflecting on God’s great love for us. As we read in Romans 8:38-39, God’s love for us is in Christ Jesus who died on the cross, and rose again that we might all have His free gift of eternal life. I will put the 3rd verse of Lehman’s hymn here and let you find the others on your own.
“Could we with ink the ocean fill And were the skies of parchment made,
Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill And ev’ry man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole Tho stretched from sky to sky.”
~John Easterling
Jesus Paid It All! ~ Friday, April 10 2020
Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
We have hope! Praise God it is not in this earth, or the things of this earth. These will all pass away. But the redemption that Jesus purchased is eternal. Elvina Hall wrote a few lines of poetry on a hymnal during a church service, and John T. Grape later used them to compose a very popular hymn called, Jesus Paid It All. Among the lines she wrote on that hymnal were this one, “Yea, nothing good have I, Whereby Thy grace to claim; I’ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calvary’s Lamb.” Jesus died that we might be redeemed back to the Father. His resurrection defeated death and hell. His blood defeats sin. I am glad that redemption is not by my works or my blood. I rejoice in Jesus alone and thank God as often as I can that he gave us His son. Without the price that Jesus paid, how lost we would be.
“Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”
~John Easterling
Start The Work In Me ~ Thursday, April 9 2020
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Dr. J. Edwin Orr was discussing the great revivals of the past, a subject that he had studied more than many other scholars, he was asked “besides praying for revival, what can I do to help bring it about?” “You can let it begin in you.” Dr. Orr responded. Years earlier Orr had written this hymn in the midst of a powerful revival in New Zealand. I needed the words of this hymn this morning.
Search Me, O God
Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free
I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word, and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.
Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival, start the work in me.
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.
Imagine a prayer like this coming from God’s Church in truth. There is only one place to start that prayer…
~John Easterling
Write On My Heart Every Word ~ Wednesday, April 8 2020
Acts 5:42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”
Something I have noticed about my own personal relationship with God. He seems to give peace and joy when I hear the story of Jesus, even though I have heard it over and over and over. The more I hear it, the more I want to hear it. This is reflected in the Bible (Romans 1:16) and in more than one song and hymn. I pity the church who has decided that the Gospel of Christ is outdated and not important for daily discussion. I tend to lean towards the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection being the most important thing we could be discussing. The early church thought so, and Fanny Crosby thought so as well. In the Hymn, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”, she begins at Jesus’ birth and ends with salvation. The third verse says,
“Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and pain;
Tell of the grave where they laid Him, Tell how He liveth again!
Love, in that story so tender, Clearer than ever I see:
Stay, let me weep while you whisper, Love paid the ransom for me!”
I love that last line! Without the ransom that Jesus paid we would not have salvation. That would be a miserable world. So, I think we should not only continue to sing this song, but we should be following the example Fanny Crosby set for us.
“Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart ev’ry word;
Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard!”
~John Easterling
The Wondrous Cross ~ Tuesday, April 7 2020
Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
“When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, Ans pour contempt on all my pride.” Isaac Watts As we draw near to the celebration of, what I would argue is the single greatest moment in the history of the world; the resurrection of our savior, Christ Jesus, we are reminded of the cruelty and brutality that the precious Lamb of God endured at the hands of wicked men, who, whipped, beat, and mocked Him without mercy before he was nailed to a cross and left to die slowly and painfully. I cannot help but get emotional about this, as I realize that the reason he would allow this to happen, when he could have ended all this suffering in an instant, was that he loved me and knew there was only one way to redeem sinners as vile as me. I rejoice in the cross for this reason. I do not worship the cross, because it was just a tree. What transpired at the cross was that Jesus became sin for us. In 1707, a hymn was published by Isaac Watts called “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”. The second verse matches the words from Galatians 6:14. “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.”
~John Easterling
My Jesus, I Love Thee ~ Monday, April 6 2020
I John 4:19 “We love him because he first loved us.”
This verse is reflected in the second verse of the hymn, My Jesus, I Love Thee. William Featherston wrote these words at the age of 16:
“I love Thee, Because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon On Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns On Thy Brow,
If Ever I loved Thee, My Jesus, ‘tis now.”
As we begin the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday where we will be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, we need to keep in mind what it was all about. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We should be thanking God for sending his Son to take our sins upon Him on the cross, so that through His resurrection we might have redemption. Remember, it is nothing we have done!
~John Easterling
What More Do We Need? ~ Saturday, April 4 2020
I Peter 1:21 “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
“My Faith Has Found a Resting Place” is a hymn written by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt in the 1800s. The words of this hymn serve as a reminder to me when I FEEL like skipping out on church or the service of God in my life. It is a simple reminder, but a powerful one. The chorus reads;
“I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.”
What reasonings can we come up with to not FEEL like attending church, or fulfilling any other purpose God has for us in the time we have left here? I won’t list mine. We all have our own lists; but what are any of them compared to the great love of God for us that he would send his only Son to die so that I might have life!
I Corinthians 2:2 “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
~John Easterling
Take the World ~ Friday, April 3 2020
Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
One of my favorite hymn writers is Fanny Crosby. Inspired by a conversation with her neighbor about what more wealth would allow him to do, she replied simply, “Well, take the world, but give me Jesus.” How many of us could make such a claim honestly? With those words, she was inspired to write the hymn of the same title. The first verse reads,
Take the world, but give me Jesus
All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever,
Thru eternal years the same.
I sometimes ask myself that old question, What would you not give up for Jesus? Something to think about; if God asked you to give up something that is most dear to you, what would your response be? Think about the events of Abraham and Isaac. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son for Him. Abraham did not always have great faith. But by that time in his life, he had come to realize that faith was all he had. He obeyed and God provided a better sacrifice, which could not have happened if Abraham had lacked faith at that moment. Thank God that He decided to sacrifice His only Son, which is the perfect and only sacrifice for our sins. I think the chorus to Fanny’s beloved hymn says it best,
O the height and depth of mercy!
O the length and breadth of love!
O the fullness of redemption
Pledge of endless life above!
~John Easterling
Hold the Fort ~ Thursday, April 2 2020
I Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”
In 1870, Philip P. Bliss wrote the hymn, Hold the Fort after hearing of the courageous stand of a company of Union soldiers in the American Civil War who were tasked with defending a crucial supply depot. They were attacked and it was looking hopeless until they saw a signal flag coming in the distance. The messenger was from the Union general, William Tecumseh Sherman; “Hold the fort. I am coming.” This message inspired the Union troops to hold out until General Sherman arrived and drove the enemy away. Bliss used this act of bravery to relate our the Christian’s present state on earth. Jesus is coming. Hold! Right now, I think this message is more critical, as congregations cannot meet to worship God, study his word, pray in unity, and encourage one another in the love of Christ. We still need to be doing these things. Perhaps now we will realize that this is not a once-a-week calling. Perhaps we can see that Christianity is something that we should be practicing every day! The chorus of Bliss’s hymn says “‘Hold the fort for I am coming,’ Jesus signals still; Wave the answer back to heaven, “By Thy grace we will.” Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
~John Easterling
What a Friend! ~ April 1 2020
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Joseph Scirven was a man who knew loss, sorrow and tragedy. He could have let this take him down a dark and terrible road. Instead, he found solace in God; devoting himself to the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. From this understanding of loss, he was able to compose the words to the well known hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, although he did not write them for himself. When he learned that his mother was facing a crisis back home in Ireland, he wrote a poem for her. She had it published secretly and churches were singing a new hymn, though nobody knew who wrote the words. Joseph later told a neighbor who asked him if he had truly written the words to the now popular hymn, he replied, “The Lord and I did it between us.” The hymn has many words for us in this troubled time; “Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer.” The entire hymn serves as a reminder that whatever we are facing, we should take our troubles, our problems, and our worries to the Lord. “Can we find a friend more faithful”?
~John Easterling
Amazing Grace ~ Tuesday, March 31 2020
Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
“Amazing Grace” was written in 1779 by John Newton. For inspiration, he only had to reflect on his early life in the British Navy. As we sing the words, “Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” we can relate to them in small ways. John Newton lived a life where those words had much more meaning. After reading about some of his life, I can picture an exciting movie that would keep audiences on the edge of their seats. They may even see John as the villain through some of the scenes. Thank God that Jesus’ blood can redeem us; and that his grace is sufficient. I like how Ephesians 1:7 compares God’s grace to treasure; “according to the riches of his grace”. In the second verse of Amazing Grace, John Newton wrote, “How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed.” Praise God for the amazing, precious treasure that is Gace. Where would any of us be without it?
~John Easterling
Jesus Is Very Near ~ Monday, March 30 2020
Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden on the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
The psalm writer uses imagery here to express how grateful he is to be relieved of his burden. He says “Cast thy burden on the LORD,” as though we should be casting our burdens or troubles away from us as we would cast out an unwanted sweater. We do not plan to pick it up again. Jesus promised that his burden is light. This does not mean we have no burden. It means that if we leave our troubles at the feet of Jesus and pick up his cross, he will be there bearing the load with us. This also doesn't mean your troubles disappear. It just means that Jesus takes care of them. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” - I Peter 5:7
After leading a sick man to the Lord in a hospital, John M. Moore reflected on the idea of leaving your burdens at the cross of Jesus, and later wrote the Hymn, “Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary”. The second stanza reads, “Cast your care on Jesus today, leave your worry and fear. Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near.” This is a reminder for me to remember who is in control during times of distress and anguish; times like we are living in right now…
~ John Easterling
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS ~ Saturday, March 28 2020
I Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
One of my favorite verses to quote at myself when things are not going the way I would like them to. An easy way to misread this verse would be to say, FOR all things give thanks...There is a lot of difference in that one word. You see, it is not that we are supposed to be thankful for trials. It is that we are to be thankful in spite of the trials that come our way. God did not send this catastrophe for you, but if we will follow his will, He will teach us mighty things through this trial. If you are wondering what God’s plan is right now for HIS church, (That is us. We are HIS church.) It is to be thankful to him. There is a powerful hymn that reflects this thought; “Count Your Blessings” by Johnson Oatman Jr. I think some of us can relate to the first stanza:
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings Name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
Look for God’s work. Look for His Light. Give thanks to him for His blessings. Counter the confusion and gloom with thanksgiving and praise to the King of kings!
~John Easterling
In Times Like These ~ Friday, March 27 2020
“In times like these you need a savior,
In times like these you need an anchor.
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
This Rock is Jesus…”
In Pennsylvania 1943, Ruth Caye Jones, the wife of a pastor was distressed while reading about the casualties, gloom, and sense of uncertainty relating to the Allied situation in the midst of World War II. She opened her bible to 2 Timothy 3:1 and read, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” She received inspiration from this passage and penned some words which she would later use to write the Hymn “In Times Like These”.
Hebrews 6:19 “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
We are living in a perilous time. Not quite what people during WWII were facing, but enough that it is disrupting our lives and causing confusion and stress. It is high time we put our full trust in the one anchor that is sure. Jesus is the only hope and anchor of our soul. He is steadfast and sure, and he is the only way to be redeemed back to the Father; to be forgiven for our wretched sin. It is time that we make a choice. I pray that the Church gets on their knees and draws back to the steadfast arms of the Father before it is too late.
“In times like these I have a Savior,
In times like these I have an anchor.
I’m very sure, I’m very sure
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!”
~John Easterlng
He Leadeth Me ~ Thursday, March 26, 2020
Psalm 23:2-3 “...he leadeth me beside the still waters...he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Joseph Gilmore was a young minister during the civil war; and while preaching to a church in Philadelphia on the 23rd Psalm, he began focusing on the words “he leadeth me…” and stayed on that subject for the duration of the message. He spoke to the idea that “it makes no difference how we are led, or whither(where) we are led, so long as we are sure God is leading us.” He would later go on to pen the words to the Hymn, “He Leadeth Me”. With the music composed by William Bradbury, the hymn can be found in many hymnals, where hymnals can still be found, and is a hymn that I personally don’t take lightly. Can we today claim that it is God that is leading our actions?
Reflect on this first verse of the hymn
“He leadeth me, O blessed thought! O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
What e’er I do, where e’er I be, still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.”
Imagine a time when we can honestly say that…
It is not the first verse that drew me to this hymn recently, though. As the 23rd psalm states “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;” The effects of the situation we are facing in the world are getting to me. I am feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and even a little depressed at times. I can’t imagine how this is affecting many others who are in much more challenging situations than I am. The second verse of the hymn states,
“Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom, Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea, Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me!”
I often reflect on the words of the apostle Paul from Hebrews 12:4 “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Will we be unscathed by this crisis? We cannot know. The real question is, are we willing to be led by God through this crisis, or even through personal difficulties? I pray that our faith is strong enough for both the still waters and the gloom.”
~John Easterling
A Firm Foundation - Wednesday, 2-25-20
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
On Monday we discussed how Jesus is the only foundation that leads to eternal life. All other ideas, theories, or philosophies are not just weaker, but are utterly useless. Another beautiful hymn that is full of biblical truths and doctrines pertaining to God’s relationship with his redeemed people is How Firm a Foundation. Set to an early American melody, the hymn’s author is unknown. First appearing in hymnals in 1820, it was first published under the title, “Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises.” As you listen to the words, you will notice how these promises are expressed in the words of this powerful hymn.
The second verse has a message for us that is hard to ignore in the present circumstances the world is facing.
“Fear not; I am with thee. O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, And cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, Omnipotent hand.”
The inspiration for these words is clear as it is almost a direct quote from Isaiah 41:10. If you want to be further inspired in your faith, you can read Isaiah 41-43.
~ John Easterling
Where are we looking? - Tuesday, 3-24-20
Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
In 1918, a singer/hymn-writer by the name of Helen Lemmel wrote “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”. She described how she wrote the chorus after reading a gospel tract that had words that would inspire the hymn. “Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to work to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody.” The chorus goes like this;
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”
The power of the Holy Spirit was with her inspiring and instructing her. She completed the verses later that week. I encourage you to look up the words and listen to the hymn. Reflect on Hebrews 12:2 and imagine a church where people’s focus is on Jesus, where they seek him continually...would we be so upset to not see regular sports broadcasts? Would others have to wonder if we were Christians? Would we be experiencing true worship in the spirit as Helen did on that day?! Psalm 34:5 “They Looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.?
Sinking Sand - Monday, 3-23-20
I Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Jesus spoke a parable about two men who built their houses. Both men went through a storm. The both had to endure through a situation that was totally out of their control. Before the storm, both had time to prepare for these types of situations. Both built houses to protect themselves. The difference as you all surely remember was that one man built his house on a rock, while the other man built his house upon sand. The man who built his house on the rock was called a wise man, while the other was called a foolish man. The rains that both had to endure were not mild. When the storm had passed, the wise man still had all his house, because he had a sure foundation. There is a hymn by Edward Mote called “The Solid Rock”. The first verse says “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rogh I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.” In this time of confusion and craziness, it is imperative that we seek Jesus as our foundation, and not the wisdom of this world. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near:” Isaiah 55:6