Standing At The Portal

 

"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge
in times of trouble.  And they that know Thy name will
 put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord has not forsaken
them that seek Thee.
(Psalm 9:9-10)

April Flowers
(2020)

Holly Banks

Fine Art America

Standing at the portal

Of the opening year,

Words of comfort meet us,

Hushing every fear;

Spoken through the silence

By our Savior's voice,

Tender, strong and faithful,

Making us rejoice.

Onward, then, and fear not,

Children of the day;

For His Word shall never,

Never pass away.

"I, the Lord, am with thee,

Be thou not afraid;

I will help and strengthen

Be thou not dismayed.

Yea, I will uphold thee

With My own right hand;

Thou art called and chosen

In My sight to stand."

Onward, then, and fear not,

Children of the day;

For His Word shall never,

Never pass away.

For the year before us,

O what rich supplies!

For the poor and needy

Living streams shall rise;

For the sad and sinful

Shall His grace abound;

For the faint and feeble

Perfect strength to be found.

Onward, then, and fear not,

Children of the day;

For His Word shall never,

Never pass away.

He will never fail us,

He will not forsake;

His eternal covenant

He will never break.

Resting on the promise,

What have we to fear?

God is all sufficient

For the coming year.

Onward, then, and fear not,

Children of the day;

For His Word shall never,

Never pass away.

Frances Ridley Havergal

Image courtesy/Havergal Trust

"Standing At The Portal"
(1873)
Frances Ridley Havergal
(1836-1879)
English Christian poetess and hymn writer
"A bright but short-lived candle
in English hymnody"

Pastor Jack Hibbs: Out Of The Darkness

 

A powerful message of hope for believers and for America today from
 beloved Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, California.

Out Of The Darkness

Real Life With Jack Hibbs

(April 3, 2023)

Monday Meditation: Every Morning Mercies New

 

"It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning;
great is Thy faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul,
therefore I will hope in Him."
(Lamentations 3:22-24)

Spring Morning

(2020)

Honey Lake Valley

Lassen County, California

Photograph by Randy Robbins/

Fine Art America

Every morning mercies new,  Falling fresh as morning dew,

Every morning let us pay  Tribute with the early day:

For Thy mercies, Lord are sure;  Thy compassion doth endure.

Still the greatness of Thy love  Daily doth our sins remove;

Daily, far as east to west, Lifts the burden from the breast;

Gives un-bought to those who pray  Strength to stand in evil day.

Let our prayers each morn prevail,  That these gifts may never fail;

And, as we confess the sin  And the Tempter's power within,

Every morning, for the strife,  Feed us with the Bread of Life.

As the morning light returns,  As the sun with splendor burns,

Teach us still to turn to Thee,  Ever blessed Trinity,

With our hands our hearts to raise,  In unfailing prayer and praise.

Amen.

"Every Morning Mercies New"
(1863)
Reverend Greville  Phillimore
(1821-1884)
Church of England clergyman
and hymn writer

Going After The Cows

 

With the birds singing, the trees budding, and "the green grass growing all
around," as we used to sing in school, who would not love the country and prefer
farm life to any other?  We are glad that so much time can be spent out-of-doors
while going about the regular affairs of the day, thus combining pleasure with
work and adding good health for full measure.

Woodland Meadow

(1876)

Hans Thoma

(1839-1924)

German painter

Painting courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

I have a favorite way of doing this, for I have never lost my childhood delight
in going after the cows. I still slip away from other things for the sake of the
walk through the pastures, down along the creek, and over the hill to the
farthest corner where the cows are usually found, as you can all bear witness.

Bringing home the cows is the childhood memory that often recurs to me.
I think it is because the mind of a child is peculiarly attuned to the beauties of
nature, and the voices of the wildwood, and the impression they made was deep.

*"To him who, in the love of nature, holds community with her visible forms,
she speaks in various language" you know.  And I am sure old Mother Nature
talked to me in all the languages she knew when, as a child, I loitered along
the cow paths, forgetful of the milking time and stern parents waiting, while
I gathered wildflowers, waded in the creek, watched the squirrels hastening
to their homes in the treetops, and listened to the sleepy twitterings of birds.

Wild strawberries grew in grassy nooks in springtime.  The wild plum thickets
along the creek yielded their fruit about the time of the first frost in the fall.
And all the time between, there were ever varied, never failing delights
along the cow paths of the old pasture.  Many a time, instead of me
finding the cows, they, on their journey home unurged, found me
and took me home with them.

The voices of nature do not speak so plainly to us as we grow older,
but I think it is because, in our busy lives, we neglect her until we grow
out of sympathy.  Our ears and eyes grow dull, and beauties are lost
to us that we should still enjoy.

Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how
interesting and important that work may be.  A moment's pause to watch
the glory of a sunrise or a sunset is soul satisfying, while a bird's song
will set the steps of music all day long.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

(1867-1957)

Photograph courtesy/Wikipedia

"Going After The Cows"
April 1923
Laura Ingalls Wilder
(1867-1957)
Prolific American writer and author
of the "Little House" series of books.
Essay taken from the book,
Little House In The Ozarks
A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler
The Rediscovered Writings
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Edited by Stephen W. Hines
(1991)
Guideposts Edition

*Quote from "Thanatopsis"
By William Cullen Bryant

Zola Levitt Presents: The Stones Cry Out/The Tunnel

 

 In this classic series, beloved Messianic Bible teacher Zola Levitt (1938-2006) 
 the founder of Zola Levitt Ministries and Dr. Tom McCall visit sites in
 Israel and Jordan where archaeological discoveries greatly illuminate
and validate the Biblical record.  In this first episode Zola takes us
on a tour of the controversial Hasmonean Tunnel.

The Stones Cry Out/The Tunnel

Zola Levitt Presents/Our Jewish Roots

(Originally aired in 1997)

When, His Salvation Bringing

 "And the crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed Him
kept shouting, "Hosanna! O be propitious, graciously inclined  to the
  Son of David, the Messiah! 
Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!
  Hosanna! O be favorably disposed, in the highest heaven!"
(Matthew 21:9)

Hosanna!

Triumphant Entry

(2002)

Tom Dubois/Pinterest

When, His salvation bringing, To Zion Jesus came,

The children all stood singing Hosanna to His name

Nor did their zeal offend Him, But, as He rode along,

He let them still attend Him, And smiled to hear their song.

And since the Lord retaineth His love for children still,

Though now as King He reigneth On Zion's heavenly hill,

We'll flock around His banner Who sits upon His throne,

And cry aloud, "Hosanna!  To David's royal Son!"

For should we fail proclaiming Our great Redeemer's praise,

The stones, our silence shaming, Would their hosannas raise.

But shall we only render The tribute of our words?

No; while our hearts are tender, They, too, shall be the Lord's.

"When, His Salvation Bringing"
(1830)
John King
(1789-1858)
English clergyman and hymnist

Spirit Of God Descend Upon My Heart

 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering
and steadfast spirit with me.  Cast me not away from Your presence
and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of
Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit."
(Psalm 51:10-12)

American Goldfinches and Apple Blossoms

Crista Forest/Pinterest

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;

Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;

Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,

And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King?

All, all Thine own, soul, heart, and strength and mind;

I see Thy cross-there teach my heart to cling;

O let me seek Thee, and O let me find.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,

To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;

Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,

One holy passion filling all my frame;

The baptism of the heaven descended Dove,

My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.

Amen.

Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart
(1854)
George Croly
(1780-1860)
Irish Anglican clergyman, poet, 
 novelist, hymn writer