Listen to YouTube: Lift high the name of Jesus lyrics
Use these lyrics to lead you into prayers of thanks for Gods’ love and care.
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear.
Dear name! The rock on which I build, my shield and hiding place,
my never-failing treasury, filled with boundless stores of grace.
Jesus! My shepherd, brother, friend, my prophet priest and king;
my lord, my life, my way, my end, accept the praise I bring.
John Newton (1725-1807)
This hymn is always in my ‘top 10’ worship songs, but the words I am familiar with aren’t the ones John Newton originally wrote, the 3rd verse originally started with the words: ‘Jesus! My shepherd, husband, friend…’ Once I discovered this fact, I assumed it got changed because hymnbooks were compiled by men, and they found it uncomfortable to describe God as their husband. Until recently I also assumed this reference to God as husband was based on bible verses from the last book in the bible, Revelation where Jesus is described as a bridegroom and we who believe in him as Saviour and Lord (the Church) are the bride, but there is a verse in Isaiah 54: 5 where we are told ‘your Maker is your husband.’ Related to this description of God as husband is the prophecy of Hosea where his actual life was a message from God: Hosea had an unfaithful wife, who is likened to the unfaithful people of Israel and Hosea, the ever-forgiving husband is seen as revealing the faithfulness of God.
Recently, like many other people I did some tidying up and I came across a list of 25 descriptions of God, I’m sure there are other descriptions from the bible which could be added to this list – let me know if you think of any. What I would particularly like you to do is to look through this list and decide which two descriptions are most helpful to you today (which might be different to the descriptions which have been helpful to you in the past). Which two descriptions meet your needs / mood for how you are feeling at the moment.
I would then like you to tell me which two you have chosen, so that next Wednesday I can publish which descriptions were most popular. You can tell me your two descriptions either by joining me online in a Zoom meeting on Sunday at 5pm or you could text me (07456 826 326), email me (turvesgreenbaptists@gmail.com) or phone me 0121 476 2741.
God is… a lion Isaiah 31: 4
an eagle Deuteronomy 32: 11
a lamb Isaiah 53: 7
a hen Matthew 23: 37
the sun Psalm 84: 11
the morning star Revelation 22: 16
a light Psalm 27: 1
a torch Revelation 21: 23
a fire Hebrews 12: 29
a fountain Psalm 36: 9
a rock Deuteronomy 32: 4
a hiding place Psalm 119: 114
a tower Proverbs 18: 10
a shadow Psalm 91: 1
a shield Psalm 84: 11
a temple Revelation 21: 22
a judge Isaiah 33: 22
a warrior Exodus 15: 3
a doctor Exodus 15: 26
a builder Hebrews 11:10
a bridegroom Isaiah 61: 10
a husband Isaiah 54: 5
a father Deuteronomy 32: 6
a shepherd Psalm 23: 1
a king Isaiah 33: 22
One of these descriptions of God which also occurs in some of the songs we sing, is ‘Morning Star’ This ‘star’ is actually the planet Venus, but to understand its significance, we need to move our thoughts from 21st century Birmingham to Israel 2,000 years ago. Anyone who travelled any distance in those days had a basic understanding of the night sky – it was their Sat-Nav. The morning star, Venus shone brightly just before dawn and can be seen for a while after dawn has broken. If you are travelling in that part of the world, you want to complete as much of your journey as you can before it gets too hot to travel. So the morning star enables you to start out before dawn, and provides a fixed point from which you can move forward with confidence knowing you are travelling in the right direction.
So, is Jesus our Morning Star today? Does Jesus, shining brightly in the darkness show us where we are, and giving us a fixed point from which we can journey forward?
Read the lyrics below and then thank God for being those two descriptions you have chosen as being most helpful.
All my Days I will sing this song of gladness,Give my praise to the Fountain of delights;
For in my helplessness You heard my cry, and waves of mercy poured down on my life.
Beautiful Saviour, Wonderful Counsellor, Clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
You're the Way, the Truth, the Life. Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness,
You're the Risen One, heaven's Champion, And You reign. You reign over all!
Stuart Townend © 1998 Klngsway's Thankyou Music
Sing along on YouTube to We the kingdom sing wherever I go lyrics
We will have a guest writer on Friday and I will write again on Sunday – Stephen