August 2023 DSW - FLOURISH

Write out a Scripture each day following the order of the verses below.  I have sorted the verses in Bible order so that you get used to seeing how God works in the Bible (from beginning to end) and in the hopes that you will see God working in your life (from beginning to end). Also, this is not only to draw your attention to flourishing in the grace and teachings of God's Word but to instill in you the basic practice of being in and writing out Scripture every day.  Challenge yourself to be disciplined in this habit!  Many of you have some sort of notebook in which you are writing these verses.

But first, a few words for you to keep your mind fresh:

"Even as our physical bodies grow old, God causes our new desires to flourish as they are fertilized by His word and Spirit."

"We flourish when we trust God and see that everything that happens to us is designed by Him to advance the Gospel in our hearts and in the hearts of others."

FLOURISH

Genesis 39:3

Job 14:7-9

Psalm 1:1-3

Psalm 37:18-19

Psalm 72:5-7

Psalm 92:13-15

Psalm 132:17-18

Proverbs 11:28

Proverbs 14:11

Proverbs 28:28

Isaiah 35:1-2

Isaiah 40:3-5

Isaiah 66:14

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Ezekiel 17:24

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Hosea 1:11

Hosea 14:5-7

Joel 2:25-27

Zechariah 9:16-17

John 12:23-24

Acts 2:2

Romans 8:26, 28-29

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Philippians 1:9-11

James 1:12

James 5:16

June 2023 DSW - GOD'S TIMING

I love collections of Scripture that speak to God's perfect timing.  They are so reassuring!  Some of them speak to the nation of Israel and some speak to waiting on God for each of us during our own personal times of waiting.  I know the pain of waiting and I know the joy of waiting.  It was good to read over these verses again in my current time of waiting; I hope you are calmed and reassured as you read and write out these verses every day this month.

Times of waiting are not times to "just get through."  They are sweet times of knowing God and His character.  I pray you find God in new and more intimate ways.  He loves you.

June 2023 Daily Scripture Writing

 GOD’S TIMING

 Genesis 18:14

Psalm 18:30

Psalm 27:14

Psalm 31:14-16

Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 16:9

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Ecclesiastes 8:6

Isaiah 40:30-31

Isaiah 49:8-9

Isaiah 60:21-22

Jeremiah 29:11-12

Lamentations 3:25-26

Micah 7:7

Habakkuk 2:3

John 6:54

John 8:31-32

Romans 5:5-6

Romans 11:25-27

2 Corinthians 6:2

2 Corinthians 12:9

Galatians 4:4-5

Galatians 6:9

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2

1 Timothy 3:14-15

1 Timothy 6:13-15

2 Peter 3:8-9

April 2023 DSW - ANEW

 

It's finally a new, fresh season!  As we come out of our winter hibernation, literally and figuratively, I hope you will take these verses to heart and begin anew.

This is your reminder that Jesus has come and He has made all things new!  Not only does He offer us forgiveness for our sins and reconciliation with the Father, He wants us to live in the freshness and freedom of a vibrant relationship with Him.  He lived His earthly life as an example to us of how to live and there are many Scriptures that encourage us to live a life that is not bound by our own limitations.  May you find the fresh start you've been looking for as you write these Scriptures out every day in April.  May you find refreshment and renewal that is truly only found in Him.

[Some of these verses have stories attached to them and I encourage you to read and contemplate what God is saying to you.]

ANEW

Job 11:16-18

Psalm 1:1-3

Psalm 28:7

Psalm 34:4-8

Psalm 113:3

Proverbs 3:5-6

Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah 43:1-2

Isaiah 51:11

Isaiah 54:10

Isaiah 55:12

Isaiah 61:10

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Lamentations 3:22-23

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Matthew 5:3-6

Matthew 11:28-30

Mark 8:34-35

Luke 7:48

John 7:37-38

Acts 2:1-4

Acts 17:11

Romans 8:11

1 Corinthians 1:18

Ephesians 1:7

Ephesians 6:14-15

James 1:5

2 Peter 1:3-4

2 Perter 1:5-8

1 John 1:5

Revelation 21:5

True and Better

 Wow

https://youtu.be/IGFtfqgBQkM

February 2023 DSW - HARMONY

 

HARMONY

Genesis 2:24

Esther 4:16

Proverbs 13:10

Isaiah 66:2

Micah 6:8

Luke 18:14

John 17:11

Acts 3:19-21

Romans 14:19

2 Corinthians 6:17

Galatians 6:10

Ephesians 2:19

Ephesians 4:1

Philippians 1:27

Titus 2:9-10

Hebrews 6:9-11

1 John 2:15-16

January 2023 DSW - Renew/Reset

 

"Without the renewed mind, we will distort the Scriptures to avoid their radical commands for self-denial, and love, and purity, and supreme satisfaction in Christ alone."  John Piper

"Most of all, let the Word of God fill you and renew your mind every day.  When our minds are on Christ, Satan has little room to maneuver."  Billy Graham

 

January 2023

Renew/Reset 

 

Joshua 1:8-9

Isaiah 26:3

Isaiah 43:18

Psalm 119:11

Matthew 4:4

John 13:15

Romans 6:4-7

Romans 7:25

Romans 8:6

Romans 8:24-2

Romans 12:1-2

1 Corinthians 2:16

1 Corinthians 10:31

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

2 Corinthians 5:17

Galatians 2:19-20

Galatians 5:22-23

Ephesians 4:22-24

Philippians 1:6

Philippians 2:5

Philippians 2:13

Philippians 4:6-7

Philippians 4:8

Colossians 3:2-3

Colossians 3:10

2 Timothy 3:16

1 Peter 1:13

1 John 2:6

 

Victory over your mind will come from spending time with the Lord, relying upon the Spirit, and renewing your mind with God’s Word.  God so deeply loves you and His great goal is to conform you into the image of Christ.  God is constantly working to mature us in Christ and renew our mind.  What a glorious privilege! 

At The Moment of Salvation - 23 & 24 & 25

 At the moment of salvation, every believer in Jesus Christ receives 40 things from God. Of the 40 things, 39 of them are permanent and can never be removed from the believer - even by God himself! The only temporary thing is the Filling of the Holy Spirit which we lose due to our own free will to act against God. We can repeatedly gain the Filling of the Spirit following confession of our known sins to the Father.

23. Royal Adoption

We are adopted into the Royal Family of God at the moment of salvation. We are placed as adult sons. although we all begin the Christian life as "babes in Christ," we are all viewed by God as "full grown sons" in union with Christ. This is our complete and perfect relationship with God in Christ. Romans 8:15, Romans 8:23

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23)

24. Eternal Relationship to God

We are eternally related to God because of our Lord’s present session at the Father’s right hand. Knowledge and application of this great truth should produce a corresponding experiential sanctification (i.e., walking in fellowship with the Lord through the filling of the Holy Spirit). Ephesians 2:13; James 4:8; Hebrews 10:25

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

25. We are on the Rock Jesus Christ

We have an eternally secure relationship with God from the point of salvation onward. 2 Corinthians 1:21; 2 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, (2 Corinthians 1:21)

And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! (2 Corinthians 3:11)

Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20)

At the Moment of Salvation - 21 & 22

   ...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; or with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  Romans 10:9-10 

At the moment of salvation, every believer in Jesus Christ receives 40 things from God. Of the 40 things, 39 of them are permanent and can never be removed from the believer - even by God Himself! The only temporary thing is the Filling of the Holy Spirit which we lose due to our own free will to act against God. We can repeatedly gain the Filling of the Spirit following confession of our known sins to the Father.

21. Unseen Assets

At the moment of salvation, we receive all of the unseen assets of the Christian life. Our recognition, utilization, and possession of these assets requires our daily spiritual growth which is necessary to receive blessing because of our election to privilege and opportunity and predestination. It is also necessary to function under our priesthood and to fulfill our ambassadorship.

Spiritual growth also enables us to "live out of our own souls" and to realize that all assets, provision, and blessing for time and eternity are guaranteed by the Triune God! All of this demands maximum Bible truth living in our souls as Spirit-filled Christians. Ephesians 1:2-6

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:2-6)

22. Judgement of Sins

All of our sins were judged under the spiritual death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The application of this truth to our lives as Christians is of the utmost importance because all of our personal sins were judged at the cross. Whenever we confess all of our known sins to God the Father, He forgives those known sins and he also forgives all of the unknown sins.

This "forgiveness and cleansing" is a reality in our lives because Christ was judged for all sins in His spiritual death on the cross. also, our confession of sins is the basis for the frustration of the Old Sin Nature controlling our lives and our restoration to fellowship with God. 1 Pet 2:24; Romans 4:25; 1 John 1:9

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:25)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

November 2022 Daily Scripture Writing

 

GIVE THANKS

  Leviticus 22:29

  1 Chronicles 16: 8

  1 Chronicles 16: 34

  Psalm 26: 6-7

  Psalm 30: 4

 

  Psalm 35: 18

  Psalm 69:30

  Psalm 79: 13

  Psalm 95: 1-3

  Psalm 100: 4-5

 

  Psalm 106: 1

  Psalm 107: 19-21

  Psalm 140: 12-13

  Matthew 15: 35-37

  Mark 14: 22-23

 

  Luke 2: 38

  Luke 17: 15-16

  1 Corinthians 15: 55-57

  2 Corinthians 2: 14

  2 Corinthians 4: 15

 

  2 Corinthians 9: 13-15

  Ephesians 5: 18-21

  Philippians 4:6-7

  Colossians 1: 10-12

  Colossians 2: 6-7

 

  Colossians 3: 15

  Colossians 4:2

  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

  2 Thessalonians 2: 13

  Hebrews 13: 15

At The Moment of Salvation - 18, 19, 20

   ...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; or with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  Romans 10:9-10

At the moment of salvation, every believer in Jesus Christ receives 40 things from God. Of the 40 things, 39 of them are permanent and can never be removed from the believer - even by God Himself! The only temporary thing is the Filling of the Holy Spirit which we lose due to our own free will to act against God. We can repeatedly gain the Filling of the Spirit following confession of our known sins to the Father.

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18. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The third person of the Holy Trinity unconditionally and permanently indwells all Christians at the moment of salvation. This makes their bodies temples for the indwelling of our Lord Jesus Christ as the "Shekinah Glory" of God. Listen! God has "first rights" to the use of your body - not the Old Sin Nature! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Matthew 3:11; John 14:17; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:9; Galatians 3:2

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matthew 3:11)

The Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:17)

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5)

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2)

19. Sealing of Your Salvation

At the moment of salvation, the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit occurs. This "sealing" is God the Father’s stamp of ownership and the Holy Spirit’s signature of guarantee of eternal security, protection, and preservation of our souls from certain angelic (demonic) activity, such as demon possession. Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19; Ephesians 1:13

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." (2 Timothy 2:19)

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:13)

20. Circumcision of the Soul

Removal of all Pre-salvation "soul cauterization" occurs at the moment of salvation. This is a "circumcision of the soul" which renders null and void the issue of our past lives as unsaved persons. God the Father places no value on the unsaved past of the new convert, so the emphasis of his new life must not be on the successes or failures of his past. He has been removed form the justification of Satan’s world-system of evil.

Moses taught that a "circumcised soul" was a mind free of the hindrances to capacity for life. Fear and worry emanating from arrogance hinder capacity for life. To "circumcise" means to cut it off from the soul. We must not, as Christians, try to base our spirituality on assets possessed before salvation such as talent, ability, etc. Our past as unbelievers is cut away as having any significance on God’s purpose for us right now. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24; Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29; Deuteronomy 10:16-17

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done--burn with no one to quench it. (Jeremiah 4:4)

No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:29)

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deuteronomy 10:16-17)

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Staying Salty: 40 Things (saltedstudy.blogspot.com)

 

Battle Hymn of the Republic

 ...then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be abolished is death.  For He has put all things in subjection under His feet.  But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.   1 Corinthians 15:24-27

Battle Hymn of the Republic
Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910)

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword--

His truth is marching on.

Glory! glory, hallelujah!

Glory! glory, hallelujah!

Glory! glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps,

they have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps--

His day is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never sound retreat,

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgement seat;

O be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

with a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;

as He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,

while God is marching on.

.....

Julia Ward Howe wrote these lyrics in the heart of the American Civil War.  She sent the words to the Atlantic Monthly magazine and received an honorarium of five dollars.  But the money wasn't her concern.  Her purpose was to provide some wholesome lyrics for the tune of "John Brown's Body Lies A-Moldering in the Grave."  She accomplished that and more.  When President Abraham Lincoln first heard the hymn, he asked to have it sung again.

The text is filled with biblical allusions.  The expression "grapes of wrath" refers to Revelation 14:19; the sounding trumpet is probably from Revelation 8.  For the Christian, the message of this song is that God's truth is eternal.  Although circumstances may appear overwhelmingly difficult, God will still accomplish His purposes, and His truth will endure.

It can be dangerous to identify political causes of even national patriotism with God's truth.  Nations my rise and fall, but God's truth remains forever.  "His truth is marching on."

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Julia Ward Howe | Hymnary.org

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" w/ the Mormon Tabernacle Choir LIVE from West Point | West Point Band - YouTube

July 2022 DSW - God's Freedom

 In America, we commemorate this country's freedom from England every July fourth.  We celebrate with outside barbecues with family and friends, and fireworks.  But did you know the Bible is filled with great verses about freedom? Christians have freedom from sin and darkness when we follow Christ.  It is because of both physical and spiritual sacrifice and battles that we can experience this gift of freedom.

Here are some verses about that freedom that God provides when we give our lives to His Lordship and direction.  Feel free to print out the photo you see below (it has been formatted for a half-sheet of paper) and keep it with your Scripture writing materials or copy the verses below the picture and paste them into a document of your choice.  I do hope you will be encouraged.

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July 2022 - Daily Scripture Writing

God’s Freedom
 
Psalm 34:4
Psalm 119:45
Isaiah 61:1
Matthew 4:24
Matthew 8:16
 
Luke 4:18-19
John 8:34-36
John 10:9-10
Acts 13:38-39
Romans 5:17
 
Romans 6:6-7
Romans 6:22
Romans 8:1-4
Romans 8:14-15
Romans 12:2
 
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Galatians 1:10
Galatians 2:16
Galatians 2:20
Galatians 5:1
 
Galatians 5:13-14
Galatians 6:14
Ephesians 1:7
Ephesians 3:11-12
Colossians 1:21-22
 
1 Peter 2:16
 
 
 

June 2022 DSW - The Wisdom of God

 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.  Psalm 147:5

This month's collection of Scripture is about God's wisdom and the greatness and immensity of His understanding.  If you have ever wanted to marvel at the depth of His Godly Awesomeness, this is the month for you!

Write out one Scripture each day; I've put the day's numbers so you can keep track.  Either save the picture below and print it out (I format them for my half-sheet A5 binder) or write them down in your notebook.

Enjoy!

At the Moment of Salvation #6 (a weekly series)

   ...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; or with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  Romans 10:9-10

There is a lot of information in this list (and I haven't taken it all in or deeply studied it yet) so don't worry if you don't understand it all.  Just take little bites and keep studying.  I have printed these 40 Things onto half sheets of paper to keep in my A5 Bible Reference binder.

If you have questions about becoming a believer, please comment to me and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.  Or, find a Christian you know to ask them about it, or go to a trusted pastor. 

.....

At the moment of salvation, every believer in Jesus Christ receives 40 things from God. Of the 40 things, 39 of them are permanent and can never be removed from the believer - even by God himself! The only temporary thing is the Filling of the Holy Spirit which we lose due to our own free will to act against God. We can repeatedly gain the Filling of the Spirit following confession of our known sins to the Father.

.....

6. Baptism of the Holy Spirit

We are placed into union with Jesus Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1-2; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 John 5:11-12

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Corinthians 12:13)

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12)

The Names of God - Toolkit

 I wanted to share another Daily Scripture Writing set of Scriptures.  You could write these out and put them in your Reference Binder under your Bible Toolkit tab.  A Bible Toolkit is sort of a personalized concordance of Scriptures about a specific topic.

Names of God reformatted 210518.docx

Holy Spirit, Truth Divine

 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Galatians 5:1-18

Holy Spirit, Truth Divine

Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892)

Holy Spirit, Truth divine,

dawn upon this soul of mine;

word of God and inward light,

wake my spirit, clear my sight.

Holy Spirit, Love divine,

glow within this heart of mine; 

kindle every high desire,

perish self in Thy pure fire.

Holy Spirit, Power divine,

fill and nerve this will of mine;

by Thee may I strongly live,

bravely hear and nobly strive.

Holy Spirit, Right divine,

King within my conscience reign;

be my Lord, and I shall be

firmly bound, forever free.

.....

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the first great American poets, is acclaimed for works like "Evangeline," "The Song of Hiawatha," and "Tales of a Wayside Inn."  About the same time he was penning "Tales of a Wayside Inn," his brother, Samuel Longfellow, was compiling a hymnbook.  Samuel included in this hymnbook a hymn he had recently written called, "Holy Spirit, Truth Divine."  

The hymn itself is one that is acceptable to all Christians.  The Holy Spirit is lauded as truth, love, power, and right.  The last stanza reminds us of the words in the Gospel of John where it says that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  The Spirit does carry on this  ministry within us as that "still, small voice" that shows us the way.  As Longfellow wrote, may we pray that the Holy Spirit reign as king within our consciences.

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HOLY SPIRIT TRUTH DIVINE || MHB 288 - YouTube  Beautiful rendition!

Samuel Longfellow - Wikipedia

Samuel Longfellow | Hymnary.org

Mom's Church Songbooks (full of photos!)

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

May my praise be pleasing to Him;

As for me, I shall rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 104:33-34

[[[This post is full of pictures, so grab a cool beverage and take in all this musical goodness!]]]

My grandma played the piano and organ and led congregational singing; my mom mostly led the congregational singing but played the piano for herself.  She also sang whilst playing said piano and convinced me to sing harmony with her.  Some special memories, for sure.

I found some old songbooks my mom had given me before she became incapacitated by aphasia.  Some were hers and some were her mom's.  Look at these covers!  #oldschool

You'll notice Grandma had two of the black/white/green songbooks in the lower right corner.  I can imagine she had one copy kept in the piano bench at church (you know, where you lifted up the piano bench seat and there was storage underneath) and one she kept on her piano in the parsonage.  That book was published in 1943!

Here is the inside cover:

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In the upper middle left is a book of grandma's called "One Hundred Hymns and Gospel Songs" by Frank C. Huston published in 1955.  Here are some images of the inside covers:

That dedication above:  I don't have that nose tickle and a throat lump, not at all.

What joy Mr. Huston must have found in leading people in worship!

More about Mr. Huston: 
 Frank C. Huston - Wikipedia
Frank C. Huston | Hymnary.org
Commander-in-Chief Frank C. Huston (suvcw.org)

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Grandma was a Bullet Journaler!  Okay, not in the sense we know today, but she sure listed out some lyrics in the well-worn composition book you see below.

She had two volumes of these composition books and they were kept together.  So much so that the coils have intertwined with each other and have essentially become one book.  I didn't have the heart to take them apart.

        

    

Look at that last picture (above).  She had written out words to "Jesus Loves Me" in two different languages:  Shona and Portuguese.  Grandma and Grandpa were always missions-oriented.  Must be where I get it.

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The following booklets are some of the ones my mom had.  They are mostly from the 1970s so you might see some real groovy-ness in these pictures.  Enjoy!  #eyecandy

   

   

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Some extra special groovy-ness in the booklet below.  We'd think the book was a steal at $1.25 today!  I sure was fascinated by the embroidery pictured on the cover below.  I made sure it was displayed prominently on my mom's piano.  I secretly wanted that embroidery on a pair of jeans--can you blame me?  I don't remember my mom giggling at my girlishness organization or how many times she secretly gave me the ol' SideEye.  #notfarfromthetree

   

A pic of some groovy 1970s graphics for ya:

Some cool-hair-groovy-ness below:

What conditioner did he use?  Honestly.

   

Check out that last picture above:  "What?  No guitars where you are? No bass? No drums?  Take heart!  They're as close as your music supplier!"

This book was published in 1971 and churches were moving toward using more instruments besides the piano and organ.  Church music had to change with the times whether we liked it or not.

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Please share your memories in the comments; I'd love to hear them!

I know I am very much looking forward to spending the rest of eternity singing with the Saints in that heavenly choir, joining my parents and grandparents and great-grandparents along with these amazing men and women who wrote these songs and compiled these collections.

"We're all walking each other Home."