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The Price

September has always been a time of reflection for me. I look at September and reassess my year, what have I accomplished, what do I hope to accomplish in the coming year. I don’t exactly know why. I guess it was when school started and all the school supplies were out, it had the feeling of a new beginning. I don’t always accomplish my goals for the upcoming year, but I think it is good to evaluate and examine and think forward. I do the same thing in January, the actual start of the year. Yet my big review is September.

What does this have to do with anything you ask? Well, when I wrote the post on sin. It was a getting back to basics. Understanding sin is foundational to our lives. We need to know we have all sinned and we are all sinners. Now see this causes a problem, because once we realize the fact we must do something with it. People have tried many things throughout history to do something with their sin. Many tried by themselves through good deeds thinking that good deeds will outweigh the stain of sin. Others tried penance. The act of confessing to a priest, self-punishment, prayer, fasting, or other means. While these may have merit on their own, though I can’t see much value in self-punishment, they are not enough to cleanse from sin. Even the Jews had to have a day of atonement each year to remove their sin.

So, what is to be done with this debt of sin?  We cannot get rid of it on our own. The blood of animals cannot cover it. Our own efforts are not enough to wash it away. Well, it happens that God had a plan to wash away our sin from the start. God being righteous and holy cannot look on sin and do nothing. There must be a judgement. There must be a price paid. Paul wrote in Romans that the price for our sin is death (Rom 6:23).  Death not just physically, but eternally. It is a price we cannot pay. We cannot wipe away our debt with a confession to a priest. We cannot wipe it away with a few good deeds. God must judge sin, but there is hope.  

Psalm 103:10

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.

God in his grace and mercy provided salvation for our debt. Paul finishes his statement in Romans 6:23 with, “but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Were it not for God’s grace none of us could be forgiven. It is only by his grace and mercy we can be set free in Jesus Christ.  God did not just create us and leave us to our own devices to figure things out. No, he loves us and wants to be involved in our lives. In other words, he wants a relationship with us. Our sin gets in the way of that relationship. Jesus stepped in as our sacrifice and carried our punishment so that the relationship between God and man could be restored.

2 Corinthians 5:21

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The writer of Hebrews also attests that,

“without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

When Jesus died on the cross, he satisfied the debt of our sin. The judgment and wrath that was due was paid in full by the shedding of his blood. 1 John says it like this:

1 John 2:2

and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

There’s a word in there we don’t use often. The word propitiation. It refers to satisfaction or appeasement. In other words, Jesus is the satisfaction for our sins. He alone is the appeasement for our judgment. He alone can turn away God’s wrath for our debt of sin which deserves death. Because Jesus took our place we can be restored to a right relationship with God. The relationship He had always intended. The choice is now ours.

Think and ponder on the things on which we have looked. Have you tried on your own to make things right with God? Do you plow through good deeds but still carry guilt? Are you in church every Sunday but Monday through Saturday there is no difference? Think on these things and ask yourself if you need a Savior.  What choice are you willing to make? We will talk about it next time.

Angela

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Dark, Dirty and Ugly

It’s something we don’t like to talk about. In fact, if we can, we dismiss it completely.  It doesn’t exist. It is the dark side we hide from ourselves and others. It is only mistakes made, an accident, a slip-up. Everyone does it. What’s the big deal? But see it is a very big deal. I am talking about sin. It started in the Garden of Eden, and it continues to this day with you and with me. None of us are excluded.

God has much to say about sin in the Bible. He takes sin very seriously. Sin separates us from him. Sin caused Adam and Eve to lose their home in the Garden. Sin has caused the loss of many a home and many broken families and broken relationships throughout history. We must talk about it.

 What exactly is sin? We might immediately think of the big things like murder, adultery, violence, theft, porn, human trafficking, and along those lines. You know the yuck of humanity. The things we can easily condemn. Surely all of these are sins. And they are. But what about the little things, the little lies we tell our family, coworkers, friends, bosses, the ones we make up on the spur of the moment. The ones to cover our tracks when we weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing or where we were supposed to be. Or when we said we would do one thing and yet did something else entirely. What about the thoughts we know are better kept inside our head that we don’t dare speak about but man if we could tell that person what we really thought. Or our gut reaction to that driver. Or when we feel cheated. Or no one will notice. No one will care. No one sees.

Those are as much sin as the big ones. God takes those just as seriously. He doesn’t see sin as big or little. He sees sin as sin.  Sin literally means missing the mark. Think of an archer or a marksman aiming for a bullseye. The arrow that misses the mark sins. The bullet that goes astray sins. God’s word, God’s law, is the bullseye and every time we go astray and miss the mark we have sinned. Every time we don’t meet God’s law we sin. The book of James puts it another way:

James 4:17 defines sin this way: So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

Paul also had something to say about how sin is defined. Paul had to address some concerns in the early church between Jews and Gentiles (or non – Jews). For now, the treasure I want us to see is the last part of the last verse of Romans 14.  Paul says, “and whatever is not from faith is sin.”

If you want something more concrete, ever hear of the Ten Commandments? God gave us a set of commandments to live by a guiding law for our lives. You can read them in Exodus 20. Yet we are not able to keep these. In fact, we go so far as to remove them from our presence. We don’t even want the reminder of them. Why? Because we know we cannot keep them. James, earlier in his letter, speaks about the commandments. He names some of the commandments outright then makes an interesting point, “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10 NASB)

What does all this mean then? Is any of us without sin? The obvious answer is no. No one is without sin. At some point we all have broken God’s law. We all have gone astray. We have all come face to face with sin and caved at the first opportunity.

God warned Cain in the very beginning, “If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7 NASB)

I think we all know how that ended. None of us can master sin on our own. We need a Savior. I don’t want to end this post without giving us some hope. Yes, we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Sin is dirty and dark and ugly, but there is a remedy and there is a hope. His name is Jesus. Next time we will talk about the price of our sin.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: Amazing Grace

John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace, was at one time a slave trader in the Atlantic and then after his conversion at sea became an abolitionist and minister. He never forgot the depths of his former depravity or the depths of God’s grace that covered his sin. He wrote the words to this beloved hymn that most of us know at least the first stanza of by heart. It stands as a testament that when God entered his life, everything changed for him, and he wrote one of the most recognizable Christian hymns of all time.

Amazing Grace is typically found with five stanzas. All five are powerhouses and I cannot see how it can be justified to leave any out. I am going to display all five verses even though we will only discuss one. For more background on the hymn or the author you can always check out www.hymnary.org which is where I always go for hymns, aside from my Baptist Hymnal, of course. Certainly, you can do an internet search for John Newton and Amazing Grace and find more information.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.


The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

We could spend weeks mining the depths of treasure in this hymn and I hope you will spend some time in the next few moments and days meditating and singing on the hope, grace and truth found within its lines. The fourth stanza is where I want to bring our focus.

God’s promises are forever. As we read scripture and find a promise, we will find some of them are specific to Israel, some are specific to individuals, like Abraham or David, but there are a lot that are for all time for all people. His promise to never flood the earth again is one example. There have been tragic places where there have been floods, regional occurrences, but never again the entire earth as in the time of Noah. The rainbow in the sky is a reminder of this promise, however else it may be used and twisted. The promise that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life is for everyone. You and I and whoever has lived before and whoever will come after. This is a promise he will not break. He has promised good to us.

His word my hope secures. We can read the word of God and find hope for the situation we are in. That does not mean of course, we can just let our Bible fall open and randomly drop our finger in and find the answer we need. No, I mean daily reading. Abiding in His word. Spending time systematically reading through His word. There are a ton of different ways. If you are new to reading the bible, I suggest you start with the gospel of John. The theme of John is “that you may know.” John wrote his gospel that you may know that Jesus is who he says he is and is a great place to begin your journey. Of course, you can always go old school and begin with Genesis and read straight through. Watch out for those Old Testament names but go for it. However you do it, just get into God’s word and stay there. There is hope secure in the pages.

The next line is taken right out of scripture. He will my shield and portion be. See the two verses below:

Psalm 3:3

But You, Lord, are a shield around me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

He is our strength, shield, portion. He is our all in all. When we simply cannot take another step, he is our strength. He is the lifter of our head. Notice Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail.” My goodness. Haven’t we been there? The burden becomes too much, and we don’t know what else to do or where else to turn. There is a God we can turn to who is our shield, our glory, the One who lifts our head. He is not a magician who waves a wand, and everything is magically better. No. We still have to walk through the trial. But. He is the strength of our heart giving us the strength we need to take that next step.

Wow. We just looked at one verse of Amazing Grace and what an Amazing God we have found! I want to issue a challenge to us. Let’s memorize not Amazing Grace but the two verses I have posted above. I have them posted in the New American Standard Version but use whatever version with which you are comfortable. The New International Version and the New Living Translation are good versions for reading and memorizing.  Write them out on an index card and begin to commit them to memory. I wonder, can you sing them to the tune of Amazing Grace?

Angela

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Angela’s Bookshelf: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood has become popular in recent years with the release of the movie. It was originally published in 1985. I believed it was a more recent release, so was surprised to find the copyright so far back. I read the book because I was curious to know what the hype was about.

The setting is dystopian America, and the location was hard for me to place. However, the story takes place following the takeover of the Regime. The Regime is a pseudo-religious government which twists Christian beliefs to control the people. Families are split apart, and viable women are given to “Commanders” to bear children to keep the new society going and proliferate the population with the new doctrine. The story is the first generation experiencing the Regime. It is told in the first person and is narrated by a handmaid separated from her husband and daughter and has now been sent to her second “Commander” having not borne any children for the first Commander. It flows in parts as diary and parts as stream of consciousness always from her perspective. The reader is never told her original name.

The story is well written and fast-paced. I read through it quickly even with other books and responsibilities. In fact, it rose to the top of my reading list for a time while I finished it. I found it to be engaging and was curious to see how it would end. I imagined various outcomes and scenarios for how the end would be. None of what I imagined occurred. I was disappointed by the ending. If you have read The Handmaid’s Tale, then perhaps you understand what I mean. If you have not, then I will not give it away in the chance you want to read it for yourself. The book does contain language, sex, violence, and suicide. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 18 or to anyone to whom these might be a trigger.  

There is an undercurrent of fear as there often is in dystopian novels. It is interesting that the Regime had its roots in Christian beliefs. While the Regime was in no way Christian, Christian words and behaviors were modeled while God and Jesus were left entirely out of the picture. It is reminiscent of this verse in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:5

holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.

This was certainly true of the Regime. They missed the point of Christianity and denied the true source of power. The regime had Its sole mission control and fear. Unfortunately, those under its influence were not able to avoid them. However, it did not seem that it held much beyond the borders of America. The regime, it seemed, had its roots in America and had spread little beyond it.

While I appreciated the ease of reading and the way I was drawn into the story, I did not appreciate the ending. While I cannot reveal it without giving it away, I can only say I was not satisfied. If you read the book, you understand what I mean. I believe there are other books to follow this one. I have not decided if I will continue and read more. My thinking at this point is I will not. I was so put off by the ending.

So, here it is. My humble review of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Overall, I would rate it a 4 out of 5. I realize this is not a full summary of the book and this is intentional. I wanted to give you a surface of the book without revealing too much of the story. The negatives are the language, sex, violence, suicide and pitiful ending. The positives are the engaging read and the way the author pulls you into the story. I read it quickly. If I can do that, then the story gets a higher count, but the negatives always come into play. I could almost go a little lower because of them, but that would be unfair to the writing and story line. Again, in good conscience I cannot recommend The Handmaid’s Tale to anyone under age 18.

Angela

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My “To Be Read” List

I am a list maker. I can’t help it. I think in lists. I make a to do list, content list, book list, reading list, a list on lists. I probably should see someone about it, but I would need to make a list first. Oh well, the truth is that to some extent my lists help keep me on track.

This is especially true when it comes to my reading list.  I have a list of books I want to read, my TBR list.

I set up All for One into themes. The theme for August is Back to Basics. So, I wanted to include this theme into my reading. My reading list for August needed to reflect this. I haven’t chosen doctrinal books, but rather classical Christian literature. We are already into mid-August so even I realize I probably will not be able to read all of these before we get to September. But a goal is something to strive toward.

I wanted to share my August list with you. If you are looking for something to read this August, grab one of these classics and dive in.

  • Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
  • The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
  • The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
  • Crazy Love by Francis Chan
  • The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
  • Miracles by C. S. Lewis
  • Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan

So, you see the only modern book is by Francis Chan and even it is not that recent. It came out a few years ago. My husband loved the book, and I never read it, so now is a good time to get into it. If you have never read C. S. Lewis apart from the Chronicles of Narnia, his nonfiction reminds me a lot of the writing of the apostle Paul. Very intellectual, very deep, but worth the read. The Screwtape Letters is another of Lewis’s fiction. I have actually read this book, but many years ago and it is time for a new read. I remember reading some of The Pilgrim’s Progress when I was much younger so with this one also it is time for a fresh look. Tozer is a short book that shouldn’t take long to read. So, here they are the August book challenge for me and you if you don’t already have something on your TBR list for August.

I have a much longer list of books I would like to read but let’s not get into that craziness. What about you? What is on your TBR list for this month? Have you selected one or do you just read as the mood hits you?

Be sure to let me know in the comments what you are reading and if you are taking the August challenge or have one of your own. I would love to hear from you.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe so you don’t miss new content when it drops. I don’t fill your inbox with unwanted emails, and I don’t give away your address. I don’t like it done to me and I won’t do it to you.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: How Firm a Foundation

How Firm a Foundation is another of my favorite hymns. It rather snuck up on me though. I mean I heard it and sang it many times and gradually I realized I loved this hymn. I cannot tell you what I love about the hymn. Whether it is the words themselves or the meter of the music. Maybe it is a combination of the two. Either way this has become a beloved hymn of mine.

When thro’ fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

I have a confession. When I was younger, I had no idea what “dross” meant. The word wasn’t in my vocabulary. Maybe it wasn’t in my music directors either as this was the verse that was skipped most often. I would read the verse as we were singing the other verses. Of course, this was when we still had hymnals in the pew racks before COVID- 19 and modern projectors.

So, as I read this verse today, I understand a little better the process described here. I think that if you breathe then your path lies through fiery trials. It is just part of the process of life. There will be hard times. We live in a fallen world filled with sin, trials and temptations. Those who would tell you that life in Jesus is all sunshine and roses are liars. The difference is that life in Jesus brings peace that brings us through the fiery trials. We know we can get through because his grace is all sufficient. Paul mentioned having had to learn this lesson. He had a “thorn in the flesh” he called it. Here is what he said,

Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me.And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in (persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 NASB)

Sometimes God lets us go through the fire to refine us to strengthen us. The impurities need to be removed.  I mentioned earlier my lack of understanding where dross is concerned. Now I understand. When metal is melted down, like gold or silver, the impurities rise to the surface. The ick that isn’t supposed to be in the metal that make the metal less valuable. This comes to the surface and can then be skimmed off. The trials we go through are like that for us. God allows them for us to bring to the surface the impurities to then remove them to make us pure, refined.  We come out stronger on the other side.

I need to add a caveat here, however, the problems we cause ourselves and the results are not God’s fault. Those fires were built by our own hands and are the consequences of our own actions. There is a difference. In other words, don’t say it’s a fiery trial from God when you are the one that lit the fire. I do believe God will see you through if you ask him, but you might get singed in the process and the scars remain for a lot longer. God’s trials remove the impurity and leave you stronger. Like Paul, you still might bear what you wish removed, but now your heart is changed, and you bear it better. There is an attitude change. A heart change. Dross removed. To be honest, I would much rather have God’s trials than the one’s I have created for myself. God is gracious. Unfortunately, when I am building my own fiery trials, I don’t build in grace.

Are you going through a trial right now? Is it one of God’s making or of your own? Are you a believer in Christ? If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, chances are you created it yourself. Turn to Jesus for rescue. If you have accepted Jesus, let him refine you. He wants to pull the impurities out. What is he doing in your life? What is he wanting to address in you that you are holding on to? Where has he told you my grace if sufficient?

We as believers in Christ have a Firm Foundation. Jesus does not want to leave us as we are, and he daily wants to remake us into his image. He desires to make us more like him. Let him consume the dross and refine the gold in you. Walk on friend, walk on.

Angela

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WHAT I’M READING NOW

When I began All for One, I intended it to house a page for book reviews. If you drop by often, you have no doubt noticed there is one lonely book review. I rediscovered my love for reading and found there were some really good books out there and some really not good books out there. I thought I would give my reviews on them. I set myself a reading goal for each year and started reading. Then this year hit, and my son introduced me to Brandon Sanderson the author of the Stormlight series. These books are not small. I have read the first two books; each book has upward of 1200 pages. So, every other book I have planned to read fell away. I have now taken a break and have about three books going at once.

I read digital and print and enjoy both. There is something about the feel and smell of paper that you don’t get from a Kindle or tablet. I use a tablet and have several reading apps. My favorite reading apps are Kindle and Apple. I have Nook and Google books and some others, and I will use them but don’t enjoy them as much. I really don’t like Google books and use it the least. It just doesn’t seem as user friendly as the others. Maybe it is the user. Plus using digital you can have an almost unlimited number of books at any time so there is space saving advantage. Yet I love walking into bookstores and seeing the stacks of books and breathing in the scent. I am almost immediately at ease. Bookstores are my happy place. Whether I buy a book or not. Of course, I usually buy at least one. After all you can never have too many books, right?

What does your reading list look like? Do you read one book at a time or several at once? I usually have several books going at once. I somehow manage to keep them straight. My husband and son are the opposite. They each read one at a time finish it then move on to the next one. I drive my husband crazy because I might have a stack of books close by. My son is in his twenties and is discovering reading for pleasure after school and college. So, for him one at a time is good. Plus, he is reading Sanderson.

Right now, I have three going. I am reading Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, and Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson (much shorter than the Stormlight series). I look at my list and realize there is not a mystery among them. Mystery is my favorite genre. I try to balance my reading with some nonfiction which is why there is C.S. Lewis. I also will cross genres, I don’t want to miss any good books, Atwood’s dystopian, and Sanderson’s fantasy. So, I imagine after these I will be ready for a good whodunit.

What are you reading now? Are you like my family and read one book at a time? Or are you like me and have several going at once? I believe there is no wrong way to read if you read. There are a lot of books out there. Pick one, or two, and settle in. Let me know in the comments what you are reading now.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: The Haven of Rest

This is one of my favorite hymns. I could not find the background for the song only the name and life of the author. As always, you can learn about the author, H. L. Gilmour, as well as the full text of the hymn at www.hymnary.org. Here is the third verse as found in the 1975 Baptist Hymnal.

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blessed,
Of Jesus who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the haven of rest.

In what way has the Lord made you whole? Has there been a habit you have stopped? An addition you have been set free from? Has your language been cleaned up? Have your relationships changed? See, when he makes us whole, things change. He delivers us from the muck and mire of our sin and shame and gives us a safe place to stand. When we find we are safe and whole the old temptations may be there but now we are not alone

Maybe you need to be made whole.  Your life is a mess, and you can see no way to fix it. You have done things you are not proud of. You may be cut off from friends and family and you don’t know how to restore the relationships. Maybe you are in a bad relationship and don’t know how to get out. Maybe you are in the grip of drugs or alcohol, and you have tried on your own to break free and it doesn’t work. Whatever the situation, He stands ready to make us all whole in large and small ways.

I can’t help thinking of Peter. Jesus wanted to be alone to pray and he sent the disciples ahead across the sea of Galilee. A storm came on them suddenly so that the boat was taking on water. In the middle of this they saw someone walking on the water. They all thought it was a ghost. It was actually Jesus walking on the water to them. He calls to them to not be afraid. Peter called out “If it is really you, tell me to come to you.” Jesus tells him to come. Peter stepped into the water with the storm raging with wind and waves and he walks to Jesus. Soon though the storm catches his attention, and he looks around and realizes he is walking on the water and begins to sink. He calls out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus is right there to save him. Jesus is ready to save you and me just like he did Peter.  He is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Take a moment and really read those words. Jesus is ready to save. All you have to do is call to him. You can have that haven of rest today. Come and anchor your soul in him today.

Angela

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A View of August

If you have visited All for One, you know it is a small blog. It is only a couple of months old. I am still learning to blog and finding it is more than just putting thoughts and words on a screen. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

I have however, been amazed and humbled how far these words have reached. So, I want to say a very sincere and quick thank you. If you have been watching and reading, thank you. If you have dropped by and lingered long enough to read a post, thank you. I hope you stick around there is more to come. We are just getting started.

August is shaping up with back to school. Parents rejoice and children mourn. There is planning involved in the new school year. Teachers and administrators alike plan events and lessons. Classrooms are decorated and everything is cleaned and ready for the return of the students. Parents and kids hit the malls and stores buying school clothes and supplies. There is an excitement in the air ready for school to begin.

I am getting ready also. I am not going back to school. Those days ended for me a while back. My son is grown so I do not have to fight the crowds for school supplies. But I am working on content. Planning what I want to bring to you in August. Since school is beginning. I thought we would get back to basics. I have been toying with the idea of a theme for each month. August will be the first month I really dig in and try it out.  If it works wonderful. If not, well at least I gave it a try.

So, what do I mean by back to basics? Well in Times Like These, I want to cover some basic Christian doctrines. will try to cover doctrines without my Southern Baptist paradigm, but my Baptist roots run deep. I want to take the view of whatever doctrine we are studying as close to the bible as possible, so we are getting truth and not opinion. In Third Verse Devotions, we will look at some old hymns like Are you Washed in the Blood, At the Cross, and others. If you have a favorite hymn you would like to explore, just let me know and I will be happy to include it in Third Verse Devotions. In Angela’s Bookshelf, I hope to have more material up. Maybe not all reviews but other articles and posts.

So, there it is a quick overview of what I hope for in August, a Back-to-Basics kickoff. You don’t want to miss anything that is coming, so be sure to hit the like and subscribe button.  Also leave me a comment and let me know what you are most looking forward to in August. I’m looking forward to seeing you throughout August as we get Back to Basics.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: Battle Hymn of the Republic

The words of this patriotic song were written by Julia Howe at the start of the Civil War in November 1861.  This patriotic song can be found in many hymnals. There are five stanzas to the song and all of them are full of meaning, for the sake of time I will only focus on one.

Here is the third verse from the 1991 Baptist Hymnal. You can find the full song at www.hymnary.org.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never sound retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on. [Chorus]

Judgement is not something any of us like to think about. We choose to believe the characteristic of God as love, and He is love. Yet He is also judge. He cannot look on sin. He must judge sin. He is a righteous God and there is no unrighteousness in Him. So, the sin you and I carry must be judged.

There are two types of judgment mentioned in the New Testament. The first is found in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. This is a judgement for believers. Every person who has placed faith in Christ Jesus will stand before Him one day and give an account of the things they have done. Did you accept the gift of salvation that Jesus offers? What did you do with the gifts you have been given? How did you live your life? Did you share your faith with others? Did other people know you were a Christian? Did they know you believed in Jesus? What did you do good or bad after you became a follower of Jesus? This is what this judgement seat is all about. The second judgement is mentioned in Revelation and is called “the Great White Throne Judgement”. It is found in Revelation 20: 11-15 and is for all non-believers throughout history. Every individual who had the opportunity to accept God and refused will stand before Him and give an account of his deeds. All deeds were listed and then their name is checked against the book of Life. If their name was not listed there, they were thrown into the lake of fire.

Please hear me, if you think living a good life and performing good deeds will be enough to get you into heaven, Friend, you are wrong. You want your name in that book of Life. The only way to escape the Great White Throne Judgement is Jesus. You want to be at that first judgment.  The next line of the song is “…be swift, my soul, to answer Him…”. Let that be your response as well. When you know God is calling you to follow him, do not hesitate. Respond then. Ephesians 2: 8-9 reminds us:

For by grace you have been saved through faith;

and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 

not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (NASB)

You can never perform enough good works or be a good enough person to make your way to heaven and escape the second judgement. Good works will not get your name in the book of life. Only accepting the grace of Jesus will accomplish salvation and ensure judgment at Christ’s judgement seat.

Be assured God loves you. He does not want any at the second judgment. It is a fact that many will be there. Those who choose to reject Him. You don’t have to be among their number. If you are reading these words, you still have a choice. Make that choice today. Be swift to answer Him.  Since everyone one day will be judged, where will your judgement take place, at the foot of Jesus or at the Great White Throne of God. I hope to see you at the feet of Jesus.

Angela