Jesus Christ Blog

http://fathersloveletter.com/fatherlovesyou.html

Please click the link above

His resurrection from the dead signalled the victory that would allow many sons and daughters to come into glory! In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me”. Our access to the Father is through Jesus alone. His sacrifice was the one and only price that could be paid for our redemption and restoration into the family of His wonderful Father. If we receive God’s gift of His Son Jesus Christ, we receive the right to become children of God!

http://www.sunnytees.com/loveletter.html

Please click the link above

There is a quirky piece of music written and recorded by the British composer Gavin Bryars that features a continuous running tape loop of a homeless man recorded on the streets of London singing an old Gospel song, “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.” The old man’s voice is wistful and wobbly, with a Cockney accent that somehow carries with it a toothless grin you can almost see, and a confidence that stands in stark contrast to his situation.

Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.

A reporter, who was a friend of the composer, recorded this little song by accident while researching a story on London’s poor, and Bryars was captivated by its simple grandeur. He was haunted by the power of the old man’s sincerity and the boldness of his hope even though, by his own admission, he does not share his faith. That’s when he got the idea to immortalize the man’s testimony by writing an orchestral accompaniment that would weave intricately in and around the sinewy voice as it repeated, over and over again, its confidence in the never-failing love of Jesus. The end result is a 75-minute recording that gradually works its way through various musical shades and colors while the toothless voice grins on and on.

Little did he know it was going to turn into something of a phenomenon. The piece scored a pop hit in Britain and did fairly well in America. Though it is considered a classical recording, its unique composition appealed to a broad range of people, especially a younger audience that turned it into a sort of pop icon.

Think about it: a bum out on the streets in the lowest of states, carrying a hopeful message to hundreds of thousands of people about the reality of Christ’s love that defies his health, his circumstances, and the physical conditions that are his daily reality. Hearing it always makes me see whatever I might be going through at the time in a different light.

“Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 NLT Or, to put it another way, whatever happens to you or me, we can always say, “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.”

http://www.gavinbryars.com/Pages/jesus_blood_never_failed_m.html

click the link above to hear a brief clip of this song.

Look at the bottom left of the web page

“Jesus went over to the collection box in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies. He called his disciples to him and said, ‘I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.’” (Mark 12:41-44 NLT)

Serving and giving are two verbs that describe the essence of the Christian life. Yikes. I wish this weren’t true because I’m in trouble. Serving is something I have expected others to do for me, and giving is something I often put off until I have more. When I have enough to spare, I will be more than happy to be a generous person. You will never have seen such a generous person. In fact, I will break the record on generosity, as long as I have enough left over for my needs – just you wait and see. As it is, I rarely have enough for my own needs so I don’t have to worry about this giving stuff – that’s a long way off.

I’m just being honest.This idea of characterizing my life by giving and serving is hard. It’s not an easy thing to serve and give when you are thinking about yourself all the time.

I know I need to change the subject of my thinking, and I need to get into a habit of serving and giving even when I don’t think I have anything to give. A widow once brought a paltry little offering to the temple, but in Jesus’ economy, she out gave the wealthy, because she gave all she had.

Lord, make the subject of my thinking someone other than me for a change. Make me aware of others. Help me to think about those around me before I think of myself. And help me to learn to give, not like the great philanthropists whose wealth I so often envy, but like this poor widow, who, according to You, knew the true measure of giving.