Lamb of Calvary

Hebrews 9 New International Version 

The Blood of Christ

11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16 In the case of a will,[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[e] 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Lovest thou Me?

“Lovest thou Me?” is the poignant question Jesus asked Peter soon after His Resurrection. Ruth Tracy, this song’s author, seems to have felt the Lord was asking the same of her, and she was compelled to surrender everything in her life to Him. Note that she surrendered not only good “treasures”, but also her fear and weakness. Sometimes we hold onto our fear and other negative feelings because we are afraid, paradoxically, of letting go of something so familiar!

Ruth Tracy lived from 1870 to 1960 in England. She grew up in the Plymouth Brethren Church, but at the age of eighteen attended a Salvation Army meeting while visiting her cousin, and continued to do so after returning home. She soon began working at the Army’s International Headquarters and subsequently became an officer. She served in several corps appointments, followed by many years in the Editorial Department. Commissioner James Hay had encouraged her to write her first song for The War Cry and she eventually wrote over 100 songs for The Musical Salvationist and other publications.

Lord, Thou art questioning, “Lovest thou Me?”
Yea, Lord, Thou knowest, my answer must be;
But since love’s value is proved by love’s test,
Jesus, I’ll give Thee the dearest and best.

CHORUS:
All in my heart, Lord, Thou canst read;
Master, Thou knowest I love Thee indeed.
Ask what Thou wilt my devotion to test:
I will surrender the dearest and best.

How couldst Thou smile on me if, in my heart,
I were unwilling from treasures to part?
Since my redemption cost Thee such a price,
Utmost surrender alone will suffice.

Down at Thy feet all my fears I let go;
Back on Thy strength all my weakness I throw;
Lord, in my life Thou shalt have Thine own way;
Speak but the word, and Thy child will obey.

Gentle Love

Oh Gentle Love that fills this room

The height and breadth of Grace

Reaching far beyond these walls

To fill all land and space

Protecting us, with feathers tight

His Angels lo, descend

Swirling all around our rooms

While we sleep in our beds

No wrong comes near our dwelling place

While long fingers point above

Reminding us, He lays us down

And that God is Love

He gives us night time to reflect

And rest from busy days

May we practice loving him

And learn to see His ways.

His Power

A night full of His Power,

Birds nestling, lamplight shining,

The rooms, so full of His Love,

Silence falls, and all is well,

He lays us down to rest,

His presence ever keeping,

Only in darkness can illumination come, Spiritual understanding.

The night is His.

Gentle Jesus

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Matthew 18:1-10 New International Version 

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven

1.
Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child,
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to thee.

2.
Fain I would to thee be brought,
Gracious Lord, forbid it not;
In the Kingdom of thy grace
Give a little child a place.

3.
Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
In thy gracious hands I am;
Make me, Saviour, what thou art,
Live thyself within my heart.

4.
Lamb of God, I look to thee,
Thou shalt my example be;
Thou art gentle, meek and mild;
Thou wast once a little child.

5.
Now I would be as thou art;
Give me an obedient heart;
Thou art pitiful and kind,
Let me have thy loving mind.

6.
I shall then show forth thy praise,
Serve thee all my happy days;
Then the world shall always see
Christ, the holy child, in me.

 

Love is

Love is more important than being right;

Love is more important than being successful;

Love is more important than justifying yourself;

It is more important than being treated correctly.

Nothing is more important than Love.

God is love, and nothing is more important than that.

Let nothing we do stand in the way of love