Wings of the Wind

Amazing Grace

“At Carnegie Hall, gospel singer Wintley Phipps delivers perhaps the most powerful rendition of Amazing Grace ever recorded.  He says, ‘A lot of people don’t realize that just about all Negro spirituals are written on the black notes of the piano.  Probably the most famous on this slave scale was written by John Newton, who used to be the captain of a slave ship, and many believe he heard this melody that sounds very much like a West African sorrow chant.'”

Amazing Grace

I would like to thank Madge Franks for this very inspirational and instructive video.

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“I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” —Ezekiel 34:26

Here is sovereign mercy– “I will give them the shower in its season.” Is it not sovereign, divine mercy? –for who can say, “I will give them showers”, except God? There is only one voice which can speak to the clouds, and bid them beget the rain. Who sendeth down the rain upon the earth? Who scattereth the showers upon the green herb? Do not I, the Lord? So grace is the gift of God, and is not to be created by man. It is also needed grace. What would the ground do without showers? You may break the clods, you may sow your seeds, but what can you do without the rain? As absolutely needful is the divine blessing. In vain you labour, until God the plenteous shower bestows, and sends salvation down. Then, it is plenteous grace. “I will send them showers.” It does not say, “I will send them drops”, but “showers.” So it is with grace. If God gives a blessing, he usually gives it in such a measure that there is not room enough to receive it. Plenteous grace! Ah! we want plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, to make us holy; plenteous grace to make us zealous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in heaven. We cannot do without saturating showers of grace. Again, it is seasonable grace. “I will cause the shower to come down in his season.” What is thy season this morning? Is it the season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. “As thy days so shall thy strength be.” And here is a varied blessing. “I will give thee showers of blessing.” The word is in the plural. All kinds of blessings God will send. All God’s blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If he gives converting grace, he will also give comforting grace. He will send “showers of blessing.” Look up today, O parched plant, and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering.

Charles Spurgeon

“As thy days so shall thy strength be.”

“Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.” —Job 10:2

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never be discovered if it were not for thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too often like a glow worm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star–not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black foils in which God doth set the jewels of his children’s graces, to make them shine the better. It was but a little while ago that on thy knees thou wast saying, “Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith.” Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials? –for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it, God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery, real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains his soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long mile with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which thou art passing? Is not the Lord bringing out your graces, and making them grow? Is not this the reason why he is contending with you?

Charles Spurgeon

“The love of the Lord.” —Hosea 3:1

Believer, look back through all thine experience, and think of the way whereby the Lord thy God has led thee in the wilderness, and how he hath fed and clothed thee every day–how he hath borne with thine ill manners–how he hath put up with all thy murmurings, and all thy longings after the flesh pots of Egypt–how he has opened the rock to supply thee, and fed thee with manna that came down from heaven. Think of how his grace has been sufficient for thee in all thy troubles–how his blood has been a pardon to thee in all thy sins–how his rod and his staff have comforted thee. When thou hast thus looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey his love in the future, for remember that Christ’s covenant and blood have something more in them than the past. He who has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love and pardon. He is Alpha, and he shall be Omega also: he is first, and he shall be last. Therefore, bethink thee, when thou shalt pass through the valley of the shadow of death, thou needest fear no evil, for he is with thee. When thou shalt stand in the cold floods of Jordan, thou needest not fear, for death cannot separate thee from his love; and when thou shalt come into the mysteries of eternity thou needest not tremble, “For I am persuaded, that neither death; nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now, soul, is not thy love refreshed? Does not this make thee love Jesus? Doth not a flight through illimitable plains of the ether of love inflame thy heart and compel thee to delight thyself in the Lord thy God? Surely as we meditate on “the love of the Lord”, our hearts burn within us, and we long to love him more.

Charles Spurgeon

This story has stayed with me long after Christmas. 

How is it that a man can pen such words after such tragedy?

There is only one possible answer.  It had to have been the grace of God.

At a time when 70% of American Christians think they are going to heaven based on their good works, the reason this song exists is the same as the reason anyone goes to heaven.  It is the grace of God.

And I must ask those Christians who think their good works will give them a ticket into the presence of God:

Are you going to believe in something that is not found in the Bible?

Just what are these good works that are so good that Jesus’ great deed is not necessary?  

The most basic of Christian beliefs is that we are saved by grace.  Here is only one of many verses that I could share:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

The question arises, “Why do so many Christians think they are going to heaven based on their good works?”

My guess is that the reason is found in the latest studies.  They tell us that fewer people know what the Bible says.

Why are more people Biblically illiterate?

I don’t have the answer to that one.

Is it because they don’t think it is God’s Word?

Is it because they don’t care what God thinks?

Is it because they are comfortable in a belief system which they have created?

There are many other possibilities.

What I do know is that this great hymn, and the story behind it, illustrates the power of God through the grace of God.

How else it is possible for a man to write such words at such a time.

Good works naturally follow an understanding of God’s grace.  When a man understands his condition, and the love that God has shown, how can he not want to do well?

We know that “doing well” is never enough and that we falter at “doing well” at times; many times.

It is God’s grace and mercy that triumphs over those times.

If you don’t know the words of the great poet who wrote this hymn, or the story behind it, you may want to read something posted here back in December.   You can get there by simply clicking here.

May God give us the grace to pick up His Word and make it a part of our daily lives.

Chris Reimers

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion.” Re 14:1

The apostle John was privileged to look within the gates of heaven, and in describing what he saw, he begins by saying, “I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!” This teaches us that the chief object of contemplation in the heavenly state is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.” Nothing else attracted the apostle’s attention so much as the person of that Divine Being, who hath redeemed us by his blood. He is the theme of the songs of all glorified spirits and holy angels. Christian, here is joy for thee; thou hast looked, and thou hast seen the Lamb. Through thy tears thine eyes have seen the Lamb of God taking away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little while, when thine eyes shall have been wiped from tears, thou wilt see the same Lamb exalted on his throne. It is the joy of thy heart to hold daily fellowship with Jesus; thou shalt have the same joy to a higher degree in heaven; thou shalt enjoy the constant vision of his presence; thou shalt dwell with him for ever. “I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!” Why, that Lamb is heaven itself; for as good Rutherford says, “Heaven and Christ are the same thing;” to be with Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with Christ. That prisoner of the Lord very sweetly writes in one of his glowing letters—”Oh my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want.” It is true, is it not, Christian? Does not thy soul say so?

Not all the harps above

Can make a heavenly place,

If God his residence remove,

Or but conceal his face.

All thou needest to make thee blessed, supremely blessed, is “to be with Christ.”

Charles Spurgeon