ThoughtSeeds

A simple worship song written nearly fifty years ago has made its way into hymnals around the world, and its simple message is still speaking truth to countless hearts. "Seek Ye First" was written during a time of financial poverty in Karen Lafferty's life, and it has ended up providing her with financial support as she works in music missions internationally. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Allelu, Alleluia."

We are in a spiritual battle every single day, and as God's children and soldiers for Him, He has issued us protective armor. One of those pieces is the Breastplate of Righteousness. Just as the physical heart is the source of life for the physical body, the spiritual heart is our spiritual source of life. It needs to be protected! Living in God's righteousness is one of the surest ways to protect against the unending schemes and attacks of the enemy.

"Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Jesus tells us to seek God's righteousness above all else. What is righteousness? How is it different from SELF-righteousness? How important is it to my individual life to care about God's righteousness?

For five years, Judson Van DeVenter wrestled with the decision of whether to continue his career as a teacher, or to transition into fulltime evanglistic ministry. Finally, he gave in, and when he did, he wrote this beautiful and enduring hymn, "I Surrender All." What is God calling you to surrender? A different job, like Van DeVenter? Or maybe you know He's been nudging you to give up certain activities, but you're holding on. They might even be good things, but He's asking you to lay them down! Whatever it is, listen to this song and the beautiful truths in it, and find rest in surrendering ALL to Jesus.


http://dianaleaghmatthews.com/i-surrender-all/#.XvyuF8fPxPY
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-i-surrender-all

When Jesus left heaven for earth and gave up His life on the cross for us, He surrendered everything on our behalf. He set aside His power and authority so we could find freedom in His death and resurrection. What does He want US to surrender for Him? What does it mean -- really? -- to submit to God?

When you hear the word "surrender," do you think of one army surrendering to another in defeat? The original, old English meaning of the word means to "go above and beyond giving back or giving up oneself." Yielding ourselves completely to Christ is surrender. Letting Him have final say over what we do with our bodies, and what we think, say, and do is part of taking up our cross daily.

https://utmost.org/total-surrender/

Charles H. Gabriel went from teaching himself to play an organ as an Iowa farm boy to organizing singing schools at age 17. Eventually, he'd go on to work with some of the biggest names in hymnody of his day, and write and compose over 7,000 hymns. Some of his well-known hymns include "His Eye is on the Sparrow," and "I Stand Amazed in the Presence." He wrote and composed "Send the Light" at the request of his church's Sunday School superintendent for a special missions offering on Easter Sunday. "Send the Light" quickly became one of the most popular and enduring missions hymns, and it remains so today. Where is God calling you to send your light as you share the gospel of Jesus?

What is the truth of the gospel? Is it that Jesus came to make our life happier and more comfortable? Or did Jesus come, as He said "to seek and to save those who are lost?" He did come to seek and to save, and what we are saved FROM is what we need to be sharing with all urgency with the people around us. We are saved from the Day of Judgment, from hell -- from the penalty for our own sin. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

Way of the Master Resources here: https://www.livingwaters.com/outreach/way-of-the-master/


https://www1.cbn.com/spirituallife/kirk-cameron-the-gospel-truth

Who do you say that Jesus is? Historical evidence, even from secular sources, says He did exist. He did live and walk and talk here on earth. But was He God? IS He God? And if He is God, why did He come here? What does any of that have to do with your life now, thousands of years later?

Psalm 46:10 says "Be still, and know that I am God." Katharina von Schlegel wrote a beautiful hymn around that phrase over 300 years ago, and over a period of around 150 years, that hymn made its way into English from German, and was paired with the beautiful melody FINLANDIA. What do we gain by "being still?" Well, like the verse says, when we "be still," we know that HE is GOD. The hymn, "Be Still, My Soul" draws out numerous ways we can know He is God, through every circumstance.