God is the subject

Well, I finally am providing you with at least my answer to the questions I have asked. In essence, I have really only asked one question in several different ways. I hope in this brief journal entry you will find my answer satisfactory and edifying. Many will probably already know the answer anyway.

October 9-10, 2015

Worship: Come Thou Almighty King

            Come, Thou Almighty King

Author:         Source unknown, England, c. 1757

Composer:   Felice de Giardini

Tune: Italian Hymn (de Giardini)

Scripture:     Rev. 4:8; Is 60:2–3; Ps 24:10

1          Come Thou Almighty King,

Help us Thy name to sing,

Help us to praise:

Father, all-glorious,

O’er all victorious,

Come and reign over us,

Ancient of Days.

2          Come, Thou Incarnate Word,

Gird on Thy mighty sword,

Our prayer attend!

Come, and Thy people bless,

And give Thy word success:

Spirit of holiness,

On us descend.

3          Come, Holy Comforter,

Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour!

Thou, who almighty art,

Now rule in ev’ry heart

And ne’er from us depart,

Spirit of pow’r.

4          To Thee, great One in Three,

The highest praises be,

Hence evermore;

Thy sov’reign majesty

May we in glory see,

And to eternity

Love and adore.^[1]

https://youtu.be/CGRBe44AczY

"Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)"

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm 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

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

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

[2x]
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
Will be forever mine.
You are forever mine.

https://youtu.be/HkAZteruVAw

Witness: I had to put one of my dogs to sleep today. Her name was Ladybug. She was a gentle dog. My dad could not get her name right while he was alive, often calling her Ladybird. I often wondered why. I googled the word Ladybug and the first article was a Google definition complete with a picture of a ladybug and all the scientific classifications of this insect. I was bemused and surprised when I saw the caption ― “Ladybird”. Now I know why.

She was suffering from a large tumor and liver failure and a very bad infection that was causing internal bleeding. We’ve had her for over 11 years. This was the second dog I have had to put to sleep. I had to put our precious Princess to sleep when we first moved to Tulsa 6 years ago. We had her for 16-17 years. In both cases I was by their side as they passed.

I have one dog remaining. We named him Prince in honor of Princess. He is a gift from God that appeared in our car port at our previous residence several years ago. He is a high strung dog and we almost got rid of him because he didn’t like anyone but us and would attack other people if he got loose. I took him to the pound, but when they said they would not be able to get him adopted by anyone and would have to put him down, I took him home.

He has grown and matured. He is still high strung, but has mellowed since then. He may bark at a stranger, but he won’t bite them. I realize one day he too will pass. I realized that death is a way of life in this present world. Loved ones come and go. I am consoled by this one fact, that my first love will never pass away, nor His love. As I write this, the  song playing is saying:

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

WORD:

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. KJV

2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,a I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. NIV

Perhaps, some are thinking right now, I am making too much of this issue I have raised. However, some have stumbled and fell over this very issue. I have struggled with it myself and often the enemy of my soul will whisper it in my mind to tempt me to stray from following my great and glorious  Shepherd  in the right paths. That is when I have to remind myself that my Shepherd provides all that I need, including an exalted view of who He is. To forget this, is to stray from the right paths and to enter the bypass of selfishness and self-centeredness, that is― the path of Idolatry and greed. In a previous WORD I asked, “who is the subject of the Bible”? The answer is God, of course. I must remember, the great subject of the Bible is not me but God Himself! I am the direct object, as it were, of the Bible and He is the subject. And what is the verb? God’s glory is the verb. All the actions He takes to accomplish this. To do less would be idolatry on God’s part and would not bring the most enjoyment, happiness, and satisfaction on my part. His glory is revealed in His all His acts of grace, mercy, goodness, love, power, and wrath (His just action towards all evil). Therefore, He leads me in the right path’s for His name’s sake, not mine. Praise God, for if He had said for my name’s sake and not His, then I would have become puffed up with pride and feelings of entitlement or questioned His wisdom when things don’t seem to be “going right”. We need to get back to this frame of thought in our theology. Our theology has to become theocentric again, for much of our so called theology is really anthropocentric.

   

Isa 42:8-13

8 "I am the Lord ; that is my name!

I will not give my glory to another

or my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have taken place,

and new things I declare;

before they spring into being

I announce them to you."

10 Sing to the Lord  a new song,

his praise from the ends of the earth,

you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,

you islands, and all who live in them.

11 Let the desert and its towns raise their voices;

let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.

Let the people of Sela sing for joy;

let them shout from the mountaintops.

12 Let them give glory to the Lord

and proclaim his praise in the islands.

13 The Lord  will march out like a mighty man,

like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;

with a shout he will raise the battle cry

and will triumph over his enemies.

NIV_

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^[1] Logos Hymnal. (1995). (1st edition.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.